The Ivy Doula Group, Birth and Lactation Support

04/05/2026

🐣🐰Hoppy Easter! May your little bunnies be happy & well fed.🍼

04/04/2026

🐱🐮 Get Ready to Groove, Mama! 🌟 Help your baby find their position with these easy and fun moves!

Start with the Cat-Cow: on all fours, sink your belly like a cow, then arch your back like a cat. 🐾 These moves give your baby space.

Time to Open Up! 🦋 Try butterfly stretches, squats, and lunges. Perfect for your tiny dancer! Ease into it and listen to your body. 💃

Birth Ball Party! 🎉 Rock, sway, and circle on your birth ball—it's a dance party for your pelvis! Stretch and elongate your torso for extra room.

Keep it Moving! 🚶‍♀️ Stand tall, sit proud, and groove throughout the day. Small adjustments and a knee pillow at night help your baby settle.

Try Side-Lying Release & Forward Leaning Inversions! These moves create pelvic spaace and are great before or during labor. Always have a spotter. 👶
(links below! ⬇️⬇️⬇️)

👍You've got this, Mama! Trust your body and let your baby find the way. 🤰 Save this post and get moving! 💪

➡️Side Lying Release: https://www.spinningbabies.com/pregnancy-birth/techniques/side-lying-release/

➡️Forward Leaning Inversion:
https://www.spinningbabies.com/pregnancy-birth/techniques/forward-leaning-inversion/

03/31/2026

🥳Happy birthday Mandee and Paige! We are proud to have these two fierce and fiery Aries queens on our team of birth and lactation professionals. Send us a message to inquire about working with these amazing ladies!
IvyDoulas@gmail.com
The Ivy Doula Group, Birth and Lactation Support

03/31/2026

How has hormonal birth control impacted your lactation journey? What types worked well for you?

BIRTH CONTROL AND MILK SUPPLY
An IUD is a form of birth control that’s put into your uterus to prevent pregnancy. One of the most common forms of birth control, it’s long-term, reversible, and considered one of the most effective birth control methods. Many doctors will encourage new mothers to have them placed between 4-6 weeks postpartum checkup to prevent pregnancies too close together. The Paragard IUD is wrapped in copper and doesn’t have hormones. The Mirena, Kyleena, Liletta, and Skyla IUDs use the hormone progestin to prevent pregnancy. Be aware that each IUD has a different amount of progestin. They are not created equal. Progestin is also the hormone found in the mini pill.

Hormonal IUDs and the mini pill are often recommended by doctors as the best form of birth control for breastfeeding mothers because most of the research that is available says that they don’t impact breast milk supply. And many who use these methods don’t experience any drop in supply. For some, though, both the mini pill and the hormonal IUDs will drop breast milk supply, some times drastically. Every body is sensitive to different levels of hormones. If you have an IUD placed and notice a drop in supply, the only way to increase supply again is to remove the IUD. Increased pumping or herbal supplements will usually not be enough to increase supply again because you’re working against hormones. The only way to rebound supply would be to remove the IUD. If you’re considering a hormonal based IUD and aren’t sure if your supply will drop, consider taking a few rounds of the mini pill (progestin only) which is the same hormone as the IUD. If your supply drops, you only have to stop taking the pill and your supply will rebound much quicker.
Did you use a hormone based birth control? Did you notice a change in your breast milk supply?

03/30/2026

Pelvic floor moment!

03/27/2026

Quick pelvic floor session!

03/26/2026

Join our free TOTs Support Group and connect with fellow parents of tongue/lip tied kiddos! 🎉 Mark your calendars for the 4th Friday each month from 5:00 to 6:00 PM. Let’s support each other in navigating the journey of Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTs). 🤗

💬 Share your experiences, gain insights, and find encouragement in a warm and friendly environment. All ages and stages are welcome! 🙌

📍 Hosted by The Ivy Doula Group at Rooted Birth Midwifery & Wellness, 420 W Jubal Early Drive, Suite 203, Wi******er, VA 22601.

👉 Email IvyDoulas@gmail.com to register today!

03/23/2026

We couldn't say it better! "Think before you drink!" Thank you LALactation

Mother’s Milk tea is pretty commonly used while breastfeeding and I know a lot of you are probably drinking it. Tea is the weakest form of an herb (besides just eating the plant raw), so if you’re going to drink a tea with boosting supply in mind, it’s recommended to drink 3-5 cups a day for maximum potency. Taking an herb in pill form is more potent than drinking a tea.

Fenugreek, one of the herbs in Mother’s Milk Tea, is also my LEAST favorite herb to recommend. While it has been reported to be an excellent galactagogue for some, and has been used as such for centuries, the few studies that have been done have had mixed results [Swafford 2000, Reeder 2011, Turkyılmaz 2011]. It is similar to clover and has a taste like maple syrup. If you take it, milk supply should increase 24-72 hours after starting the herb, but it can take two weeks for others to see a change. It is commonly found in Mediterranean foods and is considered safe to take while breastfeeding.

Other facts about fenugreek:
⬇️It boosts supply for many, but can drop supply for others. I’ve heard some horror stories of milk supply that plummeted from taking fenugreek
🚽I often hear people report it makes them or baby gassy. Raise your hand if you tried fenugreek and it gave you digestive upsets and nasty smelling gas?!? It also has the side effect of making your body odor smell like maple syrup. My husband thought I wasn’t using deodorant when I was taking it in larger quantities with my second.
💊 If you are taking medication for hypothyroidism or struggle with hypoglycemia, you should not take fenugreek. Fenugreek interacts with the absorption of thyroid medications, so it’s a no-no for those as well as those taking Heparin, Warfarin and other anticoagulants, Ticlopidine and other platelet inhibitors.
🧁Fenugreek seems to slow sugar absorption in the stomach and stimulate insulin. Both of these effects lower blood sugar in people with diabetes.
🥜Fenugreek is in the same family with peanuts and chickpeas, and may cause an allergic reaction in those who are allergic to these things.

Did you take fenugreek for your milk supply?

03/21/2026