MaMa Mentoring; pregnancy thru preschool

02/01/2026

Night times are tough on parents but this too shall pass.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2034134157148118?mibextid=9drbnH&s=yWDuG2&fs=e

01/28/2026

Stop by and say hi on Valentine's day. I'll be answering questions about my hands-on bodywork for moms and babies and passing out info about MaMa Mentoring group.

01/28/2026

I have generally found it is best to follow the person giving birth. The mother/baby dyad decides when it feels right to push. The urge to push is not triggered by dilation. It is triggered by how far down between the pelvic bones the baby is pressing. There are nerves that need pressure which send the signal to the uterus to start pushing contractions. This is called the ejection reflex. Like most reflexes it usually happens automatically via a sensory feedback loop. This can happen before the magic number 10, very rapidly after reaching 10, or a few hours after 10 centimeters.

What do you think of this study? Unfortunately many of the moms were laying down and/or had epidurals so it is not a valid look at how spontaneous labor is designed.

01/28/2026

01/16/2026

Here are some interesting facts about our kiddos developing brain.
Your baby was born with 25% of their adult brain volume. At the end of 9 months it has grown to 50%! By their 1st Birthday it has reached 60%. At their 3rd Birthday it is an astonishing 90%!

In their first 3 years they are working at building neural connections at the amazing pace of 1 MILLION new connections every SECOND!

It takes nutrient dense foods, lots of exposure to novel or new things, and a constant brain bath of the hormone oxytocin to achieve this miracle.

01/16/2026

A first time mom had asked a question in an online mom group. The other moms had weighed in with lots of problem solving ideas and encouragement. Their generosity and wealth of ideas moved me to post this.

I love this thread. So many examples of what moms are good at; problem solving, sharing resources, being encouraging, modeling empathy, redirection, creating positive structure or guidance, being resourceful, reframing our perspective, searching for answers that fit our situations, and reaching out for more experienced help both professional and mom wisdom. None of us have all the answers, especially not with our first. None of us are going to get momming right every moment of every day. This conversation connects us to all the mothers down all the generations sharing the mental load of mothering.

This is the type of conversation I facilitate in MaMa Mentoring meet-ups.

01/16/2026

Holding your little one close while they sleep is important work. It is more important than dishes or laundry. It doesn't stop being important when they turn 4 months or a year. It takes 3 years to build strong brain linkages.

https://www.facebook.com/100004204749247/posts/3305534769596649/?mibextid=CDWPTG

When a baby is held during sleep, their brain is doing important work. Gentle touch and closeness send safety signals through the nervous system. These signals help the brain learn that the world is calm and predictable, especially during the early months when the brain is growing fastest.

Research in neuroscience shows that comforting sleep practices support stronger connections between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala. The prefrontal area helps with calming, reasoning, and emotional control. The amygdala detects stress and fear. When these two areas communicate well, a child is better able to manage emotions later in life.

Holding a baby while they sleep helps regulate breathing, heart rate, and stress hormones. Over time, the brain learns how to settle itself more effectively. This does not create dependence. It builds a foundation of security that the brain uses to develop self regulation as the child grows.

You cannot spoil a baby by responding to their need for comfort. You are teaching their nervous system how safety feels. That early sense of safety supports emotional resilience, confidence, and calmer responses to stress in childhood and beyond. Comfort today supports mental health for years to come.

12/19/2025

Measels have come to the county. So far 1 child. They are not saying if it is a school age child that was attending school or a younger one who may go to daycare or mom groups. They aren't saying what part of the county the family lives in. We do know they came in contact with the measels virus via international travel.

Infants aren't vaccinated for measels until they are 1 but they are the most vulnerable to serious complications from the measels virus. The virus has a 21 day window and the airborne droplets from coughing or sneezing can hang in the air for up to an hour.

The classic measels rash doesn't appear until several days into being ill and more days into being contagious. It starts with cough and watery eyes. Keeping sick kiddos home is important, especially from daycare, play groups or school. Schools being closed during the winter break will be helpful to stopping the spread.

El Departamento de Salud Pública del Condado de SLO Confirma el Primer Caso de Sarampión en Años; Recomienda Vigilancia y Vacunación San Luis Obispo, Cali.— l Departamento de Salud Pública del Condado de San Luis Obispo confirmó  un caso de sarampión en un niño local — el primer caso de...

12/10/2025

Mothers and families deserve more than lip service to the benefits of breastfeeding. Most American families have already heard about the benefits of breastmilk and breastfeeding, and if the mom and baby can breastfeed they do. Or at least they do until their maternity leave runs out, or they can't afford or access help from a lactation professional, or their health care doesn't cover repeated bouts of mastitis, or their boss or company doesn't supply time, a clean space, and privacy for pumping. Understand that most states, especially red states, have much less structural support for successful long term breastfeeding than California. What is MAHA offering? Nursing pods in airports. Pods are great but a drop in the bucket when it comes to real systemic support. Furthermore they aren't necessary if we had real cultural acceptance of women feeding their little ones in public.