The Birth Lounge Blog

14 Gifts for a Wish List as a New Parent Shopping for pregnant people can be so hard. Knowing what to tell people to buy you as a pregnant person is so hard! One of the most meaningful gifts you can buy someone is something they need but one purchase for themselves! We’ve got you covered when it comes to gifting the pregnant people in your life things that will help make their pregnancy and postpartum a little bit more luxurious!  -  Totum Women Cookies - These are cookies that taste good, support your milk supply, and have a wonderful mission! The mission behind this company is so much more than just lactation cookies! There is an online community aspect, online resources , and virtual events to help you know you are not alone! These are a wonderful gift for the new mama friend who is nursing or pumping!  -  Thinx underwear - These are the best gift for a friend who you aren’t afraid to give an intimate gift--but one that will change their life! (Kinda like the fr...

(HeHe's article is published for Birch Baby  HERE  in its entirety.) The holiday season can be hard for those who have experienced a loss this year. At a time of year that people are expected to automatically be happy and be cheery and bright-eyed, it can be painful to have to pretend to be enjoying yourself while you are dying inside. One mother described it as “a dark place of heartbreak and anger.”  Through my work with Mothers’ who have experienced loss (or any kind of trauma), I have found that having a structure of mindsets to help you survive in high-stress situations is helpful. I was considering a survival guide for the holidays for expectant parents who have experienced loss, but then I thought why not just a general survival guide to help when you are coping with loss, no matter what time of year it is. Know your limits (It’s people's’ job to respect that boundary). You have the right to pick and choose which events you attend and which events wi...

How to Choose a Good Prenatal This is one of the most common questions we get! It can be so overwhelming to dive into what seems like hundreds of brands. How do you know what to look for? How do you know what brands are trustworthy? Let’s dive in because the answer might surprise you! What are you looking for? Choline : This is one of the most important nutrients that pregnant people need, yet so many providers don’t share (or know?) that it is SO important! Many older docs don’t keep up with updated research and their patients pay the price! (This is a shameless plug for yet another reason to join The Birth Lounge so you have direct access to all updated research to make your own choices about your care + know what questions to discuss with your provider.) Choline is essential in brain and spinal cord development-- specifically the hippocampus which is involved in memory! Most pregnant women in the U.S. are not achieving choline intake recommendations of 450 mg/day. The yolk of eggs...

Podcast Recs: True Crime + Women's Health This isn’t going to be the typical blog that you find here! In true Halloween spirit last week, I asked our Instagram audience if they were into True Crime Podcast. This led to most folks saying “Duh!” and me digging deeper by asking who wanted to hear about my favorite podcasts that blended True Crime and women’s health?! The overwhelming majority said ‘hell yeah!’ So, here we are!  Before we dive into these, I want to provide a brief trigger warning. These podcasts combine true crime with women’s health. Some readers & listeners may find the content traumatic. Fetal Abduction Podcast* may be especially triggering for anyone who is reading and pregnant.  Sick Podcast   This was my first introduction to an investigative podcast about women’s health (I am a long time listener of Crime Junkies). This podcast was the tiny hairline fracture I needed to fully break the dam and open my eyes to just how deep the deceit and corruption...