Doulas On Call

Preparing For Birth: Beyond the Hospital Bag

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461216/fan_mail/new] We talk physical birth preparation that works for medicated and unmedicated labor: everyday movement that meets your body where it is, yoga ball posture habits, hip mobility, and why we love Spinning Babies for balance and space rather than “moving” baby. We also get specific about hydration and electrolytes, especially for dry climates like Denver, and why rest is not laziness but part of training for the marathon of labor. Then we talk how pelvic floor work can help with pushing, breathing, and even back and hip pain. Mental and emotional birth preparation matters just as much. We unpack the fear tension pain cycle, how to protect your headspace from horror stories, and how to choose the right people in your birth room so you feel safe being vulnerable. Finally, we compare coping tools for unmedicated birth like counterpressure, hydrotherapy, TENS units, and labor combs with pain management options like epidurals and nitrous, plus the truth that positioning and movement still matter either way. If this helped you feel more grounded, subscribe, share it with a pregnant friend, and leave a quick review so more families can find practical birth education that doesn’t trade on fear. Spinning Babies Daily Essentials [https://www.spinningbabies.com/pregnancy-birth/daily-activities/] Mamaste Fit Birth Prep [https://mamastefit.com/the-mamastefit-birth-prep-circuit/] Briget Teyler YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RACaToXf8jU] Misty's PT [https://www.jeenhealth.com/](located in Parker, Co.) Birth Ball [https://a.co/d/0dreJUFA] Positive Birth Stories [https://www.mamanatural.com/birth-stories/] Christian Hypnobirthing [https://www.christianhypnobirthing.com/] Thanks for listening!  Always feel free to message us for more information or, if you have information you feel we should see, please send that. We LOVE to hear and learn from you!

Midwife Or OB? What You Need To Know

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461216/fan_mail/new] Midwife or OB? Most parents don’t realize they’re choosing more than a title, they’re choosing a care model. We’re Misty and Tammy, two doulas who spend a lot of time in hospital birth rooms, and we keep getting the same question: what’s the real difference between hospital-based midwives and obstetricians during pregnancy and labor, and how do you know which one is right for you? We walk through it with nuance, because we’ve worked with amazing providers on both sides.  We talk about what changes in prenatal visits, including time, education, and how thoroughly options get explained. We unpack how CNMs are trained, why bedside communication can feel different, and how labor support often shifts depending on whether the mindset is “manage labor” or “let labor unfold.” You’ll also hear our on-the-ground perspective on inductions, epidurals, pushing positions, and intermittent versus continuous monitoring, plus why personality fit matters so much when you’re at your most vulnerable.  Then we get practical with a list of questions to bring to any provider: how they feel about inductions and their cutoff dates, what they do when labor stalls, what their C-section rate means in context, who will actually deliver your baby, and how they work with doulas. The biggest takeaway: there’s no single right answer, but you do deserve to feel safe, respected, and informed and you can change your mind if you don’t. Subscribe, share this with a newly pregnant friend, and leave a review with the question you wish you’d asked sooner. Thanks for listening!  Always feel free to message us for more information or, if you have information you feel we should see, please send that. We LOVE to hear and learn from you!

Motherhood Then & Now: A Conversation With My Mom.

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461216/fan_mail/new] Labor started at church, the hospital trip was short, and the Broncos played on the radio while she worked through contractions. For Mother’s Day, we bring on a very special guest, Linda, Tammy’s mom, to tell the story of giving birth in the 1970s and to compare it with what families face in modern pregnancy, hospital birth, and postpartum recovery. We talk about how parents learned about pregnancy before podcasts and social media, what it meant to trust one consistent doctor through prenatal care, and how support looked when dads being in the room was still a newer idea. Linda shares what surprised her, what made her feel strong, and why she didn’t feel the same fear around birth that many parents feel today. We also dig into pain relief options then vs now, the reality of episiotomy repair, and why a doula’s steady presence can help fill gaps when care feels less personal. Postpartum gets real: rest, sleep deprivation, feeding challenges, hormones, and the practical truth that partners can’t read minds. We share simple postpartum tips, honest laughs, and a reminder to stop trying to control everything when it isn’t medically necessary. If you’re pregnant, newly postpartum, or years into motherhood, this conversation offers perspective, warmth, and concrete ways to ask for the support you deserve. Subscribe, share this with a mom who needs it, and leave a review. What’s the one postpartum need you wish someone had handled for you? Sadly, the Broncos lost to the Chicago Bears! 33-14. Linda's, and every other 1970's mother's, textbook of birth. A Child Is Born. [https://a.co/d/0eM9hgPT] Thanks for listening!  Always feel free to message us for more information or, if you have information you feel we should see, please send that. We LOVE to hear and learn from you!

April~ C-Section Awareness Month

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461216/fan_mail/new] We talk honestly about cesarean birth from the stats to the emotions, and why C-section support deserves the same care and respect as any other birth. We share how doulas help before, during, and after a C-section, including what makes the OR experience feel calmer and more human.  • C-section awareness month and why we talk about cesarean birth without being anti-C-section  • US and Colorado C-section rates and how hospital variation affects outcomes  • How a first birth can shape later choices and what VBAC really means  • Why families feel “defeated” after an unplanned C-section and how we reframe that story  • Doulas in the OR as emotional and mental support for parents during surgery  • Myth versus fact on body failure, repeat C-sections, and the “easy way out” claim  • Practical ways to influence outcomes through provider choice, movement, and early labor timing  • How continuous doula support reduces anxiety, slows spirals, and creates space for informed consent  Please comment on our podcast or share your experience about what it was like. Hospitals in Colorado are not required to publicly report their C-section rates, though some do choose to share this information. One helpful resource is the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade [https://ratings.leapfroggroup.org/] website, where you can search for available data. If your hospital isn’t listed, you have the right to request this information directly. It’s also important to keep in mind that C-section rates can fluctuate month to month, and individual provider rates may differ significantly within the same hospital. Asking your specific provider about their personal C-section rate can give you a clearer, more accurate picture as you prepare for your birth. Thanks for listening!  Always feel free to message us for more information or, if you have information you feel we should see, please send that. We LOVE to hear and learn from you!

Sorry, We GHOSTED You! We're back....kinda like prodromal labor.

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461216/fan_mail/new] After some time away, we’re back with a fun and honest catch-up. In this episode, we’re sharing recent birth stories, the reality of life on call, and what it looks like to support families through some of their biggest moments—sometimes all in the same week. It’s real, it’s a little chaotic, and it’s why we love what we do. Thanks for listening!  Always feel free to message us for more information or, if you have information you feel we should see, please send that. We LOVE to hear and learn from you!