Day by Day
How to bond with baby when your partner is breastfeeding
In the beginning of an infant’s life, the caregiving demands are intense, and the relationship building exchanges are minimal. So naturally, if only one partner is able to handle one of the major areas of care, it can feel unbalanced. Because infants feed often, they spend a lot of their time with the parent who…
Read MoreImportant Milestones By 9 Months
This information was originally published by the CDC. How your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves offers important clues about your child’s development. Developmental milestones are things most children (75% or more) can do by a certain age. Check the milestones your child has reached by the end of 9 months by completing a…
Read MoreI wish I had a doula when I fostered my first kittens!
You are handed a tiny, precious being, born to this world very recently. You are completely in love. Authoritative medical figures come in with packets of paper and tons of information, and tell you lots (and LOTS) of things about this little creature, but mostly a list of safety rules and all the things you…
Read MoreBirth is just the beginning.
Birth. Birthbirthbirthbirthbirthbirth. From the moment you saw that second pink line, (maybe even before!) you’ve been thinking about BIRTH. Natural birth, homebirth, hospital birth, epidural, birthing tubs, Hypnobirth, on and on the options go. There are birth advocacy groups, birth blogs, birth websites, birth classes, heated and endless birth debates…. and that’s GREAT, it really…
Read MoreWhy New Moms Don't Sleep Enough
It’s the universal lament of new parents, and what everyone tells you about having a new baby. “Get your sleep now!” “Hope you’re ready for 18 years of no sleep!” blah, blah, blah. You get less sleep with a new baby, and it’s pretty much unavoidable (unless you have overnight help). However, in my years of working…
Read MoreA Day at Home with a Postpartum Doula
There was an article going around a few weeks ago called “A Day at Home with a Newborn”. Articles like these always inspire laughs in moms who understand what it’s like, but they make me sad and frustrated, because I want to reach into the computer and shout, “Hire a postpartum doula!!” The author doesn’t get a…
Read MoreAn Open Letter to Guests
(I wrote this a while ago and it appeared in a whole bunch of major newspapers when the Royal Baby was born in 2013. It was also featured on NPR’s website, SheKnows.com, and many other sites!) Family members and friends will flock to your house when you have a new arrival. YOU ARE NOT OBLIGATED…
Read MoreFeed your newborn sushi!*
You just had your baby. She’s 3 days old and you’re heading home from the hospital. When you get home, feed your baby sushi as soon as possible. And then for the next meal, probably falafel. Because of course you want her to get used to eating a variety of foods right away! If all…
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