Witnessing Love With Doula and Birth Photographer Heidi Long

Heidi Long is a birth doula, postpartum doula, and birth photographer based in Portland, Oregon, and the owner of Grounded Hearts Doula. With a decade of experience supporting families through birth, Heidi pairs her doula work with professional photography, capturing births, newborn sessions, and family milestones for the same families she supports.In this episode, Emily and Heidi break down:What a postpartum doula does and how postpartum doula support is different from hiring a nannyWhy you need a birth doula, even if you already have a supportive OB or midwife in the roomHow to know a birth doula or postpartum doula is the right fit for your family, and why intuition matters as much as the interviewHow Heidi combines doula support and birth photography to capture authentic, unposed moments during labor and deliveryWhat it's like to work with the same birth photographer across your maternity, newborn, and family milestone sessionsHeidi's advice for anyone considering hiring a birth doula, postpartum doula, or birth photographer for the first timeReady to learn more about birth doula support, postpartum doula care, or birth photography? Find Heidi's links below to connect with Grounded Hearts Doula.https://www.groundedheartsdoula.comhttps://www.groundedheartsphotography.comHeidi has generously offered folks who mention this podcast will receive a 15 minute fall mini session in October of 2026 out in nature among the autumn foliage!  More About Your HostEmily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint (http://www.bewellbaby.org/beyond-birth-blueprint) an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.We have restructured Beyond Birth so that you can access it so easily. We close the doors at the end of September. I can’t wait to meet you on the inside! Our mission is to fundamentally shift what healthcare could look like for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Please help us spread the word by leaving a review! Every review matters!If this episode helped you, please send it to someone who's pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone through birth. Thank you for being here. 🤍