Human milk is the basis of our health for the entirety of our lives.

As human animals, our bodies are designed to optimally be nourished by our mother’s milk. Our gut flora, which is essential to wellness, is established in the first few days to weeks of a baby’s life. Human milk is the only substance which supports the correct milieu of bacteria, yeast, viruses, & protozoa that we thrive on. Human milk is dynamic — meeting the needs of your baby, just as baby needs it. It is smarter than we are. Nature has given us this liquid gold in just exactly the right balance. It provides the perfect caloric, electrolyte, protein, fat and hormonal needs for babies to grow into thriving children. Human milk is rich in antibodies which fight and protect vulnerable babies from illness in their specific environment. Furthermore nursing out babies allows for the loving bond between mother and baby to flourish. Giving your baby the most significant gift we can receive as humans — The root which cradles us throughout life: The Devine Dyad of mother & child. However, it’s not always easy to establish and maintain breastfeeding. In fact, many couplets struggle with nursing. I did. As natural as it is, nursing your child can be very difficult at times. You may be trying to go it alone when in the past we had mothers, sisters, aunts and wise women from our community at our side to help us and show us the way. Unfortunately, in our modern lives, most of us have lost that support. Do not fret sweet Mamma. I’m here to help you. I’ve nursed and pumped for my three kids over 4 years combined. I’ve supported hundreds of patients over the years getting started nursing in the first few difficult days after birth. I’ve completed over 100 hours in lactation specific training. I can come to you in the privacy of your own home via your tablet or smartphone WHEN YOU NEED HELP. I’m here for you and your baby because I want you to have the breastfeeding experience you want.

OTHER SERVICES

Phototherapy for Newborn Jaundice

Seedlings Health has teamed with NeoLight to provide
in-home treatment of neonatal jaundice with the Skylife Neonatal Phototherapy System. Skylife has been FDA approved for both home and hospital use. It’s optimal light irradiance combined with market leading body surface area coverage allows for intermittent phototherapy at home resulting in faster treatment times while allowing for kangaroo care and the establishment of successful lactation. With our in-home services, including bilirubin testing, phototherapy, newborn assessment and individualized lactation support we can successfully treat your baby’s jaundice at home while supporting the bonding of your new family. Because NeoLight has been approved for hospital use more babies with jaundice can be cared for at home by Dr. Stevenson.

Neolight - Skylife Neonatal Phototherapy System

Mother’s Sacred Circle Ceremony

For some time, modern mother’s have been searching for a way to connect with ceremony and ritual as a means to getting back some power over the objectification of our pregnant bodies and medicalization of our labors. The power that such a circle can hold is beyond words because meaningful ritual is not of the thinking mind. There are many ways to preform this rite of passage. The main ingredients are an open heart and mind, some womenfolk who are supportive and nurturing, and a structure that fits your comfort zone. We have ample experience designing and facilitating Mother’s Sacred Circles and can help you have this special experience that honors your transition into motherhood, that blesses your upcoming birth and that recognizes that each cycle of labor we are born anew. Just as with all of our services ceremonies can be conducted in person or virtually!

“The Mother’s Circle Dr. Stevenson facilitated for me was a deeply nourishing and uplifting experience. I felt a bit apprehensive about it at first, as I had never been part of such a ceremony before; plus, we needed to hold the event virtually due to COVID-19 and I had some doubts about whether I’d be able to emotionally connect to my Circle of women over the screen. I decided to take the plunge despite my initial hesitance and could not be happier about it. During the 90-minute ceremony, the ten wonderful women I had invited literally bathed me in their love, support, and blessings. One by one, they shared empowering birth stories, hearKelt wishes, and meaningful poems and pieces of art. The virtual format turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it allowed both my best friend from across the Atlantic and some dear local friends who recently gave birth to participate in the ceremony. The Circle culminated in a beautiful lit candle ceremony during which everyone lit a candle that they will light once again when I go into labor. The whole experience let me feeling blissfully nurtured and filled with gratitude. I wish for all moms-to-be to receive this type of nourishment and support as a way to honor their transition into motherhood.”

Peripartum Mental Health

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Prenatal Consult Service

Many a wise women have said “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” We couldn’t agree more! We offer a variety of services designed to help you have the best foundation possible to birth your life again with
your new baby.

Let’s get you into your best health with a complete prenatal assessment. Nutrition and individualized lab review, complete medical history, physical exam and a women’s health assessment are vital to making sure that both your physical body and your spirt are ready for pregnancy.

Birth plan reviews are also available to make sure that your plan is in line with the most up-to-date, compassionate care that you and your baby will need to have a successful postpartum experience. Oh, the “birth plan,” a source of anxiety, excitement, and sometimes part of the pain in our afterbirth experience. Wow the overwhelm! We find that many birth plans leave out some of the vital advancements of modern medicine because we haven’t been educated on them and our institutions are slow to act to change. They are lacking the preferences and important steps that must be taken directly after birth to assure the best health of your new baby. The critical importance of keeping baby on mom’s chest no matter what in the minutes and hours right after birth aren’t included. The logistical and medical details of the labor are over-stressed and the energetic and emotional aspects of our transformation are not taken into account. Education around our natural physiology allows for mom to relax into her one job which is labor if your plan has adequate and appropriate support people in place. That is the key to a good birth plan — ample, loving support, along with the education of NutureScience. Dr. Stevenson has many years of experience caring for women at all stages of life, and she is available when you need her to help you with answers, ideas, encouragement and knowledge of both the practices of conventional medicine and time-tested practical, natural remedies used by mothers before, during and after pregnancy.