Postpartum, Our Favorites, Motherhood, Newborns
Lauren Foster, Co-Owner
Postpartum Recovery After Twins: What You Need ...

So, you’ve brought two babies into this world. First of all, you’re a superhero—no doubt about it. But let’s get real for a second: postpartum recovery after twins is not the same as recovering from a single birth. It’s double the diapers, double the feedings, double the sleepless nights—and sometimes, double the discomfort. Your body just did an incredible, exhausting, miraculous thing. Now, it's time to heal, recover, and find yourself again in the whirlwind of having two newborns at home.

It’s important to remember, you’re not just healing from birth. You’re also adjusting to a new life with two precious babies. And while there’s a lot of joy, there’s also a lot of messiness that nobody really prepares you for. Let’s break down what you really need to know about postpartum recovery after twins!

Postpartum Recovery After Twins: What You Need to Know
Local OC Resources, Our Favorites, Pregnancy
Lauren Foster, Co-Owner
Our Favorite Spots For a Pre-Baby Date Night in ...

As your due date nears, the reality of impending parenthood can be both exciting and overwhelming. You may be getting nervous or have anxiety around when you’ll go into labor. You may be stressing about getting the nursery ready or finalizing details for your maternity leave. That’s why planning and enjoying a big night out can provide a special opportunity to unwind, connect, and relish your partner’s company before your baby’s arrival takes center stage. I always encourage clients to schedule a “no holds barred” date night around 37 or 38 weeks - it’s a chance to take a deep breath, enjoy some quality time together, and remind yourselves why you’re a great team. Orange County offers an array of high-end, memorable spots to make this final pre-baby date night one for the books.

Our Favorite Spots For a Pre-Baby Date Night in Orange County
Motherhood, Newborns, Postpartum, DOC Team, Birth Planning
Lauren Foster, Co-Owner
The Magical Golden Hour

In the quiet hush of the labor & delivery room, where the air is charged with anticipation and the scent of earthiness and birthyness, a new chapter in your life unfolds. The rhythmic cadence of your breath is mirrored by the gentle whispers of your doula, a reassuring presence in this oh so sacred moment. The culmination of nine months… maybe more, leads to this: the first hour with your newborn.

The Magical Golden Hour
Pregnancy, Parenting, Newborns, Our Favorites, Birth Planning
Lauren Foster, Co-Owner
A Doula's Eco Friendly Baby Registry

When I was selecting items for my baby registry, it was really important to me to not go overboard. As a doula of 14 years, I’ve seen families get overwhelmed with the amount of stuff in their homes and nurseries and I knew I wanted to keep things on the simpler side. I also wanted to be mindful of the impact on not only the environment, but also my baby’s microbiome - which meant finding a lot of eco-friendly products to keep waste down and keep our home as “low tox” as possible. Here you’ll find some of my favorite sustainable and most useful items that I registered for.

A Doula's Eco Friendly Baby Registry
Local OC Resources, DOC Team
Lauren Foster, Co-Owner
Calling all amazing Doulas & Newborn Care ...
Calling all amazing Doulas & Newborn Care Specialists!
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Benefits of Prenatal Yoga

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Growing that “baby belly” can be a wonderful, joyous experience, but it is often mixed with challenges for the body and mind. Developing a consistent yoga practice during pregnancy is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your body & your baby in preparation for childbirth. By linking yoga postures with breath as well as the use of guided meditation; yoga during pregnancy can help bring awareness to the mind, body, & spirit, as well as help connect you to the spirit of your baby.

Prenatal Yoga is specifically designed to help alleviate the most common pregnancy ailments. The postures chosen by an experienced, educated teacher will assist in adapting to the many emotional & physical changes that occur during pregnancy. Specific postures help strengthen & tone the uterus and pelvic floor, improve circulation in the legs & pelvic area, aid in digestion, exercise the spine, and increase overall comfort during pregnancy. Yoga can also help alleviate other discomforts such as low back pain, sciatica, swelling, varicose veins, and nausea.

An oft forgotten aspect of yoga is the social one, specifically in regards to prenatal yoga. It's not uncommon to build a strong community within these classes as you bond over heart burn, swollen feet, and waiting for the day your babies arrive. Prenatal Yoga can be a safe haven for many parents-to-be as they connect with others who truly understand the challenges they face in pregnancy. Many moms and moms-to-be find their tribe in yoga classes and create lasting friendships for years to come!

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The Magic of Infant Massage

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In honor of our upcoming Infant Massage series at Doulas of Orange County, our wonderful instructor Kathleen Thomas-Sarles is sharing more about the magic this healing and bonding activity provides. Kathie provided a lovely hands-on demo at our New Mama Cafe this week and we weren't surprised to hear that everyone LOVED it! Learn more about Kathie and her expertise in Infant Massage on her website. 

According to Infant Massage USA, there are many benefits to regular infant massage:

1. Stimulation: Skin sensitivity (touch) is the earliest developed function which is most crucial for all the sensory systems, for muscle development, and overall health.

2. Relaxation: Massage helps balance our autonomic nervous system. Massage helps to relieve tension built up from all the stimulation in our baby’s environment. It can help your baby sleep better: (longer and deeper sleep) and helps with self-regulation and self-soothing.

3. Relief of Physical Discomfort: such as gas and colic, constipation, muscular tension or stiffness and sensitivity to touch or disorganization of the nervous system.

 4. Interaction: Touch is one of the most critical elements to the bonding process.  Learn your baby’s cues and build trust.

Babies are touchable, squeezable, kissable and overall intoxicating! Our babies have the power to make us touch, hold, and care for them!  That touch-communication begins at birth or even before, (pregnant moms are always rubbing their bellies), and continues as the baby grows and develops. The question is often asked, “Why should parents learn infant massage when they touch their babies often throughout the day anyway?”  

Infant massage USA uses a systematic method of touch that incorporates two types of strokes: Indian and Swedish, and combines that with a heightened awareness of the cues our babies give us. Observation and “being present” with our baby is the cornerstone of this process.   Massage begins with a question directed to our baby,” Would you like a massage?”, and continues with non-verbal communication that builds trust between the two participants. We never massage a crying baby, we do however, respond to that cry with another method of touch and love.  

There are many benefits to infant massage, but the one that stands out as crucial is the deep bonding that occurs through this one-on-one time. Finding the time in your day when you and your baby are ready for this interaction and setting aside all other concerns, allows you and your baby to get to know each other more completely. When touch is offered lovingly and respectfully it is most often accepted. As parents we gradually learn when our baby is not ready for this touch and note the cues. This skill of reading cues is beneficial throughout our child’s life, as children do not always use their words to tell us what they want.

“Infants communicate through their bodies. When you engage an infant in a massage, you begin to listen to the infant: you listen to sounds, you watch movements, you listen with your eyes, your ears and your heart. “Infant massage, or touch communication nurtures the most important relationship the child will ever have: the relationship between the parent and infant”. Elaine Fogel Schnieder, Ph.D

Vimala McClure founder of Infant Massage USA tells us,”Touch is the first sense to form in-utero and the last to leave us in death.  It is the only sense we can’t live without.” Infant massage when incorporated into your daily schedule, has the added benefits of better sleep, better digestion, muscle and brain development and increased self -soothing ability of your baby.  Massage gives parents more confidence due to their successful response to their baby’s needs, and the baby learns to trust that their needs will be met.  Both parent and child benefit from the massage not only in the moment, but for a lifetime of communication. Infant massage creates a space where baby and parent come together to communicate through touch and learn the wonders of each other.

Kathie's 4-week series launches Sunday, September 3rd at at 10:30am in Irvine. These hour and a half sessions are held at our baby-friendly office. Each class will include guided understanding and modeling of strokes, education regarding temperament, relationship, development, behavioral states and touch as a first communication. You will learn how to create a sense of trust, respect and confidence for you and your baby and maximize your bonding time. This class is great for moms, dads, and grandparents! 

Check out Kathie's Intro to Infant Massage session on Sunday, August 27th at 10:30 or join us for  New Mama Cafe on Tuesday, September 5th at 11:30am to learn more. This info session will provide you with everything you need to know to sign up for the 4-week series and includes a hands-on demo! Registration is required. 

Read more about this new series and instructions on how to register on our events page. For questions, please email Kathie directly at ktsarles@gmail.com. 

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DOC August 2017 Schedule

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You may have heard by now that Doulas of Orange County has moved to Irvine! Our bigger, more accessible class space provides the perfect setting for Parenting & Childbirth Education, Yoga, Play Groups and more!

We are proud to offer a full schedule for the month of August with additional classes being added to the calendar in September!

YOGA

Weekly yoga classes are the newest addition to our calendar! Taught by co-owner and yoga instructor, Lauren Jacobs, our weekly prenatal yoga class gives you regular opportunities to relax, stretch, and bond with your baby as your nurture your pregnant or postpartum body. Classes begin late August! Registration is now available! 

THE POTTY SCHOOL

Michelle Swaney of The Potty School is now teaching regular classes at our office in Irvine as well! Featured on NBC, ABC, CBS, and MSN, Michelle's expertise and techniques are a must have for all parents looking to gently and effectively teach their children how to potty train.  Classes are appropriate for ages from 0-18+ months and include Elimination Communication, Potty Training 101 and Parent+Me Potty Training. Classes begin August 28th!

NEW MAMA CAFE :: WEEKEND EDITION

We've had the joy and delight to meet many of you at our weekly New Mama Cafe gathering on Tuesdays! We always love seeing your smiling faces and watching your sweet babies grow week by week. As the weeks & months have gone by, we know that some of you have returned to work or varying nap times make it a challenge to come to the Tuesday mom & baby group, so we are excited to announce a monthly gathering for new moms in OC. We call it the Weekend Edition of New Mama Cafe! 

Held on the 2nd Saturday of the month at 9:30am at Tewinkle Park in Costa Mesa, this group offers an opportunity to meet other new moms and share the ups and downs of mom life! Check out the Dad version held on the 3rd Saturday of the month at Mariners Park in Newport Beach!

PARENTING & CHILDBIRTH EDUCATION

Doulas of Orange County offers the largest variety of prenatal & parenting programming in all of Orange County. Our monthly classes include Babywearing 101, Breastfeeding 101, and Baby Care Basics. Other classes, such as our Confident Birth 4-week series and Comfort Measures workshop are offered every other month. 

With curriculums developed by DOC owners, Lauren and Chelsea, these informative and enjoyable classes provide you with all the knowledge and skill you need to walk into your birth & parenting journey with confidence! Group classes are great for those that are interested in creating community and meeting new parent friends, while Private classes are fully customizable for those that want to focus on the topics that matter most to you!

Check out our Classes & Workshops page for more information and to register!

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This is just a glimpse of what August holds here at Doulas of Orange County! Stay tuned for more offerings in September like Infant Massage, Infant & Family CPR, movie screenings and more! 

Welcome Home!

It's official, Doulas of Orange County is now located in the city of Irvine! We made the move on Monday, saying farewell to our first office in Costa Mesa and saying a hearty hello to the Airport Business Center! 

Saying goodbye to our Costa Mesa office was truly bittersweet. That space holds so many wonderful memories for us...it was where we launched our parenting + community center, where we first taught classes, and where we met so many new parents and parents-to-be. We are honored to have spent two and a half wonderful years as a small business in Costa Mesa!

The growth we've had as a business is encouraging and exciting to say the very least and we are looking forward to the wonderful new memories we'll create at our new office at Sky Park Circle. In the coming days we'll be sharing more sneak peeks of the space via social media - if you don't already follow us on Instagram & Facebook - follow along for updates and fun new happenings! 

On a similar note, we have space for one more part-time renter at our new location near John Wayne Airport. This 9x12 office space will be shared with Lauren Slak, Licensed Midwife and includes 3.5 days of use per week. Rent includes use of our warm and inviting lobby, access to our coffee & tea bar, baby changing table, in-suite bathroom and priority access to use of our class and event space. 

Additionally, our class & event space is available for weekly or monthly classes as well as pop-up shops, movie nights, baby showers, blessing ways and more! 

We are looking for engaging, like-minded practitioners that are eager to serve the pregnant and parenting community in Irvine and surrounding areas. If this is you, we'd love to meet you and provide an in-person tour of the space. Please inquire at hi@doualsofoc.com

Our doors officially open on August 7th with all classes & groups resuming as scheduled. Please note our new address is 17985 Sky Park Circle Suite A, Irvine CA 92614. 

We are anxiously awaiting the opportunity to invite each of you to our open house... more details coming soon!

Thank you to everyone for your support, now and always. 

Office or Treatment Room Available at Doulas of OC :: Perfect for Birth & Baby Professionals

Are you a Chiropractor, Acupuncturist, Massage Therapist, Midwife or other Birth Professional looking for a centrally located office or treatment room in Orange County, California? 

Available for rent is one 9x11 office at the Doulas of Orange County pregnancy & parenting center. This office is available 3.5 days per week and is shared with a Licensed Midwife and CPM serving Orange County. The office is furnished with a love seat, treatment/exam table and storage cabinet.  

Our space is conveniently located off the 405 fwy and MacArthur Blvd at 17985 Sky Park Circle, Suite A, Irvine CA 92614. Ample parking is available onsite, along with beautiful landscaping in a well maintained and professional business park.  

The space at Doulas of OC includes a spacious client lobby complete with seating area, coffee bar, kids corner and baby changing station. Through the lobby door you will enter into our class & education space with floor to ceiling windows providing tons of natural light. Adjacent to this class space are the two rooms available to rent. 

As you can see in the photos provided, there are gorgeous hardwood floors throughout! Rental fees include use of the lobby's amenities, a private in-suite bathroom, as well as priority access and a reduced rate for our class & event space. 

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Please inquire via email hi@doulasofoc.com or phone (949) 791-7164 for more information and leasing details or to schedule a time to view the available space.

We look forward to speaking with you!