The good things about holidays include extended family, lots of rich food/drinks, and a break from the routine. The bad news is that they also include extended family, lots of rich food/drinks, and a break from the routine. With a lot of everything going on, many of us, especially new parents, may be more vulnerable to stress, anxiety and depression. Here are my top tips to prevent stress and depression during the holidays and stay balanced.
Abby Burd
Health & Wellness
Mental Health
March 21, 2016
Babywearing is helpful for when you want to hold a baby and have your hands free, and can be more convenient than a stroller when out and about. But did you know that babywearing can also help with postpartum mental illness, such as anxiety and depression?
Babywearing passively comforts a child
Symptoms of clinical postpartum anxiety, depression, or other postpartum illness, can make it hard for a parent to feel “present” let alone focus on the baby. I often suggest babywearing to my clients, and coach them to start a habit of kissing the baby’s head, and letting the baby cuddle. Even a parent that feels low energy or less than 100% can passively be a loving safe-haven to their child by wearing him or her.
Wear your child to soothe your anxiety
For parents with anxiety, OCD, or fears of something being wrong with the baby, babywearing can also be an easy way to feel comfort. You can go ahead and pat the baby there on your chest as often as you like and get the comfort of feeling the
Motherhood
Breastfeeding & Nutrition
November 18, 2015
A pressure cooker isn’t necessary, but it does cook your beans faster. I start with dried beans because they taste better and cost a lot less than canned. But (confession), I totally used pre-cut butternut squash for this recipe. I don’t mind passive cooking time, such as putting beans in water to soak at breakfast time or overnight, but like to save time on cooking prep when I can.
Please feel free to improvise with whatever veggies or grains you have on hand. Roasting the veggies in the oven makes them super sweet. My kids have sweet tooths, and both liked this stew.
Please feel free to improvise with whatever veggies or grains you have on hand. Roasting the veggies in the oven makes them super sweet. My kids have sweet tooths, and both liked this stew.
Ingredients
2 cups of dried black beans 2 sprigs of fresh epazote, or 1 teaspoon dried 2 bay leaves 1 pound of diced butternut squash 3 carrots 2 bell peppers 6 cloves of garlic ½ tablespoon of avocado oil or olive oil 1 cup of kaniwa, quinoa or amaranth ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper ½ teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon cuminInstructions
1. Rinse the beans, place in a bowl and then cover with 2-3 inches of water. Let sit
Health & Wellness
Mental Health
November 11, 2015
For many expecting parents, an approaching due date is time to feather the nest. We complete our registry, set up a nursery, and make sure we have all the baby gear we are going to need. When my first daughter was born, I was caught off guard – floored – by two surprises. One, I knew I would love her, but I didn’t know I would be IN LOVE with her. Second, the postpartum stage was harder than I expected. Much harder. I had dreamy moments of nursing in the glider and cuddling her in a carrier. But there were a lot of challenges I never even dreamed of. Breastfeeding was much harder than I expected, yet I felt strongly, almost rigidly, that it had to be 100% of her nourishment. Having things not go as expected is one of the most common risk factors for postpartum mental illness. And as we know, birth and babies rarely stick to the textbook. The “baby blues” hit 85% to 90% of new mothers, typically on day 4 postpartum, when hormones take a massive drop. This stage usually lasts about two weeks,
Motherhood
Breastfeeding & Nutrition
July 16, 2014
Some days it is a struggle just to feed the kids lunch. Where on your priority list does making a healthy, tasty lunch for you fall? I hear ya.
Here is an easy option, full of super foods and good protein. Have some basic ingredients on hand, and you could be eating in less than five minutes.
About some of the ingredients:
Salmon – Full of healthy fats and omega 3’s. Keep some smoked salmon on hand in the fridge, ready to eat. Lately I have been enjoying “hot smoked” salmon more than lox. I found some wild-caught hot smoked salmon at Trader Joe’s that is almost as good as the salmon my husband smokes at home.
Avocado – A great source of vitamins and fiber. It provides a creamy taste to meals without dairy. Bonus, cut up tiny bits for baby finger food or mush with the back of a spoon. (Why make separate food for them when they can enjoy the same ingredients?)
Pickled Strawberries – Fermented foods provide beneficial probiotics, great for your digestive track. Pickled green strawberries are
Family & Parenting
June 30, 2014
My oldest is nearly 3-years-old. This year she was able to plan for Father’s Day. We talked about things we could do to play with him and make him happy. She wanted to buy him a small toy that “he would like.” I agreed that something like a ball would be a sweet gift from her so they could play together.
So the Wednesday before Father’s Day we went shopping. As we got out of the car she insisted we go to the drug store with the “red letters.” Like most 2- and 3-year-olds, my daughter knows what she wants. Usually the opposite of what I suggest. But I am trying to roll with it as much as possible.
With baby sister dozing in the Ergo, we strolled through the seasonal toy aisle. I tried to steer her towards beach toys, which we could use anyway, but she wasn’t interested. I tried to entice her with all the options for balls, like we had originally planned. Nope. She had her eye on this cheap, plastic, made in China, fishing toy. You know, the kind of toy that breaks in a day, is forgotten
Motherhood
Breastfeeding & Nutrition
May 05, 2014
Some women like to clean and organize. I’m more of a cook. But I am human. And cooking at 9 months pregnant and immediately after a baby is not easy. So when nesting hit me at the end of my last pregnancy, I was focused on FOOD! Let me share with you some ideas that helped me stock up my freezer and cupboards with easy to grab snacks and meals.
Easy to eat snacks for energy when breastfeeding:
- Apples and Almond Butter
- Dates and Almonds
- Chocolate Milk!
- Instant Oatmeal
- Raw Energy Bites (As a bonus, this recipe helps with milk production)
- Carrots and Hummus
- Cashews and other nuts
When you do cook, make double and freeze the rest.
- Buy some disposable foil casserole pans. Make one lasagna (for example) in your regular pan to eat right away and a second in the disposable pan to freeze.
- For a round up of dishes that freeze well, please see my recent post “The Best Meals to Freeze Before Baby Arrives” featuring Pomegranate Lamb Moussaka, and other unexpected meals to put up.