Kathryn Marriott Doula

08/18/2026

07/21/2026

“As above, So Below.”

One of the most fascinating things I teach in childbirth education is the connection between the muscles of the throat and the muscles of the pelvic floor.

Notice the similarities in the two images.

The throat and the cervix/vaginal opening are often referred to as being connected through what some birth educators call the sphincter law—the idea that when one sphincter is tense, others tend to tighten as well.

When labor sensations become intense, many women instinctively respond with high-pitched screams or clenched jaws.

The challenge?

A tight jaw often accompanies a tight throat.

A tight throat can contribute to tension throughout the pelvic floor.

And a tense pelvic floor can make it more difficult for baby to descend and rotate.

Instead, I often encourage laboring mothers to soften their jaw, relax their tongue, and make low, open sounds:

✨ “Ahhhhh”

✨ “Ooooooh”

✨ Deep, resonant moans

These sounds naturally relax the throat and invite softness throughout the body.

Birth isn’t about being quiet.

It’s about making sounds that work with your body instead of against it.

So if you hear a laboring woman making deep, primal sounds, know that she’s not losing control.

She may actually be helping her body open.

🤍 Relax the jaw.
🤍 Soften the throat.
🤍 Trust the opening.

06/19/2026

Advanced Maternal Age.

Well, thank you, medical industry, for changing the terminology. Because “Geriatric Pregnancy” never landed well with me when I was birthing my babies… over a decade ago.

With as much effort that went into changing the label, one would think the criteria would have shifted with it.

The placenta doesn’t know you’re 41.

The cervix doesn’t know you’re 43.

The uterus doesn’t know you’re 45.

What matters is how mother and baby are doing today—not assumptions based solely on a number.

Age is information.

It is not an emergency.

It does not automatically equal induction.

You are not a diagnosis.

You are not a statistic.

You are a woman.

A woman whose body deserves individualized assessment.

A woman whose baby deserves individualized assessment.

Age may inform care.

It should never replace care.

05/20/2026

What an honor to walk this life with so many Moms (and Dads) beginning their journeys in parenthood. Yes, it is a calling but gosh darn, I am so blessed to serve some truly beautiful souls.