Education

Congrats! You’re having a baby! You’ve picked out a name, ordered a crib, and researched stroller systems.  You’ve spent hours drooling over tutus and LSU football onesies.  But, have you taken the time to prepare for labor and birth?  Having a baby is so much more than showing up at the hospital after your water breaks, and it’s nothing like what you see on tv and in movies.  In fact, having a great birth experience starts before your first prenatal visit.  There are several things to consider when preparing for your best birth, and this four-step guide will get you on your way! 1. Choose Your Birth Team The first and most important choice you will make is your birth team,...

*Note: This article was written for people who are trying to help someone who WANTS to breastfeed. Please do not pressure a mom or make them feel guilty about their choices. My goal is to give you ways to help a mom in need! When I was pregnant with my oldest daughter, I knew I wanted to breastfeed. I took all the classes and read all the books. Still I just assumed it would all happen naturally. She would come out, latch on, and instant bonding would occur. Well it didn't go according to plan. In fact, she wouldn't latch on at all. It was 6 weeks before she latched. Through all of that, I had lots of well-meaning people offering...

My husband, Bill, and I recently took a baby care class at Woman’s Hospital. The official name for the class is “After Baby Comes (ABC): Baby Care and Parent Care. I’m now about two months from my due date, and with the holidays on the horizon we elected to go ahead and take the class in October. A word about our prior “experience” with babies: I’m a typical gal who loves to hold babies and who did her fair share of baby-sitting growing up. I also have seven younger cousins; so for the majority of my childhood, there was at least one baby hanging around. But I’ll admit that I've probably changed one diaper in the past five years and...

About a year ago, I decided to attempt to teach Matthew, my oldest son, some thematic lessons.  You know…D is for Doggie or P is for Pumpkin (or W is for What Was I Thinking?)  I kid.  However, as a former teacher to much older children, I quickly realized that I was seriously lacking in Early Childhood Education skills.  I decided to do our first thematic unit on A is for Apple.  This was pretty basic and I knew there were resources everywhere. We quickly discovered the lovely book Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington.  This sweet story chronicles the duties of an apple farmer while highlighting the many uses for apples.  The story depicts Annie as honest, hardworking, and...

Mothers throughout the world have been wearing their children for thousands of years.  What mom doesn’t want her sweet baby snuggled close to her heart? But, the benefits of babywearing extend far beyond the joy of inhaling that newborn smell with every step. For parents, wearing a baby makes life much more convenient. It frees up both hands to help with all of that multi-tasking you’re doing.  It’s much easier to do chores, chase your toddler, and walk the dog when you aren’t using one arm to support a baby. Babywearing is also great for situations that aren’t ideal for pushing a bulky stroller.  I love being able to navigate a Mardis Gras parade or walk around while tailgating at...