1. Tell us a little about yourself and your practice. I’m a pediatric speech pathologist and international board-certified lactation consultant in the north suburbs of Chicago. I’ve been working with pregnant moms and infants to 3-year-olds for over 37 years. My areas of specialty include prenatal counseling for families who want to breastfeed a baby with a diagnosis like cleft palate or Down syndrome, helping complex breastfeeding dyads, and helping babies struggling to transition to solids. I also work with babies with complex feeding difficulties, such as food refusal or aversion, using res ..read more

Anytime you do something for the first time as a new parent, it can feel daunting.  It could be the first time you drove in the car by yourself with your baby or the first time you were on your own overnight.  All of the firsts are hard until it is not longer a first.  Often the anticipation of an experience is worse then the experience itself.  This is never more true then it comes to the first time you go on a plane ride with your baby.  Let’s face it, air travel can be kind of a pain in the best of circumstances.  There are lines to wait in, shoes and electroni ..read more

Tell us about yourself and Partum Health - what do you offer to parents? Partum Health is a new kind of healthcare provider bringing together specialty care for fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum to ensure parents get the whole person, whole family care they deserve. Our team includes birth and postpartum doulas, mental health support, lactation, physical therapy, nutrition, and acupuncture. We offer in network care with BCBS, United, Aetna and Cigna for our clinical services and deliver support through a combination of telehealth, in-home support for services like lactation, and in office c ..read more

Tell us about yourself and Partum Health - what do you offer to parents? Partum Health is a new kind of healthcare provider bringing together specialty care for fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum to ensure parents get the whole person, whole family care they deserve. Our team includes birth and postpartum doulas, mental health support, lactation, physical therapy, nutrition, and acupuncture. We offer in network care with BCBS, United, Aetna and Cigna for our clinical services and deliver support through a combination of telehealth, in-home support for services like lactation, and in office c ..read more

Nicole Reilley knows what it takes to launch a baby clothing brand, because she’s just done it. Today we had the opportunity to ask Nicole, an experienced Chicago New Moms Group member and new brand founder, a few questions about her brand that’s so sweetly named after her first child. Celebrate the launch of Dear Hayden by sharing dearhayden.com with your new mom friends, and shop functional, high-quality, stylish baby clothing. Keep reading for an exclusive CNMG reader discount! Tell us a little bit about yourself and Dear Hayden. My name is Nicole Reilly and I live in Logan Square with my h ..read more

Today we had the opportunity to pull Leslie Danford, founder of Vitaminis, aside to ask a few questions about her nutritious vitamin drink shots and how they might be beneficial to new mothers in a hurry. Try a Vitaminis 12 pack for yourself for 20% off with the discount code CNMG20, go ahead and give it a shot! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background? Prior to founding Vitaminis, I had a traditional corporate career in hospitality, management consulting and consumer products.  When I lost my corporate role because of the pandemic, I decided to combine my personal passio ..read more

Whether you’re grocery shopping, going for a walk, or sending emails, podcasts can make great background noise. They allow you to get things done while enjoying a creative outlet. Go ahead and give your mom-brain a break and put on a podcast. Check out our list below of must-listen podcasts you’ll love. Since these shows are 100% created by moms themselves, it’s like getting one on one motherly advice straight from the source.  For Friendly Mom Chit Chat The Mom Hour For when you want to listen to two friends have a candid conversation about motherhood, join in yourself with The Mom Hour ..read more

Today we had the to chance to speak with Rachelle Mallik, MA, RD, LDN about her work as “The Food Therapist”. Can you talk a bit about your business and offering to moms?  My business The Food Therapist provides weight-inclusive, evidence-informed nutrition counseling for folks at any stage in their reproductive years. I support postpartum and breastfeeding moms by helping them understand their nutrition needs during this unique time and more importantly how to put that information into practice. We set goals to help them meet their nutrient needs and identify and address barriers (e.g ..read more

As a new mom so often you’re putting yourself last. Learning how to take the time you need for yourself is a learned skill. We have gathered some self-care hacks that we think are especially useful for new mothers that tend to go out of the way for everyone but themselves.  Do yourself a favor and try one or two of these today, yes? #1: Outsource A Task  Letting go of the control of doing everything and learning how to ask for help is the first step in self-preservation. Apps like TaskRabbit or services like Lilvil are a great foray into the world of asking for help.  A GREAT ta ..read more

Knowing what to ask your doctor before your first appointment can be nerve-wracking. We’ve compiled a list of 8 questions to help give you clarity during what can be a seemingly complicated and anxiety-inducing process right from the start.  When walking into your new reproductive endocrinologist’s office, consider these questions to ask: What are the process timelines - key dates and milestones that I should be aware of? Getting a detailed timeframe can help ease those first appointment nerves. Understanding the process can help manage your expectations and get you in the right mindset f ..read more