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Ever wish someone would tell you the truth about breastfeeding without the guilt or the gadgets? We bring on Samantha, a seasoned NICU nurse and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, to cut through the noise and give you a clear path forward—whether you’re nursing, pumping, combo feeding, or bottle feeding from day one.

We start with the realities most classes skip: colostrum is enough for many newborns, full milk often takes five to seven days, and supply typically regulates around six to eight weeks. Samantha shares what successful latch actually looks like, why positioning changes everything, and how to listen for swallows so you know milk is moving. She explains how inconsistent pumping, poorly fitted flanges, or relying on wearables without proper setup can invite clogs and mastitis—and how to avoid those traps with simple, consistent routines.

Funding cuts and mixed hospital advice make support feel out of reach, so we break down practical, affordable ways to get help. You’ll hear why a single, trusted guide can beat a dozen conflicting opinions, why prenatal education is the highest ROI investment you can make, and how to advocate for your plan when policies or timelines get in the way. We also tackle the hot topics: oversupply isn’t the goal, pumping is breastfeeding, nipple confusion is often overstated, and having donor milk or a small formula backup can protect both intake and your mental health. Hydration, nutrition, and rest matter more than your app’s timer—and any amount of your milk is a win.

Leave with five grounded basics that move the needle: get support early, prioritise positioning, master an effective latch, follow baby-led cues over rigid timing, and simplify your tools. If you’re ready to trade stress for support and perfectionism for progress, this conversation will help you build a feeding plan that fits your life.

If this episode helps you breathe a little easier, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more parents can find real, judgement-free support.

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🎙 Thanks for Tuning into Tend & Befriend!

🌿 Learn More & Work With Me:
💻 Visit Website for my birth course, resources, and to book a session with me.

📲 Stay Connected:
📷 Instagram: @deborahthedoula
📘 Facebook: @deborahthedoula

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🔗 Find all links here: Our website 

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What if the first, fiercest lesson in personal power began in the birth room? We sit with Kelly—licensed paramedic, yoga teacher, Reiki master, and now a doula in our agency—to trace how frontline medicine led her to a calling rooted in consent, breath, and presence. From the shift that happens when someone teaches you to ask for what you want, to the quiet courage of doing less and holding more, this conversation maps a humane way through complex systems.

Kelly shares the pivotal moments that shaped her practice: staying seven hours beyond a hospital shift to support a labouring patient, discovering that breathwork is the most reliable tool in a chaotic room, and learning that real advocacy means keeping the birthing person in charge even when plans change. We unpack informed consent as a living process, not a form; radical self-responsibility as a compass; and how a doula collective expands support, creates safety nets, and brings better referrals to families who need them. The stories are grounded and specific—home birth in Ecuador, partners who become surprising anchors, debriefs that turn hard nights into wisdom.

If you’re feeling nervous, unsure, or lost in the system, this one aims to bring you back to centre. You’ll hear how to set boundaries without burning bridges, use breath to regulate pain and panic, and build a plan flexible enough to meet real life. We also talk honestly about doula self-care—eating, writing, moving, and leaning on a team—so we can show up steady for you.

Want to connect with Kelly or our agency for birth or postpartum support? Tap the links in the show notes, find Kelly at the Voyage Collective on Instagram, or reach us at Deborah the Doula. If this resonated, subscribe, share it with someone expecting, and leave a review to help others find the support they deserve.

Support the show

🎙 Thanks for Tuning into Tend & Befriend!

🌿 Learn More & Work With Me:
💻 Visit Website for my birth course, resources, and to book a session with me.

📲 Stay Connected:
📷 Instagram: @deborahthedoula
📘 Facebook: @deborahthedoula

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🔗 Find all links here: Our website 

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Contact Natalie Evans through Instagram @pure.essence.doulacare 

Check out the linktree!! 

Support the show

🎙 Thanks for Tuning into Tend & Befriend!

🌿 Learn More & Work With Me:
💻 Visit Website for my birth course, resources, and to book a session with me.

📲 Stay Connected:
📷 Instagram: @deborahthedoula
📘 Facebook: @deborahthedoula

💡 Loved this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs it!

🔗 Find all links here: Our website 

I hope to talk to you soon!! 

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We spend so much time preparing for labor, but what about the moments that come right after your baby is born?

In this episode of Tend and Befriend, I’m walking you through what really happens after the final push. From skin-to-skin and delayed cord clamping, to delivering the placenta, the fundal massage (you've probably heard of it), and the quiet start to postpartum recovery.

Whether this is your first baby or you're preparing for another, understanding what to expect in those first few hours can help you feel calm, confident, and prepared.

Inside this episode:
 ✨ What pushing is really like for first-time parents
 ✨ How and when the placenta is delivered
 ✨ What the golden hour looks like and why it matters
 ✨ The truth about fundal massage and your right to say no
 ✨ What happens in the birthing room before you’re moved to postpartum care

You deserve to feel supported through the entire experience, not just during labor. When you know what’s coming, it’s easier to speak up, advocate for yourself, and move into postpartum feeling grounded.

Support the show

🎙 Thanks for Tuning into Tend & Befriend!

🌿 Learn More & Work With Me:
💻 Visit Website for my birth course, resources, and to book a session with me.

📲 Stay Connected:
📷 Instagram: @deborahthedoula
📘 Facebook: @deborahthedoula

💡 Loved this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs it!

🔗 Find all links here: Our website 

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Pelvic health physiotherapist Corey Ireland shares her expertise on the myths, misconceptions, and transformative potential of pelvic floor therapy for women, men, and children of all ages. Through her compassionate approach of meeting people where they are and "nudging" rather than pushing, Corey explains how pelvic health impacts everything from pregnancy comfort to postpartum recovery and even cardiovascular wellness.

• Pelvic floor physiotherapy doesn't always require internal examination—treatment plans are individual and based on comfort levels
• Pregnancy should not be painful—discomfort signals imbalance that can often be addressed with proper support
• Leaking after childbirth or with aging is not normal and should be addressed, not accepted
• Pessaries aren't just for older women but can be used like "knee braces" for activities and to help with tissue remodeling
• Men's morning erections serve as vital signs for cardiovascular health, with changes appearing approximately nine months before other cardiovascular changes
• Lactating mothers experience "genitourinary syndrome of lactation" similar to menopausal symptoms due to reduced estrogen
• Being proactive with physical activity before pregnancy creates a foundation for better pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences
• Booking a pelvic health assessment before your six-week postpartum checkup can help identify issues to discuss with your OB/GYN

Contact Ireland Physiotherapy in Kingsville at 519-733-1010 or visit www.irelandmpt.com for more information about their services.

Support the show

🎙 Thanks for Tuning into Tend & Befriend!

🌿 Learn More & Work With Me:
💻 Visit Website for my birth course, resources, and to book a session with me.

📲 Stay Connected:
📷 Instagram: @deborahthedoula
📘 Facebook: @deborahthedoula

💡 Loved this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs it!

🔗 Find all links here: Our website 

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Forget the diaper raffles and puff-painted bibs. This isn’t your traditional baby shower. In this episode of Tend and Befriend, Deborah dives into the heart of nesting parties: intimate gatherings that blend community, preparation, and emotional support for expecting parents.

You’ll learn:

• What a nesting party is and why it matters
• How to create a calm, supportive environment (and who to invite)
• Practical tips for meal prep, baby gear setup, and hospital bag packing
• Why this kind of care can make the postpartum transition smoother and more supported

Whether you’re pregnant and craving real help, or you’re a doula looking for meaningful ways to show up for your clients, this episode will leave you inspired to bring the “village” back to birth.

Links & Resources:

• Free Hospital Bag Checklist:  https://www.pelviclove.com/checklist 
• Connect with Deborah on Instagram: @deborah.thedoula

Support the show

🎙 Thanks for Tuning into Tend & Befriend!

🌿 Learn More & Work With Me:
💻 Visit Website for my birth course, resources, and to book a session with me.

📲 Stay Connected:
📷 Instagram: @deborahthedoula
📘 Facebook: @deborahthedoula

💡 Loved this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs it!

🔗 Find all links here: Our website 

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You’ve seen it in birth photos, maybe even on your own baby...that creamy white coating on newborn skin. It’s called vernix caseosa, and in this episode of Tend and Befriend, we’re exploring what it is, why it matters, and what it represents in today’s birth spaces.

Deborah breaks down:

• The science of vernix: what it’s made of and why it forms
• Its powerful role in immune support, temperature regulation, and bonding
• Why more families are choosing to delay their baby’s first bath
• What the World Health Organization recommends
• How this seemingly small decision connects to a larger conversation around informed consent and autonomy in birth

This episode isn’t just about vernix. It’s about voice. About choice. About being heard in one of the most sacred transitions of your life.

Whether you choose to leave it on or wash it off, what matters most is that the decision is yours.

Instagram: @deborah.thedoula
Website: www.pelviclove.ca 

Join Doula Deborah On Demand for biweekly conversations on birth, postpartum, advocacy, and evidence-based care.

Support the show

🎙 Thanks for Tuning into Tend & Befriend!

🌿 Learn More & Work With Me:
💻 Visit Website for my birth course, resources, and to book a session with me.

📲 Stay Connected:
📷 Instagram: @deborahthedoula
📘 Facebook: @deborahthedoula

💡 Loved this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs it!

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🎙️ Episode Title: The #1 Mistake First-Time Moms Make in Early Labor (And What to Do Instead)
Podcast: Tend and Befriend
Host: Deborah the Doula

Episode Summary:
If you're in the last weeks of pregnancy and wondering “How will I know if it’s really labor?” — this episode is for you. Today on Tend and Befriend, I’m talking about the most common mistake I see first-time moms make in early labor — and how doing the opposite can shift your entire birth experience. (Hint: it’s not about timing contractions.)

We’ll unpack:
 🌿 What early labor actually looks and feels like
 🌿 Why the 4-1-1 and 5-1-1 rules are often misleading
 🌿 How to tune into your body, not just the clock
🌿 The real signs that labor is picking up
🌿 Why rest and nourishment matter more than “progress” early on

You don’t have to earn your labor. You don’t have to make it happen. Let it unfold.

Mentioned in this episode:
✨ Follow me on Instagram: @deborathedoula
✨ Book a birth consultation: www.pelviclove.com

If you found this episode helpful, share it with a friend who's getting ready for birth — and remember, you've got this. ❤️

Support the show

🎙 Thanks for Tuning into Tend & Befriend!

🌿 Learn More & Work With Me:
💻 Visit Website for my birth course, resources, and to book a session with me.

📲 Stay Connected:
📷 Instagram: @deborahthedoula
📘 Facebook: @deborahthedoula

💡 Loved this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs it!

🔗 Find all links here: Our website 

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Episode Summary:
Thinking about choosing a midwife but unsure what they actually do? Heard that midwives only attend home births or that you can’t get an epidural with one? It’s time to clear up the myths and get real about what midwifery care looks like in Ontario — especially in Windsor-Essex.

In this episode, I’m joined by Corey, a registered midwife with Midwives of Windsor, and we’re unpacking the most common misconceptions around midwifery care — from payment and pain relief to postpartum support and hospital births. Whether you're newly pregnant, birth curious, or supporting someone through their journey, this conversation is packed with facts, compassion, and a few good laughs.

We talk about:
 ✨ Why midwifery care is fully covered (even without a health card!)
✨ The truth about home births vs. hospital births — and who really chooses what
✨ Getting an epidural or induction with a midwife (yes, it’s possible!)
✨ How midwives support choice and continuity of care
✨ What postpartum care looks like: including lactation, bleeding, and newborn checks
✨ Why calling your midwife might come before you call your partner 😉
✨ What makes midwifery care so personal and powerful for families

Mentioned in This Episode:
🔗 Midwives of Windsor – www.midwivesofwindsor.com
🔗 Pelvic Love Massage & Doula Care – www.pelviclove.com
📲 Follow Deborah on Instagram – @deborathedoula

Looking to prepare for your own birth journey?
💬 Book a birth consultation with Deborah: www.pelviclove.com

Support the show

🎙 Thanks for Tuning into Tend & Befriend!

🌿 Learn More & Work With Me:
💻 Visit Website for my birth course, resources, and to book a session with me.

📲 Stay Connected:
📷 Instagram: @deborahthedoula
📘 Facebook: @deborahthedoula

💡 Loved this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs it!

🔗 Find all links here: Our website 

I hope to talk to you soon!! 

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A powerful home birth story highlighting the incredible strength of women and the sacred honor of supporting birthing families. Doula Debra shares her evolving approach to home birth support and the beautiful outcome of a recent birth where connection, trust and protecting oxytocin flow created magic.

• Creating deeper connections with birthing families before labor begins
• Understanding the importance of protecting oxytocin flow during labor
• Preparing spiritually and emotionally as a birth worker
• Recognizing transition signs even when contraction patterns aren't textbook
• Witnessing the power of women birthing on their own terms
• Sharing positive birth stories to help women trust their bodies again
• Standing as a support without taking up space in the birthing room

If you find the right doula, she'll help you find your strength, your voice, and your peace in your birth journey.

Support the show

🎙 Thanks for Tuning into Tend & Befriend!

🌿 Learn More & Work With Me:
💻 Visit Website for my birth course, resources, and to book a session with me.

📲 Stay Connected:
📷 Instagram: @deborahthedoula
📘 Facebook: @deborahthedoula

💡 Loved this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs it!

🔗 Find all links here: Our website 

I hope to talk to you soon!!