Do you really need 37 pages of baby gear on your registry?

June 12, 2015 by Ruth_DoulaCare Filed Under: Parenting, Postpartum Doula, Pregnant

Meg Collins owner of Lucie’s List says NO, you don’t !

“Standing at a wall of baby products that goes on for a mile is enough to make anyone wish they remembered to take the pill that night. Just kidding (sort of).” Don’t Freak!

Meg Collins owner of Lucie’s List with her fabulous sense of humor has the
“Essential Baby Products From Luciest List”

Meg Collins has broken everything down into 10 simple categories.

So take a breath, let’s go

“Essential Baby Products From Luciest List” [Read more…]

7 Tips to Keep in Mind about Newborn Sleep

June 2, 2015 by Ruth_DoulaCare Filed Under: Parenting

How to Cope With Broken Sleep, the Universal Concern of New Parents. Having a new baby is a very tiring time for parents.

Keep your newborn nearby. Having your baby sleep close-by can make it easier to pick your baby up and feed the baby at night, especially if you are breastfeeding. Less walking into another room can mean less time awake and make it easier to get back to sleep.

Breastmilk contains a hormone (cholecystokinin) which makes a mother and her baby sleepy – helping you both get back to sleep.

Sleep when your baby sleeps! Most people hate hearing this one! Even if you find you cannot fall asleep, just resting is better than nothing. So lie down and close your eyes. You may even drift off to sleep without realizing it.

You may find it helpful for the postpartum doula or family member to watch your baby while you take a nap. It may be more helpful to do this straight after a breastfeed to help ensure the maximum length of time before your baby needs another feeding.

Keep lights low at night and get sunlight during the day. These things can help boost your own and your baby’s melatonin (sleepy hormone) levels, which can help both of you, sleep better at night. Breast milk has an amino acid (tryptophan) that is used by the body to make melatonin. Tryptophan levels increase and decrease with a mother’s circadian rhythm, so breastfeeding may help develop a baby’s circadian rhythm.

The circadian rhythm is one’s 24-hour internal body clock.It is important to know, however, that a baby’s circadian rhythm only begins to emerge when a baby is around 2 months of age.

All parents of babies get tired, whether their babies are breastfed, formula fed , or mixed-fed. There is no research evidence to indicate that giving a baby formula or starting solid food early makes a baby sleep longer. One study reported that parents of breastfed babies averaged 40-45 minutes more sleep time than the parents of formula-fed babies!

Remember, Yes, it really does get easier! Most parents find that things start to get easier around the 3-month mark.

My favorite book with more helpful tips and for a deeper understanding about newborn sleep.

“Sweet Sleep: Nighttime and Naptime Strategies for the Breastfeeding Family” By Diane Wiessinger, Diana West, Linda J. Smith, Teresa Pitman

Doan T, Gardiner A, Gay CL, Lee KA 2007, breastfeeding increases sleep duration of new parents. Journal of Perinatal Neonatal Nursing 21(3):200–206.

Bringing your Baby Home

May 27, 2015 by Ruth_DoulaCare Filed Under: Breastfeeding, Parenting, Postpartum Doula

Prepare now for bringing your baby home; it’s the launching pad for successful breastfeeding

Many surveys have shown that hands-on support from an experienced postpartum doula particularly for breastfeeding and understanding normal newborn behavior can provide a solid basis during the adjustment to parenthood. Preparation for Breastfeeding Your Newborn

Breastfeeding is learned for the mom and has come naturally to mothers as they saw and discovered from their own mothers, sisters, aunts, and friends. As society changed, and as more and more the caring for babies became largely hidden some expectant parents are likely never to have even seen a child nursed or changed a diaper or soothed a newborn.

Your postpartum doula provides easy solutions to common problems.

A great deal of misinformation remains in our culture about the first week’s home with your newborn and breastfeeding, new parents find that, even after going to prenatal classes, they are not ready for the reality of caring for a child.

This is where your postpartum doula comes in, there for you, reassuring as you learn nursing and learning your baby’s basic needs.

When is the Best Time to Meet Your Postpartum Doula

May 20, 2015 by Ruth_DoulaCare Filed Under: Postpartum Doula

Clients frequently ask when is the best time to meet their postpartum doula?

The 3rd trimester is the best time to start making your plans for after the birth and meeting postpartum doulas, buying books about newborn care and breastfeeding!

Sometimes new parents realize after the first night home, they need a postpartum doula. YES, we can help you any time you call us and have a doula for you in 24 hours.

It’s always a smoother transition for clients who interviewed their postpartum doula while pregnant and reserved her time on-call, then your doula is ready to meet you at home after the birth

During your pregnancy being occupied with the birth is normal, by your 3rd trimester is the time to start making plans for after the birth, thinking about who will be helping you with your baby, breastfeeding and recovering from the birth. Planning for a doula when your partner returns to work.

. . . Breastfeeding, While Natural is still a Learned Skill for the Mother . . .

With the Support of A Postpartum Doula, Studies Have Shown the Transition is Easier

Like anything worth doing, it takes practice and support. A postpartum doula does affect that you have a better experience.

Healthy newborn babies instinctively know what to do if they are placed skin-to-skin on their mother’s body after the birth. Some women breastfeed easily from the first day, and never have a problem, but many do meet hurdles somewhere in the early days home and need support and guidance.

That is where postpartum doulas come in, by helping you have the best start to parenthood, someone to address all your questions and any concerns as you learn about your baby.

Your Doula helps around the house as you settle into your new routine

After being busy with your career and working full-time being at home with your newborn is a big shock. Coupled with the feeling if you are doing things right!

Make plans for after the birth when you need help

learning about your baby, breastfeeding and recovering

. . .

5 Signs, Knowing Your Baby’s Hunger Cues

May 16, 2015 by Ruth_DoulaCare Filed Under: Breastfeeding

Hunger Cues:

For a healthy, full term baby use your baby’s hunger cues to determine when your baby wants to eat.

Don’t feed on a schedule. Feed when your baby shows early signs of hunger. In the beginning, it may be difficult to differentiate between hunger signs and other reasons for fussing, but you’ll become good at it quickly and you’ll learn to know what your child is telling you.

Early Signs of Hunger: Stirring, stretching, sucking motions, sucking on lips, tongue, hands, fingers, toes, toys, or clothing, lip movements, eye movement under closed lids, increased alertness, squeaking, and light fussing.

Active Signs of Hunger: Rooting, trying to position for nursing, pulling on your clothes, fidgeting, squirming, breathing fast, and fussing.

Late Signs of Hunger: Moving head frantically from side to side, fussing and crying.

Signs of Fullness: If your baby stops sucking, closes her mouth, or turns away from the nipple or the bottle she may be full, or may be taking a break. Now is a good time to burp your baby or wait a minute before offering the other breast or bottle again. If your baby resists again, she is full.

Wakeful baby actively nursing, with a nice wide latch-on.

Reminders:

It’s best to feed your baby as soon as you see early signs of hunger.

Be careful not to confuse early hunger cues with active sleep. If you aren’t sure, wait to see what happens. Your baby will either go back to sleep or wake up and it will become clear.

Crying does not always mean hunger, In time, you will become an expert at reading your baby’s cues.

Babies know how much they need to eat. Don’t pressure your newborn to eat at certain time intervals or certain amounts.

Look for satisfaction between feedings, 8-12 feeds for breastfeeding per 24 hours, and 4-6 wet diapers a day, and alertness.