Meet our new Postpartum Doula and Newborn Care Specialist (NCS), Sarah!
We hope you enjoy getting to know Sarah in our Q&A blog! Sarah serves families in West Michigan as a certified Newborn Care Specialist. She offers day and overnight newborn support. 1) What did you do before you became a newborn care specialist? I have worked in the field of Early Childhood for 20 […]
Meet Mya, Our Newest Postpartum Doula!
Meet Mya, Our Newest Postpartum Doula! As you know, when we bring a new person onto the Gold Coast team, we love to find out more about them and share that with you! Let’s find out more about Mya. 1) What did you do before you became a postpartum doula? Before becoming a doula, I […]
What I Wish I Knew: Podcast Episode #104
Kristin and Alyssa, owners of Gold Coast Doulas, talk about the things they wish they had known before having a baby. Listen to this fun episode packed with advice and lots of little gold nuggets of information for new parents! You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Kristin: Welcome to […]
Saturday Series of Classes: Podcast Episode #102
Kristin Revere, Kelly Emery, and Alyssa Veneklase talk about their Saturday Series of classes offered through Gold Coast Doulas. Each goes in to detail about what their classes cover including Comfort Measures for Labor, Breastfeeding, and Newborn Survival. You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Kristin: Welcome to Ask […]
Mental Health Awareness Month: Podcast Episode #97
Dr. Nave now works with queens through her virtual practice Hormonal Balance. Today she talks to us about hormones and how they affect our mental health, including the baby blues and postpartum depression. You can listen to this complete podcast episode on iTunes or SoundCloud. Alyssa: Hi. Welcome to Ask the Doulas Podcast. I am […]
Coronavirus Update on Doulas: Podcast Episode #94
Kristin and Alyssa, Co-Owners of Gold Coast Doulas, give an update on doulas and the coronavirus. How is this affecting birth doulas in the hospital and postpartum doulas in the home? They also talk about virtual classes such as Mama Natural Online to help new parents stay prepared while social distancing. You can listen to […]
The Swaddelini Swaddle: Podcast Episode #93
Liz Hilton, founder of Swaddelini, tells us about the unique process she uses to create her amazing swaddle and why her swaddle is different. 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. Alyssa: And I am Alyssa. Kristin: And […]
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 […]
Doula Support for Adoptive Families
Most parents probably don’t think about hiring a doula if they aren’t pregnant. They think of a birth doula only supporting a laboring mother, but that couldn’t be farther from reality. Birth doulas can support any parent. Postpartum doulas can support adoptive families by helping them to prepare for baby’s arrival and in-home after baby […]
Sleeping Through the Holidays
Right when you get your child on a good schedule something inevitably comes up that makes it difficult to stay on track. We just went through the dreaded daylight savings (the worst for adults too!). Right now we are in the midst of the holidays. Here are some sleep tips for keeping your children’s sleep […]
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 […]
My role as a postpartum doula.
Our very own Jamie Platt, BSN, RN, CLC, CPST shares her personal insights on what it’s like to be a postpartum doula. What is the role of a postpartum doula? What does it look like, and how might a doula support the breastfeeding relationship between mom and baby? A postpartum doula can take care of […]
Podcast Episode #28: Plagiocephaly and Torticollis
What is Plagiocephaly? Torticollis what? Jessica Buikema of Hulst Jepsen Physical Therapy talks about both and what parents can do to prevent them and how physical therapy can help their baby. Listen to the podcast on iTunes or SoundCloud. Alyssa: Hello. Welcome to another episode of Ask the Doulas. I am Alyssa Veneklase, co-owner […]
Podcast Episode #26: EcoBuns Cloth Diapering
On this episode of Ask the Doulas, Marissa, owner of EcoBuns Baby + Co in Holland, Michigan dispels all the myths about cloth diapering that we’ve heard. Learn how easy and economical they can be for your family! You can listen to the full podcast on iTunes or Soundcloud. Alyssa: Hi, welcome to Ask […]
Podcast Episode #20: Lisa’s Story about Postpartum Anxiety
On this episode of Ask the Doulas, Lisa shares about her postpartum experience of dealing with anxiety and how doula support helped her through that challenging time. You can listen to the complete podcast on iTunes and Soundcloud. Please also visit our postpartum depression and anxiety resource list. Alyssa: Hi, welcome back to Ask the […]
Podcast Episode #19: Lisa’s Postpartum Journey
On this episode of Ask the Doulas, Alyssa talks with Lisa about her postpartum doula and how having a doula helped with her recovery. You can listen to the complete podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud. Alyssa: Hi, welcome to another episode of Ask the Doulas with Gold Coast Doulas. I am Alyssa Veneklase. […]
World Doula Week 2018
Today’s blog is written by Kristin Revere, Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula and Certified Sacred Postpartum Mother Roaster. As the end of World Doula Week nears, I feel I must speak my truth. Before having kids my purpose was to support women in politics. I wanted more voices in office and wanted to run for […]
Podcast Episode #9: How to Handle a Six-Week NICU Stay
On this episode of Ask the Doulas, Tricia talks about her experience with her twins staying in the NICU for six weeks. You can also listen to this podcast on iTunes. Alyssa: Hi, welcome to another episode of Ask the Doulas with Gold Coast Doulas. I am Alyssa, co-owner and postpartum doula, and today we’re […]
Podcast Episode #8: Kristin’s Experience with the NICU
In this episode of Ask the Doulas, Kristin shares her experiences with the NICU when her daughter was born. You can listen to this complete interview on iTunes. Alyssa: Hi, welcome back to another episode of Ask the Doulas with Gold Coast Doulas. I am Alyssa, and we are talking to my partner Kristin today. […]
Sleep Training is a Four Letter Word
Sleep Training. Those two words can stir up some pretty aggressive emotions for some parents. I guess it’s because there are so many methodologies, many of which are controversial, and there are so many different thoughts on parenting and what is right and wrong. My answer is there’s no one way to do this! If […]
Podcast Episode #5: Why Choose Natural Products for Your Baby’s Body?
In this episode of Ask the Doulas, Cindy and Alyssa talk about the benefits of choosing natural care products for your baby and your household. You can listen to the complete podcast on iTunes. Alyssa: Hi, welcome to Ask the Doulas with Gold Coast Doulas. Today we are talking to Cindy, creator and owner of […]
The Modern Grandparent
Understanding the Modern Parent First of all congratulations on becoming a Grandparent! Whether this is your 1st or 5th, it is a very excited time for the whole family. Gold Coast Doulas offers in-home private classes for The Modern Grandparent. We are not currently offering group classes. This 2 ½ hour class will break down […]
What kind of oil should I use to massage my baby?
Today our guest blogger is Cristina Stauffer, LMSW, CEIM and infant massage instructor. She’s sharing some wisdom about what oils to use on your baby. One of the most common questions I get related to infant massage is about what kind of oil to use. The International Association of Infant Massage recommends high quality (preferably […]
Why is Infant Massage Good for Babies?
Why is Infant Massage Good for Babies? Gold Coast Doulas is thrilled to present a guest blog from Cristina Stauffer. Cristina Stauffer, LMSW, CEIM has been passionate about serving women and young children throughout her career. Pregnancy and early motherhood can be one of the most vulnerable times in a woman’s life. Cristina has been […]