When my oldest was a year old, a friend told me that my baby and I couldn’t be as bonded as her and her baby because we bottlefed and she breastfed. I wasn’t necessarily offended, as I was confused. I had a very deep bond with my baby and was madly in love her, so how could she claim that?…
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Ordinary is Amazing, Even in Motherhood
Motherhood is beautiful, worth it, amazing, the most joy you’ll ever know, and the most important work you’ll ever do. Isn’t that cliche? Yet it’s 100% true. It’s also hard. Really fucking hard. Some days you nail it. Meet all your expectations. Even the hardest ones. Perfect non-GMO all organic meals served in BPA-free bento boxes, activities with enough outside…
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The Tree of Life aka the Naked Placenta
I was once banned from posting on the Birth Without Fear Facebook page and personally on Facebook for the placenta picture below. I was also warned that next time, pages and profiles might be deleted. There is nothing stating in any Facebook policies that organs are violating any rules. We all know there are many obscene pictures that do violate policies and are never removed. A…
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Sweet Ellie-Boy
We discovered we were pregnant with you in November of 2014. Your sister was to be turning two years old then and although we had been determined for her to be an only child, we were excited to be bringing you into the world. Our joyousness was quickly squashed by fears from the outcome of our last pregnancy. I was…
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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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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…
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Prepping for Your Home Birth Without Fear {The Ultimate List}
One of the most common questions about homebirth from those considering it is, “What do you need?” While the list of supplies varies from midwife to midwife, there are some basic things that almost everyone is going to need to gather in preparation for the birth. There will also be things you will (probably) want to do for your comfort…
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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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My Postpartum Body {A Poem}
Once upon a time, My skin was smooth. Unscarred. It stretched trimly Over firm muscles And created soft dips down between bones. My hips were tight and narrow. My breasts were small and neat. But with the energy of new life, Every cell in my body was changed And forgot the old ways of being. Things became displaced… My skin…