Main Street Family Wellness

01/14/2026

REMINDER of this FREE service ❤️

OCD Iowa's✨FREE ✨Raising an Anxious Child parent education session is next week! There is still time to register! Don't miss out! Registration link in comments. ⬇️

01/08/2026

Winter = Low sun, and low Vitamin D season ☀️❄️
When the days get shorter, our sunlight exposure drops — so do Vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D supports:
✨ immune function - recurrent sickness?
✨ mood & energy - feeling tired?
✨ bone and muscle health - feeling achey lately?

Here’s the thing: Vitamin D is fat-soluble, meaning your body absorbs itin the tissues and uses it best with the right support, to direct to keep bones strong too.

Why people pair D3 + K2

✅ Vitamin D3 helps raise blood levels of Vitamin D
✅ Vitamin K2 helps direct calcium where it belongs — to your bones (not places you don’t want it)

🟡 Think of it like a team:
D3 helps increase Vitamin D levels
K2 helps your body use it efficiently

💡 Pro tip: Take Vitamin D with a meal that includes healthy fats for better absorption.

Want to know your level? Ask your provider about a 25(OH)D blood test — it’s the best way to check.

Insurance may cover only for certain reasons, thus often recommendations are that starting a low dose Vitamin is likely safe.

✨ Want a personalized plan?
Contact us today if you'd like a full health review to make sure you're set up for your healthiest year yet — and feeling your best in 2026.

01/06/2026

Moms of babies under 12 months 💙 You’re invited to participate in a research study exploring what helps strengthen the mother–infant bond.

This anonymous online survey looks at how attachment style, motherhood expectations, and lived experiences relate to early bonding. It takes just 15–20 minutes, and your participation can help clinicians and researchers better support mothers and infants during this critical time.

Eligibility:
✔️ Mothers age 18+
✔️ At least one child under 12 months

📩 Interested or want to learn more? Contact qadris2@montclair.edu or go to https://loom.ly/zOb_Wn0

Your experience matters, and it can help shape better care for families.

12/03/2025

A great resource, and FREE! Get signed up today.

Hey fellow Iowans!

OCD Iowa is hosting a free parent education session, Raising an Anxious Child, on January 15th from 6–8 PM CST. Join us as we explore how anxiety and OCD show up in children, what effective evidence-based treatments look like, and practical tools you can use at home to support your child.

All attendees will receive a FREE copy of Breaking Free of Childhood Anxiety & OCD: A Scientifically Proven Program for Parents by Dr. Eli Lebowitz.

We hope you can join us!

👉 Register here: https://forms.gle/uoiCAPNREkNgdP3E7

11/30/2025

Check out our recommended books while the sales are going on this weekend 📚

10/07/2025

Learn about DMER, something not many mamas, or providers have learned about!

Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER) is a condition that affects some breastfeeding mothers, characterized by negative emotions that occur just before or during milk letdown. Unlike postpartum depression or anxiety, D-MER is specifically linked to the physiological process of milk release. Understanding D-MER is important for providing support and effective management for affected mothers.

D-MER is a sudden and brief wave of negative emotions, such as sadness, anxiety, irritability, or even a sense of dread, that occurs just before the milk ejection reflex. These feelings typically last only a few minutes and resolve once milk flow begins

Symptoms of D-MER vary in intensity and nature but are generally negative and unpleasant. They can include:
- Sadness or Despair
- Anxiety or Panic
- Irritability or Anger
- Dread or Guilt
- Emotional Numbness
-Homesickness

D-MER is distinct from other emotional or psychological conditions like postpartum depression (PPD) or postpartum anxiety (PPA):
- Timing: D-MER is closely linked to the act of breastfeeding and the letdown reflex, whereas PPD and PPA are more constant and pervasive
- Duration: The negative emotions in D-MER are short-lived, lasting only a few minutes during milk letdown
- Specificity: D-MER symptoms are specifically triggered by breastfeeding, not by other activities or events

10/01/2025

10/01/2025

🏥 ACOG Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations (Average Risk)

• ACOG now recommends that screening mammography be offered starting at age 40.

• For those at increased risk (e.g. genetic mutations, strong family history, prior chest radiation), additional or earlier screening strategies (e.g. MRI, more frequent mammograms) may be considered (though those are outside the “average risk” guideline). 

• ACOG recommends regular risk assessment by a qualified healthcare provider. If you aren’t sure what your risk is, ask your doctor (or us) not Google 🙃

09/29/2025

Did you know dads experience hormonal changes too after a baby is born? 👶💙

➡️Just like moms, fathers go through shifts in hormones during the postpartum period:

🔹 Testosterone decreases – helping dads become more nurturing and attentive
🔹 Oxytocin rises – strengthening bonding with baby
🔹 Cortisol & prolactin change – influencing stress response and caregiving behaviors

➡️ All of these hormones have direct effects on dopamine and serotonin production, leading to a higher risk of anxiety and mood changes.

While these changes support connection, they can also make dads more vulnerable to postpartum mood changes such as anxiety, irritability, or depression.

👉 Supporting paternal mental health means recognizing these biological shifts and normalizing that dads need care too. 💬

A healthy parent means a healthier family. ❤️

09/28/2025

This Friday is our monthly sensory friendly play time for kids on the autism spectrum or with other sensory sensitivities. We encourage the whole family to come play and connect. We'll have slime to play with in the messy zone. All regular exhibits will be open.

Our Sensory Friendly Play Time is a free program, supported by Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa

Variety - the Children’s Charity is dedicated to improving the lives of children who are at-risk, underprivileged, critically ill, or living with special needs throughout Iowa. Funding is provided to programs and initiatives that directly impact the well-being of children throughout Iowa. For more information on how you can be a part of Variety’s work, please visit varietyiowa.com.

09/26/2025

✨ ADHD in Women: What It Can Really Look Like ✨

ADHD doesn’t always show up as “hyper” or “distracted.” For many women, it’s more subtle and often overlooked. Some common signs include:

🔹 Constantly feeling overwhelmed by daily tasks
🔹 Trouble with time management (always running late or losing track of time)
🔹 Forgetfulness — misplacing things, missing appointments
🔹 Racing thoughts or difficulty “turning your brain off”
🔹 Struggling to stay organized at work or home
🔹 Emotional sensitivity and frequent mood swings
🔹 Procrastination mixed with bursts of hyperfocus
🔹 Feeling exhausted from masking symptoms or “keeping it together”

💡 Many women don’t get diagnosed until adulthood because symptoms can look different than in men. Awareness is the first step toward support.

❤️ You are not lazy. You are not broken. You are not alone.

09/25/2025

✨🌥️

As the days grow shorter here in the Midwest, many of us feel the shift: less daylight, colder air, that creeping heaviness called seasonal depression. But there’s something simple—yet powerful— when using a seasonal depression lamp.

You can find many on Amazon or your local stores, Costco, Sam’s, Wal-Mart.

https://a.co/d/2H3yacM

⸻

🛋️ Why this lamp makes a difference:
• Mimics natural daylight – Emits bright, full-spectrum light to help reset your circadian rhythms. When the sun isn’t out much, this can be a lifesaver for your body clock.
• Boosts mood & energy – Using light therapy has been shown to increase serotonin levels, which can reduce fatigue, low mood, and feelings of lethargy.
• Helps with sleep quality – More natural light during waking hours helps you sleep better at night—which matters so much when daylight is scarce.
• Easy to use – No prescription, no complicated setup. Just set it out in your favorite spot, soak it in daily, and let it work its magic.
• Portable & stylish – Great design doesn’t hurt. Because if it looks good, you’re more likely to use it consistently.

⸻

📅 When & how to use it:
• Try 20–30 minutes each morning—ideally within the first hour after waking.
• Place it at desk level or nearby—let the light reach your eyes without staring directly into it.
• Use daily for best effects. Even cloudy days add up!