Resources


Check back here for a running list of our favorite books, web sites, and articles.
Local (Western and Central MA) resources are highlighted in Yellow.

TOPICS
     Pregnancy
          Evidence-Based Research and Information
          Exercise
          Other Health and Wellness
     Labor and Birth
          Birth Stories
          Breech Presentation and Birth
          Cesarean Delivery
          Doulas
          Loss      
          Pain Management
          Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)

     Breastfeeding
          General Questions and Concerns
          Professional and Peer Support
          Medications

     Postpartum Health
          Motherhood
          Fatherhood
          Postpartum Depression
          Practical Support

     Babywearing
          Types of Carriers
          Carries and Instructions
          But what about the Baby Bjorn?!

      Newborn Care
          Car-Seat Safety
          Sleep and Sleep Safety
          Introducing Solid Foods

     Maternity and Newborn Photography (Western Mass)


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Pregnancy
  • Exercise
    • Prenatal Yoga - Build strength, relieve aches and pains, and practice relaxation and deep-breathing, all of which will help during pregnancy and during labor and delivery.
    • Pilates




Labor and Birth
  • Loss
    • Empty Arms Bereavement Support: (Local) Support for families experiencing miscarriage, stillbirth and infant loss in Western Massachusetts, Southern Vermont, and Connecticut. 
    • StillBirthday.com: A global network whose mission is to validate a pregnancy loss as the birth, and death, that it is, and to fill the chasm between the moment darkness falls and when resources are discovered. Includes Local listings of doulas, photographers, or volunteers trained to help parents navigate pregnancy loss.
  • Pain Management


Breastfeeding
  • General Questions and Concerns
    • KellyMom.com. An amazing collection of evidence-based research on ALL aspects of breastfeeding -- Supply & Demand, increasing supply, problems and solutions, what is "Normal" questions, medication and breastfeeding, breastfeeding multiples (twins, triplets, etc.), tandem-nursing (breastfeeding more than one child of different ages), pumping, weaning, etc.
    • La Leche League International. (Local) LLL is a great resource for professional and peer support. The site includes forums, links to articles about all kinds of breastfeeding questions, and a database of local leaders and meetings. Many areas have special meetings geared towards Working Mothers, Mothers of Multiples, and Dads.
  • Professional and Peer Support
    • International Lactation Consultant Association. Using their Find an LC directory to find a board certified Lactation Consultant.
    • Pioneer Valley Breastfeeding Coalition. (Local) A group of people and businesses in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts who support and advocate for breastfeeding in our region. They keep an on-going list of local meetings and support groups, as well as a list of local LCs and IBCLCs.
  • Medications
    • The InfantRisk Center. The InfantRisk Center at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is a call center based solely on evidence-based medicine and research. Real people answer the phone and give you date from actual case studies and published literature.
    • LactMed. A peer-reviewed and fully referenced database of drugs to which breastfeeding mothers may be exposed. Among the data included are maternal and infant levels of drugs, possible effects on breastfed infants and on lactation, and alternate drugs to consider. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine, the National Institute of Health, and the US Department of Health & Human Services.
    • "Medications and Mothers' Milk 2012: A Manual of Lactational Pharmacology", by Thomas W. Hale, PhD.
    • American Academy of Pediatrics Medication List, via KellyMom.com. The site also has a great list of resources under their "Can I breastfeed if...?" section, covering things like maternal vaccines, allergy remedies, alcohol and smoking, and exposure to things like asbestos or mercury.
    • The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids/MotherRisk.org), affiliated with the University of Toronto. Includes Abstracts and links to research studies on the use of medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
    • World Health Organization. 2003 Report, "BREASTFEEDING AND MATERNAL MEDICATION: Recommendations for Drugs in the Eleventh WHO Model List of Essential Drugs."
    • Mother to Baby, affiliated with The Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS). The site has concise fact-sheets that answer frequently-asked questions about medications in pregnancy and breastfeeding, intended to begin discussions with your care-provider. Available in English and Spanish.
Postpartum Health
  • Motherhood
    • MotherWoman: (Local) A Hadley (MA) based non-profit that supports and empowers to create personal and social change by building community safety nets, impacting family policy and promoting the leadership and resilience of mothers. They host support groups all over the Valley to bring mothers together and provide support.
    • "What Mother's Do (Especially When It Looks Like Nothing)" by Naomi Stadlen. An honest and moving collection of real-mother conversations about what it's REALLY like to be a mom. She touches on some really important topics such as depression, "intrusive thoughts" (those scary thoughts that creep in on us), and bonding.
    • "Before I forget: What Nobody Remembers about New Motherhood"
    • "Reflections on Motherhood" (video) by Nummies Maternity. We asked moms if they could go back to before their first baby, what would they tell themselves. These are their answers. 
  • Perinatal Mood Disorders (like Postpartum Depression)
    • Postpartum Support International: organization dedicated to helping women suffering from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, including postpartum depression, the most common complication of childbirth. They also work to educate family, friends and healthcare providers so that moms and moms-to-be can get the support they need and recover. 
    • The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale: a set of ten screening questions that can indicate whether you have symptoms that are common in women with depression and anxiety. This is not intended to provide a diagnosis – only trained health professionals can do this -- but the questions will give you a sense of what your care provider might ask to begin to determine if you are depressed.
    • MotherWoman: (Local) Support groups meet all over the Valley to bring mothers together and provide support. You do not need to be suffering from depression to attend a group, but the facilitators are trained to help moms find additional support if needed.
  • Practical Support
    • Meal Train: register for meals and favorite foods, and friends and family sign up to donate and deliver meals to you while you rest with your new baby.
    • It Takes a Village (Local). A community organization that matches families in the hilltowns of Franklin, Hampshire, Berkshire, and Hamden Counties with volunteers to provide up to 12 weeks of household help and emotional support. The also run the MotherWoman group in Ashfield, and the Village Closet, a space in Cummington full of baby clothes, baby gear, diapers, and nursing supplies, free to anyone in the Hilltowns.
Babywearing
  • Information, Safety, Education
    • Babywearing International: a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote babywearing as a universally accepted practice, with benefits for both child and caregiver, through education and support.
    • Babywearing Troubleshooting Class (Local) at Grow Northampton. Mondays 3-4p (Free or donation)
    • Lessons and Demonstrations (Local) at A Child's Garden in Northampton (call or visit for times).
    • The Baby Wearer: Forums for help with problems and articles about special situations, like carrying twins, wearing while pregnant, and plus-size parents.
  • Types of Carriers and Brands
    • Choosing the Right Carrier: http://babywearinginternational.org/pages/typesofcarriers.php
    • Woven Wrap - a long piece of cotton, wool, linen, or silk is wrapped around baby and wearer so baby is secured and his/her weight is distributed on the wearer's shoulder(s), back, and hips.
    • Stretchy Wrap - a long piece of stretch knit fabric wrapped like a woven wrap. It is flexible and young baby can be taken in a out of it more easily than a woven wrap, but it cannot be used for back carries.
    • Ring Sling - a long piece of fabric threaded through rings, creating a pouch for the baby. The weight of the baby is distributed onto a wearer's one shoulder and back.
    • Pouch - a pre-formed pouch of fabric, sometimes with adjustable shoulder rings. Sometimes easier than a ring sling, but the size of the pouch is not adjustable (can be too big for a new baby, or two small for a larger toddler).
    • Mei Tai - a traditional Chinese carrier, a mei tai is a rectangular piece of cloth with four long cloth straps. The large piece of fabric creates a seat for the baby, and the straps distribute the baby's weight onto the wearer's hips, shoulders, and back.
    • Soft Structured Carrier (SSC) - Soft fabric like a Mei Tai but with buckles instead of ties. These can feel more sturdy but their specific size means they sometimes cannot be shared between parents/caregivers and wearer must find a size that fits mom AND baby together
  • Carries and Instructions
    • Stretchy Wrap (several types of carries) - From Moby (images and video)
    • Woven Wrap (several types of carries) - http://www.wrapyourbaby.com/ (still images)
    • Ring Slings (several types of carries) - From Maya Wrap (images and videos)
    • Back Carry with a Mei Tai or SSC - From Mei Tai (still images)
  • But what about the Baby Bjorn?!
    • In your babywearing research, you may come across the term "Crotch-Dangler" - this refers to a baby carrier that holds a baby his/her crotch. Carriers that hold babies between their legs and not their bottoms do not offer proper support and can be very uncomfortable for baby and wearer. There is also research that says dangling a baby from his crotch may lead to hip dysplasia and dislocation. 
Newborn Care

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