The Birth Lounge Blog

Why You May Not  Need  to Push So Hard During Birth I was recently explaining to a lady on an airplane about Fetal Ejection Reflex (also known as FER). She had asked me what the most fascinating thing about being a doula is and I told her "being able to watch the human body at work." It truly is fascinating to watch everything play out from head to toe, headspace to physical environment to partner support and the undeniable influence of a broken medical system; it's all just fascinating (and sometimes frustrating). This conversation led to us talking about the fascinating things that the body can do that most people don't know. The problem with this is that out of all of the people who don't know about FER, so many of them will be directly impact (birthing parent) by this lack of understanding & knowledge. To add salt to the wound, many more will be impacted in a secondary type of way (non-birthing parent) so i

Period like a Queen  My menstrual cycle wasn't something I was always so in tune with. It wasn't something I had extensive understanding about and it certainly wasn't always a casual topic of conversation for me at networking events and Facebook lives. No, actually, my period was something that I wished away for so long and you know what? It worked! I didn't get my period until I was just shy of 18 years old. While other girls were lying about Aunt Flo showing up and boasting that they had to change their tampons, I was busy mumbling under my breath "please don't let my period come anytime soon." Bleeding every month for 7 days isn't ideal for a gal who loves to be naked or at least wear as little clothing as possible at all times. I am a summer child. The beach is my happy place. Naked is my preferred state of being and just the idea of a period seemed disruptive. Of course, I knew I need "it"

From Conception to Postpartum - Keeping You in Alignment (This is also a podcast episode on The Tranquility Tribe if you prefer, listen  here .) Hey Tranquility Tribe! This week, we’re getting into all things chiropractic with Dr. Lizzie Sobel, a low force, gentle chiropractic based in Massachusetts who has been practicing since 2012. We know the idea of going to a chiropractor can send shivers up the spine for some of y’all, but Lizzie is here to settle all your fears and misconceptions and get you thinking about how chiropractic care could be an essential part of your pregnancy, postpartum, or even your newborn’s life! Lizzie had her first experience with chiropractic care when she was 12 years old and experiencing daily headaches and back pain. After being referred to a chiropractor, she quickly became a believer in how helpful holistic approaches to health can be. Lizzie knows there can be fear and hesitation when it comes to

6 Reasons You Might Experience Miscarriage I was recently asked my views on miscarriage and the fact that it is quite taboo. But, why? 1 in 4 women will experience a miscarriage at some point in their reproductive journey and 1 in 8 women will face challenges of some sort when trying to conceive. If it’s so common, why are we so afraid to talk about it? I have a few theories like death in general is usually an uncomfortable. Death of a child is really uncomfortable. Also, just because it’s common, doesn’t mean you won’t come across people who have never experienced it. For those people, it can be very uncomfortable because they may not know what to do or say to be supportive. Miscarriages happen and we need to talk about them. Here's why. I think this is the ultimate reason that people don’t venture into the discussion of miscarriage because they are uneducated on it. When asked, many adults can not tell you an actual reason for m

Tummy Time for Your Newborn  What and why? As your baby moves and turns their neck, talk to them, sing to them, and give them praise. The goal is to keep your baby engaged and help them enjoy this time together with you. Your baby will attempt to lift their head which is exactly what we want, but be aware that babies are top heavy. This means your baby may roll to one side or the other and the weight of their head causes them to tumble over. This movement of your baby learning to hold and control their head movement prepares your baby for future milestones like rolling over, sitting up, and crawling. Making sure they have strong core and trunk muscles will help support their future physical advancements like walking and running. When children do not get enough tummy time, we can sometimes see issues with their gait or when they run due to lack of muscle tone or having never engaged those specific muscles before. We also see things like fla

Hey Tranquility Tribe! This week, we are digging deep into all things down there - yup, vaginas! There’s no one better to guide us through this topic than the vagina aficionado herself, April Davis. April is the mastermind behind The Vagina Blog, an incredible blog and social media presence dedicated to our lady bits. In our society, most of us with vaginas are unfortunately not educated about our own anatomy and are quite frankly scared of poking around down there. As a doula, birth photographer, and birth assistant to a midwife, April has been up close and personal with too many vaginas to count, and she’s excited to share all she’s learned with you! Caring for your vagina The vagina is a self-cleaning, independent woman, but what do you do if you’re experiencing some stank down there? April is always waking down the feminine hygiene aisle and taken aback by all the special soaps, perfumes, and deodorants for sale that your vagina