How Not To Make Mom Friends
This story goes out to any new parents struggling to make connections and feel like themselves again. Lonely and isolated at home with an eight week old baby, I desperately longed for companionship with people in the same season of life. Instead of continuing to perfect my cyberstalker skills on Facebook, I convinced myself I…
Postpartum Sleep Deprivation
Four days and one unexpected c-section later we were discharged and on our way home at last. I could no longer lean on the quiet protection of the hospital. Nurses would not be checking on me periodically. Meals would not be brought to me on a schedule. Ready or not I was now a Mom…
My Surprise Breech Baby and Tips
My first baby was breech and was born via an emergency c-section. We only discovered he was breech when I was well into labor, which is pretty unusual. “I think we need to head to the birth center,” I told my husband. At 37 ½ weeks pregnant, I had gotten up in the middle of…
Helping Baby Accept a Bottle
It’s a bit of a terrifying scenario for breastfeeding parents who are returning to paid work: your baby refuses to feed from a bottle. Everyone panics. Your caregiver is nervous about how they will take care of your baby while you’re away. You are scared about your baby getting the nutrition and hydration that she…
Six Tips for a Natural Birth at the Hospital
So you want to have a natural birth at the hospital!? Navigating our current maternity health care system can be a little tricky. However, a natural birth in the hospital is possible. Lots of families before you have done it. It is a feasible and realistic goal. So we say – you can do it!…
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?
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?
Last updated September 2026 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…
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…
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
Last updated September 2026 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…
“Mommy, I Pooped My Pants”
The story of a Christmas tree excursion that didn’t go exactly as planned. It was a dark evening in the Christmas tree tent, as 3 year old Jack and 8 year old Shane ran around giggling with glee during their annual hide-n-seek game. The other tree-shoppers didn’t seem to mind. They had also been touched…
What’s the Best Formula for My Baby?
Last updated September 2026 We are often asked, as lactation counselors, what formula is best for my baby? (Yes lactation counselors are experts in ALL modes of infant feeding, not just breastfeeding.) This also comes up when we are supporting families as postpartum doulas. For us, the best baby formula should follow three simple rules.…
Adventures in Morning Sickness
Last updated September 2026 Morning Sickness. If that isn’t a misnomer, I don’t know what is. Morning Sickness, or as I like to call it, All Day Sickness, should really just be labelled pregnancy nausea and vomiting. A lot of pregnant folks experience it and there are various different degrees of severity. It can happen…
Tampa Bay Hospital VBAC Rates 2019
Planning to have a VBAC? (VBAC = vaginal birth after cesarean.) Do you know the VBAC rate for your hospital? I know we say this a lot, but it bears repeating: the hospital that you choose to deliver your baby at has a huge impact on the outcome of your birth experience. In fact, it…
Healing Damaged Nipples
Last updated September 2026 Breastfeeding should never hurt. Breastfeeding should never hurt, but that doesn’t mean it actually never does. How can you heal damaged, cracked and bleeding nipples? Fix That Latch! First, you’ll need to take corrective measures to stop the damage from reoccurring. This almost always means encouraging your baby to latch more…
Tampa Bay Hospital C-Section Rates 2019
Do you know the c-section rate for your hospital? Without a doubt, your hospital of choice has a huge impact on the outcome of your birth experience. There are numerous factors to consider when choosing your hospital, and their cesarean rate should be at the top of the list. Experts explain more in this article…
Newborn Care Class for Adoptive Parents
Congratulations! You are adopting a newborn baby. We know that so much thought and effort has gone into this journey. The child you have been dreaming of and waiting for will soon be in your arms. This baby means so much to you and naturally, you want to do everything right. But – there is…
A Home Visit from a Lactation Counselor
When I had my first baby in North Carolina, we had significant breastfeeding challenges right away. Each time the frustration (and tears) became more than I could bear, I’d schlep my sore postpartum body back to the birth center to visit with the IBCLC (international board-certified lactation consultant) for help. In fact, I clearly remember…
What does an overnight postpartum doula do?
Overnight Newborn Care is sometimes a new concept. Tired parents often approach us and ask: “what does a postpartum doula do overnight to care for their family while they sleep?” It almost sounds too good to be true! Rest assured, this exists and works beautifully. The role of a postpartum doula is so varied from family to…
Caring for Baby After a C-Section
Healing from a c-section can sometimes be overwhelming. You, a warrior, just had major surgery. Now you not only have to care for yourself, you have to care for your baby! This is a challenge that is sometimes forgotten. Once you’ve left the hospital, how can you easily care for your newborn? First of all,…
Exclusive Pumping 101
Some families turn to exclusive pumping when breastfeeding proves to be challenging. Here are our tips succeeding at exclusively pumping to feed your baby.
Why Is Postpartum Support Important?
Photo: My mom, Liz, with my newborn baby, Shane, in January 2007 “All you need is one person, just one person who trusts and believes in you, and then you feel you can do anything.” Esther Wojcicki Here is a little story about how postpartum support was important for me. My first son was born…
Letting Go When Your Partner is Struggling
You’ve handed your brand new baby off to your partner so you can get into the shower for the first time in…days? Everything with babies is a blur so you’re not really sure. Then, the second your feet are wet, you hear it. Your baby is crying. Perhaps it activates your letdown and you spill…
Infant Reflux: Why Does My Baby Spit Up So Much?
Infant Reflux seems to be one of the most diagnosed issues we see among our clients today. The rise in diagnosis could be contributed to many factors, one of which is the internet. Hop onto any forum and ask about your baby crying and you’re likely to hear “it’s probably Reflux!” from at least a…
Newborn Twin Nursery Set Up & Essentials
Congrats, it’s twins! When you find out you’re going to have a newborn twin nursery it is often overwhelming. Setting up one room for two brand new babies can seem like a daunting task. Our postpartum doulas have worked with families of twins & multiples all over the Tampa area, and have helpful tips to…