Expecting New Life @doulaheidi - Tumblr Blog

Posts

Baby due next year? If you've been like most of us and mentally putting that off as if it's so far away, I have bad news for you... 2020 begins next week! If you are expecting a baby next year, next month, next spring or next summer, the time is now to get ready for your birth. I have good news, though. You still have time to prepare. The fantastic in-depth Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class is available year-round. I have a Clarksville group starting mid-January and a Nashville group starting early February, but seating is limited. Or if you prefer the one-on-one attention that a private class offers, that's always an option. And if you've gotten down to the wire [hello #thirdtrimester] and are suddenly realizing that you need professional support during labor, I have a few openings for 2020 Birth Doula clients. Let's plan a phone call or video chat THIS YEAR! But don't take too long. I like to have time to get to know my clients, to build a relationship and to understand their needs and preferences. There's so much I want to share with you. Let's get started ASAP.

Childbirth Class starting in 10... 9.. 8... 7... I'll save a seat for you in the next session. Get ready for birth in a class you and your partner will LOVE! The #ebbchildbirthclass prepares families for labor and birth with an emphasis on advocacy, comfort, and evidence based care.

Experience. Learning. Honing your skills. It all comes with lots of mistakes and missing the point and not quite making the connections. And some heartache. And some head scratching. And lots and lots and lots of questions. Sometimes it comes with frustration or guilt or self blame. Not being able to achieve what was desired is hard enough when it's only yourself involved. But when another person is affected - a mom, a baby, a family - it's even harder to process. And being the perfectionist that I am, I feel obligated to get it right the first time. I want to perform well, I want to deliver the desired outcome, I want things to go smoothly. But they don't. Not often. Not always. Not really truly ever. Because life isn't perfect and it's full of twists and turns and surprises. They're not all bad, mind you. But they certainly aren't predictable. And then there's that element of the unknown. The things that we can't see. The lack of information or misinformation we are making decisions based on. The details we learn later and look back and know it could have made all the difference in the world. Or maybe not. And so I hash it out in my mind, call a good friend or mentor. Pick myself up and dust myself off. I search for new perspectives and answers and keep trying. I celebrate the successes and ponder the failures. And keep trying and trying and trying.

This is what I was trying to convey as I spent a few minutes talking to couples at a Meet the Doulas event Monday night. Try as I may, I cannot guarantee outcomes for my doula clients or my childbirth class students. But what I can do is support them in such a way that they are engaged in the decision-making process and have ownership of those decisions, knowing their choices and making the best of the unexpected variables that always come up when it comes to birth. "Expecting the best, prepared for the rest" has long been my motto. And this comes through in the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class where we focus not just on natural pain management and relaxation techniques, but also give you a solid understanding of benefits and risks of common medical options, along with advocacy skills so you can communicate effectively with your care team. If you'd like to know more about how I approach helping you make labor and birth a positive experience both through the class and in my support as a Professional Birth Doula, I'd love to tell you. #Repost @ebbirth ・・・ // The Best Way That We Could //⁠ ⁠ ____⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣⁣⠀⁠ #evidencebasedbirth #ebbirth #birth #doula #midwife #lactation #support #community #education #mothers #families #millennials #babybump #labor #birth #nashvilledoula #nashvilleparent #expectingmom #nashvillebirthclass #readyforbirth #firsttimemom #ebbchildbirthclass

It's gonna be a great day at the Rock Your World conference in Nashville! What do you think of my new setup? . . . . . #lalecheleagueinternational #attachmentparenting #breastfeedingjourney #evidencebasedcare #expectingmom #newmom #BirthDoula #childbirthclass #evidencebasedbirthinstructor #peanutballworkshop

And with that, Year 5 begins! I'm excited to be a part of an elite team of birth professionals across the globe. Applying to become an Instructor with Evidence Based Birth® in 2015 has been one of the best choices of my career so far. Not only do I get to teach all these amazing courses... ↙ FOR PARENTS •Savvy Birth 101 •Savvy Birth Workshop for Parents •Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class FOR PROS •Newborn Procedures seminar •Due Dates plus Advanced Maternal Age seminar •Homebirth Transfers seminar •Savvy Birth Pro Workshop •Comfort Measures for L&D Nurses Workshop I get ongoing training on what's trending in birth research. Every week, every month, all year long, EBB is producing continuing education content. Live discussions, archived webinars, private forums. Some of it is made public, but much of it is limited to access for Instructors and Pro Members only. It's way more than I can keep up with! If you've ever thought about becoming a Professional Member or applying to become an Instructor, do it! #evidencebasedbirthinstructor #birthjunkie #givemethefacts #ebbirth #ebbchildbirthclass #ebbpainmanagementseries #ebbpodcast #ebbsignaturearticle #evidencebasedcare #evidencebasedpractice #evidencebasedbirth

That's a wrap! My short and sweet Peanut Ball Positions for 2nd Stage training was a hit. I'm so thankful to be invited to share my knowledge with this fantastic group of providers. You, too, can get in on the fun. Join me this Saturday in East Nashville for Peanut Ball Skills for Birth Workers: Essentials. Tickets available in my webstore. #authorizedpeanutballtrainer #peanutballforthewin #birthcenter #babyconashville #givebirthwithballs #BirthDoula #peanutballskills

You don't have to figure it all out on your own, either. Join me for the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class this November in Nashville. Let's fill in the spaces of the things you don't know. My goal is that my students walk into their birth "expecting the best and prepared for the rest." (And just because things don't go exactly according to what you're expecting, that doesn't mean they will be going badly. Knowing the possibilities and your options that come along with them go a long way to making it a positive experience no matter what comes up.) You'll find a little bit of something for everyone in this class including hands-on activities, online lessons, workbooks to guide you, relaxation practice, points earned for prizes, group learning, flexible schedule, independent study and more! I'm looking forward to spending a few weeks with you. Are you ready? Let's get started! #Nashvillemoms #nashvillefamilies #nashvilleparent #nashvillebirthclass

Saturday, Oct 19, 1 pm 📅 If you only know side-lying, you NEED this workshop! This will be a 3-hour Peanut Ball Skills training presenting 7-12 peanut ball positions (the 7 essentials plus a few extras) with demonstration and skills practice. I'll cover proper sizing, body mechanics, maintenance and storage, and much more. What I keep seeing in the local birth culture is a very limited understanding of what the peanut ball can do and incorrect information being taught about when and how to use it. I see under-inflated (and potentially unsafe) peanut balls everywhere I go and improper positioning and sizing being used more often than not. You don't have to rely on YouTube videos to gain these skills! They're helpful, sure -- I made one myself. 😉 But nothing compares to hands-on instruction from the only Authorized Peanut Ball Trainer in TN. There are new advanced positions as well, bringing the total up to 30+ this year! [If you went to the DONA conference, you got the first peek there in Cheri Grant's session. @premier_birth_tools] The Essentials workshop is a prerequisite for the Advanced training, which I'll offer early in 2020. Location will be at Be Well Pilates in East Nashville. Special thanks to Andrea Hewitt of @eastnashvilledoulas for hosting this event. Register online via the Facebook event or my website.

"I've said it once and I'll say it a million times: if you can hire a doula for your birth, do it." 💗 #hireadoula #birthplan #pregnancytips #BirthDoula #nashvilledoula #NashvilleTN #springfieldtn #heididuncandoula #yallneedadoula #vanderbiltmidwives

Hey, are you looking for me? 👋 The best way to get in touch is always through my website, ExpectingNewLife.com. Let's chat soon! . . . #prenatalclass #birthclass #childbirtheducation #birthdoula #continuingeducation #evidencebasedbirthinstructor #authorizedpeanutballtrainer #ebbchildbirthclass #peanutballworkshop #evidencebasedbirth #heididuncandoula #pregnant #babyontheway #hireadoula #whattoexpectwhenexpecting #nashvilletn #springfieldtn #clarksvilletn #franklintn #brentwoodtn #hendersonvilletn

Love this perspective from my EBB Instructor colleague @empoweredbirthcsra: Many people dream about their wedding day prior to it occurring. When the time comes to actually plan the big day, it’s fair to say a lot of time, money, and energy is spent researching and preparing. People take the time to go and tour various venues, interview photographers and DJs, go to tastings for the dinner menu and the cake, vet florists, and find the perfect dress. When it’s all said and done, Americans today are spending on average over $30,000 on the big day. *** Now let’s flip the script and bring our attention to another monumental day in your lifetime... the birth of your baby. Just like the wedding day, this is a day that will stay with you forever. Unlike the wedding day, the cost of classes and preparation tend to give some pause and question if childbirth education is really necessary. According to the Listening to Mothers study (2013), “roughly one in three mothers who gave birth in United States hospitals had taken some kind of childbirth preparation course” (Dekker, 2018). *** This is not to say that cost alone is a deterring factor or the sole reason that more expecting parents do not take childbirth classes (we will explore some other reasons people may not take a childbirth class in the next few posts), but the fact that some hospitals offer childbirth classes for free tends to be a draw for some just as the fact that independent childbirth classes can run a couple hundred dollars may dissuade others. *** If any of this resonates with you and you’re feeling like the cost of childbirth classes is too steep, one consideration is to ask for money towards a childbirth class as part of your baby shower gift. Some use the wedding registry to help with honeymoon funds or house funds, so why not use some of the baby registry to invest in educating and preparing you and your partner for the birth of your baby? #NashvilleMoms and #ClarksvilleMoms, #ebbchildbirthclass sessions are starting soon for you! Let's chat [link in bio]. #pregnancylife #prenatalclass #tennesseedoula #nashvilledoula #clarksvillebirthcommunity #fortcampbell #secondtrimester #thirdtrimester

"Best of both worlds" birth prep! Last chance to get in a class before 2020. 😮 Oct/Nov session will finish before Thanksgiving, meets twice in Clarksville and 4x from home*. Nov/Dec session will pause for Thanksgiving and finish before Christmas, meets twice in Nashville and 4x from home*.📱*or wherever you are, as long as you have internet Comfort. Evidence. Advocacy. No matter where you are planning to give birth, even at home, these are skills you want to have! *A wide variety of comfort techniques, relaxation methods, and positions to take you through the entire labor process *The questions to help you learn the benefits and risks of your options, along with trustworthy resources that don't tell you what to choose *The confidence to speak for your family to your providers to ensure you receive the care that you need and desire. And that's just a short summary. I don't have enough room in this post to itemize all of the things that we cover in this six-week series. But I can tell you from having taught birth education for many years, this is the best curriculum I've ever had my hands on and I am so excited to be teaching it to Middle Tennessee families. Expectingnewlife.com/childbirth-class #ebbchildbirthclass #birthclass #evidencebasedbirthinstructor #nashvilletn #clarksvilletn #nashvillebirthclass

Have you registered yet? I'm just gonna keep posting this until you do. 😂 Saturday, Sept 21, 6:30pm 📅 If you only know side-lying, you NEED this workshop! This will be a 3-hour Peanut Ball Skills training presenting 7-12 peanut ball positions (the 7 essentials plus a few extras) with demonstration and skills practice. I'll cover proper sizing, body mechanics, maintenance and storage, and much more. What I keep seeing in the local birth culture is a very limited understanding of what the peanut ball can do and incorrect information being taught about when and how to use it. I see under-inflated (and potentially unsafe) peanut balls everywhere I go and improper positioning and sizing being used more often than not. You don't have to rely on YouTube videos to gain these skills! They're helpful, sure -- I made one myself. 😉 But nothing compares to hands-on instruction from the only Authorized Peanut Ball Trainer in TN. There are new advanced positions as well, bringing the total up to 30 this year! [If you're going to the DONA conference, you'll get the first peek there.] The Essentials workshop is a prerequisite for the Advanced training, which I'll offer early in 2020. Location will be at a private studio in Brentwood. Special thanks to Ashley Glenn of @bosombuddynashville for hosting this event. Register online via the Facebook event or my website.

299 births done as Doula and yet I still come away surprised. That's a big part of what motivates me to keep going. Every labor is unique in some way. I learn new things each time. Catching my breath now and recharging before the next one comes! Could be any moment now. Can't believe this countdown about to end. #countdownto300 #BirthDoula #careergoals #nashvilledoula #hireadoula #Nashvillemoms #neverstoplearning #evidencebasedbirth #ebbchildbirthclass #evidencebasedbirthinstructor

The stranded turtle... 🐢 It's no fun in your last trimester. Why on earth would you get in this position to push your baby out?! What did you do to birth your baby? Tip: even with an epidural, you don't have to get trapped here. Try side-lying or even kneeling upright instead. #Repost @my_expertmidwife #birthoptions #uprightbirth #activebirth #evidencebasedbirth #ebbchildbirthclass #hireadoula #takeachildbirthclass #birthboldly #nashvilledoula #Nashvillemoms #nashvilleparent

Baby 298 came too early in the countdown to get the honor of number 300, yet is actually the FIRST baby in some special ways. 😉 Sometimes being cautiously optimistic is rewarded beautifully. #countdownto300 #nashvilledoula #evidencebasedcare #ebbchildbirthclass #BirthDoula #childbirtheducator #birthadvocacy #birthoptions #hireadoula #takeachildbirthclass

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Expecting New Life