Today we have Shari Stamps on The Mag. Shari is an expert on all things parenting. She is a postpartum doula, infant massage instructor, breastfeeding educator and founder of Navigating Parenthood, a website dedicated to supporting parents. Learn more about Shari and Navigating Parenthood, the biggest misconceptions about parenthood, her new online education programs and much more!

Shari Stamps Navigating Parenthood — Photo Credit - Raising Love Photo + Film

We're so happy to talk with you! Can you start by telling us a little about yourself and how you started Navigating Parenthood?

I started out in journalism — working across photo, video, and editorial for newspapers, nonprofits, and online magazines. At one of my jobs, I realized that blogging had become something other than online journaling and that I could create my own parenting site with what I felt was missing. So when a negative work environment caused me to shift to freelancing, I started Savvy Every Day (my site's original name) and began covering baby fairs and everything to do with mom and baby. I'd add personal stories from parents and review products, and talk about things that hadn't been covered. I also started working with the SF Birth & Baby Fair to co-host family events, help with their event, and speaking which got me thinking about creating Parenting 101 videos/courses for my website. So when I was pregnant with my second kiddo, I trained as a birth doula to learn more before creating these videos (and to help with my own birth experience). But then I learned about postpartum doulas and had a very interesting postpartum despite my second birth being the natural birth I wanted. After that, I knew postpartum was where I needed to focus before anything else. I actually created a postpartum program in 2018 using the name Navigating Postpartum right around when I changed my website name to Navigating Parenthood but I'm completely re-doing it now and making it two separate programs with all-new expert contributors.

How many kids do you have? What ages?

I have a 13-YO bonus son (though for his privacy I don't typically mention him online), 9-YO daughter, a 3-YO son, and a 1.5-YO daughter.

I love that your website says "we want to eliminate the "I wish I knew" club and create an "Empowered Parents" club instead". Was there something specific you wish you knew as a new parent that inspired this mission?

I think we're all learning something new every day, but specifically, when it comes to the transition into parenthood through postpartum, there are so many resources and options that very few American mothers know about. It took training as a birth doula to discover that postpartum doulas even exist. And from there, I just learned more and more that I wish I knew the first and second time around that I tried to apply to my last birth and postpartum period.

What are the biggest misconceptions you see people have about parenthood?

I think there are four — the idea that you could ever spoil a baby or child by offering unconditional empathy and care, the concept that pediatricians know everything about anything so if they don't agree it means you're doing something wrong, the idea that there's a perfect way to parent, and the idea that babies need to "sleep through the night."

A longer version of the above reply: One big one is the "you'll spoil the baby" comments some people make when it comes to using a wipes warmer, giving hugs or being responsive to a little one's needs. Not only can you not spoil a baby, tot, or child by showing compassion or care, but it allows them to grow with a sense of security which creates a foundation for independence. Another is thinking the pediatrician knows everything from nutrition to tongue ties and sleep arrangements. They're a general practitioner and that means they cover a large area of medical care, they are generally not specialized in lactation, or frenulums, etc. and sometimes parents will get pressured with an opinion, outdated recommendations, or told something per the policy of where the doctor works that leaves new parents feeling like a failure. You really need to be your own advocate and your child's advocate — in birth, postpartum, and beyond. You can tell your MD that you're going to continue nursing past one year (for example) and if they continue to make comments or you are uncomfortable, switch doctors. A huge one in the parenting community is also the idea that babies need to sleep through the night. Adults don't sleep through the night, yet we think a little one adjusting to this new scary world should? It's developmentally appropriate for babies to wake through the night and goes back to our cavemen days when infants would need to wake to ensure their parent/protector was nearby so they weren't taken by a predator. It also prevents SIDS. The last misconception is that any parent is a perfect parent or has it one hundred percent figured out. Our kids change so much each day and year, and so do we as parents.

Shari Stamps Navigating Motherhood — Photo Credit - Raising Love Photo + Film

`You have a few new programs launching soon. Can you tell us more about them?

Yes! I just launched the pre-sale of two online programs that I'm extremely excited about — Complete Postpartum Prep (for expecting parents in any stage) and Postpartum Healing (best if purchased in trimester 3 or early postpartum). Complete Postpartum Prep guides first-time and veteran parents through ways to prepare the home for postpartum ahead of time and shares information and resources most parents don't know about until later when they say " I wish I knew." It also has teasers on breastfeeding, infant sleep, tips for instant calm, and yoga that helps with back pain and other ailments. Postpartum Healing does some info refresher for those who didn't take Complete Postpartum Prep and shares resources, tools, and information that you need once you're already in postpartum, Things like recipes. postpartum workouts, practicing mindfulness, meditations, more about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, communication with baby, communication with your partners, and so much more. Both programs include some great contributors like Mama Soul, Revolution Motherhood, Balanced Physio, Hey Sleepy Baby, and more.

I'm donating 15% of sales of Complete Postpartum Prep to Black Mamas Matter and 15% of Postpartum Healing to Postpartum Support International as both nonprofits work hard to offer support and services that lower the maternal mortality rates. There are some awesome bonuses that I've put together for families during the pre-sale of the programs too: The first 100 people who purchase either program (or the combo option of both) get a free individual or couples will from Gold Legal Group during! I'm also sending little VIP gifts with products from contributing brands like Ingrid & Isabel, Nanobebe, Hint Water, and more to the first 200 families who buy both programs. Arrow Birth was super generous to offer their Discover childbirth education program to the first 10 families who buy both programs (that's birth education worth almost $400). This pre-sale event with limited time bonuses runs from now— Oct. 10 with the programs launching on Oct. 19.

Where do you go for inspiration on the web and in real life?

My inspiration comes from observation with clients, moms in Facebook groups, and my own life. I get in funks where I have so many ideas that I want to create but I just don't feel in the mood to write or record a video so I"m pretty much in my own way 90% of the time.

What are your three favorite parent-related small businesses?

I love BEB Organic — the creator, Kim, is extremely kind and has a passion for her work. It's not really a small business, but I absolutely love elvie for a similar reason — every staff member I've worked with was kind and listened to my ideas rather than brushing me off based on my numbers on Instagram or wherever else. Another is Junobie — I mean, reusable silicon milk storage bags?! I just wish Nickey showed more of herself on her website and elsewhere because she's an amazing mama.

And finally, where can we find you?