New baby stress: do experts really help? New baby stress is real and experts are available, but will it help? Are you wondering what your baby is trying to tell you? Do you find yourself feeling desperate for answers while the baby cries? How often do you find yourself asking your partner over and over? Is he hungry? Should we change his diaper? Do you think he’s just tired? Am I a terrible mother? New baby, new parent Many new parents have doubts about their ability to care for their new baby. Even mothers with experience with newborns will find

The birth of a mother I was a classic first time mother giving birth. Namely, I was worried about giving birth and making no plans to prepare for postpartum. We took the hospital-based birth class. In which, I learned that I needed IV fluids before I could get an epidural and that’s about it. Going into labor, I had a significant amount of fear and undiagnosed anxiety. The birth of a mother is intense Julia Jones says, “When a baby is born, so is a mother, and the birth of a mother can be more intense than childbirth.” I’ve written

My VBAC story 40 weeks pregnant ***Warning: successful VBAC story of the healthy and safe delivery of my baby girl. However, I did experience a negative complication. My pregnancy was wonderful. I was healthy and active. I had no complications or discomfort except for first trimester nausea.  My labor began spontaneously at 11 PM. My early labor at home was quite intense and quick. I labored at home until I was too uncomfortable. VBAC friendly hospital I was admitted to the hospital at 8 cm at almost 5 AM. My hospital experience was mostly positive. I had a supportive nurse

Anyone that has been paying any attention to the news lately can’t miss the scary fact that new mothers in our country are dying in the first year of motherhood at an alarming rate.  What is happening? This is a question that has been on the minds of lawmakers, medical professionals, and the families who are losing them. A quick Google search yields a startling reality: that in this land of excess and opportunity we are doing a piss-poor job of caring for our new mothers, especially WOC mothers. This startling reality has only gotten worse due to COVID-19. The

You won’t see pics of my kids here Why do I primarily use stock photos? Essentially, it is rooted in my desire for privacy. But there is more to it. I also don’t post a lot of photos of my client’s babies or siblings. I will only post stock photos unless specific and special arrangements have been made. And that has only happened with one family. Here is a picture of me from 2018 with one client’s baby. I am very fond of this little precious child and her family. This was a special circumstance. I had their permission, it