midwifery. a day at the office.

 i am so grateful for a local midwifery office in the roanoke valley neighborhood. happy #internationalmidwiferyweek i spent the morning with my friendly, local community of midwives in roanoke,va. with degra nofsinger luna midwifery and crystal fink breath of life midwifery. i wanted to celebrate international midwifery week with them this year. it was my …

rainbow baby day is celebrated today

i am a rainbow baby parent and each year for 37 years, i have celebrated rainbow baby day rainbow baby day is august 22 each year. i like to celebrate it each year to remember my baby loss and then celebrate my baby girl born the next year. rainbow baby day is a celebration of …

suggestions for a successful 4th trimester

erin nuckols shares her suggestions for a successful postpartum period. she is a new mama, an excellent communicator, and also part of the roanoke doula collective. her strategy for navigating the 4th trimester was fresh on her mind because she recently had her first baby. in her free time, erin enjoys visiting with loved ones, …

postpartum plan from a new mama doula

what kind of postpartum support does a pregnant doula desire? i am a postpartum doula asking other doulas what kind of help they had after giving birth. recently, i asked  each doula in the roanoke doula collective about their births and what the 4th trimester care looked like. it was a great way for me …

my safe place looks like…. when anxiety strikes

when feeling anxious or troubled, here’s what my safe place looks like. i want to share my safe place and list of things i do to find my peace and i also want to offer resources to help you work through your feelings. may is mental health awareness month. i am thinking about all the …

a doula prepares her postpartum care after birth

what is she including in her postpartum care plan? i am asking my doula friend, veronika, how she is preparing for the upcoming arrival of her baby. what is she including in her postpartum plan of care? grammie doula: i would love to hear about your postpartum plans after this baby arrives.  being a doula …

pumpkin bars everyone is craving

moist dense nutrient-rich pumpkin bars for the postpartum mom. the natural goodness in these bars give quick energy and boost immune system. i am amazed at the natural goodness in these bars that give quick energy. these pumpkin bars are wonderful for the newly delivered mom during postpartum to nourish and replenish her body after …

overnight oats my way

nutritious breakfast of oats and apples oats. as i am discovering, are popular in lots of postpartum recipes, but this is my favorite way to make delicious overnight oatmeal. these ingredients made our house smell delicious last night and it was ready to eat when we got up early to start the day. i liked …

the cottage kitchen is a dream come true

delivering fresh or frozen meals right to your door in blacksburg,va. how did the dream for the cottage kitchen become a reality? the dream for the cottage kitchen included a host of factors that got me started taking baby steps to make the dream a reality. one factor in the dream for the cottage kitchen …

why i became a postpartum doula

because baby holding is my favorite thing to do and new moms need help from a postpartum doula in the 4th trimester. postpartum doula care is about holding space for new moms and babies during the mom’s recovery after birth. i have been researching and i am learning that in our middle tennessee area surrounding nashville, …