Tag: Childbirth

Welcome New Birth Doula Clara Strong!!!

We are soo very excited to welcome another passionate birth doula to our team: Clara Strong!! Clara comes very highly recommended from some really awesome people I know personally here in Evansville, and I’m not even sure she was looking to join the team already. Clara had been through her birth doula training when she set up a meeting with me to talk about the birth scene here locally. She has such a calming presence and laid back sense of humor, which honestly is one of my favorite combinations of personality traits when it comes to doulas. She’s had some great personal experience with birth here locally, and is excited to get started serving expecting families. She’s excited to join a team full of science-loving, anti-racist, LGBTQIA+ accomplices too, and that made my heart happy as a human too.

Clara Strong, birth doula

A Little About Clara:

Clara is a birth doula working toward full DONA certification. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and an MFA in creative writing. She is passionate about reproductive justice and is committed to empowering all kinds of families. She lives on the West side of Evansville with her husband, their two small children, the family dog, and a passel of chickens and geese. 

(Side note: I may have shuddered when Clara told me about all the birds at her house and then promised to never come over.)

Don’t you just love that when I asked for pictures to share that Clara sent me one with a changing table & pack-n-play in the background?!?!

In Her Own Words

Why did you want to become a birth doula?

I have always been obsessed with all things birth– it was my favorite part of growing up on a farm!– but it wasn’t until after I learned how pervasive birth trauma is that I decided to become a birth doula.

What is your favorite thing about living in Evansville?

My favorite thing to do in Evansville is get tacos from La Campirana (seriously, they catered my wedding) and comb the racks of our local thrift stores for hidden treasure.

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday?

On a regular Saturday, I am probably fighting back weeds in my vegetable garden, or watching movies while snuggled up with my kids on the couch.  

Want to talk to Clara??

Clara is available to start taking clients with due dates after 8/12/22! The first 3 clients will get a 50% discount on Clara’s birth doula fees as she tries to get going toward her certification. Contact us today if you’re interested in chatting with Clara to see if she’d be a good fit to have on your birth team.

Doula Investment

We know that choosing to add a doula to your birth or postpartum team is a pretty big investment for most families, but you won’t regret it! From the time you hire your birth doula all the way through your 4th trimester postpartum, a doula can be there to help you every step of the way. Here are three ways your doula investment pays off for you:

“Is this normal?”

Pregnancy brings a whole lot of aches, pains, and questions about your changing body as you grow another human inside of it. Once you decide to make that doula investment your services begin right then. You get your doula’s phone number and can call or text them with ANY worries or questions you might have. We promise ZERO judgement for any questions, because we’ve probably already heard most of them before too.

We also know that the internet can be an overwhelming place for pregnant people. Not only can you ask your doula all your personal pregnancy, birth, & postpartum questions, but we also have an online classroom for our clients. Our classroom is filled with links, handouts, & even coloring pages that are helpful. We filter the internet, so you don’t have to worry about getting advice from random groups of possibly uninformed fellow parents.

Birth options

Contrary to popular belief, doulas don’t think everyone should have the same kind of birth. Investing in doula services means having someone on your team that wants to know YOU and your specific requests. Doulas invest in your experience, because that is our job on your team! Research has shown that doulas actually spend more time with you than anyone else on your birth team by the way, and that’s a pretty big deal. So whether you want to go without pain medication or want your epidural ASAP, a doula can still help you know all of your options. Doulas start getting to know your preferences during pregnancy and help you move through all those decisions during the entire process of bringing your baby earth-side.

Postpartum resources

Once your baby arrives, your doula doesn’t just ditch you! We have a ton of resources for families once you’re holding that baby. Whether you are looking for lactation information, local professionals that can help you physically recover, or even someone to come help out around the house while you shower, we can doula that. Sure our online classroom has resources for you, but sometimes you just need someone to come over and check on just you. Your birth doula will do just that.

Postpartum doulas are a newer thing here in Evansville, Indiana, but we are here to tell you that this is one doula investment that is going to knock your socks off too. A postpartum doula gives physical, emotional, & information support to families in the 4th trimester. Want someone to come do the dishes, fold your laundry, & give you non-judgmental feeding advice while never asking to hold your baby? That’s what a postpartum doula does.

You’re worth it too!

We know that the price-tag for doula services can leave you with sticker shock. We get it. We hope that this blog post has helped explain a bit of what you are going to get for your doula investment. No two client experiences are going to ever look exactly the same, and that is honestly a great thing. We want to help you have the best experience possible from the time you hire your doula until well after you cuddle your baby for the first time. Your doula will be with you every step of the way as much as you want them to be. The experience of bringing your baby into this world is one that will be with you forever, and hiring a doula who is entirely focused on you means investing in your well-being. We know you’re worth it, and we’d be happy to talk to you about how we might be able to help your family.

Helpful Tools for Birth**

Learning about helpful tools for birth before you get there can mean you know what to ask for and how to use the things available to you! This can improve your confidence and birth experience.

Not all labors and deliveries are the same, but using tools can be a great thing for almost every birth. The same tools don’t work for every situation but learning what is available, when, and how to use them is really helpful! **Don’t worry, none of the tools in the picture are used for labor or delivery.** No matter where you are planning to give birth, there are tools that you can use. These are my top 3 most helpful tools for birth!

The Birth Ball

The birth ball is really just an exercise ball that gets a fancier name in labor and delivery. There are a ton of ways to use the birth ball during pregnancy, labor, & postpartum. These are very versatile and helpful tools for birth. You can use it by sitting and bouncing with less upward pressure while you still have a baby inside. You can lean on it. Kicking it works too. You can do all kinds of things with this ball. (I advise against sit-ups on it while in labor.) The birth ball opens up your pelvis and keeps you out of bed while laboring. Moving your hips in a circular motion keeps you moving too. I’ve had several clients just want to bounce on it in labor. I spent months postpartum bouncing on a ball to keep my firstborn happy. Ask for the ball when you arrive at the hospital! If you are planning a home birth, you should plan to purchase one in the right size for you.

Peanut Ball

Every time I see a yellow peanut ball, I cannot help but think of minions while simultaneously wanting to draw a monocle on them. Peanut balls might look funny, but there is science behind these amazingly helpful tools for birth. Contrary to what some might believe, you can absolutely use a peanut ball if you do not have an epidural! They are great for parents with epidurals too though. Peanut balls help keep your pelvis open while you are resting. There are all kinds of positions for using this ball. Learning about how to use it to shorten your labor before you go is a great thing to do. Seriously, ask for the peanut ball! I will warn you that if you don’t have an epidural, using a peanut ball can be uncomfortable, but it can also be very effective.

Bed + Squat Bar

Staying out of bed is a great thing for while you are laboring, but hospital beds can also be helpful. I love to request the squat bar attachment to the bed for laboring and pushing. I also like to call them Go-Go-Gadget Beds because of how many different positions and options they have. This is why the whole bed plus the squat bar is really a helpful tool for birth. Squatting has all kinds of benefits for birth, but it can be exhausting if you try to do it without breaks or without preparing yourself. You can even use a squatting position for pushing or wrap a sheet around the bar to pull on while you lean back. There are lots of possibilities when you know your options and how to use them.

FYI: If you are planning a home birth, finding places to squat and learning to do a supported squat with your partner or doula are great alternatives to the bed. Looking around your house and finding places to do all the best birth positions is something I always like to do at prenatal visits with home birth clients. Bonus: your midwife might bring along some of the things from my wish list below!

Tool Wishlist:

The bottom line is this: There is no one set of helpful tools for birth that will work for everyone. Having more tools in your tool box and knowing how to use those can give you more options. Practice using these tools if you can, or even just watch some helpful videos. You can bring more tools with you too if you’d like. Heck, even dancing can be a helpful for birth!

If you’d like to come learn more coping techniques, including getting to practice with these balls before labor, we have a class for that! Spend 3 hours on a Saturday morning learning more tools and non-medical coping techniques for labor and delivery. Here are the dates and links to sign up if you are interested:

Childbirth Education Improves Outcomes

A recent study found that taking a childbirth education class improves birth outcomes. People who took a childbirth education class in this study were three times more likely to have a vaginal birth. Taking a childbirth education class helps improve confidence and skills for coping with labor and delivery. Childbirth education is still important, no matter what kind of birth you are planning.

Group & Private Classes Available

Coping with Labor Naturally is a 3 hour group class that covers the basics you need. The next one will be Saturday February 8th, 9am-noon, and you can sign up here. I will also teach this class in April, July, & October in 2020, so stay tuned if you are interested but not quite ready to sign up yet. This is a great class to bring your partner so they can learn ways to help you in labor. You will also learn which tools to bring with you and which to request when you get to the hospital.

If group classes aren’t your thing, maybe a full private childbirth education class would be right for you. Full private childbirth education classes have 6 hours of private instruction in your home or at my office space. I am a Lamaze certified childbirth educator who only uses evidence-based information. Yes, we will talk about the hee-hee-hoo-hoo breathing, but I cover everything from pregnancy nutrition to birthing positions to postpartum healing. I’m also an experienced birth doula, so I know the ins and outs of the local birthing scene too. This 6 hour class comes with a 96 page spiral-bound book of handouts and articles packed full of information for parents too!

I also have the option of a private 3 hour birth planning only session. This class is easy to customize for your needs and specific situation. I’m happy to cover whichever topics you might be interested in learning about, and help you come up with a plan. This is a great option for people who might be shy or have a very specific situation that needs specific information. This is also a great option for those birthing at home, who might want all the comfort techniques and help writing a transfer birth plan. Contact us directly to schedule a class and get more information!

Online Options

Maybe you’re really busy and would prefer an online option? Lamaze has some great online courses that are inexpensive and evidence-based.

  • FREE Labor Confidence with Lamaze Course here
  • Safe & Healthy Birth: Six Simple Steps here
  • Labor Pain Management: Techniques for Comfort and Coping here
  • Breastfeeding Basics: From Birth to Back to Work here
  • Bringing Home Baby here
  • Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC): Informed and Ready here

There are other online courses as well that I like, but I will say that most people benefit from some in-person, hands-on learning too. No matter how you choose to learn, taking the time to prepare for childbirth is a GOOD thing to do. Refreshing your knowledge and skills, even if this isn’t your first birth, are also good uses of your time and energy. I’m always happy to recommend books to read too! Childbirth education is important. Childbirth education is helpful. Childbirth education is worth your time.

Midwives in Southwest Indiana?

Evansville needs midwives to support healthy birthing families!

Southwest Indiana needs midwives, and the lack of them here is surprising. It is frustrating for me as a doula for several reasons. Our area deserves to have midwifery options, especially as midwifery care has proven benefits for patient satisfaction, cost, and birth outcomes.

What does the landscape look like for people searching for midwifery care here? We currently have two Certified Professional Midwives that travel here for home births, one from Bedford and the other from Bloomington. However, home birth is not an option for everyone. In 2019, we only have one Certified Nurse Midwife catching babies at one Evansville area hospital.

So what is the big deal? Midwives are experts in normal pregnancy and birth. According to the Midwives Alliance of North America “all midwives are trained to provide comprehensive prenatal care and education, guide labor and birth, address complications, and care for newborns.” Midwives are not surgeons, and all obstetricians are, which fundamentally changes the way that they approach your care. The Midwifery Model of Care “whether practiced in clinics, private homes, hospitals or birth centers, has at its core the characteristics of being with women, listening to women, and sharing knowledge and decision-making with women” (MANA). Midwives expect pregnancy and birth to be normal and watch out for signs that pregnancy, labor, and delivery might need intervention. That is not the same approach as an Obstetrician, and if you want to read more about the comparison or some social science research about this I highly recommend this book and especially this article and this one too from Robbie Davis-Floyd. She is the most renowned anthropological expert when it comes to this stuff!

Midwives have also been proven time and time again to be linked to better outcomes for their patients. People who use midwives for their care are THREE TIMES more likely to be satisfied with their care when compared with obstetrician-led care. Midwifery care has also been shown to be the most cost effective care in the hospital setting.

Who cares? Well, I do, and I’m not alone. I chose midwifery care for myself when I delivered my babies in Cleveland. As a doula, I regularly get asked for recommendations about providers, and I can’t even count the number of disappointed people I have talked to when I tell them that there is only one midwife here in town available to catch babies in one hospital. There are plenty of factors that go into choosing a provider, including insurance, location, practice style, personality, and so much more. While one midwife is certainly better than none, people choosing to birth here surely deserve more options. We need more midwives in Southwest Indiana.

For a little comparison, just down the road in Owensboro, KY there are 4 Certified Nurse Midwives catching babies at the hospital. Owensboro has a population of around 60,000. Evansville has a population of >115,000! If we include the populations of the surrounding 5 counties (Gibson, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, & Warrick) We have a local population of over 320,000 people, and we know that there are people traveling here from Northern Kentucky, Eastern Illinois, and even further counties in Indiana to give birth, and they aren’t even included in that population count! Not every pregnancy and birth here needs to be attended by a surgeon. Yes, family practice physicians are also an excellent option, and there are some great ones here, but midwifery care is more specialized and has a different approach than the medical model of birth.

Southwest Indiana needs midwives, and we have some currently working to complete their training. As I sit writing this I know three midwives who are currently in school and planning to practice here when they graduate. Two will be Certified Nurse Midwives who catch babies in the hospital and one will be a Certified Professional Midwife who attends home births. Growing families deserve options for their care, and these midwives will be an amazing addition to our community when they are finished with their training. I can’t wait for the day when birthing families in Southwest Indiana have more midwives to support them as they grow.

Have you ever considered hiring a midwife instead of a physician for your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care?

Things Doulas Know

Unsolicited advice is not my style

I have stopped giving random advice to pregnant people that do not ask for it, essentially for two reasons. The first reason has to do with other people and the second because of me.

  1. Everyone seems to feel entitled to give pregnant people advice, and I do not want to add to the mostly annoying cacophony.

I do not know what it is about pregnancy that makes everyone feel like they need to give you advice and tell you what to do. I know that most everyone really means well, but holy moly it can be really exhausting to be constantly bombarded by people who think they know better than you about what you should do. I won’t even get started on the horror stories that people feel obligated to tell you like they can’t stop the flow of awfulness spewing from their mouths. I have a strict no spreading trauma policy when it comes to speaking to pregnant people, and I highly encourage all clients to tune out any and all negative messages surrounding birth and parenthood, especially while you are extra vulnerable and pumped up full of hormones!

2. I know way more than most people about pregnancy, birth, babies, etc than most people, and I have a tendency to go on and on about it.

I know a ton of really specific and sometimes seemingly random things that can really help people who are navigating pregnancy, planning for their upcoming birth, and getting prepared to take care of a new tiny human too. I am happy to talk about all these things all day long, and I do quite a bit, BUT not everyone wants to hear that. I respect people’s wishes and only expose my super birth geek side when requested.

As a doula and childbirth educator, I have extensively studied pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. I know where to find great evidence-based and unbiased information. I know different comfort techniques to get through labor and delivery. I make sure to keep up on all the local resources for new families in our area including great breastfeeding support services, chiropractors who specialize in the Webster technique, prenatal yoga classes, which physicians will provide parallel care for home birth, support for victims of abuse, stores that sell green baby products, and more. I am seriously committed to life-long learning and I want to help everyone be better connected with the resources and information that they need.

I never want people to feel afraid to ask me questions. I would rather my clients ask me anything rather than sit around worrying or wondering. I make an effort to not overshare or overwhelm people. I am always happy to answer questions, especially for my clients. BUT, I can’t send you answers that you don’t ask for, and I won’t, not because I’m protecting the information, rather because I know it is really hard to sip from a fire hose and it has taken me YEARS to gather all this information that you are trying to digest in 40-ish weeks.

What was the worst unsolicited advice you ever received about birth?

My Goals as Your Doula

As a doula, I listen and follow your lead.

  1. Support you and your family how you want to be supported.

End of list.

Yes, seriously.

As a doula, I listen and follow your lead. If you want information about anything pregnancy or birth related, I am happy to help you find great and unbiased information about all your options. I love answering pregnancy and birth questions, but make a big effort not to inject my opinion into any of it. That is because my opinion about what you should do is pretty much irrelevant. I do not tell people what to do, and completely understand that there is no one right way that works for every birthing family and every situation.

Most people only think of the physical support a doula can offer, and that is certainly part of the job description, but it definitely is not all of it. I hold space for my clients to give them room to think things through and listen to their gut without an audience. I talk through tough decisions and help you get to the root of your desires for your birth. I am an empathetic ear when you are frustrated, excited, anxious, worried, elated, exhausted, etc. I also don’t have ALL the answers, but I am really great at helping people wade through the sea of information out there to find excellent sources and resources too.

In my 5+ years as a doula, my practice has certainly changed, but my #1 goal has always been steadfast, and I don’t ever imagine it will change! I have no agenda for your birth; I only want your family to feel fully supported as you would like to be. I truly strive to check any bias I might carry and leave it outside of the space of your blossoming family.

Would you like to have an extremely knowledgeable, experienced, and compassionate person in your contact list and at your birth? If you said yes, then I would love to talk to you about birth doula services!

Doula? A do what now?

Midwives and doulas have very different jobs!

One of the most common misconceptions that I run into as a doula is that people think that we are the same as midwives. While I have worked with some really great midwives in my time as a doula, and LOVED having midwives catch my own 2 babies, I do not want to be a midwife or be confused for one. Doula care can compliment midwifery care very well, but we certainly do not replace a midwife.

As a doula, I do a whole lot of things that can improve your pregnancy, labor, delivery, and immediate postpartum. I help you ask more (and sometimes better or more specific) questions prenatally and think through all those decisions about what you want for your delivery before it is actually the big day. I help you practice different comfort techniques and even help you know exactly what things you actually need to have for your birth and immediate postpartum period either at the hospital or home. I hold hands and help people move around, sometimes with all kinds of wires attached to them. I push on your lower back, squeeze your hips, and massage your hands during labor. I help you to the bathroom and comfort you through the challenges of labor and deliver with all kinds of affirming words. I will let you squeeze my hand and listen to the changes in your voice and demeanor for clues on how I can better help you. I do not doula the same for any two births, as each one presents its own unique set of circumstances.

Midwives provide care for healthy pregnant people prenatally, during labor and delivery, and postpartum. They approach birth differently than an Obstetrician, but essentially do all the medical things an OB can do other than surgery. Midwives view birth as a normal process and often practice watchful waiting while expecting everything to be perfectly normal and fine instead of trying to prevent things from going wrong through action. It can seem a very subtle difference in philosophy, and not all midwives take this approach, but this is the midwifery approach generally to pregnancy and birth.

  • A short and completely non-comprehensive list of things a midwife can do that I do not as a doula:
  • Check your vital signs like blood pressure and temperature
  • Order labs
  • See you for in-office prenatal visits (monthly, biweekly, then weekly)
  • Check your cervix
  • Catch your baby
  • Give you stitches
  • Check your fundal height after delivery
  • Order and administer medication

If you want to learn more about midwives, this link is a good place to start.

If you would like to learn more about doulas, you can read about us here. I would also LOVE to talk to you about my services! You can contact me through this website, via email, phone, or message me on social media–whatever you are comfortable with is fine with me. You can read reviews from previous clients and check my availability at this link as well if you would like.

I love helping my clients navigate pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, and have more than five years of experience as a doula at both hospital and home births. I have worked with some amazing midwives and OBs too. I have been to 8 different hospitals as a doula and learned all about their policies and who has which equipment. I know which cabinets have the towels and where to find the emesis basins. More than that though, I support my clients however they want to be supported, because each one is different and each situation demands different techniques and approaches.

Someone once asked me what the #1 most important quality is for a good doula. That was easy for me to answer: EMPATHY! What I may lack in midwifery clinical skills, I make up for in compassion and listening skills. Midwives and doulas can work really well together and there is definitely room for both in your chosen birthing space!

Cesarean Awareness Month

I took that picture above at Indiana University many years after I graduated and I was walking around campus with my family, and I saw the statue with new eyes–with my doula eyes. I had never seen the low-transverse incision mark on her abdomen before that day. It made me smile in admiration and wonder if it was intentional. I’ll probably never know for sure, but I like to think that it is.

April is Cesarean Awareness Month. This was started by
ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) to direct attention to the fact that the cesarean rate in the United States is too high.
32% of American babies in 2017 were born via cesarean section according to the CDC. That number actually hides quite a bit though. That is the number for TOTAL cesarean births, as Jill Arnold explains on cesareanrates.org, and looking at the low risk first time cesarean data gives us a more accurate picture of what we should be targeting to change, especially given the lack of access to and support of VBAC in many places in the country. There are some amazing people working to try to reduce that first cesarean, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists with this statement originally published in 2014, and Neel Shah and his team at Ariadne Labs who are working to reduce medically unnecessary cesarean surgeries. Shah says that as many as HALF of all cesareans may actually medically unnecessary, and he is not the only one working to reduce that number!

Sometimes cesarean surgery IS necessary. Sometimes surgery saves lives. NOBODY is suggesting that there should be ZERO cesarean surgeries! I join the chorus of people saying that perhaps we should question the efficacy and long-term health consequences for individuals all the way up to the population level.

I’ve never had a cesarean section surgery personally, but I have been in the operating room as a doula for some. Cesarean surgery can be scary, especially if you don’t know what to expect and your support person doesn’t either. Many times you weren’t expecting to be in that operating room, or are questioning whether you should be there right then. Learning about what to expect before you go into the operating room is one of the things I talk about in my childbirth classes. In my first prenatal visit with my clients, we talk about birth preferences, and I always make sure to talk about cesarean birth preferences with every single client no matter what their plans are. Plans sometimes go awry, and knowing what your options are if everything else is going sideways is a great way to mitigate fear as well.

Cesarean birth IS birth, and great medical staff can make a world of difference. There are even some hospitals that will allow a doula into the operating room as a second support person, which can be extremely beneficial for parents who can often feel like strangers in a strange surgery land. I know I have learned so much each time I have been in the operating room, including how best to support a person undergoing surgery, what is normal and expected, what exactly happens in that surgery, which staff is in charge of what action, where to stand, what not to say, and soo much more.

I sincerely hope that more doulas will be allowed in the operating room as a second support person for people undergoing cesarean surgery! I hope that it becomes just one more way that doulas can support the rest of the 32% of births in this country!


Photo by Chris Ensey on Unsplash

Birth is amazing, no matter how it happens. I seriously believe that! The bravery of having your body literally sliced open to bring a child into this world is not lost on me at all. I honor and respect all cesarean parents, and know the sacrifice you have made for those tiny humans.

Learning Opportunities!

Greetings and salutations! I am so excited about some upcoming learning opportunities for families and professionals too!

On May 4th from 9am-noon you can come learn all about Coping with Labor Naturally in this fun class. We’ll laugh and have fun, and I promise that there will be snacks too! This is the 2nd time I’m teaching this class, and this time I am going to make sure to build in more time for ask the doula questions! I still have some spots available for interested expecting families, so email me today if you are interested to reserve your spot for this class packed with practical tips for dealing with contractions.

On Saturday May 11th, you can head over to the beautiful space of Studio 3 in Henderson, KY where I will be speaking in a special class for expecting parents! I’ll be focusing my short time on answering these questions: What does a doula actually do? What is the difference between standard and evidence-based care? What are the top 3 natural ways to cope with labor? What are 3 ways a peanut ball can help you in labor? Sign up quick, because spots are extremely limited for this exclusive class where you can also learn from other local experts about yoga, chiropractic care, and essential oils for pregnancy and birth!

Are you passionate about breastfeeding and want to learn more to better support those around you, gain some new skills and vocabulary, and maybe start a journey towards becoming a Certified Lactation Educator? Maybe breastfeeding keeps coming up in your job or life and you feel compelled to be better educated about all things lactation. Join me and my friend Bonnie (who will be featured in an upcoming blog post) for this really informative training May 16th-18th.

May is just chock full of learning opportunities! Please contact me if you have any questions about all of the above chances to learn!

Finally, just a quick note to tell you that if you wander over to the services section of my website now, you will find some links to 6 different amazing online classes that are now being offered by Lamaze! Check them out here. I know in-person classes are not everyone’s thing for lots of different reasons, and these classes are going to contain all kinds of excellent evidence-based information about each of the 6 topics: Labor confidence, safe and healthy birth, labor pain management, breastfeeding, bringing baby home, and VBAC. If you purchase the class through those links, I will get a little bit of money for recommending them to you, so don’t do it if you aren’t comfortable with that.

I am a lifelong learner, and I will always be committed to making my classes accessible to as many people as possible. I know I have a bunch of letters after my name, but I promise that I am not as scary as all of those might make me seem! Come learn with me!!