For most newborns, one of the hardest parts of adapting to life outside the womb is digestion. Just like the respiratory system, the digestive system suddenly has to get to work soon after birth! Digestion brings lots of new sensations, including pain. In this first of a 2-part series on infant digestion, I am focusing on how a breastfeeding mother’s diet affects her baby. Next month, I’ll share additional tips on how to strengthen and soothe newborn digestion. _____________

This is a really nourishing treat post-partum. Sweet taste is grounding and nourishing. Dates are particularly nutritive to the female hormonal system and combining them with beneficial fat allows their nourishment to sink deeper into the body and calm the nervous system. Ghee dates are sustenance for a mama like breastmilk for a baby. Directions: - Pack a pint jar full of pitted medjool dates - Make ghee from 3/4 pound of butter, or melt already made ghee - Pour hot

While living in Spain this year, I haven’t gotten to hang out with many newborn babies and their moms. I miss them - really, deeply, and viscerally. A couple of weeks ago, though, I got to spend a morning with a 6-week old and her mama in order to film some demonstrations of baby care techniques for my upcoming online course, Life Beyond Birth 101. The rest of the day and into the next I felt so GOOD! The time we spent together was fun; we had a good time and laughed a lot. I

I recently saw the movie “Tully” and I can’t stop thinking about it. After mulling it over, I am left unsure if Tully actually existed or if she was a figment of Marlo’s (the postpartum mom played by Charlize Theron) psychosis, awakening within her the young woman she used to be. This is the same feeling I had after watching “A Beautiful Mind.” I replayed each moment, trying to separate the actual reality from reality perceived by the main character. The preview seemed like

This recipe evolved from my first experience of postpartum. It has served me well in nurturing all the mamas I have worked with since. For a more filling variation, try serving it over quinoa or rice. My friend (and amazing birth doula) Rachel calls this dish, "a hug in a bowl." It is comfort food at its best: warm, mushy, creamy, salty, slightly sweet, and simple. May you feel the hugs in each spoonful! COCONUT MILK STEW 3-4 small or medi

Your baby is inching closer to 6 months old and you are wondering how this introduction of food thing is supposed to go. Mainstream advice says to give them iron-fortified rice cereal when they reach 6 months old, and advance from there, spooning jarred baby food into their cute, delighted mouth. However, some babies aren’t into the spoon…meaning not interested in using it as a utensil to get food to their mouths. They want to feel the food with their hands, maybe smear it

Working with new parents, I often see how having a baby challenges their abilities to meet their own needs. Our culture conditions us to do whatever it takes to ensure the survival and happiness of our offspring, even at the expense of our own health and wellbeing. The reality is that if our own needs are met, we are better able to meet the needs of those dependent on us. There is a whole industry built on guiding us to do what our culture has told us not to do. How many

We are a society that turns to experts to tell us how to do everything from making scones to finding our true calling. When it comes to the adventure of parenthood, the scene is no different. As a mama, I have found myself stressed out because things aren’t going the way they are “supposed” to go. Many of the families I work with ask questions about the gazillion topics covered by professionals. Trying to live up to an ideal can provoke a sense of pressure, failure, and over

These cookies are big on nutrition, small on sugar, and oh-so-soul-satisfying. Partners and big kids love them too!