In the quiet hush of the labor & delivery room, where the air is charged with anticipation and the scent of earthiness and birthyness, a new chapter in your life unfolds. The rhythmic cadence of your breath is mirrored by the gentle whispers of your doula, a reassuring presence in this oh so sacred moment. The culmination of nine months… maybe more, leads to this: the first hour with your newborn.
When I was selecting items for my baby registry, it was really important to me to not go overboard. As a doula of 14 years, I’ve seen families get overwhelmed with the amount of stuff in their homes and nurseries and I knew I wanted to keep things on the simpler side. I also wanted to be mindful of the impact on not only the environment, but also my baby’s microbiome - which meant finding a lot of eco-friendly products to keep waste down and keep our home as “low tox” as possible. Here you’ll find some of my favorite sustainable and most useful items that I registered for.
The Doulas of Orange County office phone rings.
I pick up. “Hello! Doulas of Orange County. Lauren speaking.”
A strained voice sounds relieved to hear me, and it sounds like she has been crying. She’s an exhausted new mom of 12-week old twins and a 20-month-old toddler (who won’t let her out of his sight). She’s drained from her twin pregnancy, a difficult birth, and breastfeeding challenges. She struggles to keep up with laundry and wash enough dishes to have plates for the next meal. Her partner has been trying to feed the baby at night, but she’s still waking up to pump for multiples and can’t help but feel guilty about how tired her partner will be at work the next day. She really needs a postpartum doula in Irvine, CA.
“Can you help me, even though my babies are so old?” She asks.
Keeping babies busy can be difficult at the best of times, but if you have to self-isolate due to travel or illness during the pandemic, it is even more challenging. As lockdowns continue to sweep the nation and everyone is doing their best to prevent the spread of COVID-19, you may find your creativity running low, and your frustration levels high.
We have a few tips to help you plan your days and maximize bonding time when isolating with your baby.
Have you talked with your doctor about what you can expect during and after birth if you suspect you have Coronavirus, or test positive for COVID-19?
It’s an important discussion to have regardless of the stage of pregnancy you are in. Start an ongoing dialogue with your primary maternity care provider about how Coronavirus disease may affect you and your family, throughout your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period.
It’s no secret that life as a new parent can be hectic. Thankfully, app developers have created some great solutions to help parents with a variety of tasks, from tracking developmental milestones to organizing meal plans. Gone are the days of rummaging through piles of notes and parenting books to keep track of your parenting responsibilities. Take advantage of these practical apps and make your life a little bit easier.
Pregnancy is such an important time to eat healthy, balanced meals. But what happens if your appetite is non-existent or you have food aversions from here to Texas? Getting nutrients in when you’re nauseated or when nothing sounds appetizing can be tough. Enter smoothies!
While we are typically proponents of eating whole foods to get the adequate nutrients in pregnancy, we know that it’s not always easy or even possible, especially if you’re a mom on the go. Smoothies are a great way to bridge the gap, to get your body the calories and nourishment it needs for a healthy pregnancy. You can also easily blend one of these up in early labor and sip on it for a constant energy source while you birth your baby.
Below are some of our favorite pregnancy friendly smoothie recipes! These are easy to make at home and if you’re crunched for time we recommend prepping the ingredients on the weekend and freezing them in individual servings so you can pop them in the blender each morning and be on your way.
It’s no secret that we are all huge fans of babywearing here at Doulas of OC. There’s nothing sweeter than having an adorable baby snuggled into your chest and babywearing makes that possible and easy for parents to achieve day in and day out! Today we are joined by Neve Spicer at We The Parents, a parenting & lifestyle blog. Neve shares our love for babywearing and is providing more information on the scientific side behind this ancient parenting practice.
