I don’t know about you, but I would rather save lives than complain about how difficult it is to make a switch in language. If gender affirming language means I have to go through mental shifts in order to learn how to be more of a respectful person who is rooted in community care – then count me right in.
Then something happened. Seemingly out of the blue, I had a full blown event-based anxiety attack. My bestie (and one of Brood’s co-founders) Lizzy went into labour with her first child and instead of the expected feelings of excitement (the good kind) I began experiencing deep worry and fear, losing sleep and having repetitive negative thoughts. It felt like I was back in my first few weeks postpartum and those evenings of baby blues. It took more than a week, a therapy appointment, and some serious body detective work to figure out what was actually going on.
Sexual health is an integral part of our physical, mental, emotional, and social health. It’s about pleasure, identity, and intimacy. It’s always influenced by gender norms, expectations, and power dynamics and it changes and evolves throughout our lifetime.
You may have heard this word swirling around your OB or Midwive’s office, dotting your friend’s birth story or on your social feeds, and it may have you going “Doula-what?”, “Doula-who?”. Before reading ahead, make sure you peek at this blog post to get all of your questions answered on what the heck a doula is! Now that you know what we are all about, let me break down some of the ways doulas can support you and your family.
Investing in your birth and postpartum care can set you and your family up for the first year of parenthood, and beyond. Many of our families are receiving support from their friends and family to book Brood services – adding them to their Baby Registries. And we’ve made it easier than ever for your community to give you the gift of Brood. Some call it Doula Care Funds, or Crowdfunding, and here, we call it Community Gifting.
“Embodiment” is a buzzword thrown around much like “self-care”. It’s easy to sell but hard to practice, which probably explains why the wellness industry is projected to be worth over $7 billion by 2030. When we talk about self-care, what we often mean is community care—and when we talk about embodiment, what also needs to be abundant is safety and support.
Night nurse. Night nanny. Postpartum doula. Newborn care specialist. If you’ve never heard of these terms – or have frantically searched them while questioning, “will I ever sleep again after having a baby?” – let us explain what they mean. Generally, we’re talking about a professional care worker who supports families by prioritizing sleep and routine throughout the night. The goal is the same but they way each care worker practices might be different—and like most things, what’s right for you might not be right for the next person. Let’s dive in!
When what we say really does matter. What is it about a pregnant person that elicits such free...
Amedeo Hope was born on September 14th, 2021, at 3:37am. Having conceived in December of 2020 after making a choice to become a solo parent, my pregnancy was as idyllic as possibly could have been (with the exception of that pesky first trimester!). I chose a long-term friend to be an anonymous donor — it felt important to me that my child would have access to the person who contributed to their genetics, and understand the importance that chosen family and community would play in their upbringing.
We are excited to announce that we have expanded our Brood doula postpartum and birth services to Victoria, BC and the surrounding areas. This is the land of the lək̓ʷəŋən People, known today as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. We have an amazing team of doulas that are excited to bring the Brood energy to those living and birthing on Vancouver Island.
We work and live on the unceded and occupied territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations. Since time immemorial, the original peoples of these lands have cared for their families and communities. We are committed to honouring their teachings, legacy and their sovereignty.
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