Holistic Birth and Postpartum Counseling
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Holistic birth and postpartum counseling offers dedicated, unhurried space to reflect and process experiences related to pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. These sessions support individuals navigating a prior birth experience, medical challenge, or emotional event that may have left them feeling unheard, disempowered, or disconnected from their baby.
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When left unaddressed, fears related to pregnancy, labor, birth, and the postpartum period can resurface during labor or after birth and may contribute to increased distress, complicate how experiences are perceived, influence decision-making during care, or lead to additional interventions, further compounding trauma. Counseling provides a grounded, supportive way to understand and reframe these experiences, fostering greater confidence and emotional connection, grounded in midwifery-informed perspectives.
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Birth and postpartum counseling is educational and supportive in nature and does not replace medical or clinical care; referrals are given as medically needed.
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TOLAC/VBAC Counseling
(Trial of Labor After Cesarean / Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)
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You bring your medical records and operative report and we engage in a thoughtful, open conversation about your prior Cesarean birth. Together, we review the events leading up to it, clarify what occurred, and explore options for your upcoming birth if a TOLAC or VBAC is medically appropriate. Our work focuses on reframing past experiences and creating a realistic, supportive, and empowering vision for your next birth.
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Prenatal Nutrition and Wellness Education
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​This session offers an opportunity to explore nutrition and lifestyle choices that support pregnancy wellness for both you and your baby. Together, we look at daily nourishment using a simple nutrition diary and make gentle, realistic adjustments that support balance and well-being.
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Wellness education may include discussion of movement and exercise, emotional and physical changes in pregnancy, work and lifestyle considerations that support staying healthy and low-risk, family dynamics, preparation for vaginal or Cesarean birth, breastfeeding, integration of older siblings, prior postpartum challenges, provider selection, and aligning care with your personal pregnancy and postpartum goals.
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Conscious Conception Counseling
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Conscious conception counseling offers intentional space to prepare for pregnancy before conception begins. This session focuses on reviewing nutrition, lifestyle, and medical and reproductive history to support overall health and well-being prior to becoming pregnant. Counseling is inclusive of all paths to conception, including IVF and IUI.
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The goal is to identify areas where small, meaningful adjustments may help optimize health and support a grounded, informed beginning to your conception journey.
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“I am so thankful to have found Risa to help my husband and me during this journey. During my conscious conception visit, we explored ways to improve my lifestyle to support fertility and discussed considerations I would not have thought of on my own. I felt listened to and supported, and left feeling excited and prepared for the journey ahead.”
— Vanessa