A free, monthly newsletter with a roundup of the best the internet has to offer about mom-to-be and baby.

Pregnancy

10 Healthy Pregnancy Tips

Learn as much as possible about the wonderful ways that your body is changing and about how your baby is growing. Talk to your mother, your friends, and other women about pregnancy, labour, and birth. Attend an early pregnancy childbirth class, read books, and watch videos about normal pregnancy and childbirth.

Birth

Balancing your Birth Wish List with Hospital Practice

I was scheduled to give birth in a private hospital close to where I lived - my medical aid limited services to this particular hospital but when I went on the labour ward tour I was discouraged to find that they didn’t allow birthing or labouring in the bath (in fact there were no baths); skin-to-skin wasn’t mentioned and no rooming-in was allowed on the first night after a caesarean. And so began my journey to have the birth I desired despite the restrictions (from hospital and medical aid) that I had no control over. Little did I know that added to the above, on night 3 after the birth of my twins I would be strongly encouraged to give my twins a formula top-up despite being a second-time breastfeeding mom.

The VBAC Education Project

A Teaching Tool for Parents & Birth Professionals The VBAC Education Project was developed to empower women to make their own decisions about how they want to give birth after a caesarean and to provide VBAC-friendly birth professionals and caregivers with the tools and resources to support them.

Breastfeeding

Herbal remedies for milk supply

It is quote possible that herbal remedies help increase milk supply. Almost every culture has some sort of herb, plant or potion to increase milk supply. Some may work, some may work as placebos (which is fine) and some may not work at all. Some will have active ingredients that will not increase the milk supply but have other effects, not necessarily desirable. Note that even herbs can have side effects, even serious ones. Natural source drugs are still drugs, and there is no such thing as a 100% safe drug. Luckily, as with most drugs, the baby will get only a tiny percentage of the mother’s dose, which means the baby is extremely unlikely to have any side effects. Check out some of the remedies.

Skin to Skin

Event Invitation

Come and have a morning of learning, interaction and fun and hear about skin to skin, the formation of a baby’s microbiome at birth, breastfeeding, connection and how it works and just so much more. Samples and all sorts of goodies for you.

Parenting

How to reduce overwhelm and clear your plate

When I look at my life as a whole, I like to imagine it as a plate. When your plate is too full, things slide off and whatever is left looks like a hot mess. I remember a time when I used to lose my mind at my daughter. I was going through custody issues, battling anxiety and depression and the moment she pushed even one of my buttons I turned into a crazy person. Or I would throw out an “I don’t care!” and retreat into my bedroom, leaving my child confused and alone to deal with whatever blowout we just had. I wasn’t able to approach issues with a clear head and guide her through her behaviour. The point is, I was completely overwhelmed. My plate was a disaster. What does it mean to be overwhelmed?

Inspiration

Positive Hospital Birth Stories

Christy Lee Knutson is a communications and creative professional at MoxieSpeak.com. She lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband (Jon), two children, Annazalie and Bennet, and 2 cats. She is also the founder of BirthMemoirs.com and the creator of Your Birth Story Journals. Christy shares her birth stories, both in a hospital, and both with the same birth team. Christy had positive experiences both times which she attributes to planning ahead, choosing a birth team she felt comfortable with and confident in, and using a hospital friendly to midwives, doulas, and especially, babies.

Humour

Laughing your way through labour?

Having garnered more than seven million views, the viral video of the mother dancing and laughing her way through contractions has gotten many moms talking and wondering: how do you keep a smile on your face during what can be such a physically daunting task? Laughing your way through labour may be more beneficial than you realize. First we’ll look at why laughing can actually help move labour along and then give you some suggestions to help you crack a smile as you’re working your way through labour.