Itsy Bitsy Yoga by Lori Sugarman

   

Bellyhaven is excited to support women after delivery with a new program called Itsy Bitsy Yoga for mothers and babies 6 weeks to 6 months old.  This nationally recognized program supports the early months of adjustment with the baby through new friendships and  a series of approximately 20  movements and poses that helps with fussiness, sleep and digestion.  Relaxation tools are taught for parents as well.  Visual development and  a touch of sign language are also introduced.  In the early weeks and months of overload, adjustment and sleep interruption, mothers find the scheduled  Itsy Bitsy Yoga series (6 weeks) to be a time of learning, sharing and camaraderie and a special time to bond and nurture with baby through movement and language.   

When babies are "exercised" they sleep longer.  I will teach parents  movements not only for better sleep, but for cross midline that works tiny brains exploding with growth the first year.  "Swoosh baby pose" calms a fussy baby and a calm baby equals a calm mother.  We will learn several different tummy poses. This is important to counter balance lots of time baby spends sleeping on back.  Thank you to Bellyhaven for offering this class that both supports early motherhood and those tiny little bodies as they learn to adjust outside mommy.

What to Expect When Your Expecting - The Movie! (not the book)

I was sitting minding my business when a cute costume director walked in to the store this morning!  She said, "I need to get some clothes for one of the actors in the movie, What to Expect When Your Expecting".  As we walked around the store looking for May-season clothing, we began to gab about the movie...  It will be fun to see the actors in maternity clothes and pjs from Bellyhaven!

One of the many items she purchased was the pink Dote nursing dress!
To get this dress click on the link: http://fxnaj.jnwsv.servertrust.com/Nursing_and_Maternity_Dresses_s/109.htm

Breast Pumps

Are you considering going back to work after your baby is born?  If you are like most women, you want to continue to give your baby breast milk even though you can't breastfeed your baby throughout the work-day.

Many large companies are now offering lactation support in the workplace.  They are providing private rooms to pump in, as well as training from lactation specialists in a private or class setting.

When considering your options to buy or rent a pump visit www.bellyhaven.com.  We have the complete line of Medela pumps for sale ranging from $100-$350.  The Medela Symphony is our hospital grade pump which rents for $65/month.

Call us today to reserve your pump!  770-384-0009

Atlanta Birth Center Meet n Greet

Last night Bellyhaven hosted the midwives and volunteers as well as their supporters of the Atlanta Birth Center. This meeting was an informal way for doula students, pregnant and not-yet-pregnant women to find out more of what the Birth Center will offer. Not only are they going to help women birth their babies, the plan is to have a retail store, juice bar, family care, chiropractic care, accupressure, massage and much much more! Margaret Strickhouser, CNM and Anjli Aurora Hinman, CNM, along with Dr Boots-Taylor, have a clear and organized vision of "ABC" and we are excited stand-byers looking forward to see it unfold!

Diaper Bags

How do i choose a great diaper bag that's best for my needs?  Do I want it to match my stroller?  Well, maybe!  Do I want it durable?  Definately!  Do I want stroller straps?  Absolutely!  With five children, I prefer a hands free options.  So, I prefer the back pack.  Bellyhaven now has Petunia Pickle Bottom and Storksak hot off the truck!  Some of the Petunia Pickle Bottom designs are even discontinued and you can't get them anymore!  Visit this link to see all the in-stock selections  http://fxnaj.jnwsv.servertrust.com/Daiper_Bags_Bellyhaven_s/225.htm

Cloth Diaper Washing Instructions: How Do I Wash These Things??

After being sure your order is correct and you have the right size, I recommend pre-washing all diapers simply to remove any residue from production and shipping.

Items made with hemp should be prewashed and dried 4-5 times before first use.  Wash and dry them on hot separately from your other diapering items, as you are washing away natural oils that can settle on your other diapers and make them repel, rather than absorb.  You can wash the hemp items with your sheets, towels, etc.  These items will be ready to use after the 4th or 5th wash, and will continue to gain absorbency through about the 10th wash.

When you change your baby, simply put the dirty diaper and any wipes in your pail.  If you are using a diaper with an insert or doubler, make sure you separate them before putting then in the pail.  Wash as needed, but don't let your wet and dirty diapers sit longer than 2-3 days without washing.

Everyone has a different wash routine.  I will share mine, and you can take what works for you and tweak it as needed.  This mention is for a traditional top-loading machine an dis not a one-size-fits-all routine.  It's a starting point.

• Empty diapers, inserts, and covers into machine, making sure any "laundry tabs" are fastened.
• Run a cold rinse with no detergent
• Add about 1.5-2 tablespoons of detergent.  Some diaper manufacturers will have recommended detergents on their individual websites.  Do not use detergents with fabric softeners or bleach.
• Run a hot wash with an extra rinse at the end.

In a high efficiency machine, you can often set the load type to "bulky" or manually add extra water if needed.  You can also Google "washing cloth diapers in xxxx machine" to see if there are posts online about using your particular machine to wash cloth diapers.

If you choose to dry in the dryer, don't stretch out any of the elastic while it is still warm.  (Don't stuff your pocket diapers till they cool off.)  Stretching out the warm elastic will cause it to break down faster.  I dry all of my microfiber, hemp, fitteds, and usually let the pocket diapers and covers air dry because they dry so quickly.  You can certainly pop them in the dryer for a few minutes to speed it up though.

by Jennifer Burrell (Bellyhaven's Cloth Diapering Expert)

Why Choosing a Careprovider is (almost) Everything: a doula's perspective

Rachael Cail is a valued member of Lumina Birth.  She wrote this for Lumina and was nice enough to let us share it here!  http://www.luminabirth.com/?page_id=14