The Birth Lounge Blog

Mindset is 90% of The Game  Have you ever done something and thought "I'm going to die. This is it. This is how my story ends and I meet my creator!" Well, I believe that ' impossible' is just an illusion and it's really about mindset and grit!   Recently, I went to Core Power Yoga for the first time ever recently and I thought I was going to meet Jesus himself. I try to show up as authentically as possible for our audience. I want everything I do to be a reflection of this hard work that you and I put in everyday. I want the world to know that it is a choice  to birth better and to take control of your experience . In doing this, I am so often trying to think of the takeaway points that I can share with our tribe to serve them deeper. This event started off great and fun. I was laughing and poking fun at my friend (my "birth partner" if you will) much like early labor. Then things started to really t...

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...

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...

Advocating for Yourself During Birth with HeHe Hey Tranquility Tribe! This week, HeHe told the story of Caroline Maletesta of Alabama, whose nurses aggressively prevented her from birthing how she needed to, leaving her traumatized and permanently injured. While situations like this are rare and unfortunate, it’s important to arm yourself with information and techniques to advocate for yourself in birthing situations extreme or small. Things to Know HeHe wants you to know that it’s rare to not be able to have a choice in almost all aspects of your maternity care! Outside of special situations like having a medical condition that requires certain stipulations, you truly are the person in charge in the labor and delivery room. That’s why it is so crucial to arm yourself with knowledge concerning evidence-based care regarding all sorts of situations that may arise during your birth, so you can walk away from your birth feeling confiden...

HeHe's Top 10 Baby Picks { Snag your seat in our  FREE TRAINING  to master your mindset for birth without the fear and anxiety! } When I looked around my home and office, I actually had more of a hard time deciding what not  to include rather than struggling to come up with 10 items. I, at first, had a list of over 20 items. Then, I began to narrow it down to items that had multiple uses and one that could be replaced or substituted by something else. That left me with a list of about 16 items. Whew, this was freaking hard.  Alas, I had narrowed it down to what I couldn't live without. Well, I don't live without these items. I don't own every one of these items.. yet. Since I am a doula that hasn't yet had kids, my experience and preference for things like the strollers and bassinets comes from working with hundreds of families over the years. Here goes... The Good Stuff Soft Wrap : This is different than a carrier. Personally, I love the boba !...

Morning Sickness or Hyperemesis? Morning Sickness: It is hormonally related and we believe that your blood sugars are spiking and dropping (trying to adjust to having a baby on board) during that first trimester. It generally resolves itself between 12-14 weeks of pregnancy! When you wake in the morning, you blood sugar is low because it has just worked through all the calories as you were sleeping. If you rise and do not eat, this will cause your blood sugar to sink even further and will cause even worse nausea. Once your blood sugar tanks, it can be challenging to hit reset and you may find that you don’t feel well for the rest of the day. Hyperemesis: This is extreme morning sickness that is debilitating and last longer than 12-14 weeks. This can be nausea that hangs around all day long and prevents you from doing normal everyday activities. Hyperemesis is very serious and requires medical attention. Miriam Erick, MD at Boston Medical Center, says Hyperemesis affec...