Where to Find That Holiday Glow

No matter what you celebrate this time of year, bringing light into the darkest days is a theme in many religions and winter routines. There is a special feeling that accompanies the sparkle of a string of lights or a flicker of a candle. Here we share some of the upcoming events in our communities to celebrate this winter tradition.

LL Bean Northern Lights

November 18-December 31 

LL Bean is changing things up this year. They are creating a Discovery Forest surrounding a geodesic dome featuring the aurora borealis, instead of their usual musical Christmas tree. The lighting and kick off celebration starts tomorrow (November 18th) at 6:45. The fun doesn’t end there, as Bean continues the holiday happenings with a model train village daily, and horse drawn wagon rides, reindeer barn (real reindeer!) and visits with Santa on the weekends. The events will wrap up on new year’s eve with their annual kiddo fireworks display. Check out their hashtag #llbeanmoment to share the fun!

Once you've enjoyed the epic holiday cheer at LL Bean, there are plenty of other wonderful TREE LIGHTING EVENTS around the state:

Christmas in Rockland

November 25-27th

These festivities kick off when Santa arrives by Coast Guard escort! He’ll help light the tree after a busy afternoon. The following day there are events all around town leading up to the Festival of Lights parade. The weekend wraps up with a breakfast with Santa on the 27th. A full family weekend!

Lighting of the Nubble Lighthouse, York

November 26th 4:30-7p  

What is more Maine than celebrating the holidays at a historic lighthouse? Cocoa, carolers and a visit from Santa round out this lighthouse lighting celebration!

Also in York on December 3rd at 4:30 is their Festival of Lights parade. 

Christmas in Kennebunk

November 26th 5-9  

Santa lights the tree while carolers sing! Opportunities to skate with Santa.

Tree Lighting and Fireworks Downtown Kennebunk

December 9th 5:30

Tree lighting and fireworks display at Dock's Square to kick off the holiday season in downtown Kennebunk. 

Holiday Fest 2016 at Millcreek, South Portland

December 2nd 4:30-7pm 

Horse drawn carriage rides, a visit with Santa and a tree lighting!

Old Fashioned Christmas, Bath

November 26th-December 31st 

The lighting of the tree starts the festivities, but this town celebrates in such a way that you’ll be transported back to simpler times. One highlight is their red letter box, where children can post letters to Old Saint Nick.

Night Tree Event at Wolfe’s Neck Farm, Freeport

December 3rd 9a-2p 

Get your tickets early for this family favorite! Admittedly, there’s no tree lighting here, but this sweet gathering follows the story of a family who feeds the forest animals by making special tree decorations. Each hour, beginning at 9am, the story is shared, then children can decorate a pinecone to bring into the forest on a short hike. A darling tradition to start with your young ones!

Light the Farm at Pineland, Gray

December 3rd 2-4:30p 

Face painting, candle making, walking the winter spiral will all precede the annual lighting of Pineland Farm!

Gardens Aglow at the Coastal Botanical Gardens, Boothbay

November 18th-December 31st 

A magnificent vision to behold as hundreds of thousands of holiday lights are strung amidst the beautiful gardens. Enjoy the sights as well as special food and drink at the cafe.

Festival of Lights Parade and Tree Lighting, Bangor

December 3rd 4:30p

This parade is sure to beam through the city, with over 70 entries set to dazzle with the theme "Holidays Around the World". At the end of the parade, the city will have its annual tree lighting.

Does your town have an annual holiday light display? We'd love to hear about it! Share in the comments.

Holiday Traveling With Baby

The holidays are finally here

That means plenty of family gatherings to bring you back and forth across county and state lines this season, with your new baby in tow. 

Holiday travel is challenging enough as one adult, a whole family including a new baby isn't for the faint of heart. Traveling with your baby can become stressful pretty quick, making your journey over the river and through the woods to grandma's house an adventure you're dreading. 

A little extra preparation goes a long way when it comes to traveling with baby. 

Packing 

Packing a complete diaper bag might be the most stressful part of holiday traveling. Instead of overthinking your baby supplies, consider what will be available at your destination that you probably don't need to pack. You should bring at least two outfits for baby per day and plenty of diapers, wipes, bottles and extra pacifiers. Keeping a separate bag next to you in the car will keep certain items easily accessible like a diaper, wipes, hand sanitizer and water. 

Keep your bag organized so you aren't left rummaging through a cluttered diaper bag one handed. Packing your baby outfits in separate baggies will keep them clean in case something spills inside the bag and keeps tiny socks and accessories from getting lost. 

Long Car Rides

Car rides are boring for everyone, including your baby. Pack toys or distractions for baby to stay occupies that aren't too big or soft that could create a suffocation risk. Take turns spending some time in the back seat with baby keeping them company. Bring some stories to read to your baby on long car rides and keep your emergency bag nearby for any unexpected messes. If you can, travel during times your baby is normally sleepy to keep them from waking up cranky when you finally arrive at your destination. Before the big departure, make sure your baby's window is equipped with a sun shade and your car seat is installed correctly. Babies should be in rear-facing car seats until about age two, which definitely makes it easier to tend to them while you're in the back seat and they're buckled in. 

Airports

Navigating an airport with your baby might be an expert level parenting exercise, whether you're ready or not. TSA has a way of making air travel a little more complicated, however they do have some accommodations that will make checkpoints with baby a little easier on parents. That being said, plan to incorporate some extra time into your schedule for TSA checks, because your baby items must be meticulously inspected by security. Keep your baby's carry on organized, nothing in the basket under your stroller, and your baby dressed in easy to remove footwear. Freezing baby food puree flat in little labeled baggies can also double as ice packs in your diaper bag. Make sure your little one has their pacifier, bottle or nursing during takeoff because little ones are more sensitive to changes in cabin pressure. 

Traveling with your baby is nothing to panic about. 

Don't rush, take your time, and roll with the punches. 

Don't sweat the small stuff, the more upset you get the more fussy your baby will be throughout your holiday experience. 

Nitrous Oxide for Labor Pain

When it comes to pain and discomfort during labor, each woman manages pain differently with a wide range of comfort measures and treatments.

One such treatment is the use of Nitrous Oxide to alleviate discomfort during labor. 

Nitrous Oxide use has gathered controversy as more women advocate for drug-free alternatives for comforting labor pains. 

As your due date approaches, our team encourages you and your partner to research different pain management techniques to find what is a right fit for you. 

Like any medical intervention for pain management, Nitrous Oxide has it's share of pros and cons. Nitrous is considered overall a safe way for mothers in labor to manage their discomfort. In high doses, Nitrous Oxide is a fairly weak anesthetic and it is more effective when administered in minimal amounts to the patient. 

Nitrous Oxide is a unique helping hand in the delivery room, offering both an analgesic (pain reliever) and an anxiolytic (anxiety relief). 

Benefits of Nitrous Oxide During Labor

Nitrous Oxide use does not physically injure the mother, fetus or neonate and does not pose harmful health hazards for care givers. This inhaled treatment does not affect the progression of labor and is safe and painless to administer.

Nitrous doesn't affect the levels of oxytocin, therefore does not affect infant alertness, mother and baby bonding or successful breastfeeding. This pain relief does not completely remove the mother from the awareness of labor pain and discomfort, however many women report an easier labor transition and managing their own discomfort. 

Nitrous Oxide is self administered, putting a mother in control of her pain management. It takes between five and ten minutes for the effects of the Nitrous Oxide to minimize, giving mom the opportunity to switch to a different pain relief if necessary.

Risks of Nitrous Oxide During Labor

While safety standards are in place to monitor the levels of Nitrous Oxide, excessive doses may cause symptoms like dizziness, vomiting, and nausea. Health care personnel working with Nitrous Oxide on a regular basis without proper handling procedures in place could begin to notice disruptions in their reproductive health. 

These risks however are in majority associated with recreational Nitrous users that abuse the substance. The percentage of Nitrous Oxide available as a labor pain treatment has too low of a percentage to notice any adverse effects, making this option safe and recommended by birth professionals. 

When it comes to pain management during labor, a mother should feel confident they are receiving the pain relief that they feel completely comfortable using. 

During your pregnancy, visit your hospital or birthing center and ask questions about your options for pain relief and educate yourself on side effects, benefits and risks associated with each. Making an educated decision for your birth will empower you to proceed to your due date confidently. 

Many hospitals in Maine, New Hampshire and MA are utilizing Nitrous Oxide including Maine General, Midcoast, Wentworth Douglas, York and now Maine Medical Center.

Your labor doula is there to ensure your birth plan is carried out according to your family's individual wishes and she is there to answer any questions you have along the way. 

Your birth. Your pain management. Unbiased support.

A Week of No School With a Baby and Toddler

Having a toddler and a new baby at the same time has a laundry list of challenges. 

Several hours of school during the day keeps your toddler occupied and lets you manage housework and baby care without being completely overwhelmed.

Until school is closed over an extended holiday break. 

Cue dramatic and ominous music. 

Getting used to the school routine, it is a terrifying thought that you'll have to entertain a toddler with cabin fever while trying to balance everything else on your plate. 

It's bittersweet because you miss your tiny tot all day while they're at school, but it's so stressful to find the balance to get everything done on your own and still feel sane at the end of the day. 

Don't panic, it'll be okay.

Your postpartum doula is a big help while your little one is home on a holiday break. She can take over newborn care throughout the day while you give your toddler a little more attention. She can help take care of them too, fixing snacks and reading them a story while mom and baby are taking a much needed nap. 

Get a bag of tricks together. 

Have a survival kit ready for the big holiday vacation. Fill a tote with plenty of "rainy day" activities like puzzles, coloring books, and crafts. For your own sanity, keep the crafts mess-free wherever possible. Use the tote as a reward for good behavior if your little one is getting particularly fussy during their vacation. 

Keep them on schedule wherever possible. 

Kids love predictability, believe it or not. Wake them up at the time they usually get up for school and keep their day on schedule to avoid shocking their systems with a few days of freedom. If you aren't sure what the class schedule looks like during the week, ask the teacher! Give your toddler snacks, story time, and naps at a predictable time during the day. This will be a huge weight off your shoulders and your toddler will have an easier time transitioning into their week long break. 

Call in reinforcements!

Your household isn't likely the only one in your family to be home from school, chances are you have some relatives feeling cooped up in the house for the week. Call up some relatives to spend the night and help you keep your toddler entertained while you get a little extra help with your baby care. A trip to grandmas can even be a fun trip for your little one while you get the opportunity to straighten up the house for your holiday get together. 

Head into the vacation break with confidence!

You got this. 

Armed with some helping hands, some activities and a strategy will take the stress out of your toddler's holiday break. 

Benefits of In Home Placenta Encapsulation

The popularity of placenta encapsulation is a growing postpartum trend in Western culture and the bar is being raised.

Cultural Significance and Benefits

Consuming your placenta? It sounds intimidating or bizarre, however consuming placenta has been practiced in many cultures across the world for a long list of health benefits during a mother’s postpartum recovery.

While the physical consumption of placenta has a long history, modern practices have streamlined and perfected the process making it a safer experience. Placenta encapsulation is the breakdown of a placenta into a supplement capsule and ingested throughout the postpartum period to assist in postpartum recovery.

Improved emotional and physical health including hormone balance, improved lactation, and bonding with baby are just some of the many pros to consuming your placenta. Ingesting placenta can even encourage a postpartum mother's uterus to shrink down to it's original size. 

Placenta Encapsulation and Postpartum Depression

Trustworthy placenta encapsulation specialists are regularly certified in the safe handling and processing of the placenta organ and can communicate health benefits while the encapsulation is taking place.

Because the placenta is such an amazing powerhouse of hormones, consuming placenta improves mood with the production of oxytocin in a mother’s body. This improves the way mom and baby are able to bond and keeps postpartum blues, anxiety and depression at bay with this “happy chemical.” Women report feeling overall more calm, relaxed and able to manage postpartum milestones like weaning without the emotional rollercoaster that often accompanies these developmental stages.  

Training

In ProDoula certification training, specialists raise the standard to exclusively processing capsules in the homes of clients.

Does every placenta prep organization work out of clients’ homes?

Unfortunately in home encapsulation isn’t everyone’s standard and this poses serious health risks and concerns for the families receiving this service. Many encapsulators use resources at their own homes and the storage of their client's placenta is in their residential refrigerator. 

Why in home encapsulation?

The process of a human placenta is a sensitive project that requires an expertly sterilized environment and an education in blood borne pathogens. 

When you have your placenta processed in your own home, you are in control of the cleanliness of the space and the storage of your placenta from start to finish. Clients can watch their specialist as they go step by step through the process and answer any questions they may have along the way. In-home PPS removes any dangers of cut corners and unsafe handling. 

Our Team of Placenta Specialists

Maine Doulas are setting out to change the way our culture perceives placenta encapsulation and raise awareness and focus to the safe handling and procedure of placenta in the homes of our postpartum clients. 

Placenta should be held to the same standard as meat products and handlers should be holding each client's experience to an impeccably high standard. When you are working with our professional PPS team, you can lead into your encapsulation feeling confident that you are gaining some of the most powerful postpartum recovery supplements for new moms trying to recover after they bring home baby.