Does My Baby Have a Tongue Tie?
Have you found breastfeeding to be more of a challenge than you expected? Maybe you’re wondering if your baby has a tongue tie and what that means. To thoroughly evaluate for a tie, you need to have an assessment of the function and appearance of the tongue and lip done by a specially trained professional that works with babies who have tongue and lip-ties.
The Best Breast Pump
With so many new choices popping up every year, choosing the best breast pump may feel daunting. This year, we held a breast pump tournament on our Instagram to help us determine which breast pump reigned supreme in 2023!
What I Unlearned about Postpartum Depression
They told me in my doula training that Postpartum Depression and Maternal Mental Health Disorders can take many different forms. I learned that it could happen to anyone. They told me that in some cases, mental health disorders took years to resolve. When I had my son in 2018, I felt prepared to become a parent. We had the support of loving doulas, wonderful midwives, and family. What could go wrong? Postpartum Depression wasn’t going to happen to me… But then it did.
The Role of Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Before and After Birth
Preparing your body for the birthing process should include a visit with a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist (PFPT). One part of pelvic floor therapy for birth is coaching people to coordinate their breath with each contraction, and learning to lengthen their pelvic floor, can help ease the baby down the birthing canal without increased tension.
Knowing Your Worth While Parenting
It was only a few short months since returning to work from maternity leave with my first baby when I first heard one of Brené Brown’s Ted Talks. I was struggling with my confidence as a new mom. And then, like magic, Brown’s Ted Talk “The Power of Vulnerability” popped up on YouTube. One statement still resonates with me to this day.
Infant Supplementation Options During the Formula Shortage
You may be familiar with breast milk sharing or it might be a new concept to you, but if you need to supplement, it’s important to know that you have options! Knowing the options available to you will help you make the best choice for your individual circumstances.
Cut, Stapled and Mended: New Life Birth Services Book Club
This book provides insight into the different ways a baby can be brought into this world. I recommend birthers read this book, especially those considering having a VBAC, or who have had a VBAC, birth partners, and anyone constantly surrounded by birth such as doulas.
The Happiest Baby on the Block: New Life Birth Services Book Club
Do you know the five methods to turn on your baby’s calming reflex switch? How can you combine the 5 S’s to calm even the most unsettled baby. I like this book because it covers an area I find many parents fail to plan for: the fourth trimester.
A Warm and Nourishing Postpartum Meal: Chicken, Spinach, and Kidney Beans
Warm, nutritious food during the postpartum period helps the body heal after birth, provides comfort, and is an easy way to show your support and love to a new family.
16 Postpartum and Parenting Hacks You Must Know
As the saying goes, “Parenting doesn’t come with a manual.” That may be true, but sometimes little tips and tricks can help make things easier and help you come up with your own manual.
Becoming Us: New Life Birth Services Book Club
Becoming Us by Elly Taylor is a guide for building and maintaining relationships during the big life change of having a baby. Whether it’s your first baby or your fourth, there is a little something in this book for just about everyone.
Inclusive Support for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Community during Pregnancy and Postpartum
We teamed up with a member of the New Mexico Commission for Deaf & Hard of Hearing (thanks Trevor!) to develop a resource list as a step toward making sure DHH community members are properly supported through pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood.
17 Tips for Breastfeeding and Returning to Work
Returning to work after having a baby can be a time filled with many emotions for a breastfeeding parent. While some might be dreading it, others may look forward to being back at their job. Either way, returning to work does not have to mean the end of breastfeeding. Here are 17 tips to make your return to work go a little more smoothly.
How Doulas Support Through a Pandemic
Faced with rapidly changing circumstances, we at New Life Birth Services are increasingly committed to supporting families. We're still attending births in Albuquerque at the places that we are welcome. In hospitals that have now put increased constraints on the number of support people allowed during labor, we are providing support before our clients head into their place of birth and virtually throughout the experience.
Mindfulness for New Parents
Mindfulness is the practice of intentional, non-judgmental awareness of yourself and your surroundings in the present moment. Bringing your thoughts away from past events or future planning for just a few minutes each day can help reverse your body’s reaction to stress and promote emotional regulation. Non-judgmental mindfulness involves checking in with yourself both physically and emotionally on a regular basis.
Body Image in Pregnancy and in the Postpartum Time
Weight. Celebrated and vilified. Perpetuated on social media. How does this impact our views about our bodies during pregnancy and during the postpartum time? When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I remember seeing these beautiful pregnant bodies on social media with perfect silhouettes and glowing skin. When I was newly postpartum, I remember seeing ad-after-ad about “losing the baby weight” and “getting your pre-baby body back”.
Establishing a Good Breast Milk Supply
As parents, we naturally want to ensure that our children are well fed no matter how or what we choose to feed them. For parents choosing to breastfeed, a common question is “how do I make sure I make enough milk?” While there is no hard and fast answer to this question because every person is different, there are some general “best practices” when establishing breast milk supply.
The Benefits of Postpartum Belly Binding
There are many benefits of belly binding. The two that most women notice immediately after binding is the hip and lower back support. As you know, when you are pregnant, your hips need to expand to allow room in your pelvis. Once baby is born, your hips will slowly move back into place. This can sometimes cause some soreness or discomfort. Wearing the bind provides constant support to your hips and can reduce some of that discomfort.
