Articles
Birthing and Delivery
Information about preparing for the big day!
Important Message from Park Slope Parents (PSP): Just a reminder, PSP member posts are not checked for accuracy. The content is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. www.parkslopeparents.com is not intended to, and does not, provide medical advice diagnosis or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice, or delay in seeking it, because of something you have read on the PSP groups or on the www.parkslopeparents.com website.
Wisdom from our 2020–21 Birthing Experience Survey
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- Parent Category: Newsflashes
- Category: Newsflash, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Birthing and Delivery
The results are in from our 2020–21 Birthing Experience Survey! More than 250 Park Slope Parents members shared their honest reviews of OB GYNS, midwives, doulas, hospitals, and other support folks throughout Brooklyn and beyond, and they also passed along sage advice on pregnancy, birthing, and the post-partum period.
For member reviews and recommendations, view our Ob-Gyns, Birthing, Fertility and Post-Partum category; and for wisdom, read on!
Birth and Beyond: Wisdom from Our 2020 New Parents
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- Parent Category: Newsflashes
- Category: Newsflash, Birthing and Delivery, Pregnancy and Childbirth
Park Slope Parents ran two Zoom sessions for expectant parents, which included new parents who had their babies in July, August, September, and October of 2020. We had someone join with a four-day-old! Here’s a summary of some of the great advice they imparted to our expectant parents from the Park Slope Parents November 2020, December 2020, January 2021, and February 2021 groups! Takeaways will also be included in the great document The PSP Birthing and Beyond Toolkit, which has a list of must-haves, best practices, things to think through around COVID, and so much more.
If you’re not yet part of the Park Slope Parents community, join us HERE.
Things to do BEFORE giving Birth
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- Parent Category: Top 10 Pages
- Category: Top 10 Pages 1, Birthing and Delivery, Pregnancy and Childbirth
The top 10 things to do before giving birth.
Things to do AFTER the baby is born
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- Parent Category: Top 10 Pages
- Category: Top 10 Pages 1, Birthing and Delivery, Pregnancy and Childbirth
16 Things to do AFTER the baby is born
To Doula or Not To Doula During Childbirth
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- Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth, Birthing and Delivery
An extra set of caring hands or too many cooks? PSP members share their advice about hiring a doula.
Pre-birth Advice from PSP Members
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- Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth, Birthing and Delivery
How do you prepare for birth? PSP parents share their real life experiences and perspective on getting ready for giving birth.
Life After Birth: PSP Members share their Post-birth Advice
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- Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth, Birthing and Delivery
What happens after birth? PSP parents share their real life experiences and perspective about life after birth.
Birth and Beyond Stories: January 2021
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- Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth, Birthing and Delivery
Park Slope Parents held a meet-up headlined by a few awesome members who volunteered to share their experiences birthing in NYC during the last few months. Find the key takeaways for expectant parents below!
Also check out the PSP Birthing and Beyond Toolkit, featuring more than 50 pages of information, from full lists of things to bring to the hospital to questions to ask before you go!
The Park Slope Parents Birthing and Beyond Toolkit
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- Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth, Birthing and Delivery
Birthing in NYC (or beyond) in the coming months and need some guidance on what's in store? Look no further than the Park Slope Parents Birthing and Beyond Toolkit.
Since March 2020, we've been compiling guidance from Park Slope Parents members who have delivered during the pandemic, including details on safety protocols, virtual doulas, and more. But that's not all: The Birthing and Beyond Toolkit is your one-stop shop for everything pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum, with more than 70 pages of wisdom on everything from preparing for your BEST birth, caring from your mental health as an expectant parent, and hospital logistics to activities to do with baby, healing your body after birth, and managing the transition into motherhood.
No matter where you are in your journey as an expectant or new parent, the Birthing and Beyond Toolkit can help your days run a little more smoothly, lift a little stress off your shoulders, and make you feel a little more connected to the community of strong, capable warrior parents going through the same things as you are.
Check out the Birthing and Beyond Toolkit HERE!
This is a living document, and we're consistently updating the Toolkit to reflect both the latest guidance on the pandemic and the latest advice fom our members. If you've got something to add or a topic you'd like us to cover, leave a comment on the document or email us at .
Last but not least, if you're a parent in Brooklyn who's not yet a member of Park Slope Parents, join us HERE to get access to our powerful, passionate, and caring community of more than 6,500 parents. We can't wait to have you!
Birth and Beyond: Wisdom from our 2021 New Parents
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- Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth, Birthing and Delivery
Huge thanks to our new parents who volunteered to headline a recent meet-up with expectant folks and share their experiences and advice for pre-, during, and post-birth. It’s so very helpful to listen to those people who have recently “been there, done that” with labor, delivery, birth, and home again. Find the key takeaways from our Summer 2021 Birth and Beyond event below—and if you’re not yet a member of Park Slope Parents, get connected to your new community today!
How to Turn a Breech Baby
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery
Information about turning a breeched baby.
Tips on an Unmedicated Birth
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery
Tips for planning an unmedicated or home childbirth, website links and advice from Park Slope Parents.
Things to think about before you go into Labor
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery
Advice to think about while you're still pregnant!
Advice to Remember About Your Hospital Stay
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery
Things to make your hospital experience better.
Don't Freak Out Advice
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery
Advice to help keep your blood pressure at bay! This article covers parents experiences with epidurals, breastfeeding, PPD & more.
Birthing Affirmations
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery
Things to visualize and think about as you go through labor to help you cope with pain and fear.
How to bring on Labor
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery
What to do when you're past your due date?
To VBAC or not to VBAC
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery
Advice about whether to have another C-section or try for a Vaginal Birth After C-section (VBAC).
Recovering from a C-Section
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery, Pregnancy Health Advice
C-section recovery can be full of challenges. You have to manage your pain, your scar, your movement—oh, and not to mention your new baby! Here, Park Slope Parents members share their Cesarean section recovery tips and experiences.
Having Another Baby - Later in Life
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Siblings, Growing Families
PSP Members who got pregnant later in life (late 30s and early 40s) share their experience of giving birth and being a parent at a more mature age.
Umbilical Cord Cutting
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery
For parents to be, consider talking about umbilical cord cutting with your practitioner at your next check up. Recent research found positive outcomes for babies with delayed umbilical cord cutting. Here are some articles that discuss the findings but be sure to do your own research...
Things to do for new parents home from the hospital
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery
Here PSP members share how to really help a new parent.
Labor logistics with Baby #2
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery, Siblings
How do handle logistics of taking care of Thing #1 when you are in labor with Thing #2? PSP members share their advice.
Advice on getting to the hospital on "D" day
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery
How to get to the hospital.
PSP members recommend a car service. What do you think? Read what they have to say.
PSP Members Most Valuable Birthing Class Lessons
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery, Pregnancy and Childbirth
What PSP members thought was the most valuable takeaway from their birthing class.
Birthing during Covid: Key Takeaways from our Zoom-Ups
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery
We had two more Birth Experiences Zoom-Ups recently, with folks who have birthed in NYC and beyond in May, June, and early July volunteering to share their experiences with expectant parents. Here are a few key takeaways—and remember that circumstances will vary between hospitals, so always check with your birth provider if you’re looking for concrete guidance.
We incorporate these highlights into the PSP Birthing Toolkit for ~50 pages of advice and wisdom on birthing during coronavirus. If you missed these events, fear not—there will be another one in the coming weeks (along with one for second kids)! If you’re not a member of PSP, join us HERE to get access to all the great events and meetups on Zoom.
Virtual vs. In-Person Doula Support
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- Parent Category: Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Category: Birthing and Delivery, Pregnancy and Childbirth
As the new normal continues to evolve, so must your decisions around support from your birth team. Below, we've compiled insights and experiences from PSP members to help guide you as you and your doula think through whether they’ll be joining you up close or from afar.
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