Living Life in Bloom

Your body, spirit and family are undergoing huge changes with pregnancy and childbirth! It’s important to take care of your mental and emotional health. Resources are available to help support you. Tending to your mental and emotional health can include focusing on nutritious foods, hydration, rest, and bonding with your family – including your baby (both before and after birth), other children, and your partner. It can include moving your body to help feel flow and connection, connecting in a parent or friend group, meditating or practicing breathwork, creating art, and listening to music. Sometimes it can include working with specialized professionals such as a mental health therapist, a psychiatry provider, or a spiritual/religious leader. This blog post focuses on signs that specialized help might be needed. It provides links to resources to help identify and respond to mental health conditions in the perinatal period. Here are some signs that might mean you or your partner need ad...

Birthing women and people of size deserve no less than to be respected, honored, and wholeheartedly supported during their pregnancy and postpartum experiences. Pregnant women with higher body mass index (BMI) may be discriminated against. They may be presented with a barrage of anticipated risks rather than getting individualized support when seeking health services. BMI has (finally) been taken down a notch in the medical community, at least “on paper.” The American Medical Association published a new policy in June of 2023 that aimed to clarify the role of BMI. They called out “historical harm,” “use for racist exclusion,” and other limitations of the measure. In BMI We Trust, Reframing the Body Mass Index as a Measure of Health , medical sociologist Iliya Gutin argued that we should use BMI as only part of a holistic view of health, recognize its limitations, and be more flexible about its interpretation.  But how do people of size actually feel when seeking health services? I...

One of my favorite mom memories is when little Juliana (just shy of age 3) picked up baby Charlotte from her bassinet, carried her to the living room, and plopped her on the floor. At first I thought Julie had just brought one of her dolls out to play with. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was not a doll but rather my precious newborn! Both of them seemed perfectly content, by the way. To this day, I have no idea how Julie – who wasn’t even as tall as the bassinet – managed to get Charlotte out and carry her down the hall. Another favorite memory is of tandem nursing. Julie enjoyed nursing until she was somewhere between 3 and 4. Cuddling Julie on one side and Charlotte on the other seemed to be the penultimate experience of motherhood to me. Oxytocin is a beautiful thing. And when I was birthing baby Philip: Charlotte (age 15 months) visited for a bit at the birth center while Julie (age 4) swam in the expansive birthing pool with me while I labored. She eventually fell asleep,...

Meatloaf and mashed potatoes are nutrition-dense foods – filled with protein, vitamins and minerals, fats and especially love. A healthy postpartum is just like a home-cooked meal. Here are three tips to start your life with a new baby (or babies!) the right way. Eat and drink when the baby feeds: Whether you’re nursing or not, your body has high nutrition needs after giving birth. You’re recovering stretched or injured tissue, restoring iron and other nutrients lost during childbirth. To make sure you’re getting enough nourishment and fluids to recover your amazing body – and to make milk if you’re breastfeeding – drink and eat when the baby feeds. You can keep water bottles near your favorite spots to feed baby – and ask your partner and family to supply you with a plate of nibbles. Consider nutrient-rich meals and snacks that include cheese or yogurt, whole grains, and fruits and veggies. Include nuts and proteins like fish, beef, and eggs. Drinking fluids like coconut water and bo...