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The Utah Doula Association Outreach Committee 2018
By: Rachel Winsley Welcome to another year of the UDA blog! This blog explores pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. All of the blog posts are written by birth professionals local to Utah. An introduction to the members of the UDA Outreach Committee is included below. We would love to hear what would you like…
Read MoreDiversity Doula Year in Review
By Beth Hardy 2017 brought the UDA our very first blog, and it has been an honor to be part of this inaugural team of bloggers. I have had the privilege of being 2017’s “Diversity Doula.” In this role, I’ve had the chance to bring you monthly blog topics that highlight marginalized communities and…
Read MoreSpotlight on: The University of Utah’s Volunteer Doula Program
By guest blogger Sheri Rysdam Learning More About the University of Utah’s Volunteer Doula Program In the spring of 2013, I took Kristi Ridd-Young’s three-day doula training workshop, which inspired me to start supporting women in labor. However, I knew it would never be full-time work for me. So, after learning about the University of…
Read More3 Ways to Jumpstart Your Doula Business
When I first started out as a doula I was a little underwhelmed by what was required to actually become a doula. It seemed relatively simple: take a training, read some books, attend births, 1/2 a dozen other things and voila! Well, yes, technically that is what’s required to say “I’m a doula” but…
Read More10 Things for Birth Workers to Know when Supporting the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Community
Guest post by Sariah Price of Heart to Hands Doula Services Seventeen years ago, when my first child was born, I had no idea that his birth would lead me to learn a new language, meet some really amazing people and come to love a whole new culture. When my son was 16 months old we…
Read MoreHonoring the Postpartum Period After Loss
By: Raquel Alfaro For any family, the postpartum period is a time of adjustment and change. Sleepless nights and demanding days. It is no less so for you parents experiencing the loss of a pregnancy, the loss of your baby. It is compounded by not only dealing with the changes of the postpartum period, but…
Read MoreEctopic Pregnancy Loss: My story
By Charity Wheeler Conception In 2011, my husband and I had been married for 2 years when we started seriously talking about adding children to our family of two. We had just purchased our first home, and were excited and anxious to fill it with joyous laughter and hope for the future. I had been…
Read MoreSpotlight Feature: The Mother’s Nest
This week we are doing a little spotlight on Alicia Glascock and Meradith Fraser. Together they founded The Mother’s Nest, a non-profit organization aimed at helping mothers suffering from postpartum depression and other perinatal mood disorders. Alicia is a mom of three daughters and she works as a nurse in the ER. Meradith is a birth, postpartum,…
Read MoreWorking with Spanish-Speaking Clients: A Doula’s Experience
Guest Post by Jennifer Riggs Our Rights as Birthing Women I love working with Spanish-speaking clients, and clients from all communities. There is so much for us to learn from our clients; we learn about their birth customs and traditions, and it’s just fascinating. In many countries, birthing women don’t have many options regarding…
Read MoreKnow Your Birth Options
By Sheri Rysdam To those giving birth, and the people who support them—you’ve got options! As a birth worker, I am often surprised by how *infrequently* people ask for advice, options, and perspectives about childbirth. If you’re reading this, you’re probably the exception. You’re likely either a birth worker or soon to be giving birth,…
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