Artemis Doula and Birth Services

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Shoutout to everyone trying to get their b***s to make milk, and boo to the haters who think breasts should only be seen when they are "sexy" and not feeding a baby.

(And stream "Truth Hurts" by Lizzo, obviously.)

🗣This years birth calendar is almost FULL!!! 🗓

I have openings for 1 birth in October as well as 1 in December 😱


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❗️Even if my is full I will continue to accept new clients ‼️

Oh hi how was your day today?
Did you know the placenta creates the hormone progesterone during pregnancy?

Today these lovely postpartum support items got to go home💙💜

Schedule your postpartum support today!

The first batch is done!

Guess what I’m making today!!! Helping some families prepare for the fall🍂✨🧙‍♀️

Like there’s anything else we could watch for family movie night on Friday the 13th🌕🧙‍♀️🕯

Placenta pickup! Did you know that day or night I’ll come pick up your placenta for encapsulation?!

I’ve been making some infusions today🌼🍃✨

Is it homework or a snack?

Here we go! First day of my first class🤯

FELLOW BIRTH WORKERS! Do you have a favorite post birth ritual? After I come home from providing support at a birth I love to take a herbal bath. I use calendula, chamomile, rose hips, peppermint, and lemon balm.

Heading home from a lovely birth where the birthing person was heard, her wishes were respected, and she made the final decision when it came to her care.

Here we go!!! For those of you who didn’t already know there are big exciting changes going on did me!
Today a big box of fun showed up on my doorstep and things got real. Classes start on Thursday!😱😅😬

Time to pull these bad boys out for their first time here in VA!

Well everyone now that we are settled in here in VA it’s time for me to get back to work! And just in time my new business cards came in today💜💙💜

The quality of the supplements you choose to take is so important.

EXCESS FOLIC ACID & INSULIN RESISTANCE /// Folic acid is a synthetic (meaning manmade) version of folate, a vital B vitamin for many functions in your body. It is structurally and functionally different from folates (yes, there are many forms) that exist naturally in food. Decades ago, folic acid (FA) was hailed as a necessary supplement to reduce the risk of neural tube defects and many practitioners recommend high doses of it, however not all people process FA well (hello, MTHFR!) and newer research has been examining the possible downsides of excessive intake.
In one study, rats were fed either a control diet (containing 2mg/kg FA) or a “high FA” diet (containing 5mg/kg FA) prior to and during pregnancy. Their offspring were examined into adulthood for measures of metabolic health.
Offspring exposed to high FA during pregnancy were significantly more prone to overeating, higher triglycerides, higher insulin levels (combined with insulin resistance), and lower adiponectin (adiponectin is a hormone secreted from fat cells; higher levels are seen in lean, healthy, non-diabetic individuals). All told, excess folic acid “pre-programmed” the offspring to have the same dysregulated blood sugar and lipid metabolism seen in type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome. Not good.
Now, this is a rat study, not a human study. But, it adds to the growing body of evidence that folic acid in high amounts is probably not a good idea. Do you need folate? YES. But you need it in the right form(s), which includes what’s found in food (highest folate foods include liver, legumes, leafy greens, and avocados) and supplements with metabolically usable forms, such as methylfolate and/or folinic acid. You also need to balance your folate intake with the other key nutrients, including choline, B12, B6, B2, and glycine. More on nutrient synergy & what to look for in supplements in .
Study: http://bit.ly/2JpIC4A

And even if you ask for consent, it’s not consent until they say yes.

“We are going to check your cervix now”

“I want to break your water now”

“We are going to start your IV now”

“It’s time for Pitocin now”

None of this is ok. None of it is asking the birthing person for consent let alone providing informed consent of the risks and benefits from the offered intervention.

When physiological birth goes unimpaired, it usually works out well. Of course we have need for medical intervention when things don’t go as hoped or planned. Of course. I’m not talking about actual emergencies when an actual complication arises and medical intervention is absolutely needed to improve the birth outcomes for mother and baby.

I’m talking about walking into a birthing person’s room and for no evidence based reason suggesting an internal exam, amniotomy, addition of Pitocin, etc.

Guess what? Without these things. Babies can be born. Shocking, no?

Guess what? You can never ever have an internal exam and your baby will likely come out.

You can labor with an intact bag of waters (and I’ll say I much prefer that to losing that cushion!!!). Baby will come out. (Likely releasing the waters as they come out!).

You can have awesome contractions that don’t seem to go along with “their charts” and still have a cervix dilate and a baby be born.

I had threeeeeee birthing times when I was dealing with a malpositioned baby. I went from 5cm to baby in 20 minutes in one case. Another was 8cm to baby in 10 minutes. The third was 5cm to baby in 60 minutes. In other settings I would have likely been pressured to have interventions when all I needed was movement, change of positions, support, and encouragement to get the baby to move.

You never know how birth will play out.

Lack of consent and treating birthing people like rounded up cattle ain’t the way to do this.

If anyone tries to make a statement and force you to accept their words, remember to BRAIN!

Benefits - to mom or baby

Risks - to mom or baby

Alternatives available

Intuition - TRUST YOUR GUT

Need more Time - take a moment to think and discuss what is being presented before accepting or declining

B R A I N. 🧠

CONSENT IS NECESSARY.

I will always share this!!!

Women give birth and babies are born...at the perfect time. 🙏🏻
Credit:

Creating a Postpartum Sanctuary

Instead of making a cute themed nursery that the baby won't care about, throughout my pregnancy I've worked at creating spaces in my home that will be relaxing for ME. That's what baby is actually going to notice and feel - my energy. The more comfortable and tranquil I feel during my fourth trimester, the easier of a transition it'll be for all of us.

I've always been sensitive to my surroundings. For example, I have to have the lighting "just right" in a space, depending on my mood, the time of day, the activity that's happening, etc. (Anyone else feel me on that?) So when I think about trying to recover from birth, relax, and get into the swing of breastfeeding, I can't help but think about my physical space... What will help me feel comfortable, calm, inspired even?

Needless to say there's been a lot of Marie Kondo-type activity in my home throughout the pregnancy! Getting rid of excess "stuff", and creating spaces that are esthetically pleasing and thus relaxing (or at the very least, not mentally taxing). In the early postpartum days we spend more time at home than perhaps we're accustomed to - life takes on a slower pace as the body recovers and we hunker down with baby for feeding and bonding. So it makes a whole lot of sense to me to create spaces that will support my mental and emotional well-being, spaces in which I will enjoy being present with baby for extended periods of time, without all the extra physical and mental clutter. I think it's worth doing this in the home at any time, actually, but perhaps especially when you have a new baby who needs your full attention and is picking up on your energy.

I think everyone in their fourth trimester deserves a peaceful, tranquil sanctuary in which to make this transition.

Two very simple items that (for me) invoke a feeling of being calm and grounded are Himalayan salt lamps, and plants. I have one of each in my bedroom, the living room, and the baby room (pictured in this post - and notice I didn't call it a nursery, but that's another topic!). Did you - or would you - do anything in your home to create a postpartum sanctuary (aka cozy peaceful nest) for yourself?

THIS is how it should be! That baby will never remember how that first visit went, but the parents always will.

Making the most of every moment. One big upside of the move is the time we’ve taken off to be together. 💕