Often times when people learn I am a doula they assume that I have children of my own. There comes a point in interviews with potential clients where the question of my personal labor/pregnancy/baby experience comes up. Until recently I have felt sheepish about admitting that I am not a mother yet (as if it is something to be admitted to). Maybe it’s because I am afraid of not meeting people’s expectations. At the same time, I am not embarrassed that I’m still waiting to become a mother, nor do I think that it diminishes my skills as a doula. I don’t feel that becoming READ MORE
Category: Doula
Doula as Luxury Commodity?!
There is a fallacy going around right now in the Doula community. It is being said that Doulas are not needed, or deserved. That Doulas are WANTED, and therefore are a luxury service. I would beg to differ! Women have been supporting women through childbirth for all time. Sure, there wasn’t always a trained, non-medical, non-judgmental support person hired by families to provide, “physical, emotional and logistical support through the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum time”. There have been the wise-women, other mothers (who had also gone through natural, and well supported birth), sisters, sister-wives, midwives, the shaman, and so on and READ MORE
When the (doula) fruit is ripe…
It’s finally happening. My transition to being a doula has been a vacillating one, but it is time for me to make it a bigger part of my life. Starting in September I will be cutting hours at my nonprofit desk job in Detroit so I am able to spend more time doing this doula work that I love. The backstory – When I first completed my training in 2012, I knew that I wanted to support women and their partners through labor and birth, but was having trouble figuring out the particulars. I already had a full time job, was living in an READ MORE
More babies?!
There have been big changes going on lately in the Gladwin family. We have officially moved into our new house! (post about that coming soon!) This house has been a dream or ours for many years. Over the last 3 years we have put innumerable hours into dreaming up, designing, hiring, firing, redesigning and building this amazing house that we will live in for the rest of our lives. During this time, we also got pregnant and had a baby! Zachary is an awesome, almost-2-year-old. He’s full of wonder, too smart for his own good (and mine for that matter) READ MORE
Getting back in the game!
It’s been a long time since I’ve done any sort of updating here, and a lot has changed in my life. I was living my dream of doula-ing full-time taking 3-4 clients per month, and loving life. When I thought things couldn’t get much better, my husband and I found out we were going to be welcoming a new little soul into the world in August 2013. Winter, Spring, and Summer were full of birth energy, both from my clients ( I attended 21 births during the first 2 trimesters!) and my own. All the families I got to work READ MORE
The Placenta Experience
This post was written by Courtney Blake, a local Placenta Encapsulator, mother, student, and friend. Thank you so much for contributing to the Sacred Roots Community! Greetings! I would like to tell you about my experience with Placenta Encapsulation. I have had a very pleasant post-partum period and believe that choosing to consume my placenta via Placenta Encapsulation is a very big reason why. It really does make sense when I think about it! The placenta grows as the baby grows and it holds all kinds of hormones and nutrients. Where do those nutrients go after my baby is born? READ MORE
Let's Dance!
I have danced my whole life. I’m sure my mother felt something while I was in the womb that told her I was going to be the first person on the dance floor at a wedding. Its in my blood and something I have to do. I know there are many others like me out there because I see you on the dance floor next to me or standing around tapping your feet waiting for the right time to bust a move. When I became pregnant late last year, I was concerned about what physical limitations may be put on READ MORE
Loving this Work!
I am a Doula! I have been working very hard to learn about birth, labor support, postpartum and prenatal support. I have been educating myself about marketing locally. I have been working really hard to get my name out there and make this dream of mine work. AND IT IS WORKING! I just love this job! It is amazingly rewarding and inspirational. Watching new moms hold their babies for the first time, looking into their eyes, discovering what sex their child is, is the most amazing thing to be a part of. This is my job. I am a doula! READ MORE
Natural Hospital Birth
Come Join this Informative and Fun Event! “Supporting Natural Birth in Hospital Settings” Full PDF File With author Cia Gabriel, PhD and Professional Doula Saturday, March 24 1-3PM 12th floor Conference Room The new University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital