Sage Motherhood

"I was completely unprepared, blind to the other birth that was happening; the birth of myself as a mother." - Kimberly Ann Johnson

In this episode we discuss the time, energy and financial investment that goes into preparing for the birth of your baby, but generally little attention, time and investment is given to support the (re)birth of the expectant woman as a mother.

This episode is full of practical considerations ot ensure as a mom you are prepared emotionally, mentally and physically so that your emergence as a mother is nourishing and supported.

As a mother, everything changes and that includes you. It's not that the old you is dead, its that you've been reborn and your priorities are different, your body is different, your thoughts are different, how you spend your time is differenrt, your needs are different. I want you to feel emotionally, physically and spiritually supported so that when you birth your baby and metaphysically birth a new version of you; you feel grounded, supported and capable of getting whatever it is that you need.

To get access to the Post Partum Vault, join me in Sage Motherhood Mentorship

Let's talk about the pressures of society that make moms think they need to start fresh with eating, exercise, habit and self discipline goals just because it's January.

This Episode is brought to you by Sage Motherhood Mentorship

Instead of looking at the Gregorian calendar to determine where our intentions and energy go, instead let's look at the ebbs and flows reflected in the seasons, lunar cycle, menstrual cycle and childbearing year.

In this episode you'll learn how to best maximize your energy and intentions in the first, second, third and fourth trimesters. You'll also learn how to tap into similar flows if you are not pregnant and not menstruating and how to do it if you are menstruating.

More than likely, you find yourself enjoying a little more cozniness and sleep right now, it's probably NOT the time for you to jump back into the gym and eat 14 salads a week. I'll help you learn how to listen to your body for what it needs and respond to that.

Looking to get support in your first trimester? Join me in First Trimester Mamas, it's a free Facebook group and we are starting a 5 day challenge to help you boost your prenatal nutrition in very practical and achievable ways.

In your second or third trimester? Let me help support you holistically with pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and newborn care educaton. As well as 1:1 and group support to help you have an experience that is enjoyable and peaceful. Join me in Sage Motherhood Mentorship

Want to learn more about my passion for the childbearing year and my vision for moms? Listen to Episode 1 (scroll to bottom)

and Episode 12

Postpartum or Struggling with Infant Feeding? Reach out (even if you are supplementing or using formula exclusively, I can help) book at Consult now.

Finally, if you find yourself struggling or unsure if how you feel is normal, please take the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale

DHA is a crucial nutrient for pregnancy health, infant brain development, maternal mental health and reducing the risk of preterm birth.

DHA is easily obtained by consuming 2-3 servings per week of cold-water, fatty fish.

Vegan, Vegetarian and Low-seafood diets are ineffective to provide mom and baby with enough DHA for optimal fetal and maternal health.

One of the best things you can do for your pregnancy, birth and postpartum is to consume a whole foods diet; and supplement for places where your diet may not be sufficient.

When looking for a DHA supplement, make sure the company has been tested for heavy metal and PCB contaminants, that the supplement also contains EPA and look to see how much (if any) VItamin A is added to the supplment.

The DHA I take click here use code SHAREYL for 10% off your first order (50 minimum)

My other favorite prenatal supplements: click here

Join First Trimester Mamas

Have me in your pocket for pregnancy & postpartum in Sage Motherhood Mentorship

Preparing your mindset for motherhood is a POWERFUL tool, get started with my prenatal affirmations.

You're Pregnant! Now What?

In Episode 21, I've got five first-trimester tips to help set you on a path of evidence-based wholistic prenatal care.

• In this episode we talk about making peace with your emotions during pregnancy, and my favorite tool for supporting emotional well-being in motherhoood Guided Journals

• We discuss the importance or prenatal nutrition and I share my favorite multivitamin that I used in my last three pregnancies.

• I share some nuanced ideas on keeping your pregnancy a secret or sharing your pregnancy during the uncertain first trimester.

• I share why it's important to do your own research in the first trimester and find out how to get evidence based care.

• Why more pregnancy tests probably aren't going to be helpful

And I offer a special invitation to my new private facebook group for First Trimester Mamas where you can get education and emotional support during this special time – even if the general public can't know you're expecting yet.

As always, I'd love to have you grab my Prenatal Affirmations to help support a positive mindset for pregnancy, birth and beyond.

If you are looking ot have a natural in hospital birth, home birth or out of hospital birth, check out The Road Not Taken, its a masterclass designed to help you understand the state of maternity care and how to envision and achieve the birth of your dreams.

Then join me in Sage Motherhood Mentorship for prenatal coaching, childbirth education, postpartum preparation and newborn care education. Its a blend of self-paced learning & one-to-one support that begins in the second trimester and continues through the end of the fourth trimester (12 weeks postpartum)

In this episode I share 20 things I am grateful for as a Sage Mama

Episode 9 with Shannon Smith

The Road Not Taken Masterclass

Lactation Support

Infant Massage

Postpartum Planning

Sage Motherhood Mentorship

Head over to the episode page for a list of the many resources I mentioned in the episode: Episode 20

19. The Power of Kangaroo Care & Infant Massage

• History of Infant Massage
• Infant Massage Research
• Kangaroo Care
• Kangaroo Care Research
• Where to Learn Infant Massage

Cultural Traditions with Infant Massage

• Indian Massage

• African Massage

• Russian Massage

Infant Massage Benefits for Baby:

• Faster weight gain
• Improve cardiac and respiratory output
• Better sleeping patterns
• Release of hormones for food absorption and digestion
• Skin stimulation
• Improvement of muscle tone
• Enhanced neurological development •Improvement of sensory awareness
• Provide a special communication/development of non-verbal communication
• Promotes self-esteem and respect

Infant Massage Benefits for Parents:

• Parents feel more confident in their ability to read baby's cues

• The parent's ability to soothe and meet baby's needs

• A parent's healthy self-esteem as baby responds, validating their skills and role as parents

• Increase the parent's confidence to follow their intuitive sense

• The release of hormones from the mother to nurture the baby

• Enhance communication and respect

• Infant Massage as a family tradition

• Can be a time for parent and child to communicate in a relaxed and playful manner

• Special time between father and child

• Assist older siblings to welcome a new baby to the family through their participation in giving a portion of the massage with appropriate touch/pressure; learning to understand the baby's needs, and by their receiving an age appropriate massage to decrease incidence of possible jealousy

Infant Massage Benefits for Society

• These may promote, or encourage:

• Secure, healthy attached children

• May help reduce child abuse by reducing parental stress.

• May prevent sexual abuse by teaching consent and bodily autonomy

• May help to prevent IPV later in life due to secure infant attachment.

Kanagaroo Care

• Parents should be seated comfortably in a quiet, dimly lit room with some privacy.
• Position the baby, dressed in diaper on your bare chest for a minimum of 20 minutes. For warmth, you can cover the baby's shoulders and back with a blanket, as long as their chest is skin-to-skin with yours. Always be sure that any blankets are away from your baby's face.
• This bonding time can be experienced by parents of any sex. If kangaroo care is performed around feeding, place the baby with the non-breastfeeding parent after the feed.

Kangaroo Care Research

• Gene Anderson, Pioneer of Kangaroo Care Research in USA

Physiology and research provide overwhelming evidence that kangaroo mother care is not only safe but superior to the use of technology such as incubators, Depriving babies of skin-to-skin makes alternative stress pathways in the brain, which can lead to ADD, colic, sleep disorders among other things."

• KanGURU: Susan M. Ludington, PhD, CNM, FAAN is a

CNM who has tested Kangaroo Care's use as a treatment to improve cardiopulmonary stability, decrease apnea and bradycardia frequency, improve sleep, reduce agitation/irritability, reduce pain, and enhance maternal and paternal attachment/interaction with the infant, and maternal stress.

Is your baby already here? Learn Infant Massage with me!

Infant Massage Online with Stefanie Melo

Still expecting? Learn Infant Massage with me through

Sage Motherhoood Mentorship

I believe … medicine alone will never fully address and support the holistic needs of women, therefore… I encourage women to not only use prescriptions but also to address their mental and spiritual health through lifestyle and therapy

Medicine addresses our chemistry, our microbiome and can offer incredible results; however most circumstances that can indicate medication also respond quite well to a holistic approach.

For example Gestational Diabetes responds to nutrient dense foods, herbs, exercise and on some level: mindset.

And PUPPPs may respond to lifestyle changes like reducing harsh chemicals in skin care products, essential oils, masques, etc.

Utilizing herbs, plants, oils, homeopathy, nutrition, meditation, exercise, prayer, mindfulness, healthy boundaries may also produce highly impactful results. Possibly keeping open your options for a intervention-free birth.

This is part of my mentorship program, helping you understand different approaches for your holistic well-being and then you decide the path for you, but it's hard to use a natural approach if you aren't aware of it.

Let's go mama: let's let medicine have its place and let holistic care be your "north star" because that status quo isn't good enough for you.

Sage Motherhood Mentorship offers:

Pregnancy Education

Childbirth Education

Postpartum Preparation

Newborn Care

Infant Massage

1:1 Mentorship

Desiring the highest level of perinatal support?

> Book a consult to join Sage Motherhood Mentorship

Looking for birth affirmations or shifting your thoughts around pregnancy and birth?

> Get Prenatal Affirmations

Longing for a homebirth or VBAC?

> Check out The Road Not Taken

Need Lactation Support?

> Lactation Support Consultation

Looking for Postpartum Support? > Postpartum Planning Session

Struggling with newborn colic, sleep or bonding?

> Join me in Infant Massage

Tips for Postpartum Recovery with a Toddler

1. Communicate with your toddler.
2. Practice Empathy
3. Prioritize Connection with your toddler
4. Practice maximum toddler effort
5. Ask for help
6. Look into the Montessori approach to foster appropriate independence for your children.

Postpartum can be peaceful and beautiful and honestly so much fun with a toddler in tow. However, that peace comes from cultivating it and preparing yourself and your environment for a peaceful transition.

Recovery on it's own is so counter-cultural, so if you would like help with this, please book a consultation with me. We'll look at your unique circumstances so that you can cultivate a soft landing for your family's expansion.

https://stefaniemelo.com/page/postpartum-consult

This is part of what we do in Sage Motherhood Mentorship, which is my program for the childbearing year. Not only do you get prenatal education, birth preparation, postpartum planning and newborn care you also get to learn about infant and parent bonding and attachment in my infant massage course. I support you through dozens of pre-recorded classes and a one-to-one mentorship hybrid.

I'm so happy for you and your growing famiy and I'd love to support your transition learn more about Sage Motherhood Mentorship

Remember to grab my favorite resource Prenatal Affirmations to strengthen your mindset for birth and motherhood.

1. What makes lactation cookies so special 2. Who should and should not utilize lactation cookies 3. Why I generally am not a fan of lactation cookies (even though they're delish!) Book your lactation support call with me LACTATION SUPPORT I'd love to have you grab my free prenatal affirmations to support you in moving towards this birth mindset that delivers. Techniques and tools that will help you manage your anxiety and hold yourself in birth in a way that feels really good. PRENATAL AFFIRMATIONS Ready to be radically resourced during your childbearing year? Work with me in Sage Motherhood Mentorship, I'll support you to create the mindset, emotions, physical space and practical support for a year that feels sacred and transformative even if you experience anxiety. SAGE MOTHERHOOD MENTORSHIP Connect with me, this is the best place to get your consult set up. DM me on INSTAGRAM Connect on TIKTOK

1. Anxiety in Pregnancy is incredibly common.
2. Anxiety in pregnancy has been on the rise the past few years.
3. Anxiety in pregnancy makes sense when you consider how unpredictable the childbearing year is.
4. There are so many resources for coping with anxiety and managing it well.

I'd love to have you grab my free prenatal affirmations to support you in moving towards this birth mindset that delivers. Techniques and tools that will help you manage your anxiety and hold yourself in birth in a way that feels really good.

Ready to be radically resourced during your childbearing year? Work with me in Sage Motherhood Mentorship, I'll support you to create the mindset, emotions, physical space and practical support for a year that feels sacred and transformative even if you experience anxiety.

Prenatal Affirmations

Sage Motherhood Mentorship

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