Navigating the Transition: Tips for Breastfeeding Moms Going Back to Work

mom returning to work, breastfeeding mom

The decision to return to work after having a baby is a significant milestone for many mothers. It’s a time filled with mixed emotions – the excitement of resuming your career, and the challenge of balancing work and motherhood, particularly when you’re committed to breastfeeding. Going back to work while continuing to breastfeed is entirely […]

Safety of Home Birth: Recent Studies and Insights

Many of Holistic Family Doulas clients opt for home birth.  Holistic Family Doulas has seen an encouraging rise in home birth since the pandemic as well as the recent passing of certification for Certified Professional Midwives in Illinois.  We often get asked the question, is it safe?  Here is an blog with information and studies […]

Western Suburb Birthing Options

  Sherman Hospital: 1425 N. Randall Rd Elgin, IL 60123 Midwife Care Available Baby-Friendly Status Perinatal II+: Level 2 with Extended Capabilities: Hospitals with extended neonatal capabilities provide an intermediate level of care to pregnant women and more complex care to newborns when required. These hospitals do not have a neonatal intensive care nursery. Still, […]

Placenta Encapsulation – Is It Right For You?

Placenta Encapsulation is one way you can continue to use your placenta after the birth of your baby. If you are like many people giving birth in the Chicago area, you may be surprised you are even considering doing ANYTHING with your placenta – but being pregnant can change a lot of things, including one’s […]

First Weeks Home After Birth During a Pandemic

Walking through your door after making the drive home from the hospital is a surreal moment. You did it. You had a baby!  Now what?  First things first, take a breath.  Two people are healing from birth, you and your baby. Your priorities feel like they shift from moment to moment, depending on who is […]

Benefits of Belly Binding

Girdles, Spanx, support hose, corsets – mixed feelings come with all of these garments marketed to women but used by many, to lift, shape, and mold one’s body to be more aesthetically pleasing. Belly binding, while it sounds more like a torture device from the 17th century, has nothing to do with aesthetics, and everything to do […]

Blessings, Rituals, and Ways to Honor Your Pregnancy Journey

Imagine walking into a pleasant and caring space where you are the focus of an afternoon. There is no one there who adds to your anxiety, and everyone who you hope to see when you are at your most vulnerable. A gathering of positive influence, nurturing energies, and valued trust, embodied by the friends and […]