The endless stream of questions starts the moment you find out you're pregnant. When will my baby be born? Who will my baby be? What will I name my baby? Eventually, all parents start to think about their birth options. For some, the idea of an unmedicated birth sounds best. I'm often asked "how can I achieve a natural birth," and while there's no guarantee, there are certain ways to prepare that may help you have an unmedicated ... Read the Post...
Epidural or Don’t | Weighing Your Options
In the "crunchy" world of birth, epidurals can sometimes carry a negative connotation. Many parents opt for less invasive forms of pain management in lieu of epidural anesthesia. The list of reasons some wish to avoid an epidural is long, but are there benefits? YES! Let's chat about your personal reasons to get an epidural, or not. In this post, we won't dive deep into the research (places like EBB do that best), but instead we'll ... Read the Post...
Postpartum Depression & Mood Disorder Resources
Postpartum depression and other postpartum mood disorders are quite common, but there's still a stigma around them. I shared my personal postpartum depression story recently. Writing it was therapeutic for me and I hope that my story helps other parents. We are not unique in our suffering from postpartum mood disorders. If sharing my experience has taught me anything, it's that more of us need to hear these stories because many ... Read the Post...
My 2 Year Struggle with Postpartum Depression
I wanted to be a mother for as long as I can remember. I've always been maternal. Among my junior high friends, I was well established as "the mother" of the group. I was secretly happy about this label because being a mother is all I've ever really wanted to be. Other interests peaked and waned, but my desire to be a mother stood firm. If you were to have asked me 15 years ago -- 5 years ago -- 2 years ago -- if I'd struggle in this role, my ... Read the Post...
Natural Induction Methods to Try at Home
The average gestation for a first time parent (according to US data) is 40 weeks and 5 days. That means roughly half of first time birthers have their baby before 40 weeks 5 days, and roughly half have their baby sometime after 40 weeks 5 days. As a birth worker, I notice a big shift in the mentality of parents around the 38 week mark. I'm often asked about natural induction techniques usually prefaced by, "what can I do to get this baby OUT ... Read the Post...
Active Labor Cheat Sheet: How to Cope in Active Labor
Contractions are longer, stronger, and closer together. In a nutshell, shit is getting real. Active labor is here! How do you cope? This post is for informational purposes only. Please refer to your medical provider for questions or concerns. Active Labor Signs Before diving in to things you can do to cope in active labor, I want to define what active labor even is. Most providers have their own definition of what "active ... Read the Post...
Food for Postpartum | Chicken Pot Pie
The best gift we received postpartum came in the form of a meal train. My friends signed up to bring us dinner once we returned home. It showered us with so much love and we felt so nourished. I’ll never forget the first meal we received postpartum: homemade chicken pot pie. I bit into it and I instantly knew it was the best meal of my life. It’s possible that I was just so tired and hungry that my brain tricked me into believing that... but ... Read the Post...
Keeping Your Family Healthy With Ayurveda
The following is a guest post by Erica at Wellness Transcended It has becoming increasingly clear that our modern lifestyle is NOT keeping us happy and healthy. As parents we are worn out, our children are more and more likely to develop a chronic condition and our primary care practitioners are overwhelmed and unable to keep pace with this rise. It seems that responsibility is falling back into the hands of parents to provide the best ... Read the Post...
I Allow my Child to Take Risks
If there is one area where many of my friends and I differ greatly in our approach to parenting, it’s that they’re quick to intervene and I generally do not unless I know real injury is imminent. You might have read that as: 1) I put my child into dangerous situations and do nothing about it, or 2) I don’t say no to my child. You’d only be partially wrong with both of those assumptions. Children are natural explorers. Play is how they learn ... Read the Post...
What’s in my Doula Bag?
The doula bag: it holds a seemingly endless amount of comfort-measure goodies for labor and birth. What I keep in my doula bag has evolved over time. Through experience in births and conversations with my doula sisters, I've incorporated only pieces that I find useful in labor. A peek into a doula's bag is a peek into what kind of doula they are -- that's why I'm giving you a glimpse into what I keep in my doula bag. Doula Bag Tools The ... Read the Post...