Welcoming Calm

09/30/2025

Babies don’t replace babies.

October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month, and I think it’s important to say this out loud,

A new baby doesn’t erase the one you lost.
A rainbow doesn’t erase the storm that came before it.
A new heartbeat doesn’t silence the ache of the one that stopped.

Every child is their own person.
Every bond is unique.
Every love is sacred and irreplaceable.

Grief and joy can exist side by side.
You can miss one baby with every ounce of your soul, while still loving another with your whole heart.
It’s not replacement.
It’s not forgetting.
It’s carrying both love and loss at the same time.

So if you’ve lost a baby, your love for them is forever valid.
And if you’ve gone on to have more children, that love doesn’t replace, it simply multiplies.

Because babies don’t replace babies.
And this month, we remember them all.

©️Caty Sanders

09/05/2025

Another beautiful Home Birth last week. So honored to get to support and capture moments like these for each of the families I work with 🥹🤍

08/18/2025

✨Breathing support ✨

In the uterus your baby is completely dependent on the placenta to provide oxygenation through the umbilical cord.

Your baby is swimming in amniotic fluid and needs to clear that fluid to make room for air once born.

Most babies born vaginally will have no issues in doing this, they will let out a big cry and the pressure from that inhalation forces fluid in the lungs to move out into the tissues and let air in.

As the placenta stops pulsating to your baby and inhalation begins the reduced pressure will cause 3 shunts in the heart to close. These were alternate paths for blood flow while your baby is in the uterus and they are not needed after birth.

At times this transition can be delayed and that can be due to many things such as maternal medications, poor placental function etc.

So what do we do as midwives?

First we stimulate give bub a nice rub, ask mum to blow on the face to try and initiate a cry if these aren't
working we go straight to a bag and mask.

If you think of the lungs as 2 flat balloons.
We all know how hard it is to get that first breath into a flat balloon and once there is a little air in there the balloon inflates a lot easier.

Putting it simply that is what the bag and mask does, it pushes air into your baby’s lungs to inflate the “balloons” (lungs) and makes it a whole lot easier to take that first breath.

Keeping the CORD INTACT is a resuscitation technique on its own, research has shown babies with delayed cord clamping started to breathe and establish regular breathing earlier then babies who had early cord clamping.

In Australia it's rare at the moment for resuscitation to take place by the bedside in a hospital setting. At home births this can easily be achieved as you can see in the above photo.

Midwives : 👏
📷 : Emma-Jean Photography ♥️
✨ Words and informative Repost by Peace with birth ✨

08/12/2025

🤍🤍🤍

YOU CAN DO BIG THINGS! Like push a 14 lb 7 oz baby out naturally with NO VAGINAL TEARING! 🙌🏽💪🏽🤰🏻 4 hours of labor, 15 mins of pushing. ✨Rockstar✨

You rock Coastal Midwifery!

“A few days ago I had the pleasure of attending the beautiful HOME BIRTH of this BIG man.

His mama saw a Licensed midwife throughout her pregnancy and prepared physically and emotionally for the birth of her second baby.

During her 4 hour long labor she rocked, walked and danced her baby down, she instinctively pushed in the standing position for 15 mins and delivered all..... are you ready for it.... 14 lbs 7oz of him! She was also able to deliver this chunky baby with no tears.

After doing their research this family chose a midwife to guide them through their pregnancy and birth and were able to have an amazing experience in the comfort of their own home.

This baby stayed with his mama on her chest breastfed within the first hour. Mama and baby are doing amazing.

People are capable of delivering their baby, even when they are big! Way to go mama!”

You can find more info here:
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-for-induction-or-c-section-for-big-baby/

Learn all about our birth resources for parents and doulas here >> motherboardbirth.com

08/06/2025

We were working on baby’s placement this morning and mamas first born was loving the “tunnels” that she was creating 😆

03/28/2025

In honor of World Doula Week, I wanted to say thank you 🤍 Serving you, holding you, praying with you, capturing these moments for you over the last 4 years; there is nothing that brings me more joy, honor and radiance. You are the “why” that keeps lighting the spark 🤍

It is such an honor to work in the fertility and birth world. Forever grateful.

02/12/2025

A beautiful, non-medicated, low intervention hospital birth. This mama was a labor warrior and her hubby was an amazing birthing partner. My heart was overjoyed watching as my clients holistic wishes were respected; including waiting until the cord was completely white before clamping and cutting! Your providers matter mamas! Happy Birthday baby girl! 🤍

01/14/2025

A new year is a time of fresh beginnings, dreams of vitality, and creating a life rooted in balance. For herbalists (and the herb-curious), this means embracing the wisdom of plants to nourish our bodies and minds—and what better allies to start the year than adaptogens?

Adaptogens have a normalizing effect on the body, particularly through their work to balance the endocrine system, helping to improve the body’s ability to respond to both physical and emotional stressors with increased resilience.

Many adaptogens need to be taken over an extended period of time in order to see their full restorative benefit. That said, adaptogens are a wonderful group of herbs for people of all ages to explore. Think of them as herbal companions that gently nurture your energy, immune system, and hormones, helping you find equilibrium in a fast-paced world.

Here are some simple ways to welcome adaptogens into your routine:

✨ Whip up herbal chai with warming spices for winter wellness (see our recent post for a free recipe!).
✨ Make adaptogenic bliss balls for a quick, nourishing snack.
✨ Enjoy teas, broths, or syrups infused with your favorite adaptogens.
Whether it’s ashwagandha for grounding, reishi for calm, or tulsi for clarity, these botanicals offer gentle yet profound support for your well-being.

Start the year with a sip of intention, and swipe for a little self-effacing fun. If we can’t laugh at ourselves, we’re gonna have a long year of all work and no play ahead, and the adaptogens would NOT approve!



https://theherbalacademy.com/?s=adaptogens&post_type=post

11/17/2024

Can’t wait to serve you in 2025! 🥰🤍

10/01/2024

An unpopular opinion from a doula.

A story about a homebirth gone wrong circled the area and out came the cast of word vomit that lingered in the air of why ALL home births are unsafe and should never be done. Many came from those who have never worked in the home birth world or had very little experience to back up their evidence. As a doula who works in the birth world, both hospital and home birth, here’s my thoughts.

A great midwife knows when medical interventions are needed and respects medical intervention during actual medical emergencies. He or she also respects their clients wishes and works to serve their client in the ways THEY are wanting.

On the contrary. A good doctor knows when to back off and allow the human body to do what it does naturally. They also will respect THE CLIENTS wishes and not use fear tactics to try to persuade them in their choices.

I have heard of midwives putting women at risk to danger.

I have also witnessed with my own eyes, doctors putting women and babies at risk to extreme danger.

If I’m honest, over the years, I have sat with many, many moms who in fact had horrifying birth experiences in a hospital setting due to providers not having proper knowledge.

💎 It isn’t either or. 💎

There are some great midwives.
There are some great doctors.
(I have lists of them, please, do ask me and I will help you to find the best fit for YOU!)

As a doula I have had the privilege to work in both areas.

It is not one fits all. Unless you’ve witnessed multiple experiences in BOTH scenarios you don’t get to make black and white or blanket statements. Period.

At the end of the day, as I doula, I will speak loud and proud, that this is the LABORING MOM’S birth. Do your research. Pray. Make an informed decision. Ask the hard questions. Do what you feel is best and safest for you and your child.

Find a provider that supports YOUR desires and wishes and settle for nothing less. No one can make you do anything. Listen to your instincts, listen to the Holy Spirit. Your body will tell you exactly what to do next. Don’t shut off your mama heart whispers.

And for the love of birth, just because you believe strongly one way or another doesn’t mean it’s best for every single scenario.

That is all. Kindly, hopping off my soapbox now. 🧼

09/18/2024

Do you know what's better than episiotomy for easing a birthing baby out? The Side-lying Release! (See in the comments) When the neurophysiological approach to easier birth isn't known, and when the focus is on the provider to "do something" (and not on the birthing pair who are doing something!) then a force approach (cutting) gets prioritized. Physiology--the stretching edge of birth care!