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Oct 24, 20225 min read

Bumpdate July 26th

A Weekly Newsletter for Heart of Houston Birth and Wellness Families.


July 26th

Goodbye July

Well, we're entering the tail end of summer which, for many of us, means cramming in last minute trips to the beach, long afternoons at the pool and stocking up on school supplies. This year both of my girls will be in school full time (yippie!!) and that means establishing new routines for our household which is always a challenge. Our theme of this week's Bumpdate is CHANGE. Big changes happen when we add a baby into our lives. Relationships with our partners, our peers and (a lot of times) our own parents. But change doesn't have to be a bad thing if we maintain realistic expectations for ourselves and for others. If you're expecting a baby what are some of the ways you've prepared for this next chapter in your life? If you're deep into the adventures of parenting what are the ways you've had to adjust your expectations? Finally, how can we ALL approach change in a way that minimizes the desire to throw a tantrum like 2 year old who's dropped their ice cream cone? (Which is exactly what happened after I took this picture.)


Over the Weekend

On Sunday we had our first Orientation and Things to Start Thinking About class for new birth center clients and Whole Heart Collective members. This class is designed to help folks learn about all the different resources we offer and give them ideas of ways to make the birth and postpartum period a little easier with a little planning. One of the major topics to consider is who will be at your birth. Labor is all about hormones and we go into a very primal place in our brain in order to allow our body to do the sacred work of labor. Because of this, it is vital that your team consist of folks who support you and your birthing preferences 100%. Years ago, Midwife Rowan started lecturing birth workers about reducing "Vag TV" in the labor room. Meaning folks in the birthing room should be there to support the birthing person AND their partner, not to just sit and....well, watch your vag. I love how Celest Gillman of Evolutionary Parenting describes this interaction, "If emotions are contagious between people in normal times, it seems especially important in the vulnerable time of birth that the people around a birthing mother consistently project confidence in her, support and caring, peace, and patience." This insight might mean that you will need to reevaluate your current plans and possibly make some adjustments to your birth team. Just know that setting boundaries now is great practice for the future and trust me, you will need to become a master of setting boundaries when you become a parent.



HOH Groupies!

Ya'll, last Wednesday we had ALL the babies here for postpartum support group and latch clinic. Leah was hopping from boob to boob and babe to babe. It was everything Mary and I dreamed it would be buuuut we decided it was probably a good time to add another support group to our weekly lineup. So starting this week we will offer support group on Wednesday from 10-12 and Thursday from 9:30-11:30. We'll keep the older kiddos in the Wednesday group for now and the newer babies will meet up on Thursdays. Latch clinics will be open to everyone. Let me know if you have any questions.




How about a quicky?

Recently at one of our postpartum support groups one mama was complaining about having to wash pump parts between feedings and in the middle of the night. Not. Cool. Mary Alice Carpenter, our friend and very first HOH mama, shared her quick hack for rotating and cleaning pump parts.

  • Start with 2-3 complete sets of pump parts like the flanges and valves.

  • Head to Amazon and grab a few of these silicone bags.

  • Each set of pump parts gets its own bag. Clean parts live in a clean bag.

  • Used parts go back in the same bag and can be stored in the fridge to use again or stored in their bag until ready to clean.

  • When ready to clean, take the parts out and take apart, rinse under cold water to get the fat off, put back in the bag fill bag with soapy warm water, shake up leave to soak. Drain water, fill with clean water, rinse until suds are gone and drain water.

  • To sterilize, Put about 2 to 3 ounces of water back in bag and close in a couple of places, but leave some open for steam to escape and microwave for three minutes to sterilize. Dump water after sterilizing and either take out and dry on drying rack for quickest dry or leave bag open and the whole thing will dry eventually.

Thanks Mary Alice!



Next week: Get to know Midwife Bethany, for real this time. Sorry I didn't get to it this week!


Upcoming Events

  • Latch Clinic: August 7th & 21st, 9/1 & 9/15, 10am, Leah Jolly IBCLC will join our weekly postpartum support group to answer your feeding questions.

  • Dance and Stretch Class: August 7th 10am, Joanna is back to ease your mind and prepare your body for the movements of labor. This class is like a session with a doula, yoga instructor and therapist all rolled into one. Take a moment out of your busy schedule to focus on your changing body and growing baby. Class is $15 for Whole Heart Collective members and all Heart of Houston families and $20 for the public. Feel free to invite your friends!

  • Pregnancy Group: August 22nd Kim Jones LPC of the Center for Postpartum Family Health will join us for a SUPER helpful info session on the Gottman Method and the classes offered for pregnancy and postpartum. We highly recommend you and your partner attend this meeting to get an idea of things you should start thinking about before you baby arrives. Even if you already have a kiddo or two at home, these tips will be beneficial!

  • **Infant CPR & BLS: Saturday August 28th 10 am, If you haven't taken a CPR class in the last few years we highly recommend taking a refresher before you bring your new baby home. This is also a great class for grandparents and potential babysitters. This class is an American Heart Association approved class. Sign up here. (This course is appropriate for expectant parents and healthcare workers) ** Please note the date change**

  • Family Brunch: August 14th 11am, Come meet your fellow Heart of Houston families! Get to know all the great people in your HOH community in a not super awkward setting. This is a potluck style gathering so bring a dish to share.

  • Pregnancy Group: September 19th 2pm Newborn Care Basics and First 48 of breastfeeding. Jessica will teach what to expect from your newborn in the first few weeks of life followed by Leah Jolly IBCLC reviewing the ways to establish a good foundation for breastfeeding in the first 48 hours of your new baby's life.

Ongoing Events



Have a great week, friends.




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