Your Boulder Birth Support Resource Guide
A simple collection of tools for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care
Planning for birth can bring up a mix of excitement, curiosity, and a little uncertainty. Many Boulder families tell me they want to feel informed but not overloaded, supported but not micromanaged. This guide is here to offer clear, digestible information—just enough to help you feel grounded as you move toward your birth day.
Whether you're planning a hospital birth, exploring home birth, or still deciding, here are the basics that matter most.
What a Birth Doula Really Does
A birth doula provides continuous emotional, physical, and informational support. Think of a doula as a steady, calming presence who:
Helps you understand your options without overwhelm
Offers hands-on comfort tools
Guides your partner so they can show up with confidence
Encourages rest, nourishment, and emotional grounding
Holds space for your unique values, identity, and story
Brings evidence-based info and a whole lot of heart
In Boulder’s wellness-centered community, doula care often blends mindfulness, trauma-informed support, and holistic tools like herbs and flower essences (always used gently and optionally).
Comfort Measures That Truly Help (and When to Use Them)
Here are the most effective comfort tools that are easy to learn and adaptable to most birth settings.
Physical Techniques
Counterpressure on the low back or hips — ideal during active labor
Hip squeezes — great for back labor or when baby is rotating
Rebozo sifting or belly support — helps ease intensity and release tension
Warm compresses on the lower back or abdomen
Cold cloths on the neck or forehead
Water therapy — tub or shower for deep relaxation
Slow dancing / upright positioning — uses gravity + connection
Hands-and-knees or knee-chest positions — helpful for back discomfort or repositioning baby
Birth ball exercises — circles, rocking, or forward leaning
Work with gravity— Some folks like to stand, squat or lean on a bar or rope for support
Breath + Nervous System Support
Long exhales to soften the jaw and pelvic floor
Box breathing for early labor jitters
Horse-lips exhale to prevent tension during intensity
Grounding touch on your shoulders or low back
Simple mantras like “soften,” “open,” or “one wave at a time”
Partner Tools
Partners often love having a clear “toolkit”:
Eye contact + quiet verbal encouragement
Hand-holding with rhythmic squeezing
Supporting from behind in a slow dance position
Keeping hydration + nourishment flowing
Tracking contraction patterns so you don’t have to
Herbal + Flower Essence Support (Optional + Very Gentle)
Not everyone wants herbs or essences during labor—and that’s okay. For Boulder families who appreciate plants, here are a few simple, safe, and commonly used supports.
Herbs
All used gently and only if they feel aligned:
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
Can support uterine tone during pregnancy; often used in the third trimester.Chamomile or Lemon Balm Tea
Calming for the nervous system during early labor or between waves.Ginger Tea or Chews
Helpful for nausea.Peppermint
For energy or digestive support; not used near baby immediately postpartum if establishing lactation.
(Strong herbs or tinctures are not used in labor unless guided by your midwife or care provider.)
Flower Essences
These work on the emotional level and are gentle enough for almost everyone:
Rescue Remedy
Encourages calm and clarity; helpful for you or your partner.Walnut Essence
Beautiful for transitions (early labor → active labor, or shifting to the birth location).Star of Bethlehem
Supportive for grounding the nervous system if emotions rise.
They’re not medicinal and won’t interfere with medical care—they simply offer emotional ease.
What’s Actually Worth Preparing For
You don’t need a mountain of information; just these essentials:
1. Labor Basics
A simple overview of stages and when to call your support team.
2. A Few Comfort Tools You Love
You don’t need 30 techniques—just 3–5 that feel intuitive.
3. Your Birth Preferences
A short, clear list of what matters most: pain relief options, communication style, newborn care preferences, and your ideal environment (lighting, movement, music, touch, etc.).
4. Your Postpartum Plan
Birth is one day—postpartum is the season that shapes your healing.
Plan for:
Meals
Sleep support
Lactation help
Emotional support
Herbs or teas for recovery
Gentle care from your community
Why Boulder Families Choose Doula Support
Families in Boulder often value:
Holistic support
Nervous system care
Nature-based or herbal wisdom
Trauma-informed practices
Evidence-based guidance
Nonjudgmental presence
Support that honors identity, autonomy, and family structure
Doula care creates a steady thread of connection throughout your whole perinatal season.
If You’re Exploring Doula Support in Boulder
I offer mindful, intuitive, evidence-based doula care rooted in:
Nervous-system support
Hands-on comfort techniques
Herbal and flower essence knowledge
Partner guidance
Trauma-informed presence
Respect for every feeding journey
Deep care for your body, soul, and story
If you'd like to connect or schedule a free consultation, I'd be honored to support your growing family.
Whether you're preparing for birth for the first time or expanding your family here in Boulder, finding clear, grounded information can make this season feel more supportive and spacious. This guide brings together some helpful local resources, comfort techniques, herbal ideas, and simple templates for planning your birth.
Everything here is created with Boulder families in mind—holistic, evidence-based, mindful, and chill.
Disclaimer:
These resources are offered as a starting point for your own research and exploration. Inclusion in this guide does not mean that I endorse or agree with every aspect of a provider’s practice, philosophy, or services. Every family’s needs and values are unique, and I encourage you to connect directly with any provider you’re considering, ask questions, and make the choices that feel right for you and your birth.
Local Boulder Birth & Postpartum Resources
Natural + Low-Intervention Birth Options Near Boulder & Longmont
Community Roots Midwife Collective — Longmont / Boulder Front Range
Website: https://healthhives.com/clinic/community-roots-midwife-collective
Community Roots offers full-spectrum homebirth midwifery care, including personalized prenatal visits, on-call midwives from 37–42 weeks, in-home labor support, newborn exams and screenings, and holistic postpartum follow-up. Their care style centers continuity, consent, and ancestral-inspired postpartum nourishment.
Boulder Birth & Holistic Health — North Boulder (Birth Center)
Website: https://boulderbirthandhealth.com
A freestanding, out-of-hospital birth center providing midwife-led prenatal, birth, and postpartum care. Families receive extended prenatal visits, holistic support options (lactation care, mental wellness offerings, integrative therapies), and early newborn care including screenings and lactation help. A calm, home-like setting designed for physiologic birth.
CU Center for Midwifery – Longmont (at Longmont United Hospital)
Website: https://nursing.cuanschutz.edu/healthcare/services/midwifery
A hospital-based, midwife-led model offering water-birth options, labor support, delivery, and comprehensive postpartum services. Ideal for families wanting a natural, low-intervention approach with the full resources of a hospital available if needed.
Foothills Community Midwives / Boulder Community Health – Family Birth Center (Boulder)
Website: https://www.bch.org/our-services/maternity-care
Provides midwife-supported hospital births in a gentle, evidence-based environment. Families have access to hydrotherapy tubs, spacious birthing suites, aromatherapy, integrative therapies (including optional self-pay acupuncture), and strong support for natural birth preferences when medically appropriate.
Boulder Community Health – Family Birth Center (Boulder)
Website: https://www.bch.org/our-services/maternity-care
A supportive, baby-friendly hospital setting offering midwifery care, hydrotherapy tubs, low-intervention options, and a calm, family-centered approach to labor and birth.
Avista Adventist Hospital — Louisville
Website: https://avistahospital.org (or through Centura / AdventHealth)
Popular among Boulder-area families for attentive nursing, large private birth suites, labor tubs, and a supportive environment for unmedicated or low-intervention birth.
Boulder Nurse-Midwives — Boulder
Website: https://bouldernursemidwives.com
A midwife-led practice providing prenatal care, labor support, attended births, and postpartum care within a hospital-based framework. Known for warm care, informed consent, and support for physiologic labor.
Homebirth Midwives Serving Boulder (Independent Practices)
Website: Varies by provider; many families start by searching “Boulder homebirth midwife” or reviewing the Colorado Midwives Association directory: https://coloradomidwives.org/find-a-midwife
Licensed homebirth midwives offering relationship-based prenatal care, continuous support during labor and birth in your home, and extended postpartum care. A strong option for families seeking a deeply personal and uninterrupted birth environment.
Lactation Resources
Boulder County Lactation Services (IBCLC Team)
County-based lactation support offering evidence-based guidance for latch challenges, pumping plans, weight concerns, supplementation, and feeding transitions. A great option for families seeking accessible, community-centered support.
The Mama’hood – Boulder
Website: https://themamahood.com
Offers breastfeeding/chestfeeding groups, newborn classes, and private lactation consults. Their group environment is warm and supportive, helping families build confidence and community.
Private Mobile IBCLCs (In-Home Support)
Skilled lactation consultants who come to your home to help with latch, supply concerns, pain, pumping strategy, and feeding plans tailored to your goals. Ideal for early postpartum when staying home feels best.
Diane Michel, IBCLC
Compassionate, in-home IBCLC support specializing in latch optimization, oral function assessments, and practical feeding plans. Known for her gentle, nonjudgmental style and clear explanations.
Sanctuary Doulas – Lactation Support (Boulder Area)
Some members of the Sanctuary Doulas collective offer lactation guidance, postpartum support, and feeding education. A good fit for families wanting continuity of care from pregnancy through early postpartum.
Jessica Brun, IBCLC
Evidence-based lactation support with a focus on individualized care, body-feeding options, and support for both simple and complex feeding challenges. Offers home visits and personalized feeding plans.
Perinatal Mental Health Support
Postpartum Support International (PSI – Colorado)
Offers free support groups, helplines, and a directory of local mental health providers specializing in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum emotional wellbeing. Excellent for those seeking community-based support or help finding a therapist who understands perinatal experiences.
Boulder Perinatal Therapists
A collective of therapists who specialize in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, birth processing, identity shifts, and gentle support through postpartum transitions. Many offer both virtual and in-office sessions and have deep experience supporting new and growing families.
Jetha Marek (Perinatal Mental Health Support)
Provides warm, attuned support for pregnancy and postpartum, specializing in body-based mindfulness, emotional resilience, birth processing, and nurturing guidance for new parents navigating identity and relationship shifts.
Lexi Chatara-Middleton (Perinatal + Postpartum Therapy)
Offers compassionate, inclusive therapy focused on postpartum mood challenges, nervous system support, relationship changes, and healing after difficult or unexpected birth experiences. Approachable and highly supportive for first-time and seasoned parents alike.
Sanctuary Doulas – Emotional + Postpartum Support
Some members of Sanctuary Doulas offer extended postpartum emotional support, mental health referrals, nervous system care, and gentle check-ins for families needing additional layers of reassurance and guidance during the fourth trimester.Bodywork for Pregnancy & Postpartum
Prenatal massage therapists
Webster-certified chiropractors
Pelvic floor physical therapists
Craniosacral therapists (for parents + newborns)
Flower Essence and herbal support
A Calming Prenatal Meditation Playlist
Music and sound can regulate the nervous system beautifully in pregnancy and early labor. Here is a curated list Boulder families love:
“Arrival” – Garth Stevenson
“Weightless” – Marconi Union
“Stillness” – Beautiful Chorus
“Ambre” – Nils Frahm
“Shores of Avalon” – Lisa Gerrard
“Oms” – Nada Moola
“Floating” – Kevin Braheny Fortune
“Bridges” – Yiruma
“Deep Rest Meditation” – Insight Timer
“Softening” – Beautiful Chorus
Use these during evening wind-down, prenatal rest, early labor, or anytime your body wants to exhale.
Simple & Supportive Birth Preferences Template
Use this as a gentle, non-overwhelming guide for communicating your priorities.
Birth Preferences
Name:
Due Date:
Partner/Support Person:
Doula:
Environment
Soft lighting
Space for quiet + privacy
Music or meditation playlist
Freedom to move and change positions
Minimal vaginal exams when possible
Comfort Measures
Hydrotherapy (shower/tub)
Massage, hip squeezes, counterpressure
Birth ball, rocking, leaning forward
Heat/cold packs
Breathwork + grounding tools
Aromatherapy if permitted
Pain Relief
Begin with natural comfort measures
Open to nitrous oxide
Open to epidural if needed
Clear explanations and asking for consent before any interventions
Monitoring & Interventions
Prefer intermittent monitoring when appropriate
Consent + discussion for all procedures
Review options before membrane sweep/AROM/augmentation
Pushing & Birth
Positions based on comfort (upright, side-lying, hands-knees)
Follow body’s cues
Immediate skin-to-skin
Delayed cord clamping
Baby Care
Golden Hour uninterrupted
Feeding support
Vitamin K / Eye ointment / Hep B (choose your preferences)
Postpartum
Quiet room
Support for feeding + emotional grounding
Optional flower essences or herbal supports
Flower Essence & Herbal Support Guide
(Gentle + Optional)
These are safe, widely used, and supportive for many Boulder families. Always adjust to your body’s needs and preferences.
Pregnancy + Early Labor
Chamomile — soothing for nervous system tension
Lemon Balm — calms anxious thoughts
Red Raspberry Leaf — supports uterine tone
Rescue Remedy (Flower Essence) — grounding for nerves
During Labor
Ginger tea/chews — settles nausea
Peppermint hydrosol — cooling for face/neck
Walnut flower essence — helps with transitions
Star of Bethlehem flower essence — emotional centering
Postpartum
Nettle + Oatstraw tea — mineral-rich nourishment
Sitz bath herbs (calendula, rose, plantain, yarrow) — soothing healing
Motherwort tincture (midwife-guided) — grounding, regulates emotions
Larch essence — softens tension, heart-opening, confidence boosting
5 Helpful Bach Flower Essences for Postpartum
1. Walnut — For Life Transitions & Identity Shifts
Perfect for the massive transition into new parenthood. Walnut helps protect your energy during times of change and supports you in releasing old patterns so you can settle into your new rhythm with more ease.
2. Star of Bethlehem — For Shock, Birth Processing & Emotional Soothing
Often called the “soothing essence,” this remedy helps integrate the emotional + physical shock of birth, whether the birth was empowering, complicated, surprising, or simply intense. Beautiful for calming the nervous system.
3. Elm — For Overwhelm & Feeling Like It’s “Too Much”
Elm is ideal for capable people who suddenly feel flooded with responsibility (hello, newborn life). It restores confidence and steadiness when you temporarily doubt your ability to cope.
4. Olive — For Deep Fatigue & Exhaustion
If you’re beyond tired — tired in your bones — Olive supports recovery and helps your system replenish. Great for postpartum depletion, long nights, and mental exhaustion.
5. Rescue Remedy — For Acute Stress, Big Feelings & Grounding Moments
A blend of five Bach essences, Rescue Remedy is the go-to for emotional intensity, panic, or in-the-moment overwhelm. Helpful during cluster feeding nights, newborn fussiness, or when everything feels like a lot.
Positioning & Comfort Techniques for Labor
These positions and tools support comfort, progress, and connection.
The main thing is to feel comfy, cozy, safe and loved so you and the baby feel ready for this next step together.
Also, rest and have water and snacks whenever possible. Birth is generally a marathon and not a sprint.
Early Labor
Hands-and-knees
Birth ball hip circles
Side-lying with pillows
Slow dancing with partner
Gentle walking or lunges
Active Labor
Leaning forward over bed/counter
Supported squat or kneeling
Upright movement + swaying
Tub/shower with water over back
Asymmetric positions (one leg up)
Back Labor / Baby Rotation
Rebozo sifting
Hip squeezes
Knee-chest position
Side-lying with top knee high
Belly lift + tuck
Pushing
Upright: squatting, kneeling, hands-knees
Side-lying for rest + control
Semi-recline for partner support
Using squat bar or partner’s body for stability
Hands-On Comfort Techniques
These are ideal for partners + doulas to use together.
Physical Touch
Low-back counterpressure
Double hip squeeze
Warm compress on back/belly
Cool cloth on forehead or neck
Sacral pressure for back labor
Breathwork
Long slow exhales
Horse-lips exhale to soften pelvic floor
Patterned breathing
Mantras: “Soft,” “Open,” “One wave at a time”
Nervous System Tools
Eye contact
Gentle shoulder touch
Rhythmic hand squeezing
Quiet, supportive presence
A candle, candles
You Deserve Support That Feels Grounded + Personal
Whether you’re planning a hospital birth in Boulder, exploring home birth, or simply wanting more ease during pregnancy, these tools are here to support you. I’m always happy to talk more about:
Prenatal visits
Labor support
Postpartum care
Gentle herbal options
Parent + newborn photography
Local resources tailored to your needs
If you’d like personalized guidance or want to explore working together, I’d be honored to support your pregnancy, birth and or postpartum journey.
Looking for more resources or referrals? Check out this list of other perinatal professionals