What Happens at the 6 Week Postpartum Checkup?

When you have a baby, some doctors and midwives will see you a few days or a week after the birth. Some will want to see you at two weeks postpartum, especially if you had a cesarean birth, but the majority of women will see their doctor or midwife at six weeks postpartum for a checkup. You might be wondering what happens at the six-week checkup or when you can have sex again after having a baby. If that’s the last thing on your mind, that’s ok too...

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Four Tips for a Smoother Cesarean Birth Recovery

Although it is the most common surgery performed on women and how over 30% of women in the United States give birth, a C-section is major surgery. It can come with some pretty unexpected side effects, so it’s good to know what is normal and what isn’t.

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Preparing Your Dog for a New Baby

Whether you are pregnant, adopting or expecting a baby through surrogacy there are changes taking place in your home that your dog can sense well before the baby arrives. There are often new emotions, excitement and stress, along with the baby items and nursery furniture. It’s best to start preparing your dog as early as possible for the addition of a new baby. There a few key things you can do to make this introduction as smooth as possible for the entire family. 

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Breastfeeding and Going Back to Work

If you have chosen to breastfeed and you will be returning to work, finding your routine for pumping at work can be a little daunting. The Affordable Care Act now requires medical insurance plans to cover the cost of a breast pump in full for new mothers. The “Break Time for Nursing Mothers” law also requires employers to provide you with breaks throughout the day and a completely private place that is not a bathroom to pump. Open communication and an understanding of your pumping needs and routine can go a long way with your employer.

It helps to think things through and plan in advance what your day at work will look like as a breastfeeding mother. We have compiled some ideas to make pumping and storing breastmilk at work and at home a little bit easier. 

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Beating Bed Rest Boredom in Pregnancy

Why would I need bed rest?

Bed rest is a pretty general term, usually used to address a need for limiting activities. It can mean different things for different people, but is often categorized into moderate bed rest, strict bed rest and hospital bed rest. Bed rest is not a proven form of prevention for pregnancy complications or preterm birth, but if your doctor has recommended it for you, it can be used as an added layer of safety and protection in some situations. Bed rest is often prescribed for varying periods of time in cases of high blood pressure in pregnancy, pregnancy with multiples, cervical changes or vaginal bleeding in pregnancy and sometimes even for pain in pregnancy.

 

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Music in Labor

Music plays an important role in our lives. It’s woven through our holidays, celebrations, weddings, worship and for a lot of us, even our exercise and commutes. I have a workout playlist, a sleep playlist, and praise and worship playlist and even a playlist to calm the baby when she is fussy. That last one has actually dropped from a playlist to just a single song that makes our baby stop crying. Psalm 23 is the quickest way to calm the baby and is our tried and true trick for getting her to sleep. If we want to make her laugh, 90’s rap is the way to go, but it definitely doesn’t help her sleep. I learned this the hard way when my iPhone was accidentally on shuffle on 11pm.

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Physical Therapy and Pregnancy: Part 2 Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Pelvic floor dysfunction or disorders can occur before, during or after pregnancy. We most often hear about them after a baby has been born. We’ve all heard someone say “I pee when I sneeze” or “I have to cross my legs when I laugh- since I’ve had my kids.” Pelvic floor dysfunction actually refers to a variety of issues caused by the muscles of the pelvic floor. These muscles can be too tight or weak and can cause impairment or pain in the sacroiliac joints, hip joints, low back or coccyx (tailbone). Inability to hold urine or incontinence can also stem from pelvic floor dysfunction. It can cause pain with intercourse, vaginal exams or cervical checks during labor, and rectal pain.

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Physical Therapy and Pregnancy: Part 1 Diastasis Recti

Pregnancy affects your entire body in pretty big ways, so it’s not surprising that after the baby is born you might experience pain, weakness or a new condition. Diastasis recti, pelvic floor dysfunction, symphysis pubis dysfunction or sacroiliac joint pain are all common conditions that can come on during or after pregnancy. The focus of physical therapy is on strengthening the muscles around the source of pain, functional exercises to teach you ways to care for yourself and your baby to avoid injury and therapies for pain after pregnancy.

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How Do I Know if I Have Postpartum Depression?

You have just had a baby and you might be wondering, why don't I feel normal? You might also be feeling anxious or fearful. Just like joy, happiness and love for your baby, feelings of guilt, sadness, fear and stress are all normal. None of these feelings are inherently bad, but they can be intrusive and hard to manage. 

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Bringing Home Baby: Postpartum Doulas

You are now at home with your new baby who you just want to gaze at and soak in every moment. Then reality sets in. How are you supposed to rest and recover from birth? When will you have time to cook? You’re supposed to be taking it easy, but so much needs to be done. Do tidy houses even exist with newborns? What about caring for the rest of the family? Unpacking the hospital bags looks so daunting.

 

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The Nights I Dreamt of My Ex

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I had the most vivid dreams of my ex. I am happily married to the man of my dreams and the most amazing father to our little girl, but my subconscious didn’t care. Almost every night, my ex made a cameo in my dreams. Some nights it was boring and he was just there, making fries or whatever it was he did. Other nights, it was HOT, like wake up blushing hot. Like after many wild nights of REM sleep, I would often get up in the morning feeling immense guilt. I felt guilty, but let’s be honest, I didn’t hate it.

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What is a Doula? {The Attuned Doula Difference}

Your doula is trained to listen to your feelings, plans and wishes and help you to facilitate your best birth and postpartum experience. This looks different for each family and no matter your choices, your doula will be with you every step of the way. Her ability to nurture you, while you nurture your growing family is unmatched. 

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