A pregnancy photoshoot is an invaluable way to preserve life’s fleeting phases as you anticipate the turn of the next chapter; but it’s also so much more than that. A maternity session offers a chance to pause. To reflect. To be present with your body and baby. To capture, one last time, your family as it is now — before crossing the threshold into something entirely new. We are honored to capture this sacred stage of your life.
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Raise your hand if you’ve ever drifted off to sleep while nursing baby in the middle of the night. Mine’s up! Yours too? I’m not surprised. I’d actually be quite surprised if anyone who nurses overnight didn’t raise their hand, because here’s the truth: Nighttime nursing is meant to make us fall asleep.
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Why does the Sprout & Blossom team love in-home newborn photoshoots so very much? Let us count the ways! Having an in-home newborn photoshoot offers several benefits for the whole family. Especially for the new boss in town: your sweet cheeks little bebe! Spoiler alert — if you weren’t already in love with the idea of an in-home newborn photosesh yourself, we think you’ll change your mind after reading this…
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Pride matters to us here at Sprout & Blossom, in pride month and beyond; we love, honor, and support folks all across the spectrums of sex, gender, and sexuality. To that end, we want to highlight the importance of pride in the perinatal spaces, and what we wish to see more of from birth workers and birth spaces in our community. We believe that everyone deserves an empowered, positive birth experience. We invite anyone and everyone to join us in honoring that. Here are some considerations for how to put this philosophy into action.
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Inclusion seeks not to erase anyone within a broad group of individuals; instead, it allows us to invite more people under the umbrella whenever we address a group of unique individuals. Inclusive terms matter. As language continues to evolve, and in a world still in great need of dismantling oppressive systems, may we mindfully consider the words we use. May we embrace inclusive terms as more mindful, accurate, and effective language, in perinatal spaces and beyond.
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This month is International Doula Month. The theme for International Doula Month 2024 is “Doulas: Past, Present, and Future.” There is no better time than the present to honor one of the most impactful doulas of our past as she pursues new plans for the future: Annica Quakenbush.
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April lands us right in the middle of World Doula Week and International Doula Month. So what better time to share how grateful I am for the doulas in my life? I'm feeling especially grateful for how doula support has impacted my own journey, and especially honored to be part of a team of incredible women here at Sprout & Blossom who care so deeply for the birth community. I just want to take a moment to gush over them and share the love with anyone who reads (including those of you considering adding doula support to your own team…I highly recommend).
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This labor was progressing beautifully when the mother announced she could suddenly feel something between her legs. Surprise! It was baby’s sweet little feet! No one was expecting baby to be born breech — but footling breech birth is indeed a variation of normal and can often be managed vaginally when given the opportunity. Here, the birthing person’s team supports her through this variation of normal with calm confidence. With shared wisdom from the midwife and internal wisdom from mama and baby, all unfolded beautifully. Enjoy this beautiful birth story in images!
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When financially planning for the growing family, there’s so much to consider beyond the baby registry. Four years into parenthood, I’m creating the guide I wish my spouse and I had been given during those early stages of financial planning. While this guide is not entirely comprehensive, it is a great launching point for some big considerations.
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There are so many sweet firsts to savor when baby arrives! Among my favorites? Baby's first bath. With my firstborn, I had envisioned placing her into our cute little whale tub we had — the baby bath with a mesh sling — for a gentle little sponge bath. But I quickly discovered a much cozier alternative, for both baby and me: bathing together! Read on to learn why and how I shared baby’s first bath — and watch a sweet little video clip, too!
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Do you relate to that mixed bag of thankfulness and overwhelm upon receiving an influx of gifted toys? A solution to toys piling up around the home, throughout the holidays and beyond: Toy rotation! You know that burst of excitement a child has upon receiving a new toy? They dive in, play hard, get lost in their own imagination…until an hour or a day or a week later, they’re over it. Well, it turns out there’s a cure for that, too: Toy rotation!
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I knew Laila's arrival would be much more flexible than any given date, but I held onto her due date in an extra special kind of way throughout all of my pregnancy; November 15 was the date of my beloved Grandpa's passing, and I loved the thought of him ushering my baby from his realm to mine. But as the day went on, I really didn't think labor was going to set in on Laila's due date. I began thinking I should pick out a new "due date" to help get through the sludge of waiting (I waited 9 days past 40 weeks with Evie!)…
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As we talked through our experiences with our first birth and our anticipations for our second, one thing became clear: having a quick-guide on the fridge to reference these reminders would be very helpful for us! It would help me:
reflect more comprehensively on my labor wishes (writing things out is a great way to prepare!),
trust that my partner will recollect what I’ve asked for (because he can take a quick look at the sheet on the fridge anytime!),
and give me permission to drift off to labor land when the time comes (peace out, mental load! Time to turn off my thinking brain!).
Did you know that the uterus is arguably the STRONGEST muscle in the human body!? Not to mention the fact that it’s an organ that grows an organ (the placenta) that sustains the life of a whole new human…NBD, right? Actually, we think it’s friggin awesome, and we’re here to fan-girl over it. The uterus fulfills so much incredible work in order to grow and give birth to a baby. Let’s take a closer look at how the uterus muscles its way through labor…
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It’s that time of year! You know, the time when you pull up that list on your phone and wonder whaaaat the heeccck to gift your friends & family for the holidays. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with classy, consciously-crafted goodies your loved ones (and you!) will appreciate this Christmas and beyond.
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Parents-to-be and veteran parents alike are bombarded with all kinds of ads for baby. I found myself overwhelmed by choice overload with Baby #1. What would I actually need? When it came down to it, much of what was on our registry for Baby #1 we rarely (or never…) even used at all. So with that, I give you: What I gathered in anticipation of my firstborn, what we actually used, what we added to our collection, and what we never used at all — and how our previous experience is impacting our preparation for Baby #2.
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In this blog post, I’m sharing context from our journey through pregnancies, why we had chosen *not* to do a genetic screening earlier in this pregnancy, and why we had chosen to have an anatomy scan last week, when I was 22 weeks pregnant.
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It’s so important to understand and exercise your rights in birth! Let this list linger in your mind as you consider where and with whom to give birth; that most beautiful, transformational experience of a lifetime! And, rest assured, quality doula care will only enhance your experience, including informational, physical, and emotional support.
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Last month, May 2022, marked 3 consecutive years of being pregnant with or nursing my precious firstborn! A major accomplishment I hold dearly. There are times when I have felt my best when nursing my child. And there are times when I have felt my worst. It's a journey full of beautiful highs and challenging lows.
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Whenever we talk about cesarean birth, you'll find a common theme in our language: Cesarean birth is birth. We believe this value is important to acknowledge in order to promote and protect the dignity and respect of each and every person who experiences a cesarean birth, whether elective, emergency, or anything otherwise. We envision a world where birth institutions honor informed choice, birth values, and promoting gentle, family-centered cesarean births. Read along with us as we delve deeper into cesarean awareness & share beautiful images of belly births!
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