But there is also another person in the picture. And that’s dad!

It isn’t always easy for dads to jump into parenting, but if you have a new dad in your life, here are some ways to support him as he transitions to fatherhood.

Share information

New dads need to learn how to be new dads, and there are some books out there for them. But really, any book or article about how to be a new parent can be beneficial for a dad to read – especially if mom is nursing.

There are also classes geared toward new dads, so they can learn about diapering, feeding, bathing and development.

Paternity leave

Many companies are starting more family-friendly policies like paternity leave, so encouraging a new dad to take the leave offered is always a good thing. The first few weeks of having a newborn can be a whirlwind but it’s also when some of the best bonding occurs.

And on that note…

Encouraging bonding

Many new dads struggle with bonding with their newborns because, let’s face it, newborns don’t do a whole lot. But bonding occurs when you care for a newborn: Rocking, soothing, changing, feeding or supporting mom while she feeds baby.

Learning baby’s cues and “language” is crucial in the early days, and dad can be a part of that process.

It can be hard for new parents to ask for, and accept help, and dads need support and care – just like new moms.

If you have a new dad in your life, make sure to connect with him and offer a listening ear.

Everything Birth

At Everything Birth, we love supporting new dads – and seeing the starting of amazing new families!

Having “the hip squeeze” is a way to relieve pain naturally and this comfort measure is used by doulas and midwives alike. But it can also be used by any birth partner to give comfort and pain relief during the labor process.

So, what is the hip squeeze and why does it work?

The proper term is Hip Counter Pressure and it is a great way to manage pain. It acts as a sort of massage and can feel really good because it helps relieve the pain and pressure as baby moves down the birth canal. There can be pressure – especially around the sacrum. 

Hip squeezing or hip counter pressure can help by relieving that pain and pressure caused by stretching – and it can give your baby more room to descend.

There are many ways to help a birthing person with a hip squeeze. The birthing person can stand or lean over a birth ball or they can sit and lean forward like on a bed or a chair.

The birth partner puts their hands on the hip bones – making sure there is a hand on each bone, and the thumbs form a “W” shape and point toward the spine.

Apply pressure and push the hipbones in and up – towards the birthing person’s shoulders.

The birthing person can tell you how much pressure and you can also change hand position based on preferences (it can be helpful to say “do you want more or less pressure” or “do you want me to move my hands up or down”).

Not every birthing person likes a hip squeeze, so make sure to back off if it isn’t working.

Everything Birth

At Everything Birth, we love supporting birthing people and their partners!

Enter perineal massage: A technique that can help your perineum (the area between your vagina and rectum) be more pliable during birth and less prone to tearing or damage.

You can prepare your perineal area for childbirth with some simple massage and you can also ask your birth workers to help you during birth to make things go more smoothly – and hopefully make for an easier recovery.

So, what is perineal massage? It is a gentle way to stretch and massage your perineal tissues and help make your pelvic floor ready for the birth of your baby. It can help loosen the muscles and tissues, so you have less tearing, scarring, pain and healing that needs to be done.

If done during the last few months of your pregnancy, perineal massage can help you have an easier – and possibly less painful – birth and recovery. That’s because it can help reduce the risk of tearing.

While there aren’t conclusive studies about its benefits, it isn’t shown to do any harm, so it’s definitely worth a try!

You might be wondering how to do a perineal massage. You can learn how, or you can ask your partner to do it. A good pelvic floor physical therapist can help you as well, by teaching you a few proper techniques. Your birth provider (a midwife or doula) might also be able to show you some techniques as well.

Give it a try!

Everything Birth

At Everything Birth, we hope you have a beautiful birth and peaceful babymoon.

A rainbow baby is a child born to parents who have experienced a pregnancy loss or infant death – like miscarriage or still birth.

Rainbows for many people symbolize hope, rebirth or renewal and for parents who have experienced loss, the birth of a child can help them connect and celebrate their new baby – while honoring the child or children lost.

Rainbows, after all, are the beauty that comes after a storm.

And rainbow babies come after a rainbow pregnancy, which – despite the nice sounding name – can bring real challenges, fears and anxiety.

Rainbow pregnancies can be filled with joy for sure, but they can also be a painful time for parents. You might experience fear, anxiety, guilt, a sense of loss or detachment.

There are many emotions during a rainbow pregnancy and they are all normal and natural – after all, you can never forget the baby or babies you lost.

It’s even common for some families to mention or honor the baby or babies lost when they announce their rainbow pregnancy or the birth of their rainbow baby.

If you see a rainbow on a baby announcement or pregnancy announcement, it’s a way for parents to share their journey and it can also be a way for people to connect and bond over their experiences.

If you have lost a baby and have a rainbow pregnancy or rainbow baby, don’t be afraid to share your story. Feeling joy, fear, grief and love are all a part of the process.

And definitely let your health care provider know; they can help you work through emotions and provide reassurance.

Everything Birth

At Everything Birth, we celebrate and support all parents – in all stages of pregnancy, birth and new parenthood.

Spring is a great time to freshen up your space and it can be a (relatively) fun activity for the entire family if you do it right. Not all spring cleaning tasks ARE fun, but some of them can draw in even the littlest family members.

Here are some spring cleaning tips for families. Read on:

Baseboard washing

When was the last time you wiped down your baseboards and woodwork? Was it the holidays? Last year? Never? We get it; it isn’t always a priority. But little hands can help wipe down baseboards and woodwork and even have fun doing it. A soft cloth, a spray bottle of water and they are good to go. Put on some fun music and make a game of it.

Clean out the fridge

This task isn’t always fun, but if you do it around a meal time, you can make it into a game by eating all the random leftovers or smelling if something has gone bad. Dip strawberries in chocolate or make a random salad or stir fry and then wipe all the shelves off. Viola! A clean fridge.

Clothes swap

Spring is a great time to flip everyone’s wardrobe and while this is often a chore no one really enjoys; you can make it fun. Dump all the clothes out and have the kids dive into them like a leaf pile before you sort them (Marie Kondo recommends taking everything out; we recommend the jumping!). Maybe a caregiver can entertain the littles while the grownups sort and fold/rehang the clothes, but it’ll be fun for a minute!

Everything Birth

At Everything Birth, we hope you have a wonderful spring with your family!

If your family doesn’t celebrate Earth Day, make this the year you start the tradition, and we bet you will make some amazing memories.

Here are five ways to show your children how to care for Mother Earth. Read on:

Plant a tree or garden

One of the best things you can do with your children to celebrate Earth Day is to plant a tree or even a small garden. If it’s too cold where you are, start some seeds indoors or visit a nursery or botanical garden to admire all the plants.

Planting a tree as a family is a great way to mark time, as well. You can take a picture of your littles in front of the tree each year and watch them all grow.

Clean up your neighborhood

If your neighborhood doesn’t have a spring clean-up day, now is the time to start one! Send some emails and invite folks to come out on Earth Day to pick up trash. It is a great way to meet new friends and take care of our planet, as trash can have negative impacts on wildlife and ecosystems.

No cars, no problem

If you can, make Earth Day a day when you walk or bike to places instead of taking a car. You’ll use less emissions and you just might find you look around and see lots of new things – and get some exercise!

Whether you walk or bike to the store, a park or a friend’s house, it’s a great way to honor Mother Earth.

Everything Birth

At Everything Birth, we hope you enjoy celebrating Earth Day with your family!

Learn about Down Syndrome today and remember to share the knowledge with others.

What is Down Syndrome?

Down Syndrome, named after a British doctor John Langdon Down, is a genetic disorder where a person has three copies of the 21^st chromosome instead of two. It is the most frequently occurring chromosomal disorder in the world.

The cause of Down Syndrome remains unknown.

It is usually diagnosed at birth and is based on physical characteristics and then confirmed through a chromosome study. Many pregnant people do genetic screenings and learn of the risk factors as well.

How many people have Down Syndrome?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 1 in 700 people are born with this condition each year. However, the number of people in the U.S. with Down Syndrome is unknown, but is estimated at about 400,000 people.

What should you know about people with Down Syndrome?

In the recent past, people with Down Syndrome had a shortened lifespan and many were institutionalized. However, things are changing. Now, many people with Down Syndrome work, seek secondary education, live independently and have a longer life span.

Most children have mild to moderate cognitive impairment but there is a wide range of abilities and challenges for people with Down Syndrome. There is a growing group of people with Down Syndrome who are choosing to get married or live together.

Some people with Down Syndrome can have medical conditions like heart defects or sleep disorders, but most can be treated. Early treatment and intervention are key.

Everything Birth

At Everything Birth, we believe in education and awareness about conditions such as Down Syndrome.

From the first woman to receive a medical degree to women who made advances in midwifery and obstetrics, here are a few of note.

Elizabeth Blackwell

Elizabeth Blackwell is one of the best-known women of U.S. medical history. She’s the first American woman to earn a medical degree. She helped train Civil War nurses and she also worked to start a clinic for women and children in New York. She helped establish a medical school for women in Great Britain as well.

Rebecca Lee Crumpler

Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first Black woman to earn a medical degree in the U.S. After the Civil War, she used her training to care for freed enslaved people and then, she worked to help overcome racial issues.

Virginia Apgar

You have probably heard of the Apgar test, which is used to check on newborns shortly after birth. It was developed by Virginia Apgar and is still used to this day.

She was an anesthesiologist and had an interest in childbirth.

Mary Breckinridge

Childbirth in the early 1900s was dangerous for women, but Mary Breckinridge sought to change that. In her home state of Kentucky, she knew women didn’t have access to quality care, so she went to Great Britain, trained as a midwife and then returned home to found the Frontier Nursing Service, where she treated the state’s poorest women.

Ina May Gaskin

Probably one of the most famous midwives in the world, Ina May Gaskin changed the way we see birth. She founded The Farm, a commune in Tennessee, and is credited with sparking the modern home birth movement – and she also inspired a generation of midwives.

Everything Birth

At Everything Birth, we celebrate the contributions of women all year long.

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy, or PPCM, can occur in the last weeks of pregnancy or in the months after birth. It is a disease of the heart muscle and it can be fatal if left untreated.

PPCM weakens the heart muscle which means less blood is sent out – so your organs don’t get enough oxygen.

Only about 1,000 women develop PPCM annually in the United States.

It can be tough to diagnose PPCM because it is heart failure and many symptoms are similar to discomforts found in late pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period like: Swelling, shortness of breath and fatigue.

Other symptoms include: Heart palpitations, low blood pressure, dizziness and increased urination at night.

If you have concerns, it is always a good idea to ask your doctor to do an examination and specifically ask about PPCM. You can also ask for an echocardiogram to make sure your heart is functioning properly.

PPCM can be mild or severe and the cause of it isn’t known, but doctors think prior viral infections, immune issues, poor diet or genetics can factor in.

The good news is, PPCM can be treated. There are medications that can be used to limit fluid and swelling and allow the heart to heal and many women recover normal heart functions.

If you suspect you are having an issue, please consult your doctor or midwife. This article is for informational purposes and is not intended to be used as medical advice or in place of medical treatment.

Everything Birth

At Everything Birth, we care about your health!

Can you get your teeth cleaned? Should you keep up with your checkups? What about X-Rays or fillings?

The fact is, most dental care is safe during pregnancy and pregnancy can impact your oral health in a few key ways – so it’s important to keep up with your checkups.

It can be hard to know what to do, however, but here are a few things you need to know about dental care and pregnancy.

Pregnancy impacts your oral health

During pregnancy, hormones can have an impact on your oral health, causing things such as bleeding or sore gums. It’s important to keep up with your checkups so your dentist can monitor your oral health and make sure everything is healthy. Some conditions, like gingivitis, can cause problems for baby too, so be sure to keep up brushing and flossing as well.

Dental work can be done during pregnancy

You don’t have to be fearful of some dental procedures during pregnancy. Now, most people understand you can’t have an X-Ray during pregnancy but you can have routine cleanings and examinations and for most pregnant people, a simple filling is also safe (but it is usually best to wait until the second trimester if possible).

Dental emergencies can also be handled, like a loose crown or chipped tooth.

Postnatal dental care is vital

Childbirth and pregnancy can be hard on your teeth but so can nursing your baby. Nursing can cause oral health issues as well, so it’s a good idea to keep up your regular dental visits and cleanings even after baby arrives.

It also sets a good example for your children, when they see you taking care of your oral health (and it makes it not such a big deal when they need to go to the dentist eventually).

Everything Birth

At Everything Birth, we care about your health!