Exciting News!!!!! [ad] I have decided to partner with @bubbaskin_brand and promote their new line of Swiss engineered, super clean, high quality, regenerative skin care line. Now if you’ve been around long enough you will know that I only promote and refer out to people and products that I 100% believe in and use myself. It’s got to be quality and legitimate or it doesn’t make the cut. Bubba Skin did just that and more. This entire line was designed with pregnant and postpartum parents in mind. Because as you know, what you put on your body DOES impact your overall health, and it’s especially important to limit toxins while gestating. I have been using their hydrate face cream for the past 3 months and y’all when I say I was nervous, I am not lying. I have extremely irritable combination skin and it does not take much to case breakouts. Not only did this face cream not cause ANY skin irritation, but I started to notice my fine lines and wrinkles become less visible, and my skin was feeling smooth and hydrated. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 I have also used this on my own infant. I noticed she had scaly dry patches on her head that would not go away despite everything I tried. I decided to give the face cream a go, bc why not? (It’s clean and safe to use.) Her dry patches were gone 4 days after applying each night post bath. 😮 The Hydrate face cream is extremely lightweight yet somehow incredibly hydrating. -science and magic, I swear. 😆 Even better yet, their products are made for ALL skin types. Yep. All. -All y’all can use this stuff. Of course I have a discount code for you!!! You can get 20% off your order by using the code: Birth_doula_brittany20 You can find them at bubbaskin.com or @bubbaskin_brand #pregnant #skincare #clean #nontoxic #safe #ad #bubbaskin_brand #facecream #nursing #prenatal #babyshowergift #thebest #baby #bump

I see you. As you take this rest and gather your strength to ride the next wave. You are a vision of glory and beauty. You are safe, surrounded, and supported. You are wildly capable. One breath at a time. Each wave bringing you closer to meeting your babe. 📷- shared with permission from a client’s birth.

Y’all we need to talk about something. I was SHOCKED by all the “me too’s” I got in my DM’s after sharing about my partner’s PPD in my stories. 😟 PMADs (perinatal mood and anxiety disorders) does in fact affect up to 10% of partners. —that’s one in ten. Which is more than we realize. Which means someone you know is suffering with this and no one is talking about it. It’s fairly simple to discuss warning signs of PMADs with the birther but when it comes to dads, partners, spouses, etc. it’s a whole other issue. My husband did not suffer with PPD when Willa was born, but I did. I was completely unaware & just figured that motherhood was hard and what I was experiencing was normal. 😣 It wasn’t until I was 18 mos pp when I hit a breaking point and it had evolved into PPA, OCD, and the intrusive thoughts were getting out of hand. I finally sought the help I needed and then healed. Because my mental health support was already in place when Georgia arrived, my postpartum recovery has been a night and day difference. Not so much for my husband. I started to notice the same issues I had had with Willa come out in him after Georgia was born. I discussed my thoughts with him regarding PPD and he blew me off. It’s hard to recognize a problem in your partner that they refuse to acknowledge or seek help for themselves. Often times leaves you to juggle the emotions of your household while you’re going through your own healing journey. In short, it feels lonely and exhausting ...and then someone hands you a baby. 😅 ...and then you have surgery 6 months postpartum. 😣 Outside of seeing a mental health professional I do not know how to solve this delicate matter. I fully understand and recognize that I cannot change others or control what they do; but I do have full authority over my own body and my own health. So I trudge forward, through a very hellish season, and press on. Continuing to work on healing myself and making things better where I can and surrendering the things I cannot. Chin up. Eyes forward. You are not as alone as you once thought.

Several things I was not anticipating in this experience of having my endometriosis removed— 1. Waking up in a belly binder. Not sure if this is standard for everyone or simply because my pp belly is still pretty soft. Either way, the added compression and support was nice. 🤷‍♀️ 2. Vaginal bleeding. I was surprised to see so much blood when I got up to pee for the first time. 😣 3. Two blown veins from what *felt like* an 8 mtha-effn’ gauge needle. GOOD LORD.😑 CRNA got it on her first try with a 20.🙌🏻 4. Being asked my pronouns and how I’d like to be called. Sooooo appreciated that. 5. Everyone getting really excited and expressing legitimate jealousy when they learned I was a doula.😆 They then proceeded to tell me their birth stories. Hahaha 6. The discovery of propofol!!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻😆 I have a history of waking from surgery and not being the nicest person 😅 but who knew they have drugs to help with that?! Instead of an abrupt and quick wear off of anesthesia, they used propofol to help me slowly come around and it was a GAME CHANGER! Yay drugs! After the fam picked me up from the hospital, I was starving and asked to swing by Portillos for some hotdogs. YOU GUYS... There is nothing better than eating a chili dog & fresh fries while super high. 🤣🤣🤣 *highly recommend* I got some good rest last night aside from my toddler crawling into bed with me and my husband asking several questions on how to care for Georgia throughout the night. 🤦‍♀️ My goals today include having a bowel movement and staying in bed. That is all.

Personal post. Today I am going under the knife to remove all that nasty endometrial tissue hanging on to my right ovary and any of my surrounding organs. Last summer I noticed I was having frequent ovarian pain. In July I discovered I was pregnant and the pain was getting worse. My OB found out why during my dating scan. The tissue had caused my right ovary to adhere to the side of my uterus. As my uterus grew, it would pull at that ovary, thereby causing severe pain. Funny thing- I never knew I had endometriosis until that point. PCOS, yes. But not #endometriosis I mean sure all the classic symptoms were there over the years; but I’m good at neglecting my body, ignoring pain, and convincing myself that pain is somehow normal. 😣 I’m in therapy and continuously working on myself, but I still struggle with feeling worthy of care. Isn’t that sad? Imagine my epiphany when I realized how fucked up it was that I didn’t feel worthy of care or consideration. 😧 It’s crazy how we can be an amazing support and encouragement to others yet we make toxic agreements with ourselves, subconsciously. We purposefully ignore our needs because we refuse to slow down and admit, “I AM NOT OKAY.” Something’s not right and it will require actually choosing to care for myself and potentially inconveniencing others with the cost (emotionally, relationally, etc) of this care. Both current and past unhealthy relationships in my life have only perpetuated this belief that I’m a burden, too much, and need to make myself smaller, less needy, and hide my vulnerability. It’s hard for me to ask for help, admit my weakness or inability to do something; and I always feel guilty asking for help/assistance. Again- BECAUSE I GENUINELY DON’T FEEL WORTHY. 😣 It feels silly to admit that, but it’s true. Today, I’m not nervous or fearful. I have complete inner peace surrounding my mortality and this procedure. I am however nervous about my recovery and stressed about getting the right kind of support at home, post op. Do me a favor and say a prayer for me, my family, and recovery, will ya? If all goes well I should be back on my feet and back to work in a week or so. ❤️

Wrapping up a busy return from mat. leave, late summer/early autumn doula season. 😅 You guys... the more I do this job, the more I realize that I know absolutely NOTHING about birth. So many unpredictable curve balls. 😂 Some examples include: My very first vaginal breech birth, an HABC transfer/repeat CS with a surprise uterine rupture 😳, a FTM who birthed her baby 17 mins after arriving at the birth center and made that shit look easy😏; a client with SEVERE HG rocked a non emergent birth center transfer and did a stellar job advocating for herself; and a loooooong hellish week of prodromal labor followed by an arduous, long labor and yet they pulled through like a motha-effin champ.💪 What a ride. 😆 📷 @alauritson

It’s time I set the record straight regarding my own personal opinion on the Covid vaccine. 1. I do NOT support vaccine mandates as I feel it violates bodily autonomy. It is my firm belief that the govt. should never have a say when it comes to matters concerning your own body. 2. I DO think people should be getting vaccinated against Covid (if they can). For this reason I share content & information to hopefully help people understand the importance of getting vaccinated. 3. I will ALWAYS be a supporter of evidence based practices & scientific data. We have plenty of data to support the efficacy of this vaccine & its ability to mitigate your risk of ending up in the ICU or developing long hauler symptoms. 4. When it comes to supporting my clients and their belief systems, I never attempt to coerce them into making decisions that align with my own bias. I simply offer evidence based information(if they want it), I let them make their own choices, and I respect their choices. I always, 100% back my clients. I work for them. I get on board with their belief system. End of story. With all that being said, this page is MY space. To share whatever I’d like. I have chosen to speak out on this issue because too many people have died unnecessarily from this disease. My fiends who work as nurses and midwives have seen their pregnant patients die, especially more as of late with the new variants, and it’s heartbreaking especially when it could have been prevented. Most birthworkers have remained silent regarding this issue. I find that disappointing. But y’all know me- never afraid to rock the boat 😂 and we are in some choppy waters. Doulas should care about this. Doulas who stand on the soap box of evidence based birth, blah blah blah, but then pick and choose whichever data affirms their confirmation bias is so fucked up I just can’t deal with that anymore. I’m sure people will still come for me in the comments & DMs, but I hope this clears things up for most of you here. ✌️❤️🌮

3 years ago on this very day, a doula was born. 😊 Happy Birthday to my very first doula babe, and Happy Doula-versary to me!!! I decided to share a few memories from that remarkable day. 3 years later, I’ve learned so much, and yet I am consistently humbled by this work and reminded that I actually know NOTHING about birth. 😅 I can honestly say that I have no regrets. Sure, I’ve made mistakes and learned a lot of valuable lessons, but I’m grateful for the opportunities to grow. Looking back I recognize just how much I’ve changed as a person- 1. I’ve become more kind, patient, compassionate, and empathetic. 2. I’ve recognized my value and worth and stopped feeling guilty for embracing that. 3. My beliefs have been tested, challenged, stretched; and I’m better for it. 4. I’ve learned that you can’t make everyone happy, and stopped caring about what others think. (Especially the opinions of those who don’t know me) 5. Having a handful of solid birthwork friends who genuinely love you and care is essential. They are a safe place to vent, cry, hear honest feedback, and process trauma. I couldn’t do this without them. (You know who you are)😉 Thank you to the on-call babysitters, and a family that supports me so I can support others. And THANK YOU to my clients- the families who have hired me and trusted me to walk alongside them on their birthing journeys. I love you all.

@nicolekatelynn breaking it down. Being anti choice harms people and doesn’t stop abortion. More support for sex ed, free birth control, paid prenatal leave, affordable childcare, etc. will actually lower the abortion rate. Why does this matter to me as a birth doula? Bc abortion is healthcare, autonomy should be afforded to everyone, and I’ve supported clients who needed to terminate for medical reasons. You should have the freedom to choose.

Day Made 🙌🏻 When a client drops a surprise bouquet of flowers and this handwritten note -that of course made me cry. Ohhh kayyy 😭 My heart is filled with gratitude and I feel so affirmed. This is why I Doula. So people know they’re not alone. I see you. I hear you. I’m here for you. You deserve the best. #ilovemyjob

I knew the white bed sheets would summon my bleed. 😆 4 months postpartum and it finally returned. 🙌🏻 Having PCOS makes you grateful for such things. I’ve been back on my GF/DF diet, and taking my ovasitol and other ovarian health supplements; but I wasn’t expecting it to take 4 whole months to return. (Slide 2) I noticed a couple weeks ago some nice egg-white, stretchy cervical mucus that typically signifies ovulation. A month before that I had a pelvic ultrasound to check out my endometriosis and could see several healthy follicles developing! So I guess I’m sharing to celebrate the milestone of my first bleed since being pp and some “typical” signs of a healthy cycle that normally don’t happen for people like me. **Pro tip! Super cold water helps blood to wash out of clothing. I always rinse with cold water before tossing in the wash #pcos #endometriosis #fertilityawareness #cervicalmucus

“No Regret” Stand in your power, woman! 🙌🏻 This incredible #breech vaginal birth story is in my stories today and saved to my story highlight for future reference. Birthing people are amazing!