Building Confidence in Ourselves as Mothers
I was invited by Kylie Kelly of the “This Mama Means Business” podcast, to talk about building confidence in ourselves as mothers. It was a great experience, and I hope you’ll take a listen here. Building Confidence In Ourselves As Mothers Podcast The ideas I share below are based on my own experiences as mother…
Tongue Ties and Breastfeeding
Many families seek out the help of a lactation professional like me because they are struggling with breastfeeding. As a certified lactation counselor, one issue that I see frequently affecting breastfeeding is tongue ties. I’ve sent dozens of families for assessment and evaluation of suspected tethered oral tissue (TOTs.) Only a handful of times has…
Let Children Think For Themselves
What Growing Up in a Cult Taught Me About Parenting “College is overrated. You don’t have to go” my dad said to me. “L. Ron Hubbard, (founder of Scientology) says that in ancient Rome, by the age of 15, men were married, starting families and already working a trade. This modern system with so many…
What Can I Eat When Breastfeeding? (updated July 2022)
What foods can I eat when breastfeeding? The short answer is: anything that sounds good! Shortest. Blog. Ever. Oh, you’re still reading? Okay! When it comes to a mother’s diet during breastfeeding, we hear the craziest stories from our clients about foods they were told to avoid. (And as a reminder, we are not licensed…
Bethenny’s Baby Nurse
Believe it or not, I first learned what a baby nurse does on a Bravo TV show. Long before I became a doula, I was a “Real Housewives of NYC” fan. Oh, the gloriously trashy and mindless entertainment! When I watched this faux-reality series, the characters included Countess Luann de Lesseps and Bethenny Frankel. At…
Looking for a Baby Nurse?
Looking for a baby nurse to help you after the baby is born? I recently spoke to a grandmother-to-be. She called in looking for a “baby nurse” to help her expecting daughter after her baby arrives. “When I was a young woman in New York city” she told me, “people with newborns would hire a…
How Long Should My Baby Nurse?
During the first few weeks of breastfeeding, you may wonder: how long should my baby nurse? How long should my baby nurse on each side? Does my baby need to nurse on each side, every time? These are very common questions! How long should my baby nurse? Heads up that the info in next section…
Parents Need Help Not Judgment
Raise your hand if you’ve ever had to deal with a Judgy McJudgerpants in your life? I recently wrote about coping with a colicky baby as a new parent – what made it better and what didn’t. Three aspects of the situation made it harder: lack of support judgment and unsolicited advice. I was exclusively…
Will My Colicky Baby Get Better?
My baby boy was beautiful, healthy, and perfect in every way. Except — he had colic and it was really, really hard. Prior to this I didn’t really know what colic was, but I was about to find out first hand. The first two weeks were fine. He slept. He ate. He made silly and…
Common Car Seat Myths
Confused about car seats? You’re not alone! On the internet and social media, a lot of wrong, bad or outright dangerous info gets circulated around. So let’s put to bed some of these tired old myths with good and safe information instead. TRUE or FALSE: Fire stations are the best place to have your baby’s…
When Should Baby Start Solid Food?
I was so excited to start solid foods with my first baby. With ingredients from our community-supported agriculture delivery, I made her baby food with love. I ordered special spoons (to help with her ergonomics) and bowls, plates, cups and storage containers. And then guess what? She hated pureed food. Finally I tried giving her…
The Best Toys for Your Baby
When I was expecting my first baby, I had so much fun buying baby things! Each item was researched ad nauseum, compared, considered and chosen with care. One purchase category got extra time and effort: toys. Of course, I wanted my baby to have the best. I was influenced strongly by natural parenting circles and…