A breakdown of ACOG’s new recommendations

Recently ACOG (The American college of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) released a committee opinion report titled "Approaches to Limit Intervention During Labor and Birth". This new report has a list of steps that care providers can implement to create a safer and more satisfying birth experience.  ACOG has had a long standing stance on the benefit of doula support and it is great to see that on the list. Here is the breakdown of the new recommendations: Continuous Support During Labor: Doulas –...Read More

Meet Your Doulas: Mallary Sheehan

Meet Mallary Sheehan Mallary has been a doula with Lancaster Doulas LLC since 2016. Her passion for birth and babies is unmatched. Mallary's fun and bubbly personality makes her fun to work with while also being an anchoring presence. It starts with passion: When she was 16, she started to figure out her future career. She delved deep into herself to find what meant a lot to her, and what might be her life's work. She kept coming back to...Read More

The Hottest Summer Names For Your Warm Weather Baby

Arroe - A fun alternate spelling of arrow that reminds us of summers spent at camp. Strong and flexible, she (or HE) is destined to lead the way for their peers. Arroe is fearless. She will forge her own path and never look back Lucas - Lucas means "light". What a perfect name for a baby born during the sunniest part of the year. Lucas has been steadily growing in popularity and it is easy to see why; classic with...Read More

How to: take your baby’s temperature

There are many reasons parents would want to take their child's temperature. Mostly though it is because of suspected illness. If you are reporting your findings to your child's care provider, it is important to let them know what method you used to take your baby's temperature. If doing it rectally or tympanically (in the ear) it could be as much as one degree higher and if doing it under the armpit (axillary) or temporally it could be up to...Read More

The scoop on Poop

We get lots of questions about baby care, but the most frequent center around poop. From the moment our babies are born we become obsessed with the stuff. Why all the fuss? As a new parent my may be surprised at how much you think about poop,. The parental instincts that kick in every time you notice a change in your baby's poop are essential to catching a problem right away. The first poop: Your care provider will want to...Read More

Blue Apron : What is all the fuss about?

Everywhere I look lately there are advertisements for Blue Apron. It's in my news feed, I hear it on NPR every day, even my favorite podcast hosts are touting it. Finally I decided to take the plunge and give Blue Apron a try. Signing up was super easy! I was given a code from a friend for a free box and I figured I had nothing to loose. You can choose to get the first shipment then cancel future shipments...Read More
ruin

The One Question That Can Ruin Your Birth

Many years ago when I took my first doula training I was taught how to help my clients through changes to their birth plan. I had one question to ask.  It is a valuable skill to have because many births do not go down the way a client initially envisions them. I loved this question. When I asked clients this one question surely I was helping them have the best birth experience possible. There is so much power in words...Read More
Multiples

Bringing Home Multiples

Becoming pregnant is awesome, but sometimes our bodies surprise us! We are capable of creating not just one baby but sometimes two, three, or even more at the same time! Having more than one baby can pose challenges you may not have considered. Lancaster Doulas LLC has worked with many sets of multiples and we have found a few things can make the transition easier. Here are some suggestions that our doulas have found to be the most helpful: Create...Read More

50 Shades : How Postpartum Depression Can Dominate Your Life

By: Callie Rineer     Mood swings, sadness, insomnia, irritability.  Combine these new mom emotions with engorged breasts and sleepless nights. It's enough to leave any mom struggling for a moment of pre-baby normalcy. But amongst all the highs and lows of being a new parent, how is a mom to know if what she is experiencing are typical "baby blues" or something more?   While the baby blues and postpartum depression have similar symptoms, baby blues tend to only...Read More