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How to Build a Home Birth Kit in 20 Items

What you need to have for your home birth kit in 20 items! Prepare for your home birth by collection this home birth kit.

How to Build a Home Birth Kit in 20 Items

I have been blessed to be able to have 2 home births now. You can read my two birth stories by clicking here: Annaleigh’s Birth and Aidalyn’s Birth.

Both experiences were amazing and there is very little I would change about either. I was fortunate to have 2 amazing midwives attend my births and felt very prepared for when the time came.

My first home birth was in 2010 (Aidalyn’s). I was able to have her in my master bathroom’s garden corner tub. It was easy clean up and a really a great experience. For Annaleigh’s birth we were in a rent house, so my midwife brought a large tub for me to use to birth in. It was even better because the water was able to be deeper. I wasn’t in the tub for more than 10 minutes though because she came so fast. read more

DIY Baby Powder {Talc Free}

Make your own DIY Baby Powder with this simple and easy recipe – Feel confident that it is healthier without the TALC and better for your baby too.

DIY Baby Powder Talc Free

 

 

 

DIY Baby Powder {Talc Free}

Why Talc Free?

 

I’m going to be perfectly honest. I’m still learning daily about natural health and natural living. What I enjoy doing is learning and then being able to share what I learn with you.

So I started thinking about baby powder. I don’t use baby powder on my babies. I have a small travel sized bottle I will sometimes use between washing my hair if my hair looks oily. read more

10 Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy

I’m sharing this guest post at Day 2 Day Joys all about my 10 Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy. Follow the link below to visit Rachel’s blog and learn how to have the most amazing healthy pregnancy – naturally!

How to have a healthy pregnancy, tips for easy pregnancy

10 Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy

Are you pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant soon? Today I’m writing at Day 2 Day Joys about 10 Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy.

I have been blessed to have 2 relatively easy pregnancies. I did deal with gestational diabetes, but I was able to manage my blood sugar naturally. Check out my book about How to Control Gestational Diabetes Naturally.  read more

Why I love Mountain Meadow Herbs and Gentle Birth Formula Review

Mountain meadow herbs are a testament to nature’s wisdom, offering many benefits from boosting our immunity to soothing our senses. Whether you’re a seasoned herbalist or a curious beginner, the world of mountain meadow herbs holds something for everyone. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the fascinating world of these herbs, their unique properties, and how they can help ease labor with their Gentle Birth Formula. So, sit back, relax, and let’s embark on this herbal journey together! read more

Why My 3 Year old is Not Potty Trained, and Why I’m Okay with That

potty training, potty training regression, preschooler not potty trained,

Why My 3 Year old is Not Potty Trained, and Why I’m Okay with That

Potty training is a huge topic among moms of preschoolers. How did you potty train? How long did it take to potty train? Did you do it cold turkey? What did you do about nights?

We actually did start potty training Aidalyn around 26 months old. I was pregnant with our second and was motivated to not have two in diapers at the same time. Potty training while being pregnant was not fun. We did the 3 day potty training boot camp. She was excited about big girl panties. She was excited about getting stickers and chocolate.

Aidalyn did great during the day. She was showing really great progress for about 3 months. We still had accidents during the night (never once was dry in the morning and rarely was dry after a nap). We were never “completely” potty trained. We could leave the house and stay dry, though. We thought we were on the right track.

Then the rains came down (literately). 

Our house flooded from an upstairs toilet over-flowing… I was 35 weeks pregnant. (You can read the story here) We had to move out of our house for about 3 months. During this time, I gave birth to my second daughter (read her home birth story here).

This whole series of events was too much for a 2.5 year old. We spent one month in a hotel room, one month in a rental house, and 3 weeks in Louisiana with my parents while our house was being worked on.

The Regression

Aidalyn started acting out in the hotel room. She was drawing on the walls and sheets with crayons ( she had never shown any sort of rebellion like this before). She also started crying about having to use the potty. She basically refused to use her potty or the hotel’s potty. She also had to start sleeping with the light on at night.

Using the potty got a little better once we moved into the rental house. We were back in big girl panties and using her little potty with lots of encouragement and rewards.

Then Annaleigh was born and that was another huge life change for a 2.5 year old.

Aidalyn’s personality is that of being a perfectionist, type A and in control. Her little world as she knew it was spinning out of control and the only thing she could control was #1 using the potty or not and #2 eating or not. We saw both of these issues expressed to the max.

We tried rewards, we tried charts… they worked for a short time. Then they stopped working.

Now she cries at the mention of using the potty. She will tell us at random times “I don’t want to use the potty.” She also says that the potty is scary.

I’m not saying that I don’t believe your 3 year old should be potty trained. I am saying I’m okay with my 3 year old not being potty trained.

parenting, potty training, stress and kids, dealing with kid's emtions

 Adam and I are both over achievers and like to put success on reaching goals.

When it comes to our children and their development…

It isn’t a race.

It isn’t something to brag about.

These are little people who need to be respected and given their own time to progress and grow. 

Every child is different, despite the charts and graphs you always see.

Our job as parents is to help build the scaffolding to ease them into the next phase of growth.

I think that we would have been potty trained already if all the other crisis didn’t happen during the time of that developing skill. Who knows.

Right now, I’m focusing on changing Aidalyn’s inner voice. I keep reminding her that “The potty isn’t scary.” “Big girls use the potty.” “When you are ready, you let mommy know and we will use the potty together.”

I am going to be ready for her to show me that she is ready. I will help her as she gets over her fear of using the potty. Once that happens, I will be there to support and encourage her. But for now, I am waiting.

So to the mom who’s 3 year old isn’t potty trained, the mom who’s 6 month won’t sleep through the night, the five year old who isn’t reading novels: read more

Working out as a Stay at Home Mom

Being a stay-at-home mom is a full-time job in itself, but that doesn’t mean you have to neglect your own health and fitness. In fact, finding time for self-care and exercise can be the key to feeling fabulous and energized throughout the day. So, if you’re a busy mom looking to stay fit and healthy, look no further! In this blog, I’m going to share my top tips, low carb recipes, keto recipes, sugar detox ideas, and healthy tips specifically tailored for busy moms like you. Get ready to get fit and feel fabulous working out as a stay at home mom! read more

How to Heal Diastasis Recti

How to Heal Your Abs After Pregnancy
How to Heal Your Abs After Pregnancy

After I had my baby, I started searching for exercises to heal your abs and how to heal Diastasis Recti. These tips will show how to bring abs back together after pregnancy.

Diastasis Recti is the separation of the abdominal muscles. Most commonly occurs as a result of pregnancy.

Before I was pregnant, I had no idea how my body was going to change to bring in this little person into the world. Once she was here, I felt like I had to learn how to be me again. I found out that during pregnancy my body had developed Diastasis Recti.

Some women are just prone to this abdominal separation, but there are some factors that increase the likelihood of it occurring: read more

Story of a Waterbirth: Happy 3rd Birthday Aidalyn!

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This is Aidalyn’s water birth story and a 3 year update! I thought it was appropriate to share on her 3rd birthday. This was the day I became a Mama.

3 Years after my Water Birth Story

Aidalyn is such a joy. She is so full of energy and and spunk. She is so stubborn and will fight you to the death that her dress is actually a shirt (or vise versa depending on her mood). I think she would be a great lawyer.

She loves My little pony and Go Diego Go! oh and don’t forget Disney Princesses!

Her favorite foods are black beans and cheese, almond butter sandwiches, and muffins. Favorite snacks are popcorn, nuts, yogurt, cheese, and fruit. read more

How to Control Gestational Diabetes Naturally

Hey there, incredible moms-to-be! Are you navigating the journey of gestational diabetes and searching for ways to manage it naturally, all while ensuring the health and well-being of you and your baby? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Gestational diabetes may seem daunting, but with the right approach, you can take control of your health and enjoy a smooth pregnancy journey. In this blog post, we’ll dive into some practical tips on how to manage gestational diabetes naturally through diet and exercise. From making mindful food choices to staying active and finding balance in your daily routine, we’re here to support you every step of the way. So, grab a cozy seat, mama-to-be, and let’s embark on this empowering journey together! read more

Pregnancy and Gestational Diabetes

pregnancy, gestational diabetes, low carb

Pregnancy is wonderful… Gestational Diabetes is not.

I’m 29 weeks pregnant now. Usually around this time, it is typical to test how your body is responding to glucose. In your pregnancy, there are certain hormones that can interfere with your body’s ability to bring glucose into the cells leaving a higher blood glucose. If you think about it, it makes sense because you want some glucose to go to the baby. However, if too much glucose goes to the baby, you could end up with an unhealthy, “fat” baby with sugar issues at birth.

Last pregnancy, I did the typical one hour 50 grams of glucose test. I think my result was 140 (which is the upper limits of normal). From that point on, I was put on a very restrictive, low carb diet. This was before I had ever heard of being grain free or paleo. It was a major shock for me when I had no recipes that I liked that were basically no carbs (no sweet potatoes : ( , brown rice, beans).

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Gestational diabetes is somewhat controversial in some groups as in “does it really exsist” or is it a normal thing in pregnancy to have higher blood glucose to give energy to the baby. Most studies show that there is no better outcome from being diagnosed with gestational diabetes – if anything there are few positive outcomes when doctors insist on inducing early or just scheduling c-sections due to risk of larger babies.

One article I read, said that possibly babies that are going to be larger and need more energy release a signal to the placenta to secrete more hormones that block glucose absorption into the mom’s cells leaving more for the growing baby. I’m not sure, but it makes sense given my 9 pound baby – is now a toddler who is over the 95th percentile for weight and height. I don’t think there was anything I could have done differently to have “grown” a smaller baby given her personal genetics.

Luckily, going through that process last time has helped me so much this pregnancy. I decided to decline the one hour glucose tolerance test, and just test at home one hour after meals to see what foods caused any spikes. I wouldn’t say that I have gestational diabetes, but I do tend to have glucose intolerance – which would be the precursor. I have very few high numbers 2 hours after meals (over 120)

November 14 2007 day 34 - Meters

The past week I have been testing and showing that I do great for my typical breakfast and lunch. I start my day with eggs and yogurt and usually have a huge salad for lunch. Dinner is usually when I vary my meals. I’ve learned that I can have some carbs this pregnancy (I don’t think I could handle any carbs at first last pregnancy).

I cooked homemade chicken alfredo with tons of vegetables and tossed with pasta – it was SOOOOOO good!! and it didn’t spike my blood sugar! But If I eat over 50 grams of carbs (or so) even with lots of protein, I will see a rise in my blood sugar. Last night we had CORN (clean our refrigerator night) and I had taco meat and black beans, with roasted sweet potatoes, carrot souffle (recipe here) and green beans. At one hour, my glucose level was 106 – which is great!

Again, the change isn’t as bad as last pregnancy when I was eating a lot more carbs (whole grain what-nots). When I don’t eat any carbs (fruit, starchy vegetables, etc) I don’t feel like I have any energy – like can’t get out of the chair. So I am very thankful I can tolerate some healthy forms of carbs for energy.

Exercise wise: I am either doing about 35 minutes on my elliptical machine (last week I got in 55 minutes one day!) or going on about a 50 minute walk in my hilly neighborhood daily. I would exercise normally, so that isn’t a change at all.

I just have to be a little more proactive in what I’m going to cook or eat – and no cheats – which I would have had a treat at small group that I will have to pass on now : ( Only 10 weeks or so left! Of course I want to do anything to have a healthy pregnancy and baby, this will be worth it in the end.

I’m taking the Perfect Prenatal whole food vitamins throughout my pregnancy. They were recommended to me when I was pregnant with Aidalyn and I loved them so much I’m taking them again. You can buy some through HerbsPro (affiliate) with this discount code:

We are getting so excited about welcoming Annaleigh into our family!

Read my Tips for Controlling Gestational Diabetes Naturally! 

How to Control Gestational Diabetes Naturally

Read Annaleigh’s Birth Story Here 

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