Your haven for all things pregnancy, birth, babies, family, and motherhood. First things first - You can check out the latest + greatest blogs below, read more about me here, check out my birth and maternity photography here, and book your birth doula services free meet + greet here!
Adorable M’s mom was adamant that birth support and photography be part of her surgical experience, and midwifery, obstetric, and anesthesia teams made it happen. Sharing birth moments through photos can go a long way toward showing other families how birth *really* looks like in various scenarios, including what many families are afraid of: a C-section birth. See how joyful and calm a C-section can be HERE!
Adorable T’s family couldn’t wait to meet the stubborn little girl who just wouldn’t somersault out of her breech positioning. After their calm and thoughtful Calgary planned C-section birth, they did just that! See the sweet moments HERE!
Adorable C joined her family after an induction; she was just too stubborn to come out spontaneously! After a labor including many popsicles, some storytelling, and a lot of laughter, we finally met this special princess!
Adorable N’s family felt that birthing at home was the right choice for baby #2! Their beautiful home created a comfortable, inspiring, and serene labor and birth space, and Adorable N was born into a birth pool in their playroom, supported by their Registered Midwives and Certified Doula. See the amazing moments HERE!
Here are 20 amazing play ideas that require nothing but what’s already inside your home, plus some adult supervision!
Aren't the holidays so magical? Twinkly lights… Glittering snow… Festive music… And a perfectly juicy platter of judgement served up at the family Christmas table. Join me with Calgary Registered Psychologist, Janice Jenkins, as we unpack four types of judgement we think you might encounter this Christmas, and how to help yourself through each.
“Do I need to vaccinate my baby?” Use this quiz to evaluate your child’s baseline risk for “catching COVID” to help you understand what level of precautions could protect them from serious or lasting illness.
Although midwives + doulas share a lot in common, they actually bring distinctly different roles and skillsets to your birth environment. Having both a midwife and a doula as part of your birth team can statistically improve your birth outcomes and satisfaction; it’s the best pregnancy combo since peanut butter and pickles.
Maternity care and new car sales are both deserving of a solid strategy and a trusted team! Learn four lessons applicable to pregnancy AND vehicle shopping so you can expand both your family and your seating capacity with confidence!
If you've ever tried a hand or footprint craft before, you know they're SO tricky!! Your model is always pulling away, they scrunch their hands up and dig into the clay, ink, or paper with their fingers, and eventually you give up with little to show but a sloppy mess.
This faux-clay project has the look of classic salt-dough ornaments with less stickiness, no baking required, and soft-to-the-touch durability when finished, making it extra suitable for younger crafters too! Read on for a tutorial complete with a basic option as well as modifications for involving a toddler or preschooler!
Are you a Calgary DIY Queen mom, or more of a Pinterest-fail mom? Either way, this holiday memory ornament tutorial can be adapted for all levels of crafiness, from “I sew my own Halloween costumes” to “I don’t even own a glue gun.”
Labor and birth is deserving of the ultimate audio soundtrack! Learn four ways the perfect playlist can help you achieve your best birth, and check out adora’s curated active labor playlist, perfect for the Millennial Mom!
As of October 4, 2021, ONE support person is welcome in Alberta Health Services maternity units AND requests by patients for two designated support persons (such as a doula) will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If a professional doula is part of your birth support team, keep reading to find out what you can do to ensure that person is by your side when you truly need them.
Deciding whether you want to receive a COVID-19 vaccine can feel like a very monumental and stressful decision. If you’re struggling to land on a comfortable answer for yourself, here are some decision-making frameworks, factors, and evidence-based information sources that might help.
A quick Google search for “hospital bag list” brings up so many hits, it’s anxiety-inducing. Check out this tried-and-tested version that breaks it down into the essentials vs. nice-to-haves so you can give birth without a concierge and a luggage cart. ;)
”Is this person safe?” ”Will they have to social distance from me? That’s not helpful…” ”What happens if they get sick?”
If questions like this have held you back from hiring the birth team you really want, check out what adora birth + wellness is doing to ensure your family is both safe + supported during COVID-19.
You’re exhausted, stinky-sweaty-milky, and thrilled to see just about anyone who knocks on your door. That’s newborn life.
To help you get the support you need without feeling like a nag, here’s a resource that can be used to encourage guests to offer a helping hand while visiting. Download adora’s printable door sign, square for your IG feed/facebook, and a rectangle for your instagram stories, DMs, or text messages! Make sure to share with your parenting friends, newborn + beyond!
It’s so hard to say “NO” to newborn visitors when a) you feel like you’re depriving your family + friends of meeting baby, and b) you really REALLY could use some help for an hour or two!
To avoid awkward conversations, download adora’s printable door sign, square for your IG feed/facebook, and a rectangle for your instagram stories, DMs, or text messages! Make sure to share with your parenting friends, newborn + beyond!
Pregnancy is sheer chaos. Not only are you GROWING A HUMAN [ yeah, you’re kind of a big deal! ], but there’s so much to do right from the moment you pee on a stick. So when is the right time to hire a doula, and how can you make it quick and painless?
I distinctly remember one family consultation where the dad recounted “I just learned this is actually for me too!” Yes, a doula is there for dad as much as she is for mom…and sometimes maybe even moreso. Read on for the top 6 ways dads + doulas are great together!
If you love someone who is pregnant or has just brought a new baby home, you’re feeling helpless, unable to do much to support them. I know how hard newborn life can be - AND how difficult it is to find the PERFECT gift, especially when malls and stores are closed! - so read on for my list of Calgary service businesses who would make an AMAZING newborn gift and are also supporting local, contact-free and social distancing-appropriate!
Despite guidelines saying that doulas can be allowed in your birthing room, Alberta hospitals aren’t making the discretionary allowances you’re entitled to ask for. If a professional doula is part of your desired birth support team, keep reading to find out what you can do to get that person back at your side.
What happens when you're giving birth during a pandemic? What if you or your partner test positive for COVID-19? How do you properly prepare if you're self isolating? And who really wants to go to a hospital right now?!?
Certified birth doula Lindsey Bowns CD(DONA) shares protocols and evidence-based information from the World Health Organization, the CDC, and Alberta Health Services.
What happens when you're breastfeeding during a pandemic? What if you test positive for COVID-19?
Certified lactation consultant, Mercedes Eustergerling IBCLC, M.PT and birth doula Lindsey Bowns CD(DONA) share evidence-based information from the World Health Organizations, the CDC, and Alberta Health Services.
So…you’re in coronavirus quarantine with nothing but the same old, boring stuff to entertain your kids from now until…next week? April 1st? Eternity? Who even knows. Not to worry! As a professional dance educator, I’ve got your back, mama! I’ve compiled a kid-friendly playlist that will get little bodies to expend some energy before naptime.
So…you’re in coronavirus quarantine with nothing but the same old, boring stuff to entertain your kids from now until…next week? April 1st? Eternity? Who even knows. Not to worry! Here are 20 amazing play ideas that require nothing but what’s already inside your locked and Lysol-wiped doors, plus some adult supervision!
An equal world is an enabled world. How are you helping to forge a gender equal world? Celebrate women's achievement. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality. This International Wome’s Day, I’m telling part of my story.
Having a baby is a life changing event. A birth doula can guide you seamlessly through pregnancy, labor, birth, and into early postpartum life. Read on for an in-depth look at doula support.
Your mini-you needs things like diapers, food, and furniture…But you already knew that! Here are five things that are essential to a positive birth experience that may cause unexpected sticker shock.
Adorable D wasn’t ready to come out on his own time, so his parents chose a calm and thoughtful induction. Sharing birth moments through photos can go a long way toward showing other families how birth *really* looks like in various scenarios, including what many families are afraid of: artificial pitocin. See how joyful and gentle an induction birth can be HERE!