In 2019, as I began my journey of motherhood, I found myself filled with a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. Being pregnant with my first son, I was aware that labor, postpartum, and the challenges of motherhood would be entirely new experiences for me. Looking for guidance and connection, I made the decision to join a Mother's Circle, a group of women who were going through or had already gone through the transformative experience of becoming mothers. Little did I know that this decision would not only provide me with invaluable support and insights into motherhood but would also introduce me to a community of compassionate and inspiring women.

Prodromal labor: It happens in the third trimester of pregnancy and can feel a lot like real labor. Unlike real labor contractions, prodromal labor contractions never get stronger or closer together and don't lead to cervical dilation or effacement. I spent about ten days on and off experiencing prodromal labor.

I woke up last Saturday, looked in the mirror and had a sudden realization. I am in the third trimester. How? It feels like I found out I was pregnant three days ago. I guess it’s not surprising when you have a one- and two-year-old running around the house, working full-time, and using any remaining time for things I’m passionate about (hello postpartum mamas!)

If your experience is anything like mine, I heard of prenatal vitamins, knew I needed to take them when I was pregnant and my knowledge ended there. A quick search in the grocery store or online, and just like anything in life these days, I quickly became overwhelmed with all of the options. One-a-days, three-a-days, raw, organic, gummies, powders. Not to mention every option had different amounts in each vitamin. I just wanted someone to tell me - why am I taking a prenatal? When should I begin taking a prenatal? And what is most important to have in my prenatal? From there, I wanted to make the decision which prenatal was best for me.

I think an interesting phenomenon, especially in American culture, is how even though all mothers go through a postpartum season, very little is shared with each other about this period. Whether it’s about what labor is like (spoiler alert: quite literally nothing like the movies), what our bodies go through in healing, or what emotions we experience in the fourth trimester. In addition to this period, how often during the first year as a new mama do we feel something, but are too afraid to ask a friend if it’s normal? We keep it to ourselves out of fear of looking crazy or like something is wrong with us. There’s no way they will possibly relate to how you’re feeling, right?

I was pregnant when I joined my first Mother’s Circle. I didn’t know anyone else in the group and honestly, other than one brief meeting, I didn’t know the woman running the circle either. But something called me to go, so I took a leap and just went. I had no idea how following that feeling would change my life. After 18 months in that Mother’s Circle, mothers coming and going, through a pandemic, becoming pregnant again, and delivering my second child, having that circle of women became a bedrock for me. I looked forward to those two hours once a month like Christmas morning. I would pop out of bed, help get everyone going, grab a Starbucks and turn up my radio on my way to Rachael’s house. I knew I needed this time for me because I wouldn’t stop smiling the whole time, there was a lightness in my step. Pulling up to Rachael’s, I couldn’t wait to walk through her door. The coziness of her home, the warmth of her food and drinks, and the genuine care the other mothers shared with me, those two hours each month filled me up for the next four weeks.

A postpartum doula is there to mother the mother, focus on her peace and joy, and help her transition into her new role with confidence. Parents can rest easy knowing their postpartum doula is the support system in the house, there to nurture and care for the family in the overwhelming newborn days.