Supermom Burnout

Oh dear !  I have been there myself.  Trying to do it all and falling flat on my tush.  With all the best intentions in the world we strive to be everything to everyone.  I sometimes wish my mother's generation hadn't tried so hard for equality because I think in someways it back-fired. 


Many women feel so overwhelmed by ALL that they have to do they begin to feel resentful. Full-time jobs, family, housekeeping etc etc.  How I wish there were more hours in the day.


OK so breathe!  You don't have to be perfect and neither do your children. Let your guard down a little and play with them - one on one.  Appreciate them for who they are at this moment.  Perfection should not be expected for you or your children. 


So during the colder days of winter when we are all feeling a little cabin fever, take some time to reflect on all the amazing attributes you and your family have and don't sweat the small stuff.

New Year Resolutions for New Parents

This time of year some of us focus on what we want to change about ourselves - lose weight, get fit etc.  You know the old routine. Well I thought it would be a good idea for new parents to think about some of the things you can do for yourselves and your little ones to make 2011 a great year.

Make time for a date night and stick to it!!  So much time is dedicated to your new little one(s) that you forget about yourselves.  There are plenty of people dying to get their chance to babysit so make sure you take advantage of this. If you don't have family nearby then maybe enlist the help of another mom - bartering childcare keeps the expense of babysitting down.

Reach out to moms groups in the area. You will be surprised at how much fun these groups can be and can also lead to life-time friendships. Do a quick search on the internet or in your local paper to find out where the local meetings are held or call you favorite doula (me) for some local resources.



Have faith in yourself and your abilities. Too many of my clients have very little confidence in their parenting skills. Nobody is a better parent to you little one than you! This year relax - there are going to be many things you question about your parenting but taking a few moments to appreciate what you have accomplished so far will hopefully put things into prospective.

Get some exercise. Now I don’t mean you’ve got to go to the gym everyday or lose 50lbs in 2 months. I mean try to do something that gets those endorphins moving. In the winter months there is a greater risk for postpartum depression. We don’t want those baby blues to get any worse than a couple of days of feeling a bit down. Bundle up baby and soak up some vitamin D. A 10 minute walk outside does wonders for the soul!









Save money for fun things. Instead of buying that new outfit for Jr or the latest greatest toy/gadget put the money aside and use it towards a trip or “daycation”. The most valuable thing your child needs is your time.

Meal times matter – make time for older siblings and yourself by sitting down to eat with them. You don’t have to eat standing up at the counter. Enjoy sitting, eating and catching up with the rest of your clan. (OK that’s a big one for me this year!)


Try to cut down on processed food. Nutritious and delicious food does not have to take forever to prepare and it can be used as a great way for you and older siblings to share some fun time together in the kitchen. Check out http://weelicious.com/ for some great ideas.



I hope you enjoyed these few "resolutions". Have a Happy and Healthy New Year!!!

Sleep Advice for a Mum with a 4 month old

This is the link to a piece I did for Better Connecticut. 

Sleep advice for a mum with 4 month old with sleep problems.

Protecting Baby's Skin from the sun

I like the sunshine, let me clarify, I LOVE the sunshine but I don't like getting sunburnt. Here are some useful reminders for all of you.  Remember even for babies 6 months and younger the American Academy of Pediatrics now states that sunscreen is probably (ugh!) safe to use on younger children, especially if you just use it on small areas of your baby's skin that is exposed to the sun and not protected by clothing, such as the infant's hands and face.

Here is a link to some of the guidelines recommended by Healthy Children.org

Of course there are some great products available at Whole foods and even CVS that are organic and more gentle for baby's skin.  Here is one that I would recommend and it isn't going to break the bank.

Earth's Best Sun Block SPF30 70% Organic and Hypo-Allergenic Earths Best Organic protects baby's delicate skin from the sun with this SPF 30+ Chemical Free, Fragrance Free Sunblock created by JASON. This hypo-allergenic sun block is extra mild and safe for use on babies and sensitive adults. Enriched with Beta Glucan, Oat Oil and Lavender Extract this sun block not only protects but soothes. 

Happiest Baby

 
Did you know that I was a Happiest Baby Educator?  I have been teaching this way of calming your 
baby(ies) for many years now and wish I knew about the technique when I had my children.

It is by far one of the best ways I know of calming your baby from day one and in 99% of cases I have been successful in helping babies sleep for longer periods of time during the day and night.

By far the number one question I am asked by new parent's is, "When is my baby going to sleep through the night?"  I think that once you realize newborns are NOT supposed to sleep through the night initially, you will be less anxious and be able to focus on taking those baby steps towards getting you and your baby into a good sleeping pattern.  It may be a few weeks before you will see a solid 8 hours but it will come - I promise!

Dr Karp shows how to immediately calm a baby

Lots and lots to write about but just not enough time - Happy Mother's Day

There's been a lot happening around here but lately my head has been buried in my books as finals take over my life.  Thankfully this year I will have the whole Summer off before I begin school again in the fall.

This weekend is Mother's day and I have decided this year to take the boys away for the weekend.  We will be going with my friend Bev and her children to  Rhode Island.  It's going to be a blast but I am sure we will get a T-Storm somewhere along the lines.  It's almost guaranteed because whenever Bev and I decide to go camping we always get rained on LOL.  My husband decided that enough was enough one year and we bought a camper.  Unfortunately he's working this weekend and I just don't feel like towing that big thing all the way there for just one night. Actually it won't be as bad as in previous camping trips because we rented a log cabin.  Yay, no drips on our heads in the middle of the night.

Whatever you decide to do this weekend, make sure you honor how wonderful and special you are.  Mother's make the world go around!



More photo's and blogs to follow - promise!

So what is a doula and why would I need one?

Doula is the Greek work for maid servant.  Throughout history women have been surrounded by the care and compassion of women who are experts in the field of maternity care.  I am proud to be considered one of those women.

Many women may have heard of the term doula when it comes to childbirth but did you know that there are postpartum doulas?  We are women who will come to you during those fragile transitional moments after the baby is born.  The role of a postpartum doula is to help a woman through her postpartum period and to nurture the family.

Unlike a baby nurse, a doula’s focus is not solely on the baby.  Our role is to help the entire family feel confident in their new roles. We are their to help the father and older children as well as the mother and the baby.

Knowing that the family is an evolving, connected unit enables doulas to do their job.  We gauge our success by how independent the family is at the end of the time we have with them.