The Birth Lounge Blog

An Awkward Run-In at Target turned into a Lesson in Diversity (This was an article Hehe wrote originally for Family Education, you can view the full article  HERE . As a Maternity Concierge , sometimes I go on the first few outings with new moms after the baby is born. This particular family had a three-year-old, too. So here we are having spent way too much time in Target and a cart that drops items every few feet because it’s piled mountain high because this mom had been cooped up for the last three weeks. I’m wearing the baby, who is sleeping, and the three-year-old is in the cart (and holding a few items), but growing antsy as each minute passes. Nap for her was due in 45 minutes and we knew we’d already be late for that. As we step into the line (keeping in mind, we are the third party in line), the three-year-old asks if tomorrow is a “school day” or a “home day” and her mom tells her it’s a school day. The conversation pursues and the little girl names her frien...

When Things Are Bigger Than You Recently, I have been truly connecting with the approach of "Is this bigger than me?" to try to combat what I call "The Guilt of Saving the World." This is where someone has such strong feelings about helping others that it sometimes inhibits them from seeing the limitations of their help or that they may not be able to remedy certain situations at all. I became acutely aware of this guilt that I so often encounter when I first moved to Boston. The homeless population around Newbury Street and the Back Bay area absolutely break my heart. They do. It makes me feel so deeply sad. I without fail will always purchase food and drink for someone when we go walk around that area. I won't give them money because I want them to be fed and hydrated more than I want [insert whatever their sign says]. I can't help them get a job, or help them get to their destination, but I can feed them and I can give them water. I can give them a ...

Postpartum Depression Last week, I got a message on Instagram from a sweet follower that said “Postpartum depression is a hormonal imbalance..unfortunately your surroundings don’t determine if you get it or not. I wish it did.” While it was not exactly accurate, it reminded me of just how many misconceptions there are out there about postpartum mood disorders. Around these neck of the woods, we prefer to call them “postpartum mood challenges” since a disorder isn’t often short-lived and PPD is often temporary. I have seen the spectrum of postpartum mood challenges and they appear so different every single time. I have witnessed a mother with such severe postpartum psychosis that she refused to turn off the lights as her newborn slept. She wanted lights on every minute of the day. I have shared in the despair of a mother so depressed as she mourned the loss of her “pre-baby life.” I have also had mothers share dark thoughts like they wanted to throw their baby out of the top s...

Gifts for Every Badass Lady in Your Life Valentine's Day is such a commercialized holiday, I get it. Not everyone loves to recognize love, but… I’m not one of those people! I love V-day! It really just entices my hopeless romantic side. In my teen years, A Walk to Remember and The Notebook were among my favorite movies that I could watch on replay and cry every time I saw it as if it was the first time. What can I say? I love a good love story.  Sometimes in pregnancy, the spark can be lost or the intimacy is forgotten. Sometimes our gratitude for one another takes a back seat because of the overwhelming to-do list that comes along with having a baby. I challenge you to take this Valentine’s Day to recognize the love that it took to get this child here and remember the passion you have for your partner. If you’re expecting a baby, your life is about to change forever. In a really good way, but in a way that is going to test your relationship and you need compassionate unde...

Pregnancy Skin Why does it happen? Hormones, hormones, hormones! They can be blamed for so much and acne during pregnancy is one of them. Androgen hormones are your sex hormones that are produced by your ovaries (and testicles in males) and since your ovaries are hard at work growing and supporting a tiny human, your androgen hormones are wild and out. The hormone most responsible for your pregnancy acne is progesterone. This is a vital hormone and required for a healthy pregnancy.  Progesterone helps prepare your uterus for a healthy pregnancy. Once you are pregnant, progesterone helps keep you pregnant and sustain the health of your uterus. It stimulates blood flow and helps deliver nutrients to a developing embryo in early pregnancy. Your placenta will also be responsible for the production of progesterone, too. These high levels of progesterone are also the reason why women don’t continue to release eggs each month in pregnancy. Unfortunately, high levels of proges...