Welcoming A Baby in Spring; a Slow Unfolding

Spring is here—the days are getting longer, the flowers are blooming, and there's a gentle nudge in the air to move, do, bloom.
And yet… you're in the newborn bubble.

Tender. Tired. Raw. Deep in the sacred cocoon of postpartum.

If you're feeling pulled between the outward energy of the season and the inward need for healing and bonding, you're not alone. This season of your life doesn’t have to fight against spring's energy—it can blend with it, if you approach it with care, intention, and grace.

Let’s talk about how to honor your body and bond with your baby, while gently attuning to the light and life that spring brings.

🌱 1. Redefine What “Movement” Means

It's natural to crave movement as the sun stretches higher in the sky. But movement in postpartum doesn’t have to mean long walks, workouts, or productivity. As your body is still healing and all of your energy is going towards sustaining your newborn, you should think: gentle, nourishing and life giving.

• Slow stretches in bed or yoga mat with baby nearby

• A barefoot step onto the porch to feel the sun on your face and the grounding earth beneath you

• Swaying with your baby in your arms, dancing slowly to your favorite song

• Breathing deeply as you open the windows and invite in fresh air

Let your movement support your healing—not rush it.

🕊️ 2. Practice “Soft Productivity”

There’s a difference between getting things done and getting things right for this season. Your brain might be stirring with ideas, projects, or home organization dreams—thanks, spring energy! But postpartum is about rhythms, not checklists. It’s a sacred time that should be cherished and honored as a slow transition.

Try this:

• Write down the ideas or tasks that are bubbling up. Give them a home on paper so you don’t feel pressure to act now.

• Choose one soft thing to focus on each day—like learning to baby-wear, nourishing your newborn, preparing a healing tea, reading a book to your toddler or folding baby’s clothes with intention.

• Celebrate rest as a form of productivity. You're healing, your sustaining life and your navigating a whole new relationship.

• Outsource help from a friend, family member or postpartum doula to ease the need for productivity and checklists to be completed. 

🌸 3. Create a Seasonal Nest

Even as the earth wakes up, your space can remain womb-like. You don’t need to be out in the world to enjoy spring—you can bring the outside in.

• Open the windows for a breeze and birdsong

• Place fresh flowers or budding branches by your nursing station or bedside

• Use light, floral essential oils (lavender, rose, neroli) or herbal tinctures to uplift your mood

• Cocoon yourself with comforting belly binding using a soft, lightweight muslin fabric

It’s amazing how a few seasonal shifts can refresh your spirit without overexerting your body.

🌼 4. Make Nourishment Your Rhythm

Postpartum bodies need grounding, warm, nutrient-dense foods—but spring often makes us crave lighter meals. You can honor both!

• Sip on seasonal broths infused with spring greens

• Eat a nourishing, but light meal such as creamy spring salmon

• Enjoy warm teas with hints of lemon balm, chamomile, or nettles for energy and calm

• Have your doula batch-prep soothing snacks like oat bites, chia pudding with stewed fruit, or soft boiled eggs with herbs

Eating slowly, mindfully, and with deep gratitude is a beautiful form of springtime nourishment in itself.

🌞 5. Soak in the Sun—on Your Terms

That sun? She’s calling you. And you can answer without overextending yourself. Sunlight can support mood, hormone balance, and even milk supply—so it’s a postpartum superpower.

• Sit in the sunshine by a window while you feed your baby

• Lie on a blanket in the backyard for 10 minutes with your feet on the earth

• Step outside with your baby wrapped close in a woven wrap and breathe in the spring air

You don’t have to go far to feel refreshed and renewed. Presence is everything.

🌙 6. Honor Your Inner Season

While spring is blossoming outside, postpartum is still your winter. Your body, heart, and hormones are still moving slowly. Still integrating. Still bleeding, shifting, weeping, becoming.

It’s okay to feel at odds with the world’s pace. It’s okay to go slow, even when everything is blooming fast.
Let others bloom. You? You're rooting.

Let your roots get strong and deep. The blossoming will come.

You Are Exactly Where You Need to Be

So give yourself permission to nest a little longer.
To sip your tea slowly.
To watch the cherry blossoms from the warmth of your window.
To be with your baby in all the sacred stillness this season offers.

You are not behind. You are exactly on time.

Looking for ways to design your own slow postpartum plan? Let’s chat about simple routines, rituals, or seasonal support ideas that match where you are. You're not meant to do this alone. 💛

A change for the better

When life calls for a pivot, sometimes you’ve just got to listen and go with the flow.

That’s what we were called to do earlier this year when the laws around hiring independent contractors changed in California. If you haven’t read up on it (and the ramifications of it) we encourage you to do so because it’s affecting a lot of industries and a lot of people.

As a doula agency, all of our team members were ICs or independent contractors, which ultimately meant that we as the agency were in charge of booking the clients and then we’d contract the work out to doulas who applied to be a part of our team. This gave our doulas the freedom to accept or decline work as they chose, allowed them to set their own hours and schedule, and provided us the assurance that if our customers weren’t 100% satisfied, that as an agency we could find a solution to ensure their expectations and needs were being met.

But with the passing of AB5 we found ourselves unsure of how we could move forward. According to our attorney, the options were limited but we had to choose one where we were operating within constructs of the new law. One such option was making our doulas employees which we did strongly consider, but ultimately decided against. The reason being that there was no way we could guarantee a certain amount of work each week or month, we didn’t want to micro-manage how doulas provided their services and also because the costs associated with hiring employees would mean that we wouldn’t be able pay our doulas (or ourselves) enough to keep the business running or make it worth everyone’s time and energy.

If you’ve been around for a while, you know that we advocate for doulas charging their worth. Yes, even newly trained doulas. And it didn’t sit right with us to consider reducing wages or reducing the amount of work we could send them each calendar year (which maintaining them as independent contractors would force us to do).

After some brainstorming and more consultations with our incredible attorney, we came up with what we now see as the optimal solution - one that provides Orange County families incredible support and ensures that doulas are paid their worth!

It is an honor to reintroduce Doulas of Orange County… no longer a Doula Agency, now a Doula Matching Service!

With this new approach to care, the cornerstones of Doulas of Orange County have not changed. We still highly vet each team member to make sure they are professional and qualified. We still have the highest standards in the industry to enhance the quality of care you receive. We still mentor and encourage our doulas so they can balance the work-life load that comes with this career. We still strive to get to know the expecting or new parents that are looking for doula support so we can match them with doulas and specialists that meet their families needs.

The main difference in our new matching service and the doula agency is that instead of booking with Doulas of Orange County, we refer inquiries to qualified doulas based on the matching criteria they share with us. From there the inquiring families can choose which doula they want to hire! Each doula pays a membership and referral fee to be a part of our platform and is free to set their own schedule, their own pricing, services and more.

With the doulas setting their own pricing and offering specialty packages and services, we can also cater to a wider variety of budgets. Finances are always a big part of the equation when looking for a doula and with this matching service we can match you with someone within your price range.

Honestly, it is the best of all worlds and we’re so glad to have found this solution!

If you’re interested in being a part of our team, we encourage you to read more about how we operate and apply here.

And if you’re an expecting mom or dad or you just had a baby and are looking for birth and postpartum doulas in Orange County, Long Beach, San Diego or the Inland Empire we would be honored to match you with several amazing doulas or newborn care specialists to interview! We take care of all the vetting, including running background checks and verifying trainings to ensure that the matches you receive are top notch, professional doulas! To start the matching process, fill out our birth and postpartum care questionnaire.

Being forced to pivot isn’t the easiest thing, especially in the middle of an already hectic year (hello pandemic!), but in this case, it has truly been a positive development and one that we’re excited to see flourish. Thank you to our incredible team members who have been patient through this transition and to our badass attorney who guided us through the process.

We’re happy to have the opportunity to stick with doing what we love! Thank you for sticking with us too!

We Come to You! Private Prenatal Classes in Orange County

Now that the nausea and the newness of this pregnancy have subsided a bit, you're probably starting to think about what classes you want to take. There are so many options from childbirth preparation classes to breastfeeding classes to newborn care basics. The choices can be overwhelming an often times the dates or times offered don't fit into your busy schedule. 

Enter Doulas of Orange County and our doula-led, private prenatal classes!

Picture this: You pre-select from a menu of topics to create a customized curriculum based on your needs and interests. You choose a time that works best with you and your husband's schedule. Prior to our visit, we send you a form to fill out that allows us to customize your private class to fit your learning style and your points of interest. We bring everything we need to guide you through an engaging, fun, and informative class in the comfort of your home.

You sip a cup of hot tea as you settle into your comfortable couch while you learn all about birth, breastfeeding, and baby care. You and your partner explore various comfort measures like massage, breathing, and relaxation techniques. You try out some essential oils, some different positions for labor, and together we have honest conversations about fears, nerves, and anything else you want to chat about freely. When your private class comes to an end  finished, you feel calm and confident. You feel excited about your new knowledge and tools that will help you make informed decisions on this parenting journey. 

Informed, prepared and confident. Isn't that exactly how you want to feel as you welcome your baby into this world? We can help you get there. 

Do you have friends that are pregnant too? Wouldn't it be fun to put together a couples class in your home? Or maybe you want to invite your parents to your baby care class so they get a refresher on the basics! We can make it happen! Our customizable, professional, and private classes will meet you exactly where you're at. They are fun, practical, uncensored, and always judgment-free!

Here are just a glimpse at some of the most popular topics you can choose to include in your customized curriculums:

• Birth 101: Local hospital options, recommended care providers, birth planning

• Confident Birth: Stages of Labor, Hormones & Labor, Pain-Relief options (both natural and medicated), Comfort Measures, What to Expect, Interventions, Induction, and more!

• Breastfeeding 101: Positions, What's Normal, Pumping, Overcoming Breastfeeding Hurdles

• Baby Care Basics: Newborn Care, Swaddling, Soothing, Feeding, Bathing, Diapering

• VBAC 101: Preparing With Confidence, Birth Options, Finding a Supportive Care Provider

• Comfort Measures: Relaxation Techniques, Massage, Essential Oils, Rebozo

• Grandparents Class: Refresher, Modern Parenting, How to Be the Greatest Grandparent!
  
  These classes are all about YOU and what you want to learn. Each class provides ample time for honest discussion and plenty of questions - remember there are no silly questions!

Ready to get started?! Fill out our inquiry form and we’ll be in touch with more information!