This is a guest post by our Shining Light Doula, Amanda Guntrum. Here at Shining Light, we want to get to know our potential clients; and more importantly give you a chance to get to know us! This is essential. How can you sign on with a doula without feeling that you got a chance […]
The Practice of Mindfulness During Labor
This is a guest post by our doula, Amanda Guntrum. If you have picked up a book on labor or attended a birth prep class, you probably have come across the term “mindfulness.” When I started studying for my doula certification I came across this term often, but having no background in meditation I merely […]
Breastfeeding Bliss… or not… well, not yet.
This is a guest post by our Shining Light Doula, Amanda Guntrum. Breastfeeding – This is probably the part of motherhood that I am looking forward to the most. A simple Google image search of the word makes it look irresistible. Impeccably groomed young mothers cradling similarly well-groomed infants. The room is lit with soft lighting. […]
A doula softens a mother’s fears about her upcoming birth.
When a first birth doesn’t go as planned and a mother feels hurt, lost and afraid, she turns to her doula, Anneliese, for mentoring and support. Through her compassion and attentiveness, Anneliese lights this mother’s path so her fears are dissolved and she can move forward with grace and confidence to her upcoming birth with […]
An unintended guest at a birth mitigated by a Doula’s grace.
Sometimes we want additional friends or family members to join us for our births. Other times, we’d prefer birth to be a more private event. Margaret, one of our Shining Light Doulas, shares a story of an unintended guest and how she gracefully managed a challenging situation and turned it around to be a positive […]