The Birth Lounge Blog

Hey Tranquility Tribe! When the excitement of a possible pregnancy rolls around, you want to be sure you’re getting the most accurate result when it comes to a pregnancy test. With so many tests lining the aisles of any given drugstore or supermarket, it can be overwhelming trying to find a test that you can trust. Today, we’re going to break down what goes into an accurate home pregnancy test so you can be ready next time that you’re in need!  While digital and traditional both detect pregnancy the same way - by detecting the presence of a hormone produced by an embryo, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), in urine. Digital tests can detect it at a lower level than traditional tests, meaning they may able to detect a pregnancy earlier. Digital and traditional tests differ also in the way that the test results are displayed . With traditional tests, you get the one line or two lines to indicate the results like you see in movies, ...

Hey Tranquility Tribe! There’s a lot of talk in the mama-sphere about starting breastfeeding, but not much talk about how to stop once your nursing journey is done. Today we’re going to give you the lowdown on drying up your milk supply, so let’s get into all you need to know! The best way to go about drying up your milk is to decrease feedings slowly until you are no longer feeding at all - the slower you wean, the less pain you’ll be in! Once you have weaned off of feeding, you should try to stimulate your nipples and breasts as little as possible to signal to your body that it no longer needs to be making milk - it’s a process of supply and demand, and once your body stops receiving the demand signals, the supply can be reduced!  Just like everyone’s experience is different with breastfeeding itself, the process of stopping is unique for everyone. The length of time it will take to completely dry up really varies from person t...

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...

Dressing Intentionally for Pregnancy and Beyond [This is also an episode of Friday Free Talk on The Tranquility Tribe Podcast on iTunes. Listen  here .] Hey there, Tranquility Tribe!  How much do you know about your style?  Do you have a go-to clothing color? Did you know that the colors you wear can say a lot about your personality?  In this episode, Hehe talks to Helena Grant, an entrepreneur and stylist expert, about the major impact that clothes have on your life! Who is Helena? Helena recently celebrated the three-year anniversary of her business, H Grant Style, with a style popup in Boston.  Hehe attended the event and said it was a huge success! However, as Helena expressed, she could not have done it on her own.  For the majority of her time building her business, Helena did everything herself. However, when she began to prepare for her anniversary event, she decided to ask for help with the planning.  And she said that she ...

Learning to Love Your Body with Katherine Henry [This is also an episode of Friday Free Talk on The Tranquility Tribe Podcast on iTunes. Listen  here .] Hello Tranquility Tribe!  I am so excited to tell you about this episode!  Today, Hehe talks to Katherine Henry, a boudoir photographer (that’s right, you read that correctly!).  Together, they talk about what Katherine loves most about her business and why you should consider doing a boudoir photography session yourself! Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, Max (5) and Ivy (2).  For the past six years, she has had a studio in Reading, where she does all of her photoshoots.   Why boudoir photography? Katherine says that one of the things that she most enjoys about her job is the opportunity that it gives her to build self-confidence in women of all shapes, sizes, races, and ethnicities.  Before the photoshoot, she gets to know her clients by chatting over the phone...

Pain, Posture, and Performance [This is also an episode of Friday Free Talk on The Tranquility Tribe Podcast on iTunes. Listen  here .] Hello, Tranquility Tribe! In today’s episode, Hehe talked with Jill Miller, a mother of two and the co-founder of Tune Up Fitness.  Throughout the episode, Hehe and Jill discuss strategies for pain management and self-care as well as ways in which you can uncover your body’s “blind spots” and learn more about yourself before, during, and after pregnancy.  Jill is also offering all TBH listeners an exclusive discount - see below for more information and a Mother’s Day gift guide ! Jill is an expert in fitness, movement, and human anatomy, and through her business she is pursuing a passion for promoting self-reflection and self-discovery. Tune Up Fitness provides you with tools and programs that enable you to improve your three P’s – pain, posture, and performance. Using practices like functional yoga, corrective...

Become a Milk Bath Goddess  [This is also an episode of Friday Free Talk on The Tranquility Tribe Podcast on iTunes. Listen  here .] Thanks for joining us for this week’s episode of the Tranquility Tribe Podcast, Villagers!  In this episode, Hehe talked to business owner and self-care guru, Carli Ambrose.  Whether you practice self-care regularly or are just starting to discover what self-care means to you, you will definitely want to hear about the methods of indulgence that Carli has to offer! Although the idea of self-care has become a major trend recently, it is far more than just a buzzword.   Making sure to take time to check in and spend time with yourself on a regular basis, regardless of what that looks like for you, is an important part of a healthy lifestyle as well as a great way to relax and express yourself!   Self-care is especially useful during and after pregnancy, when setting aside time for yourself can help ...