Why Share MayFlowers? A few words from Founder Jessica McKinney, PT, MS: May is a month of new beginnings and blooming flowers. A day and a week are already set aside in May to honor mothers and to promote women’s health, respectively. Good stuff, to be sure. But not enough. We want the whole month….
Using a doula is one of the best steps expectant or new parents can take, to help them have a shorter labor and reduce the risk of a cesarean, as well as to improve their chances of breastfeeding success and help prevent postpartum depression. As a doula since 1995, I have seen many families get…
Whether it’s swelling, abdominal strain, back pain, varicosities or ligament pain, most new or expecting moms experience at least one negative side effect of pregnancy or postpartum that could be reduced by some form of support wear or other specialty product. But how do you navigate the multitude of products that are available on the…
Childbirth Education is about learning, practicing and interacting with other couples facing the same amazing and unnerving experience of pregnancy, birth and parenting. As a nurse-midwife and childbirth educator I believe onsite classes that are evidenced-based and taught by an experienced instructor provide the best opportunity for expectant women and their partners or support persons…
Running while pregnant…should moms do it? Should healthcare providers endorse it? This has become a hotly debated topic recently, since Amber Miller ran the Chicago Marathon in October 2011 while nine months pregnant and gave birth just hours after. It turns out she also ran the Indianapolis marathon while 18 weeks pregnant with her first…
I tend to get so caught up in the physical and mental aspects of pregnancy that I don’t think as much as I should about how things will go after the baby comes. Sure, I think about breastfeeding and co-sleeping and strollers. But it’s hard to visualize your actual life with a new baby. The…
If you sat in a room filled with women who were 8 months pregnant, you’d see all of the worst parts of pregnancy. There would probably be one woman with her feet up because they’re so swollen. And a woman whose swelling has been mostly in her face and neck, giving her a double chin….
Can you hear the buzz? Listen closely, because prematurity prevention is a hot topic and everyone is talking about it. Check out these important initiatives and discussions in the news this past week. March of Dimes Prematurity Symposium Last week, my Isis colleagues and I attended the March of Dimes Prematurity Symposium in Washington, DC,…