Calgary is home to a thriving and ever growing doula scene. Just 10 years ago, most people here didn't even know what a doula was and now we have pretty much become a household name. There are many factors that have contributed to the popularity of doulas in Calgary. Some of the pieces at play might be our large population growth, the youth of our residents, our highly educated population base, or...

​It's no secret that Calgary's population has exploded in the last 20 years. People are attracted from all over Canada, the rest of the continent and overseas for our booming oil, telecommunications and other businesses. Sunny skies and majestic mountains in our backyard add to our allure. This usually means that people are a long ways from home where their family and friends reside, which can be tough for expecting parents. Having their mom, sister or best friend at their bedside for birth or during the newborn phase might be unrealistic. 

​Calgary is young at heart! More accurately, we have the youngest population base of the major cities  in Canada, with our median age being 36-37 years old. With lots of young people choosing Calgary as their home, it only makes sense that they start their families here.
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Calgarians are a smart bunch!  Stats show that the percentage of residents with a bachelor's degree or better are far ahead of the national average.  Not that you need a university degree to know that hiring a doula is a good idea, but many professionals do seek out our services.
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It's hard to pick up a pregnancy or parenting book without hearing about doulas.  Also, most prenatal classes nowadays talk about the benefits we offer. While our role is still sometimes confused with that of a midwife's, it seems like most people are now aware about doulas. *Side note: Midwives replace doctors and are responsible for the medical care of you and baby.
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​While it's been fun to look up some of these stats, truly why people in Calgary are hiring doulas are for the following reasons:

• they either don't have friends or family near, or prefer to have an experienced professional by their side while giving birth or caring for their newborn. Having an unbiased, knowledgeable support person can be invaluable! Someone who is trained in what's normal or not and can point you to resources in Calgary when you need additional information or services
• they know that hiring a doula helps to reduce the risk of postpartum depression and increases their chances of being satisfied with their birth experience
• to take pressure off their partner to provide all the help and support. The partner can relax and enjoy the birth experience and their newborn without having to do it all
• they know that giving birth and taking care of a newborn is challenging!  Having a calm, reassuring professional by their side can make it so much easier. Someone to help with breathing, positions, massages, pain relief and information.
• they want the reliability of calling their doula at 3:00 a.m. when they think they are in labour, but are unsure!
• they want someone to help them navigate the hospital scene. Someone who knows where to fetch the ice chips and warm blankets.  Someone who understands what it means when the doctor announces after a vaginal exam, "7 c.m., +2, LOA, intact membranes"
• they want their doula to take care of a load of laundry, bring them a snack, give breastfeeding support and play with their 2 year old while they relax in bed, bonding with the baby/babies
• they have more than one baby and need another set of hands to take care of them
• they want help achieving specific goals for birth or the newborn phase. Perhaps they want a drug free birth, maybe they want to learn how to babywear
• sometimes people want a doula to advocate for them, but a good doula will teach them to advocate for themselves! There's quite a sense of empowerment to speak for yourself rather than have someone else do it for you. The parents' voices speak 10x louder than a doula's anyway. However, that doesn't mean we won't be there to provide gentle reminders of whatever your goals or plans are.

Whatever the case may be, truthfully a doula would be beneficial to just about anyone having a baby! We hope that in 10 years time people won't be asking their expecting friends IF they are hiring a doula, but that they will ask, "WHO is your doula?" And of course, we hope it will be Maternal Instincts!


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It's been 9 long months of pregnancy, way too many hours of labour and finally your precious bundle is here. It's only been a day or two since their birth and now you are being sent home. Wow! Now what?!? The first 24 hours seem to go pretty well, but the next day becomes an overwhelming blur of feedings, diapers and not enough sleep. And those "baby blues" they mentioned in prenatal classes have come crashing in.

Since the beginning of time, until just recently, women have typically been surrounded by experienced women when they gave birth and for the first few months of caring for a newborn. Their mothers, aunts, sisters, cousins and neighbours gathered near and supported that woman - bringing her meals, cleaning her house, watching her older children and minding the baby while she rested. Somehow, along the way, we have lost our "village" and have grown to be a very private culture; often raising our families far away from our parents, or our parents are working still or maybe even passed on, sometimes we don't even know our neighbours names. So how do you cope with the demanding life of having a newborn?
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​Postpartum doulas are an amazing addition for the modern couple to incorporate into their life. These professionals are well trained to help you tackle all your challenges. How to get enough sleep, where to rent a breast pump from (and how to use it!), what bottles to use, folding the baby's laundry, bringing you a sandwich and plenty of other useful tasks. Not only will they help with these practical things, they also know about the emotional ups and downs associated with the hormone crash after birth and will support you through those moments. Partners will benefit as well, not only simply by having "a happier wife", but they will also be shown ways that they can bond with baby too. Any older siblings will enjoy having someone there to help maintain their usual routine. Perhaps you do have your parents around, but maybe you feel their advice is outdated and you would like the latest evidence-based information.

​While we believe any family would benefit from hiring a postpartum doula, there are many special circumstances when one could be considered even more necessary. When bringing home twins, triplets or more; special needs babies (preemies or other health issues); being isolated from family; having a traumatic birth; recovering from a c-section; experiencing breastfeeding problems; having toddlers at home; very nervous families; adoption or surrogacy journeys; having previously experienced a postpartum mood disorder (postpartum depression or anxiety); or simply having a challenging newborn! Clinical studies have proven that having good postpartum support results in greater breastfeeding success, more confidence and less postpartum depression.

No matter why you decide to hire a postpartum doula, we would be delighted to fulfill that role. We pride ourselves on our professionalism and unconditional support and are positive that you will feel pampered with our services. If you are in the Calgary area, please get in touch with us today! ​

Ahhh pregnancy!  A time of joy, happiness and wonder... but let's be real, it's also a time of energy drain and aches & pains!  No worries, we have lots of suggestions of practitioners who can help you out - from chiropractors to massage therapists, physiotherapists to yoga studios.

​We are lucky to have so many great options in Calgary, so how will you ever decide which one to use?  Primarily, when pregnant, you want to be sure to access a practitioner who is a prenatal expert, so they know all the dos and don'ts of treating you.  Other things you might factor in are location, ambiance, price and reviews.  Don't have time to do all that?  No worries!  We've done the homework so you don't have to.  We've got you covered with the best of the best in Calgary!
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​Doctor For Moms: Located in Brentwood, practically right on Crowchild, this facility is absolutely amazing!  Dr. Patti Hort, the founder and chiropractor, wanted to build a centre of support for birthing people and she's done an amazing job.  The services they offer besides chiropractic are massage, acupuncture, lactation support, naturopathic doctors, homeopathic medicine and so much more.  All with complimentary childminding!  Plus there are workshops galore on breastfeeding, newborn sleep, yoga and many others.  And finally, a store chock full of breastfeeding supplies, cloth diapers, toys, etc. all geared towards the organic and eco-friendly lifestyle (check out our last blog for more).  We can't say enough about this place!

The Holistic Institute of Health & Fertility: There are two locations; one right on 16th Ave NW in Montgomery and another in Deer Ridge in the SE.  Another all-in-one facility with a holistic focus, caring for those trying to conceive, pregnant or postpartum.  This should be a definite stop for all expecting families and also those struggling with infertility. Here you can find acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, craniosacral therapy and reflexology.  They also host workshops on a variety of pregnancy, birth and postpartum topics.  Yoga is offered at their south location. 

​Shifra Centre for Wellness:  Located in Cochrane, this facility focuses on women-centered care, offering midwives, naturopaths, chiropractors, massage therapists, pelvic floor physiotherapy and counselling.  We think Dr. Gillian Sawyer (their chiropractor) deserves special mention for her amazing website where you can find her blog about pregnancy, birth and parenting.  You can also watch some informative videos and sign up for free tips straight to your inbox.

​Vantage Integrative Health & Wellness: Located in the north at Nolan Hill and with another location in Chestermere, here you will find chiropractors, massage therapists and acupuncturists.  While these locations don't focus primarily on pregnancy care, they are well versed in it and offer Webster Technique certified chiropractors (an amazing technique that will ensure your pelvis is properly aligned, making you more comfortable and helping baby get into proper birth position).

The Wellness Studio: Found just north of North Hill Mall, this facility is chock full of prenatal specialists.  With chiropractic, massage therapy, reflexology, craniosacral therapy and acupuncture practitioners having special interest or training in fertility, pregnancy and newborns.
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​We think chiropractic care is important for everyone, but during pregnancy it can be crucial.  With so many changes to posture due to increased weight in the abdomen, combined with the hormone relaxin making joints loose, it's very likely your back and pelvis will be quite out of alignment.  Back aches, natural inductions and breech re-positioning are all things chiropractic care can help with.
With so many chiropractors in the city, how can you choose which one to use?  We like to recommend those who are trained in the Webster Technique (see Vantage above) and further narrowed it down by which ones have the best ratings and reviews.
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Calgary Centre for Chiropractic Care:  With a location in Crowfoot and downtown, both offering massage as well.  The Crowfoot location specifically has a Webster, prenatal and pediatric specialist.

​Calgary Family Wellness: Situated near Chinook, this practice offers prenatal & postnatal patients both chiropractic and massage.  Super convenient for those who see Rockyview Maternity!

Chiropractical: Located in the south near Elbow & Southland, this office has a Webster practitioner and particularly loves working with babies and children, so you could end up staying there for years to come!

Mount Royal Village Family Chiropractic:  This clinic (located exactly where the name implies) has some pretty incredible reviews!  Lots of testimonials speak very highly of the relief they received as a result of their treatment.  They also offer massage therapy.

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​We think every pregnant person should indulge in massages!  Not only to relieve tired, achy backs, but also to reduce stress and help with fluid movement (buh-bye cankles and sausage toes!)  And of course it feels amazing!

Calgary Maternity Massage Therapy:  Located in Varsity, this clinic has therapists with many years of experience!  They work with you lying on your side instead of using the belly tables (which they say further exaggerates the pregnancy sway).  They also run infant massage courses.

The Centre Spa & Wellness: Just north of SAIT, this spa at one time only offered prenatal and postpartum massage.  While they still have a strong focus there, they now offer other services as well.  So you can treat yourself to a mani, pedi and prenatal massage all in one appointment!

Leela Eco Spa: There are three central locations in Beltline, Bridgeland and downtown.  While prenatal massage is not their main focus, many of their staff are very knowledgeable in the field.  How they set themselves apart is with their focus on using organic products and being very eco-friendly, with energy, water and paper conserving initiatives in place.  

​Mama Massage:  Located in West Springs, this modern facility focuses solely on massage.  The best part?  Childminding!  They have a wonderful area to watch your kid(s) while you relax.  Coming with a small baby?  No problem, they have a baby swing they can bring right into your treatment room!  They also teach infant massage - a great way to bond with your baby.

Say what??  Yes that's right - pelvic floor physio.  Seeing a therapist only a few times can help greatly with posture.  And they can teach you how to properly relax your pelvic floor which will help greatly during the pushing stage of labour!

Kirstyn Cahoon Richards: works out of Moss Postpartum House.  She is extremely passionate about her job and loves helping pregnant people BEFORE they develop pelvic floor issues (like peeing yourself when you laugh, cough or jump).  She can fix these after the fact, but hey, why not avoid it all together!
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Momentum Health: In addition to the Creekside location, they also have locations in West Springs, Mahogany and one near the Foothills Hospital (Evidence North) that offer pelvic floor physio.  You can also find prenatal massage at Ogden and Mahogany. 

 
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​Prenatal yoga is highly recommended as a wonderful way to prepare for birth (physically, emotionally and spiritually), to connect with your baby and simply to relax and de-stress!  Yes, we could list pages and pages of studios... Again, the focus is on those most passionate about pregnancy and with great reviews.
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Dragonfly Maternity: Currently offering classes at The Studio Space in the south central area (near Macleod Tr on 42 Ave SE).  Cher is very passionate about building support and resources for those pregnant and their young families.  She offers prenatal and postnatal yoga classes, along with a used maternity clothing store and hosts various events throughout the year.

The Yoga Studio: They can be found near Crowfoot, in Varsity and Oakridge.  Having been in business for over 20 years, they offer yoga classes for everyone - with classes specifically designed so all ages, shapes and stages will feel welcome and comfortable.  Besides offering prenatal classes, they also have ones for mom & baby.

​Yoga Santosha: Centrally located near 17 Ave & 4 St SW, this studio offers prenatal classes as well as baby & you for afterwards.  They have great intro offers for new clients and come highly recommended!

Yoga Shala:  Located just west of North Hill Mall, you can find both prenatal yoga and mom & baby classes, but be sure to book early as they always fill up.  This studio makes our list not only for the rave reviews and wonderful instructors, but also because we couldn't not give a shout out to where our owners daughter was born in the parking lot!

We hope you've found some useful information here.  These are only a few of the services we recommend when our clients ask us where they should go.  Our resource list is one of the benefits our clients enjoy accessing whenever they need to find a product or service.  Of course, we feel like doulas are an amazing addition to pamper you throughout pregnancy, labour, birth and the newborn stage.  We are a constant help and support for your growing family that will help you stay calm, more relaxed and confident  Please contact us to set up an interview!

With Earth Day occurring on April 22nd, what better time to talk about where we can find organic or environmentally conscious goods and services in Calgary?  Some of you may be seasoned pros, but many take up a healthier lifestyle upon finding out they are pregnant.  Last week may have been take out food, Oreos and wine (not at the same time... although we wouldn't judge if you did) and this week may be organic produce, free range chicken and grass-fed beef!  From food to products, we have compiled a fairly comprehensive list of options no matter what you're in the market for.  Below you will find some of our favourites, but please let us know in the comments if we've missed anything!
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​Sourcing locally is a big part of the organic/environmentally friendly movement. So for that reason, we love some of our locally grown stores such as:




Community Natural Foods - one might argue that this is Calgary's original health food store dating back to 1977.  They've now grown to 3 locations - one downtown, one near Chinook Centre and one in Crowfoot.  You can pretty much find everything you need here from prenatal, postpartum & baby vitamins & supplements to groceries, diapers, and much, much more.  They also offer classes or events on  a variety of topics.

Blush Lane Organic Market - 3 locations at Marda Loop, Bridgeland and Aspen Woods.  Produce options are plentiful here, as well as bulk foods and Kombucha on tap.  They even deliver through SPUD.

Amaranth - with 3 locations, one in Arbour Lake, another downtown on 4 St and one in the deep south near Deerfoot and 130 Ave.  The south location only carries supplements, vitamins and toiletries, whereas the other two also carry groceries.

Sunnyside Natural Market - located in, you guessed it, Sunnyside!  Again, another great local grocer that sources local produce, meats and dairy.

SPUD - Ummmmm, online organic grocery delivery service??  Yes please!  What more is there to say?  It really is that easy and amazing!

For those who don't trek to specialty stores, the Superstore, Costco and the Bulk Barn are good sources for items as well.  Kirkland makes some great organic products and both the Bulk Barn and Superstore have a good health section. ​

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​If you are concerned about what your baby's toys are made of, considering everything for at least the first two years will be put in their mouth, make sure to visit one of these stores to find some toys you can feel good about.

Dr For Mom's - just off Crowchild on Brentwood Rd. in the NW. This is really a one stop shop for all things baby & organic, like cloth diapers, teething toys, breast pads and so much more.

Birth Supplies Canada - located near Deerfoot and Glenmore, this locally owned business first began as simply a midwifery supply store. Now they carry everything imaginable for pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Herbal supplements, birth pools, natural baby care products and so much more!

Black Sheep Mattress Company - with mattresses made from all natural materials right here in Calgary, you can visit their showroom in the Manchester Industrial area to pick up a toxin free crib mattress, mattress protectors or blankets for your precious little one.

The Mattress and Sleep Company - another great option for organic crib mattresses as well as customizable crib bedding. This is a family run business located just south of Glenmore on Macleod Trail.
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​While you can purchase organic disposable diapers at most of the above grocery stores, there are great resources for cloth diapering in the city. Besides Babes in Arms and Nature's Baby Basket you can also find cloth diapers at:​
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Calgary Cloth Diaper Depot - is located just outside the city in Cochrane. They carry all the major cloth brands and will even let you take a trial run so you can decide what brands you like or even if cloth diapering is for you.

Pumpkins Diaper Delivery - will save you the cost & hassle of cleaning cloth diapers with their delivery service. They provide the diapers for you, then pick up the dirties, clean them and drop off a fresh batch!

If you go the disposable route, Soiled Diapers offers a pick up service where they come and get your dirty disposables and then compost them, keeping them out of the landfill.

Another option is to buy used cloth diapers - there is a very active Facebook group called "Calgary Cloth Diaper Moms & Dads" which is also a great resource to chat with other local parents about everything cloth!
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​If you are on online shopper to the extreme or simply can't find what you want in store, well.ca is a Canadian retailer with an amazing selection of organic products that will ship right to your door.  While it would be nice to support the great local businesses mentioned here today, if you're on bedrest or juggling a newborn, pointing and clicking becomes pretty enticing!

​We hope you enjoyed this post and look forward to hearing about your favourites in the comments!  As always, if looking for Calgary's best doula or prenatal classes, contact us today for a meet and greet!

It’s been a very long time since I posted about the cesarean birth of my son in 2001 and the vaginal birth after cesarean with my daughter in 2008.  At that time, I promised the story of my third and like often happens with third children, life got in the way and her story got put on the back burner!  Oh, my poor forgotten third child!  This is one of my favourite memes which absolutely nails life with 3.

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It is very interesting for me to note the emotions surrounding positive pregnancy test 1, then the long awaited 2 and finally the unexpected 3.  There were lots of tears all three times, but the excitement was certainly not there the third time around.  I was shocked.  Questioning how it happened.  I mean, I know how it happened obviously, but we always took years to get pregnant, so this was mind-boggling.  Second note to readers: Don’t be complacent!  We all hear about the couple unable to conceive that adopts and then immediately becomes pregnant.  I feel like that was me.  So anyway, I picked up the phone and called my husband.  He was as shocked as I had been, if not more.  24 months prior we had been elated to finally be pregnant and now we were… disappointed?  That's not quite the right word, but I don’t know what is.

I immediately applied to get a midwife – I wanted one with both my prior births but couldn’t afford to pay out of pocket for one.  Now their fee was covered by our provincial health plan making them hard to get, but I was luckily accepted into care at Briar Hill Midwives.  The dating ultrasound determined we were due Aug 7, 2010.  My midwife asked me if I wanted to do the First Trimester Screening to test for chromosome abnormalites and I emphatically said yes.  With my second, only 25 months prior, I had skipped them because it took so long to conceive her, that it didn’t really matter to me if there were health issues – I wanted that baby no matter what.  With this surprise pregnancy, I didn’t know how I would deal with any special medical needs, so I decided to get the testing done.

At 12 and a half weeks I had my ultrasound.  I was then taken to a consultation room where I had a doctor come and explain my risk for a trisomy issue was 7 times what it should have been.  I was already so muddled in my feelings about being pregnant and now this.  I can’t describe how I felt upon hearing that news.  I was offered either an amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS).  We choose to have the CVS since it could be done much sooner, but I didn’t get in until I was nearly 14 weeks along.  As part of the procedure, a nurse counsels you on the risks associated before going in.  She really downplayed my results, saying I was only on the high end of normal whereas I felt the doctor at the ultrasound clinic made it sound worse.  So now here I was coming to do a test with a 1% miscarriage rate in order to check for a 2% chance of having Down Syndrome… 3rd note to reader: really analyze your risks before subjecting yourself to these tests.  7 times the risk sounds far worse than 2%. 

I believe I waited over 2 weeks to get the results.  The most agonizing two weeks of my life!  By this point, I’d already felt those little baby flutters and started to seriously doubt my ability to terminate a pregnancy no matter what the results said.
 
Finally, the call came.  “We are happy to report that no abnormalities were found,” she said.  After the biggest sigh of relief, my second reaction was this, “That’s great!  Is it a boy or a girl??”  After all that torture, I was happy to at least get a 100% accurate answer of the baby’s gender.  The lady at the clinic laughed and told me we were having another girl.  Thankfully I would have the same gender as my last (and born in the same season!) so that we didn’t have to buy anything new.  However, this brought new worries – how would my firecracker of a toddler handle sharing the limelight?  And her room.  My pregnancy journal is full of apprehensiveness about how she would adjust.

My pregnancy was otherwise uneventful - I managed to still offer doula services to my clients right up until July.  Care with the midwives was amazing.  They supported my choice to give birth at the Arbour Birth Centre, despite the recommendation for hospital birth after having a previous c-section (even though I already had an uneventful VBAC).  My appointments were never rushed and they always listened to my concerns about having another fast labour.
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​My due date, August 7th came and went.  I crawled into bed for an hour or two before being woken with contractions at 1:00 a.m. on August 8th.  I came downstairs and said to my husband who hadn’t gone to bed yet, “Peaches.”  (if you’re confused, watch the Ice Age clip below).

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I hopped in the shower and spent a good half hour or so there repeating my mantra (Relax and open!) with contractions between 3-4 minutes apart.  I called the midwife at 3 a.m. nervously expecting her to brush me off since I’d only been contracting for 2 hours.  We agreed to meet at the birth centre at 4 a.m., so I gathered our things and told my mom we were leaving.  Originally, I had planned that if things happened overnight I wouldn’t wake my kids, but in the midst of labour I changed my mind and asked my mom to get them up and bring them.  I stood outside our SUV and willed myself to get inside (the car ride is at the top of my "worst part of labour" list).  My husband threw some towels in the back seat “just in case” and I rolled my eyes as I already had my waterproof pad on my seat.  Finally, I got in around 3:30 a.m. and we started the 25 km drive. 

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​We hadn’t even hit the highway a couple minutes from my house when I frantically started calling my birth photographer and also my sister (who missed the first two births and was excited to get another opportunity).  As we neared the turn off to Peter Lougheed Centre (my closest hospital), I had that angel/devil debate going on in my head.

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​We kept on driving... A few kilometers up the road at Deerfoot and 16th Avenue, my first involuntary push popped my amniotic sac - I was so glad I brought that waterproof pad! I told my husband to drive faster, but he claimed he was already doing 20 over! Another few kilometers and I couldn’t stop bearing down despite raising my chin and huffing through contractions with my window down and the cool breeze on my face. As we were closing in on the last dozen or so blocks, I told my husband to pull over, but he wouldn’t listen. I reached down to my crotch and felt the telltale bulge of the baby’s head. I hoped he would pull over at Home Depot, but instead he made the left turn on 19th St that we would have to take to go around to the birth centre. By this time, I feel like I was screaming at him to pull over, so he finally stopped in the strip mall parking lot of The Yoga Shala (who happens to offer prenatal classes that we recommend!! www.yogashalacalgary.com/index.html)
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​He threw the truck in park and came running around to my side, nearly tearing the door off it’s hinges.  He ripped my pants down, literally tore my underwear in two (I remember thinking how hot that would have been in other circumstances hahaha!!!) and then threw my leg over his shoulder.  He seemed so frantic and panicked, asking me what to do.  I remember the strange sense of calm that I had at that point as I grabbed his shirt front, looked him in the eye and simply said, “Catch her.” 

​Now if you ask my husband this story, he has another version involving the complex maneuvers of easing shoulders out and all that, whereas it seems to me she pretty much shot out the next contraction.  She immediately let out a little wail and then was silent, just looking around.  I tried to cover her with my discarded pants and my husband grabbed the towel out of the back he had strangely (and wisely) thrown in.  He was concerned about her not making noise or breathing, but I knew we had a few minutes with the umbilical cord still attached and she was alert.  He hopped back in and we proceeded the remaining trip around the block necessary to access the birth centre from the east.

When we arrived, he ran to the door where our midwife, Shannon was just going in.  Her and another midwife, Carol, who was arriving for her own client came running to the truck to get me.  And now, here you will get a glimpse of one my life’s highlights…

Picture this: on the freaking TransCanada Highway, getting out of my truck with no pants on and an umbilical cord dangling in between my legs while I walked up to the birth centre.

​The only saving grace was that it was 4 a.m.!  Still there were no shortage of cars driving by.  Big sigh!
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​Our photographer arrived soon after, followed shortly by my placenta, then my sister who is apparently destined to never witness a birth and finally my mom and kids.  My midwives ran a bath for me since I might as well have gotten something out the rental fee I paid to use the facility.  There were many laughs from the kitchen area while the midwives attempted to fill out the paperwork required – Place of birth?  15th Ave and 19th St?  What time do you want us to say she was born?  We picked 3:54 since we both like the number 4.  We dealt with all the other necessities like the vitamin K injection, assessments, weighing and measuring – she was my second biggest out of the three kids at 9 lbs 4 oz and 22” long.  
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​By 7:00 a.m. we were dressed and ready to head home.  I had one flip-flop on and asked my husband where the other was.  He said it must have fallen out of the truck in the parking lot.  I looked at him and said, "Well can you go out and get it, so I don’t have to walk out barefoot?”  He replied, “Not this parking lot, the parking lot she was born in!”  Then we had to drive back around to go see and sure enough there it sat!

We arrived back home at 7:30 a.m. to a house full of visitors?!?  Since this wasn’t our first rodeo, I thrust the baby at them and headed upstairs to bed, telling them to wake me up when she was ready to be fed!!  I know darn well I would have “entertained them” on my first and maybe even my second birth, but I was having none of it this time around.  Last and final note to readers: respect people having babies and don’t show up within hours of them giving birth, no matter how excited you are to see the baby!  And if you have just given birth, keep the visitors at bay until you are ready for them.  Even if it means putting your phone on Do Not Disturb!  Hmmm… sounds like a good upcoming blog post!  And this concludes the When Doulas Give Birth series – thanks for tuning in!

Don't forget to contact us in your search for the best doula in Calgary.