Everything I’ve accomplished in my career began as a desire to address a personal problem I was experiencing and was often fueled by the fact that there was a giant gap or inadequacy that needed to be filled.

Let me back way on up.  I was in 5th grade, sitting in the library watching my sister’s 4th grade class performance.  It was a rendition of We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel, and I’m guessing the teacher had designed her own creative lyrics, but I...

Be transformed instead of traumatized by birth

 The first time I witnessed a baby being born was in a small rural clinic in Kenya. I was 13 years old, spending the day with my dad while he provided medical services when a local woman walked in looking tired and very pregnant.

Beads of sweat on her forehead were the only visible signs of her discomfort, and soon she delivered a healthy baby into her own hands.

Thirteen years later in the USA, preparing for the birth of my own first...

Hi! I’m Heather Dvorak. I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and the owner of A Baby Place. We are a team of 4 IBCLCs and we provide office visits in Lombard, IL and Dallas, TX, home visits throughout the western suburbs of Chicago and the Rockwall, TX area, and telehealth all over the world. My husband and I have twin daughters who are now 11, an 8 yr old son and a 4yr old son.

I returned to work fairly quickly with each of my pregnancies.

I was back to...

Our bodies are in a constant state of fight or flight. Everyday stressors impact our nervous system from birth and on, impacting the way we move, think, develop, and feel on a daily basis. It’s easy to fall into a cycle of just getting by as the physical and mental symptoms pile up.

What if instead of just getting by, you could thrive?

That’s our goal for you and your family.

At Lifetime Health & Wellness, located in Naperville, Illinois, we use gentle, neuro-focused...

From the Theater Stage to the Birth Stage

22 years ago, while performing 6 shows a week as a cast member in one of the longest running shows in the history of Chicago theatre, I had no idea that just over 2 decades later, I would have supported close to 1,000 women as they gave birth!

Really…how does a girl with a BFA in musical theatre, end up owning her own business as a Licensed Massage Therapist, birth doula and lactation educator?!

My clients over the years have asked this...

What two things you should look for in a Prenatal Chiropractor

Pregnancy is that chapter in a woman’s life that is filled with excitement, wonderment, expectations, fear, hope and love.  It can also be a time with the challenges of aches and pains, low back discomfort, sciatica, sleep issues, restless leg syndrome, leg cramps, headaches, sciatica, breech position and lets just say it…constipation.

It is my personal and professional goal to inform all expecting moms that...

Interview with Maggie G - Chicago Motherhood Photographer

Q1: What inspired you to dive into birth photography, and how has your journey unfolded?

Maggie: The inspiration came from the belief that birth is a powerful, transformative journey worth documenting. My journey into birth photography started with a desire to capture the raw, unfiltered beauty of these moments. From those early days to now, each birth has been a unique story, a chapter in the larger narrative of life. Of course, my...

Mercier Therapy, named after me, Dr. Jennifer Mercier, is a specialized form of pelvic visceral manipulation. My work focuses on enhancing the function of the pelvic organs, improving blood flow, and releasing tension within the pelvic area. This work is non-invasive and is performed by therapists trained by me who use gentle hands-on movements to promote optimal pelvic health.

The Benefits of Mercier Therapy for Infertility

Improved Blood Circulation: Mercier Therapy aims to enhance blood...

Den of Zen for Labor

 Labor and birth are full of mystery. They are intense, beautiful, raw, and everything in between. To help ease a laboring mother into her birthing space is to create a Den of Zen, which helps her feel calmer.

When a woman in labor feels safe in her birthing space, she is much more able to let go and move through her labor with more efficiency.

Let’s go through how the birth companion can help create this Den of Zen.

Lighting

Turn off all the lights. Set up...

Stress + Pregnancy: A Chiropractor’s Perspective

“Relax.”

“Just breathe.”

Easier said than done, right? It can be hard. Women are pulled in a thousand different directions in a day. As a pregnant woman, your body is changing physically and hormonally at a such a significant rate, in addition to the daily stressors of life. Additionally, there may be concerns about your labor and delivery, bringing home the baby, and the new experience of motherhood.

Many...