What Should a Mother Eat After Birth? Catholic Postpartum Foods for Healing and Digestion
​Discover gentle, nourishing postpartum foods that can support healing, digestion, energy, and breastfeeding during the sacred weeks after birth.
After welcoming a baby, a mother’s body deserves tenderness, rest, and abundant nourishment. The postpartum period is not a time to rush toward weight loss, productivity, or “getting back to normal.” It is a season of recovery—a quiet and often hidden work of healing, much like the humble, faithful care offered within the home.
As Catholic doulas, we recognize that caring for a new mother is part of honoring the dignity of her motherhood. She has poured herself out through pregnancy, labor, birth, and perhaps breastfeeding. Now she deserves to be cared for, fed well, and given the support she needs to recover in peace.
Food cannot remove every difficulty of the postpartum season, but warm, steady, nutrient-dense meals can help support a mother’s energy, digestion, mood, tissue healing, bowel regularity, and milk production. The goal is not perfection. It is to offer the body what it needs, one simple meal at a time.
Why Postpartum Nourishment Matters
Pregnancy and birth ask a great deal of a mother’s body. Labor, blood loss, hormonal changes, interrupted sleep, tissue repair, and the daily demands of caring for a newborn all affect her energy and nutritional needs. If she is breastfeeding, her body is also doing the remarkable work of producing milk while continuing to heal.
In the early weeks, many mothers find that digestion feels slower, more sensitive, or less predictable than usual. Appetite may be low, or it may feel difficult to remember to eat while caring for a baby. This is why postpartum meals should be simple, accessible, and satisfying—not complicated or restrictive.
Hydration is important, too. Water, broths, soups, herbal teas, and water-rich fruits can support digestion and help a mother feel replenished. For mothers experiencing constipation, warm and moist foods may be especially comforting and easier to tolerate than cold, dry, or heavily processed foods.
Nourishing Foods for a Mother After Birth
A postpartum plate does not need to look perfect. It simply needs to provide steady nourishment. Whenever possible, aim for a balance of protein, gentle carbohydrates, healthy fats, fiber, and fluids.
Protein for repair and strengthProtein supports tissue repair, steadier energy, and overall recovery. Helpful options include:

• Eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, fish, tofu, beans, and lentils
• Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and cheese
• Quinoa and nut butters

Iron-rich foods after birth
A mother may need additional iron-rich foods after the blood loss of birth, particularly if she experienced significant bleeding or has been told that her iron levels are low. Foods rich in iron include:

• Beef and other red meats
• Beans and lentils
• Leafy green vegetables
• Pumpkin seeds
• Iron-fortified cereals

A healthcare provider can help determine whether iron supplementation is needed.
Healthy fats for fullness and energy
Healthy fats can make meals more satisfying and help a mother feel sustained between meals and nursing sessions. Consider:

• Avocado
• Olive oil and coconut oil
• Nuts, seeds, and nut butters
• Full-fat yogurt or dairy, if tolerated
• Salmon and other low-mercury fish

Fiber and gentle carbohydrates
Fiber and carbohydrates can support bowel regularity and provide needed energy, especially when paired with protein and fat. Good choices include:

• Oatmeal
• Sweet potatoes and potatoes
• Berries, pears, apples, and prunes
• Cooked vegetables
• Beans, lentils, and whole grains
• Rice, sourdough bread, and whole-grain toast

Gut-supportive foods
Some mothers enjoy including foods with live cultures, especially after antibiotics or digestive upset. Yogurt with live cultures, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, and tempeh may be helpful for some women. Introduce fermented foods gradually if digestion is sensitive.
Gentle Foods for Early Postpartum DigestionDuring the first days and weeks after birth, warm, soft, cooked meals can feel especially comforting. Soups, stews, porridges, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, rice dishes, cooked vegetables, and broths are often easier to digest than cold, dry, or highly processed foods.
There is something deeply practical and loving about a pot of soup waiting on the stove or a bowl of oatmeal brought to a mother holding her baby. These ordinary acts of care can become a beautiful expression of service within the family, parish, or community.
A simple guideline is to choose food that is:

• Warm and moist
• Easy to prepare or reheat
• Rich in protein and healthy fat
• Gentle enough to eat when tired or low in appetite
• Available often enough that the mother does not have to go long hours without food

Simple Postpartum Meal Ideas
These meals are balanced, comforting, and realistic for the demands of life with a newborn:

• Oatmeal with ground flaxseed, prunes, nut butter, and cinnamon
• Scrambled eggs with avocado and sourdough toast
• Lentil soup with vegetables, olive oil, and bread
• Salmon with rice and cooked greens
• Greek yogurt with berries, chia seeds, honey, and walnuts
• Chicken soup with carrots, potatoes, rice or noodles, and herbs
• A smoothie with yogurt, fruit, oats, nut butter, and milk
• Beef stew with potatoes, carrots, and broth
• Rice bowls with chicken, roasted vegetables, avocado, and olive oil
• Cottage cheese with fruit, toast, and a handful of nuts

For a mother receiving visitors, a practical gift is often better than advice: bring a nourishing meal, restock her freezer, fill her water bottle, or offer to hold the baby while she eats with both hands.
What to Limit During Postpartum Recovery
This is not a season for strict rules or food guilt. A mother does not need to eat perfectly in order to heal well. If she can only manage toast, soup, fruit, or yogurt on a difficult day, that is still nourishment.
That said, some mothers feel better when they limit:

• Skipping meals or severely restricting food
• Large amounts of highly processed foods or added sugar
• Very greasy meals that worsen bloating or discomfort
• Excess caffeine, especially if it affects sleep, anxiety, or the baby’s comfort
• Foods that consistently cause digestive distress for that individual mother

A postpartum mother needs enough food. She needs steady energy for healing, feeding her baby, and moving through the long days and nights of early motherhood.
Building a Simple Postpartum Plate
A nourishing meal can be as simple as combining:

• Protein: eggs, chicken, yogurt, beans, fish, beef, or lentils
• Gentle carbohydrates: oats, rice, potatoes, fruit, bread, or pasta
• Healthy fats: avocado, olive oil, butter, nuts, seeds, or nut butter

For example, eggs with toast and avocado, chicken soup with potatoes, or yogurt with berries and seeds all offer more lasting support than a snack made up of sugar alone.
A well-fed mother is not being indulgent. She is being cared for in a season when her body is doing holy and demanding work.
When to Seek Medical SupportMany digestive changes after birth improve with time, hydration, rest, and regular nourishment. However, a mother should contact her healthcare provider for severe constipation, vomiting, significant abdominal pain, blood in the stool, inability to keep food or fluids down, or symptoms that are worsening rather than improving.
Postpartum recovery is not about bouncing back. It is about allowing a mother the time, nourishment, and support to heal. When she is fed with care—by herself, her family, her parish community, or those who love her—she is better supported to receive the grace and responsibility of motherhood, one day at a time. By Julie Larsen.
If you are curious about our postpartum doula course go here to see what's new! 

After Birth - a Mother needs healing: 
​After birth, a mother’s body is doing far more than healing visible signs of pregnancy. Beneath the surface, the digestive system is also reorganizing after months of hormonal shifts, increased abdominal pressure, and the physical stress of labor and delivery. This is one reason digestion can feel sluggish, unpredictable, or uncomfortable in the weeks and months postpartum.
Many mothers expect their bodies to bounce back quickly, but the gut does not work that way. The postpartum period is a true transition. Hormones shift rapidly, the microbiome changes, and the body must recover while adjusting to a completely new internal environment. Understanding this can help mothers feel less alarmed and more supported as they heal.
What changes after birthDuring pregnancy, the digestive system adapts to support the growing baby. Hormones like progesterone slow gut movement, the uterus takes up space in the abdomen, and the microbiome shifts to support energy storage and nutrient transfer.
After birth, the body must reverse many of these changes while also recovering from labor, blood loss, sleep deprivation, and sometimes surgery or medications. The drop in estrogen and progesterone after delivery can affect gut motility, appetite, and bowel regularity. As a result, digestion may feel inconsistent or uncomfortable for a period of time.
In other words, postpartum digestion is not just “off”—it is biologically different for a while.
Why digestion feels harder
One major factor is the sudden hormonal shift. During pregnancy, progesterone slows digestion; after birth, the body has to find a new rhythm. At the same time, the gut microbiome begins shifting back toward its pre-pregnancy state, which can temporarily affect digestion and immune function.
Other common postpartum factors can make digestion more difficult, including pain medications, iron supplements, dehydration, pelvic floor tension, fear of bowel movements after delivery, reduced physical movement, stress, and sleep deprivation.
For mothers recovering from a C-section, surgery, antibiotics, and limited mobility can make the digestive system even more sensitive.
Common symptomsConstipation is one of the most common postpartum concerns. It may be accompanied by bloating, gas, reflux, or abdominal discomfort. Some mothers also notice changes in appetite, often influenced by fatigue, stress, and hormonal shifts.
Pelvic floor strain, tearing, or hemorrhoids can also affect bowel habits, making elimination uncomfortable or incomplete.
While these symptoms can feel discouraging, they are often part of normal recovery. The gut is not failing—it is adjusting. However, symptoms that are severe, persistent, or worsening should not be ignored.
The microbiome factor
The postpartum gut is also shaped by changes in the microbiome. Pregnancy brings significant shifts in gut bacteria, and after birth, the body gradually returns toward its pre-pregnancy balance. This process takes time and is influenced by factors like sleep, stress, diet, and antibiotic exposure.
For mothers who are breastfeeding, gut health is especially meaningful, as maternal health and infant feeding are closely connected.
What supports recoveryThe postpartum gut typically responds best to gentle, consistent support rather than aggressive interventions.
Helpful approaches include:

• Staying well hydrated to support bowel movement and overall recovery.
• Eating fiber-rich and easily digestible foods.
• Choosing warm, soft meals such as soups, oatmeal, cooked vegetables, rice, eggs, and stewed fruits.
• Incorporating light movement, such as short walks, to encourage gut motility.

Warm, simple foods are often better tolerated in the early weeks, when digestion may still be sensitive.
When to seek helpWhile digestive changes are common after birth, some symptoms require medical attention. These include severe or persistent abdominal pain, heavy or ongoing rectal bleeding, vomiting or fever, no bowel movement for several days despite basic care, or symptoms that interfere with daily life.
Postpartum discomfort should not be dismissed as something a mother must simply endure. Early support can make recovery smoother and more manageable.
Supporting the mother
One of the most important aspects of postpartum care is remembering that the mother’s recovery matters. Digestive health is a meaningful part of that process.
When mothers understand that gut changes are driven by real physiological shifts—not personal failure—they are more likely to seek support and give themselves the patience they need.
The postpartum body is not broken. It is healing, reorganizing, and adapting to a new phase of life. With time, nourishment, hydration, and care, the digestive system can gradually return to balance.
One other way you can support postpartum mothers is to join our next Catholic postpartum doula fast-track class coming this fall - we will meet soon: Postpartum fast-track page! 

Sources

1. Maternal gut microbiota in the postpartum Period: A Systematic review (PMC, 2023).
2. Parity influences postpartum adaptations in the maternal gut microbiota (Scientific Reports, 2025).
3. Postpartum Digestive Issues: Why Symptoms Don’t Go Away and What … (Plate and Canvas, 2026).
4. Is Postpartum Responsible For My Digestive Issues? (NB Ranberg PT, 2025).
5. Postpartum Digestion Changes & Gut Health Support After Birth (Viva La Vulva, 2026).
6. Postpartum Bloating and Digestion Changes (Needed, 2025).
7. Postpartum Gut Health & Your Pelvic Floor (SheFit PT).
8. SEO description: Learn how the gut reorganizes after birth, why digestion often becomes compromised postpartum, and what mothers can expect during digestive recovery after pregnancy and delivery.
   

Welcome to our blog on Catholic doula program!
We are hosting 2 fast-track birth and postpartum doula programs back to back over the summer. The birth doula starts on June 3rd and the postpartum starts July 15th. Teens are more than welcome to attend our summer program - it might be best timing for teens or college students to get into our classes over the summer before school starts.
What's a fast-track class anyway? 
A fast-track course is our zoom classes - we host them seasonally. Winter/spring, spring, summer and fall classes. 
The fast-track components we make it less work for students and they can opt-in for a final exam too. 
We usually meet on a weekly basis for fast-track - so they start on like June 3rd for birth doula and end July 8th - we go through materials and assignment info during the class. 
Once the student is finished, the student can receive their certification once fully finished with the program - some students finish within the 6-7 weeks while other students take their time on certification. 
Birth doula and postpartum doula together is $1150 which is a special savings as we usually offer that at $1255 normally. 
If you just want one course - birth doula is usually $597 and you can save $50 if you enroll by May 5th for June!
If you want to attend postpartum doula it is usually $655 and you can save $50 if you enroll by June 5th for July session! 
Go to the Fast-track page to gain more info or to put a down payment or pay in full enrollment: Fast-Track page
Thank you, Julie
A little housekeeping... 
We are doing something a little different now for our programs. We will NOT be including any more books unless is it a special deal - we will be making a book page where you can either purchase your books through us or Ebay/Amazon/Thriftbooks, etc. We will include links to find the books. 
Rebozos - since we are having some issues finding them at a lower rate - we are going to be raising the price to $50 extra in order to add in a rebozo to the birth doula classes - so the basic pricing is like $597 without rebozo and $50 extra if you want a nicer rebozo to be shipped to you. (Exception if someone pays in full - free, scholarship lower cost, fast-trackers may get a special deal.) 
Let me know if you have any questions!
Thank you. 

Bringing life into the world is sacred work—and guiding mothers through those first tender weeks after birth is one of the deepest callings a woman can answer. As a Catholic postpartum doula, you’re not only supporting physical recovery and nurturing families—you’re participating in God’s restorative love. Here are five heartfelt reasons to consider this rewarding vocation.
1. A Calling to Serve With Christ’s Compassion
Becoming a Catholic postpartum doula allows you to live out the Corporal Works of Mercy through acts of service, presence, and care. You accompany mothers and newborns in their most vulnerable moments, modeling Christ’s compassion in every meal prepared, diaper changed, and prayer whispered. The Catholic Doula Program emphasizes spiritual and prayerful support, so your service is intentionally rooted in Christ and the dignity of every life.
2. Supporting the Sacred Bond of Family
The postpartum season is the heart of family life, and Catholic doulas honor the Holy Family—Mary, Joseph, and Jesus—as the perfect image of love and unity. By serving parents with patience and tenderness, you help strengthen the domestic church, nurturing not just physical recovery but spiritual harmony at home. The Catholic Doula Program specifically trains you to support the family unit in a pro-life, authentically Catholic way, without diluting language or values.
3. Integrating Faith and Holistic Healing
A Catholic approach to postpartum care embraces body, mind, and soul. Prayer, sacraments, and mindful rituals—such as blessing the home or praying with a new mother—bring peace and holiness into each moment. Through the Catholic Doula Program, you learn tools like the unique SMART Mother Model, rebozo closing or belly binding, and postpartum nutritional support, so you can offer holistic, culturally sensitive, and evidence-based care that honors God’s design for a woman’s healing.​
4. Building a Ministry of Presence
This vocation is deeply relational. Catholic postpartum doulas offer the ministry of presence, reminding mothers they are never alone. You bear witness to their transformation with gentleness and grace, offering listening support, space to debrief the birth, and spiritual encouragement as they navigate emotional changes and new responsibilities. With the Catholic Doula Program, you also have access to mentoring circles and community support, helping you grow in confidence as you serve families.​
5. Joining a Pro-Life, Professionally Trained Community
There is a blossoming movement of Catholic women reclaiming birth and postpartum as sacred ground. The Catholic Doula Program offers a pro-life, evidence-based postpartum doula course that can even be Medicaid-approved in some states, opening doors to serve low-income and vulnerable mothers. You receive a thorough online training with the SMART Mother Model, a full postpartum manual, required readings on the first forty days and postpartum nutrition, and the opportunity for additional certification as a nutritional doula during the pilot period. You are not just “taking a class”—you’re entering a supportive community and building a ministry that beautifully blends professional skills with Catholic spirituality.
6. Offering Specialized Postpartum Nutritional Care
Nutrition is one of the most overlooked pillars of postpartum recovery, yet it profoundly affects mood, energy, milk supply, and overall healing. As a Catholic postpartum doula with additional postpartum nutritional training, you can help mothers choose warming, restorative foods, healing broths, and simple meal plans that support both body and soul.

Catholic Doula Program Postpartum doula students have the opportunity to pursue a dedicated postpartum nutritional doula certification, allowing them to deepen their knowledge of postpartum herbs, supplements, and traditional healing foods while keeping everything aligned with Catholic values. This extra layer of formation not only strengthens your confidence as a caregiver, it also sets your services apart and allows you to serve families more completely—offering spiritual support, emotional presence, and practical, faith-informed nutritional guidance all in one vocation.
We are planning on hosting our next Postpartum Doula Fast-track in April -
​please join our April class! 
Here's our postpartum doula main page! Click to go!
Postpartum fast-track page! click to go 
Early bird of $55 off will end March 17th, 2026. ​

Welcome to our Catholic doula blog, just in case this is your first time reading, I wanted to welcome you to our blog. 
Now to answer, Why I do not leave social media for Lent....
I don't leave because this is a good way to find clients especially if you are a doula. You are able to connect with other moms of your Faith or any mom in your area that might be seeking a doula. One way to connect is something new called "Trial Reels" on Instagram - so, you may want to look that up or just do any Reel, Post, etc. Another way is to keep a Catholic Presence in any group or your own timeline. Perhaps, you could give up the "groups" on Facebook for Lent. Also, you can be more active about talking about your Faith instead on Facebook - on your timeline. I say give up being in Facebook groups because that's where most of the fighting and stupidity is at (sorry - I had a couple of recent run ins and decided to just leave a group.) However, this is up to you; maybe you need to take the full pause and that's ok too. I find posting on my own timeline, Facebook page connected with Instagram - a good thing to continue during Lent. Let's be the light of Faith that beacons in the darkness. 
What can mamas or doulas do for Lent? The idea of having to "give up" this or that sometimes makes people cringe. Let's do something different this Lent - let's be more ACTIVE to give God our BEST - so here's a list of some idea that you may want to implement this season.... 
1. Prayer - Praying morning offering, evening prayers (examen) - this is simple, but honestly it is not always easy to do - you get up you start doing your other morning things, the kids come in and whine they are hungry, etc. So, maybe set that clock for 15 minutes earlier to wake you up, so you can have time for morning prayers or better yet pray them with your kids! 
2. Giving - Lent is a time of giving to others. Find a local Charity you would like to support throughout Lent and give them a donation or what we call "alms." If you have in your heart to help our Catholic Doula Scholarship fund, please let us know, we might be having our annual mini-conference during Lent - go to our contact page to get on our mailing list for our Lent conference. Donations can be accepted for our scholarship fund. 
3. Doing Something Active - This could be more exercise in the morning or afternoon, going out for a walk once weather gets nicer, meditation in your home, helping a neighbor, etc. Get creative in this. It depends on where you live. Or just everyday things - do with "Love" as St. Therese the Little Flower would offer her everyday chores, etc. 
4. Eating/Foods - Mark your calendar to remember when to fast and abstain this Lent or add in extra days. After all there are only 2 fast days for Lent- Ash Wednesday (2/18) and Good Friday (April 3rd). The other Fridays are no meat days. See if you can add on an extra no meat day or fast day if you are able too! 
5. Meal planning - Do you need help with Lenten Meal ideas? Stay tuned to this blog and I plan to have a Lenten Friday Meal plan post each week (hopefully like the day before Friday.) 
I hope these ideas will help you have a productive Lent and if you are staying on social media - say hi to me up there!
P.S. We are going to be offering Soulful Mama Academy for moms soon - I am still working on this class - if you want to get on the waitlist - please go here to learn more - it is an Academy to help postpartum mothers (from baby through toddler years)!  

Note: We have decided to take down the cross certification page as it was confusing people. We will only do cross certify or transfer from another doula course on a case by case basis and probably for one person per season. This is because we are a small program and this is like offering someone a very special discount on a class and also will be financially based as well. So, the cross certification/transfer your doula class is only going to be offered to one student seasonally. We have filled that for winter session. We will reopen this in the spring and take applications again for that opening. 
Second, I apologize if my Birth shop section is confusing - if you do not know where to go to enroll for a class email me and I"ll send a special link over for payment. Email is [email protected] - I usually prefer payment plan students to message me for their specific payment link. 
Third, if you have life experiences, we are willing to offer a waiver of assignments on any of our classes and if you sign up for a second course while in another class - then we can offer a combo discount - even if you decide to enroll within 6 months of your first class - so keep that in mind. 
We are also renaming Momento Caritas to Angelic Passage End of Life Doula course. This course will have 2 levels - we will be offering the Level 1 training to start with soon. We will also have a VIP Business bonus for free for early birds. The Level 2- that may not be available for awhile - I want to gauge interest in a higher deeper dive level that will be more deep into Catholic Teachings and more. I want to gain more experience before I offer a deeper course. So, for now I am going to say in the future we may have a Level 2. This way I can have something to offer now and a deeper insightful class in the future. The Level 1 training will be a little more open to non-Catholic Christians who may want a class that has some religious basis but not too in depth that it is too Catholic for them. I will be operating under Biblical standpoints with a spirituality section for Catholics. 

We have decided to raise our prices this fall, but we didn't want to go up too high. So, we raised most of the classes by $50 or so and the Fertility doula one is $100 more. So, I have taken down the birth shop page till I can get all the changes up on the website and make this less confusing to someone who would just first time land on our website. We do have wonderful payment plans that most doula courses do not offer. We now have 2 options - a 3 month payment plan option and a 6 month payment plan option for birth and postpartum doula courses (plus other courses will also have payment plan options.) I also will be starting up a Bundle Page soon and that will show you our bundle discounts for taking 2-3 classes together - the more you bundle, the more you get a discounted rate- starts from around 15%-20% off! Will we still offer partial scholarships? Yes, we will still offer partial scholarships occasionally - but I think I am going to have a seasonal open and close dates for those scholarships - if you miss the window, then you can request to be put on the next opening window for that! Raising our prices means we can offer further discounts for needy students - please do not take advantage of us - we will know - please only request a scholarship if a 6 month payment plan will not work for your family. 
Cost of Birth doula is now $600 (vs. $555 previous) and Cost of Postpartum doula is now $655 (vs. $600 or $555 depending on when you looked last.) 
Bonus Items we will be now offering for our enrollments:
#1 Breastfeeding Class Bonus...
For birth doula and postpartum doula students both, we are adding in a special Breastfeeding For Doulas Class which will be hosted in Thinkific Classroom area. This special class will be a short training over breastfeeding for doulas and you receive a certificate of completion when you finish the course. Note: You do not have to finish this course before finishing your doula certification - we do highly recommend that you finish it for your learning. We think this class will help students who especially are not mother and have never breastfed before - that is the main purpose of having the extra class. The course does NOT certify you as any educator or counselor - if you wish to have a fuller training - you can go to our Mommy Latch Breastfeeding Educator/Counselor Certification page for more information! 
#2 Bonus - Business Startup Digital Products - We will be offering our some Business Digital Product Packages depending on your enrollment you choose - pay in full - Extreme Business Package (includes Doing Business the Doula Way PDF, and Digital Products that go with this), Deluxe Business Package (Payment Plan #1), and Basic Business Package (Payment Plan #2.) 
#3 Bonus - Awesome Doula Club Membership will be included - worth $49 - If you pay in full - one year membership, pay #1 payment plan (3 months of payments) - 6 months membership and Payment Plan #2 (6 months payments) is 3 months membership in Awesome Doula Club! 
#4 Rebozo Mexican Shawl - pay in full students can choose an longer rebozo - payment plan students will receive 78 inch rebozo - or can add in an upgrade fee if you want a longer one. 
Postpartum Doulas may also receive other goodies - please see new postpartum doula page to see our offerings for postpartum doulas. Our Postpartum doula course will also be $655 total now because of the new add-on of Double Certification for postpartum doula and Nutritional Doula. We recently updated the postpartum doula course to add on some business section that was previously missing - so it is now even better program! 
What if you want to just do a stand alone Nutritional Doula course? We are bringing back our Kitchen Doula Academy class - it has a new Thinkific location (more private) so we can sell this class through our Catholic Doula website! I will be adding in a page with more information soon - so stay tuned! 
If you need to apply for a scholarship - we are opening up our fall scholarship program as of today September 15th and that will remain open till October 15th for applications. We do have limited supply of scholarship funds and we are also planning a candle fundraising this fall - so if you are wanting to help with scholarships - let us know! 
To apply for a scholarship go here to our new scholarship page. https://www.catholicdoula.com/scholarship-page.html#/
Thank you so much, Julie Larsen - author of this blog post...

Welcome to our website! Perhaps, this is your first time seeing Catholic Doula website and we have a wonderful announcement for mamas, we now have a new website just for Catholic pregnancy and postpartum classes and events - it is called CatholicChildbirth.com! We decided that it was about time to make a website just focused for Catholic mamas and parents! Our first thing we plan to do is relaunch our childbirth class with the new name "Birthing With Grace" and you will receive 6 PDF "workbooks" with information in them to help you through your pregnancy - homework is included! We are offering a relaunch sale and party and any mama who enrolls in the childbirth course will receive some bonus materials for free including the following: Spirituality Mini-Class Slides for Mamas (value $57), St. Gemma Labor Strategy Rebozo Workshop (value $97), Handouts to Go with the Course (value $25), and fun checklists for the hospital and postpartum too! You also receive access to my book "Little Way of Motherhood" on PDF. The course does require purchase of two books - or you sign up for the VIP Package the books are included: Christ Centered Childbirth by Kelly Townsend and "The Gift of Birth" by Susan Windley-Daoust. For the mama who is enrolling as a VIP student - the books will be included in the cost and you also receive an extra bonus: St. Zelie's Postpartum Plan Workbook (value $40) too as a special gift! We are also including another VIP bonus - enroll by September 30th as a VIP Birthing With Grace Mama and you receive access to our "Soulful Mama Academy Membership" for 3 months free of charge!  We want you to be supported even after birth - so the membership you can choose the date to start for this! 
Introductory price of the self-paced version of our course is $195 - VIP Version is $245 - includes the books mentioned above, Postpartum Workbook, and the 3 months access tour new membership for Mamas! 
Now, are you ready to enroll in this special classes or need more information? Your action item is to book a call with me at https://calendly.com/doulajuliana to learn more about the course! Thank you so much. 

Imagine this scene, St. Mary Magdalen is up early on Sunday morning to attend the tomb of Jesus. There was a great earthquake according to the Bible! Wow, that must have shaken someone awake. An Angel of the Lord rolled back the tomb stone. "And the angel answering, said to the women: Fear not you; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified." The Angel continued, "He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come, and see the place where the Lord was laid.  7 And going quickly, tell ye his disciples that he is risen: and behold he will go before you into Galilee; there you shall see him. Lo, I have foretold it to you." Matthew Chapter 28 quotes! 
Mary Magdelen also had a special apparition of Jesus to her. Let's read from Mark Chapter 16 now: 
Douay-Rheims DR + LV Latin Vulgate Summa Catechism
 "1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that coming, they might anoint Jesus.  2 And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen.  3 And they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre?  4 And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great.  5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe: and they were astonished.  6 Who saith to them: Be not affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he is risen, he is not here, behold the place where they laid him.  7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee; there you shall see him, as he told you.  8 But they going out, fled from the sepulchre. For a trembling and fear had seized them: and they said nothing to any man; for they were afraid.  9 But he rising early the first day of the week, appeared first to Mary Magdalen, out of whom he had cast seven devils  [Mark 16:9]  10 She went and told them that had been with him, who were mourning and weeping."

Now John's Gospel kind of finishes the above scenario: 
 10 The disciples therefore departed again to their home. 
 11 But Mary stood at the sepulchre without, weeping. Now as she was weeping, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,  12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been laid.  13 They say to her: Woman, why weepest thou? She saith to them: Because they have taken away my Lord; and I know not where they have laid him.  14 When she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing; and she knew not that it was Jesus.  15 Jesus saith to her: Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, thinking it was the gardener, saith to him: Sir, if thou hast taken him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
 16 Jesus saith to her: Mary. She turning, saith to him: Rabboni (which is to say, Master).  17 Jesus saith to her: Do not touch me, for I am not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brethren, and say to them: I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and your God." End quote
So, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalen first according to the Bible. However, a traditional way we also believed he appeared to his Mother Mary first before appearing to Mary Magdalen. You have to remember not everything is mentioned in the Bible - but either way -  it is nice to know that he cared about the women of the Bible too. 
Why does Jesus care to show Himself to Mary Magdalen - a complete sinner who converted before anyone else? I think it is because she never denied Him. She was a faithful servant. He wanted to give consolation and hope of the Resurrection to those who loved Him and were dear to Him - His Mother Mary and Mary Magdalen. 
We can be the Magdalen of the Cross and Jesus in this scene! We can say "Master" with Mary Magdalen. We can say "we give our hearts to you." 
Now, go out and tell everyone the good news - Jesus is Risen! Alleluia! 

Welcome to the First Sunday of Lent. We are Catholics or Christians who celebrate 40 days of prayer in a way to imitate Christ in the desert for 40 days. We also are preparing for Holy Week and Easter (April 20th this year.) 
As doulas or women who are interested in doula work, what ways can we do Lenten Resolutions? What is typical things that we do during Lent? 1. Pray. Our first thing we do more is pray more. We could go to Stations of the Cross on Fridays (or pray them at home.) We could pray the Rosary more if we have not been doing so. The Rosary is what Our Lady wants us to pray. Non-Catholics may pray the Rosary too. 2. Fast or Abstain - This is a penance that is not easy for some. Fasting is not easy, but can be done by not eating till noon for instance and then eat 2 meals for the other part of the day. Abstaining from meat on Fridays as God calls us to do. We can eat fish. Choose extra days to abstain from meat besides Friday is also another thing you can do during Lent - like do Wednesdays or Saturdays. 3. Final thing we usually do is almsgiving during Lent. How can we do almsgiving? If one does not have a lot of money, you can give your talents by doing community work, helping out at a pregnancy crisis center (pro-life centered) to help other women who are suffering and are scared of a pregnancy they did not plan, by doing other acts of service as doulas. If you do want to offer almsgiving - funds to various organizations, make sure your beliefs align with that organization. For instance we do not want to give to Planned Parenthood. We would rather give to Catholic organizations. 
At Catholic Doula Program, we would love to accept donations towards our doula scholarship fund, so we can offer discounts or full scholarships to women who need it. If you would like to donate to our fund, please contact Julie at [email protected]. If you want to sponsor one particular lady to become a doula - please let us know - minimum donation for a full scholarship is $455 and ANY donation will go towards partial scholarships. Note: We do not at this time have a non-profit status - but we can still offer you a receipt for your donation. We would love to make a non-profit specifically in the future. Non-profits cost a lot to get started. 
Anyway, thank you for reading our blog and we hope this will help your Lenten Resolutions - make ones that you can keep! --Julie Larsen

Today is the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas - here's some meditations based on the Traditional Latin Mass calendar's liturgy. Note: Latin Mass celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family on January 12th (not today.)
Introit (Wisdom 18:14-15) The Introit alludes to the night when the angel of God struck down the first-born of the Egyptians and thus prepared the deliverance of Israel, a symbol of the most holy night when Holy Mary brought the Savior into the world, the Word of God, Who has come to deliver mankind from the bondage of sin.
Epistle (Galatians 4:1-7) A child may not enter into possession of a heritage to which he has right before coming of age, until that time he is in a certain manner, a slave of those who administer the patrimony in his name. Thus were the Jews under the Mosaic Law. They had in view the patrimony of the New Law, but they were subject to the rites and prescriptions of the old alliance, which was rudimentary and concerned itself above all with the passing needs of this world. The Son of God, however, was made man, being born of a woman, and submitted Himself to the servitude of the law, in order to raise us to the dignity of sons of God and deliver us from the slavery of the law. As a pledge of this divine filiation, God the Father has given us, the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of His Son, so that becoming sons of God, with Jesus, we are together with Him heirs of the eternal riches. Upon the advent of the Messianic time the Mosaic Law ceases to be, and thus commences the majority, the coming of age, of the people of God to which we belong by baptism.
Gospel (Luke 2:33-40) This Gospel is the continuation of that for the feast of the Purification. The old man Simeon and the prophetess Anna, more than 80 years old, who passed her days in the Temple, give witness of Jesus. He it is, Who is the Messiah, and His coming implies of necessity, either a separation or a judgment. The secret thoughts of each man in relation to Christ will be revealed on the last day, since He will search the reins of our hearts. Those who, either from pride or cowardice, have rejected the Son of God, will be in their turn rejected by Him, and those who have welcomed Him, will participate in His glory, because it is to save His people that Jesus came. From the very commencement, this Divine Child was filled with the wisdom of His Father and His soul received the fullness of sanctifying grace. (St. Andrew Missal)