Birthing Babies Virginia is the Seminar program and it is being taught by Jamie Mueller, a local Lamaze Educator and Doula who lives in Lovettsville, VA and is a contracted doula with Balanced Birth Support. The first step to becoming a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator is to take the 3 day educator seminar. This seminar also comes with a free year of membership to the Lamaze DC Chapter which will mentor you, provide you with CEUs, and advertise your classes …
Meet Drea! Birth & Postpartum Doula
Sometimes you can tell the genuine character of a person simply from a short conversation or even an email. Drea is enthusiastic and throws her heart into whatever she is doing- whether volunteering, reading a book, singing at the top of her lungs in the car, or supporting families in birth; you know that she is all in. I am a huge reader, so I LOVE that when I asked her about her favorite books she narrowed it down to …
Meet Stephanie! A Balanced Birth Support NC Doula & Birth Photographer
I am really loving getting to know the Balanced Birth Support doulas! I continue to be in awe of their dedication not only to the birthing families that they work with, but also to their own families, community and the world around them. Stephanie Capps is one of our North Carolina team members, providing doula and photography services to the families of Raleigh and the surrounding areas. As the mother of two young children, she left behind the corporate world …
Birthing at Washington Hospital Center
SummaryWashington Medstar Hospital is a nationally recognized research hospital and according to their website the “Women’s and Infants’ Services is dedicated to advancing health care through ongoing participation in the latest research on female health issues.” They offer many pregnancy and parenting related classes. In addition to providing routine care for uncomplicated pregnancies, Washington Hospital Center has several departments focusing on high-risk pregnancies, care for pregnant moms and babies with congenital health problems, specialized testing, teen pregnancy, cancer screening and …
Meet Sara Krisfalusi! Birth Doula
I continue to be amazed at the passion, drive, and love of the members of our Balanced Birth Support community. As the administrative manager I rarely have the opportunity to work with these amazing women, so I am thrilled to be able to sit down with them to get to know them better. Next up, Sara Krisalusi, a birth doula who has been with Balanced Birth Support since 2017 Sara’s passion for birth is obvious in speaking with her or …
Meet Avele! Birth Doula
While I know for certain all of the birth doulas with Balanced Birth Support are amazing, I have to admit that I am a bit biased about Avele. She was my doula for my second birth and she is incredibly thoughtful, caring, non-judgemental, and incredibly compassionate. Also, she must be a fast and/or crazy driver because she was able to get from Northern Virginia to GW hospital in less than 30 minutes during rush hour making it in time to …
Typical Newborn Screenings and Procedures: What, How, When
Whether you give birth in a hospital, birth center, or at home, there are many different newborn screenings, shots, and other procedures that will be offered to you or at least discussed with your care providers sometime prior to giving birth. Some tests are used to determine how well your baby is adjusting to the world outside your womb or screen for potential health problems; others are preventative against immediate or future health problems. Depending on where you live, some …
Birthing at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital
SummaryFort Belvoir Community Hospital is a new, state-of-the art military hospital designed to provide “safe, quality, and compassionate care” to our nations active duty military, veterans, and their families. The hospital began serving patients in August of 2011 and was built with evidenced based design in mind- proving a facility designed to produce better physical and emotional outcomes for patients and their families. The hospital is also focused on research and education. In addition to OB/GYN providers, FBCH has a …
Breech Birth: What do you need to know?
Breech birth is a common presentation of a baby at birth. It is estimated that 1 in 25 babies (3-5%) present bottom or feet first when labor begins. Vaginal delivery of breech babies had been the norm until the 20th-century when medical interventions and technology became widespread and cesarean sections became common. While many care providers only deliver breech babies via c-section, there are many obstetricians and midwives who are experienced in breech birth and will attempt a safe vaginal …
