Kelley's Blog

Welcoming a new life into the world is one of the most profound experiences you’ll ever have. It’s filled with excitement, anticipation, and sometimes, a little bit of uncertainty. That’s where a doula can make all the difference. Imagine having someone by your side who truly understands your journey, supports your choices, and helps you feel calm and confident every step of the way. If you’re in Northern New Jersey or nearby, you’re in luck—there are wonderful local doula se

Postpartum birth control isn’t the most glamorous topic, but it’s one of the most important conversations new parents can have. Your body is doing a lot of healing, your hormones are shifting, and even if you feel far from ready for another pregnancy, biology doesn’t always wait for your period to return. Here’s the part many people don’t realize: ovulation happens before your first postpartum period. That means you can get pregnant again without ever seeing a single cycle. F

Quick answer: To get your baby sleeping in the crib instead of on you, start at bedtime, move the feed to the beginning of the routine, and make the change gradually, with you nearby, instead of all at once. With a plan that fits your baby, most babies are comfortable in the crib within 1 to 2 weeks. Your baby is finally asleep on your chest after 30 minutes of bouncing. You lower them into the crib, slowly, and the moment their back touches the mattress, their eyes pop open.

If you're reading this while holding a sleeping baby, sipping cold coffee, and wondering if you'll ever get a full night's sleep again, let me start by saying this: What you're experiencing is completely normal. And yes, it's absolutely exhausting. One of the biggest surprises for new parents is realizing that newborn sleep doesn't look anything like adult sleep. While your baby may seem to sleep all day, it rarely happens in long, restful stretches that allow parents to rech

Exclusive pumping is one of the most demanding — yet empowering — ways to feed your baby. Whether it’s a choice, a necessity, or something you’ve found yourself doing unexpectedly, exclusive pumping deserves more conversation, more support, and far more compassion. This guide breaks down the why, the how, and the where to find help so you can feel confident and prepared on your pumping journey. 💛 Why Some Parents Choose Exclusive Pumping Exclusive pumping isn’t always the or

If you’re a new parent, congratulations—you’ve probably already discovered that having a baby means talking about things you never imagined discussing so openly. And yes, newborn poop is one of them! During those first few days and weeks, your baby’s diapers can tell you a lot about how they’re feeding and adjusting to life outside the womb. But newborn poop changes quickly, and some of the colors and textures can look downright surprising. So, what should you expect? Let’s b

Bringing home a newborn is exciting, emotional, and—let’s be honest—a little overwhelming. Even if you’ve spent months preparing the nursery, washing tiny onesies, and reading every baby book you can find, you may still find yourself wondering: How do I know if I’m holding the baby correctly?How often should my newborn eat?What does a newborn actually need?How do I change a diaper without making a complete mess?What am I supposed to do when the baby cries and I’ve tried every

Those first days with your newborn can feel like a beautiful blur—tiny fingers, sleepy snuggles, milk-drunk smiles, and those sweet newborn sounds you wish you could bottle up forever. Newborn photography is one way to preserve those fleeting moments. But if you’ve never booked a newborn session before, you may have questions: When should you schedule it? Should the photographer come to your home? What happens during the session? And how do you choose the right photographer f

After birth, a mother’s body has been through an incredible transformation. The uterus is contracting, abdominal muscles and connective tissues are recovering, and the entire body is adjusting to life after pregnancy. For generations, cultures around the world have supported this transition with a practice known as postpartum belly binding. Whether you’ve heard of it from a family member, seen it on social media, or are considering it for your own postpartum recovery, you may

waking up soaked can be confusing If you’ve recently had a baby and find yourself waking up drenched in sweat, changing your pajamas—or even your sheets—you’re not imagining it. Postpartum sweating is incredibly common, especially during the first few weeks after birth. It can feel strange, uncomfortable, and sometimes downright alarming. But in most cases, those nighttime sweats are simply your body doing some serious postpartum housekeeping. What Is Postpartum Sweating? Pos

Summer with a new baby can be wonderful—walks in the sunshine, trips to the beach or pool, backyard afternoons, and plenty of time spent outdoors. But babies also need a little extra protection from the summer heat, sun, and water. Their bodies are still developing, which means they can become overheated or dehydrated more quickly than older children and adults. The good news? A few simple precautions can make a big difference. Here are some of our most important summer safet

Weaning is a significant milestone in the journey of parenthood, and it can evoke a wide range of emotions for both the caregiver and the child.

Becoming parent is a major shift in identity. You are literally going from who you have always been as an individual to somebody’s mom or dad. This may cause the feeling of a loss of self, and it doesn’t mean you don’t love your baby. It just means that you’re navigating this new and evolved person that you have become. Give yourself time- you will get your groove as the baby takes on a schedule and you start finding time for yourself again. It’s about accepting this season o

Exploring infant feeding

A Doula usually goes through a training and receives certification from that training as well as having hands on experience. There are many different organizations for a doula to become certified through, so it's just a matter of which ones align with the Doula's wants and goals. A Baby Nurse is not an RN or an LPN. Baby Nurses have experience with infants and advertise themselves as baby nurses. This was common practice in other countries and then brought to the U.S. A P

Postpartum red flags can come in many different ways whether it be physically, emotionally, or mentally.

Becoming parent is a major shift in identity. You are literally going from who you have always been as an individual to somebody's mom or dad. This may cause the feeling of a loss of self, and it doesn’t mean you don’t love your baby. It just means that you're navigating this new and evolved person that you have become. Give yourself time- you will get your groove as the baby takes on a schedule and you start finding time for yourself again. It's about accepting this season o

A Doula usually goes through a training and receives certification from that training as well as having hands on experience. There are many different organizations for a doula to become certified through, so it's just a matter of which ones align with the Doula's wants and goals. A Baby Nurse is not an RN or an LPN. Baby Nurses have experience with infants and advertise themselves as baby nurses. This was common practice in other countries and then brought to the U.S. A P

What Were the Protocols a Doula Followed During Covid As Doula's we always practice good hygiene i.e. extra handwashing, etc., but at the peak of Covid, a lot of extra safety measures were put into place. Whether I was working through another company, another Doula or for myself, I always made sure to wear an N95 mask at all times, minus sleeping (and even sometimes then, depending on my client's level of comfortability). I was also diligent with making sure I was up to date

There are a lot of components to Postpartum Care. One of the main things is guiding new parents in the kind of newborn care they would like to provide for their new baby by teaching them about different parenting philosophies and where they might align based on their family values. As we are teaching new parents a plethora of new things, we as doulas also need to be attuned to all different personalities and emotions that come along in the postpartum time period and tailor