Tealhouse Birth

🥳 GOOD NEWS! 🥳

We are so excited to announce that Tealhouse Birth is now a TDN (The Doula Network) credentialed doula! This means that we will be able to accept clients with UHC Community Plan and Sunshine Health Plans! It’s our hope that this development will allow us to better serve families in our community while expanding access to doula services across Suwannee County and surrounding areas. If you are interested in the possibility of doula support, please reach out for a consultation call! Summer and fall due dates are currently available! Reach out today! 🩵☀️
📞(863) 228-1350📞
📧[email protected]📧.

Why your midwife is awesome but not a doula.

I get asked often by potential clients what the difference is between support from their midwife vs. a doula and why do they need a doula if they have a midwife.

While your midwife is emotionally supportive their primary purpose is to provide clinical care for you and your baby. They focus on:
🤰mama’s safety
🤰Baby’s safety
🤰Clinical assessment
🤰Charting labor progress
🤰Standing by for any needed assistance as baby is born
🤰Managing post birth

Most midwives are happy to jump in and do a hip squeeze, remind you how strong you are and recommend comfort measures but that is not their primary focus.

Your doula is there to fill in those gaps.

🤍We will labor with you long before it’s time to call a midwife whether that’s in your home or in the hospital
🤍we will hold space for you and ensure that we keep the room you bring your baby into calm
🤍we will give hip squeezes for hours if that’s what feels good for mama. This means squatting down in small spaces, leaning in a tub, getting in a shower to get to moms back. You name a small space and I bet your a doula has been there all in the name of comfort for her client.
🤍we will help you stay hydrated and nourish your body
🤍We will remind you over and over again that you can do this, you are doing this and you are powerful

While the above only covers a small glimpse into how a midwife & doula support a woman’s birth, the take away is they are not one in the same.

✨A midwife & doula are a team.
They work in synchrony.
Ebb & flow.
To take one away, is to take away a full continuum of support in labor, birth and postpartum ✨

It’s always an honor to be a part of a family’s journey to parenthood & this little one is no exception. When mom & dad called me to come in, there was no way to know that this babe was coming in HOT! It’s safe to say Baby M was just as eager to meet her parents as they were to meet her. Congratulations, family! 🥰💙

How has it been an entire month since this cutie arrived earth side?! It’s always so surprising how quickly time flies after babies are born. Parents spend months preparing & while some of those months may feel like years, a month of baby snuggles can tend to feel so fleeting. 👶🏻🤍✨

There is something different about the way mornings after births feel. I don’t mean the morning of or the mornings doulas spend driving home sleepy-eyed & exhausted, the half-awake shower and crawl to bed, or even the rush of secondhand oxytocin that happens to some of us. I mean the morning after that (hopefully) long and much needed rest.
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The morning after a birth feels almost surreal…dreamlike. Recalling the love shared between a couple as they become a family, hearing the first breath or cry of a new life as it they arrive earthside. Witnessing the fierceness and beauty in a birthing parent’s determination to bring their baby into the world. The pure emotion seen on the faces of the family, friends and staff in the room as the power of the moment radiates throughout. These reflections feel like a sudden and pronounced reminder to pause and appreciate the beauty of the life happening all around me, at any given second.
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So this morning as I stand on my front porch, tea in hand, watching the chickens forage in the early morning light & preparing to get back to a day of mom duties, I relish the tiny moments of life. The car ride conversations with my oldest kiddo on the way to school, seeing my youngest wear a pot lid as a hat while dancing around the kitchen, the dragonfly swirling around the garden, & the inevitable wait in line at the grocery store later today. Some may look at these moments and see a mundane Monday. I see beauty and though I don’t see things that way every day, today I am intent on taking it all in & greeting it with a grateful heart. Every second. 🤍

Waiting room vibes 🛋 ✨

Supporting birth is always a magical experience for this doula! Even when (and sometimes, especially when) things do not seem to go to plan. Did you know that a doula can provide support to families through c-section birth? Though doulas aren’t always allowed in the OR, there are a multitude of ways for a doula to support your family through a c-section, whether planned or not! From prenatal education on c-section to assisting with home preparation to establishing breastfeeding post-op to postpartum support upon your return home & beyond, doula support can be a very helpful addition to your support team!

Planning, organizing & goal setting today! 🤍✨

After 8 months in our new home & lots of behind-the-scenes work, is FINALLY available for support services in & around Suwannee County! What a moment of celebration after a long journey of preparation & transition! 🎉🥂

If you’re an expectant parent in North Central Florida who may want some extra cushion to your support system for labor, birth & postpartum, check out www.tealhousebirth.com or send me a message to see if we’re aligned. 😊

"The Earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it." - White Elk

It has been 100 years or more since White Elk spoke these words and still, nothing rings more true. Today is International Day of The World's Indigenous People & while it is always important to honor the cultures of others, Indigenous Peoples Day is a great place to start. When my partner & I bought our farm, it was important to us to honor the history of this land. We started looking into the history of our property and learned that the land our home sits on most likely belonged to the Timucua people of what is now known as North Florida and Southeast Georgia. We have long planned to honor the people to whom our home once belonged and today, my partner, children and I will be doing just that, by learning about the Timucua people, their lives & traditions, and continuing to be gracious stewards of the land they once inhabited. Take time to learn about an indigenous culture today. Whether they once walked the lands of Asia, North America, South America, Africa or Europe, soak up some wisdom & find a way those who lived on and loved these lands before us.

The human body is INCREDIBLE! Check out some of these breastfeeding facts!

It's World Breastfeeding Week! A celebration of nourishing little ones that is near & dear to my heart here at Tealhouse Birth. As a mama who breastfed my own two babes for more than two years each, I know just how time consuming, and sometimes difficult, breastfeeding can be. Did you know that breastfeeding for a year is pretty close to the amount of time you'd spend at a full time job? WILD, right?! It takes time, determination, sheer love, and a dash of sacrifice to nourish tiny souls. Whether you wanted to breastfeed, breastfed for a day, a week or breastfed into toddlerhood...I see you, mama. I see the joyful moments & the moments where you weren't sure if you could continue. It can be hard, but it is beautiful and oh, so worth it! So, if you're a parent who has breastfed, for any length of time...I see you & I salute you and the badass, baby-feeding warrior that you are!

June 24th, 2022 is a date that I will never forget. It has taken me a few days to gather my thoughts to form a proper & appropriate response. The overturn of Roe v. Wade is egregious. Stripping of human rights is enraging. The outlook for people with uteruses across the US is depressing and terrifying. This historic and unprecedented decision by SCOTUS will affect every uterus-having person, but it will profoundly and disproportionately affect BIPOC, LGBTQ+ persons, those living in abusive situations & those who do not have the financial resources to secure necessary healthcare out-of-state. This decision has made it abundantly clear that this is a war on women. This is a war on people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, the poor. The precedent that was set with the overturn of Roe v. Wade is terrifying, disgusting and archaic, but it is nothing to shy away from. The fight for our rights is far from over & we will not back down.

In a world post-Roe, I would like to reiterate that in an effort to provide my services to those who can benefit from them the most, I do offer *both* sliding scale fees and payment plans, which can be combined. Tealhouse Birth will also be setting aside a portion of fees collected from paying clients to fund support for people who are unable to afford doula support. If you or someone you know are interested in having a doula at birth or postpartum, or are in need of an abortion, please reach out to me no matter what your financial situation is. I have resources available to help & will be expanding my services to include abortion support very, very soon. I believe that every human is deserving of support in life’s most vulnerable moments. I believe abortion and the choice to have one are included as one of life’s most vulnerable moments. I believe that abortion is health care and I stand firmly on that belief.

This is MASSIVE news!

Researchers Pinpoint Reason Infants Die From SIDS | BioSpace Researchers from The Children's Hospital Westmead in Sydney, Australia released a study that confirmed not only how infants die from sudden infant death syndrome, but why.

Happy International Day of the Midwife! I’ve been lucky enough to work alongside some fantastic midwives. Thank you all, for all you do to better the outcomes of the families & communities you serve! 💙

Today is International Day of the Midwife! A big THANK YOU to midwives and student midwives everywhere! 😀

Midwives who practice the midwifery model of care are true experts in healthy, physiological birth. They only intervene if necessary, not routinely, and they support safe, vaginal birth.

Benefits of midwifery care include:

➡️ Decreased risk of needing a cesarean

➡️ Reduced rates of labor induction and augmentation

➡️ Reduced use of regional anesthesia

➡️ Decreased infant mortality rates

➡️ Decreased risk of preterm birth

➡️ Decreased third and fourth-degree perineal tears

➡️ Lower costs for both clients and insurers

➡️ Increased chances of having a positive start to breastfeeding

➡️ Increased satisfaction with the quality of care

(Source: ACNM)

Are you planning for a natural birth with a Midwife? In Dancing For Birth™ class you’ll learn how to work with your body, your baby, and your birth instincts, to give birth naturally and avoid interventions.

The Dancing For Birth™ birth method is proven to reduce labor pain and increase birth satisfaction. In a recent survey, the majority of Dancing For Birth™ participants had a euphoric birth.

Dancing For Birth™ Class is held weekly, around the world, in person as well as virtually. The earlier you join, the more support you gain for your preconception, pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Your partner and baby are welcomed too!

Midwives, we have a 14 contact hour approved continuing education training for you, to help your clients give birth more easily and blissfully

Last night, and I candled our second round of fertilized eggs after they’ve been hanging out in the incubator for a few days. New life beginning on the farm is such a thrill to my birth-loving heart , no matter the form it takes 💙✨

That feeling when your website is finally LIVE!!! Head to tealhousebirth.com to check it out! 🎉🙌🏼💙✨

Aaaaand, we’re LIVE!!! Tealhouse Birth is officially online at tealhousebirth.com & accepting new clients in North Central Florida! 💙✨

POV: it’s finally birth day & even though you’re supporting virtually, you throw on the dopest birth shirt (courtesy of the amazing ) & some Wu-Tang to get the vibe right. 💛✨ #02222022

💙💙💙

Pa. pilot program provides doulas for incarcerated pregnant women A new pilot program in Pennsylvania is providing pregnant women in prison with access to doulas. Pregnancy is a vulnerable time and can be even more stressful while incarcerated. Doulas contribute to better health outcomes for mother and baby.

There is a massive formula recall, but let’s not shame parents who are in an unforeseeable predicament due to the recall for not breastfeeding their little ones. There are an abundance of reasons why one might choose to formula feed, some of which may be painful to discuss. All feeding choices are valid, including the choice to formula feed. Be kind, y’all! 💙

We can't believe we are making this post, but here it goes.

>Why are people SHAMING parents for formula feeding during the formula recall?

It's NEVER OK to shame parents for the way they feed their babies! Still, it's alarming seeing adults finding joy by humiliating those who are especially vulnerable, scrambling to find suitable formula replacements, and experiencing anxiety about potential harm to their babies if they fed them the recalled formula.

The question is, WHY?

Tealhouse Birth updated their phone number.

It’s been a while, y’all! I’ve been hard at work with the incomparable rebranding this little ol’ business of mine & am beyond proud to announce that Jade Rodriguez Doula is now Tealhouse Birth! We have a few more fun announcements planned in the next couple of months, so stay tuned! 🤍

This is such wonderful news for all the new mamas concerned about their babies and COVID! 💜

UF Researchers study antibody levels in breast milk of mothers who received COVID vaccine New findings from the study show the breast milk contains a “significant supply” of antibodies that may help protect nursing infants from COVID-19.

Happy birthday, little lady! Welcome to the world! 💜🎉 PS: Check out this amazing mama cutting her baby girls cord! Such a powerful moment! 🥰

Is there even a better view at 6 AM? 🤍✨

Out in the garden this afternoon and had a ‘you may be a birth worker if…’ moment. You might be a birth worker if…you look at this lovely green heirloom tomato and see v***a & l***a. 😂🤷🏼‍♀️

The womb is a magical place ❤️✨

Unreal video: Watch a fetus move and stretch at 20 weeks along | BabyCenter Have you ever felt your baby move and push against your pregnant belly and wondered what in the world he or she was doing in there? I'm beyond thrilled to introduce you to this video shared by Telegraphic Science and Tech. It is, by far, the coolest thing I've seen about pregnancy in a long whil...

This is so exciting & so desperately needed in the communities these midwives do and will support 💙

Bipartisan legislation, the Midwives for Maximizing Optimal Midwifery Services (MOMS) Act of 2021 , was introduced yesterday in the U.S. Congress in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. NACPM celebrates this historic legislation that would authorize first-ever federal funding specifically to support midwifery education. NACPM worked with Congress on the development of this legislation to grow the number of midwives available to families in the United States and to support the development of a midwifery workforce that reflects and represents the racial and ethnic demographics of the childbearing population.

For decades the federal government has supported the growth and development of health professions such as physicians and nurses.This Act establishes two new funding streams within the Public Health Service Act to support midwifery education and training programs for all nationally-credentialled midwives (CPMs, CNMs, CMs) enrolled in schools accredited by MEAC and ACME . It would appropriate $15,000,000 in Title VII for midwifery programs outside of schools of nursingand $20,000,000 in Title VIII for programs within schools of nursing for fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

This legislation, with a strong focus on equity, calls for prioritizing grants to schools that train students who plan to practice in health professional shortage areas and that demonstrate a focus on increasing racial and ethnic minority representation in midwifery education and the professional.