Ayurveda and the postnatal
The postpartum is still treated as a sacred time in many cultures. The full 42 days are honoured and special food and care are provided to the mother and the baby.
Aine from @ostara_and_co discusses some of these approaches with me in this podcast which was originally recorded as a n Instal Live in May 2025.
Aine is a guest speaker at my Lactation Doula Training Course this year. If you would like to find out more about this training and join us see link in bio or see https://www.dublindoula.com/breastfeeding-support-training-for-doulas
Available:
Live in person in Dublin
Live by zoom all over the world
On demand by playback
Cost €395
You get
16 hours of instruction
75 page manual
Lifetime access to recordings
Guest speaker session on Ayurveda and the postnatal with Aine O Sullivan
Membership of peer support group
Lactation Doula Certificate
The confidence to support people in their breastfeeding journey
Payment plan available. Email me at drkrysia@gmail.com to join or for more info
Special announcement podcast: Lets get Ireland breastfeeding
This podcast is from 2023 - so the dates give for the course are from that time. This year in 2025, my Breastfeeding Training is coming up on the 17th and 18th May 2025 at Insight Matters in Capel St in the heart of Dublin as well as live online by zoom and by playback for whenever you want and need it, so I am sharing this podcast again! To find out more head over to Breastfeeding Training for Doulas Midwives and Complementary Therapists
If you haven’t signed up yet, then the time is now! If you have been sitting on the fence then the time is now! This training will not be repeated this year and is a must for all people who are working with postnatal mothers but who have had no formal breastfeeding training, or limited breastfeeding training.
Here are six things this training will enable you to do
1. Feel confident in supporting your breastfeeding clients
2. Understand and know how to respond to common breastfeeding questions
3. Have a range of tools to prepare your clients for breastfeeding
4. Understand the importance of the baby and giving the baby autonomy in successful breastfeeding
5. Gain a holistic view and perception of breastfeeding as a process of biological value to mother and baby in addition to the nutritive properties in breastmilk
6. Know when and where to refer your clients for more support
And this training doesn’t stop at those six! Lots more beyond that!
Looking forward so much to giving this training and also to meeting you
Two month payment plan availabe
Four month payment plan available
Email me at drkrysia@gmail.com for more details
Obstetric Violence
Obstetric Violence contributes to birth trauma, and difficult birth experiences which in turn contribute to difficult early parenting experiences.
Some of the categories of obstetric violence include:
Physical abuse
Non consensual care
Non Confidential care
Non dignified care
Abandoned or neglected care
Discrimination
Detention against the person’s will
Lack of privacy
Postnatal Doulas can help new mothers by listening and validating their birth story and experiences and offering much need physical and emotional support in the early parenting days.
If you would like to join this year's postnatal doula training then find out more here: https://www.dublindoula.com/become-a-postnatal-doula/
Obstetric Violence contributes to birth trauma, and difficult birth experiences which in turn contribute to difficult early parenting experiences.
Some of the categories of obstetric violence include:
Physical abuse
Non consensual care
Non Confidential care
Non dignified care
Abandoned or neglected care
Discrimination
Detention against the person’s will
Lack of privacy
Postnatal Doulas can help new mothers by listening and validating their birth story and experiences and offering much need physical and emotional support in the early parenting days.
If you would like to join this year's postnatal doula training then read on.
This course will provide you with all the skills and training you need to feel confident and assured in supporting new mothers and their partners in the early days of parenting. In addition to your Postnatal Doula Certificate you will also receive a Lactation Doula Training Certificate as one weekend of the course focuses on supporting breastfeeding.
Training dates
1st - 2nd March 2025
27th - 28th April 2025
17th - 18th May 2025
Payment plan available. Three subsidised places also available. More info here:
Routine Induction of labour: why continue to be pregnant?
Routine induction of labour is peddled as a maternity must to pretty much everyone who receives late antenatal care in the Irish maternity services. Its as though the medics have shares in a global syntocinon factory.
But jesting aside – is there any harm in being induced at 39 weeks just for the sake of it? You know – you don’t want to be pregnant forever now do you? Conversely is there any benefit to staying pregnant?
And what of those statistics that are fired at will about inductions at 39 weeks reducing c section rates and limiting the chances of a still birth?
Are they real? Or have they since been shown to be less than reliable?
With our induction rates rocking over 60% for first time mothers in some units and the normalisation of c sections in society today coupled with a c section rate knocking at 50% for first time parents in some units, really understanding the potential harms of induction in otherwise healthy pregnancy is vital. Listen in to find out more.
Ding dong induction time: What are the risks?
Its Christmas season! That means that the trucks of syntocinon are rolling up to the entrances of our maternity units. We are approaching peak season for induction “for dates”.
What are the risks of induction that are rarely, if ever, discussed?
Listen in to find out more about the risks induction of labour bring to your labour, birth, birth experience, breastfeeding, early parenting and also the risks to your baby, toddler, child and teenager.
The studies referred to in this podcast are the following:
Exclusive Breastfeeding rates 2024 and medicalised births
One of the key issues that receives little attention and yet has a huge affect on the initiation of breastfeeding is the way a mother has given birth.
Pregnancy Birth to Breastfeeding is a continuum.
The way we birth will affect the early days.
The national first-time mother c section rate is now 41%, and we also know that the routine induction of healthy mothers and babies at 38/39 weeks is being actively pursued.
Of the 59% of first time mothers that have had vaginal births, about half of them have had an operative vaginal birth with vacuum cup or forceps, and the majority will have taken an epidural.
We know from reams of research that these procedures will affect the early days and exclusive breastfeeding.
It should not be kept a secret. For some it will affect their birth choices and for others it will inform them how to best prepare for the early hours and days. The majority of mothers want to exclusively feed their babies, and currently we are selling them short.
Achieving exclusive breastfeeding is a result of a complex interplay of factors, information, efficacy, belief, information, support, societal and cultural impacts as well as a compliant body and baby. Wherever we can offer support and increase services we should.
If you want to join my doula training this year and support mothers in their breastfeeding journey find out more here
Currently there are THREE sponsorships for the Comprehensive doula training course of €250 each. To find out more on how to claim one of these please follow this link https://www.instagram.com/p/DA_p_8vNsfu/?img_index=1
#krysialynch #dublindoula #doula
#doulatraining #doulatrainer #birthdoula #postnataldoula #birthmentor #birthkeeper #doulaverse #doulapodcast #naturalbirth #doulasupport #freebirth #birthpreparation
#givingbirth #autonomy #informedconsent #birthchoices #birthpreferences #breastfeeding
#birthplan #waterbirth #homebirth #csection #hbac #birthrights #vbac #due2025 #due2024
What do doulas do?
Listen in to find out how doulas can support women and pregnant people during pregnancy, labour, birth and the postpartum.
Find out what skills doulas need, and how they can obtain those skills.
Hear how people realise they want to be doulas and what their journey is like.
To be part of this year’s amazing cohort of doulas training with me see link here. To find out more email me at drkrysia@gmail.com
Registration options include an 8 month payment plan of €250 a month and access to some fabulous bonuses with Pregnancy Yoga teacher Melissa of Tummy Love, Psychotherapist Anne Marie Toole, Nutritionist Kadi King, Ayurvedic postpartum doula Aine O Sullivan, loss doula Jane Xavier, baby wearing expert Justyna of Free Little Birds and Communication Expert Roisi Phelan amongst others!
#krysialynch #dublindoula #doula
#doulatraining #doulatrainer #birthdoula #postnataldoula #birthmentor #birthkeeper #doulaverse #doulapodcast #naturalbirth #doulasupport #freebirth #birthpreparation
#givingbirth #autonomy #informedconsent #birthchoices #birthpreferences #breastfeeding
#birthplan #waterbirth #homebirth #csection #hbac #birthrights #vbac #due2025 #due2025
Krysia and Melissa reflect on the Irish Maternity System
In this episode of the DoulaVerse I speak with Pregnancy Yoga Trainer and Doula Melissa Curtis of Tummy Love.
Both of us have just had children go through the Leaving Certificate exams, who were born about 18 – 19 years ago.
What has changed in the Irish maternity system in those 18 years? Listen in to find out.
If you are interested in becoming a doula and working with me for a year then my Comprehensive Doula Training which starts in October 2024 is registering NOW. More details here
If you have questions or want to talk the training through drop me an email at drkrysia@gmail.com – don’t delay only 5 spots left!
Find out more about Melissa’s Pregnancy Yoga training on her Instagram site
How doula training changed my life: In conversation with new doula Claire
People often talk about different aspects of doula training – what they learnt along the way, the knowledge, the information, the skills.
What is not often mentioned, is that for most people who undertake doula training, it changes their life in some way.
Training is not just about learning information – in fact its the opposite of that. Its about your innate knowledge being revealed. Training also about being present with a group of women, forming a circle of trust, learning together, supporting each other, hearing each others stories and more.
In this episode I talk with Claire about exactly these things.
If you are interested in joining this year’s Comprehensive Doula Training, the Early Bird ends this weekend (31st August 2024). Find out more and sign up here Become a Doula
#doula #doulatraining #krysialynch
Becoming a doula: A conversation with new doula Anke Roth
In this episode of the DoulaVerse I talk about becoming a doula with new doula Anke Roth. Anke talks about her journey to making the decision to become a doula and also about the process itself. Anke took my Comprehensive Doula Training Course, to find out what it is like listen up!
If you are thinking of making the step to become a doula, then registrations for this year’s doula training are open. There are currently over €950 worth of discounts if you register by 31st August 2024. See here for more information Become a Doula
What you get (Available with the Early Bird until 31st August 2024)
1. 10 month payment plan for my Comprehensive Doula Training Course 2024 – 2025
2. Access to Advanced Doula Training Course Breastfeeding for Doulas worth €395
3. Plus the usual bonuses with Melissa of Tummy Love worth €300, Anne Maire Toole worth €300 and others.. .
That’s over €950 of bonuses.
But these are ONLY available until the end of August. They will NOT be here in September or October
If you want in sign up now – if you have questions then email me on drkrysia@gmail.com
Participation available live online, in person in Dublin or by playback in your own time
How I became a doula
How did I become a doula?
What was my call? How did it all start?
Listen in to this episode of the Doulaverse to find out!
If you hear a call and you think you’d like to bring your passion for birth, women and babies to the next level, if you d like to spend time with me and other maternity care supporters and professionals and be part of the amazing group of people that will train with me this year, then registrations are currently open for my Comprehensive Doula Training.
People come to train with me fuelled by a calling, a desire to make things better and a need to bring their wisdom into fruition. Don’t think you have to be an experienced birther to have wisdom!
There is the wisdom of the wise woman, the grandmother and the wisdom of the initiated who have experienced pregnancy labour and birth, but there is also the wisdom within all of us, just dying to be accessed.
Or maybe this just feels right for you and you are someone who wants to be in the company of other like minded women and talk all things birth for a year!
Or maybe you have a plan. Maybe you are already an alternative therapist and you want to expand on your knowledge and offerings. For example, many yoga teachers and antenatal instructors come to do my training.
Whatever floats your boat the Early Bird is available until 31st August 2024
What you get
1. 10 month payment plan for my Comprehensive Doula Training Course 2024 – 2025
2. Access to Advanced Doula Training Course Breastfeeding for Doulas worth €395
3. Plus the usual bonuses with Melissa of Tummy Love worth €300, Anne Maire Toole worth €300 and others.. .
That’s over €950 of bonuses!
If you want to do one of Ireland’s most amazing birth courses with a practicing doula and a maternity care advocate of 23 years standing – sign up now. Places are limited. If you have questions DM me – always happy to chat!
More info and sign up here: Become a Doula
#krysialynch #dublindoula #doula
#doulatraining #doulatrainer #birthdoula #postnataldoula #birthmentor #birthkeeper #doulaverse #doulapodcast #naturalbirth #doulasupport #freebirth #birthpreparation
#givingbirth #autonomy #informedconsent #birthchoices
Ask me anything
In this episode of the Doulaverse I gave people the option to “ask me anything”. I answer three questions in this episode:
Being labelled in pregnancy and labour and how that might affect your options in labour and birth. Specifically, the label of Gestational Diabetes, but I discuss labels in general, and how these are primarily physical, when in reality we give birth uniquely and differently to individual wonderful babies, with our bodies, our hearts our souls, our minds and our feelings.
Freebirth and whether doulas can attend them
Is there any pre requisites for becoming a doula
Listen in to find the answers!
If you are interested in doula training then registration is now open. Find out more here
Or if you have more questions drop me an email at drkrysia@gmail.com
#doula #krysialynch #doulatraining #gestationaldiabetes #freebirth
Induction at 39 weeks for uncomplicated pregnancies
In this episode of the Doulaverse podcast I discuss issues associated with a recent study published in the Lancet on Home Induction for women with uncomplicated pregnancies at 39 weeks.
Some of the topics I touch upon are:
1. Why would we investigate home induction as a way of taking low risk mothers or of a hospital environment? Why are we not simple enabling them to have home births for example?
2. The high numbers (more than 50% of first time mothers in most units) being induced is not a free consensual choice and should NEVER be used as a rationale for encouraging more inductions
3. Why are we transforming healthy mother into risky mothers?
4. The process and risks of induction, including c section increased pain and medicalised experience
5. How this study fits in with with current national guidance and other studies
The study can be found here:
(https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00320-1/fulltext#%20)
Hannah Dahlen’s 2021 articlein the British Medical Journal on the fact that inductions for uncomplicated pregnancies are not necessarily safe for babies (in addition to mothers) can be found here: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/6/e047040
If you want to find out how to support women who opt for induction, or who don’t and how to support women to ask for information about birth options and receive informed consent then my doula training is for you.
More details here:https://dublindoula.com/doula-training-course-with-krysia-lynch/
#krysialynch #dublindoula #doula
Coping with pain in labour
The level of pain we encounter in labour is a combination of life experience and genetics!
We can’t do much about genetics, but we can certainly influence our perceptions, our coping strategies our social support network and the way we approach fear and anxiety.
In this podcast I discuss the physical, emotional mental and environmental approaches we can use to help us view the discomfort and pain of labour as being purposeful, productive empowering, and something we can cope with, rather than viewing pain as frightening and terrifying leaving us feeling vulnerable, distraught and unsupported in need of need help and rescuing.
If you would like to learn some great pain coping skills come along on the 25th February 2024 to my birth preparation, relaxation and nourishment day retreat. Pregnancy Day Retreat: Prepare, Nourish, Relax, Rejuvenate
If you would like to support people in labour birth and the postnatal as a doula then registrations for my doula training 2024 are open:
#paininlabour #krysialynch #doula #doulatraining
Do I need an epidural if I get an induction?
Do I need an epidural if I get an induction? I often get asked this question. The short answer is no. The majority of my doula clients do not take an epidural if they opt for an induction, or if their labour is being augmented..
The longer answer has a lot more nuance.
It depends on what kind of induction you are getting and how favourable or ready you and your baby are. It also depends on what kind of support you have what pain coping strategies you have invested in, and the belief those around you have in your capacity to manage without an epidural.
In a busy labour ward, if the epidural is the only support offered, you are probably going to end up taking it. If on the other hand you have a doula or a highly supportive hands-on midwife who has the time trust and desire to support you with other pain relief measures you are probably not going to end up needing it.
In the case of an augmented labour, it also depends on how long you have been in labour already. Sometimes an epidural can be helpful in relaxing the soft tissues or in giving a mother a rest in a labour that had a long early or prodromal phase of labour.
Also, once syntocinon is started, many inductions can be quite quick, even for first time mothers. So evaluate all these things. Induction doesn’t automatically mean epidural.
For doula support from me see Birth Doula Services with Krysia Lynch
To join my up coming postnatal doula training course starting in March 2024 see Become a Postnatal Doula
To sign up for my February Pregnancy Preparation Retreat Day on 25th February 2024 see Pregnancy Day Retreat: Nourish, Prepare, Relax, Rejuvenate
Connecting to our ancient birthing wisdom
Our ancient birthing knowledge lives within us in the form of timeless wisdom, cultural traditions, and the collective experiences of women throughout history.
It enables us to look beyond just the medical or technical aspects of childbirth. We can tap into the deep well of human wisdom surrounding birth by drawing on myths, stories, rituals, and cultural practices that have been passed down through generations. By exploring our own ancient maps, pregnant people can gain insights into the emotional, spiritual, and psychological dimensions of birthing, helping them navigate the modern childbirth experience in a more holistic way.
In essence, my goal is to enable expectant parents to connect with the timeless and universal aspects of childbirth while also ensuring they are informed about contemporary medical practices. It’s about integrating the wisdom of the past with the realities of the present to create a more comprehensive and meaningful birthing experience.
How will I do this on the retreat?
Listen to the podcast to find out! This podcast was originally broadcast as an INSTA live in January 2024.
To join me on 28th January or 25th February 2024 see link in bio. €97 early bird currently available (saving €30) or €175 for both (saving €80) book here: https://dublindoula.com/pregnancy-day-retreat-nourish-prepare-rejuvenate/
What is a pregnancy retreat?
Why am I running a pregnancy retreat?
I feel that pregnant women and people need to be nourished during their pregnancy, not just informed. Preparation via nourishment is a very different concept to preparation through the dissemination of information. Nourishment for body, mind and soul is in short supply in the Irish Maternity Services. What we have instead is the treatment of birth as a clinically managed event in a woman’s fertility and life cycle. The focus is on safety risk and avoiding legal proceedings. Sometimes the woman as a holistic being seems lost along the way.
If we want to prepare, and I mean really prepare for labour and birth as the life changing event it really can be, we can only ever prepare from the inside, and that means laying solid foundations of connection, strength and understanding our coping skills, as well as understanding how our particular bodies are going to cope and how we can support ourselves. Learning birth positions and all about interventions isn’t enough to prepare us.
If you are pregnant and want to join me on this retreat then see link in bio or follow the link
https://dublindoula.com/pregnancy-day-retreat-nourish-prepare-rejuvenate/
#pregnancydayretreat #pregnancyyoga #prenatalcalss #birthinfromwithin
This episode was originally recorded as an INSTA live in January 2024
How I became a doula: Michelle’s story
People become doulas for all sorts of reasons and everyone has a different journey that brought them to the point of starting their doula training. Everyone will also have a different journey as a doula. In this podcast I chat with Michelle who has just been certified from my doula training and she talks about the highs and the lows and what she learnt and how she is going forwards in her doula career. Michelle can be found on Instagram here.
If you are interested in doula training the next doula training course is about to start in October. Sign up here https://dublindoula.com/doula-training-course-with-krysia-lynch/
Three life lessons I learnt as a doula
I have learnt so much about myself, my capacities, my weaknesses, my strengths and about life in general from my doula work.
In this episode I share just three things; staying the course, boundaries and going beyond what you ever thought was possible. Listen in to find out more.
If you would like to engage in this magical incredible journey of doula work, then my doula training starts in 8 days – sign up now https://dublindoula.com/doula-training-course-with-krysia-lynch/
Five things a doula does
There are of course many things a doula does, so don’t be going thinking that these are the only five!
This podcast came about as a result of five Insta reels I did during the last week on five of the ten things a doula “does”.
Of course in the little reels you are limited to just 90 seconds, so you don’t get the opportunity to go into things in more depth; enter this podcast. So for a juicy version of the five things that feature; Continuity of Care, Communication, Trust, Wisdom and Listening have a listen in!
And if you are listening to your heart right now and realise that doula training is for you then Registrations are now open for my Comprehensive Doula Training starting October 21st 2023 and running through until May 2024. More information here. If you would like to have a discovery call or attend the online information session on 9h September at 2pm (or get a recording of it), then please drop me an email at drKrysia@gmail.com.
#krysialynch #dublindoula