I REALLY want to gather a collection of easy recipes for new parents: healthy and easy preparation is critical to decrease stress during that time that you are too tired to think.  On the MomSource Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-MomSource/145887487287?ref=tn_tnmn) I posted a link to a recipe  (delicious white bean and kale soup) in hopes that others  Continue Reading »

I’ll never forget one of the first mothers I treated for postpartum depression.  Her baby was in the NICU and she had a two year old son at home.  Going back and forth to the hospital, pumping her breast milk to give her baby the best start she could, feeling torn between caring for each  Continue Reading »

Support. I find myself obsessing about how I can help new families get the support they need.  Often, there seems to be so many blocks: family distant, either physically or emotionally, one or both parents needing to work long hours to feel securely employed and make ends meet, being new to Connecticut or the community,  Continue Reading »

Yesterday morning Andy and I had the pleasure of talking with Rachel Lutzker, on her first day back from maternity leave, and her co-host Erica Arias.  We discussed ways to ease the transition back into work after your baby is born.  I suggested gradually leaving baby with child care providers for increasing periods of times,  Continue Reading »

This Wednesday I will have the privilege to speak briefly to a group of parents of infants about nurturing your relationship, sort of a preview of our workshop on February 4th  at Blue Back Square.  Pat McClarney, RN, MSN, CPNP,  is a pediatric nurse practitioner with a marvelous nurturing manner with new parents and has  Continue Reading »

Just before Christmas I met with Jen Vendetti, MSW, the Connections Coordinator for the Nurturing Family Network program at the University of Connecticut Health Center (UCHC).  We discussed the resources available for first-time parents and parents at risk for developing Postpartum Depression (PPD).  Jen explained that the Nurturing Family Network program at UCHC is similar  Continue Reading »

The MomSource’s focus of  helping expectant parents has a new venue!  We are again offering our workshop “From We to Three” , this time to new parents, with an infant less than a year old.  We received requests to offer this to not only expectant parents, but those who already have babies, so we are  Continue Reading »

Today I had the pleasure of being on the “meet and greet” team for the Firefly Center’s grand opening. There were lots of parents there checking out this wonderful resource center for parents and kids. Jane Costello gave an appetizer to her “Love and Logic” parenting classes with “5 Tips to Get Your Kids Ears  Continue Reading »

I purchased an ipad a few months ago, and finally have a more visceral understanding of “Apps”!  When a client raved about the app that helped her keep track of  “which side was when” with breastfeeding (Baby Connect), I decided that I should learn more about how these bits of programming could be useful to  Continue Reading »

The March Issue of  “American Baby” highlights “the secret sadness”  following births in an article by Alexa Joy Sherman.  Ms Sherman  discusses both the common “baby blues” and the symptoms of postpartum depression, which afflicts up to 20% of new mothers and fathers.  Check out this informative article, which includes quotes from Dr. Thomason as  Continue Reading »