Essential Newborn Items (With Links!!)

Essential newborn items

Bringing a newborn into the world is an exciting and joyous experience, but it also comes with its fair share of questions. As a new parent, you want to ensure that your little one has the best of everything, from clothing to nursery essentials. Thankfully, our seasoned postpartum doulas have curated a list for you that offers a wide array of newborn products that are both functional and reliable. Baby Car Seat: Graco SnugRide SnugLock Infant Car Seat is a …

Emergency Preparedness for Families with Babies & Toddlers

September is National Preparedness Month and during that month the United States Breastfeeding Committee  provides information and resources related to feeding your infant and young child during an emergency. While it is obviously not September, the recent international disasters and emergencies have gotten me thinking about preparing my family in the event we are affected by an emergency or natural disaster. In US and most of the developed world we often take things like electricity, clean water, and access to …

Get To Know Angie Smith; Birth Doula, Lactation Consultant, and Childbirth Educator

Angie Smith has been a birth doula with Balanced Birth Support for nearly a year now, and in that time has exponentially increased not only her birth training, but significantly expanded her  services. In addition to comprehensive birth doula services, she also offers red tent ceremonies, placenta prints, and breastmilk jewelry. She is also a certified Reiki II practitioner.  As I write this, Angie is at The Farm in Tennessee training to be a midwife’s assistant.  She is incredibly passionate …

Meet Drea! Birth & Postpartum Doula

Sometimes you can tell the genuine character of a person simply from a short conversation or even an email.  Drea is enthusiastic and throws her heart into whatever she is doing- whether volunteering, reading a book, singing at the top of her lungs in the car, or supporting families in birth; you know that she is all in.  I am a huge reader, so I LOVE that when I asked her about her favorite books she narrowed it down to …

Meet Stephanie! A Balanced Birth Support NC Doula & Birth Photographer

I am really loving getting to know the Balanced Birth Support doulas!  I continue to be in awe of their dedication not only to the birthing families that they work with, but also to their own families, community and the world around them. Stephanie Capps is one of our North Carolina team members, providing doula and photography services to the families of Raleigh and the surrounding areas.  As the mother of two young children, she left behind the corporate world …

Breastfeeding Resources & Where To Find Local Support

If you are planning to breastfeed, it’s important to have good, solid resources available to you both before and after the baby is born. Breastfeeding is natural, but it doesn’t always come naturally and support is essential if you want to achieve your goals, no matter what those goals are.  I’ve listed several go-to resources below; check them out before you go into labor so you know what to expect in breastfeeding from the moment your baby is born.  Books*Links …

My 5 Favorite Meals To Bring To A Family With A New Baby

When I had my babies, one of the absolute best and most wonderful things our friends and family did for us was provide us with food.  Their generosity was so appreciated and we didn’t have to worry about going grocery shopping, cooking or even cleaning up.  Because I know how helpful this was for us, I LOVE bringing food to my friends and family with new babies.  As an added bonus, I get to meet the new little one! I’ve …

Meet Sara Krisfalusi! Birth Doula

I continue to be amazed at the passion, drive, and love of the members of our Balanced Birth Support community.  As the administrative manager I rarely have the opportunity to work with these amazing women, so I am thrilled to be able to sit down with them to get to know them better.  Next up, Sara Krisalusi, a birth doula who has been with Balanced Birth Support since 2017 Sara’s passion for birth is obvious in speaking with her or …