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2/8/2025

TODDLER-FRIENDLY VALENTINE'S ACTIVITIES THAT FOSTER CONNECTION

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Valentine's Day is just a few days away! While the first thing that springs to mind may be romantic love, Valentine's Day is a wonderful time to focus on growing your connection with your little one as well. Toddlers thrive on simple, meaningful activities that engage their senses and strengthen their bond with their parents and other caregivers. I have gathered some simple activities you can easily do with the little ones in your life, while you make some precious memories.

crafting A BEE-YOUTIFUL connection

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What even is Valentine's Day without Valentines? How about a card with your little honey's footprint turned into a bumblebee? Here is a sweet little Bee Mine Valentine's card that your little one can make for Dad, Mama, Grandma or Grandpa -- or another special person in his or her life. You can see my daughter's version at the left; click on the link above for our inspiration!
For babies or young toddlers, you can add the details to their footprint to make their bee come alive. Older toddlers and preschoolers will love crafting their bee by themselves! Hint: if you don't have or don't want to use alphabet stickers, you can trace the letters, "BEE MINE," in pencil and have little ones paint over your letters. Fine motor skills, arts and crafts, and writing practice all in one!

Saint Valentine love letters

While it is entirely possible to celebrate and enjoy Valentine's Day as it is commonly celebrated today, my Christian and Catholic readers will appreciate a faith-based activity you can do with your little ones. Since we're on the topic of "Valentines," did you know that the Saint Valentine, a Roman clergyman from the third century, is still known for writing letters of encouragement to Christians undergoing persecution? This may explain our tradition of writing sweet cards on Valentine's Day to those we love.
If you are interested in adding this activity to your special day, talk with your child about people you know who might need some extra encouragement...perhaps a grandparent, a neighbor, residents at a local nursing home, immigrants, or mothers experiencing a difficult or unexpected pregnancy.
Write simple messages of encouragement such as "God loves you," "Praying for you," "You are a gift," or "Jesus loves you," and having your child "sign" his name to the card, with a thumbprint, first initial or first name, depending on your child's abilities. Your little ones can also decorate their Saint Valentine cards with hearts, stickers, or stamps. You and your child can then deliver the cards to the intended recipients, bringing them joy, and practicing the virtue of kindness as a family.

SENSORY PLAY WITH A HEARTFELT TWIST

If you're hoping to encourage the growth of your little one's attention span; give them an opportunity to explore textures; and practice scooping and pouring; a sensory bin is a great idea. But let's be real...when you've got little ones who may still put things in their mouths, a sensory bin can be a nerve-wracking and potentially dangerous thing! If you can handle it if the littles dump everything out, here's a great idea for a (mostly) edible sensory bin: a cereal bin!
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Here are some ideas for your Valentine's themed sensory bin: heart-shaped cereal and / or heart-shaped cookies or crackers, scoops, spoons, candy molds or muffin tins, cookie cutters, or measuring cups -- bonus if these tools are heart-shaped! Put everything in the storage container and let them go at it! You can teach vocabulary words like "heart," "scoop," or "pour." If you have different colored cereals or cookies, show them how to sort the items into different muffin tins or cups by color, having them repeat the color names. While they would undoubtedly enjoy this activity solo, make sure to stay close by for safety.
If you want to contain the mess, and you have a big enough box, put the sensory bin and the little ones in the big box. When they're done nibbling, scooping, pouring, and exploring, remove the reusable items and toss, or compost, the remains of the cereal.

sweet treats, simple joys

Since we're on the topic of food, making heart-shaped treats together is a wonderful way to develop teamwork with your child, while teaching math skills. Valentine's Day and strawberries seem like a natural pair; how about your own home-made, heart-shaped strawberry roll-ups? Yes; please!
With only four simple ingredients, this recipe is a great one to make with your little ones. The hardest part for them will be the three to four-hour wait while the mixture dries in the oven. (Hint: fill the time with the other activities we have suggested!) Little ones can measure out and add the ingredients to the food processor, and later, they can cut out the heart-shaped roll-ups with heart cookie cutters. As always, for their safety, make sure you stay with your child throughout this activity.

COMMUNICATING LOVE WITH BABY SIGNS

Getting out with your little ones to shops or stores around this time of year is a great opportunity to communicate with your child about Valentine's Day. Hearts, flowers, and so many red objects surround and delight your child! Did you know research demonstrates that little ones who use baby sign language learn to communicate more quickly with their parents or caregivers than non-signing babies, and have reduced frustration, because they can talk about the world around and inside them?
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Our My Favorite Valentine's Signs Baby Signs (R) online playgroup is a fantastic way to give your little one a way to communicate with you about love, hearts, flowers, and other common sights, sounds, and smells of Valentine's Day! We will sing Valentine's Day songs, make a heart-themed craft, listen to a story, and learn and practice six Valentine's Day related signs. The class is free on Valentine's Day, but if the time of the class doesn't work for you, contact us to arrange a private class.
The best Valentine's Day activities are the ones that create joyful memories and strengthen family bonds. If you try one or more of these activities, make sure to share how it went in the comments. Use our hashtag #stcroixbirth on social media, so we can share the joy with you and your little ones as you connect on this special day dedicated to love!
Note: this post contains affiliate links. Proceeds from your purchases helps us to continue providing free and low-cost services to families in the Twin Cities, Minnesota area, and around the world.

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11/25/2023

GROWING GRACEFULLY

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Supporting your young child through important transitions is the focus of several of our featured December classes and events, including weaning from the breast (at our online Catholic Nursing Mothers' Group) and welcoming a new sibling (in our Baby Signs "My Baby & Me" playgroup). In this post, I will share four ways to help your growing child to grow gracefully: natural breastfeeding; positive weaning; infant massage; and joyfully preparing for a new sibling.
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NATURAL breastfeeding

If you are expecting a new baby, no doubt one of the most important decisions you must make is how you plan to feed your baby. Breastfeeding may not be the easiest choice, especially in the beginning. However, once you and baby get the "hang of it," it becomes second-nature for many busy new moms and babies. Breastfeeding is a wonderful way to ease your newborn's transition from in the womb to in your arms. In fact, healthy newborns have a variety of instincts that allow them to seek out the breast and latch successfully all on their own!

GENTLE, POSITIVE WEANING

While the word "weaning" often conjures up images of wailing babies and swollen, painful breasts, gentle, baby-led weaning is often so gradual and natural a process that mother may not even remember the exact day or even week that her little one weaned from the breast. Gradual weaning is gentler on both mother and baby. I use the term "positive weaning" to describe this style of weaning. Instead of abruptly removing a child from the breast, positive weaning is a mindset that respects the child's developmental readiness and views weaning as a process. Being "fully weaned" is a milestone and achievement, like mastering how to use the toilet, learning to ride a bike, or learning to read. Positive weaning also respects the mother's needs and bodily integrity, since the process of weaning may often be the child's first exposure to the idea that each person's body belongs to that person, and their first experience of respecting that others can, and will, say "no" to him or her on occasion. These important lessons have many benefits for the child long into the future.

INFANT MASSAGE

No matter how they are fed, newborns benefit from infant massage as they transition from womb to world. For a young child, touch is as vital to life as milk. Infants who regularly receive infant massage cry less, develop faster, and have fewer discomforts. Infant massage is a wonderful way to encourage your baby's health and well-being while bonding with your child.

JOYFULLY WELCOMING A NEW SIBLING

For many children, their special time as the "baby of the family" will come to an end when a new sibling arrives. The uncertainty of how their child will handle this transition is often a source of considerable worry for parents during pregnancy. Often in books or shows on this topic, the older sibling is portrayed as jealous and the parents or grandparents as only interested in the new baby, and in my opinion, these negative depictions plant seeds of worry and pessimism in the older sibling that may contribute to a long-term "sibling rivalry."
My own experiences as a mother of seven have taught me that this transition is easier on the new big brother or sister when the older child is involved in the pregnancy; for example, attending prenatal care or ultrasound appointments; looking at ultrasound photos together; or helping to pick out clothing or prepare the home for the new baby. It is beneficial if there have been age-appropriate discussions of the birth process and birth plans; as well as frequent discussions of what they can expect of a newborn, and how Mom, Dad, and Big Sister or Brother will care for the baby...all with a positive, excited attitude.
During the typical challenges of pregnancy, and especially if complications arise during the pregnancy or birth, it is best to talk with your child in an age-appropriate way about what is happening to mommy or baby and how they can help, even if in very simple ways, like, "Please bring Mommy a glass of water." When the child does these precious acts of service, praise the child, letting him or her know what a great big brother or sister he / she already is. Empathy, gentleness, education, and encouragement will go a long way toward helping the young child to embrace this new role that, God willing, will last a lifetime.

SCBP RESOURCES

  • Breastfeeding Matters is our online or in-person breastfeeding prep class that meets once every month
  • "Positive Weaning" is the topic for discussion at our December online Catholic Nursing Mothers' Group
  • Private, online or in-person professional breastfeeding counseling is available throughout the week if you have questions about establishing breastfeeding, weaning, or other breastfeeding-related questions
  • Infant Massage Basics is a two-hour online or in-person class that gives you practical information, skills, and games you can use to develop a baby massage routine; class is available once every month
  • "My Baby & Me" is our sibling prep parent-child Baby Signs (R) playgroup that is offered once every two months​. While this class is currently only offered online, arrangements can be made to deliver the content in-person
VIEW ALL CLASSES

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10/26/2023

HOLIDAY WEANING AND THE UNEXPECTED RETURN OF FERTILITY

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When my oldest (and gently weaning) child was twenty-six months old, relatives were coming from out of state for Thanksgiving. As a young couple, this would be the first time we ever hosted the big day. I was all in for the slow-baked turkey, the mashed potatoes and gravy, the yams, the beans, the salads, the pies, the harvest decorations, the beautifully laid table, and all the rest.
Thirty-eight weeks later, our second child was born, in the shower at home, in the middle of one crazy night.
We had been hoping for and planning to try for another child -- so the news I was pregnant was welcomed by both of us -- but I share this story to let you know that holiday weaning -- and an unexpected holiday-conceived baby -- aren't just theories for me!
A mere two months prior to that positive pregnancy test, when our oldest child turned two years old, I had visited my doctor to let her know that my fertility (both menstruation and ovulation) had not yet returned. Due to my prior history of infertility, she had advised that we begin to investigate possible causes. However, I had done nothing more than talk to the doctor when we conceived our dearly loved second child. Surprise! What happened?
After giving birth, a breastfeeding mother has two different hormonal "sides" that can be imagined as the two sides of a scale. On one side, she has breastfeeding hormones that promote lactation (and tend to suppress ovulation) -- and on the other, reproductive hormones that promote ovulation, and which may lead to another pregnancy. While the timing of her return of fertility varies from woman to woman, and even from baby to baby by the same mother (due to many different factors) the general principle is that frequent and unrestricted suckling at the breast is the most important factor that keeps the breastfeeding hormones side of the scale "heavier," resulting in continued natural suppression of fertility.
However, the further out in time from the birth, the easier it is for the reproductive hormones to tip the scales, so that menstruation or ovulation may return. This is part of the reason why the holiday season is indirectly responsible for many late summer and fall babies!
What factors contribute to this unexpected holiday-related return of fertility? Here is a partial list:
  • changes in the nursing and sleep routines caused by the typical busy-ness that often accompanies the holidays, including the extra cleaning, cooking and shopping, decorating, etc.
  • extra celebrations and parties, when a mother may delay or completely skip feedings
  • well-meaning relatives who may keep the baby or young toddler busy and distract him or her from nursing or may even feed the baby (with or without the parents' knowledge)
  • feeling awkward or embarrassed to nurse the baby in new situations or around different people
  • new people, blinking lights, and experiences that distract baby or toddler from wanting to nurse, or cause shorter feedings than usual
If, like my husband and me, you are hoping for another baby, then just pay attention to your signs of fertility and enjoy making your holiday baby if the signs point to being fertile!
However, especially if your baby is under a year old, you may want to protect your breastfeeding relationship, discourage weaning, and delay making a new baby until later in the future. In that case, you definitely want to do what you can to avoid changes in your usual nursing and sleeping routines as much as possible. This may not be the year to host holidays and celebrations! Keep your meals and preparations simple, and maybe even skip some of this year's parties. Remember, you need to maintain your normal routines as much as possible, so that baby's frequent suckling at the breast remains as consistent as possible. At the same time, be vigilant to observe and record your signs of fertility, so that if you do detect any changes that indicate fertility, you and your husband can still celebrate, but in less intimate ways.
If a more detailed discussion of how to protect your breastfeeding relationship during the holidays, how to interpret your signs of fertility, or how to understand the return of fertility after birth would be helpful to you, contact me (Christelle) to book a free online, phone, or in-person consultation. As a certified breastfeeding counselor and fertility educator, I can help!
For Catholic breastfeeding mothers, "Navigating the Holidays as a Breastfeeding Family," and the unexpected return of fertility are the discussion topics of our online Catholic Nursing Mothers' Group in November. Reach out if you would like to join us for this free online breastfeeding support group!

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9/17/2022

'SO FUN': A NANNY'S EXPERIENCE USING BABY SIGNS (Interview)

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Parents are often the ones who take baby sign language classes so they can communicate with their baby before baby can talk. But learning baby sign language is helpful for anyone who spends significant time with a baby, including siblings, grandparents, daycare workers, babysitters, and other caregivers! Earlier this year, Emilie, a nanny, asked her employer if she could take the Sign, Say, and Play online Baby Signs (R) Class with her nanny charge, Emma. I asked Emilie about her experience using baby sign language with Emma.
SCBP: What reasons did you have for wanting to learn Baby Signs with your nanny baby?
Emilie: 
 I wanted to learn baby sign language with Emma because I knew how much it would help us communicate with each other. I have used sign language in the past in my family growing up and I was interested in trying it as a caregiver.
SCBP: What age was Emma when you began to take classes with her?
Emilie: ​Emma was seven and a half months old when we took our first class.
Emma was seven and a half months old when we took our first class.... Emma definitely enjoyed the classes.
​~Emilie, nanny
SCBP: Do you think Emma enjoyed the classes themselves? If so, how could you tell?
Emilie: Yes! Emma definitely enjoyed the classes. She would often try to reach for the screen and sometimes waved hello, too! She would also play with the toys which were part of the class, and she laughed whenever we did parachute play.
SCBP: Did you ever see Emma use Baby Signs in her daily life? What signs did she use?
Emilie: ​Yes! Emma loved to use baby signs as she grew older. Her favorite signs were "Dog", "More", "All Done", "Book", and "Fish"!
SCBP: Do you think it was helpful for her that she use signs? Can you think of a time it helped you or her family that she knew signs?
Emilie: I do think it was helpful for her to use signs. She is a very smart little one and knowing baby signs allowed her to communicate what she liked and what she wanted (and what she didn't want). We developed our own sign for angry which we would both use. There were several times I remember her starting to cry then stopping and using the sign for angry instead! It was definitely helpful to have a baby who cried less often!
"I remember her starting to cry then stopping and using the sign for angry instead! It was definitely helpful to have a baby who cried less often!"
~ Emilie
SCBP: Is there anything you would say to parents or caregivers about using baby signs with babies?
Emilie: Using baby signs is a great way to give your little one a way to communicate early on in life. When their vocabulary is bigger than just "cry" and "smile", it will surprise you how much easier it is to care for them! You can simply give them what they tell you that they want, most of the time.
SCBP: Would you recommend SCBP Baby Signs classes?
Emilie: I would definitely recommend SCBP Baby Signs Classes. They are a fun and easy way to learn a great way of communicating with your little one.
SCBP: Thank you, Emilie, for taking the time to answer these questions about your baby sign language experience!
Emilie: I 
am always happy to help out! And it was so fun to take the classes.

BABY SIGN LANGUAGE RESOURCES

Sign, Say, & Play class series: six fun online classes for little ones 6-24 months old covering the main topics that you need to know to communicate with baby, including mealtime, bedtime, bath time, pets, getting dressed, and playtime
Rumble Tumble Tummy Time class series: four fun online classes for babies 2-6 months old that use signs, song, toys, and games to make tummy time fun!
Featured Freebie class: SCBP offers FREE theme-based baby sign language classes every month for children from birth to age 6! View and sign up for this month's Featured Freebie class here.
Baby Signs Too: a website with a directory of certified Baby Signs (R) instructors from around the world and lots of baby signs resources for sale, too!

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5/26/2022

SUPERMOM-IN-TRAINING SUMMIT RECAP

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I had the opportunity to answer questions and answers about Bonding with Baby yesterday at the free online SuperMoms-in-Training Summit. It was a great experience! Since the actual recording is reserved for summit participants, here's a recap of what I discussed.
To bond with baby (as well as older children!) I suggest new parents look into attachment parenting (AP). I would argue that AP is simply instinctive parenting that has been practiced since the beginning of the human race, but it has been promoted in recent decades by Dr. William Sears and his wife, Martha Sears, RN. In their book, Attachment Parenting,* the Searses promote the "Seven B's" of AP:
  • Birth Bonding
  • Breastfeeding
  • Babywearing
  • Bed Sharing
  • Belief in the signal value of Baby's Cries
  • Beware of Baby Trainers (practices that might reduce your responsiveness to your baby)
  • Balance and Boundaries
In my Summit Q & A, I discussed a little bit about each of these practices. One reason I encourage mothers to work toward a natural, unmedicated birth without routine interventions is because such a birth usually provides the best conditions for normal breastfeeding, and breastfeeding is an important factor in bonding. Another important part of Birth Bonding is skin-to-skin contact between mom and baby -- and also dad and baby! And skin-to-skin is something you can do with your baby anytime, not just at birth.
Research suggests that Breastfeeding is an important factor in mother-baby bonding. It's important to add that breastfeeding doesn't guarantee bonding, and other feeding choices certainly don't prevent bonding! However, breastfeeding releases bonding hormones in baby and mother, and is known as an important factor in bonding.
There was a question about what can be done to prepare for breastfeeding during pregnancy. Make sure to get a lactation consultant lined up before you have a need! If needed, it is much easier to make a call for help to someone with whom you have already established a relationship than cold calling in what might feel like a very emergent situation. A second suggestion I have is to make sure you take a good breastfeeding preparation class!
The third B is Babywearing. Babies who are "worn" (carried in a sling or infant carrier) cry less and are perceived as "easier" / happier babies. This can make bonding easier. In addition to babywearing, I also recommend Infant Massage! Infant massage is a wonderful way to promote your baby's physical and emotional health while growing in your bond.
I spoke the longest about the fourth B: Bed Sharing because many have concerns about bedsharing safety. It is important to follow safe bed sharing guidelines! If bedsharing isn't something that you are interested in doing, it can be beneficial to sleep close to baby, for example, with baby in a "sidecar" arrangement or with bassinette in your room.
I add Baby Sign language to the fifth B: Belief in the signal value of a Baby's Cries. The parent or caregiver recognizes that babies want to communicate their needs and it is our job to observe our babies and learn what their signals mean. Baby Sign language facilitates this process by giving babies a way to communicate their needs, thoughts, and emotions before they are able to speak!
A mom asked how many signs to start with. I responded to say that in my Baby Signs classes (designed for babies 6-24 months), I teach about 6 signs per week and that seems to be enough variety without overwhelm. I also recommend starting with the mealtime signs because this is such an important area where parents and babies need to communicate every day!
Similar to the Bedsharing B, I recognize that "Beware of Baby Trainers" is one of the more controversial AP practices. To make this less confrontational, I like to explain this one as avoiding those practices that force you to be less responsive to your baby. For example, there are some methods that are designed to "train" a baby not to cry...ever. This is the kind of practice that should be avoided if you want to practice AP, because it interferes with the previous B: recognizing the signal value of a baby's cries. (This B does not mean using gentle methods of weaning or helping your toddler learn to sleep through the night at an appropriate age. Of course all children should wean from the breast and sleep through the night!)
The final B, which in my opinion is the most important, is Balance and Boundaries. Parents who gravitate to AP tend to be (like me haha) Type A perfectionists. It is important to be gentle with yourself and make sure your own needs are met: physical, emotional, social, and spiritual. AP can be intense and it is something that requires a lot of energy and commitment for the long-haul. You absolutely need to meet your own needs to be a long-term AP parent. You matter! And your baby does, too! Blessings to you and your baby.

  • *This is an affiliate link. I will get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Your purchase helps to support this non-profit alliance in our mission to accompany families through the joys and sorrows of birth and parenting. Note: I truly love this book; check it out from the library if you don't want to purchase it!

RESOURCES

  • Birth Matters classes: online birth classes that help prepare you and your birth partner for an informed and empowered natural childbirth
  • Breastfeeding Matters class: an online breastfeeding education class
  • Infant Massage Basics class: an online infant massage class that teaches you the benefits of infant massage, as well as basic strokes to massage your baby
  • Baby Signs Sign, Say, and Play series: a fun online playgroup that help you teach 37 signs to your baby about topics such as mealtime, bedtime, bath time, getting dressed, pets, and park play
  • Ask Dr. Sears: the official website of Dr. William and Martha Sears that answers many questions about attachment parenting
  • Baby Signs: the website for baby sign language questions and products
  • Kelly Mom: one of our favorite go-to sites for evidence-based breastfeeding questions
  • Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory: Dr. James McKenna's official website summarizing his research into the benefits of bedsharing

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4/19/2022

"WHAT IS ECOLOGICAL BREASTFEEDING?" A SHORT INTRODUCTION

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One of my most popular posts in this blog is about ecological breastfeeding. Earlier this year, I was asked by Natural Family Planning International to produce a short video about ecological breastfeeding. I wrote the video, filmed it, acted in it, and edited it. This was a fun experience and I hope to produce more parenting videos in the future! Contact me or comment below if you have ideas for parenting videos, or questions I can answer with a video!
Because they go by kind of fast, here are the Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding:
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Do you have comments or questions about ecological breastfeeding (sometimes called eco-breastfeeding)? Do you have eco-bfing experiences to share? Comment below!

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8/12/2021

supporting new MOTHERs during a loCkdown: a guide for friends and extended family

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A mothers' group: the good old days?
The coronavirus pandemic has changed life as most of us once experienced it. Many areas of the world are in lockdown, and even in areas where things have opened up, as the number of COVID-19 cases spikes again, we will likely face more social distancing measures or quarantines to try to slow the spread (if we aren't already).
For some new mothers, this slower, more home-based pace of life has been a good thing. These moms report that being quarantined with their babies has helped them breastfeed, since - just to mention one thing - being separated from a nursing baby tends to make maintaining a milk supply more challenging and if nothing else, lockdown gives us lots and lots of time with our immediate family members. But in other and important ways, social isolation is not great for new mothers. Many important services that mothers need, including lactation help, have been more difficult or impossible to access during lockdown. Aside from access to healthcare, all mothers need other mothers, friends, sisters, cousins, grandmothers, aunts...we need our sisters and our sage femmes to let us know we're not alone; we're loved; we're doing a good-enough job; our kids are normal (usually); and, if they're not, to have faith that eventually, this too shall pass. Lockdowns put a lock on these face-to-face and side-by-side moments...natural social interactions which normally serve to lower our stress levels and restore us - "enhope" us. ​And all this goes quadruple for new mothers.
Dealing with lochia, sore nipples, night feeds, blow outs, the constant guessing games that a newborn brings (a/k/a no instruction manual), keeping a brand new non-verbal human thriving and growing, and caring for everything "down there" is just a lot. In some idealized past, we imagine our ancestral mothers got to lie around while their loving, supportive kin waited on them hand and foot. Sure, maybe that happened sometime, somewhere, but envying our long-departed great-great-grandmother's "lying in" is not really going to help you get through this painful feed, on this lonely day, at this ungodly hour.
So let's break this down. New mothers have physical needs. Food, water, monster sized maternity pads (in the beginning), menstrual pads later on, baths or showers, and (eventually) clean clothes. If you love her, ask about these things. If she needs something, help or ask someone else to help. Leave things on her porch, in her mailbox, send it unaccompanied up the elevator, or throw it through her window if you have to! (Or you could just give to the baby's dad, but that's not as fun.)
If she's good with her physical needs, I guarantee she has emotional needs. Call and ask about her birth. Listen. Bite your tongue if you find yourself starting any sentence with the words "at least." Listen. Celebrate the good stuff with her. Mourn with her anything she found sad. Share her anger if anything made her mad. Don't tell her what she should have done differently. Listen. Are you listening? Keep listening. No matter what, make sure to let her know how amazing she is. No one in the history of the world had her birth. It was her adventure and she is a heroine for having done it!
Call another time and ask how things are going with the baby. Celebrate the joys. Mourn the things that aren't going so well with her. Did I mention don't tell her she should have done anything differently? She is probably already beating herself up about something. If her baby is growing and developing, she's doing a great job. Tell her.
If her baby is struggling, offer to help. If she's got other kids, depending on your local situation, you might be able to have someone in mom's social bubble bring the baby's older siblings somewhere outside for a socially distanced / masked playdate so she can visit (whether in-person or virtual) with the doctor, or the chiropractor, or the lactation consultant, or whoever it is she thinks can help. Moms grow in confidence and feel capable when the people around them support their decisions about their baby's care. Be that person (even if you secretly disagree). Being a great friend / sister / mother / mother-in-law, etc., means supporting the new mom's efforts to become a mother, a big part of which is taking responsibility for her baby. And chances are very good that if the baby continues to struggle, even after that visit with [insert name here] she will try something else, and something else, and something else, and maybe, when she's tried everything else, she may even ask you for your advice! Now is your moment.
A few days or a week later, call her again. And then again. And yet again. And pretty soon she will blossom and her tiny baby will become a chunky monkey, roll over and crawl and take his first steps, and life will settle and she will never forget that you were there, on the sidelines, cheering her on the whole time. Maybe you never carried a meal to her bedside on a solid-gold tray, but you were there. And maybe she'll tell her great-great-granddaughters about you and how you were there for her when great-grandpa was born, during the time of the world coronavirus pandemic.

ways st. croix birth & Parenting can help

  • Twin Cities area Birth Place visits (where permitted)
  • ​Virtual breastfeeding counseling
  • Breastfeeding support groups (for Catholic mothers)

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    Christelle J. K. Hagen, BfNAE, ICI, SBD is a certified birth doula, certified Baby Signs instructor, Certified Birth & Bereavement Doula, fertility educator, and the President and Founder of St. Croix Birth & Parenting. Christelle helps mothers develop strategies to get pregnant naturally, give birth with confidence, and succeed when they breastfeed!
    ​
    "Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is in the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves stay green; In the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit." ~Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NRSV-CE)

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