Doula Musings

detroit birth doula services

Midwifery Care vs. OB/GYN Care

By Jodi Graves | February 10, 2023

Midwifery and obstetrical care are both essential components of the healthcare system, providing healthcare to mothers and infants before, during, and immediately after birth. Both midwifery and obstetrical care are rooted in the same principles of providing safe, respectful, and compassionate care to ensure the best outcomes for mothers and babies.  However, there are key…

Partners Bonding with Baby

By Jodi Graves | January 31, 2023

Partners bonding with their babies is one of the most beautiful moments in the life of a new family. This is an important time for both the parents and their newborn, as the relationship between the two will determine the child’s physical and emotional development for life. The best way to bond with your newborn…

Setting Boundaries After You Bring Baby Home

By Jodi Graves | January 25, 2023

Having a baby can be an exciting and overwhelming experience, and one of the challenges that comes with it is figuring out how to set boundaries and welcome visitors. Especially during the days of Covid19 and a virulent RSV illness season. Here are some tips to help you manage your new parenting life while still…

bottle feeding

Formula Feeding Your Infant

By Jodi Graves | January 19, 2023

Formula feeding is a great option for parents who are unable to breastfeed their infants. It allows for flexibility and ease of use, and can provide all the necessary nutrients for a baby to grow and develop. However, it’s important to follow some guidelines to ensure that your baby is getting the proper amount of…

Swaddling Your Baby

By Jodi Graves | January 18, 2023

Swaddling is a technique that involves wrapping a baby in a blanket or cloth to mimic the feeling of being in the womb. It can help to soothe a fussy baby and promote better sleep. However, it’s important to follow safe swaddling practices to ensure the baby is comfortable and not at risk of suffocation…

What Is A Doula?

By Jodi Graves | January 17, 2023

I thought maybe it was time to just tell those who don’t know much about what we do, what a doula ACUTALLY is. We told you the benefits, but what is a doula’s purpose? So here it goes…. A labor doula is a trained professional who provides emotional and physical support to a laboring person…

Baby laying on back with feet in focus

Benefits of Birth Doula Care

By Jodi Graves | December 27, 2022

Ya’ll are going to think this is redundant and you can find these statistics EVERYWHERE…however, I think it’s important that we talk about this now. It’s always important to talk about support during birth and early parenting!  According to a study by Bailey, et. al in ‘U.S. Fertility Rates in Response to the Pandemic’ There…

Tea with Jodi blog post

Tea with Jodi Episode S1 E4

By Jodi Graves | December 23, 2022

With guest Kelly Rutan https://michiganfamilydoulas.com Show notes: https://otter.ai/u/yTjQCnHVGzveo2fLgSeNBwX_KHU Postpartum Support International https://postpartum.net

Tea with Jodi blog post

Tea With Jodi Episode S1 E3

By Jodi Graves | December 9, 2022

On today’s episode with Jill McLean we discussed premature babies and NICU stays for families. Episode details Michigan Family Doulas Listen to the podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tea-with-jodi/id1653036361?i=1000585416602 Jill Mclean is a birth & postpartum doula and a doula trainer with ProDoula. She resides in Oregon with her family and is a busy doula & educator changing…

When To Hire a Postpartum Doula

When To Hire a Postpartum Doula

By Jodi Graves | September 22, 2021

So when should you hire a postpartum doula? The bigger question is-what IS postpartum doula support? The bigger question needs to be answered first-what IS postpartum doula support?  According to the American Pregnancy Association, ‘a postpartum doula provides evidence based information on things such as infant feeding, emotional and physical recovery from birth, infant soothing,…