Birth, Baby & Beyond Blog
Is a Night Help with our Baby (a Night Nanny or Postpartum Doula) Right for Our Family?
A lot of people seem to think of overnight care for their baby as a complete extravagance. “How can we hire a night nanny? We’re not those kind of people. We’ll just suck it up and take care of our baby.” Who exactly “those kind of people”, are, can vary. Middle class...
9 Questions to Ask on Your Hospital Tour
We all know that labor and childbirth are pretty unpredictable. But if you’re looking into a birth doula, you’re probably hoping to eliminate at least some of the unknowns. One way to do that is a take a hospital tour, and see the labor and delivery unit where you are...
Doula Confession: I Think Vernix is Gross
There are two kinds of people in this world- those who can’t get enough of birth, and those who see it as a necessary evil in order to keep the species alive. Most doulas fall into the first category, and I’m no exception. But can I be honest with you? I don’t love...
Induction Time: 5 Things To Do While You’re Waiting
Mostly we imagine we'll go into labor while at home. In our childbirth education classes, or at prenatal meetings before the birth with labor doula clients, we talk about how contractions will gradually build, and their water will break eventually, and various signs...
A Pacifier Won’t Ruin Your Baby
The baby has been wailing for what feels like hours. There’s no diaper, she won’t eat, and you don’t know what else to do. You’re exhausted, your partner is tired, and you hate that your little one is so miserable. Whose idea was having a baby again? Do they have a...
When it Comes to Your Placenta, I’m a Total Prude
When I was a little girl, I never in a million years thought that I would grow up to be a Postpartum Placenta Encapsulation Specialist. In fairness, when I was a little girl, and well into adulthood, I didn’t know there was such a career. But even once I had heard of...
Self-Care Sucks, Sometimes
As a doula, I spend a lot time thinking about self-care. Lately, I’ve been giving talks to pregnant mothers and expectant couples in Waldorf, MD about the importance of self-care after they have a baby. I talk about how this can be the difference in...
4 Things Newborns and Jello Have in Common
Newborns are kind of weird. Adorable, yes. Precious and wonderful. But also, pretty strange. You know what else is strange? Jello. Don’t be offended, just go with me here. And for the record, I’m a fan of both infants AND jello. Here are 4 ways that newborns remind me...
Intimate Partner Violence, Pregnancy & Getting Safe
Pregnancy is a time when I wish that everyone experienced only good things. I want you to be safe, healthy, joyful and glowing. After all, it is physically and emotionally demanding to grow an entire human. If we’re protected at any point in our lives, this would be...
In giving birth to our babies, we may find that we give birth to new possibilities within oursleves.
– Jon Kabat-Zinn