Day 1 gift: Prepared for Baby Blueprint π
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Here's what I do with every doula client before their baby is born. I walk them through a specific set of things. Not stroller reviews. Not nursery themes. The stuff that actually matters once baby is home. Over the next 12 days, I'm giving you the same walkthrough. One day at a time. Think of this as the virtual version of me sitting on your couch. Every day I'll hand you one tool I use with the private clients who pay me thousands to come to their house in the middle of the night. Here's what a decade of doing this has taught me. When parents prepare the right way, everything gets easier. Less guessing. Smoother feeding. Better sleep (yes, even in the newborn stage). Alright. Day 1 starts now. π ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- π YOUR DAY 1 GIFT: This is the big-picture roadmap I walk every doula client through before their baby arrives. Here's the pattern I see constantly. First-time parents spend months agonizing over strollers, picking nursery paint, and reading 400 car seat reviews. Nobody hands them a plan for the part that matters most: the first few weeks at home with their baby. The Blueprint fixes that. It covers things most first-time parents haven't even thought about yet (hint: most of it has nothing to do with the nursery). And it lays out the order of operations so nothing gets left until the last minute. π CLICK HERE to grab your Prepared for Baby Blueprint π Print it, save it, screenshot it. You don't need to tackle everything tonight. Just knowing what's on the list is the win. π€ NEWBORN NUGGET Here's something most new parents get backwards. They think the order goes: baby cries, then you figure out what baby needs. Nope. Crying is a late cue. Babies communicate way before they cry. Tiny signals. Easy to miss if nobody taught you what to look for. When my doula clients learn to read those early cues, they feed before baby is frantic. They get baby down before overtired. They skip a ton of the crying everyone talks about. That's the difference between guessing and actually speaking your baby's language. We'll go deeper into cues over the next 12 days. ππΌ ONE SMALL THING TO DO TODAY Look at the Blueprint and see if there's anything you've already done and can check off. If not, no worries at all. Over the next 12 days we'll get some of those checked off! Iβll be back tomorrow with Day 2 (and another gift).β xoxo, Valerie Trumbower, PCD(DONA), CLC Certified Postpartum Doula, Certified Lactation Counselor P.S. Forward this to any other summer 2026 mamas in your life. They'll thank you. |
New Parents Academy
Day 12 π As this Summer Baby Prep Series ends today you should be proud of yourself! You did something most first-time parents don't. You prepared before your baby arrived. That alone puts you ahead. After a decade as a postpartum doula, I can tell you the parents who feel calmest aren't the ones with the fanciest gear. They're the ones who understand what's normal, know what to watch for, and have support lined up. π That last piece is the one people skip. Usually because it sounds nice but...
Welcome to Day 11 of your Baby Prep Series 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. So when they wake up, itβs one less thing to think about. They just heat it up and eat. In the early days there is... so much focus on feeding the baby thatβ¦parents forget to take care of themselves. And in those early weeks, that matters more than you might think....
Hi Reader, π Day 10 is about having what you need where you need it Having a changing station set up on each floor of your house saves you time and energy. No searching for wipes at 3am. No running up the stairs after your OB told you to "take it easy". ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- π YOUR DAY 10 GIFT: The Changing Station You don't need a changing table on every floor, a changing pad or even a towel to lay the baby on is fine. The key is...