The Pragmatic Doulas

On this weeks podcast The Doulas discuss Roe Vs Wade and we have a big announcement for you too.

This week we explore Hypnobirthing and we dig into all things Kim.

This week The Doulas delve into what's going on with Suzanne these days.

This week Kim and Suzanne interview Stephanie and find out some new things about her and what she's up to these days!

This week The Doulas talk about how they manage doula work and summer time with their families and managing our mental health during this time.

Due to many situations working against us, we could not record an episode this week. So we hope you enjoy this encore presentation of Ep 82 from August 2020 - Watch Your Language. "This week The Doulas discuss the use of language in social media, your contracts or on your website and when interacting with potential clients. You have to remember that what you say can value or devalue someones experience or who they are. So Watch Your Language!

After a rough couple of weeks The Doulas sit back and talk about the politics that are occurring in their province. Everything in life is political.

This week The Doulas learn about Cranial Sacral Therapy and how it can benefit babies and adults. We talk with Cranial Sacral Therapist Meaghan Beames of Beames CST and her CST student, the beloved Carissa who is more like family than guest at this point. You can follow Meaghan on Instagram @beamescst

This week The Doulas tackle burn out as a doula. Would you recognize it if you were experiencing it? Have you had burn out and what did that look like and how did you manage it? As seasoned doulas we have seen our fair share of it. Let us know about your experiences. Email us at ThePragmaticDoulas@gmail.com

This week The Doulas talk to one of their listeners Candace Cain about her experiences as a new doula and a new doula with a young child and how she is navigating being a new doula in this crazy pandemic world. You can find Candace on Instagram @Doulacandace

This week The Doulas have the pleasure of chatting with Online Business Coach and Mentor Nichole Joy Nichole chats with us about turning marketing your business on its head! Re-thinking the way we market our doula businesses. Whether its online, or in person. You can find Nichole on Instagram @nichole_joy__ On Facebook - Birth Your Online Business Her Podcast is also available for listening "Birth Your Online Business with Nichole Joy And her website: www.nicholejoy.com/more

This week Kim and Steph hold down the fort and just have a good old fashioned chin wag! 

Have you ever found your client struggling with the decision to continue feeding baby from their body? What did you do? How did you advice them on this decision. Did you try to talk them out of it or did you support their decision to stop?

Have your clients given you negative feed about your support? Was it constructive or did you feel attacked and get angry? This week, Stephanie, Suzanne and Kim discuss why even if the feedback is negative it can still be a learning experience and why open discussion and clarity are key in our work as doulas and childbirth educators.

This week Stephanie and Kim discuss things that have happened to them during a birth that their clients never knew. Creating that aura of calm and confidence can sometimes an Oscar worthy performance.

This week, and a major upset on Instagram, The Doulas discuss the benefits of using Instagram for your business. Does it help? Is it a waste of time or incredibly beneficial?

This week Suzanne and Kim hold down the fort while Steph supports a birthing parent. We talk about what our daily and weekly lives look like as birth worker. Spoiler alert, its not your typical 9-5. And that's the way we like it!

This week we respond to a topic request from a listener. We talk about Virtual Support and how to make it best for you and your clients.

You've got questions, and we've got answers. We've collected a few questions over the past couple of weeks and are sitting down and answering them in the most pragmatic way we know how. If you have a question let us know, you can email us at ThePragmaticDoulas@gmail.com or hit us up on Instagram.

This week the doulas chat with special guest Julia Ross, Director of Client Services at New Hope Surrogacy Follow them on Instagram at @newhopesurrogacyinc

This week Kim and Stephanie discuss the many facets of work as a postpartum doula. How your support can change from one client to the next and from one day to the next.

This week Suz and Steph discuss what's in your doula bag. We discussed this about 4 years ago so we thought we would update the list for 2022.

This week, The Doulas share the many things they have had to deal with as new doulas, 15-20years ago that new doulas today won't have to deal with. From their own brains and the help of several seasoned doulas from social media we have quite a list and a big trip down memory lane. Also mentioned in the podcast, if you are looking to spend any charitable dollars, Suzanne talks about the great work being done locally through Call Auntie. You can connect with Suzanne at Suzanne@BPdoulas.com to donate.

This week, in our continuing series to highlight various training organizations Kim and Stephanie chat with Doula Canada's Education Director Sondra Marcon.

This week Kim, Steph and Suzanne address comments made on Facebook and how to preserve your mental sanity by clearing out that negativity and walking away from it.

This week, Kim and Steph hold down the fort and discuss the benefits of birth planning and helping clients educate themselves on all their birth options.

This week Kim, Suzanne and Stephanie discuss 2022 and the goals they have. They then creep into the often scary discussion of money.

This week Stephanie, Suzanne and Kim discuss how to manage your contract during this period of rising covid numbers and ever changing hospital protocols.

This week The Doulas discuss their baby's first Christmas' and they managed during those early weeks and months close to the holidays. How did you manage your first holiday season after the birth of your baby?

This week The Doulas chat with Sarah Thompson from Functional Maternity about how Functional Medicine can support during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. Preparing you to prepare for birth. www.FunctionalMaternity.com Instagram: @Functional.Maternity

This week, The Doulas discuss the continued use of negative, value laden language used by care providers, that contributes to the physical and emotional outcomes their patients births.

Why do some people barely feel contractions and some are in debilitating pain right from the beginning? In this weeks episode we chat about the spectrum of pain people experience in labour. What was your birth experience like for your contractions and what you experienced? Let us know at ThePragmaticDoulas@gmail.com

This week the doulas speak with L&D Nurse Sabrina Chunara, about what its like working in labour and delivery during a pandemic, working with doulas and how everyone can work together to create a perfect team for birthing parents.

This week Stephanie and Suzanne discuss how doulas support VBACs.

This week we start a regular series of chatting with trainers. In our first instalment we chat with Ontario based trainers Suyin Jordan of Cherry Blossom Doulas and Teresa Maskery of TRUST Prenatal, Postpartum and Doula Training Suyin and Teresa are Doula trainers with CAPPA and give us a look at what this training organization is all about.

Does a celebrity giving birth at home, or in water change how these are perceived in the general public? Did the Kardashians encapsulating their placenta spike a rise in this service? We discuss the impact celebrity birth has on our own work and if it helps or if it is a hinderance.

This week The Doulas talk about how client prenatals have changed over the years and how they are being managed now in this virtual world. The Doulas then dig deep into making prenatals about your clients birth wishes and not what you would wish for your clients birth.

This week The Doulas delve into birth in Brazil and the high cesarean birth rate. If you are in a Latin American country and would like to weigh in on this topic please share your story with us at ThePragmaticDoulas@gmail.com

This week Suzanne and Stephanie have the pleasure of reuniting on the podcast with our beloved friends Tanicia and Debbie. They are here to chat about the Ontario Black Doulas Society. This is one not to miss!!!

Have you seen doulas described as weird hippies that will make you birth with dolphins or was Hollywood actually portraying us as professionals that help and support and can make birth and postpartum better. We discuss!! What have you heard about Doulas in the media? Let us know by emailing us at ThePragmaticDoulas@gmail.com

This week, Stephanie takes us on a journey of discovery surrounding placenta encapsulation. How it's done, why people do it, the research and the legal and safety issues surrounding it. So join us as we tour the placenta, and all its glory.

This week we are back to full strength and we chat about how many clients one can comfortably take without burning out or disappointing your clients. Are you a doula who would like to be promoted on our podcast? Then shoot us an email and tell us how great you are and we'll highlight you at the end of our episode. The PragmaticDoulas@Gmail.com

Did you miss us? We missed you. But we are back now with a new flow, awesome new topics, and great guests for the end of 2021. This week we will be chatting about our big business fails. What didn't work for us and hopefully you will learn from our mistakes. Remember to rate us and we'd love to hear what business tips and tricks have worked for you. Especially ones that may be out of the box.

This week we have one last encore presentation for you. An episode we did back in May 2019 with our dear friends and supporters Tanicia Reedon and Debbie Alleyne-Elie. We will be back next week with all brand new episodes and new topics. We can't wait for you to see the new and improved Pragmatic Doulas.

This week The Doulas are taking some time to relax and have a good long look at the podcast and make some changes and do some revamping to keep it fresh and fun. So in the meantime, enjoy this encore presentation of Episode 28 - "As I Creek My Way To The Car" an episode we did back in July 2019 with the incomparable Sam Leeson of BabyREADY. You can catch her on TikTok as well for lots of great info on birth and pregnancy!! As always you can reach us at ThePragmaticDoulas@gmail.com

This week The Doulas have as their special guest, Cheyenne Scarlett, @MotherOfScarlets on Instagram. Cheyenne has created a phenomenal workbook, "Deep Dive: A Self Reflection Workbook for Birth Workers" "This workbook is designed to help you take a deep dive into your inner thoughts, habits and beliefs. Birth work is whole person work and how we view ourselves as well as others, can make an impact on how we work with clients." Available on www.BabyPlanner.ca

This week, The Doulas discuss work life balance and how it is impossible to achieve, especially as a doula or a new parent. Instead we strive for harmony in our life. How about you? Are you shooting for balance? How's that going for you?

This week we answer an email from one of our amazing listeners. Missing Doula Steph, Kim and Suzanne dive into babies in the NICU and babies on schedules and how a doula is to navigate the differences between philosophies.

This week The Doulas along with Carissa Marks Thomson review the book Expecting Better by Emily Oster. See what how they feel about this extremely popular birth related book.

This week The Doulas dive into medical consent in the check in and discuss what classes/workshops they have been taking to assist in their birthing business. Have a topic you want to hear about it? Email it to ThePragmaticDoulas@gmail.com

This week The Doulas discuss the various ways to feed a baby and how being a doula, they support clients where they are in that spectrum of options.