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.
We post about sleep training on social media and the questions or accusations come pouring in.
"Don't you know that babies are biologically designed to wake during the night?"
"A parent shouldn't ignore their baby."
"Why have a baby anyway if you can't handle the sleep deprivation."
My goodness you would have thought we had specifically promoted starving a child, ignoring a child, or putting your needs as a parent before your child. But we didn't mention any of those things.
So. You're tired and considering getting some help getting your baby to sleep... but you have some hesitations. I get it. There are a lot of beliefs surrounding sleep training your baby, some of which sound pretty scary.
My intention for sharing the following information is not to "talk you into" sleep training your baby. If what you're doing is working for you and your family, then sleep training may not be for you. But if you're feeling depleted, worn down, at your limit or if your baby's sleep is a constant source of stress, I want you to have some more information to make a confident decision for your family.
Last night we hosted a viewing of "When the Bough Breaks" a heartbreaking documentary about the realities of postpartum depression & psychosis. We were joined by local OC birth professionals, members of the community, and a number of mental health professionals to not only watch this film, but to discuss what we can do to make postpartum support more acceptable and more accessible.
It's no secret that there is still tons of stigma surrounding mental health and treatment options in this country, but what struck me most after viewing this film was the overall lack of understanding, education, and resources surrounding perinatal mood disorders. Simply put, our healthcare and societal systems often set women up for failure, leaving them feeling confused and isolated with nowhere to turn. There are no specific standards for screening and care providers see so many patients each day that it's common for those needing help to slip through the cracks.
That's if these women reach out for help in the first place as the fear of being judged often keeps women silently suffering.
The holiday season is a time of joy and merriment. The days are packed full with holiday parties, family gatherings, shopping for gifts, twinkling lights and overflowing conversation. But, if you have a newborn or a baby on the way, you may be wondering how to not only survive the holiday season, but actually enjoy it! We're here to lend our best tips for a happy and memorable holiday season with your baby.
Could a few small daily pills prevent or treat postpartum depression? Could your milk supply and mood get a boost with your placenta pills? Could you avoid the baby blues, the weeping, the hormonal roller coaster and the fatigue just by encapsulating your placenta?
Many people agree that these magical capsules have made all the difference for their postpartum mood and recovery. Collective feedback from our clients, friends in the community, and fellow birth workers show that placenta encapsulation can make a huge impact on the days and weeks following birth.
