Had it not been for your blog and all the amazing women behind the stories you share, I might not of had the courage to go through what I endured. But, looking back now, I made and I’m a stronger mother and women for it. This past February, we welcomed our second daughter, Sicily Rose to the world. I didn’t…
-
-
Mothering the Mother, Part III: Postpartum Plan {now, with kittens}
I wrote this post just after getting back from the inaugural Birth Without Fear conference almost a year ago. The dust had settled, baby E was back on her (haywire, semi-self-directed) routine, and I had finally stopped wearing my lanyard. I took a few minutes to reflect on my experience and gloat over my new Beco. What was it like?…
-
My Belly, My Baby {Self Love}
This is a picture of my 15 month old and my belly. It has been well over a year, and I have slowly and peacefully accepted that my belly is going to be floppy and riddled with stretch marks for a very long time. She has helped me accept my body. When she nurses, she often caresses my soft, pillowy…
-
A Breastfeeding Mother’s Will Knows No Bounds {I Am Strong; Anxiety, SNS, Donor Milk}
I am strong because after 5 hours of intense labor I gave birth to my beautiful 7lb 13oz baby girl without any pain medication. My daughter had difficulty latching but was able to with a nipple shield. I am strong because I suffered from severe postpartum anxiety and didn’t feel connected to my daughter. I am strong because after a…
-
Breastfeeding and the Workplace
***When I wrote my piece on community support and its effect on breastfeeding, we had a huge request for a follow up piece about breastfeeding and the workplace. So mamas – here it is!*** Breastfeeding in today’s social climate is sometimes an uphill battle. Not only do we encounter booby traps from the media and cultural cues but we also…
-
Maternal Death and the United States {Birth Without Fear}
Maternal Death – the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes. (WHO) This is a subject no one really wants to talk about. Mothers…
-
Grief And Guilt {The Birth Trauma Experience}
Trauma after the birth of a baby is a ‘special’ kind of trauma. It’s a bittersweet kind of trauma. It’s a silent kind of trauma. It’s an invisible kind of trauma. And if your baby is healthy, it is usually considered an unjustified kind of trauma. I suffered from birth trauma. It was agonising, painful, and heartbreaking. I was alone,…
-
A Home Water Birth Based on Faith and Evidence Based Care
Around my daughter’s first birthday in December, it was placed heavily my heart to have another child. I had just graduated college, and the timing seemed perfect. My husband agreed and we found out we were expecting in January with an estimated due date of around September 17! I immediately started researching home birth midwifery options. I had an all…
-
A Healing Hospital Birth {After a Delivery that Resulted in PTSD and Birth Trauma}
This birth story of my daughter Kayla was my healing birth after having suffered a traumatic birth experience with my son Alex in December of 2011. When I gave birth to Alex, it was a traumatic, intense birth to say the least. I struggled with PPD and PTSD as a result of his birth. I wanted Kayla’s birth to be different…