Posts by Christie Rinder
Doula Support Positively Affects Breastfeeding
Improved breastfeeding outcomes are not merely opinion. Research has concluded what many mothers and doulas know from personal experience. Having a doula not only improves the birth experience, it makes the transition to a new life with baby smoother. Plainly stated doula support has a positive affect on breastfeeding! One study was conducted with 724 first time mothers.…
Read More7 Things About Writing a Birth Plan (updated 2022)
Many expectant parents ask us about a birth plan – what should go on it, what shouldn’t? For most people, a birth plan is a good idea, when used as a communication tool. By this we mean, it communicates your preferences to your care providers in a clear, succinct fashion. Birth is unpredictable and there…
Read More16 Reasons We Recommend Tampa General Hospital for Childbirth {updated May 2021}
We have had great experiences with the medical professionals of Tampa General Hospital. We’ve been toured through the entire labor and delivery ward and NICU. We’ve been invited numerous times to speak at their childbirth classes as a guest speaker and to help in teaching comfort techniques to their students. Establishing relationships and building bridges…
Read MoreThree Breastfeeding Tips
We support women no matter how they choose to feed their babies. It’s interesting to note that about 80% of women initiate breastfeeding in the US. Although breastfeeding is natures way to feed a baby, it doesn’t always come naturally to every mother and baby pair. For those who wish to succeed at breastfeeding here are…
Read MoreThe Problem With “Enjoy Them While They’re Little”
If you have children, you’ve surely received this bit of advice multiple times. It’s a favorite bon mot, offered usually from wiser, older, more experienced parents and grandparents. It has happened to me in a group on Facebook, a grocery store, a public building and sitting on a park bench; a well-meaning, grandmotherly-type woman observes me…
Read MoreHow Does a Doula Aid in Labor
We’re often asked about how a doula aids a laboring woman. How a doula supports a woman during birth depends on the individual woman, her needs and desires, additional supporters and birthing style. No birth or woman is cookie-cutter and as such what we do for each woman may be different. For instance, the new mother-to-be may…
Read MoreA Failure to Plan…A Plan for Failure?
Have you ever heard this expression? Both my father and father-in-law were in the Army, so this is a saying that I have heard over and over again. And while it’s not completely true in birth, it is still very applicable. As doulas, we hear a similar sentiment a lot… “I’m just going to go…
Read MoreMade me feel very comfortable and respected – Jessica, Tampa
Amazing! Amy was a last minute decision, and she was able to come to our birth mid-labor on a Sunday afternoon. As soon as she arrived, she jumped right in and tried to help me through my contractions. I had already been in labor for about 10-12 hours. Amy was super respectful to my wishes…
Read MoreHelped me stay calm – Autumn, Clearwater
I loved Christie’s calm and down-to-earth demeanor, and her attentiveness to both my and my husband’s expectations, concerns and questions. She immediately became a source of information, providing books and DVDs to help prepare us for our birth experience. As my pregnancy progressed, Christie’s knowledge and reassuring attitude helped me stay calm and unravel the…
Read MoreHappy Pills, Happy Mom???
Before the baby comes, eight to 12 weeks away from work seems like an eternity, right? Most pregnant professionals spend weeks preparing their teams, transitioning duties and creating process and procedure work flows. Many plan to work until either their estimated due date or the baby is born. We dream about all we’ll do -or…
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