
Mom with Scheduled C-Section Delivers Naturally | Birth Story

In the winter of 2012, I went out with some friends for what I thought was a casual dinner. It turned out my best friend was telling us she was pregnant! I couldn’t have been happier for her.
Friday Feature: Blog post by Brittenay Bell
When we started our journey to a baby in 2014, we had that blissful naivety that it would be easy, and initially it seemed like it would be. Our first month “trying” we became pregnant. I remember shaking with excitement and I remember Aaron panicking because he didn’t think it would happen that quickly. For 3 glorious weeks we basked in the joy of expecting our first baby. It had been a tough 9 months before hand, we were newly married and while Aaron was at basic training for the navy, my mom passed away from a short but courageous battle with lung cancer. Our lives were a constant rollercoaster. But the notion of a baby brought a sense of calm and excitement. It was something good in all that had been so hard. But as quickly as our excitement came it was dashed when I woke up one morning bleeding. After 2 days in and out of the emergency room we confirmed my fears, we lost our baby. Continue reading
F R I D A Y F E A T U R E
Hi 👋, it’s me again, Jessica, the founder and owner of Turquoise Compass. It’s so nice to meet you and I’m so glad you’re here. I run Turquoise Compass independently as a full-spectrum wellness provider offering virtual and in-person Fertility, Doula, Yoga, and lifestyle support and services (and beyond).
Motherhood takes many shapes and forms. As a new mom and Doula I am constantly astounded by the bravery, strength, and courage of mothers. I’ve learned that being a mom is a gift, blessing, and is truly indescribable (oh, and it’s also hard too). I write this with one incredible mommy in mind (and all mothers who can relate). A fellow boy-mom and my dear friend: Layla. I write this with her permission unable to contain my tears and heartache. Layla lost her newborn son Ryker Brooks who lived just 5 days before being carried on angel wings to heaven. She may not see or know it yet, but she’s a super mom and one of the strongest mothers I know. She personifies love, selflessness, gratitude, and openness, even during the worst sorrow a parent will ever go through as described by Layla. Continue reading
If this is not your first time having a baby, what you want from a postpartum Doula would be very different from a first time mom. This is the beauty of having a Doula, your postpartum care supports are designed specifically for you and your desires and wishes. You might not want to spend much of your postpartum time focusing on after delivery hygiene and care, post c-section wound care and recovery, Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Anxiety, transitions at home, etc…, depending on what you already know, but you might rather focus your postpartum time on infant sleep, baby-feeding, postpartum yoga, childcare, light house keeping, etc…, and how I can support your partner and family so they can best support you, etc…
Here is a brief overview to give you an idea of the types of services I can provide, but my services are dictated by my clients in consultation with them. These services are à-la-carte, i.e. a postpartum visit could be swapped for a yoga session, etc…We can tailor/modify these to meet your needs.
So, what do Doula’s do? In brief, a Doula is a support person – or a birthing coach – for the birthing person, their support people, and their family. As your Doula, I would support you and your family with your unique needs – the options are infinite and tailored specifically to what you want. Each parent / family has different needs, thus it is difficult to define the multitude of ways in which I can support you. Essentially, you dictate the best ways I can support you. As a certified , registered, and insured yoga teacher, I can also combine yoga services (Prenatal, Postpartum, family yoga, and/or Yoga for Women, etc…) with my Doula supports. Feel free to visit my online yoga profile with the Canadian Yoga Alliance to view my credentials here.
If this is not your first pregnancy or delivery, what you want from having a Labour & Birth Doula would be very different from a first time mom. This is the beauty of having a Doula, your prenatal, labour, and birth supports are designed specifically for you and your desires and wishes. You might not want to spend much of your prenatal time focusing on the stages of labour, pain medications, medical interventions, c-section overview, etc… depending on what you already know, but you might rather focus your prenatal time on prenatal yoga positions, optimal positioning of the baby, comfort measures during labour, your birth plan, and how I can support your partner so they can best support you, etc…
Here is a brief overview to give you an idea of the types of services I can provide, but my services are dictated by my clients in consultation with them. These services are à-la-carte, i.e. a prenatal visit could be swapped for a postpartum visit, etc…We can tailor/modify these to meet your needs.
Prenatal, Postpartum, Yoga for Women, and/or Family/Kids yoga:
*The investment for yoga services when added to Doula services will be considered on an individual basis.
*Group class pricing to be negotiated
It would be my pleasure to support you and your family on your fertility and reproductive health journey. As your Fertility Support Practitioner, I would support you with your unique needs – the options are infinite and tailored specifically to what you want.
Fertility Support Practitioners support individuals with the following and beyond:
Each individual / couple / family has different needs, thus it is difficult to define the multitude of ways in which I can support you. Essentially, you dictate the best ways I can support you. As a certified, registered, and insured yoga teacher, I can also combine yoga services (meditation, fertility & reproductive health yoga, Yoga for Women, etc…) with my Fertility supports. Feel free to visit my online yoga profile with the Canadian Yoga Alliance to view my credentials here.
The beauty of having a Fertility Support Practitioner is that your supports are designed specifically for you and your desires and wishes. You might not want to spend much of your time focusing on birth control, natural birth control, pregnancy achievement, pregnancy prevention, reproductive health, Assistive Reproductive Technologies, etc…, depending on what you already know/need, but you might rather focus your time on hormone imbalances, cycle charting, regulating cycles, reproductive health conditions, healthy living, available resources, and how I can best support the other individuals who are involved in your journey, etc…
Here is a brief overview to give you an idea of the types of services I can provide, but my services are dictated by my clients in consultation with them. These services are à-la-carte, i.e. a fertility session could be swapped for a yoga session, etc…We can tailor/modify these to meet your needs.
Services by the hour:
I can also customize a monthly package for you if you are looking for a combination of services.
$225
1 or 2 90min after treatment visits to discuss treatment, lend emotional support, any other post medical treatment wound care / recovery support, information, or care/help as needed.
With a natural born love for travel and the fact that I’m married to a commercial pilot, it’s no surprise that we decorated the nursery in a travel theme. Prior to our baby’s birth, we didn’t know the gender. I couldn’t wait to have the greatest surprise of my life – even though the waiting was torture for my poor husband. For that reason, we wanted the nursery to be unique, yet remain gender neutral. As for the colour scheme, we went with crisp white, pale greys, various shades of turquoise, and pops of vibrant primary colours. I knew once the baby arrived, I could add more gender-specific colours and decor to the room if desired – although I’m not a fan of gender-specific anything. I knew my colour choices would work perfectly for both a boy or a girl. Continue reading
Laura Lotus Love Mala
Over the years, I learned how to truly face my fears to make my dreams come true so to speak and to do it over and over again. Whether the dream was small, big, tangible, or intangible, I taught myself to approach what I was afraid of in different ways and to repeat the process over and over. I had to get to know myself really well to face my fears, take risks, and put myself out there to blindly say “yes!” to life. I experienced new and unexpected places and I was able to accomplish what felt like the impossible. Continue reading