by Madelaine, doula & yoga teacher The selection of books available can be overwhelming.  What you are drawn to will largely depend on your approach to pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting.  I think the most important thing is to find something that resonates with you, so that you will actually read it – and so that [...]

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by Madelaine, doula & yoga teacher Whether you have a baby on the way or have one already, have you thought about the first relationship, the marriage or partnership that created this family?  I want to suggest that spending time on nurturing that connection is not a luxury or a privilege, but necessary and in [...]

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by Madelaine, Yoga Teacher & Doula “While all of your (birth) planning may create a cocoon of security, in actuality, the course of your labor is unknowable…your critical task is to prepare for a birth that has no script.” ~ Birthing From Within by Pam England You can prepare for birth, but you cannot plan [...]

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by Madelaine, Yoga Teacher & Birth Doula This is an honest and inspiring video from TED.com about the realities of parenthood.  Alisa Volkman and Rufus Griscom, who co-founded the website Babble.com and co-parent 3 young sons, say that there are “Even more taboos around parenting than there are about sex.” Their theme that “false advertising about [...]

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My first client ever was a husband, who sought me out to be the doula for the birth of his first child.  His wife was more than happy to have me on board, but it was he who first expressed his desire to have another person in their corner. “I’m not sure I can be [...]

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Use your brain – a great tool for pregnancy, labour, and for life! I first came across this during a HypnoBirthing class with Natasha Marchand and thought it was great. When faced with a recommendation, question, or decision needing to be made at any point during pregnancy or labour (barring an emergency situation), always remember to [...]

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I will never get over the miraculousness of birth. We can listen to birth stories, watch birth videos, and imagine the reality of birth, but nothing in any of these things can compare to being in the room when a new baby arrives . . .  At the moment a baby is born, the air [...]

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This is an amazing article about pain in labour and birth, by Karen Fisk.  It looks at the topic with a lens that is honest and empowering.  I haven’t found this piece in full anywhere online, and I think so many more women should have the opportunity to read it!  I’ll paste it here in [...]

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After seeing many recent ultrasound images of babies in utero, I dug up this one, of my mother’s uterus, and me inside it, in March of 1979.  With this image, my parents were able to “see” their baby – but hardly, by today’s standards! Feeling connected to her baby can happen the moment a woman [...]

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We are social creatures . . . we crave connection.  Especially during one of the most significant upheavals we will experience – becoming parents for the first time. Whether you have been there yourself, are awaiting a new arrival, or trying to understand what a friend is going through, this is a wonderful article.  We [...]

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Sound: an essential ingredient in yoga, labour, and birth.  Whether it’s the sound of your own breath, the inhales and exhales of the person beside you, the sound of music that supports you during a yoga practice or labour, or the deep birthing sounds of a woman bringing a baby into the world, there is [...]

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