Does Experience Matter?

How many births have you been to? This is a question we get from almost every new client we interview with. There seems to be a premium put on the amount of births a doula has attended. As a doula with over 12 years of experience and almost 400 births I can tell you: It doesn't matter. Each birth we attend is a unique and beautiful event. Even after all these years I find myself shaking my head afterwards and...Read More

The Reverse Cinderella

Baby focused instead of Parent focused There is so much attention with a new baby coming. It is easy to feel like Cinderella. You are pampered at baby showers. There are regular classes and checkups to attend. Everyone is asking how you feel during pregnancy and inquiring about your plans for birth. During the postpartum phase, visitors are often focused on meeting and holding the new baby. Neglecting that the new parents may have needs. Lack of support After birth,...Read More

Meet Your Doulas: Holly Yeager

Holly has been a doula since 2009. She believes in creating a healthy emotional experience for all of her clients. "Because childbirth is one of the most profound things we can go through as parents, I believe that having the very best care is paramount." Holly is trained and certified as a Birth Doula through CAPPA,  DONA, and ProDoula. She is also trained and certified as a Placenta Encapsulation Specialist through IPPA and ProDoula. She holds her Postpartum Doula and...Read More

A breakdown of ACOG’s new recommendations

Recently ACOG (The American college of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) released a committee opinion report titled "Approaches to Limit Intervention During Labor and Birth". This new report has a list of steps that care providers can implement to create a safer and more satisfying birth experience.  ACOG has had a long standing stance on the benefit of doula support and it is great to see that on the list. Here is the breakdown of the new recommendations: Continuous Support During Labor: Doulas –...Read More

Meet Your Doulas: Mallary Sheehan

Meet Mallary Sheehan Mallary has been a doula with Lancaster Doulas LLC since 2016. Her passion for birth and babies is unmatched. Mallary's fun and bubbly personality makes her fun to work with while also being an anchoring presence. It starts with passion: When she was 16, she started to figure out her future career. She delved deep into herself to find what meant a lot to her, and what might be her life's work. She kept coming back to...Read More

Tricks For How To Eat Less Treats This Halloween

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. We have so much fun dressing up every year and visiting our neighbors. It is all my kids have been able to talk about for over a month. Many parents though don't want their kids snacking on the enormous amounts of candy that comes with the holiday. So how can you still enjoy the fun of Halloween without the candy fueled high that comes with it? Here are a few suggestions that can...Read More
birth plan

Birth Plan ( With Free Template )

Creating a birth plan with your partner is a great way to keep you on the same page with your wants and needs. It is also a great tool to help open a dialogue with your care provider. You can use this template as a jumping off point to create a more personalised plan, or you can use it as is. Lancaster Doulas makes it easy with our birth plan template. Just print it out, check the boxes of what you would...Read More

A quiet April morning

  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 !

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