What are perinatal mood disorders? Pregnancy and the postpartum period are life-changing times when emotions can run high. It’s common to feel anxious or overwhelmed as your due date gets closer or during the tiring early months with a newborn. Hormonal surges and drops can also cause rollercoaster mood swings. But for some pregnant and…
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What is self-advocacy? Everyone wants a healthy mama and baby at the end of pregnancy. But how you experience your maternity care also matters. Whether your pregnancy is straightforward or needs more medical help – if you give birth in a hospital, a birth center, or at home – you are entitled to health care…
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No one’s birth is like yours Every body and every birth is unique, with its own journey through labor and delivery. While you’re pregnant, your relatives or friends will probably tell you all their birth stories. But no one actually knows how your labor will go, and there’s no exact roadmap for what to expect.…
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Get breastfeeding started on the right track Planning to breastfeed? Amazing! Breastfeeding offers a ton of health benefits for babies and moms. Your little one gets an immune system boost, reduced risks of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), infections, childhood obesity, allergies, and more. You get less bleeding after delivery, lower risk of postpartum depression,…
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Pregnancy is an extraordinary time and full of surprises. You’re growing a human! Your body is changing every day, and it’s common to feel weird or even pretty anxious about this. Many pregnant women, particularly first-time moms, struggle to judge what’s physically normal during pregnancy and what’s not. Is what you’re feeling just typical discomfort…
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The problem isn’t race. It’s racism. Let’s be real. Talking about Black maternal health means talking about racism in health care. Are the greater health risks that Black women face during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum because Black bodies are sicker or less able to have healthy births than white bodies? No. The reasons why Black…
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How painful is labor, really? Let’s talk about pain. As your due date gets closer, you’re probably wondering: How much is labor going to hurt? There isn’t a single answer. Everyone experiences childbirth differently, but most women will tell you that, Yup, it hurts. The good news is there are lots of tools for managing…
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What is this about a fourth trimester? You did it, mama! Your precious baby is here! So, now what? Welcome to the fourth trimester. There’s a common theory that babies need about three months to adjust to being out in the world. Well, mamas need recovery time too. Whether you had a vaginal birth or…
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What is a doula? We get this question a lot. Doulas are professional caregivers for pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. They are not midwives or nurses, so they do not provide medical care. But they are trained in physical and emotional support, and can play a huge role in helping women have healthy pregnancies…
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