Carrie Murphy

Birth plans—part wish list, part strategy guide, and 100% worth your time. A birth plan is a written guide to your wishes and preferences during labor, birth and even the first few days after your baby is born. Giving birth is unpredictable, no matter how educated you are and how much you’ve prepared. That doesn’t mean you should throw up your hands and go with the flow. You are entitled to be informed and centered throughout the birth process.

You only get to give birth to your baby once, so...

A high chair isn’t just another piece of baby gear—it’s an important part of your baby’s first experiences with food and family mealtimes. The best high chair will be functional, adaptable, and a source of happy memories.
As a doula with over a decade of experience and a mom of two, I’m all about simple, functional baby gear that blends seamlessly into family life. When I chose a high chair for my first chil...

Key takeaways
The use of gabapentin is generally considered safe for both breastfeeding parents and their infants.
For both parents and babies, the main risk of gabapentin while breastfeeding is sedation. This is a greater risk for premature or medically fragile infants.
Speak to your healthcare provider to make sure gabapentin is the right medication for you as a nursing parent.
Check with your healthcare provider about breastfeeding and gabapentin if you are taking other prescription medica...

You probably know that eating a lot of processed food—especially food classified as ultra-processed— isn’t the best choice for your health. These foods are related to inflammation1 and oxidative stress in the body,2 and are linked to obesity, cardio-metabolic disorders, cancer, type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, depression,3 and accelerated biological aging.4 The science is clear—what you eat impacts your health and well-being.
When you’re eating The Paleo Die...

As a doula, it’s my job to help people find what’s right for them throughout their experience of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. That often includes helping sort through the many thousands of products marketed to pregnant women and new parents. For example, do you really need a sheet mask for your belly? A wipe warmer? A Bluetoo...

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...