Since 2009, Ruth as a doula has been supporting families with birth and postpartum care in central Texas. She is trained through DONA and a member of the Central Texas Doula Association for both birth and postpartum support. She has worked closely with ICAN of Austin, and pregnancy resource centers as a doula and childbirth educator. Another organization, Pregnancy Postpartum Health Alliance, is an organization for families with various pregnancy and postpartum mood disorders that is dear to her heart. She is in awe of the power of a woman’s body in pregnancy, birth and postpartum. She has a special passion for helping first time moms, and VBAC moms.
Ruth hopes that all mothers and fathers have resourceful and understanding support systems be it in the hospital or out-of-the-hospital. As a mother of two, Ruth understands the struggles with navigating choices from birth to breastfeeding and parenting. She is an expert at counseling and educating families during all challenges during the transition into parenthood. Motherhood and birth take every part of your being. Having the support of other individuals is a vital part in a woman’s journey from woman to mother. Also, a father’s journey from man to father. Is a birth doula right for you? We’d love to talk.
In addition to birth support, Ruth is a Spinning Babies® Certified Parent Educator. In the Spinning Babies® class, parents learn how to balance their anatomy to create more ease in pregnancy and birth with movement and gravity at their aid. This class is a thorough overview of birth anatomy including ligaments, and soft and bony tissue and the path a baby takes to navigate as they are born. The Spinning Babies® Parent Class will help you understand baby positions and labor positions that help birth be less painful and more empowering. Learn hands-on techniques to make room for baby. These techniques are ideal to start during pregnancy and in labor as well.
Furthermore, as a doula, Ruth is aware sometimes support is needed hands on in labor to evaluate the labor pattern. She also provides consultations in labor when needed. Situations include a stalled labor, helping a baby that is ‘high’ to engage, getting labor started after water breaks and other invitations to act. This evaluation can be imperative when the Spinning Babies® approach would be helpful for the family and the birth.
After the birth, logistical support in the home in crucial. Tasks such as laundry, meal prep, organization can be overwhelming. Understanding your newborn and breastfeeding can all encompassing. Ruth is the ultimate multi-tasker, a navigator in feeding/pumping routines and a problem-solver with newborn struggles. Whether it be troubleshooting colic or reflux to increasing milk supply, having Ruth as a breastfeeding and newborn support keeps the household running. This type of help is beyond priceless.
One of the biggest transitions families will face with a newborn at home is sleep deprivation. Ruth excels at sleep relief, giving specific recommendations for safe sleep habits for you and your baby. In addition to sleep, breastfeeding support through the night and how to set up a comfortable environment for encouraging your baby to sleep for longer stretches. While doing this, she also keeps an eye on the family’s recovery as they rebound from the birth. “Postpartum Doulas are the way to go!”, said a client with Village. Let’s chat!
With her own children, she also found it very difficult to breast-feed, which left her no other choice but to use commercial infant formula. Her first child began developing, allergies, intolerances, ear infections, etc., until the day she took him off the commercial formula. With her second child, to avoid the formula roller-coaster she went on with her first, she chose to give her daughter a homemade infant formula. She attributes her daughter’s healthy immune system largely to the quality nutrition she received from the Weston A Price homemade infant formula.
When breast milk isn’t an option, this is always her first recommendation to clients, and can obviously attest to its benefits. Because she has used some alternative methods herself, Ruth is more than happy to talk with families about their different questions and options they may have, because one solution does not fit every family.
Some families prefer to have a personal in-home class on how to make homemade formula and then ongoing support as needed. Others opt for a weekly visit from the ‘Milk Fairy’ to make and freeze enough formula for 1+weeks at a time. Schedule your consult with the resident Milk Fairy here!
Another challenge Ruth had to face in the first year of motherhood was her postpartum mood disorders, including depression, anxiety and OCD. She was determined to get her first child out of diapers as soon as possible, against all belief of possibility and potty train her 15 month old. She began the process of what she later learned was called Elimination Communication (or Elimination Control). With little hope and very detached from her child since birth, EC training shed some light. Due to the process of learning his elimination routine, she was not only able to potty train, but grew closer to her baby. She now offers to share the joy and wisdom she learned through potty training your little one. This approach works great for babies 9mo-20mo. Ruth partners with Brandi Brucks, the resident author and guru for potty training your older toddlers. Curious? Let’s talk!
“I spoke to you [Ruth] Thursday night about my son Riv. Thank you SO SO much for the videos and information! Thursday night I did the swaddle from the video and used the wrap and the hospital hat trick and he slept from 12-3 then nursed and went straight back to sleep until 6. This was magic bc he has been waking up for the day at 3am!! Friday was even better and he slept in the swaddle/wrap/hat combo from 12-6:20am!!!! I was shocked!! Last night he got woke up from his siblings late so it took me a while to get him settled back down. He slept in the swaddle/wrap/hat combo from 1:30-7am! I didn’t even think he could do it! WOW! You are a life saver!! Again thank you SO SO much!!!”
