Riverbend Birth

Have a baby under 1? Show yourself some ❤️ on Valentine's Day and come to our new parent support circle!

Marlee is hosting (on her birthday!) and would love to see you from 1-3pm Eastern on Tuesday. The group is free, register for the Zoom link.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtdeCpqTMpHNLfCG13_YSbxP8DbBjl7001

✨ Our new parent support group is coming back! ✨

Marlee ran this group in 2019 and 2020, but meetings tapered off in the midst of the pandemic. Nearly all our recent clients have expressed a wish to connect with other people in a similar phase of parenthood, so we thought it was time to bring it back!

This will be a free monthly gathering, open to all new parents with little ones 12 months and under. Meeting virtually for now - click this link to learn more and sign up for the January meeting this Tuesday from 10am-12pm Eastern!

https://www.pittsburghbirthservices.com/pittsburgh-new-parent-support-group

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During a prenatal this week, we were reviewing birth plan options with a client (shout out to Motherboard Birth!). When we got to the option called "humanizing birth," our client said, "I feel like we're doing that right now."

This is the power of doula support during pregnancy.

Even months before your baby arrives, we can help to set the stage for a more whole-person birth experience.

Humanizing birth doesn't mean choosing or avoiding specific "interventions" during labor.

It means surrounding yourself with people who help you feel like yourself, even in the midst of the sometimes disorienting events of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum time.

In a perinatal care system that emphasizes the "system" over the "care," let's add some human back into the process.

Shoutout to everyone doing the hard work of healing from trauma:

It's tough.

It's worth it.

It's lonely.

It's up and down.

It matters.

Thank you. Take care of yourself. 💜

Love this perspective from our friend Britta Bushnell, PhD.

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I gotta tell you, the focus on being fearless irks the crap out of me. It’s bu****it to think that we, as human beings, can become fearless in the face of the unknown.

Giving birth is like an epic trek through a unknown and profound landscape. Fear often comes along. Rather than shame it or yourself for its presence, how might you extend your hand to the fear and say, “It’s ok that you’re here. I’m here for you. Let’s do this together.” Meet the feelings, all of them including fear, with understanding and compassion. That’s when they often stop fighting hard for your attention. This is what it truly means to be brave.

💜 Let's talk about mental health 💜

Sometimes we can "do everything right" and still land in a period of depression, anxiety, or other out-of-control feelings that affect our daily life.

When that happens, it can be SO. HARD. to know if/when/how medication might be helpful.

There can be concerns about side effects, concerns about safety during lactation, concerns about whether/how much a medication would even help and whether the benefits would outweigh the risks.

OOF. We feel this so hard.

If you're feeling stuck and are considering if mental health medication might be a helpful next step for you, we have a blog post to support your decision-making process: 10 steps you can take on the path to deciding whether medication is a resource you want to pursue.

Whether or not medication becomes part of your journey at this point:

🔹 You are not a burden.
🔹 You are deserving of love and care.
🔹 You are deserving of support as you move through this.
🔹 These feelings won't last forever.
🔹 You are enough.

https://www.pittsburghbirthservices.com/blog/strategies-for-deciding-if-mental-health-medication-is-right-for-you

New on the advice column:

If your mother-in-law doesn't think exercise is safe during pregnancy, how can you reassure her? And if reassurance doesn't seem to work, how can you navigate the tension in this relationship?

https://www.pittsburghbirthservices.com/ask-marlee/mother-in-law-thinks-exercise-during-pregnancy-is-dangerous

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Have a pregnancy or parenting dilemma? Submit your question to Ask Marlee!

It was a beautiful week for bivalent COVID boosters!

Did you know we've published our pandemic safety protocols on our website? Check out our COVID precautions page to learn more about how we help keep our clients safe.

https://www.pittsburghbirthservices.com/covid-19-safety-vaccinated-pittsburgh-doula