You want to get back in your routine and implement some self-care – but how soon can you get back to the grind post-pregnancy, and what should you focus on? There are a number of basic exercises and stretches you can start incorporating back into your life soon after a nonsurgical childbirth to start rebuilding core strength and cardiovascular endurance. One of our lead midwives and the Clinical Director out of Nashville, Margaret Buxton, recently spoke to Brit + Co. with tips about post-pregnancy exercise. Building… Read More

So it’s getting to be that time: returning to work after your maternity leave – but you’re breastfeeding. You’re not alone. Almost two-thirds of women work during their pregnancy, and 70% take leave after giving birth. On average, the leave is approximately 10 weeks, but 16% of women only take 1-4 weeks off. (The state of maternity leave in this country is a whole other post…). In order to make both work and breastfeeding happen, then you will likely end up needing to pump. Before you go on maternity leave, you should be familiar with your rights as a… Read More

It came out of nowhere, 11 months into my nursing journey. I picked my son up from his morning nap, and when he snuggled against my chest, the side of my breast was sore, like a bruise. I felt it and it was tender and hard; when he nursed, I could feel that the side of my breast was like it had a rock inside it. Sure enough: it was a clogged milk duct. Clogged or blocked ducts can occur when the breast isn’t being emptied of milk regularly. This could be from sudden weaning, a breast pump that is too… Read More

Beautiful images of mothers nursing their newborns seem to be all over social media lately. When you make the choice to breastfeed your own child, you probably envision sweet moments in the nursery rocking chair, gazing adoringly at the sweet baby cradled in your arms. Breastfeeding is a wonderful way to connect with your newborn, and it’s the best food for your baby during that first year. But breastfeeding can be a challenge, and many mothers give up before their children turn one. The CDC reports that while 81.1% of moms start out breastfeeding, just over… Read More

It seems like yesterday I was sitting in a college classroom dreaming about the day I would be able to put all of that medical input overload to use. Never in my wildest dreams would I have seen myself here. Many people are curious about what I do. As a breastfeeding consultant, I help prepare families for their journey, before baby comes. Once baby arrives, my real “job” happens. Breastfeeding journeys are beautiful, and hard, and wonderful, and emotional… and every journey is different. Some babies need a little more help figuring things out than others. That’s where I step… Read More

I was at high risk for postpartum depression, so when my son was about six weeks old, I expressed my relief that I hadn’t felt anything beyond your basic baby blues. My older sister, who is a medical doctor, pulled me aside and told me I shouldn’t celebrate just yet. Despite the moniker, she informed me, new moms may not see symptoms of postpartum depression until up to six months after they give birth. Six months! Like many mothers, I assumed that I was in the clear after those first several weeks. But postpartum depression may not surface until months… Read More

For the first few weeks of your newborn’s life, he or she has a lot of adjustments to make. Drinking milk, peeing, pooping, breathing air…there’s so much going on that it’s no wonder your newborn is exhausted. But while some things (like breathing) are quickly grasped, others (like relieving newborn gas pains) take a little more time and effort. Judging by an infant’s face, baby gas pains are quite possibly the most painful things in the world. While it’s hard to hear your little one howl, don’t panic! It’s likely that the screaming and tears are just your newborn’s way… Read More

If you’re thinking about having a baby, or are a pregnant working mom, there’s an excellent chance you’ve thought about what you will do after the baby is here, work-wise – with good reason. The United States is the only developed country in the world that doesn’t guarantee paid maternity leave. In 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act was passed, but it only guaranteed 12 weeks of unpaid leave for full-time workers, and only for those who work for companies with at least 50 employees. For many women, this leave is cut short, simply because they can’t afford to… Read More

Although it may be the last thing on your exhausted new-mom mind, at the 6-week postpartum checkup, you’ll probably get the all-clear to resume sexual activity again. Four to six weeks is the general rule, but you should definitely wait until all your bleeding has stopped. Your body needs time to heal after birth, and intercourse before the bleeding has subsided can put you at risk for infection. Until you get the ok to resume intimacy after childbirth, why not seek out other ways to be intimate with your partner? Massage, cuddling – go back to basics! Physical readiness… Read More

The first time I heard about someone eating her placenta (Mayim Bialik, who played the title character on Blossom and now stars on The Big Bang Theory), I was totally grossed out. “What? Why?!” I screeched at my friend after she shared this bit of celebrity gossip. She shrugged, and I forgot all about it. But over the next couple of years, I began to hear more and more about this burgeoning health trend. Celebrities and noncelebs alike were touting the benefits of placentophagy, or ingesting one’s placenta after birth. Among the supposed benefits were increased energy and milk production,… Read More