Parenthood in Bloom

09/20/2025

Here is our schedule for today☀️🎃Today is the last day of our Halloween Event, so come on out and enjoy some family fun!👻

09/18/2025

09/16/2025

Being pro-breastfeeding does not mean anti-formula.

It simply means recognizing the truth: breast milk is unique, powerful, and unmatched. It’s living, changing, and designed by the body to meet a baby’s needs in ways no formula ever could. Acknowledging that isn’t judgment… it’s science.

That doesn’t mean every mom’s story looks the same. Some of us have fought tooth and nail to keep our supply. Some of us supplemented. Some of us used formula exclusively. And some of us felt every emotion in between… guilt, grief, relief, pride, exhaustion, joy.

Every journey is valid.
Every mom is worthy.

But we also can’t ignore the reality that our culture doesn’t make breastfeeding easy. Mothers are set up to struggle with lack of paid leave, inadequate pumping support at work, and formula marketing around every corner. Advocacy for breastfeeding is about shining light on those barriers and making sure moms know the facts so their decisions come from empowerment, not from being left in the dark.

💛 Moms deserve honesty.
💛 Babies deserve breast milk whenever possible.

09/16/2025

Thought I’d share the slightly revised late night scribble from my stories ❤️

09/15/2025

Hi everyone! For those that aren’t aware (because I have completely neglected this portion of my business for the past hmmm two years), I also make handmade cribsheets.

With autumn upon us and a recent purchase, I’ve been reminded of the stash of cribsheets I have already made. With that said, here’s my public reminder that I have some adorable Halloween sheets for standard cribs available for purchase on my website (www.parenthoodinbloom.com) and Etsy at Parenthoodinbloom. For local pick-up/drop-off, I’m offering a cash price of $10 off of any available Halloween cribsheet – just PM me!

We’ll also consider this my little ode to Joann’s 🥲 which truly had some of the cutest fabrics (maybe a good thing they’re out of business now because I can’t accidentally buy 800 yards of fabric I didn’t need on a whim 😂)

Anyways, just trying to clear out the stash, so reach out with any questions ☺️

09/15/2025

We have another Labor and Delivery Prep Course coming up soon! If you are pregnant, sign up! If you know someone who is pregnant, please share!

📆WHEN: Saturday, September 20 @10:00am ⏰

📍WHERE: 148 West Main St - Cortland, OH 44410

💰PRICE: $15 for a one-hour session

👉WHAT TO EXPECT: Interactive pelvic floor workshop, Q&A portion, light refreshments, preparation for birth and postpartum, take-home labor & delivery packet, and the opportunity to build connections in the community with other moms! 🤰

Dr. Riana Taktikos is a pelvic floor physical therapist and wellness specialist with years of experience and multiple different birthing experiences of her own. She will share specific techniques and resources to help you in your pregnancy and birthing journey.

Learn how to best prepare yourself, your body, and your baby for birth and postpartum through pelvic floor exercises, diaphragmatic breathing, pushing techniques, labor and delivery positions, preventing vaginal tearing, taking care of your c-section scar, etc.

We have only 6 spots left for our workshop! Call us to reserve your spot! ☎ 234-806-3248

09/13/2025

AJOG Expert Review in Labor: Water birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis of maternal and neonatal outcomes https://ow.ly/nr7O50R9Nzi

09/12/2025

👶🏻 Breast-milk is the ideal first food for a baby. It's safe, clean and contains antibodies which protect against dangerous illnesses.

✅ Start breastfeeding within 1 hour after birth
✅ Breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months
✅ Continue breastfeeding alongside healthy family foods until the baby is at least 2 years old

09/11/2025

Yes, please come over.
Yes, bring your kids.
Yes, bring your mess, your chaos, your exhaustion.

I don’t care if your kids scream or fight or spill juice all over the floor.
I don’t care if you show up in sweats with greasy hair and puffy eyes.
I don’t care if you cry on my couch or don’t have the words to say at all.

I’ve got snacks. I’ve got coffee. I’ve got wine.
I’ve got a place where you don’t have to pretend you’re okay.

No, don’t bring a thing... I don’t need perfect cupcakes or a clean diaper bag.
I just need you.
Exactly as you are.

So come.

Let the kids be loud.
Let the house get messy.
Let us be real together.

09/11/2025

A golden, light-soaked moment by Ricky Mujica—Mother and Child captures the tender balance of self and motherhood. Loose brushwork, warm tones, and a mirror’s reflection turn a morning ritual into something timeless and intimate. ❤️

09/10/2025

✨ Healthy Start is seeking Black families who are willing to share clear photos 📸 of their baby 👶🏾in the NICU to be included in our doula training curriculum.

These photos will:

💜Provide meaningful representation of Black babies in NICU settings

💜Support doulas in learning how to better serve families with compassionate, culturally grounded care

Your photos will be used for training purposes in our NICU Doula Curriculum. This curriculum may be shared or licensed for use by other organizations. Photos will not be posted on social media or used for promotional purposes. All submissions will be uploaded through a secure system and stored in a password-protected folder accessible only to our training team to take every step possible to protect your baby’s image.

If you are interested in contributing or want more information, please reach out to Nadia Mercado (EMBRACE Project Coordinator) via email 📧 (nmercado@hsipgh.org). Photos will be accepted until 🗓️ Friday, September 19th.

Thank you for helping us uplift and center Black families and babies!