Doula Life – Doula Group of Evansville

We Care about our Statistics

We like transparency! 2023 was a weird year.

I like numbers, even though I’m really not that great at math to be honest. One of my favorite things to do every year is to look at how we as doulas are doing. Are we making difference for our clients? Does that difference show up in our outcomes in addition to what our clients say to us? Numbers don’t tell the whole story, but they certainly tell part of it. Here is part of our story from 2023.

Primiparas rule!

Whether expecting their 1st or 6th, we served all kinds of clients, but 2023 was full of MANY 1st time parents (primapara). Maybe it is the fact that we offer access to a full online childbirth education and partner support class. Maybe it is the fact that our clients all recommend us to their friends? Maybe our group is the first to come up in a Google search and then we wow potential clients in the interview? Whatever it is, we’re here for it and look forward to continuing to serve as many families as will have us!

Inductions GALORE!

We go all kinds of places, but The Women’s Hospital in Newburgh seems to be the most common. Maybe because we’re all on the approved list of doulas there, so we don’t count as visitors? Maybe because many providers there recommend us to their patients? Maybe because 2/3 of people who give birth in our area, give birth there? We’re happy to serve our clients in all kinds of places, including in their homes with a qualified midwife in attendance too by the way. That induction percentage blew me away when I saw that come through too. So many thoughts on that, but still ruminating on it a bit.

Transparency

Did you know that your provider can find out ALL of their numbers and share them with you too? I think transparency would be a great way to possibly change the way things are done. Transparency in statistics like primary NSTV cesarean rate, episiotomy, VBAC, and so much more would help not only patients make informed decisions about choosing a provider, but would also help providers to hold themselves accountable with DATA rather than just feeling their way through the dark about how they actually practice not just how they feel that they probably practice. Accountability is key in reducing unnecessary interventions, as supported by reams of scientific literature.

I digress…just show us the provider specific numbers! I’ll be looking at the hospital specific ones and posting about those too soon.

As doulas, we don’t promise any outcomes, but we know from the scientific evidence that having a doula does improve some outcomes and definitely patient experiences! Our job is to support our clients no matter what their choices are for themselves. We make sure they have the best information possible and support your unconditionally and without judgement. Everyone deserves to have someone in their corner!

Cheers to 2024 and being able to continue to serve families as they move from expecting to beginning.

3 Things I Wish I Knew

Learning the hard way has always kinda been my thing. I have a kid who takes the same approach to life, and it is soo incredibly frustrating to witness. Looking back, there are several things I really wish I knew going into my first pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. I really tried to inform myself as much as possible, and honestly I maybe read too much–partly reflected in the B I got in one of my grad school classes the semester I found out I was pregnant–though all the vomiting & napping surely didn’t help that either. Some of these hindsight observations might surprise you!

Approach Matters

I wish I knew the difference between the obstetric & midwifery approaches to prenatal care. While my friends were getting 5-10 minutes with their OBs, I was getting 30 minute talks with my midwife about all of my worries so that they had a whole picture of my life and not just some measurements and numbers in a chart. My friends who had family practice doctors for their care had much more similar experiences to mine with the midwives too, and for low-risk pregnancies some family practice doctors are amazing. Finding a provider that you’re comfortable with and who you don’t dread seeing is probably the most important part though, regardless of what model of care they practice.

Expectations?

I wish I knew that giving birth inside a hospital could be an amazing experience. I read and heard ALL the horror stories about getting run over by the system. I walked into my birth fully armed with all the information and ready for a fight to get the birth I wanted. I ended up having the most supportive team around me including my amazing nurse, my midwife, my doula, and even the supervising OB who stopped by for my whole pushing stage and whose words frankly got me through to the end. I will fully own my privilege and say that being a middle class presenting, white, fairly attractive & fit person (at the time anyway)–all of those things signaled different things to the people in the room on how to treat me. But I didn’t expect everyone to be so kind and supportive of my plan to give birth without medication or intervention in a hospital whose reputation is a “baby factory” known for high intervention rates in the area. The support afterwards with lactation was also so great. I wish more people would talk about their GREAT experiences too.

Right Way?

I wish I knew that there was no one right way to do all of this. My first time around, I was searching for what the RIGHT way to do things was. The lesson I continually come back to with parenting and birth and all of it, is that there is no one right way. I would have spent so much more time thinking about what was right for me and my family and my baby and the situation we were in at the time regarding finances, location, information, ability, capacity, etc. I stressed myself out to the point of exhaustion trying to find the “right” way, when I truly wish I had spent more time focusing inward and figuring out where & who to ask the questions when they came up later.

When you look back on your pregnancy, birth, & postpartum, what did you learn through hindsight? Are there things that you would do differently? If this is your first time, I urge you to take the 20 years perspective and think about how important some things that you might be fighting for right now, might actually be in the grand scheme of things too. As a doula, I can say that how you remember this will stay with you for the rest of your life. Your experience matters, so find what is important to you and surround yourself with people who share your values and approach to things. What would you add?

If you are wondering where to get started in your journey through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, we have a resource just for you! Grab our free EBook written to help take the worry out of the beginning. Ready to talk about adding a doula to your team? Book a FREE 30 minute call to talk about who on our team might be the right fit for you. We also offer a FREE Biweekly newsletter with ideas, news, & resources open to anyone. We truly do want our experience to help improve yours!

Welcome Doula Abigail Hand!

When most doulas join our team, they are just starting out on their journey, which is humbling to be trusted to help them get started. However, Abigail brings a very different set of seasoned hands and skills to the team, and I’m honestly honored that she is going to join our already awesome group of doulas. Not only has Abigail already attended more than 100 births as a doula, but she’s also done most of that outside of the United States! Abigail’s patience and fascination with all things birth was apparent from the first time we spoke, and her Christian faith is also an important part of her life. She’s impressively knowledgeable and compassionate, as well as a little goofy, so clearly she’s going to fit right in on our team.

In Her Own Words:

Abigail was born in Evansville. Grew up in Indiana then spent 8.5 years living in Australia and Asia working as a Birth Doula and trained Midwife. Mid 2022 Abigail moved back to Indiana and made her home in Evansville. Abigail enjoys teaching about pregnancy, birth, and caring for your newborn. She is always up for a laugh and regularly is attempting new nutritious recipes. Her passion for caring, supporting, and nurturing women has grown throughout the years as she has witnessed women from many cultural backgrounds lean on her for support and wisdom throughout their pregnancy and as they enter into motherhood.

Why did you want to become a birth doula?

When I saw the beauty, joy, and pain of a baby entering the world 14 year ago, I knew I wanted to support women through this vulnerable and transforming time in their lives.

What do you love about living in Evansville?

Honey + Moon Coffee Shop, Bike Riding Lanes, and the River.

Where can we find you on a regular Saturday?

Spending time outdoors with my Husband.

Abigail is available!!

If you are due September 2023 or later and giving birth within an hour drive of Evansville, IN, Abigail is available to be your birth doula! Abigail has extensive experience supporting both hospital and home birth clients. Working part-time as a midwifery assistant does take up some of Abigail’s time, but she’s really excited to jump into birth doula work in Evansville, Jasper, Vincennes, Washington, Henderson, Owensboro, & Madisonville too. If you see her around town, make sure you tell her welcome back to Evansville. We’re so lucky she’s here and excited to have her join Doula Group of Evansville too.

Know Better, Do Better

When I was pregnant the first time, I was completely overwhelmed by the process that seemed to be shrouded in mystery. No, not the birth part, that I could find good information about. The great unknowns of how to find a provider, navigating where to go, what to ask, & evaluating my options were the real frustration for me. I did seriously look at the person doing my intake forms with me and say, “this is really confusing, and I’m a graduate student! I can’t even imagine how confusing this system would be for someone with less resources!” No, a doula can’t help you figure out your insurance, BUT here are 3 ways that doulas help demystify things for you:

We’ve Been There!

Yes, most of us have kids and have been there personally, but we’ve ALL been there professionally. As a team, if someone hasn’t been to a birthing location before, we fill each other in on all the details. It’s important to know which door to go to in the middle of the night or if you as the doula are going to be allowed into the triage room with your client. Our experience helps demystify the specifics with each other, but also with our clients. One thing that we focus on during our 2nd prenatal visit with our birth doula clients is discussing logistics. When should you call your doula? Where will we meet up when you’re in labor? All our birth doula clients also get postpartum planning sessions, to try to get your brain thinking about life with a newborn. Having been there, we know how important it is to have a roadmap for when things get foggy. We also know that talking about options and preferences helps take away the mystery and get you started thinking about resources and questions.

Resources Galore

Even if you have great questions, that doesn’t always mean you know where to ask them. Sharing local resources and connections are things that doulas do. I remember being a first time parent and struggling with lactation and not knowing who was knowledgeable enough to help me. Feeding resources are just one place that doulas can help point you in the right direction. This may not sound like a big deal, but doulas make having those resource lists for you a priority so that you don’t have to go searching. We don’t have an opinion about how you do things either, which as a new parent is pretty priceless really.

We hold YOU!

As you’re navigating your life that’s shifted 30 different ways since you got pregnant, your doula holds you. We remind you that shifting is normal and help you find your way forward. This is the kind of demystifying that you don’t often appreciate until it happens to you. Validating your feelings and helping you know that you’re not alone is what having a doula on your team does for you. We remind you that you don’t have to have it all figured out and that pausing in the unknown is ok too. My doula held me as I wrestled with all the options, my doula not only gave me the information to come to my own understanding and decisions, but also the space to do so without pressure. That was so helpful for me, and I know our clients really appreciate it.

How we work

If you’re interested in talking about having a doula for your birth or postpartum team (or both), we’d love to talk to you. You can use this link to schedule a FREE 30 minute call to talk about your needs and who on our team might be a good fit to work with you. We’d love to demystify the doula process for you too.

Black Birth Matters

This Black History Month I want to celebrate the 3 amazing black doulas on our team who are making history every single day! Tamika, Jessica, & Norma are 3 of the kindest humans you will ever meet. All 3 are birth doulas who love serving all kinds of families, but definitely have a very special heart to be able to serve families from the Black Community especially. We know how important culturally congruent care can be to all families, but especially here in the US where maternal mortality is 3-4 times higher for black birthing families than everyone else, and where racism is a daily fact of life.

These 3 doulas are all so very different, but the one thing they have in common is a personal understanding of the black experience here in Evansville. Their experiences help shape the type of doulas they are with all of their clients of course. Their compassion for the struggle of navigating the healthcare system all while worrying that whoever is in charge of your care might be judging you based on your skin color is impeccable. We LOVE the questions that they ask and their approach to helping families, and I learn from every single conversation that I get the chance to have with each of them.

I celebrate these doulas because of their bravery and knowing that this work is about so much more than representation. The human connection is what doula work is all about, and these 3 get it on a cellular level. They are proud black doulas here serving our community and raising beautiful children in a sometimes very challenging place.

I asked one of them what was hard about living here, and her reply was, “I think its because the racism is hidden, so its harder to decide who is trustworthy.” That was a gut punch of a statement, but of course a sentiment shared by many families of color. These doulas get it, because they live it. The best part though, “that we have such a great group of doulas supporting each other who all get it.”

We see you Tamika, Jessica, & Norma out here being the change you want to see in the world. Thank you for trusting this group to be part of your doula community. We appreciate your perspective and work so very much, and are here to support you in every way we can.

Celebrating Black History

February is Black History Month, and we will be taking the month to learn about anti-racism for the future as well as black history. We believe that learning about history from the perspectives of those who lived it is important if you can, and we LOVE the amazing resources that are available now in our community as well as nationally. In our line of work, black history is especially important for many reasons, one of which we’ll talk about in this post.

Before 1900, most babies were born at home into the hands of midwives, and the black granny midwives were a massive part of that legacy. In a country that continues to profit off the labor of stolen lives, this legacy of maternal and infant care is one that especially deserves to be celebrated. When chattel slavery was still legal in this country, midwifery was a skill that made a slave more desirable for purchase:

Smithsonian Open Access

Midwives were the connection between birthing families and the care they needed, and black midwives were often the only people who reach families where they were with congruent care tailored to their needs. That included when the birthing families were still in chains. When the US outlawed the importation of any further slaves, midwives helped usher the souls who would be chained to build our economy too. What a conflicted challenging life they were forced to lead. Even after the end of slavery, black midwives traveled the rural areas that doctors wouldn’t or couldn’t.

Smithsonian Open Access

When they could, black women continued to help their communities by attending medical school like Dr. Sarah Loguen Fraser who was the 4th African American female doctor in the United States. She specialized in obstetrics and pediatrics, and mentored black midwives too. Black communities held each other together throughout history here in the United States despite exploitation, oppression, and violence.

Smithsonian Open Access

Black midwives like Susie Cary, and her daughter Amanda Cary Carter after her, continued to help catch the babies in their communities, long after hospital birth became the norm amongst those who could afford it. Eventually, through a concerted public relations campaign that utilized racist tropes (such as dirty and uneducated) traditional black granny midwives were pushed out of practice. There are museum exhibits to explore and books to read now about their history. My to-read list includes these 2 currently: The Archaeology of Mothering & Birthing a Movement.

The most important thing to me about history is that we can learn from it. That means both that we can try to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, but also that we can benefit from the wisdom of the experience of others. As an anthropologist, I firmly believe that truly understanding history from the viewpoint of the oppressed and those not in power is especially important, and that makes black history top of the list in the United States for so many reasons. I specifically chose the featured image on top there because it is a colorized version of a black and white picture from a time in history that my parents can tell me stories about now; they lived it. History is a weaving together of multiple narratives and artifacts to find the truth in our past, all the while acknowledging that we are still very much impacted by the events we can only read about and observe through these things.

Keep learning. Stay curious. Interrogate your assumptions. We’ll keep doing so too!

Becoming a Doula

Way back in 2014, a mere month after walking the stage to receive my PhD in Medical Anthropology, I traveled to Louisville, KY to attend a birth doula training with the brilliant Robin Elise Weiss. Since then I’ve attended more than 200 doula client births and learned so much along the way. This is the story of how I became a doula.

When I got pregnant during graduate school (not something I recommend btw), I voraciously read everything I could about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. I could not get enough, and I even had professors sending me articles about how babies learn language before they are born. Naturally I scheduled my German conversation course for the spring semester while I was pregnant. By the time I neared the end graduate school I’d had 2 children and wasn’t sure I wanted to be an academic. That was when the idea to become a doula really started to take hold.

I started in 2013 by networking with other doulas in Evansville, and oh my goodness they were all soo nice to me. They invited me to a “doula night” at one of their houses where they talked business, trainings, & all things doula. One of them even had a placenta in their freezer, and I knew these were my people. I was hooked. I went to the training in June 2014, and have been taking clients ever since then. None of those doulas I met that night are still taking clients, which speaks so much to how challenging this job can be, especially the unexpected bits of it.

The Unexpected Bits

I didn’t expect to need to run my own business. I know that sounds naïve, even to me now, but it is the truth. I wanted to help birthing families sure, but finding clients, building & maintaining a website, setting up the proper legal paperwork, social media, paying taxes, networking, and all that jazz were not part of the thought process of getting started. I may have had a PhD, but I had much to learn about business. I’m happy to say that I feel much more confident now, though the imposter syndrome does sneak in occasionally.

The challenge of life on call was not something I was wholly prepared for in the beginning. As a birth doula, I have to be ready to leave my life for a couple days with sometimes not much warning. I have to be willing to miss holidays and plays and family events to go be with my clients. When my kids were little, the biggest challenge was having childcare ready at any moment of the day for possibly an entire month of 24/7 on-call time. This is the part that I always talk to people thinking about becoming a doula about, because not everyone has the resources to be able to do that. The reality of how much energy being a doula takes also almost always has new doulas re-thinking how much they charge for their services, though that is a topic for another time.

The best unexpected bits have been the amazing connections that I’ve been able to make with clients and their families. I’m forever grateful to be a part of some of the most memorable moments of their lives. There are so many families that I’ve had the chance to meet and be part of that I would never have met otherwise. That is something so beautiful about this job and I’ll never take it for granted. Though it does sometimes make it challenging to walk through a crowd without someone yelling my name and getting random hugs. (BONUS!!)

Learning

I’ve continued learning from some of the best doulas around the world, and I’m going to keep learning probably forever, because that’s just my style. I’ve gotten amazing doula agency business advice from Jessica English. I took a brilliant postpartum doula training from Jen Chandlee. I continue to learn from Ann Grauer, who also trained the 2 other postpartum doulas on my team. I am learning about leadership in the doula world from Melissa Harley & Nikia Lawson all the time too. I’m sure this year will be a huge one of learning, as I step into the role of President at DONA International.

I’m asked all the time about how to become a doula. This is my story. I started with DONA International, and have worked hard to keep learning and growing as a doula. I have an abundance mindset, and I honestly feel like that has helped bridge so much learning and connection for me. It is also why I’m passionate that more people in Evansville should learn to be doulas too! I love talking to new doulas and am HAPPY when more doulas are trained here. I started Doula Group of Evansville so that more families could be supported by doulas and more doulas could feel supported by each other.

Ever thought of becoming a doula?

Becoming a doula has been one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made. It hasn’t been easy, but it has honestly been more rewarding that I ever could have imagined. If you’re thinking about becoming a doula, please feel free to reach out to talk to me. I will continue to pass on the kindness shown to me by the doulas here back in 2014 by always being willing to share my experience with others who might be interested in traveling this path too.

FREE Online Class 2/28/22

I’ve learned a few things that I want you to know!

In 2014 I became a birth doula, and I’ve since attended more than 200 births at 7 different hospitals in this area. I’ve attended home births where the baby showed up before the midwife, planned cesarean births in the OR, amazing VBACs with (and without epidurals), and soo many variations between. I’ve learned some things that can be helpful for you to know, & I want to share them with you!

Hillary Melchiors PhD, MPH, LCCE, CD(DONA)

My name is Hillary. I have a whole lot of letters after my name, but I’m really the most proud of all the families that I’ve had the privilege to serve in my capacity as a birth doula. I’m the manager here at Doula Group of Evansville too, which is honestly so much fun!

In this online class, you’ll learn about different local birthing locations and what tools they have to help you during labor and delivery. Do you know which providers share call with each other and who else might be there helping at your delivery? What are the differences between locations for birth and postpartum? What about your rights as a patient? What does informed consent look like and how can you advocate for yourself? This class will also go over routine care and how to ask great questions to get the care you need.

One thing I want you to know even if you don’t come to the class: YOU are the boss! You make the calls when it comes to your care and consent is an on-going process. Nobody should do anything to your body or baby without your express enthusiastic consent. If rights are something you are really interested in learning more about, you should check out this class by Birth Monopoly. I’ve taken it and definitely learned so much helpful information as a birth worker:

I hope to see you on Monday 2/28/22 for this class, but if you can’t make it, don’t despair! I will be recording the class & it will be free to watch for anyone who signed up before the recording. I want this information out in the world to benefit our local birthing parents. I want everyone to know all their options and how they compare. I want everyone to know their rights as patients & have great conversations with their provider. This class is a step in that direction, & I hope you’ll join me.

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.

Online Learning Options

Evidence-based online courses for learning about childbirth, feeding your baby, and postpartum planning.

Everything might feel upside down right now, but learning what you need to know when you are expecting doesn’t have to be a scramble! In the past few years, there has been a wealth of information for expecting families that has moved online. I know that online learning isn’t everyone’s preferred method, BUT it can be really great, not just for times when we are in the midst of a pandemic. Online learning can be a great way to work around busy schedules. It also allows you to learn about things privately that you might not want to discuss in front of a group of strangers. Learning about what to expect is a great way to mitigate fears.

I have searched the internet and found some great online courses for learning that I am honestly excited to recommend to you. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it will definitely get you started in looking at online courses. (Full disclosure: some of the links below are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission if you click through and buy things.) I am only posting links to evidence-based courses that I am happy to send my clients. I will try to keep updating this list when I find more great online classes too!

Childbirth Education

Lamaze has 6 different online courses for expecting parents:

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

If you are looking for a great overview, you should check out Alice Turner’s FREE class Birth A to Z here. This is filled with videos about all kinds of topics that you might not find in every birth class.

The Birth Nurse has an entire Lamaze course already online, if that is something you have been searching for. She also co-teaches a live class called Fearless Birth, Delivered where you get a fun box of tools in the mail and live instruction. You can save money on both these courses by using the coupon code: BIRTHGEEKS. Mandy’s YouTube Channel is chock full of information too!!

If you are looking for a more comprehensive online learning class with a natural focus, you should check out the Giving Birth Naturally Courses here. I have also had clients rave about Mama Natural’s online childbirth education course that you can find here.

Thinking about trying out hypnosis for labor? Check out this course by the Positive Birth Company here. This class is inexpensive and includes printable content as well as downloadable tracks to listen to in labor.

Supporting Your Partner

Adriana Lozada, of the Birthful Podcast fame, has this great course that promises to take partners from clueless to “I got this!” Check out The Birth Partner’s Ultimate Labor Support Toolkit here.

If you loved Birth A to Z with Alice, you should definitely check out her course just for partners called Supporting Her here. She’s even added a new labor practice module recently due to the pandemic!

Feeding Baby

Bonnie Holt Logsdon is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant that I know in Louisville, & she has some great new online courses to check out here. These include a FREE 2 hour breastfeeding basics class, as well as low cost classes on back to work pumping & starting solids too.

Lactation Link has some great classes too that you can find here on brestfeeding basics, hurdles & how-tos, & pumping and storing breast milk too. You can get 15% off their courses when you use this coupon code: doulagroupofevansville15.

If you want to learn more about feeding your little humans, first of all you should go follow the Feeding Littles pages all over social media, because they are great for information! But if you want to learn more about feeding babies and toddlers the healthy way, check out their online courses here. You can use our coupon code for $10 off the courses too: DOULAGROUPOFEVANSVILLE

Postpartum

Oh yeah, there are courses for that too! Adriana Lozada has a postpartum planning worksheet that you can get just by giving her your email address here. She also has a great class called Thrive With Your Newborn: Postpartum Prep Course that you should check out here.

Online learning options have come so far recently. I hope you will consider checking these things out, especially if your planned class got cancelled recently due to COVID-19. Preparing for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum helped ease my anxiety and take some of the worry out of it all. I hope that these classes will be able to do the same for you.

If these online learning opportunities still leave you wondering how they compare to our local options, I would love to talk to you! As a doula and childbirth educator in Evansville since 2014, I am a professional at helping people navigate the local birthing scene. Happy learning!