sankalpa_doula

• Today is the start of summer holiday for us as a doula duo. We will still be meeting clients for prenatals, but are taking a pause from birth clients until September - one of our busiest months (many of you were tangled up in oxytocin over Christmas 🥰). I’m blown away by how our duo business has grown this year, and am really proud of us for following our hearts, setting healthy boundaries and choosing this path together 🙏.

One of the biggest concerns I had about starting a business on my own and becoming a doula was the lack of camaraderie and colleagues to share this beautiful but also intense experience with. I feel so blessed to have found Kim and that we have formed such a tight, supportive bond. We collaborate on new ideas and ways of working, we lift each other up when the other is down, and we celebrate the joy of supporting empowered parents on their journey to parenthood. I really could not do this work without her ❤️.

Here’s to disconnecting (from my phone 😉) a bit more this summer and finding some time to play, relax and have fun!

Written by 🙌

• Tomorrow at noon, join me for a insta live session with Kasia from .health! Feel free to ask any questions about placenta encapsulation and/or doula support, and I'll answer them live.

Looking forward to it!

Love,

Kim

• Spots are filling up fast! We only take on 3 clients a month to ensure that you have all the attention and support that you need.

There's only one space left for 1 mama due end of May or June. After the summer stop (August) there's still enough availability left.

Interested? Book your telephone call on our website! Hope to see you soon mama :).

With love,

Kim & Natalie

• Spots are filling up fast! We only take on max 3 clients a month to ensure that you have all the attention and support that you need.

We only have space left for 1 mama due end of May or June. After the summer break (August) there's still enough availability left.

Interested? Book your telephone call on our website! Hope to see you soon mama :).

With love,

Kim & Natalie

• Hi! Now Sankalpa doula has changed into a duo doula practice, I figured it would be a great time for a re-introduction! ⁣

I am Kim, a passionate doula, placenta specialist, pregnancy masseuse and mother of two - Jai and Liyah. Through their births, I have personally experienced how valuable it is to receive physical, mental and emotional support during pregnancy and birth. It’s so much needed, and with this realization I knew this was what I wanted to support mothers with.

People describe me as calm, loving and clear, but also firm and direct when the situation calls for it. Giving massages and hands-on techniques during labor and providing placenta remedies to speed up recovery during the postpartum period is something I love to do.

As a doula, I help mothers and their partners feel safe, knowledgeable and supported throughout pregnancy and birth. My goal is achieved when they can look back on their birth experience with a full heart.

• Hello! Since Kim & I have formed our doula duo partnership under the name Sankalpa Doula, I’d like to introduce myself here.

I am Natalie, a doula, hypnobirthing educator, breastfeeding specialist and mom of three - Alma, Julius and Leda. After completing my doula training in London (and later in the Netherlands), I learned that birth isn’t just about the birth of a baby, but the birth of a mother, of a father, of a family and of a community. Later when I became a mother myself, I knew I wanted to support other expectant and new mothers to help them tap into their own individual power and strength to birth their way.

I truly believe that when we start to trust what the body can do, we avoid disturbing a birthing person unnecessarily. My job as a doula is to help create the right environment for you to feel relaxed, at ease and safe, allowing you to connect with your baby and your body. Because no one knows your body and your baby better than you. It is your unique journey through pregnancy and motherhood, an experience that will remain with you forever.

Clients describe me as bubbly, passionate and enthusiastic (especially in prenatals), while being focused, present and grounded during births. I often say that the best doulas are chameleons; they adapt to the energy that is needed by the birthing person at the moment.

• Sankalpa doula has changed into a duo doula practice! Let me introduce the amazing doula, Natalie from nataliethedoula. She is a doula, hypnobirthing educator, breastfeeding specialist and mom of three. ⁣

I'm so grateful and excited to join forces with her!

After working for several years as independent doulas, we discovered that our skills and energies were incredibly aligned. Our duo doula practice doesn’t only create more stability for ourselves, but more importantly offers a broader range of expertise for expectant parents.

Together, we provide holistic birth preparation, hypnobirthing, hold space for your birth, and nurture you postpartum period with placenta remedies, breastfeeding support and massages.

We have availability from March 2024 due dates.

Get in touch for more info and a free intro meeting - [email protected] or schedule a telephone booking directly on the website (link in bio)

We're so happy to kickstart 2024 like this!

Reposted from .health🙏 • The results of the study showed that Mothers with doulas had improved birth outcomes—4x less low-birth-weight cases, 2x fewer complications, and higher breastfeeding initiation. - National Library of Medicine ​​​​​​​​
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Have you ever wondered about the role of a doula? Now you can ask a doula directly.​​​​​​​​
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As our way of bringing amazing birth and postpartum professionals to you, some of the rewards in the Mamamoon app allow you to book a 1-on-1 with an expert where you can ask all your questions to someone who actually has the experience, rather than asking a chatbot or Google 😉​​​​​​​​
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We are grateful to welcome Kim, to our Mamamoon community who offered a beautiful reward for you via the Mamamoon app: a 1-on-1 call when you can ask your questions, like:​​​​​​​​
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✨ How do I prepare physically and emotionally for the birth?​​​​​​​​
✨ What are useful breathing and hands-on techniques in and in between contractions?​​​​​​​​
✨ How can I create a positive birth experience after a traumatic previous birth?​​​​​​​​
✨ Should I have pain relief?​​​​​​​​
✨ How do I stay in control of my own birth?​​​​​​​​
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Join Mamamoon, earn Unicorns through yoga, breathing, and other self-care activities, and have your questions answered by professionals 😉​​​​​​​​
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Thank you Kim for joining us and assisting our Mamamoon mamas ❤️​​​​​​​​
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📸 .emmabrasser with beautiful .yoga 💕​​​​​​​​
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• “Becoming a mother leaves no woman as it found her. It unravels her and rebuilds her. It cracks her open, takes her to her edges. It's both beautiful and brutal; often at the same time.”⁣

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• There can be a loneliness in motherhood. But not of love. The days are filled with the best kind of love.

The loneliness comes from missing other adults, and mature conversations.

Your days become dictated by the needs of those who hang off of your every breath.

Plans that have been made months in advance are often put on hold, because children are sick, or too tired, or you have everything else you still need to catch up on since last week because of the same.

Staying home is often easier, even though not seeing another adult throughout the day, or outside of work, can be immensely hard.

In this season you find yourself craving connection more than any other time in your life, even though you have never felt so connected, or in love, before.

Friendships are so needed. So valued. So much of your motherhood. But they are not the conventional type anymore.

It’s friendships formed through forgotten nappies, meltdowns in the mall, and your overfriendly child.

It’s friendships built on lukewarm coffee, biscuits from the packet, and messages sent at all hours of the night.

It’s friendships lasting through missed coffee dates, conversations cut short, and never enough time.

All friendships are special.
But you hold these ones particularly close to your heart during this time in your life.

It’s knowing that someone else just gets it.

It’s knowing that someone else may be able to help you piece together parts of your sentences you may have forgotten in the fog.

It’s knowing that your children have another mother in your formed sisterhood.

It’s a lot of things,
But most of all it’s the comfort that comes from knowing a friendship has been created from a place of such shared vulnerability during some of the hardest days of your life, a place where you have no energy to be anyone but yourself, a place where you are accepted exactly as you are and in all forms.

This is why some of the greatest friendships are formed in motherhood. And why many of these friendships last forever.
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• Placenta artwork for Liyah Mai ❤️. So special making this piece for my little girl!​​​​​​​​​

• A doula present during a C-section? Yes! Although the role becomes much smaller, it's simply the presence of a familiar face that can make you feel safe. ​​​​​​​​​

Imagine this: you're going into a room full of people that you don't know. Bright lights. You don't feel your legs anymore. All the doctors in the room work super efficiently, knowing exactly what they're doing, like all the perfectly working radars in a mechanical clock.

In the meantime, you're unsure, perhaps afraid, excited to finally meet your baby. A large blue sheet is placed so you don't see your body anymore. And when your baby is born, you will still need to be stitched up so it takes some time before you will hold your baby. So your partner will hold your baby, showering your little precious with love!

But your still on the table, not knowing what's happening down there. Behind the blue sheet.

This is where a doula can also step in, by becoming a birth photographer. It can be so valuable to have pictures taken of the belly birth. Not for having 'beautiful pictures on the wall', but for processing what actually took place, it's healing to see what happened in your belly afterwards.

Picture placed as always with parents consent.

📸: taken by a nurse in the OR.

• World doula week 2023! A moment to highlight this beautiful profession. A job which is not just a job, but a calling. Seriously, you will need to be crazy enough to practice this profession ;). An often misunderstood, underpaid, hard job, which requires all your love and energy into a moment of someones life. Holding space for grief, joy, trauma, tears, screams, laughter, intimacy and whichever other feeling that rises up then and there. ​​​​​​​​​

It's a profession that changes your private life as well, and not only your own, but also your partner's and children's life. Being on call 24/7, always alert, on dinner nights, birthdays, in bed. Not eating smelly foods. Always one phone call away to provide information or just simply a listening ear. Suddenly, being called away from your family, sometimes leaving the house for 24 hours straight on a short notice. Not sleeping at night, tired for days after a long birth. Etc..

Like I said, you will need to be crazy to practice this profession ;). But you know.... It is also the most magical, sweetest, empowering and humbling experience filled with so much love and awe! It's an honor to stand beside all these incredible parents.

As for my fellow doula's, I celebrate you! Happy world doula week🌍🤰🏻.

• The Elle TENS machine. Yes, it really works! It's such a great device that offers a natural pain relief. I give this to all my clients before the birth, and everyone has loved it so far!​​​​​​​​
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Make sure that you start with the TENS machine early in labor though, it's easier to get used to pushing the button during a contraction in the early stage and it takes a while before the build up of endorphins.​​​​​​​​
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How does it work?​​​​​​​​
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TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve​​​​​​​​
Stimulation) works by passing mild​​​​​​​​
electrical impulses through the skin, via​​​​​​​​
electrode pads, into the nerve fibres which​​​​​​​​
lie below. The TENS impulses help your​​​​​​​​
body produce its own pain killing​​​​​​​​
hormones, such as ‘endorphins’.​​​​​​​​
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Can you use the TENS machine for a water birth? Yes, although not at the same time. It's nice to use the TENS machine first, and after a while when your in the active stage of labor switch to the bath. By then, the change of environment is amazing, warm water is again a natural pain relief. Which makes it a great combination! So are you doubting to have a TENS machine? I have used it during my 2th birth and I vouch for it! Try it out mama :). ​​​​​​​​
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Have you used this? If yes, how was it? Let us know in the comments ❤️.

• Availability is limited, only 2 births per month. This is to ensure that you will receive all the support that you need, without time management from my side. ​​​​​​​​
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Birth doesn’t know time. It comes how it comes, and it definitely isn't rare that I'll stay by your side for 20 hours straight.​​​​​​​​
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Is your due month still available? Book a free introductory meeting!
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Pregnancy guidance (see pricing page on the website) and placenta encapsulation is always available!​​​​​​​​

See you hopefully soon mama ❤️.​​​​​​​​
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• Couldn't resist accepting one placenta request during my maternity leave :). How could I say no to my dear friend Royce and his beautiful partner Sandra ❤️.

I think this placenta artwork turned out so pretty for cutest baby Phil!

• It's time! Checking out for maternity leave. I have 3 more placenta's to encapsulate somewhere in the coming days (take your time sweet babies 🙏). After that, going inwards, into my own baby love bubble.​​​​​​​​
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See you all soon again! ​​​​​​​​
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With love, ​​​​​​​​
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Kim​​​​​​​​
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❤️ ❤️ ❤️

• 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆’𝘀 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱! At birth, ⅓ (or more) of your baby’s blood is still in the placenta.​​​​​​​​
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That means if you immediately cut the cord, your baby is missing A LOT of blood.​​​​​​​​
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If you were missing ⅓ (33%) of your blood, your heart and respiratory rates would increase, your blood pressure would drop, and you would become anxious and confused. If you lost 40% of your blood, all those symptoms would be worse and you would become lethargic.​​​​​​​​
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If you lost more than 40% you would die.​​​​​​​​
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So how long should you wait after birth to clamp the cord?​​​​​​​​
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Ideally you would “wait for white”. This means the cord isn’t clamped until it has stopped pulsing and turned white because all of the blood is now inside the baby. This is usually over 5 minutes (I’ve waited until the birth of the placenta with my two homebirths [about an hour]).​​​​​​​​
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But delaying cord clamping for even 60 seconds has been shown to have benefits including:​​​​​​​​
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> Increased hemoglobin​​​​​​​​
> Increased iron​​​​​​​​
> Increased blood pressure​​​​​​​​
> Increased urinary output​​​​​​​​
> Increased body temperature (early clamping babies are colder)​​​​​​​​
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If baby is having a slower transition to breathing outside the womb upon their birth, keeping them attached to the cord will also continue to provide them with oxygen until they begin breathing on their own.​​​​​​​​
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Did you delay cord clamping with your babies?​​​​​​​​
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📝 by: ​​​​​​​​
📸 by: ​​​​​​​​
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• Yes mama :), let that oxytocin flow❤️😘.​​​​​​​​
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• For our children, and all the children yet to come...​​​​​​​​
There is this stigma that pregnancy should be a joyful time. While in my experience, pregnancy is a time of great transformation, evocative and evolving, pushing through painful gates.​​​​​​​​
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This pregnancy has opened the Pandora box within me stored with the trauma of my female lineage. A line of abused, abandoned, war survivor boat refugees from traditional Vietnam. ​​​​​​​​
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I didn't realize, or perhaps, never wanted to see it. Until, my daughter started to grow in my womb. ​​​​​​​​
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As far as I know, none of my lineage has had the chance to heal. Heavy is the weight descending on me. And during the last 7 months, it's purging out of me, like vomit. Out of every pore in my body, lungs, womb, heart, eyes. ​​​​​​​​
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I feel my daughter is helping me, kicking it out, she does not want it. And, I.... do not need a joyful pregnancy, I do not want to forget, or look away. I want to heal as much as I can in my capacity, for my child, and all the children yet to come.​​​​​​​​
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📸 by .​​​​​​​​
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• I don't particularly like to be pregnant. Really. ​​​​​​​​
Which is contradictory for sure, since I love being around pregnant women and am truly rejoicing with them! ​​​​​​​​
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I'm not gonna lie. Damn, I struggle during pregnancy and I miss being completely free to do whatever I want. ​​​​​​​​
People don't like it when I say this. Sometimes they tell me that I need to enjoy this time, because I will definitely start missing it! Well, I haven't missed it for a second after Jai was born and I can't wait to have my own body back again. ​​​​​​​​
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I didn't show this side to most people, thinking it's wrong to feel like this. But I know, if I feel like this, more mothers feel like this as well. So f**k it. This is how I feel and that's really okay for me! ​​​​​​​​
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And....at the same time, I'm also so glad and proud that I'm pregnant, carrying my precious baby. Feeling grateful for all the important realizations and opportunities for healing and growth. I love feeling you moving in my belly and can't wait to meet you. You're so welcome here! ​​​​​​​​
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All those feelings walk hand in hand. The good, the bad and the ugly! ​​​​​​​​
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That's all okay... ​​​​​​​​
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Are you struggling while being pregnant as well? Reach out mama, you're not alone! ​​​​​​​​
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🤰🏻 💞 🤰

• Special turquoise request 🎨. Loved making this placenta artwork for beautiful baby Mina!

It's such a cool way to create an everlasting memory of your placenta.

And yes, it's possible to have your placenta artwork made together with placenta capsules!

Picture 1: watercolor paint
Picture 2: natural print

• Fully dressed in PPE clothing 💁‍♀️, while super pregnant! Yep, this is how I look to meet the gold standard safety requirements for placenta preparation from APPA (Association of Placenta Preparation Arts). ​​​​​​​​
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• A special earth tone request. Love how this placenta piece turned out ❤.

I always ask the mother if she has a preference for the color or shape of the umbilical cord. It's your unique and personal placenta artwork!

Picture 1: watercolor paint
Picture 2: natural print

• So what is Spinning Babies®️? It's in depth knowledge in techniques for physiological birth. A way to encourage baby into optimal positioning for smoother progress during labor.

When C-sections became safe in the medical world (which was somewhere in the 60s), many birth techniques and midwifery wisdom got lost or forgotten with each decade passing by.

Luckily, a lot of this knowledge is making its way back into the birth scene, and I believe that Spinning Babies®️ plays an integral part in that comeback.

As a doula, I found myself in birth situations such as: long stalls during labor (plateau), cervical lip or a pushing stage where baby just won't come out. As a result, an episiotomy and vacuum delivery, breaking of membranes, C-section...

Which is totally okay of course, sometimes this is the best course of action. Enough is enough, right?

But there IS so much more we can try BEFORE going into medical interventions.

So glad I attended this 13 hour Spinning Babies®️ training. It was super interesting and valuable. I'm eager and excited to apply my new gained knowledge in birth!

Thank you teachers for sharing your knowledge with so much passion. , , , .

• Join the revolution, with the MAMA KNOWS BEST sweater!⁠

The experts say 'I know best', but as doula's we believe 'mama knows best'.⁠

When a mother feels safe and supported, she knows what is right for her and her baby. She is the expert during her pregnancy and childbirth.

And it's time for her to claim this place. Because, we see that empowering childbirth gives birth to a new generation of women. Women who can let go of 'the good girl' in themselves, and who stand like lionesses in motherhood. With a deep-seated confidence in their own abilities.⁠

To reinforce our Mama Knows Best mission, we designed a special sweater. So that you - every time you wear it - are reminded of your own strength, of the superpowers of all the women around you and of the genius of mother nature.

You can now order the sweater online for €59, via the link in bio at .nl.

✸ The sweater is made of certified organic cotton
✸ Produced in limited edition⁠
✸ Small-scale and locally printed with screen printing technique⁠
✸ Shipped in durable paper shipping bags⁠
✸ The sweater gets its color by using unbleached cotton. This creates specks in the cream-colored fabric, a kind of confetti from mama nature!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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• Seeing pregnancy as something that is always positive is a thing in today's society. Yet about 10% of pregnant women experience prenatal depression, and it's around the same for expectant partners. ⁠​​​​​​​​
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There is still a big taboo around the subject which is sad because treatment of pregnancy depression for women and men is highly effective and available! However, the first step is to bring awareness to the fact that not every person experiences pregnancy as positive. ⁠​​​​​​​​
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The next step is for everyone, not just to assume that a newly expectant person is happy. When a new person announces that they're pregnant, let's just say to them: ⁠​​​​​​​​
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"Hey, thanks for sharing. How do you feel about it? That is the opening of an empathic conversation right there." ⁠​​​​​​​​
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