The waiting for those first cries… ✨ Although Cesarean Awareness Month was in April and I missed it, I still wanted to take a moment to address a question I frequently receive about whether I document cesarean births. My answer is always a resounding YES! I am passionate about capturing all birth journeys, regardless of the method. Every type of birth is powerful and deserves to be preserved, and I enjoy the artistic challenge of photographing in the operating room. ✨ Unfortunately, not everyone shares my sentiment about documenting cesarean births, and I have only been allowed and invited in ..read more

Are you curious about the ins and outs of homebirth? Want to know what it's really like to have a baby at home with the guidance of a skilled and experienced midwife?  Now, I grew up in an environment where home birth was normal and expected. Waking up to find a new babies in our house are among my very earliest memories. Midwives sitting at the kitchen table charting, family prenatal visits, piles of chux pads, and the sights and sounds of birth were normal. But I know that this is an extremely unique experience and that most people have no clue what a home birth looks like. So I’ve take ..read more

More and more families are learning about the benefits of doula support, such as lower rates of cesarean births, faster labors, and more positive birth experiences in general. And who wouldn’t want that?! Doula Kathy Paul supports pregnant Mandan mother in the birth pool. Doula Willow Huisman offers lactation support to breastfeeding mom in Bismarck. When people ask me what a doula does, I tell them that it’s basically like having your birth class instructor in the labor and delivery room with you, gently mentioning the positions and coping strategies you learned during pregnancy, but have t ..read more

More and more families are learning about the benefits of doula support, such as lower rates of cesarean births, faster labors, and more positive birth experiences in general. And who wouldn’t want that?! Doula Kathy Paul supports pregnant Mandan mother in the birth pool. Doula Willow Huisman offers lactation support to breastfeeding mom in Bismarck. When people ask me what a doula does, I tell them that it’s basically like having your birth class instructor in the labor and delivery room with you, gently mentioning the positions and coping strategies you learned during pregnancy, but have t ..read more

For many parents, National Breastfeeding Awareness Month is a fun time to celebrate the hard work and benefits that come with breastfeeding, as well as normalizing breastfeeding in a society where human milk and breastfeeding have been ostracized and ridiculed in decades past. In fact, there is little of the American parenting community that hasn’t been touched by the incredibly successful pro-formula, anti-breastfeeding marketing campaign that was blasted at parents in the middle part of the 20th century. Nowadays, science has proven breastmilk to be the perfect nourishment for the vast major ..read more

❄️ How are my North Dakota followers feeling about this impending blizzard? Anyone in the last weeks of pregnancy and living rurally? Who's worried about having a blizzard baby? Of course, you ranching families are also smack dab in the middle of calving season- you're in my thoughts! ❄️ If you are in the last few weeks of pregnancy and live aways out of town, don't freak out, but also, this week might be a good time to stay a friend's in town for a few days, if you're planning to have your baby in the hospital. Something about the barometer dropping just tends to bring those babies! ❄️ If yo ..read more

If you’ve been around the crunchy mom, babywearing, home birth community in Bismarck in the past 10 years or so, chances are you already know my passionate friend, Willow. If you’ve ever even whispered a question about home birth in one of the Bismarck mom Facebook groups, she’s one of the first names to that will get tagged. All this knowledge and passion in this one articulate, introspective person that constantly assesses and measures her thoughts carefully, ready to to see new perspectives and approach her ideas from new angles, which is a powerful tool in her doula toolbox. So Willow, wha ..read more

The entire thing was a massive surprise. The positive pregnancy test, the fourth baby when I was pretty sure we were good with three, the niggling feeling I had throughout this pregnancy that something about this birth would be *different* than our previous births. My ever-trusting, ever-supportive gentle rock. After three previous uncomplicated births, I knew we would be planning our third home birth. I knew where we would set up the birth pool. I knew we would hire someone to take photos. I knew who I wanted as my midwife (and she is still one of my very best friends to this day). “Immediat ..read more

Whoohoo! It’s been AWHLE since I’ve done a Friday Feature, but I love connecting with other birth workers and service providers and a goal of mine for 2022 is to do more blogging, so LFG! Kathy is one of those adorable individuals that I just want to scoop up and put in my pocket. ? I promise I don’t mean that in a creepy way, but if you’ve ever met her in person, you might know what I mean. But don’t let her pink cheeks and cute glasses fool you: this woman is a powerhouse. Both physically and figuratively. She once mentioned that before her first pregnancy she was deadlifting 230+ lbs. That ..read more

All births are different and what one person needs for labor is going to be different than what someone else needs. Packing for a c-section is going to look different than preparing for a home birth. This list is just a few staples I find the most helpful for a planned vaginal birth in the hospital. C-section and home birth lists will be future blog topics! Chapstick This one might be a no-brainer, especially if you’re someone who already carries lip balm with them everywhere (I see your car chapstick and your bathroom chapstick and your kitchen chapstick and your junk drawer chapstick ?). But ..read more