In no particular order...
1. If you don't know what you're doing... you're in good company! There's no "right" way to parent. It takes a lot of trial and error and creativity. If you love your child and are trying to do what is best for them, you're doing it right. 2. Sleep deprivation is real. One of the hardest things about the newborn stage is the change in your sleep habits. Find every opportunity to rest, day or night--you need rest to do this important job! 3. Postpartum doulas are a thing! There are wonderful trained professionals who will happily lend an extra hand as you transition to parenthood (whether this is the first time or you're adding another baby to your family). 4. Breastfeeding is hard work for about two months, but it can be so worth it if you stick to it! 5. The first several weeks, have only ONE thing (other than take care of the baby!) on your to-do list each day. And sometimes it won't happen! But that's okay! 6. Take care of your body! This one's especially true if you're nursing your baby, as that zaps tons of energy. YOU matter. You can't pour from an empty cup, so fill your own cup! And be on the lookout for postpartum complications--reach out to your care provider if there's anything concerning you want to talk about. 7. Your mental health matters. Find a therapist who specializes in women's issues/perinatal mental health. Talk through the changes you're experiencing in your life. Share the hard things in a safe space. Know that you are normal, and that if you face postpartum emotional/mental complications, there are resources for healing. 8. Never turn down an offer for help! You may have to swallow your pride a little bit, but letting other people bring meals, clean, take a midnight feeding, or watch your baby while you nap or shower can really lighten the load! They like to help, too--that's why they offered! 9. Learn to ask for help when you need it--that's why we live in communities! Turn to trusted family and friends. If helping each other out isn't really part of your family culture, it's time to change that! 10. Set boundaries. If you're not ready for visitors, firmly explain that, with gratitude for your would-be visitor being part of your life. If you're ready for helpers, share that, and share what you need help with! 11. Parenting is a partnership activity. Before your baby comes, plan how you will divide up tasks and make sure that you're both involved in a way that works for both of you. 12. Even though it can be quite a production, get out of the house! It's good for you and for your baby! Take a walk, take a quick trip to the store, spend an hour with friends. It can be difficult to feel like you're stuck at home, so work to make that not the case! 13. Let it be wonderful, and let it be hard. People will tell you to relish the experience, to enjoy every minute. But not every minute feels enjoyable! And that's okay. When it's hard, let it be hard. When it's sweet and wonderful, enjoy those feelings. And know that they can happen at the same time. 14. Connect with other parents in the same life stage. Maybe you'll meet them at your childbirth class or in a local Facebook group or another community organization. Wherever you find them, it's helpful to have friends who are going through the same life stage. They get it in ways your other friends won't. 15. If you face challenges with breastfeeding, seek the help of an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant). A couple of visits with an IBCLC can make a huge difference in your breastfeeding journey! Worried about the cost? Many IBCLCs accept insurance. And just think of the money you'll save on formula if you're able to continue breastfeeding!uslca.org/resources/find-an-ibclc/ 16. Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists can be a critical part of your postpartum healing journey. Even though it's common to "peeze" or leak when you cough after having a baby, it doesn't have to be your new normal! Pelvic PTs will help you regain control of your pelvic floor and maintain your dignity! 17. Dads can have postpartum depression/anxiety, too. This is a big time of transition and change for both partners. Follow that link for virtual support options for fathers with postpartum mental health concerns. 18. Being a parent also means being yourself. Don't forget that you are still you after having kids--take time for hobbies and self-development. 19. Your relationship with your partner will change after having a baby. This isn't something to fight against--it's inevitable. But you can prepare for and learn to embrace that change starting now. 20. Do something every day for you. Spend some time in the sunshine, read a book, take a bath, do a hobby you enjoy, move your body!
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I recently moved to the Denver, Colorado area after five years in Utah, where I built up and still manage Summit Birth Utah. I'm now thrilled to be starting a new chapter in Colorado and launching summitbirth.org! Through the Summit Birth site, I'll connect birthing families in both Colorado and Utah with information and support for the childbearing year. The tagline I've chosen for Summit Birth, “accessible childbirth education and support,” captures four things I'm passionate about offering to expectant parents: accessibility, birth-related content, quality education, and support through the childbearing journey. AccessibilityAccessibility is at the core of Summit Birth’s values. I firmly believe that everyone deserves access to childbirth education and support during their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Two branches of Summit Birth help to increase access to these services: Blog Posts I will regularly publish blog posts on both the Colorado and Utah blog sites. This content is free for anyone to access, and in blog posts, I’ll share trustworthy information to guide you through your childbearing year. Everything from prenatal nutrition to perineal massage and much more… So follow me on Instagram and Facebook, where I announce each new blog post, so you don’t miss a thing! Grant Program Summit Birth offers internally-funded grants to families with financial constraints. Grants are offered in need-based, tiered amounts, and we're typically able to offer at least a small grant to anyone with true financial need. Sometimes, we're able to offer substantial grants for those who need them most. So, if you're interested in birth classes, birth doula support, or postpartum doula support, but aren't able to afford the full investment, apply for a grant! If you're looking for other ideas about how to afford a doula, check out this blog post ChildbirthSince the birth of my third child, you could say I've been a little obsessed with all things BIRTH. Before my son's first birthday, I started training to be a birth doula, and since then I've:
Two months ago, I moved my practice from Utah to Colorado, where I now offer birth doula services, postpartum doula services, private childbirth classes, and virtual EBB Childbirth Classes. Later this year, I will start offering Navigating Your Unmedicated Hospital Birth in the Denver metro area. In two weeks, I'm going back to school to get a master's degree in social work so that I can become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and land in a career I hope to stay in the rest of my life: working as a mental health therapist, focusing on offering support to those in the perinatal period (in/fertility through postpartum). (And I hope to keep a light but steady stream of birth classes and birth/postpartum doula clients on the side!) So yeah, I guess you could say I'm a leetle obsessed with anything childbirth-related. EducationAlthough my career path has been windy, education is the common thread. My bachelor's degree was in elementary education, and I felt strongly that I wanted to make a difference with the youngest of learners. After a couple of years as a classroom teacher, I realized that the large class size and young ages weren't a great fit for me, but I enjoyed tutoring elementary-aged students privately for a few years, and I also started teaching singing lessons. My first master's degree is in applied linguistics with a focus in TESOL K-12 (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, grades K-12). When I began my degree, I thought that when I returned to teaching, I would be a specialist in an elementary school, offering additional support to students whose home language was not English. However, as I began my master's program, the birth bug bit me. Hard! See above :) As I got sucked into birth work, I always continued to center education. Although I didn't start out teaching childbirth classes, I focused on educating my birth doula clients and providing a variety of resources where they could do their own research and make well-informed choices. I also started teaching workshops to other birth professionals early in my doula career through my Birth Words platform and now offer additional workshops through Evidence Based Birth. And I later formally added birth classes to my list of offerings. Elementary teaching wasn't a great fit for me, but I love teaching adults, both expectant parents and birth professionals! I love facilitating interactive, engaging classes and workshops, and I always learn something new from the group discussions we have in these classes! SupportImagine a human, growing another mini-human within her body, while she continues about most of her previous activities. Imagine that person bringing her child out of her body and into the earth through a series of contractions and releases of the largest muscle in her body. Imagine her disposing of an organ she grew specifically for this process, but no longer needs. Imagine a breastfeeding mother making nutritionally-perfect food for her little human, inside of her own body, and producing enough to support the little human's growth of doubling in weight by 4-6 months. Imagine a parent, maybe in partnership, providing everything the little human needs, from comfort to clean diapers to burping to rocking to sleep. All day. Every day. Imagine those parents being sleep-deprived beyond belief, while still trying to juggle the demands of a household, possibly other children, recovery from the intense physical process of giving birth, a job, and other responsibilities. These people, in this transformative and magical time in their lives, need SUPPORT. And I love to offer it! I love supporting classes of expectant parents by sharing valuable information and skills with them as I teach birth classes. I love supporting my birth doula clients through visits in their homes during pregnancy. I love supporting them, by their sides, during the process of labor and birth. I love visiting them in their homes to check in on them a week or so later. I love supporting postpartum families as a postpartum doula. I love offering a listening ear and a compassionate heart, extra hands to help, and helpful resources and information about baby care and feeding or sleeping. I also love providing support to families I never meet in person! I do this by sharing information online, on this blog and the Summit Birth Utah blog, and on our social media platforms (Instagram and Facebook). Summit Birth: Accessible Childbirth Education and Support
Whether you're in Colorado, Utah, or anywhere else in the globe, I hope you'll join me for the services offered at Summit Birth! |
AuthorHi! I'm Sara. I love birth. I love supporting birthing and postpartum families. I love sharing information and hearing stories. Welcome to my birth blog. ArchivesCategories |