Postpartum, Our Favorites, Motherhood, Newborns
Lauren Foster, Co-Owner
Postpartum Recovery After Twins: What You Need ...

So, you’ve brought two babies into this world. First of all, you’re a superhero—no doubt about it. But let’s get real for a second: postpartum recovery after twins is not the same as recovering from a single birth. It’s double the diapers, double the feedings, double the sleepless nights—and sometimes, double the discomfort. Your body just did an incredible, exhausting, miraculous thing. Now, it's time to heal, recover, and find yourself again in the whirlwind of having two newborns at home.

It’s important to remember, you’re not just healing from birth. You’re also adjusting to a new life with two precious babies. And while there’s a lot of joy, there’s also a lot of messiness that nobody really prepares you for. Let’s break down what you really need to know about postpartum recovery after twins!

Postpartum Recovery After Twins: What You Need to Know
Local OC Resources, Our Favorites, Pregnancy
Lauren Foster, Co-Owner
Our Favorite Spots For a Pre-Baby Date Night in ...

As your due date nears, the reality of impending parenthood can be both exciting and overwhelming. You may be getting nervous or have anxiety around when you’ll go into labor. You may be stressing about getting the nursery ready or finalizing details for your maternity leave. That’s why planning and enjoying a big night out can provide a special opportunity to unwind, connect, and relish your partner’s company before your baby’s arrival takes center stage. I always encourage clients to schedule a “no holds barred” date night around 37 or 38 weeks - it’s a chance to take a deep breath, enjoy some quality time together, and remind yourselves why you’re a great team. Orange County offers an array of high-end, memorable spots to make this final pre-baby date night one for the books.

Our Favorite Spots For a Pre-Baby Date Night in Orange County
Motherhood, Newborns, Postpartum, DOC Team, Birth Planning
Lauren Foster, Co-Owner
The Magical Golden Hour

In the quiet hush of the labor & delivery room, where the air is charged with anticipation and the scent of earthiness and birthyness, a new chapter in your life unfolds. The rhythmic cadence of your breath is mirrored by the gentle whispers of your doula, a reassuring presence in this oh so sacred moment. The culmination of nine months… maybe more, leads to this: the first hour with your newborn.

The Magical Golden Hour
Pregnancy, Parenting, Newborns, Our Favorites, Birth Planning
Lauren Foster, Co-Owner
A Doula's Eco Friendly Baby Registry

When I was selecting items for my baby registry, it was really important to me to not go overboard. As a doula of 14 years, I’ve seen families get overwhelmed with the amount of stuff in their homes and nurseries and I knew I wanted to keep things on the simpler side. I also wanted to be mindful of the impact on not only the environment, but also my baby’s microbiome - which meant finding a lot of eco-friendly products to keep waste down and keep our home as “low tox” as possible. Here you’ll find some of my favorite sustainable and most useful items that I registered for.

A Doula's Eco Friendly Baby Registry
Local OC Resources, DOC Team
Lauren Foster, Co-Owner
Calling all amazing Doulas & Newborn Care ...
Calling all amazing Doulas & Newborn Care Specialists!

sleep training

,

Now Serving All of Southern California!

,

The pandemic baby boom has hit and it’s safe to say that doulas everywhere are busier than ever! That is certainly the case here at Doulas of Orange County - so much so that we’ve added more doulas and newborn care specialists to our team and are expanding our service area!

We are excited to share that we’re now available to work with families throughout Los Angeles, San Diego and the Inland Empire!

 
doula in san diego, doula in los angeles, doula inland empire
 

So whether you’re looking for overnight support to help you with your new twins or you’re seeking an amazing birth doula to be your guide at your homebirth… or any other scenario in between… basically if you need support through trying to conceive and the childbearing years, we’re here to help!

We can match you with fertility, prenatal, birth or postpartum care throughout Southern California. From San Bernadino to Long Beach, from Santa Clarita to Chula Vista! Our pre-vetted, professional, compassionate team is available to all SoCal families!

Find more information about the services we provide below:

Birth Doula

Postpartum Doula & Newborn Care Specialists

Sleep Training

Placenta Encapsulation

Lactation Consultations

And if you’re open to a Virtual Doula, we can provide support for you anywhere in the world!

You can fill out a care questionnaire here and we’ll get started with matching you with providers who meet your birth and postpartum care requests. Have questions before getting started? Visit our FAQ page to learn more about are matching process and get information on costs of services.

We’re proud to have served Orange County families since 2014 and are even more proud to have the ability to reach more families throughout Los Angeles, San Diego, and the Inland Empire. We believe that everyone deserves the support of a doula and are excited to hear from you!

If you’ve stumbled upon us, but are outside of our immediate service area, visit our parent company National Baby Co. which serves all of the United States. if we don’t have a provider in your area, we’d be happy to help you in your search!

, , ,

Signs Your Baby is Overtired (and what to do about it)

, , ,

Babies who have become overtired can get caught up in a cycle where they sleep less and not as well. They continue to be tired and difficult to settle, even after rest.

Today, at Doulas of Orange County, we are discussing:

  • Why babies become overtired

  • How to recognize when your baby is overtired

  • What to do if your baby is overtired

  • Prevention and recognizing the signs that your baby is sleepy

Our Orange County Sleep Consultants can help you get your baby back on track and help you prevent sleep problems in the future. Work with a Sleep Coach to build healthy sleep habits for your baby.

, , ,

Preparing Your Baby to "Fall Back"

, , ,

Remember the pre-parenting days when the days would get shorter, the nights crisper and the urge to get cozy would hit? When we didn’t spare a second thought about the end of daylight savings time?! Those were the days!

Then your baby arrived and you started obsessing about sleep. If you’re like most new parents, you aren’t getting enough sleep, so the end of daylight savings time may be daunting. Why? Because your baby can’t tell time and doesn’t know that 6am is now actually 5am. All your baby knows is that she got the sleep she normally gets and is wide-eyed ready to take on the day! If you’re a seasoned parent you know that this can easily disrupt naps and bedtimes for days or even weeks to come as you struggle to get adjusted to the time change.

Well, you’re in luck! Co-owner and Pediatric Sleep Coach, Lauren, has some tips to help make this transition easy and to insure everyone gets great sleep!

Slow & Steady

If you’ve ever traveled to another time zone, you know how jarring the time change can be. Your brain knows that it’s not “time for bed”, but your internal clock is screaming for you to go to sleep! The end of daylight savings time can have the same affect. To ease the time leap, Lauren recommends gradually adjusting your baby’s sleep over the course of a week which eliminates the abruptness and helps him get used to the changes.

Starting about 4-5 days before daylight savings ends start your bedtime routine 10min later each day. If you normally start bath time at 6pm, start at 6:10. Once the time comes to turn back the clock, your baby will have adjusted to the routine being one hour later than usual, so that when she wakes up on Sunday morning she’ll be on track with the new time.

Every baby adjusts differently and some babies are more adaptable than others. If your baby is not as sensitive to schedule changes, different nap times or bedtimes, then you can probably shift things in 2-3 days by pushing everything back by 15-30mins each day. The concept is the same with just less time needed to adjust to the hour time change.

Keep it Dark

Black-out shades are one of those sleep tools that we swear by. If you don’t already have black-out shades in your baby’s room - GET THEM. Just like adults, your baby has a circadian rhythm or internal clock that responds to light and dark. Babies don’t fully develop this until 3-4 months of age, but it’s never too early to utilize the shades. A dark room assists in melatonin production (the “sleep” hormone) helping communicate to your baby’s body that it should stay asleep a little longer. These can be utilized for naps as well as bedtime.

Stay Consistent

Babies LOVE consistency and routine. Trust us on this. So, other than adjusting the nighttime time gradually, do your best to keep everything else the same. The same bedtime routine, the same timing between naps, etc. This will help reduce any confusion and keep your baby none the wiser!

Be Patient & FIX IT LATER

If your schedule as a family isn’t super structured and you don’t have a regular bed time, that’s ok. The time change may not affect you too much. But if it does, it’s important to be patient. If you find yourself reacting instead of avoiding, don’t stress. It may take a anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks for your baby to adjust to the time change and for things to get back on track. Make sure your baby’s last nap isn’t ending too late into the afternoon and try implementing some calming activities before bedtime to prep body and mind for falling asleep at a new bedtime. Know that within time your baby’s internal clock will adjust to this new change and things will go back to normal.

Get Support

If things have completely gone of the rails it can never hurt to reach out for help from a sleep expert. Lauren provides live-in support to help babies sleep independently and peacefully. You can read more about her sleep training support and request more information here.

Experienced parents, what tactics have you used to adjust to the seasonal time changes? Share your wisdom in the comments below!

, , , ,

Why is it ok to shame sleep training?

, , , ,

It never fails... 

We post about sleep training on social media and the questions or accusations come pouring in. 

"Don't you know that babies are biologically designed to wake during the night?"
"A parent shouldn't ignore their baby."
"Why have a baby anyway if you can't handle the sleep deprivation."

My goodness you would have thought we had specifically promoted starving a child, ignoring a child, or putting your needs as a parent before your child. But we didn't mention any of those things. 

So why the shame? Why the judgmental comments? Why all the questions?

, , , ,

3 Sleep Training Myths Debunked

, , , ,

So. You're tired and considering getting some help getting your baby to sleep... but you have some hesitations. I get it. There are a lot of beliefs surrounding sleep training your baby, some of which sound pretty scary. 

My intention for sharing the following information is not to "talk you into" sleep training your baby. If what you're doing is working for you and your family, then sleep training may not be for you. But if you're feeling depleted, worn down, at your limit or if your baby's sleep is a constant source of stress, I want you to have some more information to make a confident decision for your family.