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 »

A recent conversation with a Mom I know brought to mind and heart the amazing depth of love inspired by “baby”.  When I married my husband, I was overwhelmed by the love I felt for him as we committed to being partners for life.  As I stepped down the staircase to meet him and exchange  Continue Reading »

This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Leslie Escobales, MS, who is the Nurturing Families Coordinator affiliated with Hartford Hospital.  Ms. Escobales  (860/545-3201) kindly filled me in about  “Nurturing Connections” both at Hartford Hospital and throughout the state.  Nurturing Connections is a support service for first time parents funded by the Children’s Trust  Continue Reading »

Last month, I came across a book entitled “How to do Everything Right”.  I had to chuckle-I’ve been looking for this book my whole life!  I considered the impact of this pressure I’ve always experienced to ALWAYS do EVERYTHING right.  Particularly after our first baby,  I am certain this pressure was a significant contributor to  Continue Reading »

I met with the most delightful individual today who shared with me her excitement about the MomSource’s mission to prevent postpartum adjustment problems, hereafter referred to as PPD, which  includes depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive symptoms. Kathleen Montesi, APRN, CPNP, is a pediatric nurse practitioner and is passionate about preventing PPD. Kathleen has presented her  Continue Reading »

The holiday season brings with it so much potential for loving connection . . . laughter . . . and  family traditions.   As we visit with family and friends, share food, gifts, and time while attending many celebrations of  light in the darkness, we enjoy timeless rituals and the power of hope.  Yet we frequently  Continue Reading »

A Canadian study found that babies who were cuddled “skin to skin” with the baby’s bare chest to the mom were more responsive to social cues earlier than is typical. Dr. Ann Bigelow, from St. Francis Xavier University, studied over 100 mother-infant pairs in Nova Scotia. In an interview with Scientific American,   she also  Continue Reading »

Sleep! How new parents long for it . . . that blessed restoration of a complete, uninterrupted, sound night’s sleep.  It is THE most consistent challenge of caring for a baby: most babies require feedings at frequent intervals throughout the night as well as the day. I assure Moms and Dads that their exhaustion, irritability,  Continue Reading »

This week I participated in two celebrations which once again made me think about the strong connections between joy and loss, between holding and letting go. The first celebration was the occasion of my twin sons’ fourteenth birthday, the second was a beautiful wedding of our friends’ daughter. On my sons’ birthday, I took the  Continue Reading »

The MomSource is about helping women be proactive in planning for support and preventing post partum adjustment difficulties. Our planning benefits greatly from the current research on understanding how post partum problems develop and how we can best treat problems when they occur. The more we know about families’ needs, the better we can develop  Continue Reading »