A midwife or doula’s goal is to see every woman birth in safe, empowering, and beautiful ways. Sometimes, for various reasons, that looks like a Cesarean section, and sometimes that includes planned C-sections. There is no reason to expect less of your birth experience in the case of a planned C-section. When a C-section is the planned birth process, you have some more freedom to work with your doctor than in the case of an emergency.

Anticipation is a lovely part of pregnancy, and it’s even better when put into proper context. Week by week pregnancy updates. Preparing for baby’s arrival. Picturing their birth month. Counting down. Measuring, planning, tracking growth. The estimated due date is a helpful way to track progress, as long as we remember that forty weeks is an average duration of pregnancy. In other words, many babies are born before forty weeks, and many are born after. Today, we’re going to cover what you need to know about going over your due date.

Discover the 3 Keys to a Healthy Pregnancy. We strive for a healthy, fit pregnancy for so many reasons, not just physical health. Pregnancy is a time of joy and personal growth, of beauty and discomfort, of stretching and changing, all wrapped up in the journey to meet a brand new little person. It’s not only about eating well and moving your body. It’s a whole-person effort. Discover the three components that can help make this your best pregnancy ever.

Herbs are flexible in so many ways, not the least of which being the many ways we can prepare them. One of my favorite methods of preparation is the herb bath. You can infuse herbs into a bath for nearly any ailment, and there is nothing quite as soothing as slipping into warm, healing water. From a sitz bath to a soak in the tub, herb baths are a great way for anyone to experience the restorative benefits of herbs.

The first week with a new baby is a haze of sheer bliss and utter confusion. It’s absolutely amazing that you’re getting to know this new little person that was inside of you just moments ago...but it’s absolutely terrifying that you’re getting to know a new person! What do they need? What are they communicating? What is your body telling you? How is it changing? And why is it all still so challenging?

The trap is so easy to fall into. As moms, it feels like we do everything. Gestate the baby, deliver the baby, feed the baby, wear the baby…mom burnout makes sense in the early years, because our children are basically an extension of our own bodies. As the years go on, even when other family members can chip in more and more, the child’s needs change but the demand stays the same. In fact, it probably increases, just in different ways.

Fenugreek is an ancient herb with uses dating back to our earliest knowledge of human medicine – regularly centering around women’s health. Today, we use fenugreek to support lactation, carrying on the tradition of herbalists and medicine makers who came before us.

The postpartum phase is such a time of mixed emotions, from the bliss of getting to know your new little one to the struggles of learning to care for them. When you add the impending return to work, all of those emotions and stresses seem to be amplified. Don’t let a fear of pumping keep you from continuing your nursing relationship. It can feel like a lot of work, but you can do it. Yes, you really can do it!

Just because the baby is born doesn’t mean you have to slow down your dietary vigilance. You may be surprised at just how much it can take to sustain your body while constantly producing milk and expending energy to nurse a little one. It’s important to plan for the added nutrients and energy in order to keep on making that liquid love.

I want to dispel the myth that herbal medicine and Western medicine are incompatible. There is no one system of medicine that fits every body and every situation. It is completely appropriate to integrate the two methods. 

As a parent, I want to know when to seek medical help when my child is sick.  Here is  list of 12 reasons to seek medical help.  When in doubt check it out.