In Part 1 of this series about what to expect in the first week after the birth of your baby we covered how to rest better with your baby including strategies for getting rest- even if not much sleep!- in the first week after welcoming your baby.

Today, in Part 2 let’s talk about what to expect when it comes time to feed yourself postpartum and feeding your baby postpartum.

You did it! You birthed your baby (or babies)! How are you doing? Newborn care and the arrival of a new baby is overwhelming, beautiful, and intense all at once. This blog covers the first week postpartum with a focus on resting with your newborn. In part two we dive into nourishing the body postpartum.

As a massage therapist focused on stress relief and wellness, I recently embarked on a month-long social media break and reduced my overall tech use. This experience, combined with insights from a few excellent books about taming technnology taught me valuable lessons about digital wellness that I'm excited to share with you.

If you are having a baby this year, you likely lived through the thick of the covid-19 pandemic as an adult. You probably didn’t know it then, because life was upside-down, but that time taught you some genuinely helpful skills to prepare for life with a new baby. Here is what I see clients learn in the pandemic that serves them- and you! - in preparing for early parenthood. 

When it comes to childbirth, every family deserves care that reflects their unique needs and values. For many, birth centers are becoming the preferred choice over traditional hospital settings. They offer something distinct: a deeply personal, intimate, and supportive experience. Here’s why so many families are choosing birth centers and unmedicated births.

This year, what if instead of setting a goals-based resolution (go to the gym, eat healthier, sleep more) or even a word of the year  — what if you chose a feeling for the year.

Your baby has arrived. 💞

Oh my. I feel in a dream state even remembering. What a magical time. Exhausted. Elated. Deep in processing this powerful, powerful experience that may have gone as expected or very differently than expected. Traditionally, the first hour or two after birth are referred to as the “Golden Hour” — when you meet your baby for the very first time and baby comes skin-to-skin with the birthing parent to release a cascade of hormones that kick off bonding, breast/chestfeeding, and life outside the womb. 

I’m so excited for us to talk about the first 6 hours because while birth professionals are well versed in these “Golden Hours” it can be a very unexpected time for many families.

In honor of Labor Day… let’s talk labor and birth… and what to pack for the big day!

Before we get into this list, a disclaimer: after a decade of working with birthing people, the truth I know about birth is that the most important thing you can bring to your labor isn’t a “thing” at all. It is the people and care team who love and support you in finding your strength and your ability to surrender in just the right measure for your birth. 

I also want to acknowledge that you could come to birth with absolutely no bags and have a beautiful experience! I’m a creature comfort person so this list features a few things I’ve seen clients love over the years.

I think most of us start summer with some high hopes. We remember the feeling of summer when we were little - even if it was only moments - and sometimes we go chasing that high. Catching fireflies in the backyard. Hours spent making up games and doing everything and nothing with our neighborhood crew. A lake, ocean, or stream that shaped your summer vacations…

Maybe as you read this you know right away something you could do tonight that would make you feel like SUMMER, but for some of us the playfulness of summer can feel far off. If that’s you - follow along in this next exercise. You can have someone guide you with your eyes closed or you can open your eyes along the way and write down what you notice in a journal.

Hello summer heat! How are you cooling off this summer? I’m a Scorpio - which is a water sign - so I head towards water every chance I get! This month, I’m excited to be traveling to spend some time off with family who lives close to water. I’ll take my son to the beach and hope to get in a few canoe rides while we are near a lake. When we get back to Colorado, you will find me seeking all the best watering holes to cool off in the July heat. And no, “watering holes” is not a cool, old-school code for bars.

If you love to splash too this list of my favorite pools, splash pads, and watering holes will keep you cool and entertained this summer.

It’s SUMMER. And that means long hours of sunshine, (occasionally chaotic) schedules of fun activities filling the calendar, and -for me- more time outside with LESS time in the kitchen. So this month, indulge me while I put on my postpartum doula hat and share my favorite hacks in the kitchen to make amazing meals without spending all your time by the stove.

Something to know about me before we begin: I’m one of those people who still thinks Mother’s Day is about telling the moms - and the people in your life who mother you (biological or not) - that you love and appreciate them for who they are and all they. I don’t think it has to be commercial, expensive, or cookie cutter.

Have you ever had those moments where everything just clicks into place, where time seems to stand still, and you're completely immersed in what you're doing?

A few months ago we were here talking about mundane meditation, a practice where you make whatever activity you are doing into your whole focus. In contrast to the stillness of seated meditation, mundane meditation happens during an activity - making coffee, being with your kids, folding the laundry. But just like seated meditation, mundane meditation often takes a little effort. You choose to be present and ask your brain to focus in. But what about the feeling of effortlessly being totally engrossed in what you are doing?

That magic feeling is called flow state—a state of mind where you're fully engaged and absorbed in an activity, experiencing a perfect balance between challenge and skill and it’s another way to bring mindfulness into your everyday life.

As a former east coaster, where February and March are very gray, I’m so grateful to live in Colorado’s sunshine during winter! I’m a huge fan of winter and cold weather AND this last week of warmth was a welcome reminder that spring is truly coming. The warm weather and light in the mornings has motivated me to get my body moving this month.

So I’ve decided to hold myself to an impromptu #movementmarch trying to move my body every day through the month of March.

I love meditation, but I’m not a full-time yogi with unlimited hours to practice meditation and yoga and I would guess that you aren’t either. I am what some would call a householder yogi. I practice yoga and meditation but my day-to-day is steeped in the activities of daily human living.

We believe strongly in making massage therapy available to everyone in our community. We also know that while our community includes many affluent people, there are lots of people in Boulder County and the surrounds for whom massage is not part of their budget. To help fill these gaps we try to mindfully choose places to offer free or steeply discounted massage and bodywork.

When was the last time you touched your belly? Most professional massages don’t include the belly, and some massage students are taught the area is too vulnerable and to avoid it. The reality is that a trained therapist can address “common not normal” issues like poor digestion, painful or irregular periods, incontinence, and other maladies that originate in our middles.

New Office in Lafayette Opens October 1, 2022 at 150 Old Laramie Trail E.