Believe You Can - Childbirth Education

04/25/2023

Those first few moments after birth are SO special!

❤ BIRTH FACT ❤
Newborn term babies that go through an uncomplicated birth into an environment that is dark, quiet and calm will initially go through the Quiet Alert State.

This state of alertness will usually last for the first hour after birth as the baby is calm, awake, alert and taking in his surroundings.

All of his attention and energy is focused on seeing and hearing everything around him, especially his mother’s and father’s voice and faces.

This is the perfect time to bond with your newborn. It is the perfect time to cuddle and speak to your baby. Holding your baby's face close to yours will allow him to see you and study your face.

This is a time not to miss or to waste with “hospital routine”. That can wait. This is a precious time to be together uninterrupted.

If the newborn remains close to his mother during this first hour, the Quiet Alert State can last even longer. ❤

Photo courtesy of 📸

04/29/2021

TRUTH 👇🏼

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but attachment parenting in a detached society is exhausting.
No. It’s not your baby.
There is nothing wrong with them if they want to be held all the time.
No. It’s not you.
You’re not doing it wrong.
Your feelings of exhaustion and depletion and being touched out are normal- considering the weight you’re carrying. Those feelings, and the deep ache underneath them - are a reminder that you were never meant to do this alone.
Babies want to be held. And we want to hold them close. Exclusive/extended breastfeeding, cosleeping, babywearing- all of these are intuitive, ancestral practices that have kept our species alive throughout history. Attachment parenting is just parenting!!
But never before have we parented in such isolation. There were always other hands stirring the soup pot, other aunties, and sisters, and uncles and grandmas, and cousins, and neighbors helping with the daily tasks and child rearing. Other arms carrying the weight of raising humanity. Together.
And now, it’s just you. Alone in the kitchen, trying to stir the soup and bounce the baby and play with the toddler and keep an eye on the big kid and answer the phone and sweep up the mess and tackle the laundry and .....
No matter how magical your baby wrap is — it can’t take the place of a whole village.
So no, you’re not doing it wrong. You’re just trying to stay connected in a world set on tearing you apart.
But don’t give up mama. I know you’re tired and touched out, but you’re giving your baby exactly what she needs. And maybe one day, when she’s raising her own babies,there will be a village around her, helping her hold it all together.

Beautiful words and Pic by on Instagram

04/23/2021

Okay... this is so spot on 😂

11/23/2020

“Our findings underscore children’s natural desire and preference for reciprocity and mutual engagement between individuals. Children expect and strive to create situations in which they can be reciprocally involved with others. They want to encounter people who are not only looked at but who can return another’s gaze; people who not only listen but are also heard; and people who are not just spoken to but who can reply and thus enter a mutual dialogue.”

https://theconversation.com/young-children-are-terrible-at-hiding-psychologists-have-a-new-theory-why-67979?fbclid=IwAR1qPjeKJZgyVULbS0ReO0fKDjZphwQ4-9XGX99WKDYFqpX3K12MGsgoCII

Little kids cover their own eyes and feel hidden, even if they're still fully visible. New research suggests this doesn't mean children can't understand others' perspectives, as had been assumed.

11/18/2020

Don’t forget about those

11/14/2020

TRUTH! Happy Saturday you guys! 😆

11/11/2020

“𝒫𝒶𝒾𝓃 𝒾𝓈 𝒶𝓃 𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓋𝒾𝓉𝒶𝒷𝓁𝑒 𝓅𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓁𝒹𝒷𝒾𝓇𝓉𝒽, 𝓎𝑒𝓉 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒷𝑒 𝒹𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝑒𝒶𝓈𝑒 𝓈𝓊𝒻𝒻𝑒𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔.”

🌷One of the greatest comforts during the pain of childbirth, is a supportive coach to keep you grounded and help remind you how strong you are!

🌷Every mom is different, and every labor is different! Many moms have no idea what will be comforting to them until the time comes!

🌷A great coach has to be willing to get in there and TRY things! Don’t be afraid to test something out. A back rub, a hand massage, gentle words...that might be just what she needs to get through that next contraction.

🌷Sometimes all it takes is a hand extended, a sign of your support and a reminder of your presence, to give her what she needs to do the most incredible thing she will ever do...

Tag a supportive dad!

11/06/2020

If you live in the Lowcountry, you're so fortunate to have the option of birthing with the Charleston Birth Place! The care you'll receive working with these midwives is unlike what you'd receive anywhere else. If you are pregnant and want amazing care, please check them out! I have worked with these ladies on multiple occasions and trust me, they're a great team to have working with you for your birth! https://www.facebook.com/charleston.birthplace/posts/2986249171477489