Category: Lancaster Doulas

A quiet April morning

Posted on July 28, 2015April 6, 2017 by Holly Yeager

  It's a chilly April morning. The sun is just starting to rise over the horizon. Silence. Then a low moan. Another contraction hits and Sarah instinctively knows what to do.  She grabs John around the neck and drops into a deep squat, rocking and moaning until the contraction passes. I look at my watch. I have been here only two hours. Sarah had called me the night before to let me know that her Braxton Hicks contractions were getting...Read More

Help ! I want a doula but cannot afford one !

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Holly Yeager

Photo Captured at Hershey Hospital   Hiring a doula is one of the best decisions you can make for yourself. The expertise and compassion she brings to your birth is worth its weight in gold. With a price tag of $800- $2,000,a doula can fit into even tight budgets. Sometimes you just need to get creative. Cut down on unnecessary baby gear: There are some baby items that you absolutely need, like a car seat. But you do not need...Read More

The Mighty V-Giny

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Holly Yeager

7 Awesome facts you may not know about your lady parts  Photo from DesignSwan.com 1. All the eggs you will ever have are produced between 16-20 weeks gestation. That means if your amazing body ever housed a daughter, it also housed every potential grandchild you will ever have. Woah, talk about mind blowing. 2. The word "vagina" comes from the Latin root meaning "sheath for a sword." Um, cough... That's what she said. 3. The vagina is a potential space....Read More

My Mom Bod

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Holly Yeager

I have seen it all over my news feed lately: the "Dad Bod" and how this miraculous unicorn of a man body is all the rage amongst twenty-somethings and housewives alike.  Why is it that having a soft, round figure is only hot on dudes? I call bullshit on that right now. Comic Credit of HowBabyComic.com   The day after I had my oldest daughter I stood naked in the bathroom holding her above my now deflated belly. I ran...Read More

So you want to have a VBAC?

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Holly Yeager

Successful VBAC at Reading Hospital       Did you know the most influential factor in a successful VBAC is the care provider you choose? There are three types of providers: those that support VBAC, those that do not, and those that are supportive until the last minute. It can be a huge red flag if your care provider says, "We can wait until later /until your third trimester /until 36 weeks to talk about that."  Your care provider should...Read More

10 Ways To Naturally Encourage Labor

Posted on April 19, 2015August 15, 2017 by Holly Yeager

10 Ways To Naturally Encourage Labor   Disclaimer: DO NOT try any of these methods without first clearing it with your primary care provider.  1. Sex: "The best way to get baby out is the way he got in there in the first place" I love saying that to first time parents and watching their faces react as my words sink in. Yes, it is not only okay to have sex at the end of pregnancy it can be good...Read More

Baby-Friendly Initiative at Heart of Lancaster

Posted on March 7, 2015March 23, 2016 by Holly Yeager

 A Gentle Caesarian at Heart of Lancaster Using Baby Friendly Techniques       If you have ever given birth at Heart of Lancaster in Lititz, PA, you won't be surprised to learn that they are taking steps to become an officially baby friendly facility. In fact, you may have thought they already had this certification, since the care you received there demonstrated all 10-steps of a baby-friendly organization. This is applies to vaginal births as well as cesarean births. Baby-Friendly USA recognizes through...Read More

Finding (and loving) yourself again after baby

Posted on February 10, 2015November 7, 2016 by Holly Yeager

Remember stopping for gas and running into the store for a quick snack? Oh, to go back to that day when buying a pint of ice cream was as simple as unbuckling your seatbelt and walking into the store with your arms swaying by your side. How about when your clothes used to fit you? You could wear stuff made out of fancy materials like satin and glittery bits without getting little snot snail trails across them within ten minutes....Read More

Reflections of a Mother of 3

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Holly Yeager

The house is quiet. I have spent too much time on FaceBook and checking my emails. I have lost track of where the kids are. They must be up to no good. I get up and slowly check the house. Where could they be? Are they hiding? Are they fighting? As I walk upstairs I can hear two quiet voices coming from one of the bedrooms, whispering back and forth so as to not alert an adult to their whereabouts....Read More

The Great Date Debate: Do Dates Really Help You Go Into Labor?

Posted on January 10, 2015November 13, 2023 by Holly Yeager

Maybe you have seen the study posted on social media -- maybe a friend swore to you it worked -- but does eating dates in the last month of pregnancy really help you go into labor? What Science says: According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information ....... maybe ?!?!? Basically they studies 114 women, 69 of whom ate 6 dates each day for 4 weeks leading up to their "due date." According to the study, the women who ate...Read More

The Discount Doula Trap: How It Could End Up Costing You More Than You Think

Posted on December 8, 2014November 22, 2023 by Holly Yeager

Times are tough for many these days. Do a google search for ways to cut monthly spending, and there is a whole list of suggestions from cutting back on your daily coffee to refinancing your home. Many times, choosing the generic brand or lower priced item, will in fact save you money without lowering the quality of the product. Doula care is NOT one of these items. There are essentially two types of doulas: Professional doulas and hobby doulas. For...Read More

You’re Going To Eat Your WHAT ?!?

Posted on December 7, 2014January 27, 2016 by Holly Yeager

There has been a lot of buzz lately about placenta encapsulation. With big name stars like January Jones, Alicia Silverstone, and even Kim Kardashian speaking out about consuming their placentas, it's no wonder. Placentophagy, the act of eating your placenta, can be dated back to the 1500's when the Chinese would mix dried placenta with breast milk and then drink it to cure "Ch’i exhaustion." (Interesting side note: Ch'i exhaustion is considered a symptom of anaemia.) Eating your placenta has...Read More