Thank you for voting us "Best Doula" again this year!

We’re excited to announce that Heart Tones Birth Services has once again been voted "Best Doula" in the City Weekly Newspaper’s Best of Body + Mind issue! This is the 4th time we’ve been named among SLC’s best doulas, and we’re so appreciative. This recognition is a testament to our commitment to providing top-notch doula services to expecting families in Salt Lake. We’re thrilled to receive this award and so grateful to our clients for trusting us to support them during such a special time in their lives.

At Heart Tones Birth Services, we take great pride in the work that we do as doulas. Our team is dedicated to empowering our clients throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. We believe that every birthing person deserves compassionate and personalized care during this transformative time, and we strive to provide our clients with the support and guidance they need to have a positive and empowering birth experience. 

We are incredibly grateful to our clients and the community for recognizing our efforts and voting for us as “Best Doula.” As doulas, we are deeply passionate about what we do, and we are committed to continuing to provide the highest level of care to families in the Salt Lake City area. Thank you for trusting us to be a part of your birth journey and for allowing us to support you during such a special and significant time in your life. We look forward to continuing to empower birthing people and families in 2024 and beyond!

So you went past your due date…now what?

Ah, the infamous “due” date…the single day that can bring excitement, anticipation, and frustration when it comes and goes without any sign of a baby. As a doula, one of the most common conversations I have with clients who have seen their due date come and go with no baby in sight is, “yup, this is normal! Your baby will come when they come. As long as you and your baby are both doing well and there are no medical issues creeping up, there’s no need to rush things or stress that you went past your due date. In fact, did you know that only 4-5% of babies are born on their due date?....”  

What is a due date, anyway?

A due date is a guesstimate of when your baby will be born, based on the first day of your last menstrual period. The medical opinion of what constitutes a “full term” baby has changed over time, but currently someone is considered “full term” between 39 weeks 0 days and 40 weeks 6 days. The due date is the date that falls at 40 weeks 0 days from your last menstrual period (and btw, it's not based on any current evidence, just on some doctors deciding it).

According to a helpful article on Evidence Based Birth, “Based on the best evidence, there is no such thing as an exact ‘due date,’ and the estimated due date of 40 weeks is not accurate. Instead, it would be more appropriate to say that there is a normal range of time in which most people give birth. About half of all pregnant people will go into labor on their own by 40 weeks and 5 days (for first-time mothers) or 40 weeks and 3 days (for mothers who have given birth before). The other half will not.”

How common is it to go past your due date?

Two studies (2001 and 2013) found that estimated due dates should be closer to 40 weeks + 5 days. Only 4-5% of pregnant people have their babies on their due date. It’s hard to calculate exactly how many people go past their due date because there are various methods of estimating pregnancy length. But one thing that is true is that if this is your first baby, you do have a higher likelihood of going past your due date.

Is going past your due date a problem? 

Short answer: not necessarily, and it depends. The risks of some complications go up for the birthing person and baby as you go further past your due date. I’m not going to go into all the risks in this blog post, but you can read about the studies that have been done and the risks that have been found here. What is most important if you go past your due date is to have good communication with your provider and ask them questions about how your health and baby’s health is looking. Going past your due date may not in itself be a valid reason to induce labor, but if there are signs of medical complications creeping up, then your provider will want to talk about induction with you. If induction comes up, this is a helpful article to learn more about it. 

I’m past my due date and feeling like a ball of stress + anticipation…what do I do?

In short: if your health + baby’s health is looking good, then your priority at this point is to relax, trust + distract. 

Do things that bring you relaxation + comfort:

• Get a massage

• Get a mani/pedi

• Spend time at a favorite coffee shop

• Go to the movies and relax in one of those squishy reclining chairs

• Take an epsom salt bath with low lights, candles, and music (this is one of my favorite playlists to create a moody bath environment). If you usually like a scalding hot bath, be sure the temp of the water is a bit cooler to keep yourself from overheating. 

Do things that help you lean into trust:

• Listen to daily relaxation + affirmation tracks. We have several guided meditations on our YouTube channel.

• Take at least 5-10 minutes each day to get comfortable and focus on your breath, letting your thoughts + worries float in and out of your mind without holding onto them tightly

• If you're feeling a lot of anxiety, share how you’re feeling with your partner, a friend, therapist, or your doula.

Do things that help distract you:

• Start one of your favorite feel-good TV series from the beginning again

• Get a great novel to read

• Reach out to friends to have a coffee date, lunch, walk, or phone call every day you go past your due date. Ask them to dish to you about their life. Talk about other subjects besides pregnancy and birth. 

• If you’re reading this before your due date, schedule a due date ‘date’ with your partner or a friend. Plan on a special activity to happen on your due date (mani/pedis and dinner at your favorite restaurant? A movie?) so you have something to look forward to that isn’t just your baby’s possible birth day. If your baby does surprise you and come early or on their due date, then just cancel the dinner! 

• Check out our blog post on 15 things to do on your “due date” (or after!) 

If you’re reading this and you’re past your due date, we’re sending you lots of love and understanding. It can be hard to wait, but your baby WILL be here at some point soon(ish). And if people keep texting you asking “have you had that baby yet?” just reply with this link.

Midwives + doulas: what's the difference?

La Luna Photo + Film

One of the most common questions I get asked when I tell people I’m a doula is, “so…is that like a midwife?” It’s a common confusion since, for most people, both midwives and doulas fall somewhere in the realm of “something that has to do with birth? And maybe just unmedicated birth? Kinda crunchy?” So, read on to learn about the differences between doulas and midwives!

What is a midwife?

A midwife is a medical provider whose main focus during birth is the safety + health of the birthing person and the baby. A midwife can be hired instead of an OB/GYN and be the sole medical provider at your birth. Midwives are often hired by hospitals, and many midwives have private practices where they work at a birth center or support home births. Midwives are experts in managing the complexities of birth.

What is a doula?

A doula is a non-medical support person who is hired in addition to your medical provider (either a midwife or OB/GYN). A doula’s main focus during birth is the physical comfort + emotional wellbeing of the birthing person and partner(s). Doulas are experts in providing education, advocacy + physical support techniques during birth.

Can someone hire both a midwife and a doula? 

Absolutely! As you can see, while midwives and doulas both fall under the umbrella of “birth professional,” they provide very different and complementary services to a birthing person and family.

We hope this post was helpful in teaching you the differences between midwives and doulas. If you’re ready to hire a doula for your birth, get in touch!

The Magical Laboring Cave...AKA…the bathroom

Julie Marks photo

The magical laboring cave…dilation station…whatever us doulas call it, it’s one of our favorite places for our clients to labor: the bathroom, and more specifically, the toilet! Why do we love it? Read on!

What’s so special about the bathroom?

Before we list our reasons for loving the toilet for labor, take a second to think about how most mammals give birth. If you’ve ever worked on a farm or had pets at home that had babies, you might remember that mammals instinctively seek out dark, quiet, unobserved, safe spaces to have their babies. A cat will climb behind a laundry pile in a dark closet to have her kittens, not give birth in the middle of a loud living room. Humans are no different. The hormones that help babies be born are produced more when we feel cozy, safe, supported, and unobserved. So with that in mind, here are a few reasons we recommend our clients labor in the bathroom:

• it’s one of the most private spaces in someone’s home or hospital room. in labor, the more the birthing person feels safe and unobserved, the more their body will produce oxytocin which causes contractions. More safety = more oxytocin = more contractions = eventually, a baby!

• being that the bathroom is a private space, no one is going to barge in on your in there and disrupt your labor flow.

• we have been conditioned since early childhood that the bathroom is the place to “let go” and release. There is a natural instinct to relax and release when we’re on the toilet (especially if we’re in the bathroom alone and the door is locked).

• the specific shape of the toilet allows for more pressure to be put on our pelvic floor, helping things to move down and out. That’s why we doulas call the toilet “dilation station” - because we often see dilation progress after our clients sit there for a while!

How to set up your magical laboring cave

To get the most use out of the bathroom + toilet in labor, here are a few tips for setup:

• make it dark. Turn off all overhead lights and just have a few LED candles, twinkle lights, or a soft lamp.

• make it moody. Bring in a bluetooth speaker and play music that gets you out of your head and into your body. Ideally, we want you to be in “labor land,” meaning you’re not residing in your thinking brain and are spaced out and following your body’s instincts.

• make it smell lovely. Bring in an essential oil diffuser and add a few drops of your favorite scent. Some of our favorites for labor are peppermint, citrus, or lavender, but go with what you like.

• make it private. Close the bathroom door, and even put a note on the door if you’re worried about staff coming in without knocking. “Please do not disturb, I’m in labor land. If you need something, please talk to my partner or doula.”

• make it comfortable. One of our favorite ways to set clients up on the toilet is to have them straddle the toilet backwards, put several pillows in front of them, and let them just lean forward onto the pillows. A bonus idea: if you have yoga blocks or anything else that is about 6-9” off the ground, put one under each foot to help the birthing person get into more of a “squat” position. We’ll often use two trash cans turned on their sides. They can relax in this position for as long as they want. We often have clients labor like this for 30-60 minutes.

Is there a time when I shouldn’t labor on the toilet?

There may be some scenarios when laboring on the toilet isn’t the best idea. One time when you can’t labor on the toilet is if you have an epidural. Once an epidural is placed, you are not able to labor outside the bed, so the bathroom wouldn’t be available to you at that point.

Another possible time when laboring on the toilet wouldn’t be a good choice is if doing so causes your baby’s heart rate to decelerate, or makes you feel extremely uncomfortable or dizzy. Basically, follow your own body’s lead and if your body is telling you to move off the toilet, then do. As for your baby, your care provider will be monitoring your baby’s heart rate (either intermittently or continuously) and can let you know if they have any concerns. In my time as a doula, I’ve never seen laboring on the toilet cause any heart rate issues for the baby, but it’s a possibility.

Nicole Hamic Photography

What if I have my baby on the toilet?!

While it’s unlikely that you’ll unknowingly give birth on the toilet, especially if you’re a first time parent, sometimes birth surprises us! Typically as labor progresses you will begin to feel more and more pressure in your pelvic floor (like you have to poop). If you begin to feel a really strong sensation that you have to poop, let your provider know and they’ll either have you move back to the bed, stand up, or just support you while you continue to labor in the bathroom. Depending on how open your care provider is to catching babies in all sorts of positions, they may just help you birth your baby right there on (or near) the toilet!

If this is not your first baby, there’s a bit more of a chance that labor could move quicker and could catch you by surprise. If you feel your baby being born, instinct will most likely tell you to reach down and support your baby as they come out, then bring them to your chest.

If you’re ever in doubt or just don’t feel comfortable laboring on the toilet, then don’t! It’s just one of many options for labor, and you should always do what feels best for yourself.

Our 2024 scholarships + sliding scale are now available!

La Luna Birth Photos + Film

What is our doula scholarship + sliding scale?

We’ve been able to offer partial + full scholarships, as well as a sliding scale, to clients since 2020. The scholarship + sliding scale were made possible through a very generous donation from one of our past clients. After we supported them for their birth and postpartum time, they shared that they would like to gift doula services to other families who might want a doula, but couldn’t afford one. Here are a few words from the family who made this donation:

 “We created this birth scholarship because we deeply value the services Heart Tones Birth provides. Throughout the entire process of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, we felt incredibly supported emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. The Heart Tones doulas’ unique life experiences and talents have prepared them perfectly for doula work and we feel so fortunate to have connected with them, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. With our families far away, our doulas became our surrogate family, providing the necessary care we wish all new parents, especially birthing parents, could have. That is why we decided to create this scholarship—we want as many people to experience the transformative care that Heart Tones Birth Services provides, regardless of socioeconomic status.”

Eva Irene Birth

Who is eligible for the scholarship or sliding scale?

The scholarship is available to anyone who is planning to give birth in Salt Lake County, and who has a financial barrier to being able to afford a doula. We have an application that helps us to understand more about you and your current financial need. We prioritize giving scholarship funds to birthing people who are part of a demographic that is marginalized within our healthcare system and often receives a lower quality of care due to systemic racism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, fatphobia, classism, etc. 

As for our sliding scale, we offer this to clients who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, single parents, active-duty military, or families who have gone through IVF. 

How do I apply for a scholarship or sliding scale?

If you’re interested in applying for a partial or full doula scholarship, click here and fill out the application. We will be in touch within a few days of receiving your application. If you are interested in our sliding scale, simply mention this to Beth during your initial consultation and she can discuss it with you and determine how much we would be able to discount your services. 

How doulas and partners make an amazing team

As you prepare to work with a doula for your birth, you might wonder how they will support not just you, but your partner(s), as well. As your doula, our role is to support both the birthing person and the partner, to make sure you both know your options, and to make sure you both feel 100% supported.

How Does a Doula Help Partners During a Birth?

During your birth, your doula’s support for your partner might look like:

• tag-teaming with your partner to give them a chance to rest, eat, or take a break.

• reminding your partner of ways they can physically support you during a contraction.

• reassuring your partner that the intensity they’re seeing you experience during labor is totally normal and that you’re doing amazing.

Here’s Why Your Doula and Partner are a Dream Team:

Your partner knows you best, including how you cope with stress, what type of comforting touch you like, how to make you laugh, and what to say when you want to cry.

Your doula knows birth best, including how to help labor progress, how to manage discomfort, ways to move and positions that will feel good, and hands-on techniques that will bring relief.

Together, that makes for a great team to support you during your birth!

HERE’S WHAT JOE, THE PARTNER OF ONE OF OUR PAST CLIENTS, HAD TO SAY ABOUT WORKING WITH A HEART TONES DOULA:

“Before the process began I was vaguely aware of what a doula was, but didn't really understand the point. However, having a doula present was something my wife wanted and this seemed like the time to be supportive, so I went with it. When it came time to head to the hospital, our doula met us there immediately. She set about transforming the space from sterile to comfortable and warm. The nurses immediately took to her, which I took as a good sign. So far so good.

Then the fun part ended and our doula went into beast mode. We had a 36 hour marathon of pain and sleeplessness and I don't know what I would have done without her. She kept us fed, grounded and sane. She was the liaison between us and the hospital staff so I never had to feel like I was bugging anybody. She was amazing.

There was one moment in particular as my wife was getting an epidural during a particularly painful contraction. Our doula took my wife’s head in her hands and maintained eye contact at a time when I had absolutely no idea what to do. That 30 seconds alone would have been worth any price she asked. I'd recommend a Heart Tones doula to anybody asking. I really don't know how you would do it without them.”

---

If you’re ready to work with a Heart Tones Doula for your upcoming birth, reach out to us to set up a free consultation to see if we’d be a good fit!

Oatmeal energy bites: an easy one-handed postpartum snack recipe

During the “fourth trimester” (the first 3 months of your newborn’s life), you are going to be getting used to a lot of new things - sleeping in shorter spurts, soothing a fussy baby, resting and recovering from birth, and figuring out how to keep yourself fed while there’s a baby in your arms most of the time.

One of our favorite postpartum snacks to make for clients during our postpartum doula shifts are these simple energy bites, originally created by Gimme Some Oven. They’re packed with protein, taste great, and can be eaten with one hand (trust us, you’ll do lots of eating with one hand). 

These use ingredients you probably already have in the pantry, and can be made in a big batch and frozen. When you’re ready to eat some, simply put them in the fridge overnight or leave them on the counter for a few hours to defrost, then enjoy!

Here’s the recipe for our favorite postpartum energy bites:

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup old fashioned oats

2. ⅔ cup shredded coconut (you can toast this in a pan, but who has time for that when you’re postpartum?!)

3. ½ cup ground flaxseed

4. ½ mini chocolate chips (the mini ones work better, but if all you have is regular sized, you can use those)

5. 1 Tbsp chia seeds

6. ½ cup creamy peanut butter

7. ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup

8. 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Stir everything together in a big bowl. We recommend mixing the first 5 dry ingredients first, then adding the final 3 wet ingredients.

2. Chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours (if you can wait that long to eat these!)

3. Roll into balls. TIP: wet your hands a little bit, it makes the mixture stick to your hands less.

4. Serve. Enjoy immediately! You can also refrigerate in a sealed container for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Doula consultations: what to expect + what questions to ask

Before hiring a Heart Tones doula for your birth and/or postpartum, it’s always a good idea to meet with them. When you reach out to us, you will first get to have a 15-30 minute virtual or phone consultation with owner Beth Hardy. This is a chance for Beth to learn more about your support preferences, your personality, and if there’s anything specific you’re looking for in a doula. Beth will also share information with you about how Heart Tones Birth Services works, how contracts + fees work, and the benefits of hiring a doula who works for an agency. If you decide you’d like to move forward, Beth will connect you with a doula (or sometimes more than one) from our team for a meet + greet.

What happens in a doula meet + greet?

A doula meet + greet is a chance for you and your perspective doula to get to know each other and see if it feels like a good fit. If you can do this meeting in person,that is ideal, since it’s so much easier to get a real feel for a person’s energy and vibe when you’re sitting across from them. But sometimes a virtual meet + greet is necessary, and all of our doulas are happy to meet virtually if that’s what works best for you.

Here’s what you can expect in a doula meet + greet:

1. Bring your team. Your prospective doula will want to meet with both you and your partner(s) or other birth support person. This will help your doula to get a feel for who will be there in the room with you during the birth, and can answer any specific questions your partner/birth support person has. It also gives your partner/birth support person a chance to get to know the doula and see if it feels like a good fit for them, too. 

2. You’ll meet with your prospective doula at a public place like a coffee shop, and the meet + greet usually lasts around 30 minutes or so. 

3. During the meet + greet, the doula will tell you about themselves, their style, what you get in a doula package, and how they support you prenatally and during your birth (or postpartum time, in the case of a postpartum doula). They will also ask you questions about your hopes and plans for your birth, and what made you decide to seek out a doula.

4. Bring your questions. This is a great time to ask questions of your prospective doula to get to know them on a deeper level.

Questions to ask if you’re hiring a birth doula:

1. What kind of doula trainings have you done? 

2. Do you have any additional or specialty trainings you’ve taken (like massage, lactation, birthing at every size, supporting LGBTQ+ families, etc)?

3. Have you supported clients at my birth location before? 

4. I’m planning to have a [medicated/unmedicated/hospital/birth center/home] birth. What kind of experience do you have with this kind of birth?

5. About how many births have you attended?

6. Do you have any trips planned around my due date, or lots of other clients at that time? If so, what kind of backup doula arrangements do you have?

7. How do you work with my partner to make sure they’re involved and supported?

Questions to ask if you’re hiring a postpartum doula:

1. Can you give me some examples of what you would be doing during a daytime shift? During an overnight shift?

2. Do you have any additional or specialty trainings you’ve taken (like massage, lactation, birthing at every size, supporting LGBTQ+ families, etc)?

3. What if you get sick or are unavailable for a scheduled shift? Do you have a backup, or would we just reschedule?

4. What drew you to postpartum doula work? 

These are just a sample of some of the questions you might ask. If you have specific circumstances or things you want to know, ask about them! This is your chance to determine if this doula feels like the best fit for your birth and/or postpartum time.

If you’d like to meet with one of our wonderful doulas for a meet + greet, reach out to us!

How, when and why to use a squat bar in labor

Using a squat bar with an epidural to do the “tug-of-war” during pushing.

Did you know that every hospital labor + delivery unit has a squat bar that you can use? It can be a great tool, especially during the pushing stage of labor. You will just have to ask your nurse for it, and they will bring it in and click it into your hospital bed.

What is a squat bar?

A squat bar is a metal bar that clicks into a hospital bed, and can be helpful for getting into certain positions during labor and pushing. 

How can I use a squat bar in labor? 

There are a few main ways that birthing people use a squat bar in labor. One way is to hold onto it while you…you guessed it…squat during pushing. For some people, a squatting position can be just the right thing to help them move their baby down and out of their body.

Another way to use a squat bar during labor is to tie a flat sheet or a non-stretch scarf to it for a “tug-of-war” position. This can be super helpful during pushing because it allows you to brace the top half of your body and focus all your energy down into your pelvis to push your baby out. 

The images below show a birthing person with an epidural using the squat bar during a contraction to push, and when the contraction is over, she rests back on the bed in a seated position. The foot of the bed has been lowered so she can sit comfortably with her feet below her knees. Notice in the first photo that the nurse and partner are each supporting one of her legs with a towel wrapped around her thigh. Since she had an epidural, this extra support of her legs was essential in allowing her to get into a squatting position.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Can I use a squat bar if i have an epidural?

This will depend on a few things: 

• how strong is your epidural and how is your body metabolizing the medicine? For some birthing people, they find they’re still able to have quite a bit of mobility in their legs with an epidural, while others can’t move their lower half at all without a lot of help from their partner / doula / nurse. You can’t really know how your body will respond to the epidural until you get it, so this isn’t something you can plan for ahead of time and will just have to see how it feels in the moment.

• Do you have supportive providers and hospital staff? If your OB, midwife or nurse is not supportive or encouraging of you trying different pushing positions even with an epidural, it will be really hard, or even impossible, to use something like a squat bar. This is a great topic to bring up at your prenatal visits with your provider before your birth. A great question to as is “what positions are you comfortable with me pushing in if I have an epidural?” 

• Do you have hands-on support in the hospital room with you? A doula or supportive partner is very helpful in making the use of a squat bar a reality. Your nurse may be able to help with your positioning during the pushing phase, but their main focus is always on the health and safety of you and your baby. So if something else takes precedence, they may not have the availability to be as hands-on with you and help you get into a squat position. This is where having a doula and/or supportive partner can be really helpful. They are a continuous presence in your hospital room and can be an extra pair of hands to help you maneuver into different pushing positions.

Using a squat bar with an epidural. This birthing person is doing the “tug-of-war” with a flat hospital sheet that is wrapped around the squat bar.

Is there any time when I shouldn’t use a squat bar in labor?

First of all, having a supportive provider is imperative to being able to use tools like a squat bar during pushing. So if your provider is not on board for any reason and doesn’t think it’s a good idea, then it would be worth asking more questions about their thought process and hesitation, and possibly deferring to their decision not to use the squat bar if you feel like it makes sense for you.

Secondly, if you try the squat bar and find that it causes you any pain or discomfort, then stop using it and find a different position that feels better. You might be able to try the squat bar again at another time, or it just might not be the right tool for your particular body and needs.

Finally, if a squatting position causes your baby distress (such as heart rate decelerations or other signs of stress), the hospital staff will want you to move into a different position that your baby tolerates better.

I hope this blog post helps you better understand what a squat bar is, how it is used, and in what circumstances you can and cannot use it during labor!

15 things to do on your "due" date

Did you know that “due dates” are a GUESS? They don’t mean your baby has to be born on that day. In fact, babies can come up to 2 weeks before or 2 weeks after your estimated due date. So in reality, it should be more like a “due month!” In fact, although “due dates” are set for 40 weeks pregnant, if first-time parents are left to go into labor on their own, they tend to be pregnant for about 41 weeks + 1 day.

So sit back, relax, and trust that your baby knows when and how to be born, and your body knows when and how to give birth to your baby.

What should you do on your due date?

Simply: whatever you want! But it’s nice to have some things planned so you’re not sitting around just focusing on the fact that your baby is still very happily inside your belly. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. bake cookies

2. watch a favorite movie or show (keep the subject matter light and enjoyable)

3. take a picture of yourself naked, or at least showing your belly! Even if you’re so over being pregnant and big, you will be glad to have at least one photo of you during this hugely transformational life stage.

4. write a letter to your baby about how you can’t wait to meet them, and all the fun things you’ll do together once they’re here

5. record a video message for your baby. Talk about how you’re feeling, what you’re looking forward to, and give them a tour of the house and their room. They’ll love to watch this video as they grow up!

6. have your partner give you a nice long foot rub. If they aren’t up for it, schedule yourself a prenatal massage.

7. get outside. Take a walk in a park or even just around the neighborhood

8. read a good book

9. take a long bath

10. call your doula or friend for some words of encouragement

11. order food from your favorite takeout place

12. get a pedicure

13. play cards or a board game with your partner

14. snuggle, make out, have sex!

15. if you’re feeling discouraged that your baby isn’t here yet, read this blog post for some good perspective on this unique moment in your life.

Remember, this is a temporary moment in life, and you’re going to meet your baby before you know it! And if your friends + family keep texting you to say “is that baby here yet?” just send them to HaveYouHadThatBabyYet.com.

Your choice of birth location and provider can have a huge effect on your birth. Here’s why.

Photo by Danielle Wilstead, Wild Oak Birth

We all want to have a feeling of control when it comes to birth. Heck, we want to feel in control all the time in our lives! But I’ll let you know something - there is a heck of a lot in birth that we can’t control. Sorry, it’s just how birth is. Birth is one of the most incredible, fascinating, powerful and life-changing things that a person can experience. And with all that comes the fact that birth sometimes has twists and turns that we can’t plan for, and there will come a time in every birth where you will have to release control. 

Setting yourself up from the get go with a team and birth location that is going to support your desires and help you have a positive birth experience is one of the (few?) things you can control.

So as you’re preparing for your birth, think about a few things regarding your provider:

• Do you feel comfortable with your provider? 

• Do they give you all the time you need to ask questions and process fears during your appointments, or do you feel rushed?

• Is your provider easy to get ahold of if you have a question or need something, or do you have to jump through hoops to get them on the phone?

• Does your provider enthusiastically support your birth preferences, or do they reluctantly tolerate them? 

• Does your provider encourage you to have a doula and see the value in having that support?

• Have you heard your provider say things like “we don’t really do that here,” “we’ll see how that goes,” “you don’t really know what you want, this is your first birth,” etc? 

Something to know about having your baby in a hospital is that there’s a chance that the provider you’ve been seeing throughout your pregnancy will actually not be the one at your birth (because of being off call, not on shift that day, on vacation, sick, etc). In fact, in a survey we did of folks who had recently had their babies in Salt Lake City hospitals, over half of them did NOT have their preferred provider at their birth. The most common reason was that their provider wasn’t scheduled to work that day. 

If you’re interested in exploring your options outside of a traditional hospital birth with an OB/GYN, working with a midwife at a birth center can be a really good choice for people who:

• Are considered “low risk” in their pregnancy

• Would like to know exactly who will be at their birth and have a deeper personal relationship with their provider

• Would like to birth in a low pressure, home-like environment 

• Are planning to use non-pharmacological techniques to manage discomfort in labor (epidurals aren’t available at birth centers or home births)

Our favorite birth centers in Salt Lake City are:

• Wasatch Midwifery

• The Birth Center

• Birth Journey Midwifery

• Innate Midwifery

(All of these birth centers also offer home birth services)

And there are also so many amazing home birth midwives in Salt Lake City. Some of our favorites that aren’t listed above are:

• Misty Beesley, Salt Lake Midwifery

• Teryl Stay, Stay Awhile Midwife

• Carla Belliard + Amber Adams Birth|Mind|Body

• Gloria Moore, Bearth Holistic Midwifery

• Christine Larson, Olive Branch Midwifery

• Sarah Fairlight, Fairlight Midwifery

Heart Tones Birth Services is looking for doulas to join the team

Hi there fellow birth workers,

Heart Tones Birth Services is looking for doulas who want to come on as part of the team! Let me tell you a little more about me and the business:

• I’m Beth Hardy, owner and founder of Heart Tones Birth Services. I’m a birth doula, postpartum doula, childbirth educator and Board-Certified Music Therapist. I am a white, cis, queer woman who was born in CO and has lived all over the place, and moved to SLC in 2015. I have 2 kids, ages 2 and 5. I’m very business minded, absolutely love owning and growing my own business, and have established myself as a sought-after doula in the SLC area.

• Heart Tones Birth Services has been a leading provider of doula services in SLC since 2015. We were named “Best Doulas” in City Weekly’s 2022 Body + Mind issue, and “Best UT Doula” by the 2020 Empowering Fearless Birth event.

• The business has been growing every year, and in 2021 we served 22 clients. In 2022, we’re set to surpass that number by at least double.

• In 2021 and 2022, Heart Tones Birth Services received a donation that has allowed us to provide several scholarship births at no cost to the client. These scholarships allow us to serve even more clients who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford a doula.
  

Here’s what I’m looking for in the doula(s) that come on as part of the team:

• Someone who has been a doula for at least a year and/or attended at least 5 births. If you don’t have much birth experience yet but you still think you’d be a great fit, please still reach out and we can talk. There may be opportunities for learning/shadowing/apprenticing.

• Someone who is interested and able to take on 2-4 births per month. This won’t always be the case since doula work ebbs and flows, but it’s a possibility in certain months.

• Someone who is able to take births in Salt Lake County. If you live outside Salt Lake County, you must be willing to drive to SLC to attend prenatals and births.

• Someone who has been fully vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19

• Someone who has reliable transportation and childcare if you have kids at home. Doula work is unpredictable, and our clients rely on us to be able to rearrange our lives in order to be with them when they need us.

• Someone who has great communication skills, works well as part of a small team, and takes feedback and suggestions well.

• Someone who is actively working toward their own unlearning of the systemic racism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, fatphobia, ablism, and patriarchy that is woven through our society and medical systems. This doesn’t mean you’ve figured it all out, it just means you’re willing to look at how you can always be doing better at de-centering yourself and providing unbiased care to the clients you serve. It also means you’re willing to have hard conversations when someone calls you in about a mistake you may have made or people you may have hurt.

If you’re interested in learning more and seeing if you’d be a good fit for the team, email hearttonesbirth@gmail.com. I can’t wait to talk to you!

-Beth

Featured on The Weave Connected Podcast

We recently had the pleasure of being featured on the Weave Connected podcast. Weave is a company that helps businesses modernize the way they interact with customers, unifying their data and all channels of communication onto one smart platform.

We were approached by Weave when they recently launched a podcast where they interview entrepreneurs. They wanted to chat with us about our business journey, what hurdles we’ve had to overcome, and how being in a doula partnership has helped us expand our business and reduce our chances of burnout.

Check out the podcast on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you listen to podcasts!