South Bay Birth Services

11/05/2020

Although there is strong evidence that doula support fosters better maternal health care outcomes, many hospitals have closed their doors to doulas. The response to Covid in hospital maternity care is uneven and unpredictable, serving to further complicate risk of negative outcomes. We are seeking legislation to ensure a birthing person’s right to have a doula, if they choose. Please sign the Doulas Are Essential California Coalition (DAECC) petition to make doulas essential workers in California. Your support is appreciated. Please share.

41 signatures are still needed! Doulas Are Essential- Access to doula support is a health equity issue.

04/01/2020

PREGNANT? Let us know if you need resources. Affirm: My baby is safe and has what they need.

BIRTHING? We have virtual doula resources! Reach out if you need help!

PARENTING? If this issue is coming up in your household, here’s a great blog with practical tips that you might not already be doing to HELP YOUR KIDS FALL ASLEEP. (Adult versions of these ideas might work for you, too!)

Is your child having a hard time falling asleep? Try one of these 5 ways to RESET bedtime from a child psychologist for better and healthier sleep.

03/30/2020

Pregnancy and birthing during the “early days” of viral pandemic with minimal evidence about likely impact on you and your baby, lots of individual and collective fear, and so many unknowns it’s harder than ever to perceive what you DO know.

We haven’t been putting up posts because it seems to us there is so much information right now and it’s incredibly overwhelming. We’d rather encourage you to focus most of your energy on listening to YOUR OWN VOICE. How? One way is to practice daily meditation/mindfulness. Here are two apps that will help you hone in on the feelings of love you have for yourself, your amazing body and your baby. Headspace has a great pregnancy series. GentleBirth has a great perinatal specific app (10 day free trial.)

Reach out to us or a plugged-in doula in your community, if you want birth support, informational support, on-line childbirth ed, info about current evidence and practice, someone to help you hear or amplify your own voice of reason and confidence. You are ok. You can do this. There is support. We are here for you.

Love, Wendy and Kersti

02/23/2020

This picture is one I have used for years to explain to clients (at prenatal meetings) about how contractions are building the fundus. I have never had a single, well read client been aware of this. As this article points out so well, the impact of understanding birth chemistry really makes a difference.

Did you know labor is less about your cervix opening and more about the thickness and contracting power of the uterus moving baby down and out? READ more about what empowering birth expert Carla...

01/31/2020

YES.

"They told you about the contractions,
but did they tell you about the expansion?

Did they tell you how your body would open to make way for the whole universe to pass through?

Did they tell you how your heart would explode with a love bigger than anything you’ve ever known as you pulled your baby to your chest?

They told you about the ring of fire but did they tell you about the crown of stars?

Did they mention that there’s a moment when your baby enters the world and you leave your body and touch the heavens and become the light of a million galaxies?

Did they tell you how the pain of stretching to receive your child would be more exsquisite than any sensation you’ve felt?

They told you would scream but did they tell you about how you would roar?

Did they tell you about the power that would rise up from your belly as you called your baby forth with your mighty voice?

Did they tell you how you would embody the wild woman within you and breathe fire with your song?

They told you would bleed, but did they tell you how that sacred blood wouldn’t scare you? How you would feel grateful for that magical liquid of life as it trickled down your leg- how you would honor its flow and how it would help you heal a lifetime of hating your body’s bleeding cycles.
They told these stories and taught you to fear birth, to fear your power, to fear yourself. But you’re stronger and wiser than that mama. You know that birth is your divine dance, your soul’s song, your moment with God, and you walk fearlessly into her open arms."

repost from Spirit Y Sol

08/09/2019

This is awesome 😂 Although, while we totally believe in the benefits of gravity, we also have plenty of clients who wish to deliver laying down and have no judgement either way 🙂 What position did you deliver your baby in?

THIS!! 💜

08/07/2019

"Let food be your medicine," wrote Hippocrates, known as the father of modern medicine. These words may not have been written specifically about breast milk, but they are accurate in their description of it. We would upgrade this wisdom to: "Let mother's milk be baby's medicine." Besides being the best preventive medicine for just about any disease, breast milk can also help cure an illness once it has started. This is particularly true of diarrheal diseases. Breast milk enables inflamed intestines to absorb the water in breast milk very efficiently. In addition, human milk contains anti-inflammatory substances and immune factors that help heal intestines rather than irritating them further.

08/05/2019

Quick blog post today all about the TENS! A TENS unit can be a great tool for coping with labor. A lot of women swear by them and some others don't end up loving it, but it is a great thing to be able to try! Did you use a TENS during your labor? What was your experience? We'd love to hear from you!

What is a TENS unit?A TENS is another tool we offer to help distract laboring women from labor pain without the use of pain meds. The TENS unit consists of two

08/02/2019

Happy World Breastfeeding Week! We love that there are so many positional options as you feed your baby. Which one was your favorite?

One of the great things about breastfeeding is the versatility. Various positions make comfort during nursing optimal for both parent & child. If one position doesn't work, try another and another! Figure out what's best for your family. What's your favorite breastfeeding position?

Art by

07/09/2019

Pregnancy and birth is an especially important time to practice habits that encourage peace of mind. In our newest blog post we share 7 tools to help you with this... in labor and in life!

7 HELPFUL TOOLS TO “BE WHERE YOU ARE” IN LABOR... AND IN LIFE1. BREATH Support your parasympathetic systems by bringing attention and/or direction to your brea

07/02/2019

How about a beautiful birth video to start your Tuesday off right? 😍

06/23/2019

Love this beautiful artwork!

Totally love this beautiful artwork by for a project with Birth Internationaldemonstrating different ways to be active, comfortable and work with your body during labour.