Resources.

Motherhood came with a steep learning curve. I had questions. A lot of them.

Here are some tools, tips, and resources that helped me survive raising a baby and helped me help myself. I hope something here makes your path feel a little lighter.

Sleep | Breastfeeding | Solids | First flight | Relationships | Identity shift

You deserve to feel whole again.

1 in 5 new and expecting moms struggle with mental health.

That doesn’t mean you’re failing and you’re definitely not alone. Support is out there—and talking about it is the first step.

Learn more about mental health

  • There are a range of professionals that can give you the emotional and social support you need — doulas, peer support groups, therapists, psychiatrist, intensive outpatient programs, and more.

    Visit Postpartum Support International’s directory of qualified perinatal mental health providers to find resources in your area.

    You can also call or text Postpartum Support International’s helpline at 1.800.944.4773.

  • Joining a peer support group was one of the best things I did postpartum. It supported my mental health and made me feel less alone. I met with a facilitator and other new moms for 8 weeks to discuss topics ranging from postpartum adjustment, relationships, infant feeding, and sleep.

    • Amma Parenting (Minnesota-based, paid): Offers classes for new moms and new dads.

    • Postpartum Support International offers free virtual peer support groups for new moms, new dads, and many other specialized groups.

    • Pregnancy & Postpartum Support Minnesota (Minnesota-based, free) offers 2 types of direct support to new moms: 1) Peer mentors, moms with lived experience that provide 1:1 support for 6 weeks and 2) Doula services for limited families in need.

  • FACEBOOK GROUP (closed): Postpartum Support International offers a community that provides peer support and information to help manage pregnancy and postpartum stress.

  • PODCAST: Motherly interview with Katherine May on the power of rest and retreat in difficult times (33 min)

    PODCAST: NPR News with Angela Davis - How peer support groups are bolstering mental health (47 min)

    PODCAST: Pregnancy & Postpartum Support Minnesota Baby Brain interview with Michael O’Neil - New Dads Group at Amma Parenting (45 min)

    DOCUMENTARY: Stutz (1hr 36min) - Conversations between actor Jonah Hill and his therapist Phil Stutz, including actionable tools for everyone to think and feel better.

  • The postpartum journey is a marathon not a sprint. Here are some daily mantras that got me through it:

    • Being a good mother does not mean being a perfect mother. Good moms do the best they can, when they can.

    • Good mothers get overwhelmed, exhausted, and feel anxious. When things feel overwhelming, it can help to take things one day, one hour, and one minute at a time.

    • Give yourself grace. Be gentle with and kind to yourself like you would to other new moms.

    • Both you and your baby are so new to this relationship. Your baby is figuring things out too and you are learning together.

    • There really isn’t any way to prepare for this adjustment. Motherhood is hard. Remember that you are built to do hard things.

    • Taking care of your baby requires taking care of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup.

Matrascence & postpartum adjustment.

Becoming a mom changes everything—especially you. Matrescence is the massive identity shift that happens when you become a parent. Your brain, body, and relationships.

It’s a process. And it deserves space.

Working with a life coach was a game-changer. It helped me reconnect to what matters and the tools and clarity to make choices that felt right for me.

Postpartum planning.

Everybody talks about birth plans, the nursery, and hospital bag. But what about what happens after?

Making a plan would’ve helped me line up what I really needed—physically, emotionally, and logistically. So I didn’t have to figure it all out on 3 hours of sleep.

Parental leave. Postpartum healing. Childcare. Chores. Support village.

Relationships.

Two out of three couples say their relationship takes a hit after baby. We did, too.

Couples counseling gave us space to reconnect and remember that we were part of the same team. Figuring out how to support each other while parenting stretched us, but it also helped us grow.

Baby sleep.

Sleep nearly broke me. There’s no one-size-fits all approach.

Our daughter slept through the night at 11 weeks old. My son took twice as long. Our sleep journey was a mix of tools, gear, and a lot of deep breathing and radical acceptance.

Trust the process as best as you can. Your baby will sleep eventually (promise).

    1. One well-rested parent is better than two parents without sleep. My husband and I are both better people when we’re well-rested. There was no point in both of us being sleep deprived. When my husband returned to work, he slept in a separate room and I covered night shifts. On the weekends he took the first bottle so I could sleep in.

    2. Develop a sleep routine (and stick with it). Babies crave routine and consistency.

    3. Learn about the universal baby cues: Most babies use similar cues to indicate if they’re tired, hungry, or disengaged. Understanding these were a game changer and made things a bit more predictable for us and the baby.

    4. Be prepared for sleep regressions: As soon as you feel like you’ve stabilized your baby’s nap or sleep schedule, a regression hits. Before baby’s 1st birthday, sleep regressions typically occur at 6 weeks, 3-4 months, 6 months, 8-10 months, and 12 months. They’re frustrating but it helps to understand these timelines (and that they’re temporary)

  • If you have the resources, you can consider hiring a night nurse, doula, or sleep specialists.

    We did not, but had great success with the Snoo, a smart bassinet that soothed our baby back to sleep after middle-of-the night feeds.

    We leaned on Snoo sleep experts and our pediatrician’s nurse line for any/all questions related to sleep.

  • BOOKS

    Suzy Giordano, 12 hours of sleep by 12 weeks

    ARTICLES

    Happiest Baby, The 5 S’s for soothing baby

    Babywise, 5-6am ‘night’ wakings

    Happiest Baby, Baby grunting in sleep and other sleep sounds, explaned

  • The Oprah Show (9 min), One woman unlocks the secret language of babies

    Transition to Parenthood (21 min), Name that cue: Understanding what your newborn is saying

  • Note: The following products are not sponsored and are all items I used during my own experience.

    Bassinet: Snoo

    Carriers: Ergobaby Omni mesh carrier (newborns and younger infants) and Ergobaby 360 (older infants and toddlers)

    For soothing: Bouncing on an Exercise ball, pacifiers (Philips, MAM), white noise (Hatch)

    For naps: Lounger (Dok a Tot)

    Clothing: Swaddles (Halo, SwaddleMe), sleep sack (Woolino), PJs (Magnetic Me modal footie, Carters 2-way zip onesie)

Baby: Feeding.

No part of motherhood stressed me out more than feeding. With a low milk supply, breastfeeding did not come naturally.

I breastfed baby #1 for 9 months, but it didn’t come without the pressure of producing enough milk, nursing, clogged milk ducts, and rage over spilled milk.

Making the decision to combo feed for baby #2 from the start made a major difference on my mental health.

    1. Give yourself time to learn this new skill: Breastfeeding and pumping are brand new skills for both you and the baby (the latch, a new pumping device, and more) and may not come easily. Give yourself space to learn it. In hindsight, we were grateful we didn’t have visitors at the hospital when our daughter was born, so I could fully focus on learning this skill with the help of lactation specialists.

    2. Be efficient with nursing and pumping: Breastfeeding and pumping are incredibly time consuming. But taking advantage of this time to do things you enjoy can make the time go faster (bonding with baby, watching TV, meditating). Use a haakaa to catch excess milk to build a supply. Here are some time-saving pumping hacks for working moms.

    3. Get your partner involved: I pumped extra milk for at least 1 bottle a day. This allowed my husband to participate in feeding and my baby to get used to the bottle.

    4. Use insurance to cover the cost of your breast pump: New breast pumps can cost $100-$300. Call your insurance company to learn more about this benefit.

    5. Read the user manual for your pump: I learned this the hard way. As your baby grows, you’ll need to increase the vacuum strength on your pump. Re-reading the manual would have saved me hours of pumping.

    6. Pack a manual breast pump while traveling: On separate trips, I had issues with the back flow protector. These accessories are not easy to find on the road, so bring a manual pump or extra pump accessories.

    7. Remember that breastfeeding is a privilege and hard work: Breastfeeding is not for everyone and it was undoubtedly the toughest part of my postpartum experience. But, it is truly amazing to have the ability to produce milk that keeps your tiny human alive. When it got tough, it helped to count up the total number of hours a days spent on breastfeeding and pumping — it really is a massive effort.

  • I had incredible support from lactation specialists at our birthing center and through follow-up visits with our pediatrician’s team. Doulas are also an option for providing postpartum support.

  • Choosing and using breast pumps:

    ARTICLE: Pumping Mamas, Spectra pump settings: Pro tips for the most milk

    ARTICLE: Babylist: Best breast pumps of 2023

    VIDEO (4 min): 4MDMedical, Troubleshooting Spectra S1 & S2 pump

    Boosting your milk supply:

    ARTICLE: MomLovesBest, How to pump more breastmilk

    VIDEO (17 min): Bridget Taylor, 7 Tips for increasing milk supply

    Breastfeeding positions:

    VIDEO (3 min): Breastfeeding Success, Laid back breastfeeding

    VIDEO (4 min): Texas Department of State Health Services, Breastfeeding positions

  • TOOLS

    BabyConnect app - I used this app to log all nursing and pumping sessions. This allowed me to track progress over time and identify opportunities to be more efficient with my time.

    EDUCATION

    Kellymom.com - created by a board certified lactation consultant that provides evidence-based information on breastfeeding.

    Amma Parenting (Minnesota-based, paid): Offers classes about childbirth, parenting, breastfeeding and more to help new parents during the pregnancy and postpartum period.

    Feeding Guide: An all-inclusive guid on feeding options, expectation setting and navigating complex conversations. The guide was developed by Bobbie, Willow and SimpliFed.

  • Note: The following products are not sponsored and are all items I found useful based on my own experience.

    Formula

    • Formula (Bobbie) - I love this brand and what it stands for, advocating for change in our feeding culture and real systemic support for new moms.

    Breast Pump

    • Electric (Spectra S1) - the main difference between S1 and S2 is that the S1 has a rechargeable battery, allowing you to pump anywhere. In hindsight, I would have invested more in a wearable pump for the extra convenience.

    • Manual (Haakaa) - used to catch the natural letdown while breastfeeding which allows you to build excess milk supply for bottles. The mini size is great for traveling.

    Supplies & Storage

    • Storage bags (Medela) - I prefer Medela over Lansinoh because they stand up better when pouring milk into the bag.

    • Sterilization bags (Medela) - I’d sterilize bottles, pacifiers, and pump supplies in these bags. They are easy to use and can be used 20 times before being replaced.

    • Coolerbag (J.L. Childress) and icepack (Ace small) - supplies I used to pack bottles for day care and travel.

    • Burp cloths (Green Sprouts) - our baby spit up often so we bought many sets to have around the house.

    • Bottle drying rack (Boon) and bottle brush (OXO) - we bought two sets of these, one for the kitchen and the second for the bathroom in the nursery (which saved time during middle-of-the night feeds).

    Bottles

    • Bottle box (Babylist) - not sure what bottle to use? Sample a few before committing to one.

    • Bottles (Como Tomo) - these worked best for my baby and come in 2 sizes for younger and older infants.

    For mama

    • Water bottle (Owala) - I love this bottle because it’s clear and has a wide spout, making it easy to drink more water and track how much you’re consuming throughout the day.

    • Pumping bra (Simple Wishes) - this bra is structured and very supportive, allowing you to keep your hands free to do everything else that needs to get done!

    • Nursing bra - I liked the Bandeau top because it was easy to slip on/off without having to fuss around with nursing bra clips. For more support, I used Bravado bras.

    • Cover ups (Muslin Swaddle) - I tried a lot of specialty cover ups for nursing/pumping and found that tying the corners of a muslin blanket (around my neck and waist) worked best.

    • Nipple cream (Earth Mama)

    • Nursing pads (Lansinoh)

  • Here are some of my favorite recipes and drinks for boosting milk supply. *Recipes coming soon!

    RECIPE: Oatmeal

    RECIPE: Lactation cookies

    DRINKS: Water, Mothers Milk, beer (yes, beer)

Solids.

baby in a highchair

    1. Learn about the division of responsibility in feeding: This was a game-changer for me. From Ellyn Satter’s Institute, this promotes the following roles: the parent is responsible for what a child eats and the child is responsible for how much they actually eat (and everything else). Once I understood this, meal times became way less stressful for everyone. I was able to just trust the process and that my baby was competent in getting the nutrition she needed.

    2. Watch videos of babies gagging: This sounds weird but watching videos of babies eating and understanding the difference between gagging and choking reduced my fear of starting the solids journey.

    3. Meal plan: Planning the menu once a week eliminates the mental load required to plan daily. Creating weekly menus based on what we have at home (prioritizing ingredients about to expire) and choosing produce that’s in season can help with making fresher and cheaper meals.

    4. Buy an extra freezer: If you have the space, buy an extra freezer. I double most recipes to freeze for future meals. This saves a lot of time cooking during busier weeks.

    5. Only shop once a week: This will save you money and time. I also take baby with me so she can participate in the process and understand the ingredients that go into her meals.

    6. Introduce potential allergens early and often: Consult with your pediatrician to ensure safe feeding, but there is a lot of evidence behind this. Peanut, soy, dairy, and eggs were the first potential allergens we introduced when our baby started solids. Pro tip: The first time you introduce potential allergens, have a bottle of bendryl on hand and time it during the week (easier to get into the pediatrician or urgent care, if needed)

  • FACEBOOK GROUP: Trader Joe’s meals for busy mom

    FACEBOOK GROUP: Easy slow cooker recipes.

    FACEBOOK GROUP: Easy air fryer recipes.

    INFLUENCER: Jordan Page, Fun cheap or free. Tips for budgeting, meal planning, kitchen organization, and cooking for a large family. Check out her videos here.

    INFLUENCER: Katie Ferraro, Fortified family. Specializes in baby led weaning, includes recipes and webinars for introducing this approach.

    INFLUENCER: Mike Greenfield of Pro Home Cooks. Focusing on using fresh, tasty ingredients to make quick meals.

    INFLUENCER: Allison Roman. I love her recipes that feature fresh, clean, and tasty flavors. She also has a great sense of humor so her videos are very engaging.

  • ARTICLE: Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility in Feeding.

    BOOK: Ellyn Satter, Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family

    BOOK: Wendy Jo Peterson, Born to eat: Whole, healthy foods from baby’s first bite

  • Division of Responsibility

    PODCAST: Good Inside (episode #97, 42 min): Clean plate club

    PODCAST: Janet Landsbury Respectful Parenting (37 min), Concerned about your child’s eating habits? Ellyn Satter has the answers.

    Picky eaters

    VIDEO: Katie Kimball, Picky eating isn’t about food

    VIDEO: Shine with Plants, How to get your toddler to eat a lot of veggies

    VIDEO: MyRecipes Mom’s 13 tips and tricks for picky eaters.

    Meal planning

    VIDEO: Jordan Page. Family of 8 for only $25/week.

  • WEBINAR (1 hour, free): Baby-led weaning workshopby Katie Ferraro

    APP: SolidStarts (library of first foods for babies, including nutritional information, ways to serve, and more)

    APP: AnyList (for creating lists of food items for your next grocery trip)

  • Note: The following products are not sponsored and are all items I found useful based on my own experience.

    Meal planning: Magnetic dry erase whiteboard (for displaying weekly meal plan), Souper cubes (freezer meals), Rubbermaid containers (leftovers)

    Cooking: Air fryer, Egg Dash cooker, Slow cooker

    High chair: IKEA Antilop high chair and foot rest

    For drinking: Cups for infants (Lalo and First Years sippy cup), and toddlers (First Years straw cup and Camelbak Eddy water bottle)

    For eating: Fresh fruit feeder (Munchkin), Bib (BabyBjorn), plate (Mushie), spoon and fork for infants (Nooli), spoon and fork for toddlers (Munchkin)

    Cleanup: Microfiber wash cloths (Kyaboo), splat mat (Wowomun)

  • Here are some of my daughter’s favorite meals. I’ve selected recipes that are nutrient-dense, freezer-friendly, and that the whole family can enjoy.

    *Recipes coming soon.

    Breakfast

    Apple & carrot muffins

    Banana & blueberry almond pancakes

    Banana spinach smoothie muffins

    Overnight oats

    Lunch/Dinner

    Beef lasagna

    Black bean fritters with cilantro

    Butternut squash soup

    Pork, egg, & veggie fried rice

    Roasted cauliflower, carrot, and sweet potato quinoa salad with fresh herbs

    Slowcooker vegetable and bean soup

    Spinach pesto pasta

    Turkey & beef bean chili

    White bean stew with turmeric

    Snacks

    Roasted red pepper and lemon hummus

Introducing solids felt like a big deal.

Baby-led weaning worked for us. Meals were stressful, messy, scary, and time-consuming, and then I learned about the division of responsibility which was game-changing. Trusting the process and my baby made meal-times way less stressful for everyone.

Baby: First flight.

mom holding baby on a flight

We took 4 flights with baby before her 1st birthday — and still learn something new every time. I panicked before her first flight. It was hard, but we made it (and you will too!).

Not sure where to start?

There are a lot of support resources out there. Make the choice that feels right for you.

If you need help getting started, please reach out!

While I don’t offer professional support, I love helping other new moms connect with resources that make themselves feel whole again.

Contact me

Blog Posts.

Blog
2025: A year in review

This year, I’m most grateful for connections.

Read more →
The word that carried me through 2025

Choosing trust, especially when things got hard

Read more →
Top 10 maternal health gifts of 2025

This year, I’m most grateful for this maternal health gift.

Read more →
2025 March of Dimes Report Card

The report card shows our maternal health crisis is still stuck. But this year, I have hope.

Read more →
Joining Delfina as Director of Partnerships

I’m ready to build a care system that truly cares for new moms

Read more →
What you get when you google ‘best books for new moms’

Spoiler alert: It won’t be about baby gear.

Read more →
Lets Talk Mental Health: Event recap

Burnout starts with ‘honeymoon’ burnout

Read more →
Reflections from PSI 2025

The system may be broken. But PSI is still showing up.

Read more →
My first podcast!

This isn’t just a conversation about postpartum anxiety—it’s a call to action for better care, better policies, and better systems.

Read more →
Postpartum Support International and ACOG’s prenatal guidance

This is what Postpartum Support International was built for.

Read more →
Chamber of Mothers: MN chapter meeting recap

Honoring Rep Melissa Hortman; community and hope keep us going.

Read more →
Juneteenth: Every mom deserves care built on dignity, respect, and trust

4 resources to learn how racism and bias still show up

Read more →
Rep. Melissa Hortman: A champion for moms in Minnesota

We will honor her—by continuing her work, speaking the truth, and never backing down.

Read more →
Live in Minnesota? Help us support moms in our community

Join the fight with Chamber of Mothers.

Read more →
Early Risers podcast

How teaching kids about race can help maternal health

Read more →
Reflections from ACOG 2025

A call to action for maternal health.

Read more →
Chamber of Mothers changed my life

Mom rage is real, and I’m turning mine into change.

Read more →
I am 1 in 5

Postpartum Support International connected me with resources to feel whole again.

Read more →
Motherhood made easier with a support village

Support isn’t a luxury. It’s a radical act of self-care and love.

Read more →
Mother’s Day 2025: A love letter to my younger self

What I wish I could tell my younger self when I was in the thick of it.

Read more →
Minneapolis Crisis Nursery wraps families in compassion

Every child needs 4 safe adults in their life to thrive.

Read more →
Understanding Stress During Pregnancy: managing it and why it matters

Pregnancy comes with it all—joy, exhaustion, and a lot of questions

Read more →
Read more

Want more in your inbox?

Sign up for my newsletter