This started as a letter to a new mom I know, and I decided I wanted to share it more widely. Dear new parents –Starting out on this journey is scary, really scary sometimes. And you feel like there’s so much to learn, memorize and choose. So much pressure to get it right or you’ll …
It’s been over a month now since the Animal Adventure Park started streaming the live cam of April the Giraffe‘s “imminent birth” and…..still no baby. Some examples of the kinds of things people are saying about April on Facebook: From CBS Denver: “OK, April. We need to talk. Bend down here. You know that baby …
I see it all the time. Friends and family share it with me, fellow birth professionals share it on their pages, people text it to my clients who ask me about it. And it drives me crazy! Here’s what I’m talking about: “A Human body can bear only up to 45 del (units) of pain. …
I see so many women worrying because they are not “average” or trying to figure out if some small variation from average holds meaning. It takes several forms, among them: New mom wants to know how she can get her baby to sleep for an extra hour every day, because 3 month olds are “supposed” …
I’ve really gotten tired of it. Pregnant women who are planning for a specific kind of birth are told things like: “You know what is so cute? You – when you’re pregnant and think you actually control how things go in the delivery room.” -ScaryMommy “I encourage my clients to create “birth preferences” rather than …
Every single time I work with a mom planning a VBAC, they are told over and over that VBAC births have TWICE* the increased chance of rupture. And it drives me insane. Because it is NOT APPLICABLE. It has no place in education on VBAC. (Except perhaps as a scare tactic? And if that’s how …
There are many things I love about births. I love seeing women be strong and powerful. I love seeing the relationships between partners and the way partners step up and provide just what is needed, or say just the right thing at just the right moment. I love the humorous moments – and a time …
A few days ago, the question came up on Facebook: “What can I do to have a fast birth?” It got me thinking… So here are 10 tips to have a faster birth: 1. Avoid induction. Even so called natural induction, or “encouraging baby to come” or “nudging your body” or whatever euphemism that you …
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 …
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Monday, 4:30 am. A new mom posts to Facebook that she is struggling with her baby being fussy at nighttime feedings. Within 2 hours, she has received four different diagnoses from fellow Facebookers: Dairy allergy, thrush, lip and tongue tie, and reflux. She’s been prescribed probiotics, gentian violet, nystatin, 4 different herbs, and a plastic …
