Pregnancy Doubles Iron Needs—Get Full Panel, Not Just Hemoglobin
Pregnancy nearly doubles your iron requirement. Many women never catch back up. The standard hemoglobin test that OBs run misses this. Hemoglobin only drops once iron stores are severely depleted. You need a full iron panel: serum iron, TIBC, transferrin saturation, and ferritin. Ferritin alone is misleading. It rises with inflammation, infection, and stress, so you can have high ferritin and still be functionally iron deficient if your transferrin saturation is low. If you're postpartum and having excessive hair shedding, brain fog, brittle nails, ice cravings, cold hands, breathlessness, or restless legs at night, get a full iron panel. Also, most iron supplements (especially ferrous sulfate) cause constipation and nausea. Heme iron from beef, liver, dark meat, and oysters is 2 to 3x more bioavailable and easier on your gut. Pair it with vitamin C to double absorption. Coffee and tea cut absorption in half, so keep them away from meals. After every baby, spend 6-12 months to intentionally rebuild your iron stores. Your body has been building someone else's blood. You need to rebuild your own.
Skin-to-Skin Co‑regulation Stabilizes Newborns' Heart, Breathing, Temperature
A newborn isn't able to regulate its own body right away. For the first few weeks, it relies on YOU. When you hold your baby skin to skin, their heart rate and breathing stabilize, their body temperature regulates from yours,...
Gentle Parenting: Boundaries Provide Safety and Connection
“Gentle parenting does not mean saying yes to everything. It means holding boundaries without losing connection. You can validate emotions and still keep the limit. Because children do not feel safest when there are no rules. They feel safest when boundaries are calm, clear, and consistent. Comment “BOUNDARIES” and I’ll share...
Share Your Strong‑Willed Kid Struggles, Get Quick Solutions
Let’s talk strong willed kids. What’s the hardest thing you’re going through right now with your strong willed kid and I’ll try to reply with an idea or two to as many comments as I can.
Use This Psychologist Trick for Instant ADHD Cooperation
A child psychologist trick: the fastest way to get cooperation from an ADHD child without yelling:
Model Resilience: Your Recovery Shows Children Strength
The version of you that loses it, repairs, and tries again tomorrow is *exactly* the parent your child needs to see.
Release the Guilt: Your Neurodivergent Journey Isn't a Burden
If you’re a neurodivergent mom who is also a former “high achiever/overachiever” and now running a creative business, you might feel some combo of these day-to-day: *guilt/shame over not “living up to expectations/potential” *overwhelm of wanting to be there for your kids...
Your Future Egg’s Health Depends on the Past 90 Days
The egg you ovulate this month has been in your body since you were a fetus. But what happens in the 90 days before you release it determines whether it can make a healthy pregnancy. The 90-day window is when...
Hospital Births Won’t Save Moms—Antibiotics Did
Hospital birth in America is barely 100 years old. In 1900, about 95% of American babies were born at home. By 1950, nearly 90% were born in hospitals. The shift was sold to women as safer and more modern, but it...
Misbehavior Mirrors Their Unmet Emotional Needs
Your child's worst behavior and their deepest need usually show up wearing the same outfit.
Bidet with Child Mode Boosts Potty Independence
The best potty training hack nobody told me about: a bidet with child mode. There's a window between when your kid is potty trained and when they can wipe themselves properly. It can last anywhere from 1 to 3 years....
Your Presence Is the Best Intervention for Dysregulated Children
Say it with me: Staying in the room when your child is dysregulated *is* the intervention. Your presence is calming them down whether it feels like it or not.
Baby's Growing Curiosity Makes Nursing More Distracting
My 5.5 month old started getting distracted at the breast around 4 months. We're 6 weeks in and it has not let up. Every little noise or movement makes him unlatch to see what's happening. I love how observant and...
Share Your Kid's Most Outrageous Bedtime Stalling Tactics
What's the most creative and unhinged way your kid has stalled bedtime recently? Drop it below 👇
Use a Simple Pause to Calm Overloaded Kids
A child psychologist trick: the first step to take when your child feels emotionally overloaded