Reframing your parenting challenges
This week, my husband has been away on a work trip. This marks the first time he and I have been apart since February 2020, and the only time I’ve been home with our daughter for an extended period of time without him. I’m spoiled in a big way. I won’t lie; leading up to…
What’s the origin of your fear?
Yesterday, I had my 15-week prenatal appointment with my midwife. During every appointment, she goes through a checklist of questions related to my physical and emotional wellbeing. This time, when she asked about how I’m doing emotionally, I paused. I told her about the anxiety I’ve felt related to violence in our area, particularly gun…
Parenting as a catalyst for personal growth
Topics related to personal growth and parenting have been on my mind a lot lately: how we’re raised as people pleasers, how to recognize childhood trauma and ways that postpartum healing is as emotional as it is physical. Digging deep to explore your psyche, separate your true self from learned behaviors and heal old wounds…
Parenting for highly sensitive people
Last week, I wrote about a new commitment to reimagine my every day rituals to better meet my needs. One of the three pillars of this goal is my spiritual practice. I want to say at the outset that I’m going to be very honest here, and my intention is not to complain but to…
Parenting choices and repeating patterns
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how we show up as parents based on what was modeled for us as children. As I look around at the people closest to me, I see example after example of either parents trying to replicate their own childhood or parents desperately trying to create the exact opposite…
For partners: how to prepare for labor
For most people, labor is hard work. It also can be incredibly powerful and transformative, particularly if both the birther and her partner feel present, prepared and supported. If you’ve read any of my other posts, you know that I’m a big advocate for empowered births, and a partner’s role in enabling an empowered birth…
Foods to avoid postpartum
Birth triggers a lot of big changes in the body, including shifts in the digestive system. That’s why cultures around the world, Chinese, Indian and Persian to name a few, have fed traditional foods to women after childbirth for centuries. These foods are easy to digest and nourishing to facilitate healing, comfort and improved breastmilk…
Foods to favor postpartum
After the delivery of a baby, a mother’s digestive power is often diminished, and her digestive system is very delicate. Feeding her the best foods prepared in the easiest-to-digest ways will help ensure that she’s able to process the nutrients she needs to heal and produce milk (if she’s breastfeeding). The following suggestions are time-tested…
Gifts to honor a pregnancy loss
In my experience, there’s so much silence around pregnancy loss and miscarriages that most people don’t know how to support women who go through them. After my miscarriage, responses ranged from blaming me for not taking care of myself to “at least you could get pregnant so quickly!” Other people immediately changed the subject without…
A note on co-sleeping
Co-sleeping, or children sleeping with one or both parents, is one of the most controversial topics we’ve encountered as new parents. When I was pregnant, we had no intention of bed sharing with our baby. We planned for her to sleep in a bassinet in our room so that we could have the comfort of…
Gift guide for expecting moms
It’s that time of year! Below are the best products I used during (and after) pregnancy, plus a bonus gift idea that I regret not getting while I was expecting. Happy Holidays! This pregnancy pillow helped support my growing belly and aching back and hips during my last two trimesters. And after the baby is…
For partners and caregivers: 5 ways to support a new mom
A new mother is in a state of tremendous transition for at least the first six weeks postpartum. She’s recovering physically from labor and delivery. Her hormones are dramatically shifting. She might be processing fear and/or trauma from childbirth. She’s learning how to breastfeed, which many women attest is the hardest thing they’ve ever done.…
3 tips for introducing a new baby to your dog
My husband and I have a four-year old Husky named Kona who, to our knowledge, had never been around babies or small children when we adopted him. We weren’t exactly worried that he would be aggressive towards our new baby, but we also wanted to set ourselves up for success. So towards the end of…
The postpartum paradox
For most women, the first weeks after ushering new life into the world are arguably the most difficult times they will face. Physically depleted. Emotionally raw. Exhausted. Vulnerable. Scared. Yet this is when we ignore mothers the most. At least, that’s the case in Western countries. We do a marvelous job of supporting women during…
How to create a bedside self-care center for new moms
According to the Ayurvedic tradition, the first six weeks after childbirth is a critical window for both mom and baby. This postpartum window is a time for rest and support. Activities should be minimal, quiet and gentle. Surrounds should be soft, warm and cozy. The intention is to create a nurturing, pleasant environment for the…