Giving Birth at Clearwater’s Morton Plant Hospital
Tampa Bay is fortunate to have many different excellent birth options, including Morton Plant hospital in downtown Clearwater. Today we had a private tour and are pleased to share what we learned! Before You Go into Labor You’ll be able to pre-register and meet with a special “family admission nurse” to talk about your choices and…
Breastfeeding Advice from a Tampa Bay IBCLC
First, congratulations on choosing to learn more about breastfeeding! Getting educated on breastfeeding will help you get off to a great start. Read books, talk to friends and professionals and ask questions; you are going to do great at this! You probably already know that breastfeeding is the biological norm. This is how we have…
Varicose Veins Postpartum
For more info check out the first two blog posts in this series here: Varicose Veins in Pregnancy Comfort Measures for Varicose Veins Will your varicose veins will go away after having the baby and if so, how soon? In my experience, there is not one straightforward answer. After my first baby, yes, completely gone,…
Comfort Measures for Varicose Veins (updated July 2022)
How to find comfort through a pregnancy with varicose veins, my tips below! About 28% of women will develop varicose veins in pregnancy. While they are mostly harmless in the short term they can cause pain and discomfort. Here are my recommendations and best comfort measures to try if you are dealing with varicose veins in…
Varicose Veins in Pregnancy
This is part one of a three part series on varicose veins in pregnancy and beyond. If you’re like me, before I had varicose veins I had no idea what they were, why I had them or why they hurt so bad! Background: Blood vessels have two directions of transportation throughout our body. Arteries carry…
Recovery Tips For the New Mother (updated July 2022)
A few recovery ideas for the new mother from Moms and doulas that have been there: 1. First, plan to rest for at least a month or more. You just had a baby. THIS is the biggest physical task you will probably ever achieve. REST! Get in bed and stay there for as long as…
Five Things My Doula Did For Me
So often we hear, “Why do I need a doula?” or “What does a doula do?” I looked back at my last birth and found five of the most important things my doula, Christie*, did for me. This list will look different for everyone, but I think it gives some more perspective to the common…
Outnumbered Parenting: More Kids than Adults
After the birth of my first child, I wondered how it would be emotionally possible to add another child to our family… where would I find the love? How could I possibly subtract anything from what I give to my darling daughter? And where would I find the time? It turns out that just like…
Leah Remini on Why She Hired a Doula
My husband, Mike Rinder, co-hosts the TV show Scientology: The Aftermath with actress, comedian and best-selling author Leah Remini. She visited the Tampa area a few months ago. At dinner one evening, I was pleased to learn that Leah Remini’s doula provided invaluable support after the birth of her daughter, Sofia, 12 years ago. She graciously agreed…
Six Naked Truths About Postpartum (updated July 2022)
You can count on the doulas of Buddha Belly to always give you the truth about pregnancy, postpartum and all things baby. Knowing what to expect will help you get prepared mentally for the changes and reality of life after giving birth. Yes, you will adore your brand new baby and want to show her…
Placenta Safety: What’s the Big Deal?
Why are we so adamant about safety when it comes to placenta encapsulation? (As a reminder, we don’t transport your placenta and we only encapsulate in your home.) There’s no doubt whose placenta it is. We provide all of our clients with a personal transportation kit, equipped with everything you need to safely move your placenta from…
Labor Pain and Nitrous Oxide
Have you heard about this new option for pain relief in labor – nitrous oxide? Well, to be fair it’s technically not new. Nitrous oxide, a tasteless, odorless gas made up of 50% nitrous and 50% oxygen, has long been used in other countries like England, Canada, Australia and more. It was used in the…