Podcast Episode #52: Meal Planning for Busy Parents
Ever wondered about all those meal delivery services? Are they worth the money? Will they save you time and money? Today we talk to Carrie, a client who uses a local meal delivery service, and Genevieve, the owner of Life Fuel. You can listen to this complete podcast on iTunes or SoundCloud. Alyssa: Hello, […]
Podcast Episode #51: Carrie’s Birth and Postpartum Story
One of our clients describes her pregnancy, labor, and delivery and how having birth and postpartum doula support saved her sanity. You can listen to this complete podcast on iTunes or SoundCloud. Alyssa: Hello! Welcome to another episode of Ask the Doulas. I am Alyssa, and I’m super excited to be talking to one […]
Podcast Episode #50: Kids Eating Healthy
Today Katie Kimball of Kitchen Stewardship and Kids Cook Real Food tells us how to start our babies and get our toddlers eating healthy food. Don’t forget her free download – 10 Snacks your Preschooler Can Make Today! You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Alyssa: Hello! Welcome to […]
Podcast Episode #49: Adjusting Babies
Do babies really need a chiropractic adjustment? Listen to Dr. Annie of Rise Wellness explain what happens to a baby’s body during pregnancy and delivery and how gentle methods can be extremely effective. You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or Soundcloud. .. Alyssa: Hi, welcome back to another episode of […]
Podcast Episode #48: Bri’s Postpartum Story
In this episode our dear friend, Bri Luginbill of BetterBodyImageConference.com tells us about her struggle with depression and anxiety before, during, and after pregnancy. You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Alyssa: Welcome to another episode of Ask the Doulas. I’m Alyssa, and today I’m so excited to be talking […]
Podcast Episode #47: How to be a Mompreneur
Alyssa and Cindy have a thoughtful conversation about what it’s really like to be mother and entrepreneur. Setting realistic expectations and learning to be intentional with your time as a business owner and a mom is important. Listen to see if they have tips for you! You can listen to this complete podcast episode on […]
Meet Kelsey, our newest Certified Postpartum Doula!
1) What did you do before you became a doula? I have always secretly been a doula, just in other facets. Before becoming a doula, I ran a mental wellness day center in northern California, and I also worked at an emergency youth shelter looking to reduce rates of domestic violence, child abuse, and human […]
Podcast Episode #46: Plant-Based Diet
Today we talk to Dr. Kristi Artz, the medical director for Lifestyle Medicine at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids. She is also the lead physician of the culinary medicine program and talks to us today about what a plant-based diet is and how it can work for your family. You can listen to this complete […]
Healthy Prenatal Strategies for Pregnant Women
During pregnancy, the best health strategies are often those that can be incorporated into one’s everyday life. As a woman’s size increases and her mobility decreases, the ability to engage in physical activity gradually diminishes, which places a greater emphasis on other health habits that can help her maintain a healthy pregnancy weight and engage […]
Podcast Episode #45: Babywearing
What are the best baby carriers and wraps? Can you wear twins? Today we talk to babywearing expert Marissa Berghorst, owner of EcoBuns Baby + Co in Holland, Michigan. You can catch this complete podcast episode on iTunes and SoundCloud. Alyssa: Hello again! Welcome back to Ask the Doulas. I am Alyssa Veneklase, co-owner and […]
Gold Coast Doulas Give Back
The final numbers are in for the Gold Coast Doulas LLC diaper drive for Nestlings | Diaper Bank of West Michigan. We collected 18,963 disposable diapers and 142 wipes. These diapers are packed in groups of ten to impact 1,896 families in need. We are thankful to all of our clients and community members who donated from September […]
Podcast Episode #44: Kids and Sex
Today we talk about sex. How do you discuss it with your kids? What’s age appropriate? How much is too much information? Cindy, a former PA, gives us some good advice on how and where to start the conversation with your kids. You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Alyssa: […]
Podcast Episode #43: Empathy in Healthcare
What should empathy in health care look like? Why do parents so often have negative experiences with their health care providers? Today we talk to Martelle of Mothership about empathy training and what her website provides for new parents. You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Alyssa: Hello and welcome […]
Podcast Episode #42: Building Your Birth Team
What should your birth team look like? What kinds of questions do you need to ask and who should you be talking to when you find out you’re pregnant? We answer these questions and more on today’s podcast with Rise Wellness Chiropractic. You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. […]
Meet our newest birth doula, Katie!
Say hello to Katie, our newest doula. As always, we asked her some questions so you can get to know her a little better. She met her husband in 3rd grade at a spelling bee, how adorable is that?! 1) What did you do before you became a doula? I have the joy and privilege […]
Podcast Episode #41: Nutrition and Kids
Today we talk to David Fisher again. He is a dietician and helps plan nutritious meals for LifeFuel in Grand Rapids. We asked him to give us some pointers specifically related to children and getting them to eat healthily. You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Alyssa: Hello. Welcome […]
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Breastfeeding
Today’s guest blog is written by Natalie Michele of Maternity At Home. As soon as you start to breastfeed, most of the women you meet on a daily basis, including your mom, friends, and even acquaintances, will have one or two things to tell you about what to do when nursing a baby. Some will […]
Podcast Episode #40: Pilates for your Pelvic Floor
Today we talk with Iona Ruiter of Pilates in East. She specializes in pelvic floor health, prenatal and postnatal pilates, and diastasis recti. She gives us an in-depth look at the health of your pelvic floor and what exercises actually work. You can listen to this podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Be sure to […]
Newborn Sleep Tips
As a sleep consultant, I get asked often how early you can sleep train a baby. My answer is this – Most babies are ready around 12 weeks, but it’s never too early to start introducing heathy habits to make the sleep training go smoothy when baby is ready. Why 12 weeks? Most babies are […]
Podcast Episode #39: Newborn Skin Issues
Alyssa and Cindy from Cindy’s Suds talk today about common newborn skin issues. Ever heard of cradle cap? How do you prevent diaper rash? Do babies really get pimples? You can listen to this complete podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud. Alyssa: Hello! Welcome to another episode of Ask the Doulas. I am Alyssa Veneklase, […]
Podcast Episode #38: Amber’s HypnoBirthing Story
We love hearing birth stories, especially from our clients. Listen as Amber tells us her birth story and how HypnoBirthing helped both her and her husband through 23 hours of labor. You can listen to this complete podcast on iTunes or SoundCloud. You can sign up for our HypnoBirthing classes here! Alyssa: Hello! Welcome […]
Gold Coast Doulas 3rd Annual Diaper Drive!
Gold Coast Doulas is holding our 3rd annual Diaper Drive from September 1st to October 1st, 2018. Diaper need is something that goes almost completely unrecognized, but 1 in 3 babies suffer in dirty diapers and no government programs provide them. Food, shelter, and utilities are the only items covered by assistance. Diapers are expensive […]
Podcast Episode #37: Meal Advice from a Dietician
What is a micro and macro nutrient? What does processed really mean? Today we talk to David Fisher, a licensed dietician and consultant for Life Fuel in Grand Rapids. He is a wealth of knowledge and you won’t want to miss what he has to say about our eating habits! You can listen to this […]
5 Research-Backed Strategies to Reduce Your Risk of Preeclampsia
If you’ve done any reading on preeclampsia, we’re probably in agreement that it’s a diagnosis that no woman wants to get. Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication that affects up to 10% of expecting mamas. It involves high protein levels in the urine and swelling (edema) in addition to high blood pressure. Ultimately, these symptoms can […]