Is My Baby Hitting Their Milestones?

Unlike most other animals, human babies are born with very little mobile ability.

For instance, horses begin to run on their very first day of life, while in comparison, our adorable human babies must first learn to first, hold up their neck, then turn over, then sit up, then crawl, then walk (and eventually run, twirl, bounce, and dance!). As parents, it can be marvelous to watch these processes unfold in front of our eyes, but it can also be confusing to wonder if your baby is "on track."

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Allison RollansComment
Top Tips for Dads During Early Postpartum

Although there is a lot of discussion about the prevalence of postpartum depression among mothers, there isn’t as much talk about fathers during the postpartum period. What many people, including new parents, don’t realize is that fathers can experience postpartum depression, too.

Despite the skeptics and the stigma of paternal postpartum depression, researchers have found that roughly 10 percent of fathers actually do suffer from it.

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Allison Rollans Comment
The Pros and Cons of Cloth Diapers

Each family has their own reasons for committing to cloth diapers. Some families go "all the way," starting from day 1 and using cloth 24/7. Others may choose to ease into it after a few weeks and stick with disposables while traveling, or during nighttime (which can usually help baby sleep through the night a little bit easier).

Here are some reasons families will choose to use cloth diapers...

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6 Tips to Make Your First Days Home with Baby Better

n the 1980s, the average hospital stay for a new mom after childbirth was 5 days. That's five times more than the average mom receives in hospitals today. That's 5 times more one-on-one, professional help than moms are receiving now during those early days of new mommy-hood. That's 5 times more care than moms are receiving today while they recover and rest from the epic body-stressor that is childbirth.

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Allison RollansComment
Prepare Your Body and Mind with Prenatal Yoga

People ask me all the time,  “Does yoga really make birth easier?”

My answer is always yes, Yes, YES!  The practice of yoga makes many aspects of life easier, and the more we practice, the more we can rely on the tools of yoga to back us up in challenging situations. When you look at Yoga as a way of engaging with life, as a lifestyle, then the gifts are much greater than the physical benefits. However, when it comes to the extreme changes a woman’s body goes through during pregnancy and childbirth, that aspect, ‘the physical’ cannot be understated.

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Allison RollansComment
A Baby Registry Worth Sharing

While most baby registries are made of of the usual, onesies, diapers, and fancy butt-creams, we at high country Doula’s recommend a more direct approach to creating a registry. Instead of asking for common items that last minute shoppers will buy you anyway, or that can easily be passed down from friends, why not fill your registry with items that will pay off for you for time immemorial...

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What the heck is a postpartum doula?

I know what you're thinking...."Sure, it would be great having a professional baby-whisper in my home! One who also cooks me amazing food, helps me with my laundry/dishes/etc, and is basically a postpartum Mary-Poppins ninja! But I'm the mom...this is suppose to be hard...this is supposed to be MY job!"

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Reflections for Mother's Day

Being a mother is both challenging and rewarding at the same time. It's full of excitement, struggle, joy, exhaustion, and everything in between. This Mother's Day the owners of High Country Doulas and a team member reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly of their own parenting experiences.

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What's your "birth philosophy?"

It may not be formulated into words or a birth plan, but everyone has a birth philosophy of some sort. Through images, movies, stories, and TV, most of us have been influenced by certain perceptions of birth in the media. Some people have even been witness to birth in real life, either with pets, animals, or their friends or family..

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Allison RollansComment
Dads and Doulas

Far from replacing your partner, a doula actually helps families become closer during labor and birth. Unless, of course, your partner prefers to stay "behind the curtain." Whatever level of support your loved ones wish to give, a doula can help them achieve that goal.

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