One of the common questions I get as a birth professional and postpartum doula is, "When should I start pumping after my baby is born, and how much do I need to have saved?"

Grey is all the rage these days: from home decor to fashion accessories to books about the many different shades of the color.

You might remember my recent post on the top 5 must-have baby items, which listed the 5 categories of things you actually need for a baby. While a baby doesn't truly NEED much, there are some things that are super nice to have.

I didn't always want to be a postpartum doula.

I thought that birth was where it was at. Birth is exciting. Birth is unpredictable. I feel very useful at a birth. I was afraid that postpartum work would be mostly comprised of doing dishes and changing diapers. However, I took a leap and got myself to a training. 

There are SO MANY baby products on the market right now! As a doula, many of my clients come to me for product recommendations and help with building their baby registry. Often, they ask, "How much of this stuff does a baby really NEED?" My answer? Not much!

There is a saying that goes something like, "Everyone is a perfect parent until they actually have kids."

One question I get all the time is, “What is the difference between Hypnobabies and this other program?”

It never fails. A new mom posts on Facebook about how she hasn't slept more than 2 hours in a row since...she can't remember when, or about the fact that she's been wearing the same clothes and messy bun for 36+ hours, or about how the baby has gone through 6 outfits in the last 4 hours, or about any other early-newborn woe. Cue the comments flooding in. 

In the United States, I have found that we have a big secret. Everyone tells pregnant women what to expect during pregnancy, what they think the birth will be like, and maybe even how to care for a newborn. What we DON'T talk about so much is what physical and emotional changes a new parent may experience. So I'm going to talk about it here!

"Mommy, do you want to play with me?"