Leanai Birth and Postpartum Services

09/23/2021

Just saw this and wanted to share. I used one of these with my boys, and thankfully they are alive and well. But if this had happened back then, I wouldn't have chanced it.

: Over 3 Million The Boppy Company Original Newborn Loungers, Boppy Preferred Newborn Loungers and Pottery Barn Kids Boppy Newborn Loungers After 8 Infant Deaths; Suffocation Risk. Get refund. Contact: 800-416-1355 or www.boppy.com. Full recall notice: https://bit.ly/3lVXlYf

10/16/2020

So often, parents giving birth encounter people who put up roadblocks. A good majority of those people are medical staff.

If you have given birth before, think about your last birth...if it was in a hospital, did they insist upon starting an IV? Depriving you of food? Trying to keep you in bed? Offering (probably more than once) some pain meds or to call for an epidural?

Giving birth puts a person in a highly vulnerable state. Though you know the mechanics of what is happening, it does not lessen the feelings of fear, nervousness or vulnerability. When those feelings pop up, we tend to go along with suggestions from a person or persons we feel has more of a grasp on the situation, aka the staff.

A doula helps put the power and confidence back into your hands and heart. A doula possesses the information they pass on to you to make informed decisions. A doula reminds you that YOU are in charge...you can decline the processes a medical staff consider to be mandatory because of their policies.

Barring special circumstances (like medical issues for birthing parent or baby), most "normal" procedures are unnecessary and in some cases, scientifically proven to be counterproductive.

But at the end of the day, whether you choose all, some, or none of the procedures, it should be because YOU thought it was the best option, not someone else.

09/23/2020

09/12/2020

I am a pro-feeding doula...meaning I support you whether you choose to breastfeed or bottle-feed. There are so many reasons a parent may choose to breastfeed (easier for them, maybe they didn't get the experience with their previous children, easier on the purse-straps, etc), and there are so many reasons a parent may choose to bottle-feed (past trauma, body unable to produce milk, easier for their life situation if they work outside the home, just because they want to, etc).

But I will say this...if you choose to breastfeed in public in the United States (not sure about internationally, but I'd love to know), YOU ARE PROTECTED BY LAW. No one can force you to:

*cover up while feeding
*quit feeding
*move somewhere else because it is "indecent"
*chastise you
*threaten to call the police or security if you refuse to follow their direction

Breastfeeding in public is protected by law in all 50 states. There will be some parents who prefer to feed with a cover, while others won't. There will be some that want privacy (either because of their own preference or because being in a private area makes it less distracting for their baby) and others who have no problem feeding wherever and whenever the need arises.

I have a unique experience of having three boys who all had their own experience with the way they were fed. My oldest didn't want to latch on and I admit, I was terrified, anxious, worried, and disappointed. I lacked the knowledge despite attending childbirth classes, and I found it easier on my mental health to bottle-feed formula. My middle son didn't latch either, so I started pumping because my Lactation Consultant advised me to do so while we tried to successfully latch. In the end, I wound up exclusively pumping for 18 months and bottle-feeding him breastmilk. My youngest was a champ at nursing...I wound up nursing exclusively for over a year, before he self-weaned at 18 months. But I lacked the outside support. Family criticized my lack of wanting to cover up (by the time he was 6 months old he was pulling it off anyway, so I found them pointless), and would make comments I attribute to how they were raised. Because of this, I only ever felt truly comfortable nursing at home.

Long story short, no one else has to make YOUR decisions. They are yours and yours alone. I support no matter what, and provide info from unbiased sources to help you make an informed decision. If others decide to voice their opinions, just tell them you are not breaking any laws and they can have a nice day.

I do not recommend doing what is in the picture, though...I think that IS illegal. (But it IS hilarious. Lol)

09/01/2020

I know of some who have said they liked this drink. I look at the picture and have flashbacks of the nausea this drink caused. All in all...this statement is accurate.

07/27/2020

Every parent who has given birth, and those who are in that homestretch currently, know this feeling all too well. Add in humid, hot days, and I give you all permission to eat as many popsicles as you want, and sit in a fridge if it makes you comfortable. 😂

I know when my mother was pregnant with my baby brother (who was overdue, by the way), it was the hottest August on record and the rest of us slept in winter coats because she had every fan in the house on. 😂

06/23/2020

If you've ever been at the tail end of pregnancy and feel so uncomfortable you feel like you could have the baby right then and there...

But in all seriousness, being told you haven't dilated can be a source of disappointment. Luckily, cervixes aren't a crystal ball...you could be at 5 cm for two weeks or be 1 cm dilated and have the baby later that night. So take heart...if you're in your birthing window, the time will arrive quicker than you think. ❤🤗❤🤗

06/08/2020

Racism extends to unborn babies...

The answer to the disparity in death rates has everything to do with the lived experience of being a black woman in America.

04/29/2020

Even though right now hospitals are on lockdown for guests post-birth, these rules are so important to follow once parents have returned to their home postpartum. Each parent has their own reasons for any of the rules on this list, so do your absolute best to respect them.

04/21/2020

Anyone else a Brooklyn Nine-Nine fan? This episode had me laughing particularly hard. 😂