This one is for you, dads and partners! If your wife or partner just gave birth and you’re not sure how you can be most helpful or if you’re going back to work, leaving your partner at home with the baby, here are a few ways you can be a supportive spouse or partner. Of
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How to Rest When You Don’t Have Time
When you become a parent, it sometimes feels like you’ll never be fully rested again, that you’ll keep struggling along, barely kept upright by an endless supply of coffee, until your kids are all out of the house. But it’s important to your mental and physical health to get some rest. That doesn’t mean it’s
Is Your Provider Doula Friendly?
It is no secret that there are doulas who do not stay in their lane (yes, even in our area). They perform medical tasks such as cervical exams, blood pressure readings, and even checking baby’s heartbeat via doppler. They argue with nurses and providers in the delivery room and tell their clients what is best
Five Questions Never to Ask
We have all probably heard one (or more) of these asked, or maybe we’ve asked them ourselves. After being a parent and working with pregnant individuals and families, we’ve learned which questions should never be asked. So, let’s make life a little more pleasant for everybody and just ban a few questions from our conversation–don’t
Choosing a Breast Pump
The First Pumps The first breast pumps were patented in the mid-19th century and designed to treat inverted nipples or to help babies who were incapable of nursing. But breast pumps have only been widely available to regular consumers for about twenty years; Medela released its first electric pump for in-home use in 1991. Before
Our Favorite Hormone
It is commonly referred to as the “love hormone” or “cuddle hormone” because it is released when snuggling with a loved one or a pet, during sex and in the throes of a new relationship. But such names simplify the effect of a very important hormone: oxytocin. What it Does In our childbirth education classes,
“OMG, I’d never do that…”
Never is a very powerful word, and one that most people tend to use a lot before they become parents. “I would NEVER get an epidural.” “I would NEVER let my child sleep in my bed.” “I will NEVER talk to my children the way my mother talked to me.” Sometimes we are able to
A Suprise Breastfeeding Journey: Pumping and Relactating
If you know me you probably know that my son was born with a cleft lip in 2007. To most, and especially in the eyes of the medical community, it is not a serious birth defect in the grand scheme of things as it is the second most common birth defect in the US. But
Get Moving!
The traditional TV and movie trope of a woman in labor inevitably shows her flat on her back in bed, struggling through the arduous task. But many women find movement during labor to be very helpful in reducing pain and shortening labor. Why does movement help and how can we maximize the amount we move?