FTS Postpartum Doula, Parenthood
Kari Haravitch
Newborn and Postpartum Prep Workshop - Think ...

Your baby gear comes with instructions, why doesn’t your baby?

My Newborn and Postpartum Prep Workshop is the missing link! During this workshop, we’ll talk through preparing for baby, practice several tasks and functions you’ll perform as a parent of a newborn, and we’ll set up and try out your baby gear. This workshop is completely customizable for you and your family to best help you prepare for your unique bundle of joy.

Sure, the hospital offers something similar, but this is more convenient for families and a better experience, which is the best way for adults to learn anyways!

This makes a great baby shower gift or a great gift from family members living afar.

We can conduct the Workshop at anytime (even after baby’s arrival) but the ideal timeline for the Workshop is after your baby shower(s) and before baby’s birth.

Happy reading and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Newborn and Postpartum Prep Workshop - Think Outside the Hospital
Motherhood, Personal Stories
Kari Haravitch
Better Care After an Ankle Sprain than After ...

Have you ever taken the time to think about care after childbirth and compared it to care you’ve seen or received after any other injury? Trust me, I know there is nothing like childbirth, but in this article I’m going to attempt to compare my ankle sprain to childbirth. Specifically, I’m going to attempt to compare the recovery and rehab process of the two. Though really, there’s no comparing. 

I wont propose a solution to the issue, just seeking to draw attention to the lack of standardized care for postpartum people. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one…❤️

Better Care After an Ankle Sprain than After Childbirth?
Multiple Children
Kari Haravitch
Juggling Big Siblings and Newborn Feedings

Juggling newborn feedings and big sibling needs is tough. There’s no denying that. This blog article is geared to help with this exact situation - feeding your newborn while still tending to your older child(ren). This article, written by a postpartum doula, has several tried and true tips and suggestions for things to do prior to feeding as well as things to do during a feeding. Take a read and share with a friend who may be experiencing concerns about this exact scenario! Happy reading.

Juggling Big Siblings and Newborn Feedings
Military Life
Kari Haravitch
Anatomy of a Military Child - One Year Older

April is the Month of the Military Child. I wrote this article last year but gave it a few tweaks and updates and am republishing it for 2019. Same information still applies, but I’m one year more experienced along my military spouse/life journey and wanted to add a few more details to the description of the anatomy of these wild creatures disbursed amongst us. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing (and updating) it. Stay blessed!

Anatomy of a Military Child - One Year Older
Military Life
Kari Haravitch
What You Need to Know About TRICARE's Banked ...

TRICARE families, have you heard the great news? TRICARE now includes Banked Donor Breastmilk as one of their covered benefits for all beneficiaries! The details can get a little complicated, but here on the From The Start, Postpartum Doula blog, I’ll do my best to clarify. Take a look at this article for more information and what you need to know about the new benefit and how to use it.

What You Need to Know About TRICARE's Banked Donor Milk Policy

newborn

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Newborn and Postpartum Prep Workshop - Think Outside the Hospital

,
Newborn and Postpartum Prep Workshop - Think Outside the Hospital

Your baby gear comes with instructions, why doesn’t your baby?

My Newborn and Postpartum Prep Workshop is the missing link! During this workshop, we’ll talk through preparing for baby, practice several tasks and functions you’ll perform as a parent of a newborn, and we’ll set up and try out your baby gear. This workshop is completely customizable for you and your family to best help you prepare for your unique bundle of joy.

Sure, the hospital offers something similar, but this is more convenient for families and a better experience, which is the best way for adults to learn anyways!

This makes a great baby shower gift or a great gift from family members living afar.

We can conduct the Workshop at anytime (even after baby’s arrival) but the ideal timeline for the Workshop is after your baby shower(s) and before baby’s birth.

Happy reading and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

,

Better Care After an Ankle Sprain than After Childbirth?

,
Better Care After an Ankle Sprain than After Childbirth?

Have you ever taken the time to think about care after childbirth and compared it to care you’ve seen or received after any other injury? Trust me, I know there is nothing like childbirth, but in this article I’m going to attempt to compare my ankle sprain to childbirth. Specifically, I’m going to attempt to compare the recovery and rehab process of the two. Though really, there’s no comparing. 

I wont propose a solution to the issue, just seeking to draw attention to the lack of standardized care for postpartum people. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one…❤️

Juggling Big Siblings and Newborn Feedings

Juggling Big Siblings and Newborn Feedings

Juggling newborn feedings and big sibling needs is tough. There’s no denying that. This blog article is geared to help with this exact situation - feeding your newborn while still tending to your older child(ren). This article, written by a postpartum doula, has several tried and true tips and suggestions for things to do prior to feeding as well as things to do during a feeding. Take a read and share with a friend who may be experiencing concerns about this exact scenario! Happy reading.

Lessons Learned from Overnight Postpartum Doula Support

Lessons Learned from Overnight Postpartum Doula Support

You’e heard about overnight support for families with new babies. Maybe you saw a Facebook post from a friend. Maybe you’re curious about what nights will be like when you have a newborn. Whatever the case may be, I’m glad you’re here and seeing this article. I wrote this article for two reasons: as a journal for myself and a way to mindfully think about and share my lessons learned from my most recent overnight support, and I wrote this as one example of how an overnight postpartum doula visit might go. I’d love your comments and your questions! Glad you’re here. Enjoy.

10+ Thoughtful Gift Cards For Families With Newborns

10+ Thoughtful Gift Cards For Families With Newborns

Think outside the registry and give a gift card! There are some really great products and services available nowadays for families with newborns. But, the big-box baby registries still have families registering for things they really don’t need. Here’s your chance to give an even better gift than a newborn-size onsie…a thoughtful gift card that the family will actually use! Take a look at this Top 10 list (but really, there are more than 10 ideas here!). Enjoy!

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Love At First Sight - Meeting My Firstborn's Father

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Love At First Sight - Meeting My Firstborn's Father

Do you believe in love at first sight? Think about that as it relates to your children, especially your newborns, and you might have a different answer. But, you can also apply this question to another important person in your family. Check out today’s article on a pretty personal story for me and my family and learn how I became a believer in love at first sight. Happy Father’s Day!

The Emotions Of Motherhood

The Emotions Of Motherhood

Nothing can really prepare you for the emotions of motherhood quite like, well, motherhood. We can train, prepare, practice, research, and plan for many other aspects of bringing a child into our lives, but we cannot truly rehearse for the emotions until we experience it. In this article, we’ll talk through some of these emotions and help normalize the emotions we experience as mothers. I hope this article brings you Joy…

Groundhog Day and Motherhood

Groundhog Day and Motherhood

Groundhog Day and Motherhood - the cliche from the 1993 movie and mothering young children can often be summarized the exact same way - same stuff/$#!+/crap/thing, different day. But in mothering that might actually be a good thing...until it's not! In this article we'll talk about the good and the bad of routines. Plus, at the end of the article, you'll see comments from over 50 mothers on their self-care tips for breaking that Groundhog Day feeling that often emerges during motherhood. Happy reading! 

supporting families throughout Northern Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland