The Birth Lounge Blog

Bed Sharing with Amanda Jansen Today we're talking about bed sharing with Amanda Jansen, who is a registered nurse and IBCLC. She has eight years of L & D and postpartum experience as a nurse.  (This blog is pulled from a The Birth Lounge podcast interview with Amanda Jansen.) So let's start off with the basics.  What is Bed Sharing?  If you get online, you'll realize there's not a set definition. Just to make it clear bed sharing, obviously infants in the bed with you. Co-sleeping, you know, there's something right beside the bed, like kind of like an arms reach but not necessarily, you know, right next to mom.  And then there's room sharing, which could just be a crib in the same room with you.  So those are the three levels parents should be informed of, and then of course the independent sleep in a separate room, that a lot of families choose to do. So a little bit more of my history. I did bed share with my first as a postpartum nurse, you know, I'm...

COVID and Isolation in New Parenthood with Bryce Reddy (Derived from an Episode of The Birth Lounge Podcast with Bryce Reddy) Many of the resources that parent might have had before are just not possible right now. Before, we would go to the library, we would go to a breastfeeding class, or we would have many other opportunities to get out of the house at least. You could go roam around the store when you just needed to get out and see other human beings. And that isn't as possible right now. Maybe depending on people's comfort level they can maybe go to the grocery store, but who knows?  This isn't how it's supposed to be. We were supposed to be welcomed home by grandparents. We were supposed to have people coming by and dropping off food and holding the baby. So you could take a shower. There's grief in that this isn't what it was supposed to look like. Obviously, we can't change that right now. So, remembering that we're allowed to grieve this proce...

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...

Start the New Year With Potty Training (This was an article Hehe wrote originally for Family Education, you can view the full article  HERE . Sometimes we make potty training much harder than it needs to be. Don't set your family up for potty training failure, make the resolution of successful potty training this year. Here are the top tips you will need to potty train your child in as little as two weeks. Here are some tips for successful potty training this year: Introducing the Potty Be intentional about introducing the potty consistently. It’s helpful to set a time to specifically offer the potty such as waking up in the morning or going down for a nap.  Go Slow Do not force your child to sit if they are scared. You will make them more afraid or cause them to refuse. When they are ready, you can place them on top and help them sit. Model You can (and should) model using the toilet for your child. You can show them that you are safe. Throw in some...

7 Things to Do When You Bring Home Baby #2 (This was an article Hehe wrote originally for JEducational, you can view the full article HERE . Bringing home a baby can be an exciting time for the whole family. However, it can also be challenging to navigate. Introducing Child #1 to Child #2 can cause new emotions to arise for your older child and disrupt any sense of normalcy you may have. Keeping these helpful hints in mind when preparing this transition can help for a smoother change in family dynamics. -  Tip #1: Prepare in Advance with Language, Books, Songs, Pretend Play - Tip #2:  Help your child settle into their new role. - Tip #3: Involve your older child(ren) - Tip #4: Routines (vs schedules) - Tip #5: Carve out alone time for each child. - Tip #6: Capture casual snapshots - Tip #7: Ask for help Don't forget to check out the FULL article with breakdowns for each tip, here . The relationship between siblings is an unbreakable bond. How...

(HeHe's article is published for Birch Baby  HERE  in its entirety.) When someone says something is bigger than you, a natural instinct is to be bigger than whatever is bigger than you, right? Wrong. That will only lead to a vicious and very unhealthy cycle. However, there are a few things you can do. I wish I could say, "take this magic pill and all your troubles will go away." (*cue my wanting to save the whole world complex*) I don't have a special pill, but I do have a few words of advice about what I've learned to do.  Remind Yourself. Constantly remind yourself of what you have learned and why this is bigger than you. Whether that look like, "They are not a good person and no matter how nice I am to them, they won't change," or "This person needs more help than I can provide them and they aren't open to speaking with anyone new," or maybe even a little self-preservation of "I just can't continue to support t...

(This post is a piece HeHe wrote for JDEducational.  This article can be read in it's entirety by clicking HERE .) Bringing home a baby can be an exciting time for the whole family. However, it can also be challenging to navigate. Introducing Child #1 to Child #2 can cause new emotions to arise for your older child and disrupt any sense of normalcy you may have. Keeping these helpful hints in mind when preparing this transition can help for a smoother change in family dynamics . Tip #1: Prepare in Advance with Language, Books, Songs, Pretend Play Tip #2: Help your child settle into their new role. Tip #3: Involve your older child(ren) Tip #4: Routines (vs schedules) Tip #5: Carve out alone time for each child. Tip #6: Capture casual snapshots Tip #7: Ask for help (Read more about these tips by clicking HERE to read the full article!) The relationship between siblings is an unbreakable bond. However, your interaction and support as a parent is...

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, ...

{ Snag your seat in our  FREE TRAINING  to master your mindset for birth without the fear and anxiety! } 10 Apps Every New Parent Needs Apps make life easier. That is a no-brainer. Wanna lose weight? There's an app for that. Wanna find a hot date? There's an app for that! Wanna order food so you don't have to leave your lulu's and the couch? No problem, there's an app for that. There's even an app that you see a doctor when you're sick and you never have to leave home! Now, THAT is concierge service and I'm here for that. While I can't move in with every Tranquility by HeHe family, although that would be fun, I can offer you a list of apps that I use in my daily life as a Maternity Concierge and recommend these to every single one of our clients. These apps will get your more sleep, help you support your child's development, and carve out a bit of self-care time for yourself! I wouldn't dare ...

Finding Your Identity in Parenthood with Fashion  [This is also an episode of Friday Free Talk on The Tranquility Tribe Podcast on iTunes. Listen  here .] Hey Tranquility Tribe!  I hope you are excited for this energizing and inspiring episode!  Today, Hehe speaks to Lisa Malmgren, fashion lover and owner of Classified Image Consultant, about the power of your wardrobe.   So why should you care about your wardrobe? Lisa has always been interested in the acting and modeling industry.  From her first commercial at age 14, she was hooked.   She has accumulated an enormous amount of knowledge through her experiences since then, and she is always the person who friends go to for fashion advice and support.  For Lisa, it’s more than just sticking to the latest trends; as she explains, building your image is about finding the styles that make you look your best so that you can feel your best.   Still skeptical? ...