Humble Beginnings - Blog

I’m standing at my sink again washing another bowl again in the sink that is full of dishes again . This chore is really a blessing, because we have kids to feed and the money to feed them. But, honestly, after feeding my cute, always hungry five kiddos their mac and cheese and applesauce… it has left me with a pot, 10 bowls to wash (I mean come on, is applesauce really so gross in a bowl with mac and cheese residue?!), 5 spoons (not 6 because I haven’t gotten to eat yet),

Obstetrician, Midwife, Doula, pediatrician and more! There are so many options when it comes to getting the care you need for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. But it's important to know who these providers are, and what they can do for your journey. Midwife A midwife is truly the gold standard of maternal care. Considering that most people are considered low risk during pregnancy, most people should be seeing a midwife for maternal care. Under the midwifery model of care,

Second Night Syndrome is a phenomenon that occurs during the second night of a newborns life. The first night, babies tend to be deceptively "good". They are still recovering from the birth so they sleep for longer stretches. However, after a day of nursing and recovery sleep, they're beginning to realize they're no longer in familiar territory, and they've got the energy to let you know. Many babies are reported to cry, and cluster feed that whole second night. The second th

Babies can be tricky. Just when you've figured it out, you haven't. Unfortunately, they don't come with manuals, nor can they talk. So, They Cry. A lot sometimes. And some of those times there doesn't appear to be a good reason for it either! It's easy to get frustrated, and feel overwhelmed. But take a deep breath, and know you've got this! Here's what this postpartum doula has to say about handling a crying baby. Make Sure They're Fed, Dry, and Safe/Healthy This can seem a

When birth workers mention the "Golden Hour", we're referring to the first hour after the baby is born. It's importance is pretty universal across the obstetric world, and is used across the globe as a tool to improve both maternal and infant outcomes! I want to take a moment and chat about what the Golden Hour can look like for you, why it's important, and how to get the most out of it! The Golden Hour Goals During this first hour or two we ideally want: Uninterrupted skin t

As a Doula and Community Breastfeeding Educator, one of the big things I help new parents with is troubleshooting a painful latch. Most of the time, it can be corrected with one or two of these easy fixes! Give them a try and see if these help you out! Get Baby Closer To You! The first thing I look at when assessing a latch is how close the baby is to mom! Ideally, we want mom and baby to be tummy to tummy, with baby's ear, shoulder, and hip all in line. We want their chin t

Consider adding essential oils to your birth plan!

We go on and on about how doulas help reduce pain during childbirth. But...how? It has to do with a lot of intuition, a little bit of magic, and a deep understanding of the Fear Tension Pain Cycle. So...What is it? The Fear Tension Pain Cycle is just a title for the connection between Fear, Tension, and Pain. They are connected in such a way that if one goes up, they all go up. Likewise, if one goes down, then they all go down. This idea isn't just related to birth, however.

When you're assembling your birth team, it's so important to understand everything you're going to need in labor. Not every member on your team will be able to fill all of your buckets, which is why you need to build just that, a team! The first thing you need is knowledge. Now under this is a VERY wide range, and the knowledge you need may vary depending on your goals. However, at a very basic level, you need to be safe, you need to be cared for, and you need people with tan

Great doulas will preach informed consent from every rooftop, mountain top, street corner, coffee shop, and basically anywhere else they'll let us in. Informed consent is such a huge piece to your birth experience, that we can't risk you NOT hearing about it. So what is it? It's a necessary step beyond consent. If someone walks in the room, asks you to take a pill, allow them to touch your body, or do anything at all, they ask your permission, and you say "yes" or "no". That'