Top 10: Summer Fun for Baltimore Families (updated for 2023)

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Looking for summer fun for Baltimore families?!

We are so excited that summer is upon us! Baltimore is a hot spot for summer fun to do with your children. See what we did there? ;-) Doulas of Baltimore is here to share with you 5 great outdoor activities to do with the whole family. And we’ve got 5 great indoor suggestions to do on those days when you want to cool down. Here we go:

1. Summer Sounds at the Square

Poster for Summer Sounds concert series

Baltimore families love this concert series at Belvedere Square in north Baltimore City. Food, music, and lots of kid-friendly activities! There are three Friday evening concerts this summer – Mambo Combo on June 30, Luau Block Party on July 28, and The Kelly Bell Band on September 8.

 

2. Flicks from the Hill

flicksfromthehill

American Visionary Art Museum hosts “Flicks from the Hill” every Thursday night this July. This summer features old classics and new ones too – West Side Story, Shrek, To Sir With Love, and Hairspray! There are food trucks and pre-film activities. Plus the museum is open to enjoy for free from 5-9pm on flick nights!

 

3. WTMD First Thursday Concerts

wtmd

If it’s more live music you’re craving, head downtown to WTMD’s First Thursday Concert series! WTMD hosts live family friendly concerts on the first Thursday of the month at Canton Waterfront Park, all summer long. Bring a picnic and enjoy!

 

4. Waterfront Parks around the Inner Harbor

westshoreparkDowntown features several waterfront parks around the Inner Harbor. West Shore Park features a great law and “splash pad” for the kids to enjoy. There are free waterfront wellness classes, too!

 

5. The Maryland Zoo 

zooYou can never go wrong with a visit to the zoo. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is a delight! There is much to learn about the animals, the park, and the many ways the zoo participates in conservations efforts. This summer the Zoo is hosting Twilight Strolls – bring the whole family for an evening walk!

 

And if you or the kids have had enough of the Baltimore heat…head inside to these great locations!

6. The Walters Art Museum

The Walters Art Museum is a fun and educational place for the little ones! Rooms full of armor, mummies and Egyptian artifacts, and much more. Don’t miss the Chamber of Wonders – hours could be spent there alone!

 

7. National Aquarium

aquariumThe aquarium is the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer day! It’s a bigger investment than many of our favorites. And so worth it if you can make a day of it!  From the reefs of Australia, up to the newly redone upland rainforest, and down the dark ramp with sharks – let’s just say everyone will sleep well at the end of the day! 

8. Enoch Free Public Library

enochprattWith locations across the city, in addition to the gorgeous downtown main branch, Baltimore’s free public libraries also offers special events including computer basics, chess, and parent/child reading groups.

 

9. Maryland Science Center at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor

Great for a day trip (you can even head right over to the West Shore Park for some splashing when you’re done!). The Science Center also offers tons of fun summer programs! 

 

10. B&O Railroad Museum

b&o

Last but certainly not least with the preschool set – A historic museum that includes kid zones and train rides! Fun for everyone!

 

What do you recommend for summer fun for Baltimore families?? Head over to our Facebook page and share!

For more suggestions, check out our Baltimore Summer Bucket List from a few years ago!

Professionals for Your Postpartum Recovery

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You are going to have a baby, and then you are going to have to heal from having a baby. The massive unknown in that equation is all the experiences you will smooch together in your brain and label it: My Birth Story. Your postpartum recovery is a unique and important part of that story.

The birth story of your child starts when every you want it to start, and it ends when you say it ends. Most stories include the moments you thought you were labor, and have a tiny baby being held – by someone – at the end.

But regardless of the events, feelings, and choices of your birth, you will need to recover.

In our experience, the postpartum body and mind are neglected and underserved in the US. There are exceptions, and we have hopes of change. But most families are responsible for making arrangements for their mental and physical needs, all the while also learning and caring for a new person whom they just met.

The following professionals are presented for consideration with full knowledge that seeing all of these professionals may in itself become a difficult task, and therefore may also be a type of harm. So please, know that we know taking it a day at a time is a perfectly reasonable approach to your new life with your new baby. Let this short list be available to you, if and when you are at a place where you are seeking options for extended care outside of the walls of your home.  

Who to include in your postpartum recovery

1. Chiropractor, at a family-friendly office

You can start chiropractic care during pregnancy for aches and pains, and even for help if your baby is presenting breach (or head up). But chiropractic care after delivery may be viewed as a luxury. The baby is born – why keep going?

Once you spend hours and hours, sitting, swaying, rocking, feeding, and not sleeping, your body – while recovering internally from birth – is being used in many ways that are out of the ordinary. Having the care of a chiropractor can help ease your body back into the world where you aren’t carrying a small life inside you, but instead, have a car seat draped over your elbow.

And why a family-friendly office? Because you may have your child with you. And knowing you have the time to be tended to, without needing to worry if anyone has eyes on your babe can mean the world of difference. Ask them if they are prepared to help new moms make their appointments. We’ve seen strollers get pushed back and forth, pacifiers get placed back in a mouth that has just learned to pop it out, and quite a few chins dabbed when a bit of spit up slips out. Ask.

2. Massage Therapist

Your body holds onto events long after they have happened. Are your shoulders tense right now from work, or that conversation yesterday, or because you are thinking about all the things you said you would do?

Now imagine how it will remember the task of moving a child into the world? Your body will be tender, and once you feel comfortable laying on your belly, having care from a professional who can help your body to release the tension it holds will be a world of difference for your mind, as well as your muscles.

You may get weepy on the massage table and not know why. You may miss your baby while in your appointment, and both love it and hate it. Being worked on by your therapist, you might realize, will be the first time in weeks where you are being touched with restorative energy, instead of having to be the one giving stimulation, food, or peace. Massages are not just for birthdays and anniversaries. Your body deserves to have attention be paid to it after doing the critical work of birth.

3. House Cleaner

This last one might be a stretch for you, but we want you to think about hiring a cleaning service to help in your first weeks home with your baby. Your attention will be divided between learning about your new child, grieving the loss of your old life, and being wrecked with an onslaught of hormones and sleep deprivation.

A professional cleaner is not someone you will need to worry yourself over. She or he can reduce your stress if you are frustrated with keeping up with old and new responsibilities, help prevent your space from becoming an isolated cave, and offer peace of mind that you and your baby are not having your immune systems overwhelmed by housework.

If there is a time to invest in supporting your entire family, taking the cleaning stress off of everyone’s plate is a caring way to start your first weeks as new parents.

As always Doulas of Baltimore is honored so many families are choosing our in-home postpartum team to come and help in the postpartum period.  If you would like to talk with us about care options for support inside your home day or night, we want to hear from you. And if you need referrals to some of our favorite local professionals, just let us know!

 

Daylight Savings Time: Tips for “Springing Ahead”

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It’s that dreaded time of year again. Goodbye to standard time. Daylight savings time begins. Every time shift can be challenging, though “springing ahead” is thought to be the easier of the two. But that’s little consolation when the sun is still shining bright at your little one’s bedtime!

For parents of newborns and most babies under six months old – rejoice! Younger babies hardly notice the change and it has little effect on their sleep patterns. It’s not often that you get good news about newborn babies and their sleep! Of course many of you are still working on predictable and consistent sleep. And you and your partner will be affected by the time change so try to adjust your own sleep routine to minimize this impact.

For parents of older infants and toddlers (and older kids too!), your child’s circadian rhythm will be affected by this jump ahead and we know of no parents who look forward to this biannual scourge…er, um, event!

Four tips of helping your child adjust to the daylight savings time change:

1. Lots of outside time and sunshine

Good for everyone, everyday. And even more so when our circadian rhythm and sleep patterns need adjusting. Morning sunshine is especially helpful!

2. Blackout curtains and dim lights

Honestly? We recommend blackout curtains for everyone! A consistent sleep routine is easier to accomplish when you control the light. An hour ahead of bedtime, pull the blinds and dim the lights. This shift stimulates the production of melatonin and helps set your little one up for a better night’s sleep.

3. Gradual sleep schedule adjustment

You can gradually adjust the sleep schedule ahead of time or start the morning after. You can use 15- or 30-minute increments, mostly dependent on the age of temperament of your little one. Kim West, aka The Sleep Lady, has some great tips on schedule adjustment for “springing ahead” (and she is an overall fantastic resource for all things related to sleep for babies and children!). 

4. Nothing

That’s right. You can opt for doing nothing ahead of time or any specific adjustments afterwards. This works better for babies and children with “easy to adapt” temperaments. If this does not describe your child, your whole family may do better overall with some proactive strategies to work with your child’s temperament and minimize the stress.

Bonus Tip: Patience

Regardless of what approach you end up taking, the adjustment to daylight savings time takes about a week. Offering some patience to your little one, your partner, yourself, and anyone else you interact with is never a bad approach, especially the week after daylight savings time begins! In a few short weeks, you’ll be enjoying some time to yourself with the later setting sun after your little one is asleep – hopefully with some gardening, walking with a friend, reading a good book, or any other activity you enjoy! 

As we all know, sleep is a topic of interest for all parents, especially new parents. Read on to get more information on:

Understanding and shaping newborn sleep habits.

How our overnight newborn care can help you rest while setting a foundation of healthy sleep habits with your little one.

 

Baby’s First Sniffles? How to know when it’s RSV

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As if we haven’t spent enough time talking about viruses over the last couple of years, this winter flu/cough/cold season has gotten off to an early and rocky start. Parents of young children (especially those under two) have likely seen much about the high levels of viral activity in the area. 

We’re going to focus on RSV in babies and young children – this virus is currently keeping lots of littles (and their parents!) awake at night and sometimes sending them to the pediatrician’s office or urgent care.

What is RSV anyway?

Respiratory Syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) Virus (RSV) is a common, respiratory viral infection. For most, it typically causes relatively mild, cold-like symptoms, usually lasting a week or two. However for young children and the elderly, it can be much more severe. It is the leading cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lungs) in children under one-years-old.  

How to protect babies from RSV:

  • Wash your hands frequently and require anyone who comes into contact with baby to also wash their hands
  • Encourage family members (especially siblings!) to avoid kissing or touching baby’s face and hands
  • Remind everyone to keep their hands off their face/mouth 
  • Cover coughs and sneeze (and promptly wash hands again)
  • Encourage visitors to your home to wear a mask and wear your mask in public settings
  • Clean and disinfect high touch surfaces- door knobs, light switches, railings and toys that end up in baby’s mouth
  • Avoid close contact with sick people: this includes staying out of pediatrician’s office/urgent care unless absolutely necessary

Common symptoms (older infants and toddlers):

  • Excess mucus or runny nose
  • Decreased appetite
  • Coughing/wheezing
  • Fever

In very young infants (under 6 months) you may only see:

  • Irritability or general fussiness
  • Decrease in activity 
  • Poor feeding
  • Wheezing

How to treat RSV in babies at home:

  • Prevent dehydration – fluids and frequent smaller feedings, suction nose just before feeding.
  • Saline nose drops with gentle suctioning.
  • Keep a cool mist humidifier running as much as possible.
  • Manage fever and discomfort with skin to skin, cool compresses and OTC meds – acetaminophen before 6 months of age, ibuprofen is ok after 6 months. 
Avoid the following for infants:
  • Over-the-counter cough/cold medicine (unless recommended by your doctor)
  • Aspirin or other pain relief medications
  • Vapor rubs/oils like Vicks, eucalyptus, etc either applied to skin or defused

When to seek medical care:

  • Trouble breathing – fast breathing, blue tinged skin or lips, pulling hard to breathe (see the AAP’s video on Signs of RSV in Babies)
  • Fever over 100.4 for a newborn (under 4 months of age)
  • Dehydration – fewer than 1 wet diaper every 8 hours
  • Lethargy – significant decrease in activity or alertness. Trust your instincts here – you know your baby best. 

Your pediatric care provider is able to treat the vast majority of infants and young children with RSV. In the event that your usual pediatrician is not available (after hours, booked, etc) or has recommended more immediate care, a pediatric specific urgent care is your next best option. Unless recommended by a pediatric provider, avoid the ER if possible. Our local pediatric emergency departments are flooded with patients, so if you absolutely have to go to the hospital, pack plenty of patience. 

If this was helpful, be sure to check out our tips for keeping baby healthy or traveling while pregnant or with a baby during the holiday season!

 

Fall Farm Fun: Pumpkins, Hayrides, and more!

Cozy sweaters, warm drinks in hand, fall is upon us!

Whether you’re expecting your first, have your hands full with preschoolers, or your kids can now pick (and carry!) their own pumpkins, a farm visit is a great fall activity!

Here are some local favorites for fall farm fun:

Clark’s Elioak Farm
10500 Clarksville Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042

With a pumpkin patch, corn mazes, loads of farm animals, your family will have a great time at Clark’s Elioak Farm! You can visit the Enchanted Forest or take a cow train while you’re there. Weekends in October have live music, face painting, and food trucks. Get your tickets ahead of time or purchase when you arrive.

Hybridoma Organic Fruit Farm
13734 Baldwin Mill Road
Baldwin, MD 21013

A favorite for our clients looking for organic berry picking in the spring, Hybridoma also has lots of fall activities including live music and delicious food, pies, and lemonade!

Local Homestead Products
2425 Marston Road
New Windsor, MD 21776

DOB co-owner Debbie’s fall favorite! Local Homestead has a huge playground, great pumpkin patch, and wonderful market store, all in a beautiful setting looking out over the farmland. The pumpkin patch is open weekends through early November!

Weber’s Cider Mill Farm
2526 Proctor Lane
Baltimore, MD 21234

Hayride, a boo barn, petting zoo, and all around family fun can be found at Weber’s Cider Mill Farm! There’s apple cider donuts and slushies too! You can get tickets for your fall harvest visit by visiting this link.

And if you can’t get enough of fall farm fun, here are The 21+ Best Pumpkin Patches in Maryland according to @kidfriendlymaryland!