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Reflection: What a Japanese Hiking Guide Taught Me About Being a Doula

Last month I went to Japan to visit a college friend living in Tokyo, and she decided that we ought to take a 10 hour hike to see a 3,000 year old tree. Turns out, our hiking guide Nobu-san had a lot to teach me. Princess Mononoke Moss Forest We traveled to Yakushima, a small island off the Southern coast of Japan, known for its intense rainfall, turtle hatching site, and the forest that inspired Princess Mononoke. There are unique conditions that allow cedar trees to grow sl

Mel Haley

18 hours ago6 min read

Liang’s Birth Story

Liang was surprised to find herself pregnant after accepting that she would never have a child of her own. Yet she embraced the opportunity to be a mom and join the “largest secret society in the world,” as she put it. Liang knew from the beginning she wanted an unmedicated birth and was drawn to the Birth Center of Chicago. A few days after her due date, she started having contractions. She labored at home for a day before her water broke, but once she was in active labor, t

Birth

Orlena Fella

Feb 213 min read

Places to Give Birth: Swedish Hospital

A series in which I share my own experience of birth places around the Chicagoland area plus the data that we have available. There is no one right place to give birth. The right place for you is the place where you feel safest. In this article I'm going to share about my doula review of Swedish Hospital in Chicago. Part 1: Birth Center of Chicago - reopened December 2025 Part 2: Illinois Masonic Part 3: Northwestern Prentice Part 4: Evanston Hospital Part 5: OMG Midwives

Birth

Mel Haley

Jan 233 min read

Nurturing the Sacred Passage

How Evidence-Based Chiropractic and Acupuncture Care Honor You and Your Body from Fertility, through Pregnancy to Birth and Postpartum. Hi folks! My name is Dr. Sebastian Bergeron, a chiropractic physician, acupuncturist, and owner of Nord Ro Clinic . After getting to know Mel, I had some thoughts that I felt should be shared with this beautiful community. Read all the way through for a free offer for clients of Mel. In the quiet spaces between heartbeats, something stirs. A

Sebastian Bergeron

Nov 17, 20255 min read

Recipe: Italian Brodo

This stock pot is not big enough... Brodo is the Italian word for broth, and it is known for its magical healing powers. My Italian...

Recipes & DIY

Mel Haley

Oct 20, 20252 min read

You Had an Unplanned Cesarean, Now What?

There are many ways to feel about surgical birth, none of them right or wrong. When you imagine a low intervention birth, sometimes your...

Birth

Mel Haley

Oct 6, 20258 min read

Places to Give Birth: Burr Ridge Birth Center

Fun Fact: The birth center building used to be a bank in a past life A series in which I share my own experience of birth places around the Chicagoland area plus the data that we have available. There is no one right place to give birth, and the right place for you is the place where you feel safest. In this article I'm going to share about my experiences with the midwives at Burr Ridge Birth Center. Part 1: Birth Center of Chicago - reopened December 2025 Part 2: Illinois

Birth

Mel Haley

Sep 22, 20255 min read