Taking care of Mama
I 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 MoreThe Mama’s Best Friend Difference
There are so many CHOICES in parenting. What stroller should you get, what kind of birth do you want, what color are you going to paint the nursery? And that’s all before the baby is even born – you have not known decision fatigue until you’ve had a new baby. “Is she hungry? Why is…
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 MoreNow offering:: Unicorn rides*
*At least, that’s how it will feel. What does an overnight doula do? I get a lot of questions about the overnight support we offer. Many people call asking for a “baby nurse” or “night nurse” (in quotes because they’re not typically licensed nurses), and I love telling them how and why a postpartum doula…
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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