The Birth Lounge Blog

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...

What to Expect: 20 Weeks Look at you! You've made it half way through this journey! This is an exciting time because your belly has most likely popped out by now making you look visibly pregnant (i.e.: people can stop wondering if you're just a little pudgy). It also means that the risk of complications goes down as you've been able to sustain a healthy pregnancy for 5 months. The second trimester is filled with a series of tests so buckle up! The 20th week, specifically, has tons of tests that you need to be aware of and prepare for. I also want you to know the what and why of the tests/screenings. At this point in your pregnancy, your medical provider will want to see your baby which is exciting for you, too! You get to see your baby, hear their heartbeat, and learn about their anatomy! Yes, this means find out whether you're expecting a little bit or a little girl. If you're wanting to keep the gender of your baby a secret, you will want to share this wi...

5 Tips To Help You Relax During Labor (This article was originally written by HeHe for Mama Goose, see the FULL article  here .) Everyone’s birth story is a little different. This means the way people prep for labor is different and everyone’s goal is different. However, there are 5 tips that can help in any labor, no matter your goal or your story.  1 | Use your senses to your advantage Heat helps muscles relax and this will be the sweet antidote to the contractions. It will not take away the contractions, far from it actually, but it will help relieve the sharpness. 2 | Water inside, water outside Hydration is key! Eating is important, but water is crucial. 3 | Control the environment Consider the people in your room and the energy they bring, consider sounds that may set or break the tone you are looking to set, and consider the lighting for you birth - which can have a HUGE effect on atmosphere and tone.  4 | Find your voice and use i...

One-Handed Snacks That Won’t Break Your New Year’s Resolution (This was originally written as an article for Birch Baby, here .) The new year is a time filled with making goals to strive for, and envisioning yourself one year from now. Many parents will make promises to themselves to eat healthier and exercise more. However, between feedings, diaper changes, doctor’s appointments, play dates, and household chores, it can be challenging to find time to prepare food let alone eat. If eating healthy were easily incorporated into your daily life, would you be more likely to stick with it? Of course! Check out this (free download!)   list that requires little prep, can be easily taken on-the-go, and won’t make you break your New Year’s Resolution of eating healthier. Our free download and the Birch Baby article break down the reasons behind each snack, so be sure to check one (or both!) out, but let's get to the good stuff: snacks! You don't want to miss these- especia...

If you came here thinking you were going to have to wade through bottle-shaming propaganda to get to the good stuff, you’re in the wrong place! This community LOVES bottle feeding! There are so many positives that come to mind when we think about supporting parents in introducing a bottle like giving both parents the ability to feed and granting the gestational parent some newfound freedom. It also allows for other people to help care for your baby for instances like overnight care (one of our most requested services) and for a much needed date night. Another positive with bottle feeding that you don’t get from breastfeeding is knowing (and seeing!) exactly how much your baby is eating. This can be so relieving to some parents and worth it all in itself!  If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times...and I’ll continue to remind you--we don’t care how you feed your baby. We care that your mental health is being protected and that your baby is being fed. The rest can b...

Clogged ducts are no fun, but rest assured, we’ve got the key to getting you over this road block and back on track! We are so committed to helping you have a healthy feeding journey! This is HeHe’s secret sauce to releasing blocked ducts, plus at the bottom, you will find a few tips on preventing clogged ducts in the future! Time Commitment : 20-60 Minutes What you need: Bowl that is deep enough to submerge your breast Hot water  Epsom Salt  LaVie massager or traditional vibrator Hand Pump (NOT a haakaa , you need one with a manual lever) Possibly an electric pump  *We’ve put all the necessary supplies in our Amazon Storefront to make it easy peasy for you to round-up everything you need! Instructions: Fill the bowl with warm water. The water should be as warm as you can stand it! Think the temperature of a hot bath or shower. The goal is to have it warmer than your body temperature so that it relaxes the tissues, blood vessels, and mammary glands...