Ever wonder what a doula is and what they can do for you? The word doula is actually a Greek word that means women’s servant. A doula is a non-medical assistant in childbirth. Here’s how a doula can help you achieve a positive birth experience.

A doula’s job depends largely on their training and what you need them to do. A doula offers assistance in one or all of the three phases of pregnancy. They can:

1. Offer support during prenatal care,
2. Offer support during childbirth
3. Be an essential support person after childbirth and during the postpartum period.

Prenatal Care Doula Assistance

Before childbirth, a doula can answer a myriad of questions a pregnant mother may have. She can also assist with nutrition guidelines and offer assistance when it comes to preparing for the actual childbirth. She may also assist the midwife with any examinations. If an expectant mother is dealing with a difficult pregnancy or is assigned to bed rest, an Antepartum Doula can provide emotional and physical support.

Childbirth Assistance

Depending on the level of training a doula has, she may attend your home labor, drive you to the hospital, and attend your birth at the hospital or birthing center.

Her primary job will be to make sure the birthing experience is as positive as possible. She may offer massage, assist with pain-relieving techniques like deep breathing exercises and she can also help facilitate the communication between husband or partner and wife. She can be invaluable for keeping everyone calm, cool, and collected.

She’s the mother’s and the father’s advocate during the labor and delivery process.

Postpartum Doula

A postpartum doula can begin immediately after delivery and she can assist with the breastfeeding process, which can be a real challenge for many new mothers.

Postpartum doulas also facilitate the recovery period and can visit a new mother in her home. She can offer newborn care assistance and advice and in some cases, help the mother manage the household by helping with chores and tasks. Additionally, postpartum doulas can be essential for recognizing and helping mothers through postpartum depression.

Where to Go to Find a Doula

If you’re interested in hiring a doula to help with any stage of your pregnancy you can visit americanpregnancy.org and search for a doula in your area. Certification is not required by law but it is available. When dealing with your health and happiness, certification is generally a good idea. You can also visit DONA, Doulas of North America to find a certified doula near you. When hiring a doula, be sure to hire one who is knowledgeable and skilled in the stage of pregnancy you need her for. Ask about training and fees, and make sure she’s available when you need her.

Doulas offer expectant mothers the comfort and convenience they need at this important time in their lives. They’re someone you can rely on to share information, support you emotionally and physically, and to help you manage your upcoming and new responsibilities. While they’re not really a ‘woman’s servant’ they truly are valued and a wonderful way to enhance the birth experience.

Remember when you were young and played outside all day? Most children don’t do that anymore and they’re missing out. Not just on exercise and fresh air but a true appreciation for nature and our environment. Here are six fun and green outdoor activities to encourage more time outdoors.

#1 Host a scavenger nature hunt. Give children a digital camera and send them on a hunt for all things nature. For example, your list can contain items like dandelions, worms, a maple leaf, and a ladybug and so on. You can adjust the list of items to hunt for to the age of your children. If digital camera skills are beyond your little ones, then give them a pad of paper and a pencil so they can check off the items they find.

#2 Bird watching or stargazing. Looking up at the sky can fill hours of time and when you make it active, by looking for specific birds, bird habitats, constellations or planets, children learn and have fun. Both activities can be enhanced with a telescope or binoculars, but they can also be accomplished with the naked eye. Head to the library to pick up a book on birds or constellations and watch the fun.

#3 Watching bugs. Ants, bees, fireflies and praying mantises are fantastic to watch and children, for some crazy reason, like bugs. Children can learn about what bugs eat, how they interact and communicate with each other and how they benefit nature. They’re the bottom and the top of the circle of life.

#4 Go fly a kite! Flying a kite is 100% green and you can easily add a bit of a Benjamin Franklin lesson into the playtime. It takes zero energy, other than the energy you need to keep up with the kite, and if you add making a kite from household items into the outing then it’s a super environmentally-friendly outdoor activity.

#5 Remember pet rocks? Those goofy items sold back in the 70s are actually a great outdoor activity. Using non-toxic and environmentally safe paint, children can paint their favorite rock to look like a dog, cow, pig, monkey or whatever their favorite animal is. They can gather a collection of rocks and paint a whole zoo or barnyard. To keep mess at bay, lay out a piece of newspaper on the ground and let children create their masterpieces outside where it doesn’t matter as much if they spill the paint.

#6 Nature rubbings are one way for children to combine their artistic voice and an exploration of nature. All you need are some non-toxic crayons with the paper peeled off so children can use them sideways, paper, a hard surface and a bit of nature. Place the item to be explored, like a leaf or a flower, under the paper and on top of the hard, smooth, surface; then rub the crayon over the top of the paper. The image will come through. Children can create amazing masterpieces by rubbing a number of items on one page or they can add their own personal touches.

There are so many amazing things for children to enjoy and explore outside and most of them are completely environmentally friendly. Teach your children to love nature and being outdoors and they’ll grow with an appreciation for the planet we live on.

Home births are becoming popular for a number of reasons. Let’s take a look at the benefits and when a home birth is not the right choice.

1. With safety being one of the primary factors when making a decision between home birth and hospital birth, much of the research on home births has found that infant and mortality rates are a little bit better in a home birth. And they’ve found that there’s less chance of c-sections, induced labor or the use of forceps.

2. It’s also widely accepted that a home birth is significantly less stressful for the mother, which may be related to the fact that home births are slightly safer than hospital births.

3. A home birth means you can have whomever you want in the room with you.

4. A home birth means you can walk around, make a sandwich, listen to music, watch television or do whatever you feel like doing while they’re in labor. Hospital rooms are much more restrictive.

5. A home birth allows you to give birth in whatever position you feel most comfortable in. The old “on your back with your feet in the stirrups” isn’t the only position a woman can give birth in, really!

6. A home birth means you can eat and drink whatever you desire. Hospitals give you ice chips.

7. A home birth means no intervention without your permission. Hospitals often tell you what they’re doing about halfway through the procedure when it’s too late to tell them you don’t want pitocin and you don’t want that IV stuck into the back of your hand.

8. A home birth means you can bond with your baby immediately without them being whisked away to be sanitized and swaddled. You can do the sanitizing and swaddling as you see fit.

9. A home birth means you will likely use a midwife and that experience alone is enough for many women to choose home birth. Midwives tend to have a more personal approach to childbirth and their patients.

10. Finally, a home birth allows you to recover from childbirth in the comfort of your own home. If you’ve ever been in the hospital, even if it’s for a wonderful reason like childbirth, then you know first hand that it’s not a great place to be. Home is much better.

Generally, if you’re having a healthy pregnancy with no complications and you don’t need to have a cesarean then a home birth is a safe option. However, midwives are also capable of performing c-sections in the event it’s necessary. If you’re healthy, and are having a normal pregnancy then a home birth may be the right choice for you.