The Birth Lounge Blog

" If you don't know your choices, you don't have any ." -Diana Korte  Informed Decision Making . If you have all the information in the world at your fingertips, why wouldn't you take advantage of that? There are millions of books circulating that address everything under the sun. If you think of a topic, I promise there is a book for it. There are books on eating and nutrition during pregnancy, birth position, stages of labor, pain management, exercising during pregnancy, preparing your pet for a new baby, and so much more. However, (and this is a BIG however) not every book is endorsed by birth workers and medical professionals. We know that some books recommend and suggest things on both ends of the spectrum and anywhere in between.  Reading evidence-based books is important so you have research acting as the foundation of your decisions. After discovering what the evidence shows, you can consider how these choices...

  “When my son, Moses, came into the world in 2006, I expected to have another period of euphoria following his birth. Instead, I was confronted with one of the darkest and most painfully debilitating chapters of my life.” -Gwyneth Paltrow When you thought about having a baby, you always thought happy thoughts, right? You thought about baby giggles, newborn snuggles, bonding over breastfeeding, falling in love with your partner all over again, and filling a baby book with hundreds of invaluable, captured moments. Chances are that no one told you that one of the happiest moments of your life could also lead you down one of the saddest paths. Most likely, no one prepared you for the feelings of despair, failure, and second guessing your every move. Postpartum Depression rears its' ugly head at the most vulnerable times. It knows no boundaries- race, age, economic status, religion, or family make-up.  Postpartum Depression is real....