It is a special time for a new mom following the birth of a child.
So many emotions are going through a new mom’s head: I’m not pregnant any more! This is the cutest baby I’ve ever seen! Will I get my waist back? I’m already exhausted! Will I ever sleep through the night again? Are they breathing? Am I doing this right? They are so tiny! Oww I need a Tylenol… And this is just in the first 5 minutes!
Everyone wants to help a new mom out, but sometimes we forget what they need the most. Moms need to relax and recover for at least 2 weeks following birth. Having a baby is no easy task for a mom’s body to go through. If they push themselves too soon, they could hemorrhage or develop mastitis.read more
You hear it all the time when you are pregnant “the weight will just melt off when your breastfeed.” However, for some of us, this is just not the case. We are the ones who are not losing weight while breastfeeding.
You may think that you are doing something wrong since your doctor, your friends, magazines, books all tell you that the weight should be going away if you are breastfeeding. There are some real reasons why some of us just don’t “melt” away.
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
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.
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
Congratulations on this beautiful journey you’re embarking on. As you prepare to welcome your little bundle of joy into the world, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is choosing your midwife. This incredible individual will be by your side throughout your pregnancy, labor, and delivery, providing you with support, guidance, and personalized care every step of the way. But with so many options out there, how do you choose the right midwife for you? Don’t worry, mama – we’ve got you covered! In this blog post, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to make this important decision with confidence and peace of mind. So grab a cozy seat, mama-to-be, and let’s dive into the wonderful world of midwifery together!read more
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
Long term use of birth control pills can be dangerous, but there are natural family planning alternatives you can use! Read more I share what we did for natural family planning and what some other options are out there to birth control pills.
Angela of Grassfed Mama shares healthy tips for busy moms.
Is long term use of birth control dangerous?
About 2 years after Adam and I were married and after starting this health discovery process, I started doing some research on birth control pills. I was taking a pill every day to prevent pregnancy… and I just kept reading that this was not healthy for me or my hormones.read more
