Cutting the cord is such a momentous occasion that it’s become a metaphor for a transition into independence. But after the ceremonial cut is over and the beautiful moment has passed, what you’re left with is anything but beautiful. Umbilical cord care can be annoying at best and an infection risk at worst. Learn here how to use herbs to help the cord stump heal better, faster, and safer.

For all of the planning and dreaming we might do, birth is never quite what we think it will be. When the unexpected brings baby out sooner, plans can change in dramatic ways. The good news is, the milk you make for a pre-term baby is just as good as for one born closer to term. Actually, it’s even better.

Breastfeeding a pre-term baby has its challenges, and it might not even look like normal breastfeeding for awhile. But the antibodies and nutrients that your milk provides are life-saving and worth every drop of effort.

Your amazing body is made to give birth and to recover completely.  Having said that, after birth, your perineum is (at the very least) tender and sore. It might be torn or “scuffed.” Even without tears, it will be swollen, sometimes in strange ways. Walking around and sitting will both be uncomfortable at times, especially right after birth. When another part of your body is swollen and inflamed, you reach for an ice pack. Though that will work in a pinch, it’s not the most accessible area to place a bag of ice. That’s where padsicles for perineal relief come in.

It’s always a journey to establish your breastfeeding relationship. Twice the babies seems like twice the efforts and logistics. When you are breastfeeding twins, the things that apply to a single baby aren’t quite the same. In some ways, it might be easier, and in other ways it will be more challenging. Knowing what to expect can help you successfully breastfeed your twins. 

Our Nursing Nectar tea is a wonderful way to support your body when you are breastfeeding twins.

During your pregnancy, you enjoyed Lady in Waiting tea to nourish your body and prepare your uterus. Afterward, you soothed your body and hormones with Nourished Mother and gave your body what it needed to make milk with Let There Be Milk and Nursing Nectar. You might have even used Fertile Ground to help encourage fertility to become pregnant in the first place! Your baby was wrapped in herbal goodness from his first Postpartum Herb Bath to the Cord Care Powder and Diaper Salve that helped protect and heal his body as it adjusted to the new world. But now he’s getting bigger, his cord long gone, your uterus is back to normal and your milk supply has regulated...and you’ve got a stash of products just sitting around. Now what?

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.

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.