Social media promotes and popularize a quick ‘bouncing back’ into life after having a baby. However, as a midwife I’ve seen the wonderful and far-reaching benefits of slowing down after your birth for a few weeks of physical and emotion restoration. The postpartum window is a precious and critical time for mother and baby to recover and settle in. And it helps the entire family to adapt to your new little family member too. Here are eight starting points that help protect you during your postpartum period…..

“What life skills are your kids working on? What do you think 10-year-olds should be able to do?” It’s no secret that it’s a crazy, challenging, full-time job raising our children to be capable, contributing adults. And in the rush of coping and surviving, it's super easy to feel overwhelmed in that critical middle ground where our children develop essential life skills . I’d call it the window between the delight of infants starting to walk, and the anxiety of teens starting to drive. Yet, it's during the stress of everyday life that these practical skills are cultivated and honed.