Summer is peak visitor season.

Peak "everyone wants to come meet the baby."

Peak summer colds floating around every gathering, airport, and backyard BBQ.

Here's what I tell every one of my doula clients: protecting your own health in those first few weeks matters just as much as preparing for baby.

The first weeks with a newborn are already a lot. Recovery, feeding, very little sleep. Adding a cold or flu on top of all of that is the last thing anyone needs.

There are simple ways to cut exposure.

• Asking visitors to wash their hands with soap and water (not just sanitizer).
• Rescheduling when someone isn't feeling well.
• Keeping newborn snuggles to the healthy crew only.

But even with all the right moves, sometimes that scratch in the throat shows up anyway.

This is my go-to when that happens 👇

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🎁 YOUR DAY 3 GIFT:
​Wellness Elixir Recipe

This is something I’ve made on repeat for years.

The second anyone in our house starts to feel off, this is what I make. I honestly think it's helped us dodge a lot of full-blown sick days.

It's also what I send to doula clients when they text me, "I think I'm getting sick."

Because if you're the one feeding the baby, making the decisions, and up at 3am, your wellness matters. A lot.

👉 CLICK HERE to grab the Wellness Elixir Recipe 🎁

Of course, this isn’t a replacement for medical care. If you need to see your doctor, always go. But I'm hoping this saves you a few trips, same way it has for us.

🤔 NEWBORN NUGGET

One thing that surprises almost every new parent:

Newborns sound… noisy.

Congested. Snorty. Sneezy.

And it can feel alarming if you’re not expecting it.

But in most cases, it’s completely normal.

Your baby has spent months surrounded by fluid.

After birth, they’re still clearing that out, which is why you’ll often hear congestion or sneezing in those early weeks.

(And babies born via C-section sometimes sound a little more congested at first for this reason.)

When you know this ahead of time, you don’t panic when you hear it at 2am.

You recognize it for what it is.

And that’s what changes everything.

I talk more about typical newborn behavior here.

🙌🏼 ONE SMALL THING TO DO TODAY

Start thinking about what you want the first month at home to look like when it comes to visitors.

Not just who will come…but when.

You are allowed to:

• wait a couple of weeks
• keep visits short
• prioritize feeding, rest, and bonding

You don’t need to host.

You just need space to settle in.

I’ll be back tomorrow with Day 4.
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xoxo,

Valerie Trumbower, PCD(DONA), CLC

Certified Postpartum Doula, Certified Lactation Counselor

P.S. Reminder: The first 7 days after birth is critical for building your milk supply. If you're due in June, July or August and planning to breastfeed click here​