Birth, Baby & Beyond Blog
Afterpains: Your Uterus’s Postpartum Snapback
You are a beautiful goddess of a mother. You came home from the hospital this morning, and you’re already feeding your newborn at the breast (with a latch that doesn’t hurt!), while your toddler stares at their new sibling in awe. Your partner is fixing you a snack,...
Fur Babies and Human Babies: 6 Tips for Preparing Your Pets for Their New Sibling
For many of us, pets are some of the first ways we grow our families. Our pets are our sidekicks, our pride and joy, and for some, they’re our first babies. Now your fur baby is getting a new brother or sister! So just like you would with any member of the family,...
Doula Confession: Sometimes Birth Just Sucks
Sometimes, when other doulas talk about birth, I wonder if we’re doing the same thing. The way that some people rave about natural childbirth, you’d think it’s a trip to Disneyland. But as much as I love my job, and birth, most days at as a labor doula involve being...
Mother Does NOT Mean Martyr
Today I want to take a second to talk to all of the mothers that come across this post. I've noticed a pattern of mothers, especially those with infants, sacrificing their sleep, food and their relationships with their partners. The baby becomes the one and only thing...
Quick Tip: Moaning through Labor Contractions
When contractions come, obviously they're uncomfortable (to say the least). If we're in pain, everything in our body tenses up. When I'm stressed or nervous or hurting, I can literally feel my shoulders up around my ears. But if you think about the fact that we're...
Beychella and Black Maternal Health Week
This is Black Maternal Health Week. Coincidentally, it was also Beyonce's official return to performing. And what I love about when Coachella (excuse me, Beychella) happened, is that while we're all using Black Maternal Health Week to discuss black maternal death,...
Non-toxic Nail Polish for Your Beauty Routine
The weather has finally broken, and it’s SPRING! Yay! Whether you have the distinct pleasure of being pregnant just in time for DC humidity, or you’re emerging from your postpartum baby bubble, it’s time to celebrate! Break out the warm weather beauty routine! ...
Delayed Cord Clamping- What Exactly Is It?
“It’s time to cut the cord!” We say this when a parent and child are joined at the hip, and we think that a child should be able to support themselves. We mean that it’s time for the little one (or not so little in some cases) to stand on their own two feet....
Sports Rivalries, BBQ Preferences, and Feeding Choices – Say What?!
You say, “New York Yankees,” and I say, “Go Team!” You say, “Boston Red Sox,” and I say, “Boo!” Or ask me about BBQ (I’m talking about shredded pork, not a cookout) and I’ll tell you the best possible BBQ comes from Eastern North Carolina and is dripping with a tangy,...
5 Things to Know About Your Cesarean Birth
Did you know that doulas support our clients during and after cesarean births? We know. Our profession has a reputation for being natural birth obsessed, but here at DC Metro Maternity, we believe that support is helpful for everyone as they transition into...
In giving birth to our babies, we may find that we give birth to new possibilities within oursleves.
– Jon Kabat-Zinn