Ridge Meadows Doula Services

Your experienced Doula Collective (Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and beyond!)

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24 hours after your birth- a DOULA’s perspective

December 14, 2015

A doula’s life is pretty action packed. It’s full of emotions and hormones, physical exertion and sleep deprivation, skill and mental preparation. But what happens after a doula goes home? How does a doula recuperate, nourish her soul and take care of herself…. It’s a skill that takes time and seasoned doulas are much better at this aspect of the job description. So how does a doula bounce back after a birth so she can best support her next client?


Coffee- For me a good cup of coffee after a sleep makes me feel better. I have to make sure it’s not a sugar filled syrup-y drink or I surely will sugar crash later.


Spending time outside. Part of nourishing you soul is spending time outside. Breathing in fresh air, getting a little vitamin D, feeling the wind or sun on your face is all part of taking care of yourself.


Spend some time with your friends either in person or on the phone. Remember the world is more than birth. A challenge for birth workers is only spending time with other birth workers and only talking birth.  While chatting about birth is something that doulas are really interested in its not healthy to ONLY talk birth. Call a friend and ask about her kids, chat about the weather, current events or a new recipe… Heck, invite your friend to go on a walk, meet for coffee or come over. Anything that encourages you to stretch you mind.

Water, lots and lots of water.


Relax. After I’m finished at a birth I like to come home, plug in my diffuser and smell a scent that makes me feel good. The scent is often changing, but this has became part of my post birth routine.

I 
Lastly, visit your client postpartum. Talk about the birth, help with breastfeeding, share some postpartum baby advice and connect with the family you spend many many hours supporting.  Closure is so important.

Categories : Birthing, Doula Tagged : birth, doula, langley doula, maple ridge, Maple Ridge Doula, Pitt meadows, surrey doula, tri-cities doula

What to get your doula wife, girlfriend, friend, sister….. For Christmas

August 26, 2015

I started writing this post on August 25th 2015, 4 months before Christmas day, on a day that was 26 degrees celsius.  I wanted to find the very best birthy items to add to this post so all of us birthy folks can get a new fun stocking stuffer.  Doulas, Midwives and Childbirth Educators are a breed of our own.  We are up all night, we dissect placentas for fun, we talk about vaginas and labias around the lunch table and are always reading/learning and talking birth. We deserve a little something special from our close friends and families.
stuffed placenta

1- Who in the world doesn’t want a stuffed placenta? Ok, I hear ya… it’s not for the common folk, but us birthy peeps think this is adorable

 

 

crowningbig

2- A beautiful way to proclaim your calling! is what this website boasts. Look closely, they are “crowning” earnings

 

mamazen

3- Full Moon mothering makes all types of baltic amber necklaces for children and adults. I’m in love with my mama zen necklace and I wear it all the time… Now I need the matching bracelet.

 

 

pocketpelvis

4-This tiny pelvis is a great educational tool, and I’m sure it wold be a great conversation starter at the dinner table!

 

 

 

scarf

 

5- What birth worker wouldn’t want this Oxytocin Molecule scarf?

 

 

ornament

 

6- Need an ornament to add to a stocking? This “Pregnant Mother Goddess” ornament is perfect.

 

 

meconium

7- This pin…. Really everyone needs it.

 

 

mug

 

8- Everyone loves mugs, for real… Everyone. And doulas love their vaginas. It’s a fact really.

 

 

deserve_a_doula_license_plate_frame

9- Car bling? A gift that keeps on giving… As advertisement.

 

 

shirt

10- And lastly they need some eye catching gear to wear to a birth. If this shirt doesn’t say doula, really… What does.

 

Have you seen any other fun items that would be great for gifts? Add it to the comments.

 

Happy Birthing- Nicole

 

 

Ridge meadows Doula Services is a collective of 6 doulas that work out of Maple Ridge BC. We provide birth doula and postpartum doula support, placenta encapsulation and childbirth education in the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland.

 

Categories : Doula Tagged : abbotsford doula., babies, baby. pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, coquitlam doula, doula gifts, Maple Ridge Doula, mapleridge, midwife gifts, Nicole chambers, pitt meadows doula, placenta Encapsulation Pitt Meadows, ridge meadows

Research Shows The Effectiveness of Doulas

July 15, 2015

A 2011 study from the Cochrane Collaboration Pregnancy and Childbirth Group showed clear evidence for the effectiveness of doulas in creating positive birth outcomes.

Hiring a doula is part of creating a birth you are happy with, asking questions, trusting your care provider and informed consent are all pieces to the pie. Research does indicate…

 

 

 

 

fewer medical interventions
less vacuum/forcep delivery
less analgesic use
less Cesarean Births
report more positive birth experience

Categories : Doula Tagged : abbotsford doula., babies, birth, coquitlam doula, DONA, maple ridge, Maple Ridge Doula, mapleridge, Nicole chambers, parenting, pitt meadows doula, pittmeadows, PLACENTA, placenta encapsulation, placenta Encapsulation Pitt Meadows, ridge meadows, surrey doula, tri-cities doula, vancouver doula

Keeping your cool as a parent (being PROACTIVE)

June 17, 2015

 

When dealing with misbehaviors (either your own or your child’s) you basically have two choices on how to handle them.  Reactive or proactive.

 

Choice number 1:  reactive.  Being reactive is the gut reaction that we have when we feel that a situation is spiraling out of control. That we are at the end of our rope.  That we just can’t take this one more second!!!   It’s screaming, yelling, making demands that may be unreasonable or certainly requested in an unreasonable way.  It’s using punitive punishments like time out or taking away privileges that may or may not have anything to do with the actual circumstances.   Now if your Mommy guilt is in overdrive after reading that, and you think you are going to do or say something reactive, fear not!  We’ve all be there and we’ve all done it.  The trick is to stop being reactive and move towards choice number 2…

 

Choice number 2: Being proactive is all about making a plan.  Could be a mental plan, (note to self, kind of a thing) but I’ve seen parents sit down and actually write it out.  It’s thinking ahead and putting knowledge into how and why we are addressing with the misbehavior.

 

So a simple plan might look like this:

 

1. figure out what the misbehavior is that you want to change.  (what are the unmet needs?)

2. decide on what your end goal is.  (hint: to change the misbehavior long term) **Be aware of his developmental stage and try to make sure that your expectations are appropriate for that age

3. think of ways that you can teach your child that will really mean something to him. For example, if your child is a visual learner maybe a social story or pictures will help him to really understand what your expectations are or what is socially acceptable.

4. put it into practice

5. keep doing it. be consistent.  Your plan might not work right away, because let’s face it, any behavior takes a while to change.  Or you might need to tweak your plan to make it more effective, but try to stay with it.

 

There are a lot of reasons to be proactive with your child’s misbehavior.  It helps children with self regulation which is a fancy term that means;  to identify, understand and appropriately meet their own needs.  It helps them to draw on and cultivate their natural empathy and sympathy.  And each time they navigate a situation in an suitable way and encounter success,  it gives them higher self confidence and self esteem .

 

Interestingly enough the definition of insanity (according to Albert Einstein) is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  So if being reactive is not working or only working in the short term you might want to try being proactive.  One step ahead of a reoccurring situation.  It takes time, it takes commitment, it takes all of your supermom powers but once the goal is reached it’s well worth the effort.

 

Sandra and her decades of Early Childhood experience is often seen as Nicole’s side kick in parenting classes. She has an extensive knowledge on child development, behaviours and discipline. When Sandra is not teaching she can be found knitting all the cute baby hats you doula clients find in your swag bags.

Categories : Parenting Tagged : birth, doula, maple ridge, Maple Ridge Doula, parenting, parenting support maple ridge, pitt meadows doula, pregnant, proactive parenting

What your child is LEARNING while playing outside

May 22, 2015

 

Getting outside is super simple when it is summer or hot and the weather is just right. Opening the back door and letting the kids explore, make a mess, paint, run, jump, sing is all spring/summer expectation. But what are your children learning while they are outside? For me once I learned and really mindfully thought about all the skills my child was gaining, we decided playing outside was not just for warm weather. We bundle up, put on our rain gear and just have fun (and LEARN!)

I hope this post helps educate parents and adults, but also encourages you adults to take off your shoes, run though the sprinkler, jump on the trampoline or do some gardening. There is so much evidence below and everyone can grow and learn.

dirt

 

My child likes pink, barbies, twirly dresses and DIRT. Yup, mud pies, cakes, toes, hands feet and all in the DIRT. Many studies have shown dirt to be good for your brain? Apparently, there are types of bacteria that are naturally found in soil which activate the neurons that produce serotonin – a key chemical in many bodily functions. So really DIRT makes people happier, it’s science.

 

Indy truck

 

 

Being in nature helps stimulate the curiosity and creativity of children. Do you know what a dump truck can be used for? Spend 30 minutes and you will see how many tasks that tiny yellow truck can have.

 

get outside- animal

 

The more we spend outside with my daughter the more I notice her compassion. She is so observant of any part of nature, plants, flowers, animals. But recently she is noticing litter. She get’s really wound up when she sees trash on the ground. She picks it up and is already a tiny environmentalist who is set on not leaving mother earth with crap all around.
trampoline

 

Bouncing on a trampoline is more than just for gross motor it increases blood flow to the brain and heightens mental alertness.

 

get outside rain

 

 

Problem solving skills- When my daughter and I were running through this puddle repeatedly she was determining the best path, where we could safely stay dry and where to best splash zone was. She was a leader in this activity guiding me though the rain.

outside 2

 

Do you know what happens when you are barefoot? Research indicates that electrons from the Earth have antioxidant effects that can protect your body from inflammation and its many well-documented health consequences. For most of our evolutionary history, humans have had continuous contact with the Earth.  Read more here

 

outside 4

 

 

Green outdoor settings appear to reduce ADHD symptoms in children across a wide range of individual, residential, and case characteristics Said this study.

 

outside 5

 

Playing outside increases flexibility for children (and adults, this wobbly thing is tricky!)

 

outside

 

Playing outside can can help protect children against stress, according to a new study by two Cornell University environmental psychologist.  Check out the study published in  Environment and Behavior.
get outside- parent exercise

 

 

Parents can use their time to build massive biceps, or at least have fun getting active.

 

outside 6

 

 

Playing outside has many benefits for the eyes. Recent evidence says children who play outside are less likely to have myopia (nearsighted). Help your child by NOTICING. Point out the pine cone, stick, pretty flower and pretty soon they will be pointing them out to you.

 

outside swing

 

When a child was on a swing they engage core muscles as well as muscles in the hand and arms to hold on. This teaches balance and coordination.

 

outside D

 

Bikes and scooters that requite balance teach children new skills and self confidence. A bike is something they start off with as a trike and then those skills can grow with them and their confidence also expands. Hold your breath parents because there will be some blood and tears, but they keep on getting back on and then you get to see the smile on their face when they have mastered the skill.

Categories : Life, Uncategorized Tagged : abbotsford doula., babies, baby. pregnancy, benefits of outside play, birth, dirt, doula, maple ridge, Maple Ridge Doula, Nicole chambers, outside, parenting, Pitt meadows, placenta Encapsulation Pitt Meadows, play, port moody doula, ridge meadows, surrey doula, vancouver doula

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