Welcome to Day 11 of your Baby Prep Advent Reader! As an overnight doula, one of my favorite things to do for brand new parents is make a meal in the middle of the night so it is waiting for them in the refrigerator in the morning. Then they just have to pop it in the crockpot or oven. There's so much thought around feeding the baby, sometimes new parents forget to take care of themselves. It's like the directions they give on the airplane... you need to take care of yourself so you're able...
3 months ago • 1 min read
It’s Day 10 of your Baby Prep Advent 🎁 And today’s gift is one of those simple setups that makes the early weeks with a newborn feel much more manageable. Diaper changes happen all day and all night, which is why having a changing station on each floor can be so helpful. You'll be so glad to have what you need, where you need it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🎁 YOUR DAY 10 GIFT: The Changing Station This checklist walks you through exactly...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, It's Day 9 of your Baby Prep Advent 🎄 Are you planning to pump? If so here's a little tip to optimize freezer space.... When you freeze breastmilk, lay the bags flat on a cookie sheet. Once they are frozen you can stand them up or place several flat bags into a gallon storage bag. This saves space and keeps your freezer more organized. Understanding storage guidelines for breastmilk is so important, so you don't waste any of that liquid gold. You'll definitely want to screenshot...
3 months ago • 1 min read
🎄 Helllllo Day 8! Today’s topic is one I walk through with every family, so it's definitely something we'd chat about at our pre-baby meeting. Many first-time parents are surprised to here this: Your baby will lose some weight in the first few days. This is completely normal. But helping you feel prepared means helping you understand when doctors will worry about the weight loss. Pediatricians usually become concerned if the baby loses more than 7-10% of birth weight. Trying to calculate...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, SO SORRY THE LAST EMAIL HAD THE WORNG LINK, THE CORRECT ONE IS BELOW. We're on Day 7 of your Baby Prep Advent. 🎄 For a lot of new parents grandparents are at the center of their village of support. Whether you live near your parents or in-laws or if you plan to travel there often it can be helpful to lighten the packing load by keeping a few things at their house. Today's gift will help you figure out what they might want to have on hand....
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, We're on Day 7 of your Baby Prep Advent. 🎄 For a lot of new parents grandparents are at the center of their village of support. Whether you live near your parents or in-laws or if you plan to travel there often it can be helpful to lighten the packing load by keeping a few things at their house. Today's gift will help you figure out what they might want to have on hand. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🎁 YOUR DAY 7 GIFT:...
3 months ago • 1 min read
It's Day 6 of your Baby Prep Advent 🎄 Getting the nursery ready is one of the most exciting parts of baby prep for so many of my doula clients. But when it comes to baby clothes, almost everyone asks the same thing: “How many onesies do I actually need? What about sleepers?” It can be hard to know what’s essential and what’s just “nice to have,” so today’s gift will make that part easy. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🎁 YOUR DAY 6 GIFT: Baby...
3 months ago • 1 min read
It is Day 5 and today’s gift is a good one Reader! Something I hear all the time from my doula clients is:“I want to breastfeed… but I want to pump too, so I'm not the only one who can feed the baby.” If you’re planning to pump so your partner (or someone else) can help with feeding, you are definitely not alone.If you're like a lot of my doula clients and aren’t sure when to start pumping, what pumping supplies you need, or how to prepare before the baby arrives, you're going to love today's...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hi friend, I'm back with Day 4 of your Baby Prep Advent! Our family loves to travel and before every trip a packing list circulates through the house. It's usually on a piece of copy paper and each person checks off as they pack and then passes the list along to the next person. Without the list we'd forget things like retainers and contacts. So today my gift to you is a hospital bag checklist. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🎁 YOUR DAY 4...
3 months ago • 1 min read