Chatty Doulas

In this episode of Chatty Doulas, we sit down with Brittani Edds, IBCLC and owner of The Milk Academy Co, to unpack the realities of lactation and infant feeding. Brittani shares how to set realistic expectations for the early weeks, how birth interventions like Pitocin impact milk release, and why prenatal lactation consults are so valuable. The conversation covers managing engorgement, understanding low supply, introducing bottles smoothly, selecting the right flange sizes, colic, and navigating potential food intolerances without unnecessarily restricting your diet.

Connect with Brittani on Instagram @milkacademyco or visit themilkacademy.com.

Have questions or topics you want us to cover? Reach out on Instagram @chattydoulas. Our DMs are always open! Please rate, review, and subscribe to support the show.

In this episode of Chatty Doulas, we sit down with Raia Davis, a doula and movement specialist, to discuss exercise during pregnancy and postpartum recovery. Raia explains how strength training, mobility, and alignment improve labor endurance, open up pelvic space, and support recovery after baby arrives.

We talk about core movement patterns, finding the balance between challenging your body and overexerting, and practical positions to optimize space in early labor, including techniques for pelvic floor relaxation. Raia also shares details about her online prenatal and postpartum movement membership launching October 3rd. Connect with Raia on Instagram @raiadavis or visit bodyandsoldoula.com.

Have questions or topics you want us to cover in a future episode? Reach out on Instagram @chattydoulas. Our DMs are always open! Please rate, review, and subscribe to support the show.

In this episode of Chatty Doulas, we dive deep into the internet's wild world of pregnancy and birth trends. From viral social media dances and sea moss to "belly-only" pregnancy myths, we separate helpful, grounded practices from pure clickbait.

Have questions about a birth trend you saw online or want us to cover a specific topic in an upcoming episode? Reach out to us via Instagram @chattydoulas—our DMs are open! If you enjoyed this conversation, please rate, review, and subscribe to help support the show.

In this episode of Chatty Doulas, we break down everything you need to know about getting an epidural. Whether it is your Plan A or a game-time decision for much-needed rest, we unpack how to use an epidural as an effective tool rather than viewing it as a complete "off switch." From understanding sensory expectations to navigating hospital culture, this conversation gives expectant parents an empowering, honest guide to advocating for their birthing preferences.

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe to Chatty Doulas wherever you listen to podcasts—it helps other expectant parents find us! Thanks so much for your support!

What is it really like to carry a baby for another family? In this episode of Chatty Doulas we sit down with Dacia Celis—a Denver-based doula, childbirth educator, and placenta encapsulator with Intuitive Birth—to unpack the complex, heartwarming, and eye-opening reality of gestational surrogacy.

Dacia shares her personal story of stepping into surrogacy: from initial psychological evaluations and agency matching to navigating legal contracts and intense hormone cycles.

Together, they discuss:

The screening process, background checks, and criteria required for surrogates.

The matching process and what it’s like to build a relationship with intended parents.

The emotional and physical dynamics of postpartum recovery, milk pumping, and scar healing without taking a baby home.

How a 26-hour labor and unexpected C-section ultimately inspired Dacia to step into birth work herself.

Practical advice for anyone considering becoming a surrogate or supporting clients through a surrogacy journey.

Whether you are curious about gestational surrogacy, exploring family-building options, or interested in the unique postpartum needs of surrogate mothers, this episode offers an honest, heartfelt look at the power of helping create a family.

The secret is out! On this episode of Chatty Doulas, we are celebrating a very special announcement—our very own Emily is pregnant and navigating her first trimester!

Join the doulas for a real, unfiltered conversation on how to actually survive those early weeks of pregnancy. We dive deep into:

The Sharing Dilemma: Deciding when, how, and who to tell about your pregnancy (and why telling complete strangers at Walmart is totally valid).

Early Signs & Symptoms: Managing extreme fatigue, electrical-feeling cramps, midnight snacks for morning sickness, and 40-second middle-of-the-night bathroom trips.

Building Your Care Team: Navigating the 8-to-12-week wait for your first OB/midwife appointment, alternative options, and using doulas, pelvic floor PTs, and community groups early on.

First Trimester Realities: Practicing self-compassion, letting go of fitness expectations, dealing with food/smell aversions, and myth-busting coffee, sushi, and prenatal vitamins.

Whether you're peeing on a dollar-store stick, trying to tame first-trimester anxiety, or just here to celebrate with us, grab a cup of NORA tea and tune in!

In this episode of Chatty Doulas, Taylor shares her journey through a sudden, last-minute induction after developing gestational hypertension. Originally planning a water birth, she walks us through her rapid unmedicated labor, an unexpected emergency D&C due to a retained placenta, and her ongoing postpartum recovery with pelvic organ prolapse.

It’s a deeply honest conversation on the value of processing intrusive thoughts, and finding true empowerment when birth doesn't go according to plan.

In this episode of Chatty Doulas, we sit down with Elisha Hanshue of Sagebrush Doula in Denver for a deep dive into all things placenta.

Whether you’re curious about placenta encapsulation or wondering what actually happens to your organ after birth, Elisha breaks down the science, spirituality, and practical benefits of honoring the placenta.

Placenta 101: How the placenta develops, how it functions as a protective filter.

Encapsulation Explained: The differences between the Traditional Chinese Method (steamed with lemon and ginger) and the Raw method for energy, hormone regulation, and postpartum mental health.

Tinctures, Art, and Keepsakes: How placenta tinctures offer lifelong shelf-life benefits (even into perimenopause!) and creative ways to honor your organ through detailed prints, umbilical cord keepsakes, and amniotic sac art.

Hospital Protocols & Advocacy: Navigating hospital pushbacks, pathology hand-offs, and understanding true contraindications like chorio or infection versus Group B strep or meconium.

Business: Sagebrush Doula (Denver, CO) https://www.sagebrushdenverdoula.co

Services: Birth & Postpartum Doula Care, Placenta Encapsulation, Placenta Art & Keepsakes

Soly and Emily sit down for a candid chat about what it really takes to uproot your life and rebuild an established doula business in a brand-new city. Drawing from Emily's recent move from Denver to Florida, they share practical advice on researching local hospital cultures, networking in a new town, diversifying your services, and utilizing backup doulas to ease the transition.

Whether you are planning a move soon or just looking to get your birth business out of a rut, this episode is a quick blueprint for finding your footing and cultivating a supportive local community from scratch.

Welcome back to another episode of Chatty Doulas! In today’s episode, we sit down with Sam Chapman, a birth and postpartum doula, placenta encapsulator, and the founder of Baby Lotus Doulas LLC.

Sam brings an incredibly unique, well-rounded perspective to the birth world. Having worked for years as a medical assistant in a major Denver OBGYN hospital department, she understands the inner workings of the clinical system—but she also knows exactly where the gaps lie when it comes to emotional and mental parental support.

In this raw and deeply vulnerable conversation, we dive into:

The Clinical vs. Holistic Perspective: How Sam uses her medical assistant background to act as an "interpreter" for families navigating complex medical terminology and hospital systems.

Deconstructing the C-Section Shame Cycle: Sam shares her personal experiences navigating both a "picture-perfect" teen vaginal birth and an emergency cesarean 11 years later. We have an honest, necessary conversation about whether the birth community unintentionally contributes to a stigma around cesareans, and how to normalize pivots during labor.

Trauma-Informed Care: Practical strategies for supporting clients carrying past birth or sexual trauma, including mental preparation, handling disassociation, and setting boundaries on "game day."

The Postpartum Reality Check: A transparent look at postpartum depression, identity shifts (from a teen mom to a stay-at-home mom of three during COVID), and the critical importance of setting up operational support like meal trains and partner communication before you are "100 feet under."

Whether you are an expecting parent, a fellow birth worker, or just looking for real, unfiltered stories about the strength of the birthing body and mind, this episode is packed with invaluable insight.

Website: www.babylotusdoulas.com

Instagram/Socials: @samchapman2019