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Birth and Breastfeeding: Looking Back as We Ring in the New Year
I’ve been thinking about the passage of time as we slip into a new decade. I was a doula at my first birth in 1992; that baby recently turned 27. The same year I started teaching prenatal classes for what was then Harvard Community Health Plan; I taught families there for 25 years until they…
Read MoreCord Clamping: Worth the Wait
Did you know that when your baby is born, 30% of his or her blood will still be in the placenta? Waiting to clamp and cut the cord will allow your baby to receive this vital blood. Babies who get delayed cord clamping, or as it is now being called, appropriately timed cord clamping, have…
Read MoreContinuing Education for Birth Professionals
Join us on Sunday September 17 for a day of learning, networking, and fun in Westford, MA. We will be talking about business and marketing, chiropractic care for better pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding outcomes, natural hospital birth, and preventing burnout with self-care. 6.5 CAPPA CEUS available for those who attend all sessions. 9-10:15 Chiropractic Care…
Read MoreThe Why and What of Natural Childbirth
Anesthesia was first used for birth in 1847, 170 years, or roughly seven generations ago. In response to this, Grantly Dick Read coined the term natural childbirth in the 1940’s. Before that it was just called birth, like organic food was just called food before Lord Northbourne coined the term organic around the same time.…
Read MoreWellPregancy Continuing Ed. Day for Mother-Baby Professionals
Join us on Saturday April 22 for a day of learning, networking, and fun in Westford, MA. We will be talking about business and marketing, prenatal depression, natural hospital birth, and preventing burnout with self-care. 6.5 CAPPA CEUS available for those who attend all sessions. 9-10:00 Prenatal Mental Health: What All Perinatal Professionals Need to…
Read MoreMilk Banks and Donor Moms Save Lives
I recently got to tour the Mother’s Milk Bank Northeast. What an inspiring field trip for someone who is fascinated by all things lactation! I watched donor milk being pasteurized, toured the freezers, and learned about the bank’s operations. It was awesome to see so much human milk at once! The American Academy of Pediatricians…
Read MoreWill Your Baby Be Born By Scheduled Cesarean? Prepare Now!
While vaginal birth is the safest way to birth for most mothers and babies, there are medical reasons why some babies are born by scheduled cesarean. If your baby will be born by cesarean, here are some things to consider. Learn more about gentle cesareans, also called family centered cesareans. Watch this video with Dr. Camann…
Read MorePostpartum Doulas: Making a Difference One Family at a Time
In traditional cultures around the world, new mothers observe a lying in period for weeks after they give birth. During this time they rest and recover from birth, nurse their babies, and eat nutritious foods. The community comes together to cook and clean for them, care for their other children, take over whatever daily tasks…
Read MoreBreastfeeding? Find Support So You Don’t Have to Reinvent the Wheel!
“The best way to learn to do something is to hang around people who are already successful at what you want to do. Ergo, if you want to breastfeed, La Leche League (LLL) meetings are a great place to be!” says Dawn Burke, a La Leche League leader in Georgia, who I spoke with about…
Read MoreFive Tips for Transitioning in Labor from Home to Birth Center or Hospital
Make sure you have your labor bag with you in the car (not the trunk) so you have access to your pillows, snacks, drinks, music, focal point, etc. Have a hot water bottle or ice pack handy. Since moving around and changing positions in labor makes labor easier, sitting seat belted into your seat during the…
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