In the quiet hush of the labor & delivery room, where the air is charged with anticipation and the scent of earthiness and birthyness, a new chapter in your life unfolds. The rhythmic cadence of your breath is mirrored by the gentle whispers of your doula, a reassuring presence in this oh so sacred moment. The culmination of nine months… maybe more, leads to this: the first hour with your newborn.
When I was selecting items for my baby registry, it was really important to me to not go overboard. As a doula of 14 years, I’ve seen families get overwhelmed with the amount of stuff in their homes and nurseries and I knew I wanted to keep things on the simpler side. I also wanted to be mindful of the impact on not only the environment, but also my baby’s microbiome - which meant finding a lot of eco-friendly products to keep waste down and keep our home as “low tox” as possible. Here you’ll find some of my favorite sustainable and most useful items that I registered for.
The Doulas of Orange County office phone rings.
I pick up. “Hello! Doulas of Orange County. Lauren speaking.”
A strained voice sounds relieved to hear me, and it sounds like she has been crying. She’s an exhausted new mom of 12-week old twins and a 20-month-old toddler (who won’t let her out of his sight). She’s drained from her twin pregnancy, a difficult birth, and breastfeeding challenges. She struggles to keep up with laundry and wash enough dishes to have plates for the next meal. Her partner has been trying to feed the baby at night, but she’s still waking up to pump for multiples and can’t help but feel guilty about how tired her partner will be at work the next day. She really needs a postpartum doula in Irvine, CA.
“Can you help me, even though my babies are so old?” She asks.
DOC is a doula matching service, providing prenatal, birth and newborn parenting support to families in Orange County, California. We have a wonderful team of dedicated Birth and Postpartum Doulas, Sleep Coaches, Newborn Care Specialists and Parent Educators who provide compassionate care through every step of our client's journey.
Pregnancy is anything if not a crash-course in decision making and preparing to hire a postpartum doula is no different! There are a variety of things to consider when hiring a postpartum doula - your budget, how many days or nights a week you want support, how many weeks or months you want your doula providing care or if you want to add on herbal or nutritional support, just to name a few!
Here at Doulas of Orange County it is our mission to help you find the best doula to support you as you welcome your baby home. But before we can match you with some incredible doulas, it’s important that you know what matters most to you for your postpartum journey…that’s why we’re sharing this free printable to help you create your postpartum dream team!
One of the common misconceptions about doulas is that we only support natural, unmedicated birth. And while we absolutely provide valuable physical support for natural births, we also have an incredible amount of expertise and support for those who plan on getting an epidural.
Have you ever thought about hiring a doula, but hesitated because getting an epidural was a part of your birth plan? Well, on today's blog we'll talk all about how doulas can assist and care for you during your unique (and pain-free!) birth.
"Am I too early?"
"Am I too late?"
"When do most people hire you?"
If I had a dollar for every time I got a call inquiring about doula support...
It's a common query from Orange County families beginning their doula search: "When should I hire a doula?" To which I answer, "As soon as you know you're ready!"
For some the doula search can take a while, for others, they meet one amazing doula and know it's a match made in heaven. Personality, connection, confidence in their support - these are all things expectant couples are looking for, in addition to training and expertise. And when that connection is evident, I say you should snatch that doula up ASAP!
