**Trigger Warning: This post narrates a traumatic birth.** Sarah Robertson-Barnes, former contributor to the Pregnant and/or Parenting Through Adoption/Infertility/Loss (PAIL) blog collective and writer of Little Chicken Nuggets, shares two birth stories with us. With grace and humor she here describes the challenges of being pregnant after infertility and loss, and the traumatic hospital birth of her son, HGB. Tomorrow, Sarah…
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Permission to Love the Imperfections
When I got pregnant with my first baby 10 years ago, I was so excited to have a homebirth. I was fully committed to natural childbirth, breastfeeding, co-sleeping and being an awesome mom. When my son was born, I realized quickly that I loved birth so much that I wanted to become a doula. I read all the books I…
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Food Budgets and Meal Planning {Challenges of Motherhood}
Food. It’s important (just a little) and we all have to buy it. Most of us have to cook it as well (or at least make sure someone in the house cooks it). But when a family sits down to budget – or figure out where the money went – we can usually plan on a large sum going to…
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The Skinny Mom: Does She Think She’s Better Than You?
“When my daughter was about a week old I was at the grocery store and a woman asked how old my baby was, I told her one week with a smile. Her response was “well you don’t look like you f***ing had a baby a week ago.” and turned and walked away from me. It hurts to be ostracized by…
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Breastfeeding Week Campaign {Ashley Wright}
Ashley Wright wants young moms to know that breastfeeding a wonderful things. This is what she says about the campaign she started and why these pictures: As much as I had envisioned the photos going viral for breastfeeding, I never thought detractors would arise in which I would need to explain my intent and photo’s purpose. As a breastfeeding…
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Mothering the Mother, Part II: How Postpartum Care Helps Us Love Our Bodies
“A safe pregnancy is a human right for every woman regardless of race or income.” – Amnesty International “I have horrible [postpartum] stretch marks that I feel the need to cover and of course my breasts are nowhere near where I would like them to be.” – Courtney, Beauty Revealed Project. So here I am, sitting cross-legged with a computer…
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Staying Ahead of the Mess {Challenges of Motherhood}
Let me start with a big fat disclaimer. I am not a perfect housewife. Pretty far from it actually! But, as time goes on (7 years cohabitation, almost 5 years of marriage, 2 years as a mom) I am finding what helps me keep a “groove” so that the housework does not drown me. Because lets face it – most…
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If Only I Had Known {Momma Tips}
A small trip with two kids will take no less than an hour and a half Doing your daughters hair will usually put you both in tears. Having a good cry, is almost freeing. Its okay, go ahead. One day your son will ask you if there is a bone in his penis. (Seriously, not kidding) Its really hard to…
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‘Roommate Wanted’ {Going from One Child to Two!}
As I was washing laundry the other day, listening to my boys playing happily and giggling, it dawned on me that we had finally found our groove. My eldest son came into the kitchen where I was folding with an activity book and instantly started asking an array of questions, most of them irrelevant and having nothing to do with…