Category Archives: Mom

Mom

Get to Know Maternity Mentors

Maternity Mentors is a program designed to help parents navigate life’s greatest challenge through tailored sessions, e-communications, and classes to help mentor new parents.
We recently had the opportunity to talk to Millie Gillon, the face and creator behind Maternity Mentors. Read below to learn more about her and the impressive guidance offered by Maternity Mentors.
Q: You mentioned you spent countless hours researching online boards, articles, mom’s groups, medical journals, etc. What resources helped you the most to answer your new mom questions?

A: CDC, American Medical Association, and combining information from countless blogs, boards, and articles around topics ranging from postpartum care, cloth diapers, to first foods, educational development, and beyond. I feel like I earned a PhD. in new parenthood from all of the research I did during late night nursing sessions. 

Q: Why should moms turn to Maternity Mentors as a trusted resource? What sets you apart from an expecting mom’s network?

A: Maternity Mentors is an experienced resource that works 1 on 1 with expectant moms to deliver the best resource for all maternity issues. The mom’s network is composed of mainly mothers’ first hand accounts, whereas Maternity Mentors is a combination of experiential and clinical resources to help.

Q: Why is having a mentor during pregnancy so important? Does Maternity Mentors stay with the mom throughout the entire pregnancy? Can a mom turn to their mentor after the baby is born?

A: Most new parents are focused on the labor and delivery experience, but few focus on the intricacies of parenthood beyond countless ads focused on buying merchandise that they really do not need. A mother about to go into labor is vulnerable from experience. While there are plenty of resources she can turn to (friends, family), none are directly committed to new parents and the baby/babies. The mentorship experience is about focusing on the new parent(s), and baby’s wellbeing. 

Mom

Guide to Raising a Happy, Healthy Mom

The Mother’s Matter blog recently posted an article that talks about how to raise a happy, healthy mom. One big influential factor they highlight is sleep (or lack of) amongst moms.
This post offers three tried and tested tips that can help moms and dads catch a few extra zzz’s.
1. Sleep more = Sweat more.
A study published in Annals of Behavioral Medicine, revealed that a home-based, individual aerobic exercise program can reduce fatigue (both physical and mental) in women with postpartum depression. A second study revealed that a group of postnatal women who practiced in-home Pilates, were found to have lower levels of physical and mental fatigue than their non-practicing peers.
2. Wanna sleep? Apply the pressure.
Licensed acupuncturist and owner of Four Flower Wellness in Chicago, Ashley Flores, speaks to the restorative potential of acupressure for new mothers. Instead of using needles, the treatment is administered with the fingers. Flores suggested that applying acupressure to the Pericardium 5, 6, and 7 points (found on the inside of the wrist) can be especially useful before going to sleep.
3. Eat your way to a good sleep.
The foods a new mom opts for can make a difference in helping cope with a chronic case of depleted sleep. Nutritional Consultant, Patricia Daly, BA, DipHE, NT states that one of the best ways to stave off physical and emotional fatigue is to keep blood sugar levels even throughout the day. Complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, and brown rice are preferable to their white counterparts.
For the complete article and to see more from Mother’s Matter, click here.
Happy_Healthy Mom
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell