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...

We have been working to help families transition in the postpartum period for sometime now and with over 2000 hours of postpartum work have learned a thing or two. Whether you are a new parent about to embark on the journey into parenthood or planning to visit a new baby, here are a few things to keep in mind.

10 things that we have learned as postpartum doulas

1. New parents want to be heard, and your birth story is valid and important. The glorious stories, the traumatic births, and the ones...

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...

Owning our Truth in a Culture of Niceties

People react in so many different ways when they find out that your family is expanding. Most of these conversations start with “Congratulations,” but for many parents-to-be, it’s not as straightforward as people assume.

We live in a culture that tends to tell us how we “should” feel instead of holding space for how we actually feel.

There may be a part of us that is in shock, a part that is excited, a part that is...

Happy Healing Post Surgery

Scar Tissue and C-Sections

Hi! My name is Krysia Tscherewik and I have the most wonderful job in the world. I have had the honor to work with thousands of women for the last seventeen years. My job? I am an abdominal therapist. I know it sounds weird at first but when I tell you what it can do for you, you will be signing up.

Abdominal therapy helps with reproductive and digestive issues, such as PCOS, Fibroids, Irregular periods, Period pain, Infertility, Crohn's...

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...