The Mustard Seed Village

09/09/2026

🌿 **LOCAL RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT: Voice of Hope Pregnancy Center**

One of my goals with The Mustard Seed Village is to make sure families know about the resources available right here in our own communities.

Because sometimes you don't need to “figure it out.”

**You need a village. 🤍**

This week I want to highlight **Voice of Hope Pregnancy Center**.

Pregnancy and parenting can come with so many different needs—and sometimes asking for help is the hardest part.

Maybe you're unexpectedly pregnant and don't know what comes next.

Maybe you're preparing for a baby and finances are tight.

Maybe you're already parenting and could simply use some extra support.

Or maybe you just need someone to listen.

That's why I think it's so important for families to know about organizations like Voice of Hope.

If you're pregnant or parenting and could use some additional support, I encourage you to reach out to them and see what resources may currently be available for your situation.

And if you're doing well right now, **remember this resource anyway.**

Someday you may meet a mama who isn't.

Save their page. Share this post. Tag a friend who might benefit.

Sometimes being part of someone's village is simply knowing where to point them when they say,

**“I need help.”**

🤍 You were never meant to do motherhood alone.

📍 **Voice of Hope Pregnancy Center**
Find them here:
https://www.facebook.com/vohpc

🌿 **The Mustard Seed Village**
*Pregnancy • Birth • Postpartum • Village*

Marion Center
217 W Center St
Marion OH 43302
740-223-0419

Upper Sandusky Center
314 E Wyandot Ave.
Upper Sandusky OH 43351
419-294-2273

Bucyrus Center
115 W Rensselaer St.
Bucyrus OH 44820

09/08/2026

🌿 **“But What If I Have Flat or Inverted Ni**les?”**

Maybe you're pregnant, planning to breastfeed, and you've looked down and thought…

**“How in the world is my baby supposed to latch onto THAT?”** 😅

First—take a little pressure off yourself.

**Babies breastfeed from the BREAST, not just the ni**le.**

Having flat or inverted ni**les does **not automatically mean you won't be able to breastfeed.**

Some babies latch without much difficulty at all. Others may need a little extra help, especially during those first few days while you're both learning.

So what can help?

🤱 **Lots of skin-to-skin**

Give baby time at the breast without immediately making every attempt about achieving the “perfect latch.” Skin-to-skin supports baby's natural feeding behaviors and gives them opportunities to practice.

🤍 **Try different positions**

Laid-back breastfeeding can allow baby to use their natural reflexes to find the breast. Football or cross-cradle positioning can also give you more control while establishing the latch.

✨ **Shape the breast**

Sometimes gently compressing the breast into a “sandwich” that matches the direction of baby's mouth can help baby take a deeper mouthful of breast tissue.

💧 **Hand express**

Expressing a little colostrum onto the ni**le can encourage baby to root and latch—and hand expression is a wonderful skill to learn during pregnancy when appropriate.

🌱 **A pump may temporarily help**

Brief pumping immediately before a feeding can sometimes draw a flat or inverted ni**le outward enough to make latching easier.

🍼 **What about ni**le shields?**

Ni**le shields can be incredibly useful in the right situation, including for some babies struggling with flat or inverted ni**les.

But they're a **tool—not automatically the first step for everyone.**

Ideally, use one with knowledgeable lactation support so baby's latch, milk transfer, weight gain, and your milk supply can be monitored.

And please don't spend your pregnancy trying to aggressively “toughen up,” pull, pinch, or stretch your ni**les.

**Your ni**les don't have to look a certain way to breastfeed.**

If you're worried about your anatomy before baby arrives, talk with an IBCLC or other qualified breastfeeding professional prenatally. Having a plan and knowing who to call after birth can make those first few days feel much less overwhelming.

Sometimes breastfeeding takes a little troubleshooting.

Sometimes it takes patience.

Sometimes it takes your village.

But **flat or inverted ni**les do not automatically mean breastfeeding is off the table.** 🤍

🌿 **The Mustard Seed Village**
*Pregnancy • Birth • Postpartum • Village*

Send a message to learn more

09/07/2026

🌿 **Let’s Talk About Protecting Your Perineum During Birth**

One of the questions I hear from expecting moms is:

**“What can I do to keep from tearing?”** 😬

First, let's get something out of the way—you cannot guarantee that you won't tear.

But there ARE evidence-based things that may help reduce the chance or severity of perineal trauma.

🤰 **Before labor: consider perineal massage**

Beginning around **34–35 weeks**, antenatal perineal massage may reduce some types of perineal trauma, particularly for first-time vaginal births.

The goal isn't to aggressively “stretch yourself out.” It's gentle preparation of the tissues and getting familiar with the stretching sensation.

🔥 **Warm compresses during pushing**

This is one of my favorites!

A warm, wet compress held against the perineum during the second stage of labor can be comforting and has evidence supporting a reduction in severe (3rd- and 4th-degree) tears.

Ask your birth team if this is something they routinely offer.

🧘‍♀️ **Position matters**

You don't automatically have to give birth flat on your back.

Side-lying, hands-and-knees, kneeling, upright positions, or other positions may be options depending on your circumstances, baby's wellbeing, and whether you have an epidural.

Different positions change the space and pressure within the pelvis, so sometimes changing positions is exactly what we need.

🌬️ **Slow things down as baby's head is being born**

As baby crowns, your provider may coach you to slow or pause your pushing and use shorter breaths while the tissues gradually stretch.

Sometimes this means listening to your body's spontaneous pushing urges rather than putting every ounce of energy into prolonged, forceful pushing.

🤲 **Hands-on support when appropriate**

Your midwife or OB may use their hands to support the perineum and control the speed of baby's head as it emerges. Techniques vary, and you can ask your provider during pregnancy how they approach perineal protection.

✂️ **Ask about episiotomy practices**

Routine episiotomy is **not recommended.**

There are situations where an episiotomy may be clinically appropriate, but it shouldn't simply be an automatic part of vaginal birth.

And Mama…

If you do tear, **you didn't fail.**

Sometimes babies come quickly. Sometimes positioning, baby's size or position, assisted delivery, tissue characteristics, or circumstances we simply can't control play a role.

The goal isn't a “perfect” perineum at all costs.

The goal is to give your tissues time, use evidence-based techniques when appropriate, avoid unnecessary intervention, and ultimately have **a healthy mama and baby.** 🤍

🌿 **The Mustard Seed Village**
*Pregnancy • Birth • Postpartum • Village*

Send a message to learn more

09/07/2026

Better late than never .... sorry it's late today.

🌿 The God Who Sees the Mother**

*“You are the God who sees me.”*
— Genesis 16:13

So much attention goes to the baby.

How is baby growing?
How is baby positioned?
When is baby coming?
Is baby eating enough?
Is baby sleeping?

And somewhere in the middle of all those questions stands a mother.

**But who is checking on her?**

In Genesis 16, Hagar found herself alone, afraid, and uncertain about what was ahead. And there, in the wilderness, God met her.

She called Him **El Roi — “the God who sees me.”**

I think mothers need that reminder.

God sees you.

He sees the pregnant mama lying awake at night wondering if everything is okay.

He sees the woman preparing for birth who is excited one moment and afraid the next.

He sees the laboring mother digging deeper than she ever knew she could.

He sees the newly postpartum mama crying in the shower because everything feels heavier than she expected.

He sees the mother feeding her baby at 3 a.m. while the rest of the house sleeps.

He sees the mother grieving the birth she hoped for.

He sees the mother who desperately loves her children but desperately needs a break.

And He sees the woman who smiles and says, “I'm fine,” when she really wishes someone would ask again.

**Mama, you are not invisible.**

Before you were someone's mother, you were His daughter.

Your needs still matter.
Your heart still matters.
Your healing still matters.
Your story still matters.

And when it feels like everyone else is looking at the baby, remember:

**God is still looking at you.**

He sees you in the beautiful moments and the messy ones. He meets you in the places that feel lonely. And He doesn't require you to have everything together before you come to Him.

Tonight, whatever season of motherhood you're walking through, I pray you feel deeply known, deeply loved, and deeply seen by the God who has never taken His eyes off you. 🤍

🌱 **Seeds of Faith**
*The Mustard Seed Village*

Send a message to learn more

09/05/2026

Friends don’t forget !

📢📢Advocacy class Tuesday September 15th at 5:30 ! My house in Carey !

I’ll be teaching you how to advocate for yourself and your baby for doctors 🥼 appointments, labor and delivery and postpartum!

I can’t wait to see everyone !

09/05/2026

🌿 **Postpartum Depression & Anxiety: When It’s More Than the Baby Blues**

Everyone asks about the baby.

“How is baby sleeping?”
“How is baby eating?”
“Is baby gaining weight?”

But I want to ask something just as important:

**Mama, how are YOU doing?**

The postpartum period can bring enormous physical, hormonal, emotional, and lifestyle changes.

Some tearfulness, irritability, overwhelm, or mood swings can happen with the **“baby blues,”** especially during the first couple of weeks after birth.

But sometimes it's more than that.

Postpartum depression doesn't always look like someone who can't get out of bed.

It might look like:

🤍 Feeling disconnected from yourself or your baby
🤍 Crying frequently or feeling deeply sad
🤍 Feeling hopeless, numb, guilty, or like you're failing
🤍 Losing interest in things you normally enjoy
🤍 Feeling like everyone would be better off without you

And postpartum anxiety can look different, too:

🤍 Constantly worrying that something will happen to your baby
🤍 Being unable to sleep even when baby is sleeping
🤍 Racing thoughts you can't shut off
🤍 Feeling panicky or constantly “on edge”
🤍 Repeatedly checking whether baby is breathing
🤍 Being afraid to let anyone else care for baby
🤍 Intrusive, unwanted thoughts that scare you

**You can love your baby more than anything in this world and still struggle postpartum.**

One does not cancel out the other.

And you don't have to wait until you're completely overwhelmed to ask for help.

Tell someone.

Tell your partner.
Tell your doula.
Call your midwife, OB, or primary-care provider.
Reach out to a therapist or postpartum mental-health professional.

Let your village step in.

Bring the meals. Hold the laundry. Take the older kids for a while. Sit with her. Help her get some uninterrupted sleep. And most importantly—**keep checking on the mother after everyone else has gone back to normal life.**

Sometimes she doesn't need someone to tell her how grateful she should be.

She needs someone to sit beside her and say:

**“I see you. Tell me how you're really doing.”**

🌱 And if you're having thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby, feel unable to keep yourself or your baby safe, are severely confused, are hearing or seeing things others don't, or feel disconnected from reality, please seek emergency help immediately. In the U.S., call or text **988**, call **911**, or go to the nearest emergency department.

You matter too, Mama. 🤍

🌿 **The Mustard Seed Village**
*Pregnancy • Birth • Postpartum • Village*

Send a message to learn more

09/04/2026

🌿 **Newborn Care: What Do I Actually Do With This Tiny Human?!** 😂🤍

You spent months preparing for pregnancy and birth…

Then suddenly everyone leaves, you walk through your front door carrying a brand-new baby, and you realize:

**“Okay…now what?”**

Newborns really don't need anything fancy. Most of those first days are a rhythm of **feed, diaper, cuddle, sleep, repeat.**

🤱 **Feeding**

Newborns have tiny stomachs and need to eat frequently. Watch your baby for early hunger cues like rooting, bringing their hands to their mouth, licking their lips, or becoming more alert.

Crying is often a later hunger cue.

Whether you're breastfeeding, pumping, using formula, or combining methods, the goal is a baby who is being adequately fed and growing appropriately.

💩 **Diapers**

Those diapers actually tell us quite a bit!

In the first several days, baby's stools transition from dark, sticky meconium toward lighter green/brown and eventually yellow stools, especially in breastfed babies.

Wet diapers should also increase over those first days.

😴 **Sleep**

Newborns sleep A LOT—but usually not in the nice 8-hour stretch you might be dreaming about. 😂

For safe sleep, place baby **on their back on a firm, flat sleep surface** with no pillows, loose blankets, stuffed animals, or positioners.

🛁 **Bathing**

Your newborn doesn't need a bath every day.

A couple of baths per week is usually plenty, with gentle cleaning as needed between baths. Until the umbilical cord falls off and the area heals, stick with sponge baths and keep the cord clean and dry.

🌡️ **Temperature**

Babies aren't as good at regulating their body temperature as adults.

Dress baby appropriately for the environment and avoid overheating. Skin-to-skin is also wonderful for warmth, bonding, and helping baby transition to life outside the womb.

🤍 **And don't forget the cuddles.**

You aren't going to “spoil” your newborn by holding them.

They just spent their entire existence hearing your heartbeat, feeling your movement, and living in a warm, dark space.

Then suddenly…

**WORLD.** 😳😂

Your smell, voice, touch, and heartbeat are familiar.

You are their safe place.

And Mama, you don't have to know everything the day you bring your baby home.

You're learning your baby.

Your baby is learning you.

You'll figure it out together. 🌱

And when you're unsure? That's what your village is for.

🌿 **The Mustard Seed Village**
*Pregnancy • Birth • Postpartum • Village*

Send a message to learn more

09/03/2026

🌿 **So… What Happens to Your Doula After You Have the Baby?**

I’ve actually thought about this a lot because by the time you have your baby, chances are, you’re not *just a client* to me anymore.

We’ve spent months together.

We’ve talked through your fears, your hopes, your birth preferences and probably a hundred random pregnancy questions.

We’ve grabbed coffee.

Our kids may have had play dates.

We’ve laughed together, prayed together, and somewhere along the way, a professional relationship often starts to look a whole lot like a friendship. 🤍

Then I get the call.

**It’s baby time.**

I walk with you through labor. I watch you dig deeper than you thought you could. I watch your family change right in front of me.

And then your baby is here.

But I don't want you wondering:

**“Okay…does my doula just disappear now?”**

Nope. 😂

I'm not going to spend months building a relationship with you, walk through one of the biggest moments of your life with you, and then leave you high and dry.

I'll still check on you.

I still want to know how you're doing—not just how the baby is doing.

You can still text me.

We can still grab coffee.

Our kids can still play.

If you're struggling, I want you to know you have someone in your corner. And if what you need is outside of what I can provide, I'll help you find someone who can.

Because **The Mustard Seed Village** isn't just a business name to me.

I really believe mothers were never meant to do this alone.

Now, does every doula-client relationship turn into a lifelong friendship? Of course not. Different relationships naturally look different.

But if our friendship continues beyond your birth and having me as part of your village feels right for both of us?

**I'd be honored to stay.** 🌱

Watching you become a mother—or watching your family welcome another little one—is something I don't take lightly.

Your birth may be the reason our paths crossed.

**But it doesn't have to be where they separate.** 🤍

🌿 **The Mustard Seed Village**
*It takes a village. I'd love to be part of yours.*

Send a message to learn more

09/02/2026

🌿 **Let’s Talk About Pumping… Because It’s Not Always Easy**

“Just pump.”

Those two words can make pumping sound so simple.

But whether you're exclusively pumping, pumping while you're at work, trying to increase your supply, pumping for a NICU baby, or just trying to build a small freezer stash—**pumping can be HARD.**

🤍 Washing pump parts over and over.

🤍 Planning your entire day around the next pumping session.

🤍 Watching the bottles and worrying that you didn't pump “enough.”

🤍 Getting discouraged when one breast produces more than the other.

🤍 Trying to pump while simultaneously caring for your baby.

🤍 Waking up in the middle of the night to pump while everyone else is sleeping.

🤍 Sore ni**les, leaking, engorgement, clogged ducts—or simply feeling completely touched out.

And then there's the mental load.

It's very easy to start measuring your success as a mother by the ounces sitting in those bottles.

**Please don't.**

Pump output can vary throughout the day and from one session to another. And the amount you pump doesn't necessarily tell the whole story about your milk supply—especially if you're also nursing.

If pumping has become part of your feeding journey, a few things can make it more manageable:

🌱 **Check your fl**ge fit.**
Pumping shouldn't consistently hurt. The correct fl**ge size can make a big difference in comfort and sometimes milk removal.

🌱 **Replace worn pump parts.**
Valves, membranes and other replaceable parts can wear out and affect suction.

🌱 **Try hands-on pumping.**
Gentle breast massage and compression during pumping may help with milk removal.

🌱 **Make pumping easier on yourself.**
Create a little pumping station with water, snacks, breast pads, extra bottles and anything else you're constantly reaching for.

🌱 **Remember that more suction isn't necessarily better.**
Your pump should be strong enough to effectively remove milk without causing pain or tissue damage.

And if you're consistently struggling with pain, milk removal, supply concerns, recurrent plugged ducts, or feeding issues, reach out for skilled lactation support.

Most importantly:

**You are feeding a baby—not filling a freezer.**

A freezer overflowing with breast milk isn't the standard you have to meet.

Whether you pumped 2 ounces, 8 ounces, supplemented, exclusively pumped, nursed and pumped, or eventually decided pumping was no longer sustainable…

Those ounces don't measure how much you love your baby. 🤍

🌿 **The Mustard Seed Village**
Doula Support • Pregnancy • Birth • Postpartum

Send a message to learn more

09/01/2026

🌿 **Friends, my door is always open.**

The coffee is always hot. ☕
There’s always a place for you at my table.
And I’m always here.

Come as you are.

Come with the messy bun, the crying baby, the toddler who hasn't stopped talking all morning, or the laundry you haven't folded in three days.

Come when motherhood feels beautiful.

And please, **come when it doesn't.**

You don't have to clean your house first.
You don't have to pretend you're okay.
You don't have to have it all together.

If you need a cup of coffee and adult conversation, come.

If you need to cry, come.

If you need someone to hold the baby while you take a minute, come.

If you just need to sit somewhere and remember that you aren't doing this alone, **come.**

This is why I believe so deeply in the village.

Not just during pregnancy.

Not just while you're in labor.

Not just for the first few weeks after your baby arrives.

But through motherhood.

So please, never sit at home feeling like you're completely alone.

**My door is open.
The coffee is hot.
And there is always room for one more at my table.** 🤍☕🌱

*It takes a village. I'd love to be part of yours.*

🌿 **The Mustard Seed Village**

Send a message to learn more