Recent Articles
'Tis the Season to Be Mindful: Supporting Employee Mental Health Through the Holidays
The holiday season can be a joyful time, but it also brings unique challenges like stress, anxiety, and loneliness for many employees. Discover practical strategies HR professionals can use to support mental health in the workplace, from promoting flexibility to fostering connection and leveraging digital tools.
How to Prevent Tearing During Childbirth: Expert Tips and Real Stories from Moms
Childbirth can bring challenges like perineal tearing or ripping, but there are proven ways to reduce the risk. Techniques such as perineal massage, warm compresses, pelvic floor exercises, and mindful pushing can prepare your body for a smoother delivery. Discover expert-backed tips and inspiring mom stories to help you feel empowered and ready for childbirth.
Surviving the Holidays with a Newborn: 10 Tips for New Parents
Navigating the holidays with a newborn can be overwhelming, from endless visitors to unsolicited advice. This guide offers practical tips to tackle the top 10 challenges new parents face during the festive season, helping you create joyful memories while protecting your sanity.
The Ultimate Black Friday “Wish-List” For Expecting and New Moms.
Navigating the world of baby products can be overwhelming for new and expecting parents. That's why the experienced therapists and consultants at Leva have curated this Black Friday wish list, filled with tried-and-true items to support you and your little one. From soothing sleep solutions and efficient feeding essentials to developmental toys and postpartum recovery must-haves, this list offers everything you need to embrace parenthood with confidence and joy. Take advantage of Black Friday deals and invest in products that prioritize your baby's well-being and make your journey as a parent smoother and more enjoyable.
From Baby Brain to Boardroom Badass: Rekindling Your Work Mojo After Baby
Let's be honest, the transition back to work after having a baby can feel utterly overwhelming. It's completely normal to experience a dip in motivation, fueled by a mix of exhaustion, hormonal changes, and the emotional (and physical) weight of juggling it all.
Own Your Success: Ditching Self-Sabotage for Working Women
The empowering truth is: We are enough. We don’t need to have it all. That’s not even possible. We need to simply acknowledge and believe that we are deserving of success and happiness in our professional and personal lives.
Overcoming Overwhelm
Recently, I found myself in San Antonio due to a family emergency. One practice that has been incredibly helpful during this time is a meditation technique called SEE: Separate, Embrace, Evaluate. I'd like to share this with you, hoping it might bring you some comfort and clarity as it has for me.
Prioritizing Your Relationship When Your Baby Takes Center Stage
The arrival of a new baby brings joy, but it can also bring unexpected challenges to your relationship. Partners often feel neglected or demoted from their role as the number one priority, and there never seems to be enough time to do everything. Although your relationship may look different, there are ways you can navigate these difficulties and strengthen your bond.
When Joy is Overshadowed: Understanding Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression is a formidable opponent, but with the right support and resources, it is one that you can overcome. By acknowledging your feelings, seeking help, and embracing the support of loved ones, you can start to reclaim the joy that belongs to you and your journey through motherhood.
A New Way to Navigate the Contradictions of New Motherhood
Motherhood is full of unknowns. It's a constant juggle, from figuring out feeding and sleep schedules to balancing family and work life. Dialectical thinking allows us to explore these uncertainties with a more open and adaptable mindset. It's about understanding that sometimes there's no single 'right' answer, and that's perfectly fine.
Weight Loss And Exercise While Breastfeeding
Weight loss after birth is a concern for many mothers who want to quickly get back to their pre-pregnancy body. Much of this concern comes from societal expectations for new moms to “bounce back” and personal concerns about getting back to “normal”. But remember - you just birthed a new life!
The Psychology of Self-Motivation: Breaking Through Mental Blocks
Discover the psychology behind self-motivation. Learn to identify and break through mental blocks and overcome emotional barriers to achieve your goals. Join us as we explore powerful questions and visualization techniques to unlock your inner drive and take empowered action.
Back To Work After Maternity Leave: Pumping Tips
Our Pumping and Feeding Guide For Returning To Work After Maternity Leave, helps moms who are breastfeeding continue to provide for their babies with a guide that includes discussions with employers, creating pumping schedules, and staying hydrated. The Leva Platform for New Mothers offers additional resources and support.
Taking A Shower Used To Be simple: How the new norms of motherhood mean self-care looks different.
Showering does more than cleanse the body, it’s a key to your overall well-being. The importance is not up for debate and yet it is often something that gets pushed aside and is often a topic of concern for new moms. It represents a broader challenge of finding time and energy for personal needs once becoming a mother.
Bonding Takes Time: Understanding A Feeling of Disconnection in Pregnancy
The uncertainty of what lies ahead is a significant factor for first-time mothers. The human brain is wired to generate a certain feeling of tension and even some nervousness when facing that is unknown to us, and pregnancy epitomizes a profound leap into new experiences. It’s natural for this uncertainty to affect the bonding process as you’re preparing for a life-changing event without a clear roadmap.
Breastfeeding Without Lactation
What a powerful experience for these two moms to get the bonding moments of both breastfeeding their baby even though neither one of their bodies were making milk. To them, it was their ideal feeding plan and it brought them so much joy. This story teaches us that roadblocks as major as breasts that aren't lactating don't have to stop you from having the feeding experience that means the most to you.
Healing Through Baby Blues: Although common, the emotional toll can't be ignored.
It's completely normal to feel the baby blues after giving birth. In fact, Johns Hopkins University reports that about 85% of new moms go through this emotional rollercoaster. It's easy to brush these feelings aside as just part of the journey, thinking they don't really need attention or support. But here's the thing: even the so-called "normal" baby blues can significantly affect those precious early weeks with your newborn.
When to see the doctor for fever?
Fever generally refers to a temperature of 38oC (100.4oF) or greater. It is not a disease in itself, but an adaptive response which indicates that the body is reacting to something. It is no surprise that fever is a cause of concern for most parents as fever usually indicates infection especially in newborns and infants.
What Is Phototherapy?
Yellowing of the skin, or jaundice, can be a normal occurrence for a newborn. If this happens to your baby, should you worry? You might ask, must you immediately bring your child to the doctor? What can you do if this happens to your baby?
Caloric Needs for Successful Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is a wonderful and natural way to nourish and bond with your newborn baby. As a breastfeeding mother, it is important to understand that your body requires additional calories to produce an adequate milk supply and maintain your own health. Proper nutrition and meeting your caloric needs are vital for the successful breastfeeding journey.