Carson Meyer • Birth Doula

Swipe for an exciting announcement!!!  She’s here!!!!! 😉 My NEW BOOK!! The Growing Together Guided Pregnancy Journal is now available for preorder ✨  This keepsake journal provides prompts and reflections for each week of pregnancy and the first 100 days postpartum.  Journaling has been one of my most cherished rituals through both of my pregnancies as a way of connecting with myself, my babies and working with the rich material this season of life always brings to the surface.  This journal invites you to record special milestones and memories while also encouraging deep introspection.  My hope is that this special journal can be passed down to our children for them learn more about their earliest days inside and outside the womb.  Link in bio to preorder Thank you @chroniclebooks !!! Photo by @storyofmother 🤍

Only a handful of people have gotten a sneak peak at the manuscript of my upcoming book and the feedback has me in tears. These six humans are not just some of the most iconic game changers but personal role models who have shaped my path with their purpose as mothers, authors, business women and birth workers. Having their endorsements is such a pinch-me moment. @phabulouscare - The home and hospital birth OB who I wish every single woman in the world could work with. If only we could just clone her. She holds the deepest reverence for women, birth, babies and choice. @drjoelgator - One of the few pediatricians who isn’t afraid to go against the mainstream medical paradigm to speak the truth and approach children’s health holistically. A best-selling author who is bringing so much healing and wisdom to the world. @gigihadid - The classmate I envied in highschool because, yes she’s actually as kind, cool, strong, smart, funny and good at volleyball as she is beautiful! A tremendous honor to witness her dedication to setting herself up for an empowered home birth and inspiring so many others to do the same as a result. @_hengou - Author of The First 40 Days, which has become THE Bible for postpartum care. She is the leading voice in shifting the paradigm in how we approach postpartum. Her book was my husband’s favorite resource for preparing for parenthood. @ericachidi - Founder of Loom, Best-Selling Author and boss babe who’s dedication to women’s health has been a profoundly transformative contribution to the world. She’s been one of my greatest teachers on this path. @rickilake - Easily one of the most influential figures of our lifetime in helping to improve maternal health in the US thanks to her and @abbyepsteinxoxo film, The Business of Being Born. The film that rocked my world and set my heart in motion.

I wrote an article for @people magazine debunking some of the most prevalent birth myths. You can read more online and purchase Growing Together to untangle these misunderstandings and many many more! #birth #doula #birthmyths #pregnancy #waterbirth

✨ My 2nd Birth Story ✨ There is something about the end of pregnancy that is utterly excruciating for me. Not just the physical weight but the weight of anticipation. There is a German word, zwischen, that has been used to describe this state of in-between. A portal, a mindset, that does not adhere to logic, no matter how many times we hear, “due dates are meaningless”. To me, it’s as daunting as standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting to bungee jump, but not knowing when you will be thrust into mid-air. Once you’re airborne, it’s exhilarating, and all your worries are behind you while you soar on a high like no other, as present as you’ll ever be. I have never bungee jumped, nor do I ever plan to, but I imagine that’s what it’s like. I have, however, walked alongside hundreds of women on their journey through matrescence and through this feeling that often arises at the end of pregnancy. I even wrote a book with chapters dedicated to navigating zwischen, but that hasn’t made me immune from experiencing it myself. Baby Callon’s birth story continued on my Substack. Link in bio ✨ Hope you enjoy the read.

Today is International Day of the Midwife! Feeling incredibly grateful for our midwife Cait, who held us with so much trust, depth, patience, kindness, and badass skills. She quite literally held my hips through every contraction for both my births. The first time around (pictured here), she was 20 weeks pregnant herself, giving me the best double hip squeezes. I wish every woman could know the powerful feeling of this type of care. Of being witnessed by a wise woman who lets mama and baby lead the way while knowing when to step back and when to step in. What could be better than having every prenatal on your couch with your dog, and bedside postpartum visits that entail deep diving for hours about life? Not only does midwifery care feel good for the soul, it is associated with: -Higher breastfeeding initiation -Longer breastfeeding duration -Fewer C-sections -Lower epidural rates -Lower induction rates -Less episiotomy -Less instrumental delivery (forceps/vacuum) -Lower likelihood of preterm birth -Higher likelihood of spontaneous vaginal birth -Lower rates of trauma Shout out to the many midwife friends I admire and have learned so much from over the years. @thevitalwoman @birthwhisperer @lamidwifeabby @birthingrhythm @lindseymeehleis @hayleythemidwife @downtobirthshow @catalina.clark If you’re interested in learning more about you birth options check out my link in bio for upcoming Growing Together Circle

The next Growing Together circle starts June 7th! An 11 -week container for expecting mamas to preparing to cross the threshold of birth. This circle is for those planning home birth or hospital birth ✨ Together we explore all of your options while honoring your unique path and innate wisdom. ✨ This course is designed to help you prepare for birth, breastfeeding and postpartum and is a wonderful way to create community. Use code EARLYBIRD this week only for discount. Link in bio to join Photo by @mackenzierouse

I came across this footage from last summer in the garden with my babies (Callon was just a little sprouting seedling inside me at the time!) Like childbearing, the garden makes me feel connected to the magnificent miracle of life and the sacred intelligence of Mother Nature. The same divine brilliance that created us , that we create life from, that we all hold within us. It will never cease to amaze me the amount of growth and transformation that happens in under a year. Spring is here and so is our baby boy. What a wonderful world it is indeed.

We are evolutionarily designed to sleep in close proximity to our young, and 60% of parents report bedsharing at some point. That’s why it’s so important to have access to supportive resources. Anything practiced improperly can come with risks and when it comes to bedsharing, there are ways to do it safely and conditions that make it unsafe. Bedsharing was never a question for me. I slept in my parent’s bed my entire childhood. For me it’s a normal (and cherished) part of family life. The “once a cosleeper, always a cosleeper” narrative isn’t necessarily true. My three-year-old has been in her own bed for a year now and sleeps great. There comes a time when every child transitions to their own bed, their own room, and eventually their own home. This season isn’t forever but my goodness, having a newborn again and knowing how fast it all goes makes me extra grateful for every night I get to cuddle my babies. Not only does bedsharing support my sanity, rest, and milk supply, it also has neurological benefits for baby and melts my heart into a gushy puddle. If you want to learn more about safe bed-sharing check out my book Growing Together and the classic Safe Infant Sleep by James McKenna.

When it comes to the fourth trimester I don’t mess around because I know how crucial these early weeks are not only for my baby’s development but for my healing, life long health, milk supply and ability to mother at my best. I believe you either invest in your postpartum now or you pay later. In my book Growing Together I share about the four pillars of a harmonious postpartum recovery: touch, rest, support and nourishment. No matter how your birth unfolds this time deserves to be honored. Taking it easy and listening to your body is key. There is no one size fits all approach to postpartum. The healing is not linear and no two mothers heal at the same rate. The way my husband shows up for us and the support from our postpartum doulas allows me to tend to every night wake, every feed, every diaper change and soak up every second of these hard earned baby cuddles. For that I am so grateful! My advice to every expecting mother is to use a registry like @littlehoneymoney instead of the typical registry that is geared towards baby stuff you’ll probably never use. Here’s a snapshot of my postpartum bliss oasis. Not pictured here are also some tears, spilled milk, hemorrhoids and my toddlers bright green boogers everywhere 🙃

✨🩵✨ Baby Callon has made his entrance and our hearts are singing with joy! Born at home in the Blue Ridge Mountains on a gorgeous spring day. Big sister Lou is over the moon.

The NEW Growing Together Guided Pregnancy and Postpartum Journal is available today! Thank you to all who preordered already! Can’t wait for you to get your copy in the mail. ✨ Thank you @chroniclebooks for bringing this vision to life and putting so much care into the quality of this special keepsake! * I’m also so glad I had the foresight to record this video two weeks ago because I can no longer form complete sentences 🤰🏼🧠 Link in bio to order

A roundup of some of my favorite homemade meals this pregnancy. (Mostly cooked by Chef Hubby) I’ve shared in the past that we don’t do kids menu or separate “kids foods”. Everything pictured here is what Lou eats too. Did you know you can help shape your kids pallet in utero while babes taste buds develop!? Let me know in the comments which one looks most delicious to you and I’ll share the recipe for the top three favorites on Substack. - Salmon sushi - Blood sausage and potatoes - Beef rice and broccoli - GF spin on Bar Piti pasta - Lentil soup with pork - Salmon rice bowl - Beef and liver burger - Tuna bowl - Chicken soup - Cucumber with salmon roe and labneh - GF avocado toast with eggs and salmon roe - GF Pancakes - Chicken curry - Rice, bison broth and mushroom soup - La Scalla Salad - Eggs and jowl - Beef stew - Bone marrow toast - Steak and latkes