Carrie Murphy

The luteal phase is the phase of the menstrual cycle that happens after ovulation. This phase is the unsung hero of your menstrual cycle, prepping your body for pregnancy or your next period.
It’s marked by a rise in progesterone, the hormone that supports a healthy cycle and that influences everything from your mood to your energy levels. The luteal phase can last anywhere from 10-17 days, although 12-14 days is most common.
Learn more about the luteal phase, includ...

Congratulations! You’ve made it six weeks (or longer!) since your little one was born. Postpartum can be an intense time, but the good news is your recovery is well underway. You may or may not feel 100 percent back to "normal," but the six-week mark is a big milestone in your recovery.

What if every Black parent in Louisiana had the support they needed for a healthy, happy pregnancy and childbirth? For one organization, that’s not just a rhetorical question—it’s the goal they’re working towards with a new reproductive health mutual aid fund.
Birthmark is a worker-owned birth justice collective that’s been providing doula care, lactation support, and advocacy work for more than a decade in New Orleans. While...

Key takeaways
The effect of lisinopril on breastfed babies or milk supply is unknown.
There are currently no studies on the safety of lisinopril while lactating.
Lisinopril may still be an appropriate medication for you to take if you are breastfeeding, but another ACE inhibitor may be a better choice.
Speak to your healthcare provider to help determine whether lisinopril is the right medication for you as a nursing parent.
In this article:
Lisinopril nursing considerations
How long to wait
S...

EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, has been steadily growing in popularity, with both practitioners and patients touting this therapy’s efficacy to help people heal from anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. (1) Along with its mental health benefits, EMDR can have a surprising effect on your sleep — particularly your dreams.
EMDR helps...

Cesareans account for almost one-third of U.S. births. Yet they are still an often misunderstood way to give birth—hidden behind the door of the operating room, an experience from which parents can emerge bewildered and profoundly unsupported. Invisible, in a sense.
From that idea comes a new book out today by Rachel Somerstein investigating surgical birth: Invisible Labor: The Untold Story of the Cesarean Section.
Somerstein, a journalist and professor at State University of New York at New ...

What is a Doula?
If you’re contemplating having a baby, you’ve heard about doulas. Maybe you have a vague idea of what they do, and you’re vaguely aware that a doula is like a birth coach (which is accurate!). But they are so much more! Doulas are trained non-medical professionals who support people through all kinds of reproductive experiences, from fertility to postpartum.
Doulas are companions and space-holders with vast experience in helping others navigate essential transitions. While no...

As a doula for over a decade, I’m all about products and services that make life easier or more special for pregnant people. Pregnancy can be an intense time of life and expectant parents need a lot of support. And if that support comes in the form of useful products, so be it.
I’m currently pregnant with my second child and on the hunt for things to enha...

Have you ever headed out on an amazing trip, ready for fun and relaxation—just to be confronted with an itchy, painful outbreak of genital herpes? Yeah, us too. Whether it’s a beach trip, a weekend at a cozy cabin, or an epic European adventure, dealing with an outbreak of herpes on vacation is the opposite of fun.
Experiencing a herpes outbreak when you’re on vacation isn’t uncommon. This is because your body is under more stress in general (yes, even though the vacation is meant to be relax...

It doesn’t take a scientist to figure out that living with genital herpes is stressful. From managing outbreaks to figuring out when and how to disclose your status, it’s well, a lot. And if you’ve ever noticed that you experience outbreaks even more when you’re worried, anxious, or under pressure, it’s not in your head. There is a real, evidence-based relationship between stress and outbreaks.
You’ve likely observed that you get an outbreak when you’re feeling stressed out, like during a tou...

Herpes (HSV-1 and HSV-2) is kind of a mysterious virus. For some, the virus remains dormant and they never get an outbreak, others get one or two over the course of a lifetime, and others get an outbreak every full moon. If you’re in the last category, you’d probably do anything to help limit and treat those pesky, itchy, symptoms, which always seem to pop up at the most inopportune times. That’s where we come in!
At FemiClear, helping you live your healthiest life with herpes is our goal—and...

Levee Baking Co.’s galette de reine is made with puff pastry, filled with almond custard, and topped with a ceramic moon.
In New Orleans, king cake is well, king. From King’s Day (the feast of the Epiphany on January 6) to Fat Tuesday (this year on March 1), the ring-shaped brioche-style cakes covered in frosting and yellow, green, and purple sugar rule the city. Every baker has their own version. Every citizen has their favorite variety. You can find king cakes on t-shirts, leggings, door ha...

Here at Expectful, our main goal is to make your experience of conception, pregnancy, and early motherhood easier and calmer. We want to help you develop the tools to deal with the unexpected when you’re expecting (and before and after). But we also don’t want to waste your time – it’s precious, just as the life you’re building. So, the reason we do what we do – all the guided meditations, courses, live events, and other resources – they’re not just about “getting zen.” It’s more than that: m...

It’s no secret that mom’s sleep deprivation is a real thing when you have a newborn. And while you may think you’re prepared to be on #teamnosleep, the reality is that caring for a baby at all hours of the day and night is pretty tricky for most new parents.
And sometimes… really, really exhausting.
Expectful advisor Julie Connelly, a pediatric sleep consultant, explains that a key way to cope with the lack of sleep is to understand that yes, it’s really normal for your baby to need you that ...