35 - Mental Health and Physical Health in Pregnancy and Support After Birth with Postpartum Doula Calie Hong

The Best Birth Podcast

Calie Hong, a postpartum doula, shares her journey to becoming a doula and the importance of birth advocacy. She emphasizes the need for parents to have information and options when it comes to their birth plans. Calie discusses the tools she provides to help parents prepare and make informed decisions, such as researching different birthing options and creating a birth plan. She highlights the significance of having a birth team that supports and respects the parents' wishes. Calie also talks about the role of a doula in helping parents create precious moments after birth and offers tips for new moms, including the importance of sleep and asking for help.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction and Background
01:15 The Importance of Birth Advocacy
04:51 Creating a Birth Plan and Building a Supportive Birth Team
09:36 The Power of Research and Flexibility in Birth
15:03 The Role of a Postpartum Doula

RESOURCES

Birth Without Fear - January Harshe
"That’s the thing about birth, we don’t get an itinerary. We have to surrender and let go and it’s in that vulnerability we find the courage and strength we forgot we’ve had since our own birth. The power is already in you."
Birthing From Within
"Combine practical medical knowledge with the power of embodied practice, ritual, story, and artmaking for authentic preparation and healing."
"Build flexibility, resilience, and coping skills, so that you are less vulnerable to birth trauma."
Self-Compassion - Kristin Neff
"Self-compassion is a way of emotionally recharging our batteries. Rather than becoming drained by life’s difficulties, self-compassion allows us to thrive and grow."