Vanessa Sykes Birth Services

11/09/2026

No me sorprende 🫩

STUDY SURPRISES ZERO BIRTH WORKERS 😅

Yet another study has found a clear association between upright positioning during the active second stage of labor and higher rates of physiological birth. So, basically what many of us already know 😉

And I mean...gravity 👀

Researchers found:
✨ Women who had physiological births more frequently used all fours or a birth stool.
✨ Women who had instrumental births were more often in semi recumbent or lithotomy positions.
✨ For every 10% increase in time spent upright during active pushing, the likelihood of physiological birth increased by 26%.
✨ For every 10% increase in time spent supine, the likelihood of instrumental birth increased by 30%.

This adds to previous research that already showed this. And of course, loads of anecdotal experiences.

For doulas, this probably isn't surprising. Supporting movement, position changes, and working with gravity have long been part of labor support.

Of course, position is only one factor. There isn't one magic trick to ensure how a birth unfolds. However, there are lots of things which help facilitate an increased likelihood of a physiological birth.

📖 Tinker et al., 2026, Women and Birth

👇🏽 Surprised? Or does this feel obviously expected?

27/07/2026

14/04/2026

✔️ Temperatura ambiente (16–29°C): hasta 4 horas (ideal)
✔️ Refrigerador (~4°C): hasta 4 días
✔️ Congelador (−18°C):
• 6 meses ideal
• hasta 12 meses aceptable

💡 Importante:
• La leche fresca es mejor que la congelada
• Usar primero la más antigua
• No calentar en microondas (reduce propiedades inmunológicas)
• Una vez descongelada, usar dentro de 24 horas.

📚 Fuente: Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine:
ABM Clinical Protocol #8: Human Milk Storage Information for Home Use for Full-Term Infants, Revised 2017, by Eglash A, Simon L, and The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Breastfeed Med 2017

12/04/2026

I’m currently in a lecture with Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, and the realization is staggering: We have significantly more data, funding, and clinical precision regarding the feeding and care of pregnant and lactating cows than we do for humans. We treat bovine lactation like a science, but human lactation like a “lifestyle choice.”

While the research gap is frustrating, there is a silver lining. We can extrapolate a wealth of knowledge from bovine research. These studies provide a roadmap for understanding metabolic signaling and mammary function that we can apply to human care while we fight for more human-specific data.

When lactation is tied to a billion-dollar industry, the science is exhaustive. When it’s tied to the sovereignty of parents and infants, the advice is often just “keep trying.” We deserve the same evidence-based, deep physiological support we’ve afforded the dairy industry for decades.

02/04/2026

🤩🤩🤩

25/03/2026

Celebrando 10 años como doula este 2026.
Tantas historias, tantos recuerdos, tantos momentos que guardo en mi corazón.

Gracias por permitirme entrar en su espacio sagrado de parto.

Feliz Semana Mundial de la Doula ✨

10 years of holding space as a doula.
So many stories. So many memories. So many moments I carry in my heart.

Thank you for trusting me with your sacred birthing space.

Happy World Doula Week ✨

02/03/2026

Club Posparto es un encuentro mensual para madres y sus bebés (0–18 meses), donde pueden encontrarse, compartir y sentirse acompañadas en su proceso de matrescencia. En cada encuentro realizamos una dinámica sencilla guiada, enfocada en un aspecto clave de esta transición a la maternidad, que abre el diálogo y la reflexión en un ambiente seguro y respetuoso. Luego disfrutamos de un café para socializar, crear comunidad y fortalecer vínculos — porque la maternidad no está hecha para vivirse en soledad. 🤍
y.maternidad

Quieres participar? Mándame un DM!