newborn and siblings

Who Hires Postpartum Doulas?

By Christie Rinder | July 6, 2016

As awareness of postpartum doula support grows, many people ask us what type of family hires a postpartum doula. They often ask “Who hires postpartum doulas?” Here are just a few examples of who hires postpartum doulas: First-time parents.  When bringing your first baby home, everything is new! Feeding, sleeping, diapering, washing, doctors, daycares… it’s…

postpartum-doula-tampa

All Alone With My Newborn Baby

By Christie Rinder | July 4, 2016

I had planned to have a natural birth at a birth center but things didn’t turn out that way. My son was born via emergency cesarean and my world was turned upside down. My mother had a flight booked for the first week in January to be at the birth, but my son came two…

perineal-tearing-tampa-doula

The Low-Down on Tearing ‘Down There’

By Christie Rinder | June 23, 2016

You just had your baby! Yay! Congratulations! You also have a … (cue scary music) … tear. Try to relax, perineal lacerations, aka “tears,” are a common occurrence during vaginal birth. Yes, it’s common; in fact, it happens in more than two out of three vaginal deliveries. These lacerations are classified into four categories: First-degree:…

Postpartum Depression and Doulas

I’m Not Depressed – Why Do I Need a Postpartum Doula?

By Christie Rinder | January 8, 2016

Are postpartum doulas for people with postpartum depression? Postpartum doulas are not postpartum depression doulas. Postpartum doulas support women after the birth of a child, with or without postpartum depression. From the Merriam-Websters online dictionary: postpartum: adjective | post·par·tum  \ˌpōs(t)-ˈpär-təm\ 1. Relating to or happening in the period of time following the birth of a child. It…

Postpartum Doula

Meet Marisa Seegraves, Postpartum Doula

By Christie Rinder | November 18, 2015

I’m so excited to introduce you to my dear friend Marisa Seegraves. We met a few years ago on the Pinellas trail while picking up our kids from Ozona Elementary school and a sweet friendship (and carpool pick up schedule) was born. Marisa admired my Baltic amber necklace which led to her buying four amber necklaces from me (one for herself and one…

What Is A Postpartum Doula

A Postpartum Doula Is…..What? (updated in 2022)

By Christie Rinder | October 30, 2015

​Many people are just learning what a doula is. Some people are familiar with the idea of what a birth doula is. (A birth doula is professional, trained and experienced in childbirth, and offers physical, emotional and educational support to women in pregnancy and during labor and delivery.) But did you know there are also…