Most of us struggle to pack light for a weekend away. Packing for night or two at the hospital, while you’re giving birth, and then when you have a new addition to the family can be more than overwhelming! What do you need? What does your birth support person need? What does your baby need? The possibilities can seem endless and impossible to navigate. Before you know it, you’ve got three bags full, including half of your baby’s newborn wardrobe. So what do you actually need to pack in your hospital bag? Lets break it down for planned labors, planned C-sections, and planned home births in case of transfer.

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On one hand, pregnancy insomnia is an important part of prenatal preparation. Your body is wise, and it is trying to prepare you for the long nights that lay ahead. But on the other hand, pregnancy insomnia can lead to overwhelm and burnout. The good news is that there are natural ways to make your nights more restful. Here are a few tips to help you get the rest you need, even if you struggle with pregnancy insomnia.

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?

You’re queasy. You’ve vomited more than you have in years. Your organs have shifted. You’re hungry but also can’t eat much at once. Everything in your digestive system is in flux (yes, sometimes re-flux!) while you’re pregnant. Next to sleep issues, digestive issues in pregnancy may be some of the most universal unpleasant effects. Let’s take a look at some of the most common digestive issues in pregnancy and ways that you can prevent or limit them.

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.