Paper Moon Babies

“It’s all fun and games
And sexy breathing exercises for birth
And romantic plans about how he’ll take the baby while you do yoga every day

Until you’re 10 days postpartum
Still bleeding and soaked in breastmilk
Riding a roller coaster of hormones and sleep deprivation
And your lovely partner forgets to pick up a smoothie on his way home from the grocery store

And you lose your sh✨t
Like sobbing into the bathroom sink
Like cursing his mother
Like wondering why you ever procreated with someone capable of such unimaginable selfishness

And then, when the storm has passed, and you’ve had a snack- you realize
Two shaky, raw, sleep deprived humans
Trying to be life rafts for one another
While sinking into the depths of exhaustion and stress
Keeping the tiniest, most fragile, precious being afloat
Is hard AF

We weren’t meant to do this alone
We were not meant to be sent out to sea on a tiny little life boat with no map
Even the most loving, stable partnership can sink under the weight of operating in survival mode while finding your footing as parents

So, if you’re out there, treading water
Buried in laundry and breastmilk
Surviving on freezer pizza and three hours of sleep
Thinking mildly unkind thoughts about the person you chose to parent with
Because he can’t seem to calm the baby or remember your smoothies or grasp the depths of the earth shaking transition you’re navigating
You’re not alone
And it will get easier
One sleepy, shaky day at a time.”
Image and words by:

Looking for a way to help with recovery after labor? I'm so excited to share with you a new product I'm offering. These are amazing (seriously, so amazing) postpartum herbs. They're one of my post labor essentials!

Use them in a bath to heal and relax while bonding with your newborn, in a sitz bath, or freeze them on a pad. Or my personal favorite - in a peri bottle!

Check them out here for more information: https://www.papermoonbabies.com/product-page/postpartum-herbs

Feeding post #3! 🥑🍒🍅

Today, let's talk about HOW to feed. There are 3 ways people can choose from- purees, baby led feeding, or a mix of both.

Purees: Are a little more straightforward, but there are a few things I want to mention.
🥑Don't force feed. With purees, baby isn't in charge of how much they're putting in their mouth. Feed after nursing or bottle, and start small (think a tsp!). Be really aware of following baby's cues.
🥑Offer baby a spoon for themselves to get them involved and learn how to manipulate food into their mouth.
🥑Around 9 months or so is when people are ready to offer actual table foods. With purees, babies are learning to swallow before chewing. You'll need to take this into account since baby will need to learn to chew still. Start offering chunkier and chunkier purees, until baby is ready and prepared for chewing.
🥑Pay attention to brands if you're buying it. There are so many brands out now without added sugars, sodium, and other unnecessary ingredients. Focus on baby purees with only whole foods.

Many people who do daycare love to option of doing both baby led feeding and purees. Purees at daycare, baby led at home. There is soooo much to share with baby led feeding, so we'll save that for next time! 🥑🍒🍅

https://zora.medium.com/midwives-doulas-and-the-push-for-better-care-cc45cf93709a

This is not new news any more, that women of color are incredibly mistreated during labor and delivery. (Not even mentioning pre and post natal care treatment!). Read these experiences. Read the statistics. Then think about this and remember it during the next election. We not have tons of people getting ready to run for our new president, but who is willing to help women of color?

Midwives, Doulas and the Push For Better Care Facing racism at hospitals, some women of color turn to home birth

🍉🍉🍉 Post 2 in our BABY FEEDING FRENZY! The big, controversial question about starting solids- WHEN do I start? Maybe you've been told to start around 3 or 4 months from an older relative or a pediatrician. This is pretty common advice-- and pretty outdated. Now all the major organizations (AAP, UNICEF, Australian NH, Health Canada, etc) support the newer research that waiting until around 6 months is the best idea. Before this, the gut isn't fully developed enough. Remember the 6 month birthday isn't a requirement and it's ok to start later, but waiting until the *signs of readiness* are present is important.

**Signs of readiness:
🍉Holding head up by themselves
🍉Sitting up with no assistance
🍉Baby has lost the tongue thrust reflex- doesn't automatically push solids out of mouth with tongue
🍉Baby is ready and willing to chew
🍉Developing a pincer grasp (where they are picking up foods and other objects between thumb and forefinger)
🍉Eager to participate and tries to grab food and put in their mouth

Starting too early can be really rough on baby's gut, so waiting for these signs of readiness is an easy way to decide. These usually happen around 6 months, but it's important to remember that 6 months is not a magical deadline or requirement! 🍉🍉🍉