Katie Bishop, CANCS, CISC, PPD 
6 Reasons Routines for Babies are Awesome There are so many different programs and philosophies for infants, it can be hard for new parents to know which approach is best for their family. On one end of the spectrum you have options like the Ferber method where a super strict schedule is encouraged. On the … Read more
Babies are pretty cute and adorable just as they are, but dressing your baby up as pretty much anything will make them basically down right irresistible. Halloween is no doubt a fun time for littles and their parents. Below are a few things to keep in mind to help you enjoy baby’s first Halloween. Keep … Read more
Light Matters Newborn, toddler or adult, exposure to light before we go to sleep matters. It can affect the way that we fall asleep as well as the quality and duration. Below is a nice summary of why light affects our sleep as well as the worst types. Many parents around the world are making … Read more
There is so much fun and excitement surrounding the news of expectant new parents. But along with tiny shoes, cute little clothes and picking out the baby’s name, come a lot of other things to consider. Below are 5 areas to research and plan for before your baby arrives. Understand your health insurance … Read more
Babies are born earth side with little concept of night and day and often have little remorse for new sleep deprived parents. The following are three important factors to help new parents understand their infant’s sleep. Circadian rhythms are not developed in infants at birth Newborn sleep is not governed by strong circadian rhythms. … Read more
There are so many products on the market for babies today, it can be really overwhelming for new parents to know which ones they really need. Today, I’m going to share with you my 5 must have items that will make your journey into parenthood easier. I will note that these items are in addition … Read more
When you have a newborn, it can become very easy to forget to eat, or grab whatever is the most convenient at the time, even if it’s not the healthiest option. Before your baby is born, try to stock up on not only freezer meals you can pull out at any time, but easy one … Read more
Yesterday, I received an e-mail from a current client letting me know that their baby would be making his big debut soon! The dads are excited beyond belief! In preparing to help this same-sex couple, I wanted to shed some light on the word family, and different ways that families are created. What does family … Read more
We all love our four-legged fur babies. For many of us, they are our first children, entering our lives soon after becoming a couple or getting married. But then we have our human babies and along with preparing for their birth, great consideration needs to be given on how to introduce our fur babies to … Read more
Oftentimes, the role of the Postpartum Doula is not well understood. Friends, family members and expecting parents frequently ask, “so, what does a Postpartum Doula do?” The role of the Postpartum Doula is one of the most sacred relationships a new family will have with a provider, during one of the most intimate times in … Read more
Having a baby is one of life’s greatest joys and gifts. A new life has been created, a family expanded and the next generation is being formed. As amazing as it is to bring a new life into this world, a lot happens in the weeks and months before a baby is born and having … Read more
Congratulations! You’re in the final stretch. Your baby(ies) will be here soon! Now is the time to make sure you have your bags packed for the hospital and any final last minute to-dos taken care of. Most hospitals will have a 24-hour observation period for a healthy singleton and a 48-hour observation period for healthy … Read more
Pacifiers – 5 rules Pacifiers are one of the most universally purchased gifts for a new family expecting a baby. It’s not uncommon for the parents to be to receive upward of a dozen! There are all different sizes, shapes and colors. Some even have those cute little animals attached to them. New parents … Read more
Q & A with the Boise Baby Nurse #1 *Disclamer* Baby nurse is a term commonly used for someone that cares for infants. I am not a licensed registered nurse in Idaho (RN) and am not claiming to be one. When you work exclusively with newborns, as I do, there are a lot of scenarios … Read more
In my role as a Newborn Care Specialist and Postpartum Doula, the topic of lactation comes up quite a bit. While there are a number of factors that influence the mother’s milk production (another blog for that), I wanted to share with you my all time favorite lactation cookie recipe. A past client received these … Read more
The holidays are upon us and it’s one of the busiest times of year. Often it means traveling to visit loved ones many hundreds or thousands of miles away so that the whole family can be together and oogle over your sweet new baby. As a Newborn Care Special and Baby Nurse, I do travel … Read more
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and times of year. It is a time to cozy up to a nice warm fire, sip hot chocolate or warm apple cider, spend time with family and friends, cook and eat a lot of yummy food and reflect on all we truly have to be grateful for. … Read more
This is a topic I discuss with all of my new clients before baby arrives. Many new parents don’t know what to expect the first several weeks after the birth of their baby and make commitments to have in-laws or family members travel and live with them. The thought is that the guests will be … Read more
This last week I was reminded that while all babies are miracles, sometimes we have extra special miracles that come much earlier than expected. My client who was carrying twins was scheduled to be induced at the end of December, at 38 weeks. I received an email from her on November 7th, titled “Early Surprise”. … Read more
While in Washington DC earlier this year my clients came across this article in Parents magazine. I thought it was worth sharing because it think it’s important for new parents to keep a light heart and remember that their baby may not always know what they need. Even as a Newborn Care Specialist (the professional), … Read more
As a Baby Nurse, Infant Sleep Consultant, Newborn Care Specialist and Postpartum Doula the topic of infant sleep comes up a lot. I am called in to not help only reverse sleep issues, but to establish healthy sleep habits from birth. So, what are the most important things you can do to create a healthy … Read more
I was recently called to help a third time mom who really wanted some help sorting through a few things. Her little one was about 3 weeks when she contacted me. He was eating nearly every hour and she was spending another roughly 6+ hours per day trying to get her baby to sleep for … Read more
Congratulations! You are currently expecting or have recently just had your little one. Getting to this point may have been easy or unexpected. Or, it may have been a huge struggle filled with fertility and IVF treatments, surrogacy and challenges that possibly took years to achieve. Regardless of your journey to this point, you are … Read more
Today’s post is about an issue many new parents face, but were not prepared or expecting to have to deal with. Getting their new bundle of joy to take a bottle! Sounds simple right? Not so much. Why? Well, we will get to that in a minute. As a Newborn Care Specialist (also known as … Read more