Meet Lauren – our newest Birth & Postpartum Doula!
Welcome Lauren Utter to the Gold Coast team as our newest birth and postpartum doula. We are so happy to have her! 1) What did you do before you became a doula? I was a preschool teacher, event coordinator for a camp for children with various needs, and a nanny. 2) What inspired you to […]
Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative: Podcast Episode #89
Today we speak with Katie and Becky from Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids about what it means to be a designated Baby-Friendly hospital. You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Kristin: Welcome to Ask the Doulas with Gold Coast Doulas. I’m Kristin, co-owner, and I’ve got Alyssa here. And we’ve […]
Saving for Baby: Podcast Episode #88
Kristin talks to Paige, The Millennial Guru, again today about how to financially prepare for growing your family! You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Kristin: Welcome to Ask the Doulas with Gold Coast Doulas. I’m Kristin, co-owner of Gold Coast, and I’ve got Paige Cornetet, the Millennial Guru, here […]
The Millennial Guru: Podcast Episode #87
Paige, The Millennial Guru, shares some savvy saving tips to help you think about priorities, wants, and needs and how to budget for them. You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Kristin: Welcome to Ask the Doulas with Gold Coast Doulas. I’m Kristin, co-owner, and I’m here today with Paige […]
What is a B Corp? Podcast Episode #86
Today Kristin talks to Hanna from Local First about what it means to be Certified B Corporation and how it impacts our community. Gold Coast Doulas is the area’s most recent B Corp! You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Kristin: Welcome to Ask the Doulas with Gold Coast Doulas. […]
Stress Mastery: Podcast Episode #85
Deb Timmerman, RN, DAIS, CSME speaks with us today about her new certification in Stress Mastery. What does that mean, you ask? It’s all about learning positive ways to handle stress and actually master it, instead of letting stress take over. Listen to see how this can help parents throughout pregnancy and postpartum. You can […]
Preparing Your Body For Pregnancy: Podcast Episode #84
Dr. Nave now works with queens through her virtual practice Hormonal Balance. We talk this time about how a woman can prepare her body for pregnancy. You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Alyssa: Hello! Welcome to another episode of Ask the Doulas Podcast. You have Kristin and Alyssa here […]
Maddie’s Birth Story: Podcast Episode #83
Our listeners love hearing a positive birth story. Today Maddie, a previous HypnoBirthing and Birth client, tells us all about her labor and delivery as well as her experience in the hospital right after having her baby. You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Kristin: Welcome to Ask the Doulas […]
How Sleep Deprivation Impacts New Parents
Becoming a parent is one of the most exciting and scary milestones of a person’s life. It’s likely your emotions will run the gamut from excited anticipation and joy, to fear of the unknown and uncertainty about what’s ahead and how you’re coping with parenthood. Managing night time feeds, tending to your baby throughout the […]
Understanding Your Cycle: Podcast Episode #82
Dr. Nave now works with queens through her virtual practice Hormonal Balance. She talks with us today about a woman’s monthly cycle. What’s “normal”? What if you don’t get a period at all? Is PMS a real thing? You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Alyssa: Hello, welcome to Ask […]
Maddie’s HypnoBirthing Story: Podcast Episode #81
Today our former birth client and HypnoBirthing student, Maddie Kioski, tells us her personal pregnancy journey using HypnoBirthing and how it helped her feel excited about labor and delivery instead of scared. You can listen to this completed podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Kristin: Welcome to Ask the Doulas with Gold Coast Doulas. […]
Megan’s Sleep Story: Podcast Episode #80
Megan Kretz, one of Alyssa’s sleep clients, tells us about her sleep training journey with her daughter at 9 months and again at 19 months. She says that as a working mom, it meant spending a little less time with her daughter, but that it was all worth it because the quality of the time […]
Supporting a Postpartum Mother: Podcast Episode #79
Elsa Lockman, LMSW of Mindful Counseling talks to us today about how partners, family members, and other caregivers can support a mother during those critical postpartum weeks to ensure she seeks help if needed. How do you approach a new mother and what are her best options for care? You can listen to this complete […]
The Minority Bride: Podcast Episode #78
Alyssa: Hi, welcome to Ask the Doulas. It’s Alyssa and I’m talking with Gaby again if you remember her. Last time she told us her lovely birth stories. Hi Gaby. Gaby: Hi Alyssa, good to be back. Alyssa: I want to learn about your business. So Connie’s Bridal Boutique. Gaby: Yes. Alyssa: Who’s Connie? […]
7 Ways To Save Money When Having A Baby
Emily Graham is the creator of mightymoms.net. She believes being a mom is one of the hardest jobs around and wanted to create a support system for moms from all walks of life. On her site, she offers a wide range of information tailored for busy moms — from how to reduce stress to creative […]
Meet our new doula, Jen!
Meet Jen Serba, our newest postpartum doula. She filled out our standard Q&A so let’s get to know her a little better! 1) What did you do before you became a doula? I began my medical career 17 years ago when I became a Medical Assistant (MA) fresh out of high school. I was […]
Gaby’s Birth Stories: Podcast Episode #77
Gaby is a local business owner in Grand Rapids and talks to Alyssa about the birth stories of both of her children. You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Alyssa: Hi, welcome to Ask the Doulas podcast. I am Alyssa and I’m excited to be here with Gaby today. How […]
Jamie’s Breastfeeding Experience: Podcast Episode #76
Jamie Platt, Birth and Postpartum Doula with Gold Coast Doulas, tells us about three completely different breastfeeding experiences with her three children. This podcast was recorded over a year ago, and Jamie is now a certified lactation counselor. You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Alyssa: Hi, welcome to another […]
HOW TO TAKE A SOCIAL MEDIA BREAK ON MATERNITY LEAVE
We are so very excited to share this guest blog with you because not only is the author an amazing mother and entrepreneur, but she is also a past client. With over 10 years experience in social media strategy and digital marketing, Chris found her purpose after having her daughter. Pre-baby, she was a self-proclaimed […]
Benefits of A Postpartum Doula and Why Should You Hire One?
Author Bio: Roselin Raj is a journalist and a writer. She has been writing extensively on health and wellness related topics for over a decade. Besides her professional interests, she loves a game of basketball or a good hike in her free time to fuel her spirits. “Health is wealth” is one motto of life […]
EMDR Therapy: An Overview
We are so excited to share this guest blog by Joshua Nave LLMSW and Paul Krauss MA LPC of Health for Life GR. We get asked frequently about EMDR Therapy, so read below to find out what it is and how it works! This blog is a discussion of the basics of what Eye Movement […]
What’s the tongue have to do with breastfeeding? Podcast Episode #75
Hear two experts talk about the link between a baby’s tongue and breastfeeding. What are some signs of a tongue tie and what does that procedure even look like? Shira Johnson, IBCLC, and Dr. Katie Swanson, Certified Pediatric Dentist, give us some insight into breastfeeding a newborn. You can listen to this complete podcast episode […]
Car Seat Safety: Podcast Episode #72
Today we talk to one of Gold Coast Doulas’ Birth and Postpartum Doulas, Jamie Platt. She is a Certified Car Seat Technician and gives parents some helpful tips about what’s safe and what isn’t. You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Alyssa: Hi, and welcome to another episode of Ask […]
Podcast Episode #71: Bedrest Support
What the heck is an antepartum doula? Well, it basically means bed rest support for mothers who are high risk. But a bed rest doula can also help families that aren’t necessarily on bed rest. Maybe a mom needs help running errands, finding community resources, preparing for baby showers, putting away gifts, nesting! Listen and […]