We were just waiting for the Braxton Hicks contractions to turn into the real deal so we could get our daughter here. Sunday morning was spent with the church family and then the afternoon was spent with Greg’s family celebrating his mom’s 55th birthday. I was feeling pretty good and honestly didn’t feel like I’d see my daughter anytime in…
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The Birth of Sicily Rose {Postpartum Hemorrhage, Vanishing Twin Syndrome}
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…
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A Doula’s Empowering Birth Story
I woke up Monday (for the third or fourth time) around 7:45 am, went to the restroom and noticed more bloody show. I had some pink tinged mucous all weekend so I knew some kind of change was happening. Last Monday at my 38 weeks checkup I was 2+ cm dilated and about 50% effaced. So I layed back down…
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Finally, Relief! {A Painful Pregnancy, Spinal Injury}
This is Tammy’s story. May 13, 2011 (Friday the 13th), I picked up my two children from school, (ages 7 and 4) and was a block away from my home when I was in a terrible accident. I was rushed to the ER where they found I had a collapsed spine, and I underwent surgery. A few weeks later, I…
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A Mother Will Overcome {I Am Strong}
A short and sweet story of a teenage mother, or just a mother, this is Jada’s story: I am strong because I found out I was pregnant at 17, two months into a relationship, and decided then to keep the baby. I am strong because I decided to end the relationship, because I wasn’t happy anymore. I am strong because…
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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?…
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10 Tips to Plan a Mother’s Blessing
A Blessingway is a sacred pre-birth ceremony that has traditionally been performed by Navajo people, and celebrates a woman’s rite of passage into motherhood. Today, a gathering known as a ‘Mother Blessing’ is gaining popularity in North America. Unlike a traditional baby shower where the focus is on gifts, a Mother Blessing puts the focus back on nurturing the woman. A…
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Overcoming 9 Months with {Hyperemesis Gravidarum}
I am strong because I survived nine months with Hyperemesis Gravidarum, which causes severe nausea, vomiting, and dehydration. I found out I was pregnant back in December of 2013. We were in the middle of moving into our new home, and I had the sudden urge to throw up my lunch. I brushed it off telling my husband it was…
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Resharing Banned Link/Post About Supportive Dads
No one reading this needs an explanation of how men and women are different. It’s generally accepted that men, for the most part, are logical fixers and women are, overall, emotional nurturers. Men like to see things from an empirical point of view, cut to the chase, and get to the root of the problem and fix it. Women like to…