Let’s set the scene: You’ve just announced your pregnancy to your friends and family.

You’ve got some basic ideas of how you’d like your birth to unfold, and who you’d like to have by your side. Your family is brimming with excitement and your mother, and mother-in-law, and best friend, and your first cousin… they’ve all asked to be there on The Big Day by your side. Or, maybe there’s an unspoken desire that you can just feel from your friends and family that they expect to be there in the moment you welcome your baby into your arms.

So how do you tactfully tell your mother that your plans for birth may or may not include her being in the actual birth space? 

Planning out your packing strategy for your baby’s birthday? Today we’re sharing our top three tips for making the trek into labor and delivery a little easier for you (and, your birth team).

Then, read on for a handy list of what you really need to bring on the your baby's birthing day. 

We’re in the midst of one of the harshest flu seasons we’ve ever had. As a former client recently said, “We have officially reached that point in cold/flu season that feels like a zombie/outbreak movie. You hear a cough or sneeze in public and everything stops and that Vertigo camera effect kicks in because you all just know that innocent little cough means the zombie sickness is HERE in our MIDST.”

So, what happens when you find yourself overcome with the sniffles; or worse yet, the flu? (Because, as we know, babies don’t often recognize your request sick days off. #Rude)

We’ve got some tips to surviving sickness while also being responsible for a little one at home

Recipe testing isn't something that New Parents have the time and energy to do. And, not every recipe on the internet is as delicious as it's hyped to be. So we'll take it on for you! Each month, we'll test out an internet Instant Pot recipe. Then we'll report back here on our blog, sharing the steps involved and the tastiness that results. 

First up? Moong Dal Khichdi. It's a gluten-free, vegetarian dish, made with rice and lentils and seasoned with turmeric, cumin seeds, curry leaves and other spices. 

As the days have grown darker and temperatures have dropped, I find myself delving into comforting activities that make me feel warm, cozy, and distract me from the doldrums of winter.

As I was hanging my fairy lights and looking up a warm hearty dinner to cook for my own family,  I realized that this warm snuggly feeling I seek for myself is something we try to create everyday for our clients and their babies. In fact I realized, babies love Hygge!

Its something they seek constantly now that they are on the outside in the world. Hygge is an idea from Denmark, where it’s loosely translated as “coziness”. But really, its more a state of mind or lifestyle for a country that experiences many a long, cold dark day of winter. Savoring a cup of coffee, having a long candlelit talk with a friend, or donning your most comfortable clothes while relaxing at home are some of the things that are considered to be very Hyggeligt!

So how can we translate this state of living, the idea of Hygge into action, for not just babies, but for newly postpartum families? 

Books and television shows and viral videos on social media lead us to believe that the moment of introducing them might include sunshine and roses and an instant connection between them, OR that your older child may feel angry and displaced and possibly lash out. As experienced sibling and postpartum doulas, let us tell you:  The truth of what that moment will look like lies somewhere in the middle.

There is a lot of sweetness and unfortunately, there often times are some big, overwhelming feelings that can cause a total meltdown in the moment. 

How can you create the most smooth first introduction as possible when your older child meets your new baby? Forget the gifts "from the baby" to your older child. Here are some better ideas: 

The crowds, new voices, music, and lights can be energizing for you, but they can feel like "Disney On Steroids" for your baby. Understanding this fact and learning their Signs of Overstimulation, or SOS Signals, will help you comfort your baby as you move through the next few weeks. Plus, you'll be able to teach your family these signs, and get them involved too!

The world to an infant is big! bright! and noisy! When babies have had enough, they let us know! Here's how they tell us ...

One of our favorite games to play as doulas is one called, "They Didn't Know Enough". It's where we watch pop culture for birth and parenting references and then chuckle amongst ourselves about how terribly one or both are portrayed in Hollywood.

See for reference: Any episode ever of Grey's Anatomy (excluding last week's showcase of  Orgasmic Birth's concepts to usher on labor)

So, we were beyond impressed to see the second episode of this season's Black-ish take on postpartum mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) with stunning accuracy. 

My breastfeeding story is a few decades old, and some things have changed (at least in many hospitals) that would have made a big difference today.

However, there are still people struggling with some of the same challenges I faced so many years ago.

"The overwhelming benefits of breastfeeding are undisputed while at the same time, the ability to do so is still sometimes met with seemingly insurmountable challenges that can vary widely between ethnic and socio-economic groups. It is important to continue to build support networks and resources that speak to a range of culturally diverse communities in order to make them more widely accessible, consumed, and beneficial."

We're still within the season when everyone is pulling out the luggage and getting ready for summer vacation. Some of you may also be planning for a trip for the first time with your newborn and... you're realizing that packing just got a lot more complicated.

Today, our in-house, traveling-with-kids expert and Postpartum Doula, Suzanne Lee shares her tips to help (and if you really need to pack that second bouncy seat):

Having a baby, and being pregnant, during the summer in North Carolina is serious business. Okay, yes, during the earlier parts of the season, it’s all outdoor picnics, park playdates, and maybe, mocktails on the porch.

But during these later weeks of summer, y’all. It’s hot. It’s humid. In the afternoons, it's hard to want to leave the cool, dark, dens of our homes. And if you’re pregnant or have a newborn in your home AND you have older child, it’s hard to find things to do to that burn off extra energy and don’t burn you out.

So today, we’re sharing our list of favorite Bull City spots that are perfect for the Dog Days of Summer, and for families with young children who are also balancing life while pregnant or with a newborn. 

Happy (early) Father's Day!

The Emerald Doulas know this can be a tricky set of holidays for some families. Whether you are grieving a parent, have a complicated relationship with your own parents, or don’t "fit" into these parenting holidays, it can be a challenging season. 

In hopes of breaking through some of that isolation, this seemed like a good time to talk about how we, at EmDo, gender support. We are delighted to offer spaces that fit all kind of families; those that have fathers in them, those that don’t, and those that are in the middle.

Are you a parenting beyond or between the pink and blue greeting card aisles?

We see you. We love you. We want you to be part of our community. 

Mother's Day is just around the corner, and for a lot of our clients, this will be their first as a family! If you're still looking for the perfect gift, we've got a few suggestions that are great for any special mama in your life! Plus, these gift ideas are from Bull City and woman-owned small businesses, which make them even more special.

Labor and Delivery nurses are hands-down some of the hardest working, most caring people we interact with in our roles as doulas. Years from now, when clients recall their birth stories, sharing them to friends or family or perhaps, even to the child which you helped safely usher Earthside; I promise, these parents will remember you.