5 Tips to Planning a Great Babymoon

By Guest Blogger, Darcy Sauers of Dover Doula

 

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life.  And typically, after our big, elaborate weddings we take a fantastic, relaxing, expensive honeymoon that is focused on bonding and having fun with our new partner.

 

The birth day of your baby is also one of the most important days of your life.  Yet, typically afterwards, we are sent home in a whirlwind of questions.  Instead of bonding and having fun with our new baby, we find ourselves surviving on granola bars, not showering and sometimes crying for no reason.

 

Why? Why? Why?

 

Why is there such a disparity between the way we celebrate these two major life events?  I don’t know – that’s the topic of a separate blog.

 

One study showed that in the last 3 months leading up to their wedding, brides spent an average of 11 hours a week working on wedding details.  Devote some time to planning your Babymoon.

 

Here’s my top 5 tips for taking a Babymoon and how hiring a postpartum doula can help.

 

 

1.  Sleep.  Did you sleep in every morning on your honeymoon?  Take a nap before going out to dinner?  Sleep is of the utmost importance on your Babymoon.  A new baby needs to eat every 2-3 hours around the clock.  The sleep deprivation that comes along with a new baby can really take a toll on your mood and your health.  And this is not one or two nights of bad sleep, this is a long haul!  It’s really important to “sleep when the baby sleeps” throughout the day.  Nap whenever possible.  A postpartum doula can watch the baby while you nap during the day.  You can also hire an overnight postpartum doula to help you get the most sleep possible at night.  Postpartum doulas can also educate you about newborn sleep patterns and help you maximize the sleep you and your newborn are getting.

 

2. Pamper yourself.  Did you have a massage before or after your wedding?  A pedicure?  Treat yourself to some pampering and self-care.  Whether it’s hiring a massage therapist to come to your home or just taking a really long hot bath with some candles and the door closed.   A little self-care goes a long way for  a mom.  A postpartum doula will care for the baby while you take some time for yourself to nap, shower or whatever it is that makes you feel better!

 

3.  No guests allowed.  How many people did you invite to come with you on your honeymoon?  In the first few days home on your baby moon,  just let it be the three of you.  Naked in bed.  Focus on breastfeeding, bonding and recovering from birth.  Your baby will still be super cute a week or two from now and you can invite friends and family to come then.  A postpartum doula often “runs interference” with family and friends, making sure that no one is overstaying their welcome.

 

4.  Good food.  Was your wedding catered by a top, local chef?  Were there decadent dinners and drinks on your honeymoon?  Then why are you surviving on granola bars and frozen dinners in the first weeks home with your baby?  Take the time to enjoy nutritious and delicious snacks and dinners.  Nourish yourself so you can nourish your baby.  When a friend asks, “Is there is anything I can do?” Say, “Yes, please drop off a healthy dinner.”  Keep a list of healthy take out options nearby.  Hire someone to stash your freezer with healthy meals.  A postpartum doula will be sure to provide you with healthy snacks throughout the day and light meal preparation.

 

5.  Enjoy it. The focus of a honeymoon is to have uninterrupted time with your partner to have fun, build wonderful memories, and create a bond that will last a lifetime.  Do the same with your baby!  Turn off the phone, the computer and the to-do list and snuggle in with your amazing newborn.  Take time to examine every cute little roll of glorious chubbiness!  Notice how intently his eyes look at your face.  Sing her some songs.  Snuggle him on your chest and inhale that intoxicating newborn scent on the top of his head.  A postpartum doula will take care of your laundry and dishes so that you can focus all your time and attention on the fun stuff!

 

Bonus.  Don’t stress.  Did you spend time on your honeymoon worrying about whether or not you were a good wife?  Or did you live in the moment and enjoy long walks on the beach with the love of your life?  Spend your babymoon enjoying your new baby and falling in love.  Don’t waste one second worrying that you are a bad mom or that you’re doing it wrong.  You’re not.

 

And finally, just like you did on your honeymoon, TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES!  And make sure that you are IN the pictures.  You may not feel as beautiful as you did on your honeymoon, but trust me, you are.

 

DoverDoula (1)

 Darcy Sauers owns Dover Doula and is a certified postpartum doula and certified lactation counselor.  She is the mother of three children who didn’t take the time to plan a Babymoon and really wishes that she had.  She is now passionately committed to helping new moms really enjoy the first 12 weeks home with a new baby.  Since 2010, she has helped close to 100 Seacoast, NH area families with their Babymoons.

 

About Healing Hands Community Chiropractic

Our mission at Healing Hands Community Chiropractic -Portsmouth, NH is to promote and support the overall health, well-being and highest quality of life of all individuals and families in our community through affordable chiropractic care.

 

Healing Hands Community Chiropractic is a health -care model intended to increase access to chiropractic care by offering adjustments in an open setting and fees on an affordable sliding-scale, without income verification.  By doing so, we offer the people of our community the opportunity to receive treatment as often as they need, to get the results they deserve with no insurance hassles -simply paying what they can for only $20- $40!

Click here to book now!

Pregnancy and Birth – Keeping it REAL.

by Guest Blogger, Amy Peterson of Hound Hill Doula and Great Bay Doulas

“Every pregnancy is unique”. Women frequently hear this response when they share questions or concerns about their pregnancy.  But in truth, there are so many things about pregnancy that are universal, and it is important to know that you are not alone in the feelings, experiences, and sensations of pregnancy.  Just like young girls commiserate about boys, compare their developing bodies and dream about their futures; pregnant women too thrive in an environment of shared experience.

 

In an effort to bring pregnant women together in a relaxed social setting, the Great Bay Doulas began their popular Mocktail Parties in the spring of 2011 and they are going stronger than ever!  What’s a Mocktail Party?  It a big bellied girl’s night out, a cocktail party minus the alcohol; it’s an opportunity to get together with other pregnant women and share excitement, milestones, fears and questions.   Krista Maltais, Darcy Sauers and Amy Peterson, three seacoast area certified doulas and lactation counselors, host these fun events at local venues on a monthly basis.

 

Each event has a theme – whether it’s baby calming or breastfeeding; and the doulas come prepared to answer questions and facilitate discussion, as well as offering lots of opportunity for hands on practice.   With their realistically weighted Great Bay-bies in tow, the doulas tackle baby wearing, swaddling and labor positioning.  There are birthing balls to practice with and wraps and slings try.  Often the parties include moms who have just given birth and can share their fresh perspective on the experience. The doulas keep it real. From placenta pills to postpartum depression, no topic is taboo. The casual, fun atmosphere makes it easy to bring up difficult topics and to connect with the other moms in lasting friendships.

 

The Great Bay Doulas are honored to have the support of many local businesses including Baby-Go-Round and Healing Hands Community Chiropractic. With the support of many local and national businesses they are able to offer some amazing door prizes, samples, and special coupons or offers to all of the guests.

 

Come join the fun as their new series begins with “Breast Start”, on March 7th, 2013 at Baby Go Round in Hampton Falls.  Explore your options for birth in our area, and find out what birth is really like!   Visit the Great Bay Doulas website for more information at greatbaydoulas.com  and follow the conversation at facebook.com/GreatBayDoulas.

About Amy Peterson CD(DONA), CLC

Hound Hill Doula

With experience in Emergency Medical Service, infant group daycare direction, and specialized foster care for NHDCYF, Amy has been working with infants and families all of her adult life.  In 2009 she became a doula, and is certified in labor support with DONA International, and in lactation counseling with Healthy Children’s Center For Breastfeeding.  She is continually moved by how empowered mothers become when they take ownership of their birth experience. Amy strives to help women trust their instincts and their body’s ability to birth; instilling confidence and a joyful appreciation of the journey toward parenting.

About Healing Hands Community Chiropractic
Our mission at Healing Hands Community Chiropractic -Portsmouth, NH is to promote and support the overall health, well-being and highest quality of life of all individuals and families in our community through affordable chiropractic care.

Healing Hands Community Chiropractic is a health -care model intended to increase access to chiropractic care by offering adjustments in an open setting and fees on an affordable sliding-scale, without income verification.  By doing so, we offer the people of our community the opportunity to receive treatment as often as they need, to get the results they deserve with no insurance hassles -simply paying what they can for only $20- $40!

Click here to book now!