The Power of Pain

Ouch! Just hearing the word PAIN makes us shudder and recoil. No one wants to be in pain. We spend our whole lives trying to avoid pain. It is no wonder that pain is the number one fear women have of labor. Pain has a purpose. Pain is our body's way of protecting us. It is a signal to "pay attention". In the instance of touching a hot stove, it creates an immediate and  powerful reaction to protect us from...Read More

Meet Your Doulas: Holly Yeager

Holly has been a doula since 2009. She believes in creating a healthy emotional experience for all of her clients. "Because childbirth is one of the most profound things we can go through as parents, I believe that having the very best care is paramount." Holly is trained and certified as a Birth Doula through CAPPA,  DONA, and ProDoula. She is also trained and certified as a Placenta Encapsulation Specialist through IPPA and ProDoula. She holds her Postpartum Doula and...Read More

LVR Portraits : Preserving Memories For Lancaster Families

  Working with new families means I get to see all kind of beautiful babies. Our clients are always looking for the best way to preserve those earliest moments and Laurie Ressler is just what they need. I was able to tour her studio recently and get to know more about her and her beautiful family. So Laurie, How Long Have You Been A Photographer? I have been photographing newborns for five years now. My son Oliver was the first...Read More

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

Baby Led Feeding

Baby Led Weaning / Feeding: A How To Guide Why would you want to? Baby led Feeding is an emerging philosophy that allows your baby to set the pace of trying their first foods. Food must be pureed for babies under six months because of the choking factor. However, there are no studies that show that pureed food is better for babies. In fact, many doctors who study allergens suggest waiting to introduce solids until around six months. By six...Read More

My Love

To my love, the man that supports me while I support others, Thank you. No seriously, THANK YOU. Back when it was just me chasing a dream you supported me. Even when you thought it would not pan out, you supported me. Many nights I crept silently from our bed to support a family that is not ours. Too many mornings you woke up with no idea when I would be home. Those days you got the kids ready, you...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