 As a doula with over a decade of experience, I have developed numerous relationships within the birth community and strive to stay informed about local birth news for the benefit of my clients and the surrounding parent community. Here are the latest updates regarding birth in the Triangle area. If you are planning to expand your family, there are some amazing resources and support options for you to explore. North Carolina Birth Center
Earlier this month, it was announced that North Carolina Birth Center will be closing. This news was sudden and very unexpected. If you read my last update or subscribed to the NCBC newsletter, then you know all that hard work and effort that was put forth to get the former Womens Birth and Wellness Center reconstructed and transformed into the beatutiful and welcoming facility for families. With just over a year in operation, the birth center was doing very well and hiring to accomadate more families, which makes this loss even more devastating. Here is words from the birth center's manager about NCBC's closing: "Two and a half years ago, I accepted a position to help open a birth center in Chapel Hill. I was the first employee hired and the only local team member, while the corporate leadership was based out of state. Over the last 2.5 years, I poured my heart into this work. I monitored construction, assembled furniture, maintain the website and social media, gave tours to EVERY prospective client who walked through our doors, onboarded patients, and supported our midwives as we built something truly special for families in our community. And now, that work is coming to an abrupt end. Not because the birth center failed. Not because there was a lack of patients, community support, or interest in the birth center model of care. In fact, we were growing and thriving. The reality is that the corporate company that managed our birth center, along with many others across the country, made business decisions that left the organization millions of dollars in debt. As a result, they are closing all of their birth centers, laying off employees, and abandoning patients who trusted them with their care. The heartbreak is difficult to put into words. After years of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice, everything we built is being taken away through circumstances completely outside of our control. But despite what has happened, my North Carolina Birth Center colleagues and I have made a decision: we will not abandon our patients. Thanks to the generosity of our building’s landlords, we have been allowed to remain in the space through the end of June. During that time, our midwives and staff are continuing to provide care, support, and guidance to our existing patients as they navigate new birth options. We are doing this without pay. We are not asking our patients for a single dollar, even though many employees are still owed weeks of unpaid wages. At the same time, we are covering essential expenses out of pocket, including internet service, office supplies, and other necessities required to continue caring for families during this transition. A local doula, Andrea Fowler, moved by what was happening, created a GoFundMe to support our team during these final weeks of service. Every donation will help us continue caring for patients, cover operating expenses, and provide some relief as we navigate the loss of our jobs and begin rebuilding our futures. If you are able to donate, share this fundraiser, or simply send words of encouragement, it means more than you know. Thank you to everyone who has donated, shared, and reached out with support. Your kindness is helping us continue showing up for the families who need us most. With heartbreak, frustration, and hope, Mariam" Very special thak you to Andrea Fowler for organizing the fundraiser and helping the NCBC staff support the remaining families. Please join BOBWDS in making a donation. Haven Women's Health and Birth Center Haven Women's Health and Birth Center recently celebrated their 2nd birthday and are very close to welcoming their 200th baby! Check out their website for classes, support groups and schedule a tour if you're thinking about a birth center for your next birth experience. Aya Birth & Community Wellness Aya Wellness NC is now accepting accepting Medicaid for birth services for families due September 2026 & beyond. Curious about birth center birth? Aya’s Open House is later this month! You’ll get to:
Saturday, June 27, 10-1pm Aya Birth & Community Wellness 1412 Hudson Ave Durham, NC 27705 Special Beginnings Midwifery Special Beginnings Midwifery has opened their birth suites in Durham. The birth suites were thoughtfully designed to feel warm, peaceful, and deeply supportive so families can labor, birth, and bond in a space that feels safe and sacred. Home birth support is still available. Special Beginnings has also partnered with Well One Healthcare to bring primary care services to their Durham office. This is a choice friendly clinic and crunchy mommy friendly. Services include and routine check ups, newborn/pediatric, prenatal and adult care, FMLA paperwork and prior authorizations, labs & referrals and IV therapy. Abiding Love Birth Collective I am so excited to share my new birth collective with you! Since our launch in March, Abiding Love Birth Collective has grown into a wonderful community of Christian doulas and local business owners who are all dedicated to supporting families. I am so blessed to transition into this new phase of my career and am truly thankful for all the support and new clients who trust my leadership and our collective to support them. We are now accepting clients due in August and beyond and will begin accepting applications for new collective members later this summer. Stay tuned for more birth news!
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 You have a positive pregnancy test.
Now what? There’s a moment—sometimes quiet, sometimes overwhelming—when you realize everything has just changed. Whether this pregnancy was long-awaited or a complete surprise, you might be feeling joy, disbelief, gratitude, fear, often all at once. And that's okay. Take a breath. You don’t have to have it all figured out today. Early pregnancy is less about doing everything “right” and more about settling into the reality that your body is beginning an incredibly beautiful process. In these first days and weeks, one of the most important things you can do is begin building your support system. That includes choosing your care provider, whether that’s an OB-GYN, midwife, or a combination of both, and scheduling your first prenatal appointment. This visit typically happens around 8–10 weeks, though some providers will see you sooner depending on your history. At that appointment, you can expect a mix of medical history questions, lab work, and possibly your first ultrasound. It can feel like a lot, especially if this is your first time navigating the healthcare system in pregnancy, so don’t hesitate to write down questions ahead of time. You deserve to feel informed, heard, and supported from the very beginning. Meanwhile, your body is doing intense behind-the-scenes work, and the first trimester can be humbling. Fatigue isn’t just “being tired”. It can feel like your body is asking you to slow down in a way you’re not used to. Nausea, food aversions, bloating, headaches, and emotional ups and downs are all common. Give yourself permission to adjust your expectations. Eat what you can tolerate, when you can tolerate it. Small, frequent meals often help, as does staying hydrated, even if that means sipping water slowly throughout the day. Ginger, vitamin B6, and rest can be supportive, but most of all, listen to your body. This is not the season to push through at full speed. Sharing your news is another layer to navigate, and there’s no universal timeline. Some families choose to tell close loved ones right away, while others wait until after the first trimester. Both choices are valid. Consider who you would want in your corner if things felt uncertain—that can help guide your decision. When it comes to work, you are not obligated to share immediately unless your job involves physical risks or requires early accommodations. When you do share, it can be helpful to come prepared with a general idea of your needs, even if they’re minimal at first. Your partner, if you have one, may be experiencing their own mix of emotions, and this is a beautiful time to begin growing together in this journey. Support in early pregnancy often looks simple but meaningful. Helping with meals, picking up extra responsibilities when you’re exhausted, attending appointments when possible and creating space for open conversations. Encouragement, patience and presence go a long way. This is also a great time to start learning together—about pregnancy, birth options, and what kind of experience you both hope to create. If you’ve walked this road before, this pregnancy may feel familiar in some ways and completely new in others. Expanding your family, especially going from one child to two, brings a different kind of preparation. There’s the emotional piece of knowing your firstborn will no longer be your only, and the practical reality of managing your energy while still parenting. You may feel a pull between savoring your time with your older child and preparing for what’s ahead. Invite them into the journey in age-appropriate ways by talking about the baby, reading books together and letting them feel involved. At the same time, be gentle with yourself. Parenting while pregnant can be physically and emotionally demanding, and it’s okay if this season looks different than your first. You might also find yourself thinking more intentionally about postpartum this time around. What support did you wish you had before? What would make the transition smoother for your family now? These are important questions worth sitting with early. Above all, know this: you don’t have to do pregnancy perfectly. There is no gold standard of how you should feel or what you should be doing at every moment. There is only your body, your baby, and your unfolding story. Surround yourself with care, stay curious, and give yourself grace as you step into this new chapter. Ready to have support from day one? Reach out to schedule a complimentary consultation and learn more about doula services, birth planning, and postpartum support.  As a doula with more than a decade of experience supporting families from all walks of life, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of real, human care in birth and postpartum. And lately, I’ve been reading a lot about the rise of “AI doulas.” If you’re a pregnant woman, a parent, or someone who cares about equitable maternal care, you should think critically too. Because here’s the truth: AI doulas, no matter how smart or advanced the technology, cannot replace the support, knowledge, compassion and embodied expertise of live doulas and birth workers. And that limitation matters deeply, especially for Black and Brown women and for families in rural and underserved areas who are already struggling to access quality maternal care. The Evidence Speaks for Real Doula Support Over years of training, intuitive skill and lived experience, doulas have become an evidence-based part of maternal care. Multiple peer-reviewed studies have linked doula support, particularly continuous, human, non-clinical support, to:
What Real Doulas Bring That AI Simply Can’t When people talk about AI doulas, they usually mean chatbots or machine learning tools designed to answer questions about pregnancy, contractions, labor stages or baby care. They might offer information. They might offer checklists. They might even simulate empathy through programmed responses. But here’s what AI cannot and will never do:
The truth is that AI can't give the much-needed human response to years of infertility, a third trimester pregnancy loss, a changed birth plan that ends in an emergency csection, birth trauma, the long journey of breastfeeding or pumping, preparing to leave your baby with someone while you return to work and all of the other countless physical, emotional and mental changes that come with parenthood.  Soula — AI emotional support self‑discovery coach for women Where AI May Help and Where It Falls Short
Listen, I don’t dismiss technology outright. The modern world has come along way with technological advances. AI tools can offer resources, triage information and support access to basic guidance when no human is available. There is emerging research on AI applications in maternal health in low-resource settings that aid triage and decision support for clinical staff. But that’s not the same as replacing a doula. Those applications are clinical adjuncts, not sources of continuous physical, emotional, cultural, and advocacy support. Bridging the Gap: Companies Who are Making a Difference At the same time, we are seeing companies like Maven Clinic and Cleo step into this space, offering families access to virtual doulas, care advocates, and wellness support through technology. These platforms are often employer-sponsored benefits designed to increase access to guidance, education, and support across pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting. Through services like video consultations, messaging, and on-demand resources, virtual doulas on platforms like Maven can help with birth planning, answer questions, and provide emotional support from a distance. Cleo similarly connects families with guides and experts who offer personalized support across different stages of caregiving . And to be clear, there is value here. These tools can help bridge gaps, especially for families who might not otherwise have access to any support at all. But even as these companies expand access, what they are offering is still adjacent to, not a replacement for, the deeply relational, hands-on, culturally attuned care that in-person doulas provide. Technology can extend our reach, but it cannot replicate our presence. AI will continue to evolve. AI doulas may become more sophisticated. But they will always be tools, not replacements, for the human heart, presence, intuition and expertise that real doulas bring to birth and postpartum care. Real doulas don’t just provide information, we bear witness. We advocate. We care. We walk into the unknown with you. And in birth, that human presence matters. Want to know the real deal about AI? Watch this eye-opening video on the future of AI from a spiritual perspective.  Giving birth is a most assuredly a transformative experience—physically, emotionally, and mentally. But one aspect that often doesn’t get enough attention is the impact childbirth can have on the pelvic floor. Whether you had a vaginal delivery or a cesarean section, your pelvic floor muscles have supported you through pregnancy and birth, and they deserve some care and attention during your postpartum recovery. Let's explore what the pelvic floor is, why it’s so crucial to your well-being after childbirth, and practical ways to strengthen it during the postpartum period. What is the Pelvic Floor? The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and connective tissues that stretch like a hammock from your pubic bone to your tailbone. These muscles support key organs including the bladder, uterus, and rectum. They also play a critical role in urinary and bowel control, sexual function, and core stability. Why is Pelvic Floor Health Important Postpartum? During pregnancy, your pelvic floor carries the increasing weight of your growing uterus. Then, during vaginal birth, these muscles stretch significantly, sometimes tearing or weakening. Even if you had a cesarean section, pregnancy alone can put strain on the pelvic floor. Common postpartum issues related to pelvic floor dysfunction include:
When Can You Start Pelvic Floor Exercises? Generally, you can begin gentle pelvic floor exercises, often called Kegels, within a few days after birth, especially if you feel ready and comfortable. However, every birth is different, so it’s essential to:
 How to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor Postpartum
Here are simple, safe ways to start restoring your pelvic floor health after birth: 1. Kegels- These are small but powerful contractions that help rebuild strength and endurance in your pelvic floor.
2. Pelvic Tilts- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Gently tilt your pelvis so your lower back presses into the floor, then release. This helps engage your deep abdominal muscles along with the pelvic floor. 3. Diaphragmatic Breathing- Deep breathing helps reduce intra-abdominal pressure and allows the pelvic floor to move naturally.
4. See a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist- If you’re dealing with discomfort, incontinence, or just want expert support, a pelvic floor PT can create a personalized plan to help you recover safely and effectively. Pelvic floor recovery isn’t a race. Healing takes time, and every body is different. Rest, hydration, and gentle movement are all part of the equation. And remember: asking for help, whether from your OBGYN, a physical therapist, or a postpartum coach, is a sign of strength, not weakness. Caring for your pelvic floor after childbirth is one of the best investments you can make in your long-term health and quality of life. Whether you’re newly postpartum or a few years into parenthood, it’s never too late to start. Strong doesn’t mean “bouncing back”, it means building back better, with awareness, support, and self-compassion. Got questions? Contact me for resources and recommendations for local pelvic floor therapists.  When planning for a new baby, most parents spend a great deal of time preparing for birth—taking classes, reading books, packing hospital bags. But one crucial period often gets overlooked in all the excitement: the postpartum phase. This is where a postpartum plan becomes not just helpful, but essential.
What Is a Postpartum Plan? A postpartum plan is a written or mental guide that outlines how you and your support system will manage life after the baby arrives. It focuses on your recovery, newborn care, mental and emotional well-being, division of household responsibilities, and support resources. Unlike a birth plan, which centers around a single event, a postpartum plan anticipates weeks or months of adjustment and change. Why a Postpartum Plan Matters 1. Supports Physical Recovery- The physical toll of childbirth—whether vaginal or cesarean—requires time, rest, and care. A postpartum plan helps make sure meals are prepared, housework is managed, and mom has time to rest. It can include arrangements for meal trains, visitors, and chore delegation to ensure recovery is prioritized. 2. Helps Manage Emotional Health- Hormonal shifts, sleep deprivation, and new responsibilities can lead to mood swings, anxiety, and postpartum depression. A plan can outline signs to watch for and include contact information for mental health professionals. Knowing there’s a proactive strategy in place gives parents peace of mind. 3. Prepares for Newborn Care- Caring for a newborn is both joyful and demanding. A postpartum plan can include who will handle nighttime feedings, how feeding will be managed (breastfeeding, pumping, formula), and what to do if complications arise. Having clarity helps reduce confusion and overwhelm. 4. Clarifies Roles and Responsibilities- Tension can build quickly if expectations aren’t discussed beforehand. A postpartum plan allows partners to openly discuss who will do what—whether it's diaper changes, sibling care, grocery shopping, or emotional support. Clear communication upfront prevents resentment later. 5. Builds a Stronger Support Network- Knowing who you can count on and when is key. A postpartum plan can include a list of people to call for help—family, friends, doulas, lactation consultants, or postpartum therapists. It ensures you're not scrambling to find support when you need it most. 6. Encourages Realistic Expectations- Parenting isn't always intuitive, and the early days can be unpredictable. A plan helps parents set realistic expectations about sleep, feeding, bonding, and recovery. It fosters flexibility and grace for the learning curve ahead. Key Components of a Postpartum Plan Here are some common areas to cover in your plan:
The postpartum period is a time of profound transformation—physically, emotionally, and relationally. Just as we wouldn’t approach birth without a plan, we shouldn’t approach postpartum without one either. Taking the time to craft a postpartum plan empowers families to face the challenges ahead with confidence, compassion, and a solid support system. Whether you’re a first-time parent or adding another child to your family, creating a postpartum plan is a powerful step toward a healthier, more supported transition into parenthood. |
About the AuthorKelly Collins Archives
August 2026
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