Maximizing the Power of your Breath in Labor

By Meredith Ashton Cohen I approached my first birth excited and engaged in the process and largely “muscled” my way through labor. I said to myself, “I am doing this!” and while my body progressed naturally (without intervention), I forced it along with gumption and energy to “make it happen.” My breathing was a series…

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Tips for Better Doula Etiquette

By: Meagan Heaton, Co-Owner of The VBAC Link, CD(DONA), AD(MCU) Doula etiquette, what does it mean and how does it look?  Here are four ways you as a doula can help create a positive space within the birth team as well as build lasting relationships with hospital and birth center staff. As doulas it is important…

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World Doula Week

By Dezarae Weyburn The term “doula” is a relatively new one. Although the Greeks used the term “doula” to mean a female slave, or handmaid, it wasn’t until 1969 that the term was first applied to birth work. In the half-century that followed, doulas went from completely unknown to a household name. With the formation…

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ThrowBack Thursday

By: Andrea Lythgoe, BS, LCCE Bill Clinton began his first term as president, Sleepless in Seattle was packing the movie theaters, Whitney Houston crooned that she would Always Love You, and Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears & Christina Aguilera were all Mouseketeers. It was 1993. The Utah Association of Childbirth Companions, founded by Kristi…

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Spirituality and the Doula

Our post this week comes from an interview with Heather Tolley, chaplain and doula. Heather has been an advocate of compassionate healthcare for over four years. She loves helping her doula clients have a positive experience with pregnancy and birth by cultivating confidence and providing individualized support.  Can you share about your path to doula work? Heather: I…

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Benefits of Prenatal and Postpartum Yoga

By: Destiny S. Olsen BD(DONA), PCD(DONA), RYT, TPYT The sanskrit word yoga translates to yolk or union. The path of yoga is a path of union, union of breathe to the body, union of the mind to the muscles, union of the body, mind, spirit and ultimately, union of creation. For those of you starting…

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When Baby Dies—A Guide for Doulas

By Lindsay Dougal, CD(BAI), RYT A sometimes hard truth to swallow is the fact that death is a part of life. Even harder to acknowledge is the truth that babies are among those who die. In the United States, 1 in every100 pregnancies end in stillbirth (fetal death after 20 weeks gestation)—roughly 24,000 babies every…

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The UDA’s New Program to Fulfill Its Mission

By: Angie Rosier, UDA President As the doula profession grows and more doulas are trained, the public becomes increasingly aware of what doulas are and what they do. The position of a doula is now often recognized as an important and integral part of a birth team. Through the professional services offered by many outstanding…

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Mother’s Day: A Beautiful Celebration of Women and Birth

By Angie Rosier May holds Mother’s Day. It could be called Women’s Day as we celebrate the power of all women.  Doulas are lucky people among women. They have the unique opportunity of glancing into the soul of a woman.  A woman’s soul, which contains her whole heart and her entire power, is a rare…

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