Did you know...... baby position, mother's positioning, and certain exercises can help to promote easier labor. Learn all this and more with the fabulous Amy Bookwalter.
Introducing Liz Adams-Medina
What brought you to your profession as a doula?
"I was born in one of the poorest countries in the world (Nepal) and I have lived most of my life very aware of the privileges that came with living in the U.S. but when I gave birth prematurely to my first born I needed more than just the saving graces of a hospital setting. I needed a companion to help instill my confidence, support me and my husband, and remind me of my strength. My birth mother passed away after bringing me into the world and I have always felt a need to have birth respected as the significant experience that it meant to me."
What is your favorite part of supporting families?
"Witnessing them gain their confidence and providing them with care and knowledge that allows them to feel supported and see for themselves that they are both irreplaceable and invaluable in their child's life. You really are the best parent for your child! "
When did you become a mother?
"Two weeks before my 21st Birthday."
What is your greatest joy in mothering your children?
"Witnessing my children's joy and watching them develop as loving and compassionate beings."
What is the hardest thing for you in motherhood now?
"Balancing my expectations with reality. Sometimes you can't do it all, but letting go of what's not in your attainable scope of control is one of the most personally liberating and rewarding truths I have learned as a parent. By nature parenthood is a sacrificial act, who knows that some of the things that you sacrifice would actually be essential to your personal development!"
What is your best advice for a new mom?
"It's okay to have mixed feelings about motherhood. Whether it's your first or your fifth, you've never done this dance before so give yourself some time to acclimate."
What is something you always stand by?
"Never forget what you have lost but always remember what you have been given."
We are so excited to have Liz on our team as she supports and nurtures growing families. Thank you Liz for your compassionate care!
Introducing Cortney Thomas - Postpartum Doula
What brought you here to your profession as a postpartum doula?
"Since becoming a mother myself, I have had a strong desire to support moms right after they have their babies. This stems from my own personal experiences with the delicacy of the postpartum time period. For several women, the postpartum period can be a time of uncertainty, insecurity, high emotion, and adjusting to a new normal. This often leaves new moms in a place of vulnerability and even loneliness, and they need help. Before becoming a postpartum doula I began to explore ways to fulfill my desire to support moms during the postpartum period. I wasn’t having much luck until one day a friend from my childhood shared on social media that she was starting a business as a postpartum doula. I was immediately intrigued and contacted her to find out more. Once she told me all that a postpartum doula provides, I knew I had found my niche, the “job” that was perfect for me and my gifting."
What is your favorite part of supporting families?
"As a postpartum doula, I see myself as a coach for my clients. I love being there to train, educate and support them so they can be the best in their role. I love seeing families flourishing after getting the specific support they needed. Watching new moms feel relaxed, empowered, and content in their role of mother is pure gold to me. "
What are some of your dreams and visions for your profession?
"As I stated previously, I see my job as a postpartum doula as a coach or a shepherd for my clients; guiding them through the beginning stages of caring for the newest member of their family. Besides working with families privately, I hope to take my love of coaching families to mothers in challenging situations, specifically moms who are in crisis pregnancy situations or teen moms. I believe being a mom is a learned skill and no matter your background or financial situation any woman can be a wonderful mom. Most of us just need someone to come along side of us and coach us through. "
Where are you from?
"I am a born and raised New England girl. I was born in Londonderry, NH which is a small town in the southern part of the state. I lived in the same house until I left for college. After college, my husband and I lived on the South Shore of Massachusetts for seven years before moving to Northern Virginia."
What would be your best advice for a new mom?
· " Remember to ask for help and know it is okay to not be able to do everything."
· "Take life a little at a time. Bringing a new life into your world is overwhelming and the days will feel long. I encourage moms to focus on the present and take it one day at a time, one hour at a time, or even ten minutes at a time!"
· "Try to remember, especially in the hard moments, you are the perfect mother for this new little one. I don’t believe in 'wrong fits' when it comes to mothers and their babies. In the midst of trying to figure out everything, new moms can feel inadequate and unsure, but the truth is they are more than enough for their baby just as they are."
The Northern Virginia Birth Services team is overjoyed that Cortney has joined us and she is already an amazing support for all our mothers. Welcome Cortney - so glad to have you here with us!
Doulas Don't Do Birth
Where Is My Placenta?
"Where is my placenta?"
"Where does it go after it is taken from me?"
"How is it cared for?"
"How do I know what I get back is mine?"
Questions like these are common when a mom wants to encapsulate her placenta. These questions are ones a trained or certified Postpartum Placenta Specialist (PPS) will never have to answer! A professional, trained and/or certified as a PPS must guarantee her clients the best care and when it comes to placenta encapsulation the best care needs to be the safest care for her client, her family and herself.
The PPS stands out from other placenta encapsulators because of the standards they use to honor this sacred part of a mother. The biggest standards, being that the certified PPS encapsulates in the mother's home and he/she is not responsible for transporting it from the hospital or birthing location to the mother's home. The placenta stays with the mother. The mother's own body and baby created it. It is unique only to her.
Now for some, these standards make sense. Why? Because it is a guarantee for the mother. Some scoff at that and may argue the mother is not being given a choice, but the client still has a choice. If she is not happy or comfortable with the standards of care for her sacred organ she certainly has the choice to find another specialist who will offer what she so desires. Just like a woman has the choice in finding the best care provider for her birth and the best doula for the support she needs.
How does one guarantee a mother that the placenta prepared for her is in fact hers and it is being done in a clean place? By word of mouth, a referral? By guaranteeing your word? By informing the mother you have done hundreds with no mistakes? Yes that may be enough for you as a mother or an encapsulator. Even if an encapsulator has what they believe is a fool proof system, it is not a guarantee. It can be better and it is.
The postpartum placenta specialist approaches her time around the mother and the steps involved in her work as sacred and as a time of reflection. It is a time to honor, pause and respect all that the mother is and has become. The Postpartum Placenta Specialist provides an amazing experience for the mother in caring for her placenta and also the mother in her home.
To find out more about Placenta Services at Northern Virginia Birth Services click here.