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The Sun and Your Baby
September 5, 2017 | Kathryn Keener | Newborn Topics, Parenting
While September brings back to school, it can also bring some of the hottest days of the year here in San Diego. We might be beginning to daydream about scarves and boots, but we can’t forget to keep our sunscreen game strong! Of course, many of you have infants who are too young to douse in sunscreen if they are under 6 months, at least according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. But babies this age produce very little melanin for protection from the sun, and therefore they recommend the following steps: take your walks with your new baby before…
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Nine Simple Strategies to Prevent Back Pain After Baby
June 29, 2017 | Kathryn Keener | Postpartum Support and Recovery, Pregnancy and Childbirth
These nine tips come to us from guest blogger Dr. Dawn Andalon, a physical therapist specializing in women's health at Level 4 Physical Therapy and Performance in Carlsbad, CA. 1. Change up Your Sleeping Position Sleep with one pillow only. Anything more will bend your neck more than it should and means the muscles in your back, neck and shoulders are stretched more than they are designed to do so. 2. Improve Your Core Muscles (Not Just Pelvic Floor) When you’re out for a walk and after only a few minutes you find you need to lean on your…
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Upcoming Events for New and Expectant Parents in San Diego: March 2017
February 17, 2017 | Kathryn Keener | Postpartum Support and Recovery
We are sharing information about two events that will have great appeal to pregnant women, their partners, and parents of newborns, infants, toddlers and young children. One Moon Doula Services will be in attendance at each of these events, both of which take place in San Diego in March. Stop by our booth to say hello! The first event is a parenting fair entitled "Nurturing Compassionate and Mindful Children the Natural Way," on March 3rd and 4th, and is put on by The Center for Integrative Psychology and The Mind Body Mama. There will be speakers, booths,…
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Does it Matter Which Training Your Doula Took?
January 5, 2017 | Kathryn Keener | Doula Career, Postpartum Support and Recovery
In short… not really. You should interview prospective doulas in person (birth or postpartum). You should ask them about their doula training, their experience, their ability to reliably provide vetted back up in the case they can’t provide service to you. (Ask them for a name, and then interview that person – unless you’re going with an agency such as ours where all of that is built into the interview and selection process for you). If I were you, I’d ask questions about various scenarios (“How does your role change if I decide I want an epidural?” or…
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An Overnight Doula for Your Hospital Stay?
December 19, 2016 | Kathryn Keener | Postpartum Support and Recovery, Pregnancy and Childbirth
We were recently hired by a family who knew they would want overnight help from a postpartum doula during their hospital stay after the birth. After the baby was born, they wanted the father to be able to sleep at home with their four-year-old son, but the mother didn’t want to be alone in the hospital. Of course, one option would be to send the newborn to the nursery for the night. However, more and more new parents are choosing to “room in” with their babies. Expectant parents are learning in their childbirth education classes that rooming in with…
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POSTPARTUM DOULAS NEEDED
November 2, 2016 | Kathryn Keener | Doula Career, Postpartum Support and Recovery
This is not your average “job” opportunity. One Moon Doula Services is seeking postpartum doulas. Our team of doulas provides top-notch, personalized service to families in San Diego county. We get to do important work and make a difference for families, while utilizing a team approach to ensure that we continually learn from each other and have access to the support and opportunities the agency provides. Doulas who work for our agency provide postpartum doula support to our clients, in the client's home. This involves helping the entire family transition to life with a newborn (whether it be…
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Why Breastfeeding Comes Naturally to Most Babies – But NOT to Their Mothers
October 14, 2016 | Kathryn Keener | Parenting, Postpartum Support and Recovery, Pregnancy and Childbirth
On the one hand, breastfeeding is, of course, natural. In some ways it’s amazing to see all of the babies who instinctively know what they’re doing. There’s even a term, “breast crawl,” that describes how babies, just minutes or hours old, will inch themselves from mother’s belly right up to the breast, even though babies can’t technically crawl until many months after birth. On the other hand, it no longer “comes naturally” to so many mothers in our society because while babies get their instincts from nature and biology, mothers receive much of their know-how from information and…
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Mom Guilt Part 1: A Getaway With the Husband
October 5, 2016 | Kathryn Keener | Postpartum Support and Recovery
This is where I’m sitting, right at this very moment while I write this. The view is spectacular. The “hotel,” (I almost can’t even call it that because of it’s size and grandeur) is luxurious. I’m working, but it’s work I love and care about. With so few interruptions because I’m not in my home office being beckoned by laundry or dishes… I’m not looking at the clock to see how much time until the kids get home. When cocktail hour comes, my food and drinks are paid for and I’m in the company of good people, including…
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Pregnant in Summer? Here’s How to Cool Off!
July 16, 2016 | Kathryn Keener | Pregnancy and Childbirth
Pregnant women already have a higher blood volume and a slightly higher body temperature… so being pregnant during summer (especially in your third trimester) can be an extra challenge to your comfort and your energy level. Here in North County Coastal San Diego, many homes are without air conditioning because of how mild it is for so much of the year! We found a few tips (besides the obvious, like stay in the shade and stay hydrated) to help you keep your cool: When you're ready to let us pamper you after your baby or babies finally arrive, call us or read…
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What to Expect When You CAN’T Know What to Expect: Planning for Life with a Newborn
June 28, 2016 | Kathryn Keener | Newborn Topics, Parenting, Pregnancy and Childbirth
I was inspired to speak on this topic because I just got off the phone with three different expectant parents, inquiring about postpartum Doula services, who want to make sure they have adequate support in place after the birth of their baby or babies, but are overwhelmed with the prospect of planning for something they've never done before. Almost always the families that call me say, "How can I know what I need before I need it?" Some of them will have family members nearby or visiting, but don't yet know how it will go to have those…
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