Blog — A Werking Mama

I don’t know if it’s just me but something happens between the last hours of pregnancy and the first hours postpartum where my brain moves from “I love my bump” to “I need to get rid of this bump asap”. Even though I just grew an entire human for 9 months and then delivered him/her through my body, it somehow no longer seems cute to still look 6 months pregnant once the baby is here. One of the most difficult things about my postpartum body has been giving myself and my body the same grace to do the work to get back to its pre-pregnancy state as it did to get me, my baby. Belly binding was wonderful help in my postpartum recovery journey.

PostpartumChanel HogueNovember 6, 2023A Werking Mama Belly Binding, Postpartum, belly support, postpartum recoveryComment

Veteran Mamas Are Not Exempt From Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression doesn't discriminate. Whether you are a first time mom or fifth time mom - you may fall victim of postpartum depression. Here I share a little bit of my story with postpartum depression with baby #2.

Postpartum, MotherhoodChanel HogueOctober 19, 2023postpartum depression, motherhood, mamahood, ppdComment

With You Every Step: Partnering with Confidence in the Birth Journey

Are you a supportive and confident birth partner? You are about to embark on a remarkable journey - one filled with anticipation, love, and incredible strength of a laboring mother. As a birth partner, your role is vital, and your unwavering support can make a world of difference in confidence and be an incredible ally to you baby mama.

Partner ResourcesChanel HogueOctober 16, 2023Partner Resources, birth team, birth partner, birth journey, support, confident birthComment

Labor snacks to fuel mama and baby

Most of the time you hear that you’re not supposed to eat anything during labor …. well, this mama and doula says differently. Labor is a marathon and it is so important to fuel your body to keep up the energy and endurance.

LaborChanel HogueOctober 9, 2023labor, snacks, food, fuel, endure labor

6 ways to naturally induce labor

You’re most likely reading this blog post because you have been searching “how to naturally induce labor” on the internet because you are 38+ weeks pregnant and so OVER IT! Probably feeling like a beach whale at the moment. Trust me mama, I’ve been there too. I get it!

Using a TENS Unit in Labor as Pain-Relief

After my first pregnancy ended in an emergency c-section, I knew I had to get educated and do things better the next time around. During my second pregnancy, my doula introduced the tens unit to me. I wasnt sure I would like it or that it would be effective but let me tell ya … it helped me labor naturally and I had the birth I desired! Learning natural pain management remedies was a game changer and I couldn’t have done it without my doula.

LaborChanel HogueSeptember 8, 2023tens unit, pain management during labor, labor, natural birthComment

Partnering with God in Birth

What if God was the only birth coach you needed? I know that may sound odd coming from a doula whose career is supporting women as a birth coach but hear me out…

The Surprising Power of Relaxing During Labor + 5 Relaxation Techniques

Throughout history, women have tapped into the power of relaxation during labor, intuitively knowing that it could help them cope with the intensity of contractions. When you're in a state of relaxation, your muscles loosen, allowing your body to work more efficiently.

Ask about a gentle cesarean in your birth plan

Currently, the U.S. has the highest cesarean rates in the developed world - 33%, and that rate is nearly 36% for black mothers. It is important that regardless of your desired birth plan, you know about c-sections and your options BEFORE you go into labor JUST IN CASE.

BirthChanel HogueApril 28, 2023csection awareness, cesarean birthComment

5 Myths when it comes to pushing

There is so much information about labor out there that isn't accurate. Some of us may have many people in our lives that are sharing wrong information or sharing their own birth experiences and it may cause us to be scared.

Birth, LaborChanel HogueFebruary 27, 2023pushing, myths, epidural, birth, labor, when is it time to push

How to avoid labor stalls

Labor takes time. Let's face it. All of us desire a short labor, but sometimes our babies may need a little more time than others. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. The saying, "Labor is a marathon and not a sprint" is 100% accurate. Let me educate you about labor stalls and help you Werk Your Birth.

How I had a Pain Free birth experience

One of the biggest lies society tells us that you can’t have an unmedicated birth without some pain. I am here to tell you that it’s all a myth. The truth is that birth can be pain free, manageable, and enjoyable.

BirthChanel HogueNovember 1, 2022birth, pain, pain free birth, home birth, empowered, confident birth, birth story, pain free, natural birth

Birth is a Team Effort

Birth is a team effort. That’s right, I said TEAM. While mama is the star player, she needs her team right by her side playing their roles too. Partners have a very special role to play during all stages: pregnancy, labor/birth, and postpartum.

PartnersChanel HogueNovember 1, 2022Partner Resources, pregnancy, birth, team effort, birth support, birth team, birth partner