Postpartum Support

Hey ladies!

As Dana well knows, needing support doesn't stop when you get to hold that little one you've been carrying in your arms instead of your uterus. But often, we're not really sure where to go to get that support. So, here are a few ideas for you.

If you're having trouble with breastfeeding, check out the Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington, and don't forget about LLLI, where you can find local support groups. Not to mention there are quite a few IBCLCs in the DMV area!

If you're looking for someone to talk to, check out online support forums, places like Postpartum Support International, and local mommy groups. You're sure to find someone to connect with!

If you're needing help at home, support with breastfeeding, help wearing your baby, or general assistance and support, don't forget postpartum doulas! They're really there just to make your life as a new parent easier and more fulfilling. Check doula listings here and here.

If you're past those first few weeks and ready to treat your body to a gentle workout, check out Capital Wellness Center! In addition to prenatal classes, they also have postpartum pilates and even classes to do with your baby. And of course don't forget about Lil Omm in Tenleytown.

Hopefully these few options help you see that you have a huge variety of options for postpartum help and support - and obviously we love when you drop by and show off your new bundle, too!

Positive Parenting News

I'm not talking about "positive parenting" (but if you haven't heard of it, google it - it actually is positive!). I'm talking about news for parents that is happy. We're constantly bombarded with a litany of awful things in our news - which has a variety of causes, of course, but it can certainly be disconcerting - even depressing. It's not exactly easy to find the "good stuff" amidst all that - so I've been on a mission to find some for you.

How about the Roots of Empathy program - an elementary school model designed to teach children compassion? That is pretty cool, if you ask me.

Or Rowan O'Neill, who saved a choking baby's life in Australia - a perfect stranger, who saw an immediate need and filled it? That little girl lives because of one man's doing what needed to be done. Amazing.

Antoinette Tuff prevented a mass school shooting a few days ago - by being compassionate. Hope you heard about her! (Maybe she should get involved in Roots of Empathy?)

Have you heard of Little Free Library? It's a mission to promote literacy and build community... and of course recycle :) There's at least one right in our back yard, too - check out the children's garden at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton! (Picture above)

This may not sound good, but it's really quite positive - a study recently showed that a low fat diet in infants and toddlers correlates to being overweight as adults. What's good about it? We're studying what we can do with our children to make them healthier adults - and it looks like one of those things may be including healthy fats in their diet! (No, don't rush to Burger King... but maybe take a second look at avocados!)

What good news have you heard lately? What's the news for your family? Let's hear from you!

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother. Madre. أم. Ma. մայր. Ama. маці. Mare. 母亲. 母親. Majka. Matka. Mor. Moeder. Ema. Ina. Mère. Mutter. μητέρα. אמא. leej niam. Móðir. Máthair. 母. 어머니. Māte. Omm. مادر. Mãe. Mamă. мать. தாய். Anne. мати. Mẹ. Mam.

Gaia mosaic

Why do we love her? From Eve to Mary, from Demeter to Parvati to Isis to Juno... motherhood has been honored in various ways throughout history. In myth, she can be Gaia, the personification of earth, wide-bosomed and everlasting. She can be Venus, the embodiment of beauty and sexuality. She is a biological mother, a stepmother, an adoptive mother. She is your sister, your friend, the mother of your heart. She is you, who loves her child before you've met him, and you, who bonds through time and care.

Venus of Willendorf

At Daisy Baby, we love you because...

You come in and we can't tell you're pregnant yet. It's like a little secret we get to share.
You come in days from delivery with your big round belly!
You chat with us about your birth choices.
You're having a girl... or a boy... or you don't know!
You come in just to see what we carry, even if you're not sure what you want.
You come in knowing exactly what you want and we can help you fulfill it!
You are open to ideas.
You spend 2 hours and have your entire nursery designed.
It takes you 2 months to decide that you've chosen the right crib, for sure, and now it's time to work on fabrics!
You register with us, and we get to see your friends and family come in to buy presents for you.
You call or email us when you give birth!
You come in to show off your new baby.
You're dressed to the nines, because motherhood revs you up.
You're wearing sweats with your hair in a ponytail, because motherhood is exhausting.
You stay to chat and feed your baby - breast or bottle, we love it either way :)
You come in to show off your toddler, as she grows!
We see you years later, buying big kid bedding or stopping by to say "hi"!

Most of all, we love that you let us be a part of your life... a part of your Motherhood Journey. This Mother's Day, we love you. We appreciate you. And because we do, we're putting our mommy goodies on sale just for you! Whether you're buying a present for a new mom, for your partner, your friend, or yourself, our mother's day sale will help you find a special gift just for mom.

Pregnancy and Birth Resources

Whether you're a first time mom unsure about what the future holds or this is all old hat to you, there are many resources out there to help you decide what's best for you for this birth.  Sometimes, there are too many to figure out what you're really looking for! So, here's a short list to give you a head start...



Are you looking for inspiration stories along with your info? Try these on for size:

Birth Story - a movie about Ina May Gaskin and the Farm midwives, follows the story of an intentional community (commune) formed in the 1970s, where the women taught themselves to deliver babies and ultimately helped bring back midwifery as a movement in the US. This will be released on DVD and available for download April 30. (Personal note: one of our staff - Christina - gave birth to her daughter on the Farm.)

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin - is a general childbirth guide, primarily about natural childbirth, containing a lot of birth stories

Birthing from Within by Pam England, is a childbirth preparation book that helps with dealing with the emotional aspects of labor

Are you looking for info about our current childbirth system in the US, or your choices therein? Check out:

The Business of Being Born - This movie by Abby Epstein and Ricki Lake explores our modern maternity care system.

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer - explores evidenced based statistical and practical information for giving birth - primarily geared toward those birthing in hospitals.

The Birth Book by William and Martha Sears - it has a lot of info about giving birth.

Birth Options Alliance is a website with a lot of local information for the DC/MD/VA area!

You're looking for something to help you manage labor and birth itself?

Try a longer term childbirth course like Bradley Method courses or Hypnobabies. For books -

Hypnobirthing, the Mongan Method - tells about how to relax yourself during labor.

Are you looking for a book for your partner or support person?

The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin is a must have for anyone who is the primary support person for a laboring woman!

The Expectant Father by Armin Brott helps dads understand what to expect during their partner's pregnancy, and during birth.

None of that is quite your cup of tea... maybe you've already had the baby?

The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp is a great find for new parents looking for good soothing techniques.

The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley is an excellent read for parents worried about their children's sleep patterns, or who just need a good night's rest!


Okay, you've read the mainstream books, and you're looking for something that will rock your world... 

Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman is a modern, research-based book that will change the way you think about raising children.

Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn is a look at a completely different side of parenting - you may love it, you may hate it. But it's very different.


What is your must-have birth or parenting book? Any books you'd like to see us carry? Let us know!

Gender Reveal - What's the Deal?

Google the search term "Gender reveal ideas" and you'll get 13,500,000 results. That means a LOT of people are coming up with cute and unique ideas to reveal the sex of their baby... after that "gender ultrasound" they want to share the news in a creative way. Search Pinterest and you'll find pictures of them! Open a box filled with balloons? Check. Mystery cake? Check. Custom soda labels? Check. (Yes, really.)

So, what did our very own Dana do to share her big news with family?

Step 1: Have the ultrasound tech write the baby's sex in an envelope and seal it...

Step 2: Have a friend (Rachel, of Daisy Baby fame) do a little shopping and a little setup...

Step 3: Get your family on Skype at 11:00pm...

Step 4: It's a...

The Evans-Jones family is expecting another little girl!

Congratulations Dana, Frank, and Ever!!

Have you done a gender reveal? How did you do it, or how do you plan to?

Pack the Perfect Diaper Bag

Do you feel confident leaving the house with your newborn? Are you worried you might not have quite the right stuff? Well, worry no more. Here's the Daisy Mommies' Guide to packing the perfect diaper bag!

Start with the perfect diaper bag:

How about the Grommet Bag by Nest?

Add about one diaper for every two hours you're out.

One cute wipes container:

Like the Aquarius wipes container by Lilicouture?f

A changing pad:

Blueberry changing pad from Ah Goo Baby

Your keys, wallet, extra money, chapstick, any important phone numbers - any mommy stuff you need!

Two pacifiers, if your baby takes them

A gorgeous burp cloth:

Aqua/lime burp cloth pattern from Wiggle and Scoot

A light, sweet blanket:

Gorgeous monogrammed plaid blanket from A Soft Idea

Bottles and formula, or a beautiful nursing cover:

Bebe au Lait nursing cover in Jaipur

An adorable hat, if it's cool:

Charlie hat from Blueberry Hill

Plastic bags to store dirty disposable diapers or dirty clothing, or a wet bag if you're using cloth diapers (actually a wet bag, usually pretty polyurethane laminated fabric bag, is nice to store anything wet or dirty)

Extra nursing pads

That's just about it.  How do you feel now? More confident? Good. Grab a diaper bag, pack it up, and take your baby somewhere fun! (How about visiting us at Daisy Baby, for a start?)

Personalized Gifts - Hot Mama

Hot Mama Designs makes some of the most beautiful hand-stamped jewelery we've ever seen! If you're looking for a simple personalized gift for the mom who has everything, consider a Hot Mama necklace, or a key chain, or any of their beautiful items. You can pick the chain style, the disk size, gold or silver, have letters or names, birth dates on the back, birth stones with the disks... many different ways to personalize! If you're interested, come on in to Daisy Baby and we can help you build the perfect item for you!

Personalized Gifts - Yea or YAY?

What's the best gift for the baby who has everything? Something personalized, of course! He may have all the onesies in the world, but does he have one with his monogram? He may have ten lovies, but does he have one embroidered with his name? How many bibs does he have with his name in the colors of his father's alma mater? What about a completely personalized blanket?

Blanket from Boogie Baby - completely personalizable!

What's the best gift for the mama who has everything? Again... something personalized! Does she have a tissue box with her monogram? What about a hand-stamped necklace with her children's names and birthstones?

"Layers of Love" necklace from Hot Mama designs

So many things Daisy Baby carries can be personalized - from Wiggle & Scoot's easy-change crib sheets to a crib bumper to a lovely soft Little Giraffe blanket. So next time you're at a loss for a gift... think personalized! (Please note that the last day to order personalized gifts for Hannukah is November 3rd, and the last day to order personalized gifts for Christmas is November 15th.)

MacBeth's Personalized Waste Basket -  bring some hot color to your nursery!

Are You Ready for Orange?

If you’ve stepped outside lately, you’ve noticed the leaves falling, the brisk air, the children laughing and playing in their jackets. With fall come many changes – and of course one of those is color. The trees change, our clothes change, everything comes into the fall colors… and at Daisy Baby one of our favorite colors year round is orange, so you can bet we love fall!

Orange is such an unexpected pop of brightness in a nursery – perfect for those with a modern touch, or those who prefer a gender neutral nursery! And orange isn’t just in nursery… but don’t take my word for it. A picture’s worth a thousand words, and it’s time for several thousand.

Don't carry a boring black bag - check the Mia Bossi Reese diaper bag in Tangerine!

Great Gifts, Batman! A Maamam towel and Laavo washcloth in orange - and two of the lovely new Chewbeads necklaces in creamsicle!

Newport Cottages Ricki bunks in orange juice (with Dwell transportation bedding - super combo!)

Lilicouture travel wipe container in Summer Breeze (note that these now have the pop-up on them - fantastic!)

Monte's Grano glider in orange

The Rug Market's Shaggy Raggy Round rug in tangerine - what a pop of color for a room!

 There is so much more out there - whether you want bedding in pumpkin, decor in tangerine, or you're just itching for a touch of apricot, come on in and let us know. We'll help you find the perfect shade for your fall craving!

Mommy Style

There is some sort of misconception going around that after you have a baby, you must throw away all your stylish clothes and buy mom-jeans. You must sacrifice everything for your child, including your looks, and if you’re not frumpy enough, you’re not doing a good enough job as a mom. I’m not entirely sure where this comes from, but enough with the guilt over looking good! Please, go into your closet right now. Try on your jeans. If the waist is high, the wash is medium, and the pockets are tiny, the overall effect being to make you look like your butt is four sizes bigger than it really is – donate them. Or cut them up. Either way. Whew! There. Don’t you feel better now? But now you have no jeans. Normally this might be a problem – but Mamas Link and Daisy Baby want you out of your mom jeans, and have teamed up to make that happen! The Girls' Night Out Fashion Bash is happening this September – come, learn how to shed the “Bethesda Mom” look, and reclaim your image!

 

 . . .

Keeping up with the latest in what to wear can be a challenge. Fashion styles come and go, and beauty trends fade in and out, but a girls night out never gets old!  
 
Join Mamas Link and Lani Inlander of Real Life Style  for a night of fun at Daisy Baby and Kids as she reveals what we should be wearing, how to pick out trends that look good on your changing body and discover this season's power shapes for the post-natal woman, new shapes for new mamas and slimming silhouettes.