After a very difficult pregnancy, including pregnancy-induced hypertension (landing me in the ER twice and putting me on 3x the normal dose of BP meds starting at eight weeks), kidney stones, and morning sickness for 23 weeks, I was happy to have made it to 40 weeks with no serious complications. I was in no hurry for labor as long…
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I Thank God Every Day!
On December 26th, 2014 I went to the hospital to be induced with my third daughter. I was 39 weeks and 2 days. The induction was planned by me as I was in so much pain I was in constant tears. I arrived at the hospital at 7:45am and was 4 cm dilated. At 11:30 that morning, the doctor came in and broke my…
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{I Am Strong} Making Peace with the Epidural
I wanted to share with you, the story of the birth of my second daughter, which was at 3:43 am on January 10th. Let’s go back three years, when I gave birth to my first: induced by cervadil, 14 and a half hour labor, and an epidural at 5-6 centimeters where I had lost control and couldn’t gain my focus back.…
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Audrey Lands Earthside
At 3:15 the morning of December 23rd, I woke up to some contractions. They kept happening so I timed them and saw they were all over the place in terms of duration and time apart. I wasn’t sure if this was the real deal or just more practice. They were a bit uncomfortable so I tried to center by visualizing…
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Practicing Fearless Motherhood {in Brazil}
{By Heidi Jo Haughn Palma, Maringá, Brazil.} I would like to share my journey into fearless motherhood. Maringá, Brazil. Public hospital cesarean rate 86%. Private hospital cesarean rate 98%. Who would have thought that in this murky maternal healthcare scenario, I would meet a radiant team of home birth professions. They were relatively young experience wise, but I knew that…
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Mother Mental Illness {Post Partum Depression}
This continues to be something not discussed enough, but needs to be more and more. Please take a listen and share with a mother who has gone through Post Partum Depression (or other similar things). This podcast interview with Mary from Pretty Pushers and Dr. Lisa Duggan from Clemson University discussed the risks and signs of Maternal Mental Illness, and the holes…
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Gorgeous Teething Necklace {The Vintage Honey Shop}
As many of you know, our sixth baby has arrived! I have fed my babies all sorts of ways from pumping, to formula, to tandem nursing. My littlest one has so far been my easiest to breastfeeding and I’m grateful for it! Being my sixth baby, I know that in no time, she is going to start reaching, pulling, and grabbing with her…
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My Breech Twin Vaginal Birth After Three Miscarriages
My story starts with the journey of getting pregnant and what I endured to get these precious babies. My husband and I got married June 2012 and had the most amazing honeymoon filled with love. We decided for me to stop taking birth control and to see what happens. I found out I was pregnant in October, 2012. Before I…
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Preparing for PostPartum {BabyList and BWF Giveaway}
BabyList has taken baby registry to a whole other level. Instead of being confined to one store, you can make custom registries and add items from multiple places. Being my sixth baby, I was more focused on the postpartum period (also referred to as the 4th trimester). I’m very glad I did as I had an unplanned cesarean, which is a longer…