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inthistogetherdoula

April•postpartum doula•certified lactation counselor•parent educator•
education-support-confidence
Bellies-Babies-Boobs-Mugs
@mugsformoms_muglife

If you’ve been my client you know I make this fa

If you’ve been my client you know I make this face when you tell me your birth story. Or anytime you’re sharing your heart about your new baby. And always at our last visit. Always. You also know that I say postpartum is forever. So here are lots of words about why these mugs are an extension of what we started together.
Link in bio, select blog...way at the bottom
#mugsformomsthatmuglife #loveyoumeanit #thatmuglife #postpartumdoula #newbaby #newmom #doula #postpartumisforever

Pregnancy & Covid} It has been very interesting b

Pregnancy & Covid}
It has been very interesting being newly pregnant with two young children during the pandemic. The pandemic itself brings lots of new challenges, such as not being able to go to usual places, changes in routine, not seeing family, and the rules with who is allowed to go into the doctor's office to accompany the patient. My obgyn's office didn't really change their rules that affected me, since they allowed one support person in for pregnancy confirmation and for appointments, so in that way, there was a sense of stability, but the way I have felt this time around has changed a lot. Being my third pregnancy, it has been weird to see how I am all of a sudden anxious, worried, concerned, googling nonsense, even though I am healthy, young, and have had two completely full-term no-complication pregnancies prior to this. I don't know what feels so strange and unnerving about this time around, but some part of me makes me feel like I cannot be that "lucky" and have a third healthy baby. I know that sounds RIDICULOUS, but I have irrational fears and thoughts. I am not sure if it's the pandemic, as I did some research (obviously there's not much available now since COVID is so new still) and from what I read, it says that COVID is not passing on to the baby through the placenta, etc., so I am not as worried about getting covid and passing it on, as I am about how everything feels so tense and out of place this time around. I feel like everyone's collective anxiety is just in the air and it's hard to breathe. I also feel a sense of guilt for having a third child, while my second is so little, even though it was planned, and I felt this way with my second as well. Guilt is such a horrible emotion, and such a waste of time. My good friend April said that giving them a sibling is the biggest gift we can give them 🙂 Lastly, this is not really different this time around, but I am so jealous of the people who have healthy relationships with their in-laws, and are close to their own families, that live nearby so that they can get support when needed, or even once in a while.

Continued in comments. #covidpregnancy #ittakesavillage #inthistogetherdoula

{Pregnancy, Birth & Covid} With the joy of becomi

{Pregnancy, Birth & Covid}
With the joy of becoming pregnant with baby number two should come not only excitement but the feeling of “I’ve got this...I’ve done this before!”
But this time just weeks after the joy and excitement of a positive test came COVID which changed my pregnancy and the world.
Am I more susceptible to Covid?
Can I pass it to my unborn child?
Will I have to deliver alone?
Isolation due to COVID felt VERY close in comparison to the initial weeks postpartum. Except this time I was alone with a 2 year old with a need for more activity during a time of little or no activity in the world while trying to work full time AND in my first trimester.
Once the initial adjustment of being home subsided, I realized this is time with my 2 year old I would have never had otherwise. The work trips were cancelled, she was home from daycare. I had special, although sometimes very stressful, days with my girl.
Only my first OB appt to hear the baby’s heartbeat was pre Covid so my husband could attend. After that, I attended all appointments alone. My 20 week ultrasound was just me and the tech. Fast forward past all of the solo appointments and we welcomed a baby boy into the world and luckily despite my initial fears back in March when little was known, I didn’t have to deliver alone. No visitors at the hospital quite honestly was fine with me...we had more time to get to know our new little man and rest. Once home, the revolving door of visitors and amazing friends with able hands to help we had when our daughter was born was instead masked immediate family and close friends. Now, at home in our bubble, I’ll do anything I need to do to protect him with his immature respiratory and immune systems. I remind myself daily, in the worlds of my 2.5 and 5 week old from what they see, all is well in the world. We are thankfully happy and healthy and one day Ford will know he was born during a global pandemic...and luckily not remember a thing.
#ittakesavillage #postpartum #postpartumdoula #newbaby #inthistogetherdoula #secondbaby #columbusohio

{birth & covid} The second time was different, di

{birth & covid}
The second time was different, different for a lot of reasons. I was sick the entire first tri, we didn’t find out the gender etc. Once through my first trimester i was feeling really good, working out hard and a lot like “myself”. Then Covid hit. My entire third trimester I spent scared yet at peace bc we didn’t leave the house, exhausted yet content, sad but excited? It was truly the definition of a roller coaster and being quarantined pregnant just about physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally brought me to my knees.
And then she was here and my heart just about burst. The way my big girl is with her sister isn’t like anything in the world. It all makes sense.
I can say I am my best self when I verbalize what I need, have an extra set of hands around and maintain a grateful heart. My healthy girls are undoubtedly two of my biggest blessings and I know too many friends and family who have struggled to grow their family to ever take this role of motherhood for granted.

Is it hard? Hell yes. Is it messy? For sure. Would I change it? No.
#secondbaby #newborn #postpartumdoula #inthistogetherdoula #newbaby #ittakesavillage

{Pregnancy & Covid} 2020...there are so many inte

{Pregnancy & Covid}
2020...there are so many interesting things that have happened to so many people this year. It's been one that no one will forget. If you asked me on 1/1/20 where I'd be this year, never in my right mind would I think I'd be having my 2nd child at 41 years old. But here we are....
After close to three years without birth control, the refusal to actually "try" because of the multiple miscarriages + stress + heartache that goes along with the process of tracking, we had come to complete peace with our toddler being an only child. I'd gone so far as to fill my birth control prescription with intentions of starting to take it shortly after my 41st birthday in July. Then one night in mid July, I had an epiphany that I couldn't remember the date/week/month of my last period (and I was likely in a bit of denial at this point)...so I took a pregnancy test. That sucker blazed a "+" sign faster than I'd ever seen it do before - instant panic. I mean...I did just turn 41. We did just come to terms with having only one child. We were living in the midst of a pandemic.
The best part of this story is that dreaded first ultrasound (you moms who have been through miscarriages know what I'm talking about)...the one where you just hope and pray there is a heartbeat. Well not only was there a heartbeat, this baby was too big for the internal ultrasound - 16 weeks too big to be exact. I had been pregnant for 16 weeks and had been in complete and utter denial with myself. Self preservation? Possibly. My OB could not stop laughing - and it's a story we will forever get to tell about Baby #2.
Being pregnant during COVID has been interesting. Most days I feel very cooped up...working from home coupled with the inability to actually go do things with our toddler has forced us to do daily evening walks, visits to the park (once it finally reopened) and tons of nature walks through the woods. Slowing down a bit - it's been a real bonding experience for us, as a family of three, and one that we never would have had, otherwise.
Continued in comments
#secondbaby #pregnancy #inthistogetherdoula #postpartumdoula

{transitions} Prioritize immediate needs. A baske

{transitions}
Prioritize immediate needs.

A basket of quiet toys next to you can make a world of difference.

Create intentional one on one toddler time.

Give yourself grace.

Remember you are giving your older child a great gift.
You have more than enough love for both, even when it feels like patience is short.

I love you and you can do this.

#postpartumdoula #inthistogetherdoula #newbaby #newborn #parenting #secondbaby

{transitions} My feed today is full of snapshots

{transitions}

My feed today is full of snapshots of growing families managing a toddler and newborn.

I will tell you what I told them.

One to two is THE hardest transition.

Your confidence can be shaken.
Your toddler became a giant overnight.
They are suddenly all elbows.
When did they get so loud?

Splitting your attention between the two can feel like constant failure.
You are NOT failing. I promise.
You love them both and that is a raging success.

#postpartumdoula #inthistogetherdoula #newbaby #newborn #parenting #secondbaby

*Trigger warning:Pregnancy loss** {Pregnancy loss

*Trigger warning:Pregnancy loss**
{Pregnancy loss & Covid 2 of 2}

At the ER, I was shaking and sobbing uncontrollably when they said my husband couldn’t even come in the door. I made a scene; what else could I do? Finally they let him sit with me but I was making so much noise that they put us in a hallway away from the other people waiting. Like our grief was embarrassing. Or maybe they meant to be kind and were g were home by lunchtime on August 22.

We buried our Willow Rose on September 1.

After the hospital stay, a whole village I hadn’t realized I had was waiting to care for me. Thanks to technology, it’s so easy to set up meal trains, gift cards, delivery services - we received all of these and more. Being an introvert, I appreciated that all this could be done with minimal interaction, and COVID made it necessary anyway. But begging to have my own husband by my side during the scariest moments of my life… this is something I hope to never do again. Going through this has shown me that I am resilient and that my village is strong. And most of all, my marriage is steadfast. But this postpartum is a dark chapter. A postpartum of grief during a global pandemic.
#pregnancylossawareness #pregnancyloss #miscarriage #ittakesavillage #postpartum #inthistogetherdoula

*Trigger warning:Pregnancy loss** {Pregnancy loss

*Trigger warning:Pregnancy loss**
{Pregnancy loss & Covid (1/2)
As October’s Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month comes to a close, we pause to give space to the #oneinfour women who have lived it. We remember with them the babies they lost. We bear witness to their grief, anger, frustration, confusion and love. We meet them where they are with open hearts and allow their shared stories to lead to the way to support and community.}

I hadn’t expected to be postpartum this soon. I was supposed to postpartum in March 2021. COVID or no COVID, this is a type of postpartum I would wish on no one.
The first thing: my husband couldn’t come to the 1st trimester ultrasound. No visitors allowed. I was naive… I’d never experienced a loss. I thought, “it will be a bummer that he can’t see baby’s heartbeat, but that’s ok, I’ll have pictures to show.” So I was alone. Alone when I saw the picture of our baby that had no heartbeat. It looked like every other late 1st trimester ultrasound picture I’ve had. I could clearly see the head, the body, the arms. But our baby was gone. And I was all alone.
Then came the waiting. Waiting all week, alone. My husband working, my kids playing, me with no visitors. Lovely friends brought food and comfort but at a distance. My mom came to visit and we hoped it would all be over before she had to go home, but she had to get back. It’s a joke we have - I always have my babies right after Mom has to get back home to Pittsburgh.
Finally it started. There was so much blood. I didn’t know what to expect, and I thought it was all normal. It went on for 5 hours and wasn’t stopping. I was hemorrhaging. In this kind of emergency, it’s ok to break our COVID protocol. A dear friend came to stay with our kids while we drove to the ER. Why does it take a life-threatening emergency to be able to hug a friend now?
#pregnancylossawareness #pregnancyloss #miscarriage #ittakesavillage #postpartum #inthistogetherdoula

{Pregnancy, Birth & Covid} Never did I think last

{Pregnancy, Birth & Covid}

Never did I think last November when I found out I was pregnant, I would be giving birth during a pandemic.
Before COVID hit, I had the perfect vision of what the birth of my first baby would be. Little did I know, when we found out he was a him in January, that would be the last appointment my husband would be allowed to go to. Fast forward to July, my husband was my only support allowed in the room, we had to wear a mask any time a nurse was in the room and the entire experience felt a baby bit less personal with the hospital staff. But thank goodness for FaceTime helping connect us with our loved ones. The only thing that stayed the same was having our baby boy.

I found so much support from my husband and my sister and leaned on them hard. With the amount of uncertainty and going to appointments alone, I never truly felt ‘alone.’ The feeling I’d get with simple texts like “I’m thinking of you” “I’m here” and “I’m right there with you” were more impactful than ever before. I was assured that I was not a burden and that goes a long ways with me.

From the moment I found out I was pregnant to writing this today, I have never not felt supported. Some days have definitely been harder than others, tears come easy but I have always had someone to talk to and lean on. From encouraging words and helpfulness from my husband, to the readiness and availability from my sister to help me with absolutely anything day and night, to my family reaching out to see how things were going, there has always been support. Moms from all different areas of my life have connected and have helped support one another. My friends always check on us to make sure we are doing ok. Heck, my mail man gathered all the new mom and mothers of young ones phone numbers and we formed a group called the “Cool Moms of Clintonville”

I hope the sense of community and support does not fade. I hope that asking for help becomes a new normal and checking in on one another becomes second nature.
Continued in comments #pregnancy #birth #postpartum #postpartumdoula #doula #inthistogetherdoula

{Pregnancy & Covid} As a second time mom, one woul

{Pregnancy & Covid} As a second time mom, one would think I’d feel more confident going into my second pregnancy and setting expectations and getting support. Insert reality and a global pandemic and I quickly found out that this is not at all the case for me. If anything, I felt more unsure than ever and did not feel like I had the support system in place to navigate this pregnancy. Almost every human being is experiencing stress and anxiety right now and all of us are having to make tough sacrifices and decisions, so it’s hard to share your feelings of uncertainties and anxiety around expecting a child given the world we are all living in. It has certainly left me feeling less susceptible and open to share my concerns or to reach out and ask for help or support. It has made me feel like I am alone in this navigating struggle. It feels unfair of me to complain or share concerns or ask for help when my issues seem so minuscule to what others might be going through right now.
It’s hard to articulate the anxiety of trying to prepare for child birth and adjusting to post partum life in the midst of a global pandemic. I am a Type A personality and I find assurance and peace with routines and structure and having a plan and setting expectations. In all honesty, absolutely none of that feels achievable right now and that is really scary to me. I am due in March of 2021 and I have absolutely no idea what the healthcare systems will look like at that point-- will we see a major increase in hospitalizations with COVID and the flu season, will the hospital systems be overwhelmed, will it even be safe to be in hospitals at that time? In addition to the unanswered questions with the healthcare systems, there’s this lingering uncertainty of support- what support will I be able to have when I deliver- can my husband, midwife or doula be there, will the hospital still offer lactation services? Furthermore, what will the postpartum support look like? All of these unknowns weigh so heavy on my mind and it has been very difficult for me to process and work through it.
Continued in comments. #covidpregnancy #inthistogetherdoula #secondbaby #doula #ittakesavillage

{Birth & Covid-March 2020} It only took me 33 year

{Birth & Covid-March 2020}
It only took me 33 years to truly realize that we have zero control of what is to come in life, especially in childbirth. My first childbirth was a “breeze.” And by that description, my labor and delivery nurse described Lucy’s birth as “textbook.” So naturally, I assumed that my second birth would go similarly, and maybe a bit easier, since I have heard birth stories of women delivering babies the second time around being A LOT easier. Well, insert emergency C-section to my birth story. Not “textbook.” Not only was Jack 5 days late, he was snug, sunny side up, and did not want to come out. My OB asked consent to use the vacuum, and at this point I knew something was wrong. They used the vacuum TWICE. No go. They decided to use the forceps. No go. Then my OB nonchalantly mentioned, “I’ve never used forceps on a baby and not have the baby come out.” Long story short, Jack was delivered via Emergency C section, weighing a whopping 9 ½ lbs. Recovering from an emergency C plus labor beforehand was rough. Insert COVID. My husband and I had a lot of sleepless nights worrying. What if we contract the virus and pass it on to our children? Who would take care of our kids. Things got real, fast. It was truly the most emotional time of my life.

It took a village who got creative fast to take care of my family. From porch drop offs with my favorite comfort soup, to DoorDash dinners from my friends, even random Smirnoff Ice challenges. My friends and family kept me going. Facetime chats were a daily routine. This also made me fall in love with my husband even more. He stepped up. Like I knew he would. He saw me in the lowest of my lows (with a catheter hanging down my sweatpants,) making amazing dinners, and joining our dance parties. Covid sucked, but it made my family stronger, more grateful and appreciated the littlest blessings in life.
#postpartum #pandemicbirth #postpartumdoula #inthistogetherdoula
#ittakesavillage #newborn

Last visits are bittersweet. It’s counted as a s

Last visits are bittersweet. It’s counted as a success when I work myself out of a job. Education, support, confidence. And I believe that wholeheartedly. But it is also true that serving these families feeds me. I learn so much from them and I never take for granted the privilege it is to play the small part I do in these early days.
In these hours and weeks I was honored to see a mother advocate for herself. To consciously decide to prioritize her recovery, mental health and peace. It was work. It was awe inspiring. Her words were too.
“I never felt more in my womanhood than when I was able to communicate my needs and ask for help. And it wasn’t just any help.
It was reaching for the help of girlfriends, other woman that made the difference.”
Asking for help. Choosing yourself so you are your best for those you love. It all matters. Especially now.
#postpartumdoula #postpartumjourney #postpartumhealth #postpartumsupport #inthistogetherdoula

The words “zoom” and “virtual” and “soci

The words “zoom” and “virtual” and “social distancing” have launched themselves to forefront of our vernacular.
Supporting those we love has looked different. Meeting new babies has looked different. Saying goodbye has looked different.
The uncomfortable stretch of forced change has touched us all.
A spreading global pandemic in March meant this was how we met one of our dearest friend’s new baby. It was our first taste of how the pandemic would change our growing families, influence our involvement with loved ones and affect the way we mother.
#inthistogetherdoula #postpartumdoula #doula #newborn #newbaby #motherhood #parenthood #postpartum

{Postpartum in the time of covid.} Simply put, th

{Postpartum in the time of covid.}
Simply put, the world looks different. There is a collective level of stress that is felt in nearly all {Postpartum in the time of covid.}
Simply put, the world looks different. There is a collective level of stress felt in nearly all areas of our lives. Maybe to different degrees, but certainly affecting most. Since March I’ve wondered what this will mean for pregnant mamas seeking support. For postpartum mamas looking for assurances. For parents of young children who have lost the chance to hear “us too” face to face and see the proof that they are not alone. Their child is simply being a child and they are understood.
What does it look and feel like to lose access to community during postpartum.
What does it do to the already isolating dynamic that is new parenthood.
How will the effects be seen as this generation of parents transition into the rest of their parenting journey.
Nothing is simple. But the needs are the same. How do we meet the new challenges with the same energy and do we dare to dream that we have more to give.
Because as always we really are #inthistogether
I will be sharing pregnancy and postpartum stories from the women experiencing it firsthand, in hopes of opening the conversation surrounding pregnancy, postpartum and parenthood in the time of covid. The less we feel alone, the stronger we become. #inthistogetherdoula #postpartumdoula #newborn #newparents #parenting #motherhood #ittakesavillage #breastfeeding #breastfeedinghelp #clc #columbusohio

The pain of this loss is guttural and physical and

The pain of this loss is guttural and physical and raw. It comes in waves seemingly out of nowhere but is always there. It’s marked by the passing of time but also lost in space. It’s the brutality of losing someone you never met but loved so deeply. It’s the loss of the vision you had of and for them and their place in your life.
I cannot see or hear about a woman enduring this loss without my heart moving in my chest and tears filling my eyes. This kind of pain can feel so isolating.

I am so proud of the women I know who aren’t silent about this pain. This generation of mothers, and sisters and friends that decided that our babies and voices didn’t just deserve to be heard, they needed to be heard. We needed to shed the secrecy and shame. We collectively decided we were brave enough to pour out our hearts even when they were broken. We realized that in doing so we honored our babies and ourselves. We speak with shaky voices and jumbled words but women buried deep in the shame and secrecy are invited to the conversation. They need us and we need them.

This is what loss looks like. And our response is what love is. It’s open arms and open hearts and silence and sitting. It’s void of fixes and niceties. It’s bare and stripped down. It’s simply being there.

I look at the women in my life that brought me the stories of their babies and allowed me to love them through the darkness and I’m overwhelmed. I love you. I’m always here.

If you don’t know what to say when you hear about their loss, you don’t have to. Be a listener. Be a hand holder. Be a shoulder. Be someone who remembers their baby’s name. Be kind. Be the love they need.

Heartbroken for @chrissyteigen Proud of her voice. Honoring her sweet baby Jack 🕯. #pregnancyandinfantlossawareness #miscarriage #doula #postpartumdoula #berevementdoula #pregnancyandinfantlossawarenessmonth #inthistogetherdoula #columbusohio

This work turns clients into friends and the suppo

This work turns clients into friends and the support that is built when we are there for each other is exactly what the world needs. #worldbreastfeedingweek #worldbreastfeedingweek2020 #breastfeeding

#Repost @laurenckinnear with @get_repost
・・・
#nationalbreastfeedingweek - let’s start by saying fed is ALWAYS best. Breastfeeding is what happens to have worked for both of my girls AND me. Anyone that knows me well knows I have truly, truly loved this journey. I loved what it was w my first and I’m fully in it the second time around. •

I’ve joked w Dk that I might bf Claire for a longgg time 😆 also, this pic...#iykyk 🥛💦 #normalizebreastfeeding •

I’d also be remiss to not mention April @inthistogetherdoula for giving me the confidence, all the answers and just being the support I didn’t know I needed. She’s the best! Reach out if you need any additional support in this department!

You know you want to try. But you have a friend t

You know you want to try.
But you have a friend that struggled. A relative has horror stories. You may not know anyone that has. Maybe you do know someone who had success but you’re not sure that’ll be you.
What if you don’t make enough? What if it’s too much? What about being in public? Or working? What if...
Eduction and support are the two greatest indicators of breastfeeding success and duration. And I’m here for both.
Prenatal breastfeeding classes set partners up with realistic expectations and a good gauge of breastfeeding infant behavior and development.
Postpartum breastfeeding support is hands on or video support of daily behaviors and issues that may arise.
I do both as a prenatal educator and CLC . And both are a large portion of what I love best about this work.
Education. Support. Confidence. That’s what I’m here for.
Happy #worldbreastfeedingweek week! You’re already amazing. You can do this.
#inthistogetherdoula #breastfeeding #prenatalclasses #breastfeedingclass #clc #breastfeedingsupport #columbusohio #wbw #worldbreastfeedingweek2020

A little over two weeks down and you’ve covered

A little over two weeks down and you’ve covered a lot of the self care. You’ve weathered the surprises. The sleeplessness starts to even feel a little routine. Visitors may have tapered off.
It’s time to get to the living. This new life with this whole new person. Learning when and how to ask for help. Finding new ways to do old things. Enjoying the unknown. Crying then collecting after frustration.
You’re finding your footing and your confidence. You’re stronger than you ever thought possible. You love more than you dreamed you could. And even when you’re not sure, you’re doing so good.
If you could see what we see, you’d see beauty, and grace, so much uninhibited love and a mother.
#inthistogetherdoula #postpartumdoula #babywearing #postpartum #breastfeeding #motherhood #columbusohio

Important. 💙 you #Repost @katiecrewe with @get

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