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I have not been patient toward the end of this pregnancy. I kept thinking we’d go early, like with SweetPea. I kept thinking my water was about to break {and then thought it had}. I planned ahead so much, I had the entire month of May scheduled for blog posts and our meal plan! I nested so hardcore, there was nothing left to sort except the freezer. I let my head leap ahead of my pregnant tumtum, and look where we are now. 41 weeks. Still prego. Had our scan today and found out he’s completely healthy and happy! And that my cervix is doing well and getting ready . . . so I gave up the despairing attitude and decided we can go til 42 weeks before induction. He really truly might come on his own. It had been a long few weeks and we were wavering on when to induce. At one point I thought that there was no single way on God’s green earth I could go past 41 weeks. As soon as they did the scans to ensure he was okay, take him OUT. But then I thought, well, maybe if my cervix has changed. Maybe if there are signs he could come in his own time. My wise double doula team reminded me that lots can happen in hours, much less days. And that it doesn’t hurt him to give him a longer leash. And my midwives are awesome about birth being natural, normal, and…
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You know my sister, Molly, the super awesomest of us all who founded Brooklyn Herborium, that I’ve talked about a few times and times. She wrote this guest post over at Well Rounded NY a while back about 5 skins tips for the pregnant woman whose face is being assaulted by her own bod. You know how it goes. — Hormones are amazing. They enable us ladies to become pregnant in the first place, given that they are the body’s chemical messengers. They also are the culprits in some of pregnancy’s less charitable contributions to our skin in the 9 months leading up to birth. The good news is that the vast majority of pregnancy-related skin woes will disappear post-birth. But in the mean time, there are some lovely herbal remedies for alleviating their presence here and now. (I’m writing these recommendations both as a pregnant woman and as an herbalist who makes skincare products.) 1) Acne. As if exhaustion and bloating weren’t enough to think about, acne of pregnancy can be an unfortunate curse for some women. Your hormones can cause your natural sebum (human skin oil) production to go into overdrive (as happens during puberty). This in turn can lead to plugged pores, infection and oxidized papules. Simply put, blackheads and pimples, along with an oily sheen can make your hard days much worse. NOTE: Because of serious risk of birth defects, the anti-acne prescription drugs, such as Accutane and Retin-A, cannot be used during pregnancy (and we don’t think those…
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I have this wonderful platform to share when my friends do great things–and I get to share it with you, lovely readers! My girlfriend Karen is one of those warm souls you meet and immediately want to just go to get a hot cocoa with and talk and talk. She’s mellow but passionate, gentle but intense, and happens to have been a practicing doula for quite a while now. She’s officialled herself as Filia Birth Services (not a word? sue me!). We got to do a little Q&A about what she’s up to, what this is all about, and why you want to contact her when you’re expecting for her expert & loving guidance through the birth journey. With no further ado: I give you: Karen. Tell us a little about your new venture of Filia Birth Services. How did it come to be? What drew you into the birth world? Over the past several years, many friends have had babies, and I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside them and learning from their experiences. What I’ve found is that regardless of the circumstances of labor (e.g. how long or short the labor was, or whether they had a natural or medicated birth, or whether they welcomed their baby vaginally or via C-section) their overall perception of the birth and of themselves hinged on one factor–how supported they felt in labor. A labor may have been long and arduous, but if the mama was surrounded by a loving partner and one or two knowledgeable, compassionate…
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Hey there and welcome to Currently, where we talk about what we are Currently up to and also let you share your own through the link-up below. We’d love for you to join us and add a link to your own Currently post! It’s a great way to make new friends and build community. Thinking about: I’m at the end of my third pregnancy and I’m contemplating how different my life is with children–things like not worrying or caring about shopping for cute clothing {for me, that is}, staying current on great bands, or even seeing feature films. My brother called me the other night from a Red Box movie rental spot and was quizzing me on what he should rent for date night with his wife. I hadn’t seen a single one of the films he listed! Maybe I had heard of them?? Parenting means you can step across the threshold into this different world, and then live in that bubble. Staying at home for me means the bubble stays even smaller. Thinking about what I want to still access from outside the bubble (movies? certainly music!) and what I can just let go of (fashion?! I went through my pre-baby dress wardrobe a while back–so many unworn lovelies!). Reading: Despite being an English major and an avid, even voracious, reader my whole life, lately I’ve either been reading journalistic accounts of sociological studies, self-help books, homeschooling curriculums, or cook books. The classics are dusty around here. I did…
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Have you seen a billion Mother’s Day ideas online? Me too. Many include purchasing beautiful gifts (like me & my etsy shop coupon for 30% off MAMA21014) or designing intricate projects. Pinterest worthy. Not realistic for me. Let’s be honest. I’m STILL pregnant at 40+ weeks and motivation is at an all time low. It was miraculous we got to the park the other night (well, that I went along to the nightly ritual of the park). Gotta admit: Mother’s Day for us is usually so low key at our house. We kids either go in on a gift for our mom, or we all do our own thing, and for me, AA has the kids do some artwork and shower me with extra kisses. It’s a beautiful but, like I said, low key time o’ year. Right now, sitting at 40+ weeks pregnant, I would love the gift of our son’s arrival, frankly. ARE YOU LISTENING, BABYLOVES? Riiiight back to your free ideas, for those who’ve run out of time or moolah. 1) Love letter. You don’t have to be a poet. You just have to be able to either write, or type, and say something(s) nice. They can be trite; they can be deep. Just compose it. Something like this for my mama: Dear Mama, You always put your children first, above your own needs, wants, and dreams in life. And now that you’re older and we tease you about wearing our sweatpants from high school, know also…
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Or when I wet myself in our kitchen. There. I said it. Embarrassment over. Or just beginning? At either rate, when SuperBoy exclaimed “Oh, Mama, you had an accident!”–turns out the kid was on to something. You see, I thought I was a water-breaking pro. My water has broken with both the other children so I figured I’d know it when I felt it/saw it/dare I use another sense? It was the perfect day to have a baby. Saturday morning, my sister went off to help close family friends move as did AA. I took the kids in the double stroller I gratefully inherited from a cousin for a vigorous walk. It’s been a while since I was that brave as to actually attempt exercise, but I’d have a great sleep Friday night. I had finished knitting a special blanket for BabyLoves with this beautiful hand-died yarn my brother & sis-in-law gave me last year. The stars had aligned. I was ready for an adventure, a warm beverage, and maybe a bakery item. Off we zoomed. The kids were happy! It was sunny and bright! The cinnamon swirl I got from Bread & Chocolate was perfectly baked and the kiddos gnoshed their croissants merrily. We headed back down Summit Avenue, actually seeing AA’s red truck he had packed with our friends’ furniture roll down the road in front of us! Yes, I was feeling contractions and tightness, both of which I attributed to my being abysmally out of shape. As…
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