Sacred Haven Birth Services

A few new placenta mugs lately. All hand thrown on the wheel. Been putting in lots of practice hours there. ❤️ These are getting harder and harder to part with!

Today is the day! I'll be part of this great panel for folks who are interested in being a doula in Alabama. Come with any of your questions, happy to be of service!! 😊

Zoom Panel Discussion: Ask an Experienced Doula⁠
For new or aspiring doulas in North Alabama⁠
⁠
March 28, 6-7:00 PM⁠
⁠
Featuring:⁠
🌸 Kirsten Clark
🌸 Ki Newsome
🌸 Emily Locke
⁠
Link in bio to register.⁠
⁠

It's my birth month so I'm offering a sale on my birth-related ceramics + embroidery art! Take a peek if you'd like. 🥰 https://havenceramicsal.etsy.com
I'm still on the path of being a student midwife and purchases help me so much on my midwifery education journey! I appreciate all of the support so very much. ❤

Grateful for Lindsey's words in our email newsletter and that Alabama Cohosh can stand proud in Alabama in solidarity with folks who are pregnant / wanting to be pregnant, even as more reproductive care rights are stripped from Alabamians.

https://mailchi.mp/alabamacohosh/we-live-in-alabama-and-we-deserve-reproductive-care

Update: NEED HAS BEEN MET!!!! Thank you all so much for showing up so incredibly in support of this family. 🥹❤️❤️

‼️‼️ Urgent community need!! ‼️‼️

There is a HSV family in desperate need of donor milk for their preemie baby (not in the NICU thankfully!). They are down to their last bag of milk.

If you can help, please reach out and I’ll connect you with the mom!

Christmas and the holiday season are rapidly approaching! If you'd like to support a future Alabama midwife AND get some cute birthy handmade goods, I know just the place for ya. ;)

These are all handmade by me in my community pottery studio here in the Marshall Islands where I'm studying. Proceeds go to my own midwifery education as well as a percentage towards a scholarship fund for Black student midwives in Alabama.

Hello, lovely folks! I've been hard at work on my tropical island home, studying to become a home birth midwife serving Alabama in the future.

If you'd like to support my midwifery journey, you can buy some of my handmade ceramics.

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted — lately I’ve been living on a tiny tropical island (where zero babies are born!), continuing midwifery studies at , and getting absolutely obsessed with pottery.

I’ll make some tweaks to future versions but wow, this placenta mug is everything I hoped it would be and so much more. 😍😍🙌🏻🙌🏻

Have you signed up for our December infant feeding and milk expression class at Alabama Birth Center? It’s happening next weekend, December 10th! Hosted by Tennessee Valley Lactation Support LLC, this class is great for any parents who want to learn about breastfeeding / chestfeeding.

Register here! https://www.alabamabirthcenter.com/childbirthclasses

Scholarships are available at roecenter.org; visit the site to see qualification requirements.

Don't forget, prenatal group was changed to this week! We'll see you Wednesday!

Lactation cookies are a delicious way to support your milk supply! Jasmine is offering these fresh-baked with love. She's also an amazing lactation counselor if you're in need of some extra support on your lactation journey!

I’ll be back baking tomorrow & I have two new recipes coming soon. One is a holiday edition you’ll be excited for!!
My original Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Lactation Cookies are fenugreek & gluten free! Ask to skip the chocolate chips for a dairy free option.
Email me at [email protected] today!

My amazing client is taking new clients beginning in 2023 after she finishes her maternity leave! If you're looking for a doula, she's a wonderful human being with a passion for birth and supporting birthing families.

Oh my sweet doula babies, I love them so.

This is the mama of the sweet baby I caught recently. Her nurse left the room because my client was so calm that she didn't realize how close baby was to coming (despite my client telling her point blank that she was pushing and to get her gloves on, bless 😂).

Sometimes birth is like this -- quiet, calm, centered. Not that it isn't really hard internal work, no matter what. But not every birth or birthing person looks the same. So proud of this beautiful strong mama and grateful I got to witness her quiet strength.

S*xual dysfunction does not have to be normal! Stephanie and her team of pelvic floor specialists can help.

DID YOU KNOW that 1 in 4 people report some type of dysfunction with having an or**sm?? It can be related to taking too long to or**sm, being unable to reach or**sm, or reaching or**sm too quickly. (McCabe MP et al. Incidence and prevalence of sexual dysfunction in women and men: a consensus statement from the fourth international consultation on sexual medicine 2015. J S*x Med. 2016;13:144-152.)
Pelvic Floor Therapy can help decrease pelvic pain, improve or**sm, and increase overall desire and satisfaction. (Wurn L et al. Increasing Or**sm and Decreasing Dyspareunia by a Manual Physical Therapy Technique. MedGenMed. 2004.)
Dry needling to the low back and deep hip muscles can also help to improve or**sm. The muscles and nerves of the abdomen and pelvis serve in sexual arousal and or**sm. "90% of patients with interstitial cystitis, pelvic pain, and incontinence present with myfascial pain and trigger points." (Green B et al. Deep Dry Needling of thr HIP and Pelvic Muscles. Musculoskeletal Key. 2019.) Also by needling the thoracolumbar junction we can improve the nerves communication to the vaginal and cl****al regions.
If you are noticing changes in your ability to have an or**sm (or have never had one), seeing a pelvic floor therapist can help!!
Questions?? Hit me up!!

Today was the inaugural Mama Circle Huntsville postpartum group in our new gathering space (which I’ve had so much fun putting together over the last few weeks!!) and some of my amazing clients came to see me. I know I am biased, but all of my doula babies are the cutest and sweetest babies in the entire world!

My heart is so full from snuggling babies and getting to share time with these mamas. Postpartum isn’t easy but when we lift each other up and simply listen to one another, it can lighten the load. ❤️❤️

Having an empowered unmedicated birth in the hospital is totally achievable! Building a birth team you trust to support you is the most important thing you can do to prepare. ❤️

I was lucky enough to doula for the amazing Stephanie of Empowered Wellness and she was such a badass powerhouse woman getting through her unmedicated hospital birth!

It's WELLNESS WEDNESDAY!!
Today's blog post is written by me, as an effort of encouragement for anyone who wants to give birth in a hospital and have an unmedicated, vaginal delivery. You CAN do it!!
Check out the blog for some tips on how to be successful and reach your goals!
https://www.empoweredwellnesspt.com/post/you-can-have-an-unmedicated-vaginal-delivery-in-the-hospital

Morning snuggles with this sweet boy, my last doula baby. I’m going to miss this a lot. ❤️

Just in case you wondered...

✅ You CANNOT overfeed a breastfed/chestfed baby.

✅ There is no such thing as a breastfed/chestfed baby who is "too fat".

✅ Intake *is* important to observe and regulate in bottle fed babies but if you're nursing, your body and baby know how to regulate intake.

Did you have a chubby baby who you fed from the breast/chest? I sure did with my oldest son! That kiddo gained almost a pound a week for his first few months. Gosh I do love a chunky baby.

Babies come in all shapes and sizes, just like adults do. Don't let anyone, EVEN if they are a medical professional like a lactation consultant or pediatrician, make you feel anxious about your breast/chestfed baby's weight.

For more info:
https://themilkmeg.com/can-i-overfeed-my-breastfed-baby/

It *is* possible that intense letdowns coupled with oversupply can cause some issues in breast/chestfed babies (choking, gulping, taking in too much air during feeds) but this is more an issue of regulating the *speed* that the milk leaves the breast/chest. More info on that here and why it isn't a matter of overfeeding!

https://www.happiestbaby.com/blogs/baby/too-much-breastmilk

There is just nothing like this moment. ❤️

And, I love to see physiologic upright birth (in this case, on a birth stool) supported in-hospital. ❤️

Today I got to snuggle this sweet girl who I caught three weeks ago. I feel incredibly lucky that this special little human chose me to be the one to welcome her into the world, that I got to be the first person to hold her in my hands in that moment. I am so grateful to her strong, amazing mama who trusted me as her doula (with two of her babies!) and who asked me to catch her baby when she wasn’t able to (and while we were waiting on medical folks to come). Truly one of the most amazing and magical moments of my life and one I will carry with me always. ❤️✨✨

*again, as I shared before: doulas do not ever plan to catch babies. But when we’ve done all we can to get appropriate medical staff in the room and the birthing parent asks us to catch because baby is about to come out whether medical folks are there or not… then sometimes, we do catch. ❤️

This is an awesome chance to learn about caring for your body while pregnant!

HUNTSVILLE!! I'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW!!
Is not too late to register for the Lift Like A Lady seminar at !! All are welcome! Same day registration is available.
Email [email protected] to register!!
Let's get ready to learn how to train and feel confident and strong in our bodies!!

NOVA Birth Services taught a great NRP class in Nashville today on out of hospital neonatal resuscitation! Building these skills is essential for moving forward on the path to home birth midwifery. I’m so glad Kaelie Breathe Love Birth Doula Services let me drag her along with me to be on my practice team! 😂🙌🏻

I caught my first baby (on accident 😂) yesterday and I’m feeling alllllllll the feels about it. 😭🙌🏻🥰

To get to catch the beautiful baby girl of a dear repeat client was beyond magical. The warm wet slippery feeling of a tiny baby body coming into the world, into my hands, is something I’ll never forget.

It used to be my absolute biggest fear as a doula to have to catch a baby. I would tell clients I WILL NOT CATCH YOUR BABY DO NOT PUT ME IN THE POSITION TO DO THAT WE NEED TO GET TO THE HOSPITAL IN TIME / GET THE DOCTOR IN THE ROOM IN TIME. Because, though doulas do NOT intentionally plan to catch babies, many end up accidentally having to do so when circumstances arise and the fetal ejection reflex kicks in.

So… I almost made it through my doula career without having to catch. 120+ births and I thought I was in the clear. But this sneaky little baby girl said nopeeeee… here I come, whether the nurses and doctor make it into the room in time or not. 😂🙌🏻

This week I am attending my last planned births as a doula. After this, I’ll be shifting fully to student midwifery towards CPM certification / licensure and some other major life transitions are coming up soon. It feels so appropriate that as my doula journey is coming to a close and my midwifery path is opening up, I’d get to catch this sweet baby.

What a beautiful transition into midwifery this is. ❤️❤️

So proud of how our community showed up today in support of birthing centers in Alabama.

Midwives voice concerns over possible birth center regulations Alabama is the worst state to have a baby, according to a new report from Wallet Hub. And Midwives across the state are concerned that new rules the state’s department of public health wants to implement could possibly worsen the situation. The rules would affect birth centers where women can give...

Does your care provider offer an alternative to the Glucola drink for gestational diabetes testing? This is a great option offered at AWWC in Huntsville!

Did you know we offer an alternative to the traditional Glucola drink for gestational diabetes screening? The Fresh Test has only three ingredients: dextrose, crystalized lemon, and organic mint. No additives + non-GMO.

We are so glad to be able to offer this as an option at Alabama Women's Wellness Center!

Huntsville is in desperate need for new doulas! If you’re interested but have been on the fence about becoming one, Tracy is a great trainer.

There’s still time to register for this Labor training this weekend in !!

Beautifully said. ❤️

Sometimes we’re able to envision exactly what we want our birth to look like..and I’ve definitely been that person before. I could see my birth unfolding long before it happened. I could even feel it. The scene was set way before my first contraction began…

But this birth? This pregnancy? I had a lot more confusion. I couldn’t picture having this baby anywhere…and I worried it would effect my ability to let go and give birth. Maybe it was my losses, the molar pregnancy, the shock of something so beautiful (pregnancy/birth) becoming something so scary for me. I don’t really know.

And maybe it did have an effect. Maybe it was the root of my prodromal labor. I even spent a few days feeling bad about it - wondering if I made things harder for myself with this lack of trust and knowing. But as I look through my birth photos…I’m beginning to realize that in the end…it doesn’t really matter.

It’s okay to not know. To change your mind. To feel confused and even conflicted…up until the very moment your body decides to take over. I gave birth to my baby. Despite the fear. Despite the doubt. Despite the confusion. Despite the worry.

Our bodies want to birth our babies. Our babies want to be born. And while our mind IS powerful…I’m learning that even when we can’t always quiet it…our bodies still have the capacity to give birth.

So even if you don’t exactly know how you’re going to do it, or where you’re going to do it…even if you can’t picture it in your mind or manifest the most perfect birth day…even if you’re scared and you can’t calm the anxiety…just know that your birth can still be beautiful and healing and completely wild once it happens.

I know those are the words I needed to hear the last few weeks of my pregnancy…and so I hope maybe someone else needs to hear it too.

Take it moment by moment. Feel your feelings, let the thoughts come and let the thoughts go. You WILL meet your baby…and your body might know exactly what you need, even if your mind doesn’t. I know mine sure did.

I'm so excited about how many new class options are available at Alabama Birth Center's community space! Folks on Medicaid can always attend free through applying at roecenter.org/grants ❤️

So proud of my friends for offering this amazing education to Huntsville Hospital nurses! This is exactly what advocacy and collaborative care can look like. ❤️