I’ll admit it. This is a VERY reactionary post. I saw this list: 27 Dumbest Things Dads Have Said in the Delivery Room and it bugged me. Because in the many births I’ve attended, the amazing, supportive, helpful and loving partners have far, far outweighed the fumbles. And I’m really tired of the “dad as …
27 Smartest Things Partners Say in the Labor Room Read More »
Warning: Rant ahead! I wrote this years ago – the original version was a little more, um…passionate. I’ve just now toned it down to where I feel comfortable posting it. Still pretty opinionated. This rant doesn’t apply in the least to moms who want exams and get them. This rant is about moms who feel …
Can you think of anything worse to say to a mom who is opening up about feelings of disappointment or pain after a difficult birth? I can’t. The unsaid subtext mom hears goes something like this: “Just be glad you have a healthy baby. Any other emotions you have don’t count. There is only one …
“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf” This quote (attributed most commonly to Jon Kabat-Zinn but occasionally to others as well) has been commonly used to apply to labor. It is a good one, and one that definitely applies. Last week my husband and I went to California to celebrate our …
I know there are LOTS of lists out there for what to pack for labor, but I wanted to post my own. If you’re planning a hospital birth or a birth center birth, this list is for you! (One nice thing about home birth is you don’t need to pack…) You won’t need EVERYTHING on …
Most people would not dream of streaming their birth live on the internet or inviting strangers to be there as a piece of performance art. But just how public and immediate should your birth story be? With social media, it’s easy to have an audience of friends and family waiting for the minute by minute …
To tweet, or not to tweet? Social media during labor Read More »
You can find boatloads of information out there on birth plans. But most of them miss what I consider to be the most important part: Putting The Plan Into ACTION! I consider there to be 4 steps in writing a birth plan: Researching your options Deciding what is important to you and what you want …
I’ll admit it, I am a total minimalist when it comes to baby gear. I hate the massive consumerism and all the STUFF they try to convince new moms they NEED. Phooey. So here I present to you, Andrea’s minimalist list of what you need for a new baby: Must haves: Place for baby to …
People just love to tell exhausted new moms “It’s simple, all you have to do is sleep when the baby sleeps!” Only…it’s not so simple! As all new parents know, baby sleep comes in short, irregular naps. Not really enough to get any good rest. How to handle it when someone says that It depends …
Everyone LOOOOOOOVES to give advice to pregnant people and new parents. They’ll even do it without being asked! And not just family and friends, either. Complete strangers in the grocery store, friends of friends online, anyone and everyone wants to tell you what to do! So let me present to you my 4-step program for …
