Preparing for your prenatal visit with your birth doula

When and where do we meet?Your visit should be scheduled around your 36/37th week in pregnancy. Typically, your doula will come to your home however, if you feel more comfortable meeting somewhere else or virtually this can be arranged. Budget around 1-2 hours at your prenatal appointment.What will we discuss?What happens after the prenatal visit?During the prenatal visit, most clients utilize the time to discuss their birth preferences, delve into their options, and address any anxieties or fears that may be …

Mindfulness for pregnancy and new parents

Congratulations on your pregnancy and parenthood journey! As you embark on this transformative time, practicing mindfulness can greatly enhance your experience. Here are five valuable tips from Miranda, yoga teacher and birth doula, on mindfulness tailored to pregnancy and new parents… 1. Embrace the Present Moment: Pregnancy and early parenthood can be overwhelming, with thoughts constantly focused on the past or future. Mindfulness encourages you to fully embrace the present moment. Take time each day to tune into your body, …

Explaining the Bishop Score For Labor Preparation

Bishop Score for induction decisions

As expectant parents approach their due dates, healthcare providers often assess their readiness for labor. One tool commonly used for this assessment is the Bishop Score. Developed by Dr. Edward Bishop in the 1960s, the Bishop Score helps determine the likelihood of a successful induction of labor or the progress of spontaneous labor. What is the Bishop Score? The Bishop Score is a numerical system used to evaluate the cervix in terms of its readiness for labor. It takes into …

Staying Cool In The Summer Months While Pregnant

Pregnant during the summertime? If you’re anything like I was, you may be feeling extra.. ✨glowy.✨ With sweat. It’s hot. The hormonal rushes that surge throughout the pregnancy experience are enough to have you going to sit in dressing rooms in target to strip naked and cool down (surely that couldn’t have just been me?) but then you add SUMMER HEAT?! Glowing, alright. 😉 Here’s some ways to stay cool & comfortable in the summer; whether you’re in the first …

10 Questions to Ask Your Provider about Pregnancy, Birth, & Postpartum from BBS Senior Doula Kerry Reynolds

Kerry Reynolds is a Balanced Birth Support Senior Doula serving Metro DC & Greater Maryland. She has been a birth doula for over a decade with tons of experience supporting all kinds of births including home birth, medicated and non–medicated hospital, cesarean birth, twin deliveries, LGBTQ families and VBAC deliveries. Learn more about Kerry by visiting her Balanced Birth Support profile. Getting to know your doctor or midwife is an important part of preparing for birth & postpartum.  Its essential that …

Baby Proofing Your Home: Protect Your Baby and Your Home at the Same Time

Julia Weaver is a writer on the content marketing team at Redfin. She was inspired to write this article because of her sister, a mother of two trying to keep her home as safe and as clean as possible! Baby proofing your home is hardly a one-time event. As your child grows, so do potential hazards they’ll face and opportunities for your child to dirty and destroy your home that you just spent what felt like hours making spotless. Because …

Budget-Wise Building Blocks of Health to Keep You and Your Baby Healthy

Based in Grandville MI, Jennifer McGregor is a pre-med student who enjoys writing about health and medical topics and providing health and medical resources. She co-created PublicHealthLibrary as a way to push reputable information on health topics to the forefront, making them easier and quicker to find Budget-Wise Building Blocks of Health to Keep You and Your Baby Healthy  Health and wellness are the foundations for a long and happy life. This is why taking care of yourself is so …

Alleviating Common Pregnancy Aches and Pains by Rebekah Mustaleski, CPM-TN

Rebekah Mustaleski is Compression Director with MotifMedical.com and a Certified Professional Midwife with Roots & Wings Midwifery in Knoxville, TN, where she promotes evidence-based maternity care for families seeking an out of hospital delivery. She is working to improve maternal outcomes during the childbearing year and to promote a sustainable business model for midwifery practices across the country. Rebekah is co-owner of Roots & Wings Midwifery, LLC as well as Treasurer for the Tennessee Midwives Association. If you look up …

You Are Not Alone: Statistics, Resources, & Support for Victims of Domestic Violence

“Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and emotional abuse. The frequency and severity of domestic violence can vary dramatically; however, the one constant component of domestic violence is one partner’s consistent efforts to maintain power and control over the other.” National Coalition Against Domestic Violence The victims of domestic violence and its …

Hey Maryland! Balanced Birth Support wants YOU to work with us supporting families in Greater Maryland!

Balanced Birth Support is a group of well respected birth and postpartum doulas, lactation consultants, sleep specialists, and childbirth educators. We have been serving families in the DC metro area for over a decade and have expanded to include Boston, North Carolina, New York, and New Hampshire. Most recently we  have begun serving families in Greater Maryland including Montgomery & Frederick Counties, Baltimore, Annapolis, and surrounding areas, and the Eastern Shore! We are looking for birth and postpartum doulas of …