Dashanna Hanlon
Dashanna Hanlon grew up living in Michigan and Virginia and feels like her smile gives her away as a Midwestern-Southerner, even after a decade in Massachusetts. After earning a degree in English and Gender Studies from the University of Pittsburgh in 2011, she got a job at a local medical journal as an editorial assistant. After 3 years she thought she was done with New England and had made up her mind to start some new adventure. Before she could make the move - like in some weird romantic comedy - she met her husband Tom a Boston electrician, at Ned Devine's in Fanueil Hall. They were married on Chatham Beach, a year and a half later. Traveling between the city and New Hampshire for work, they settled on living in Merrimack Valley. She tried out a few different career paths before having her first son and was introduced to birth work. She became a doula in 2018 and runs Caring for Mamas while staying home with her sons Lucas (2) and Isaiah (7 months)! Dashanna loves her family, her friends, fresh-squeezed lemonade, singing jazz music, eating macarons made by her husband, going to New England beaches, and any good story. She could live without traffic, any technological problem, and rice cakes.
Holiday Gatherings With Your Newborn :: 6 Tips for Less Stress
Introducing the newest member of your family to the outside world was daunting before the pandemic. Now, at a time when gatherings require more prep than ever, many parents are wondering how to include...
Struggling in Gentle Parenting and Attempting It Anyway
For me, gentle parenting feels like a lot of negotiating with irrational toddlers. And honestly, I find it hard.
What parent doesn't want to be gentle? I want my child to be eased into personhood,...
Start ‘Em Young :: Getting the Boys Involved on Chore Days
I am the kind of mom who can’t think straight if the house is too disorganized. I live by the mantra, "A place for everything, and everything in its place." As much as I’ve...
I Didn’t Think I Could Bake, and Then I Got Allergies
I have always been a self-proclaimed non-baker. The only thing my mom has ever baked from scratch is sweet potato pie — this is reserved for holidays and is absolutely delicious! My grandma will...
Fathers Are Born, Too :: Celebrating Father’s Day
This year you may have a special someone in your life celebrating his first official Father’s Day. If so, you should ask him about the day he became a father. As a doula, I...
5 Unique Ways to Help A New Mom
Spring is always a reminder of new life! And as a mom, new life reminds me of babies and new parents. There will be quite a few new moms in my life this year,...
Foregoing Mom Guilt Even When I Choose Myself First
When my friends tell me they feel guilty when they're working or they worry they don't "do enough" as a stay-at-home mom, I tell them I understand. But in truth, I do not feel...
Celebrating Valentine’s Day for the First Time in 2021
Truthfully, this title is a little misleading.
My husband has always made an effort to get me flowers or my favorite candy for Valentine’s Day. But my birthday is the week just before Valentine’s Day,...
How to Survive the Pandemic: Winter Edition
Unless you’re our family dog, you’re probably not embracing the winter of 2020/2021. As COVID cases continue to rise in various cities across the U.S. and now Massachusetts, we wonder how much longer our...
Learning to Love Bedtime with Toddlers
I LOVE putting my kids to bed at night!
OK, what parent of small children actually loves bedtime? In truth, what I love is the post-bedtime silence and the ability to give my full attention...
No Indictment, No Surprise :: Thoughts from a Black Mom
It’s really exhausting to be Black in America. Maybe you’ve heard that before; you’ve probably seen it recently. But if you’re not Black, let me tell you — it's true in 2020.
Like most of...
Lowell: There’s STILL a Lot to Like
My family loves living in Lowell. If you only know a few things about Lowell, you might think that's odd. But my top five reasons are a pretty good place to start.
We’re no...