Resources for families

For childbearing women

PreNatal and Childbirth

Birth Centers

Health Foundations Birth Center
Morning Star Women’s Health & Birth Center
Willow Midwives Birth Center
The Minnesota Birth Center

Minnesota Birth Find the Resources That Matter

Explore birth and early parenting in Minnesota.

Minnesota Families For Midwifery

Minnesota Families for Midwifery is a grass-roots citizens’ organization promoting midwife-attended births at home, in birth centers, and in hospitals throughout Minnesota.

The Birth Survey

It has been easier to get consumer satisfaction information about a camera than about maternity care services – but no longer. The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) has developed The Birth Survey, a consumer feedback website where women provide information about the maternity care they received with specific doctors, midwives, hospitals, and birth centers. Families choosing where and with whom to birth can utilize this consumer feedback, along with data on hospital and birth center intervention rates and practices, to make informed health care choices.

Childbirth Connection Helping Women and Health Professionals Make Informed Maternity Care Decisions

Welcome to ChildbirthConnection.org, your source for trustworthy up-to-date evidence-based information and resources on planning for pregnancy, labor and birth, and the postpartum period. Childbirth Connection is a national not-for-profit organization founded in 1918 as Maternity Center Association. Our mission is to improve the quality and value of maternity care through consumer engagement and health system transformation. Childbirth Connection promotes safe, effective and satisfying evidence-based maternity care and is a voice for the needs and interests of childbearing families.

The Childbirth Collective Serving Birthing Families

We are a collective of birth professionals who support women and families during the childbearing year. Perhaps you are looking for a birth doula, midwife, birth photographer, massage therapist or a postpartum doula. The Childbirth Collective is the place to connect with a growing and passionate community that cares about how you birth.

HypnoBabies Childbirth Hypnosis

Our website is dedicated to those seeking answers for empowered, easier and much more comfortable as well as safe childbirth options. Natural childbirth, normal pregnancy and birthing, important choices, caregiver suggestions and birth empowerment are all explored here. Our desire is that all Moms, Birth Partners and their precious Babies will benefit from the heartfelt messages we offer!

HypnoBabies Twin Cities

Hypnobabies Twin Cities is a collective of Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis Instructors and Hypno-doulas who serve the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and the surrounding metropolitan area!

Mercury Levels in Fish – Safe Portions for Pregnant Women American Pregnancy Association, Promoting Pregnancy Wellness

We know that fish can be very nutritious and are packed with great nutrients such as omega-3’s, the B vitamins and lean protein. But unfortunately, fish can also have some unhealthy contaminants. Mercury levels in fish is probably the greatest question of concern.

The Evidence for Doulas

Evidence shows that the most important thing is for women to have continuous labor support from someone– whether that person is a nurse, midwife, partner, or doula. However, with several birth outcomes, doulas have a stronger effect than other types of support persons.

findadoula.com … for the birth you want

Everything you wanted to know about what doulas do, how to find one, and how a doula can help you.

DONA International

Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.

Doula.com

When you decide to include a doula on your birth team, you improve your chances of having a healthier and more empowering birth. What is a doula? A doula is a professional who provides emotional, informational, physical, and practical support for the expectant, laboring, or postpartum mother.

Breastfeeding

KellyMom Parenting and Breastfeeding

At KellyMom.com, our goal is to provide support & evidenced-based information on breastfeeding, sleep and parenting. I am the mother of three lovely children, and I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). I hope that my articles are helpful and encouraging.

La Leche League International

Our Mission is to help mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother.

La Leche League of Minnesota and the Dakotas

La Leche League Leaders are experienced mothers who have breastfed their own babies and who have been trained and accredited by La Leche League International to help mothers and mothers-to-be with all aspects of breastfeeding. They are available by phone and email whenever you have breastfeeding questions or concerns. Calling or emailing a Leader is FREE, as are our meetings.

PostPartum

Lying In

According to Dr. Jane Dimer, an obstetrician at Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, multiple studies show that maternal-infant bonding, milk production and the fragile physiology of the early postpartum period all benefit from a period of quiet and recuperation.

Placenta Benefits Mother Nature, for Mothers

Many people of the world have known the secret power of the placenta as a medicinal supplement. Among the Chinese and Vietnamese, it is a customary practice to prepare the placenta for consumption by the mother. The placenta is thought to be rich in nutrients that the mother needs to recover more readily from childbirth. In Italy, women have been known to eat parts of the placenta to help with lactation. Hungarian women bite the placenta to expedite the completion of labor. And knowledgeable midwives in this country have their birth mothers take bites of raw placenta to help stop hemorrhaging, due to its beneficial oxytocin content.

Pregnancy & Postpartum Support Minnesota Home of The Minnesota Perinatal Mental Health Resource List

We are Pregnancy & Postpartum Support Minnesota (PPSM), a group of mental health & perinatal practitioners, service organizations, and mother volunteers offering emotional support and treatment to Minnesota families through the perinatal years.

Postpartum Support International

Postpartum Support International is dedicated to helping women suffering from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, including postpartum depression, the most common complication of childbirth. We also work to educate family, friends and healthcare providers so that moms and moms-to-be can get the support they need and recover. You are not alone. You are not to blame. With help, you will be well.

Solace for Mothers Healing After Traumatic Childbirth

Solace for Mothers is an organization designed for the sole purpose of providing and creating support for women who have experienced childbirth as traumatic. Birth trauma is real and can result from an even seemingly “normal” birth experience.

The Shape of a Mother

It is my dream, then, to create this website where women of all ages, shapes, sizes and nationalities can share images of their bodies so it will no longer be secret. So we can finally see what women really look like sans airbrushes and plastic surgery. I think it would be nothing short of amazing if a few of our hearts are healed, or if we begin to cherish our new bodies which have done so much for the human race. What if the next generation grows up knowing how normal our bodies are? How truly awesome would that be?

 

For parenting

Your baby and your young child

Secrets of Baby Behavior

Starting a new family can be a wonderful yet stressful experience. Newborns, and even older babies, can seem mysterious and taking care of them may be a little scary. Fortunately, babies are born with the skills and desire to tell parents what they need. In this bloc, experienced moms (who happened to be experts) will help parents understand why babies behave the way they do and share tips to help parents cope with the ups and downs of this new and exciting time of life.

Ask Dr. Sears A Trusted Resource for Parents

We are William Sears, MD and Martha Sears, RN. Most folks just call us Dr. Bill and Martha. After raising eight children and practicing pediatric medicine for more than 30 years, we have answered questions from thousands of parents. Millions more have sought our advice through our 40+ pediatric books, articles in parenting magazines, and our appearances on more than 100 television programs such as 20/20, Donahue, Good Morning America, Oprah, CBS This Morning, CNN, NBC’s Today Show and Dateline.

Amajoy

Lenore Grubinger, a master teacher and somatic therapist, offers bodywork & therapeutic play for infants, toddlers and children in MA. Over 30 years experience combined with the latest science in brain and movement development.

Bamboo Family Magazine

Bamboo Magazine:: Whole Family Living is dedicated to whole family lifestyles — all that encompasses conscious parenting, holistic health, organic foods, green living, the celebration of nature and creativity … and more!

Hand in Hand Parenting Nurturing the Parent-Child Connection

Classes, resources, and lots of support for parents of young children and professionals who work with them. For over 20 years, Parenting by Connection has brought parents practical tools to resolve universal family challenges.

ECFE Early Childhood Family Education

Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) is a program for all Minnesota families with children between the ages of birth to kindergarten. The program is offered through Minnesota public school districts.

Nurturing Pathways

Nurturing Pathways promotes healthy development, strong bonds and parent education through creative dance derived from the scientific research on the brain-body connection.

Baby Wearing International of South Metro Minneapolis

Welcome! BWI of South Metro Minneapolis is a local Chapter of Babywearing International and is located in the Twin Cities, Minnesota Metro area. We have monthly babywearing meetings to educate and support caregivers on all things babywearing. Join us virtually on our Facebook Group, find our next meeting, or email us for more information!

Attachment Parenting International

API promotes parenting practices that create strong, healthy emotional bonds between children and their parents. For life. So they can take those bonds with them into their adult lives and share them with their children. And their children can do the same. A life cycle of compassion and connection.

Attachment Parenting Twin Cities

The Twin Cities Attachment Parenting International Facebook Discussion Group is a resource for parents to make connections, receive support and share attachment parenting-related information.