The Utah Doula Association presents a great line up for this years Spring Conference. Clear your calendar and plan on joining us for a great experience.

When: MAY 19th

Location: Downtown SLC Library 210 East 400 South

Here is a sneak peak at the line up you won’t want to miss out:

Caring For Women the Well-Mama Way: understanding signs and symptoms of perinatal mood disorders
Kristin Burnett Hodson, MSW, LCSW & Amy-RosTe White MSW, CSW

Acupressure: Practical Application for Labor and Birth
Vanessa Moon, Licensed Acupuncturist

Doula-Provider Relationships
Panel Discussion lead by Kelly Martin, RN, CD(DONA)

Support for Birth Moms: How to Help Women Who are Placing Their Baby for Adoption
Ashley Sanders

Beginning Spanish for Doulas
Analiesa Leonhardt, BS & Mari Dean-Smith, BS

More information and registration coming soon!!

Got a Doula Bag? What’s your favorite or most used item?

Did you miss the meeting? Here is an excerpt from a fellow  UDA doula about tonight’s mentoring meeting. Come learn with us at our monthly mentoring meetings!

“Walk into a room of strangers and leave as friends.  That is what I did tonight at the first mentoring meeting of the year. I did know a few people beforehand, but there were still several that I hadn’t met yet.   The topic for the night was “Birth Bag Secrets.”  I find that I am curious as a newer doula what things more experienced doulas find invaluable in their bags.  Robynneprovided a handout from a veteran doula and I have to say it is comprehensive!  I don’t know that I will ever have all of those things in a bag that I would carry, but there are a lot of good ideas that I may take advantage of.  Everyone then went around the room and explained about their favorite thing in their own birth bag:

Flashlight- that can be stood on an end to provide gentle lighting in dark spaces- like the bathroom

Blowup pillow with suction cups- for use in the tub

Yoga mat/ kneepads for kneeling

Battery operated candles – for mood and gentle lighting

Camera

Handheld massager

Electrolyte drink powder packets

Baby food squeeze packs

Cold compresses

Rebozo

Flat tub stopper

Essential Oils: Clary Sage, Lavender and Peppermint

Copies of scripts and affirmations

Snacks

Excedrin and cola for a quick pick- me- up

Another topic that we talked about was the ability to trust that things are going to work out.  Due to the uncertain nature of labor and delivery and the fact that we as doulas also have lives and families outside the delivery rooms, sometimes we can get stressed. If you are going to be a successful doula you need to set your limits, whatever they may be, and stick to them and trust that everything else will just work itself out. The right doula will be there for every birth, even if that is no doula at all.  This trust is not an easy thing in the beginning because everything is new. However, the best thing you can do is to find the support that you need and have that in place so that you can focus all of your attention and energies to the birth that you are attending, instead of being overly worried about what is going on at home.   A good back up doula/doulas is key!  The UDA Find a doula page is a great place to find doulas in your area to connect with so that you can have the support you need.F

Mentoring meetings are held once a month to promote learning and growth by sharing our experiences with each other.

FYI: This may be a great article that you would like to print and save for future reference:

The relation between duration of rupture of membranes

and perinatal outcome in patients with preterm delivery.

Click HERE to download.

WHAT: Please join us for our February mentoring meeting, Wednesday February 15th at 7 pm

TOPIC: “Birth Bag Secrets”. Come prepared to chat and share your favorites and learn what ideas other doulas have:) Please bring a snack/drink to share. Hope to see you there!!!

WHERE: Midwives College of Utah 1174 East Graystone Way Salt Lake City, Utah 84106

WHY: Because it’s always fun to glean from other doulas, unite our efforts,build our community and unity!

Click here to view the facebook event.

GUESS WHAT?! We have a WINNER!!

CONGRATULATIONS to Tracie Beckstrom! WINNER of the UDA Perinatal Professionals Consortium Scholarship!

Mark your calendars and save the date! You won’t want to miss out on the FABULOUS lineup for this year! It will be a great time to brush up on our skills, learn more techniques, gain valuable information but most importantly UNITE together in our purpose to serve women in their births.

Here is the facebook event, PLEASE share this with other doulas and others you feel would be interested.

https://www.facebook.com/events/270800776326738/

More information  and registration information coming soon!!!

P.S UDA members will receive a discount for this conference.

Have you considered serving on the UDA Board? We have currently restructured how the board positions will be fulfilled. Each position will have a mentor that has served in that role the previous year, so that the new person can have one on one help knowing the ins and outs of their new role. So basically, each role has a lead position (the new member) and a mentoring position (the previous member).
Also, if you aren’t sure which position would be a great fit for you, you could serve on one of the committees. The committee memebers will help the lead position with different roles and assignments.

If you are interested please call or email a board member today!

2011 Utah Doula Association Fall Retreat

November 5, 2011

11:00am – 5:00pm, with an optional catered dinner to follow

Vitalize Community Studio, 2154 South Highland Drive (1100 East), Salt Lake City

Please join us for a day of relaxation, renewal and connection.  All women are invited so bring along your sisters, friends, mothers, adult daughters – anyone that you may like to enjoy this day with.

Please bring:

*a potluck lunch item to share

*your robozo(s), if you have one

*and …

if you would like to participate in the closet swap activity please bring up to 10 items of clothing, self-care items (new lotions, body scrubs, hair products), jewelry, belts, scarves, etc. Bring fantastic items you no longer need but want to give to a friend)! You could also bring birthing items.  The closet swap is a lot of fun.  Renew your soul and your closet!

To register, please pay below and fill out and submit the registration form.

REGISTRATION CLOSES NOVEMBER 3, 2011

We look forward to sharing this day with you.

$8 for UDA members

$15 for non-members

$15.50 to add an optional catered dinner

Payments may also be sent to the Utah Doula Association treasurer:

Jennifer Sorensen Whitaker
1129 East 700 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84102

Registration form:

Ok ladies, we have a booth at the Farmer’s Market on October 8th from 7:30 am until 1:30 pm. We need volunteers to help man the booth. As of right now we do not have any volunteers. Aunkia has worked hard to put this together, and it would be great if our doula community could come help support this. This is a great opportunity to promote doulas in general, but also to promote YOU! If you are interested, please contact Aunika Steenblik Kidd, Aunika can be contacted at: publicrelations@utahdoulas.org or 801-560-7364