Last night, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced a series of initiatives with the goal of reducing maternal mortality rates in New York State. In his words, “Maternal mortality should not be a fear anyone in New York should have to face in the 21st century.” Indeed, this sentiment could be echoed by any […]

Everyone knows the answer to what is a doula, but not everyone understands what exactly it is that they do. While a doula is there to provide support to the mother, they are also there to ensure that labor is safe, a little easier and sometimes faster. This can be attributed to the continual emotional, […]

There are typically three different phases of labor—early labor, active labor and transition. But in some instances, often for first time labors, there is a fourth phase: prodromal labor. While this phase doesn’t happen often, when it does it can cause a lot of confusion, especially for first time moms unless they have a certified […]

Expectant mothers have probably seen enough movies and television shows that depict labor that they know how important breathing is to help them focus during labor. Lamaze breathing used to be quite popular as it taught mothers patterned breathing, such as hee-hee-hoo. While Lamaze has moved away from patterned breathing, focusing on the breath and […]

Chances are if you are an expectant mother, you’ve heard the term “doula” before. In case you haven’t, a certified doula is a hired professional who is there to provide physical and emotional support, and information before, during, and after birth to both the expectant mother and the father. Besides providing support, what other reasons […]