Between Wish & World

Today is a good day. I had massage appointments, met with .hope.photo to network (she's a fantastic maternity photographer, just saying!), and have a prenatal visit with clients scheduled for tonight. I absolutely love what I do. I love being a part of birth journeys and self love journeys.
So, I'm celebrating with a cheesy selfie from my office earlier. Because when the camera pops up in selfie mode, I smile and take the opportunity life (or likely my kid) has given me.

To all the parents who have lost a baby or a child, my thoughts are with you. Please, share your baby's name in the comments if you feel comfortable doing so. ❤

I recently got the opportunity to be involved in a very special birth and was able to document such a cool moment for my clients. There were so many fantastic things about this birth, but these are just a few stand-outs:
-This is baby 2 of 2, a planned vaginal birth of twins.
-My client birthed in the operating room, which is very common with twins. What is less common is that my client had a provider who actively advocated for me (the doula and photographer) to be allowed into the OR for the birth. In many hospitals, doulas are still not allowed to support our clients when they move to OR, no matter the reason.
-Baby B was sitting breech through much of pregnancy, and even once Baby turned over, there was every possibility of Baby turning breech again after Baby A was born. Because of that possibility, my clients had been walked through every step of an assisted breech extraction, which is what is happening in this photo! This is the first time I have been able to document a vaginal breech birth.
I loved how supported my clients were every step of the way by her whole team, how educated she was going in to her birth, and how much love was in her labor and birth rooms!
I absolutely love the work I get to do. Thank you to my clients for letting me do my dream job!
*photo shared with permission

Let's talk about what being "on-call" for my clients means. I'm contracted to go on-call for my clients at 37 weeks gestation until they give birth, which can lead to being on call for each client for a month or more, depending on when their labor begins! When I'm on-call, my phone is basically attached to me at all times except when I'm in the shower. My clients' phone numbers go on bypass for when my phone is on do-not-disturb, and ring no matter where I am, so I'm rarely that person whose phone rings at the theater. Sorry about that!
My family has Lagoon passes this summer, and I've been navigating being on-call while still letting loose and enjoying summer a lot! I have a waterproof case for my phone, a full shower kit in my car, and many contingency plans for childcare in case I get called to a birth when I'm at Lagoon. I've even taken my phone into the water park in my waterproof case. It's not the most glamorous setup, but it allows me to live my life and still show up for my clients.
What questions do you have about how I do what I doula?

sarawickham.com is a fantastic resource, and I could not agree more with this advice about plus size pregnancy!

I had the opportunity today to attend an open house at LDS Hospital about their Simply Birth program. It's similar to what Layton Parkway Hospital does, which is a low-intervention birth at the hospital. I'm excited to be able to refer clients in the Salt Lake area to providers who are more patient centered!

Got to see the Northern Lights tonight! I am in awe!

My new snack obsession is also great for labor prep! 😉 Stuff a date with peanut butter, top with dark chocolate chips, and enjoy!

My friends at Bountiful Doulas really say it better than I can!

On this Bereaved Mothers Day, we are here with a message to all who have experienced the death of a child.

You are strong, you are cherished, and your child's memory lives on. Grief manifests in deeply personal ways, and the words you choose to describe your experience and pain, whether it's 'loss' or 'death', speak to your unconditional love and the unique journey you have faced.

Today, we acknowledge your resilience and the varied experiences of losing a child that so many endure in silence. Your experiences are valid and important. You are acknowledged, supported, and you are not alone. May this day bring you a sense of peace and community.

As postpartum doulas, we support all paths, including those that do not involve bringing a baby home. It's important to recognize that postpartum experiences can be even more challenging without a baby in your arms, and that your postpartum experience isn't any less valid. We're thinking of you this Bereaved Mother's Day, and will be thinking of you next week on Mother's Day - which is your holiday too. 🤍💐

Time for a Friday affirmation! Every wave, surge, contraction, pain- whatever you prefer to call it- brings your baby closer to you.

Happy April 25th! It really is the perfect date. 😊

It's the perfect date 😁

This is really interesting! I taught both my kids some ASL but unfortunately didn't keep it up. Lucky for me, my now 11 year old wants to learn so we're learning together!

Beautiful chart. No reason to deny children access to ASL.

Time for a Friday affirmation! This one absolutely applies during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Eat, drink, and move the way your body tells you to, and trust those impulses!

Just hanging out with the board of finalizing some of our plans for Pride this year! I love being able to show up for my community in this way as well as in births.

Time for a Friday affirmation! Labor is such a mental game. To stay ahead of it, it's so important to live in the time between surges. I encourage my clients to sink back into their bodies and embrace the in-between.

Time for a Friday affirmation! This is one of my favorite affirmations during active labor. It's so easy to tense up and try to keep contractions small, but for Baby to come, contractions have to be big.

Meet Gisselle, the doula who will be shadowing me for clients that choose to have her!
Hi, I’m Gisselle.
I’m a wife, infertility warrior, mother to boy/girl twins, and post-partum depression survivor. I have a lifelong interest turned love and passion for pregnancy and birth. After almost five years of infertility, I was able to get pregnant via IUI or intra-uterine insemination. Soon after we found out it was twins. What a shock! I loved learning how similar and different it would be to have twins and not just one baby. I love talking about twins!
I am a fluent Spanish speaker and have a strong desire to work with the Spanish-speaking community as a doula and childbirth educator. I am a DONA trained doula and ICEA trained childbirth educator. I have been immersed in the birth world since 2018 and started my business in 2020. I am currently finishing up a business certificate at a local school. I live in Ogden but grew up in Salt Lake County.

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Introducing two new package options. The "Everything Except the Birth" package is perfect for experienced parents, those who have strong family support and just need some guidance, or those planning home births who prefer fewer people in their birth space. The Double Doula gives clients the opportunity to have an extra set of hands for no additional cost. With this package, clients have the consultation and both prenatal meetings to determine whether they would like to invite the second doula to their birth.

I got involved with Davis County PRIDE leading up to our first ever Pride Festival, and I am so proud of the work we've done and continue to do! I love working with other members of this beautiful rainbow community, and I want to give back. Any contribution, no matter the size, helps.

Doulas are... so many things! If I described my doula friends in one word, that word would probably be "passionate". How would you describe doulas?

I have served so many incredible families through the years, and I want to say thank you! Thank you for trusting me to be in your space at your most vulnerable. Thank you for taking a chance on me when I was new. Thank you for your kind words and referrals over the years. I'm truly so in love with the work I do, so thank you!

I'm now accepting due dates through December! Take advantage of this discount!

It's the first day of and I'm going to be sharing some offerings throughout the week. But for clients who want to give back to their doulas, here are some ideas of how to help us celebrate!

Something I ask all of my clients at our first prenatal meeting is: "What does your ideal labor look like?" Obviously plans can change and ideal isn't always attainable, but it helps me to know their ideals so I can help them get as close as possible. The client in this photo wanted to labor at home until she was in active/transitional labor, and we were only at the hospital for about an hour before her baby was in her arms. Her cat stayed by her side at home, her little boy observed (and asked why it was taking so long!), and her dog decided that it was playtime since we were all awake so late at night and brought me all of his toys.
Labor looks a lot of different ways- what is your vision?

Clients have asked, I'm answering! I have opened my books for this upcoming weekend and would love to help you feel your best. I offer Swedish massage, prenatal massage, fire cupping, and more. To book, go to https://squareup.com/appointments/book/639jaq8t8ejvy4/LK1STVZT6DG0E/services

This would be so fun for all my clients with littles this Easter!

Just got a review from one of my amazing clients! This was the first birth I got to attend in 2024 and what a way to start the year. It was a picture perfect birth and I was so honored to be a part of her team.

I love when dads get the chance to do skin-to-skin with their babies in the first few hours postpartum! After baby has acclimated and had a first feed, it's a great idea to let your partner cuddle up to baby and really bond.