The Living Store

Baby V loading. His called baby V because he will be the 5th Alvin in his lineage. Dad is the 4th so naturally we had to continue the legacy of his family name. I always thought if I had a boy he would be named something else, but we can’t always know how life will go. I’m excited to meet him. To mother another human. To get to know who he is. To nurture his strengths and love on his weaknesses. To raise a baby boy into a man. To get to know a man from birth until adulthood. I’ve been a girl mom for 10 years. She’s my child, but she’s also my friend. I know this will be different. I’m different. She’s taught me so much about what parenting takes. Most of all it takes openness and flexibility. I know he is his own person already. Boy mom advice, please send my way! Just hoping I don’t get peed on too much, although I know that’s coming! 🩵🩵🩵

Mom + Dad. Not only are we birthing a baby, we are birthing a family. And this is not an easy thing, but an exhilarating ride. As a doula, I get to see couples in their most vulnerable, intimate moments. It’s also one of their most memorable days of their lives — the birth of their baby. No one forgets this day, no matter how it goes. It either uplifts you, or traumatizes you. It sets the tone for the fragile postpartum days ahead. It deepens your relationship and responsibility to one another, as there is now a larger purpose at play. I’m looking forward to the road ahead with this guy. We’ve been on a ride together since we’ve meet, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the road takes us. Up and down, side to side, building a family is next level. It’s takes dedication, communication, integrity, honesty, and maturity. While we can never predict the future, we can set intentions to do our best. What’s your most favorite advice for new parents? I would love to hear your wisdom.

36 weeks of cooking this babe. 36 weeks of trusting my body to protect him. 36 weeks of planning for his birth at home. 36 weeks of pondering life after he leaves my body and enters the world, our lives, and our hearts. This is my 2nd term pregnancy. People often ask how different this one is from the first. I truly don’t remember how it was with Nola, as it was 10 years ago, I was 28, and living completely differently. Now I’m 38. This number doesn’t mean a thing to me, or my birth team. I’ve never been weighed in my pregnancy. I don’t know how much I weigh now. I’m just a human, growing and birthing a human. After supporting 300+ births between Nola and this baby, I know that numbers are a construct. How someone feels outweighs their capacity to bring life into the world. And that feeling starts with how you feel about yourself and your ability to do hard things. Your ability to trust yourself and your body. I trust bodies know how to birth babies if you don’t put parameters and policies around it. I trust my care provider and birth team to support me. And I trust my baby to navigate this well. Excited to meet him when he’s ready, and share our story with you all. 🤍

✨GAME CHANGER ✨This oil has been saving my life at night time. Wowwww. I’ve always had restless legs but especially now in pregnancy before bedtime, my feet can’t stop dancing. A quick dropperful of this magic on both legs and feet calm me down in seconds and allow my sleep to be dreamy all night. So grateful to have found at the expo this year and her beautiful product ✨It’s not greasy, not heavy, just right. It blends in almost immediately and doesn’t leave my sheets or skin “oily.” Ingredients: Magnesium Chloride, Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Distilled Water. Literally magic in a bottle.

My mornings consist of my daily probiotic with my first glass of water, followed by iced chai + oat milk, then 2 eggs with garlic, onion and bell pepper on toast with salsa verde. Literally this has been my routine throughout my 2nd trimester. I’ve had zero heartburn, great digestion, and energy to get through my day, support my doula clients, and navigate the heat of NYC Summertime. Thanks to for the protein + probiotic nudge, and for the incredible probiotic + 2nd trimester pack to support both me and baby. Use code THELIVINGWOMB15 for 15% off all supplements. #

https://www.livingwomb.com/events/newparentsupportcircle /new-parent-support-circle

New Parent Support Circle — The Living Womb

https://www.livingwomb.com/events/childbirth-education-plus-self-care-weekend //childbirth-education-plus-self-care-weekend

Childbirth Education + Self Care Weekend — The Living Womb Saturday 10a-2p: Childbirth Education Class, Sunday: Postpartum/Lactation Class, plus an opportunity to receive healing care from the lovely practitioners at Maha Rose, Brooklyn, NY

NEW OFFERING: CHILDBIRTH EDUCATION + SELF CARE WEEKEND at AUG 12-13 💜🧠🩵🫀🤍 This weekend workshop of Childbirth Education + Self Care aims to expand your mind, relax your body, and prepare for your birth ahead. Saturday, we'll gather for a 4-hour childbirth education session led by your host, Anna (doula/mentor/mama).

This session will help you wrap your minds around the birth experience from beginning to end, and all the possible ways it could unfold. We will explore birth physiology, pathways based upon how the labor can unfold, potential interventions and complications, and comfort techniques and tools to get you through it from the start of your labor to the birth of your baby.

On Sunday, we'll explore what happens after birth, and what the first few weeks can hold for you and your new family. We'll talk through the immediate afterbirth process, your options for baby care, healing from vaginal and cesarean births, and infant feeding methods. We'll cover what to expect with your breasts/chest as it changes after birth, and how to structure support as you make this fragile, yet beautiful transition.

After this 3-hour session, you are welcome to sign up for some much deserved body/mind treatments by the lovely practitioners of Maha Rose. You and your +1 will both have the opportunity to receive a session in a healing modality of your choice, based upon availability. Additional fees apply for healing sessions. We will arrange this with you once you have registered for the Childbirth Education Weekend. Sign up for the workshop via MR and find the link in my bio!

Being fully pregnant nearly 10 years after my first, after becoming a doula, after helping hundreds of families through this miraculous transition has been incredibly insightful. In some ways it feels like my first time again. It’s hard to remember being pregnant with Nola. I was 27. Now I’m 37. I knew nothing then. Now, I almost know too much. But the knowledge I’ve gained has made this pregnancy SO much easier, and as enjoyable as my hormones with allow me to be day by day. I understand the fears so many experience in the 1st trimester. I understand the relief and relative ease of the 2nd. It’s fun to feel him move. Bodywork has been lifesaving. I literally feel no pain, ever. My prenatals and nutritional choices help me feel whole and well. My therapist, friends, and family help my mind. My midwife is a godsend. Going through this process again is such a gift. I’m so grateful, and will keep sharing as the journey continues. 🤍🤍🤍

SO excited to partner with at their brand new healing space in Cobble Hill this Summer! Please join me for our NEW PARENT SUPPORT CIRCLE where we will build community, enjoy sharing stories and tips for parenting in NYC, and lean on one another as we traverse the space of becoming and expanding into parenthood. Deets to sign up at https://www.maharose.com/new-parent-support-circle or in the link in my bio! Can’t wait to see you there. DM me with any questions and share with your pregnant and newly postpartum friends! This will be so much fun. We begin 7/12 and will be there every Wednesday from 12-130p. Bring your bellies and babies!🤰👶💜

Absolutely loving my prenatal vitamins formulated with so much care and thought by . When I started them in my first trimester, it’s like my nausea just… went away! No wonder bc they come with ginger + B6 and extra folate to help baby grow nice and strong. In my 2nd trimester, I’m loving the extra calcium for baby and magnesium for my nerves. If you subscribe, you get a sweet deal and they send you the right formulas per trimester and into the postpartum time. If you’re not pregnant, they also have supplements for all stages of life. They have a men’s pack, too! Health for the whole fam. Highly recommended by yours truly.