Tag: lancaster doulas

A quiet April morning

Posted on 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

So you want to have a VBAC?

Posted on 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 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 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

You’re Going To Eat Your WHAT ?!?

Posted on 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