Lucy the Laborer

03/25/2021

Did you ever imagine doing jumping jacks in active labor? My repeat client was having a slower than expected, relaxed pace labor a week ago. I joked that when she was ready she could start doing all the things to bring on more contractions, like ni**le stimulation and jumping jacks. I left the room briefly and came back to see her, sure enough, doing jumping jacks and breathing through contractions after each few. Labor chugged along and she gave birth to her second little girl after three pushes a few hours later.

03/11/2021

Why Black Women Are Rejecting Hospitals in Search of Better Births

Some mothers are seeking alternatives, worried about Covid-19 and racial inequities in health care.

03/07/2021

Picked up two of my birth pools and both families reported babies were born in the pool!

02/02/2021

Glad I got the call around 4:00 this morning, not 4:00 last night! Wish this hospital would expedite admission (or improve their policies) so I wouldn't have to be separated from my clients for an hour waiting in the freezing, busy lobby while my clients are in triage.

01/27/2021

Straight from a birth to my 2nd dose of the vaccine this morning is peak in the time of .

01/25/2021

Racist medical care kills mothers. Donate to this family if you can and let's work to change this system. https://gofund.me/f2a6f69a

Jenayah Nelums, a 38 year old human services assistant, was a beautiful, vibrant spirit who was cheri… Nastassia Davis needs your support for

01/21/2021

Really enjoyed listening to the amazing Dr. Rebecca Powell presenting research on immune response in . The long and the short of it seems to be that the durable immunoglobins produced in the milk of previously infected parents effectively block the virus, possibly for months after illness. It's also possible that the antibodies from breastmilk could be extracted for a covid therapeutic, which might be more effective than plasma because of the better durability of immunoglobulins in milk vs. blood. Thank you for hosting this!

12/31/2020

Obligatory post (photo from yesterday morning). My arm is a bit sore but otherwise I feel great. If you'd told me 10 years ago that doulas would be included among Category 1A healthcare workers during a pandemic, I would have told you you were taking too many puffs of gas and air. Thank you for recognizing the work of doulas and the risk we could pose to the vulnerable populations we work with and the other healthcare providers who care for our clients. And thank you for vaccinating me. The nurse who gave me the shot said I was the first breastfeeding person she had administered the vaccine to (she went to double check it was recommended I get it...I could have told her it is approved during breastfeeding). #2020

08/21/2020

This is how you use this thing, right? Dancing with stolen pump parts. #

08/07/2020

Happy ! Here's one of my nursing his baby (mimicking his mom nursing his baby brother) and my nursing acrobat toddler.

07/08/2020

Unacceptable.

06/29/2020

I wrote the following letter to Tammy Murphy on Thursday evening via the website of Governor Phil Murphy and the order came through saying doula are exempt from hospital restrictions Tuesday afternoon! So grateful for all the advocacy from the birth community working on getting doulas back in for our clients in hospitals now that NJ is opening up.


Hello First Lady Murphy,
My name is Emily Cohen-Moreira. I am a Certified Childbirth Educator, Certified Doula, and Certified Lactation Counselor based in Tenafly, NJ. I have been working in birth and breastfeeding education, support, and advocacy for the past decade, including before, between, and after the births of my two children. I so appreciate your attention to improving maternal and child health, reducing disparities in outcomes, and increasing breastfeeding support. I am thrilled to see all of your posting on breastfeeding right now (I am writing you this note as I nurse my 13-month old). I want to ask that you champion another cause for maternal health right now: codifying allowing doulas to attend hospital births in New Jesey again. Governor Cuomo made an executive order on April 29th stating that doulas are an essential part of a birthing family's team. Research shows clearly that doulas contribute to better outcomes, including lower cesarean rates, lower incidence of low birth weight babies, a reduction in birth complications, and greater breastfeeding rates. Unfortunately, I have heard of a couple of maternal losses in North Jersey in the recent months. As a doula who has attended several hundred births over the past ten years, I can speak to the difference we make by ensuring expectant and new parents are informed and in the driver's seat for their own health care. New parents in NJ deserve education, support, and advocacy from a doula, including throughout their labor and birth. Doulas don't just impact birth; we set the stage for a successful transition to new parenthood, including information and support for postpartum adjustment and infant feeding. I would be happy to chat about why it's so essential that new parents in NJ should not be at a disadvantage compared to their counterparts across the Hudson. Thank you so much, Emily Cohen-Moreira

New Jersey Department of Health Exempts Doulas from Hospital Delivery Support Person Limits During COVID-19