Blog
July 18, 2016
Mindfulness is defined as the state of being conscious of our feelings, thoughts, and surroundings from moment to moment.
It means being present.
Mindfulness is defined as the state of being conscious of our feelings, thoughts, and surroundings from moment to moment.
It means being present.
It means having an awareness of how good your newborn baby’s head smells, but also being aware of your heart beating faster when your kid won’t nap and you’re desperate for lunch.
Mindfulness allows us to be more fully present with our partner, our children, our boss, ourselves.
It requires not only awareness of what’s going on but acceptance of where we’re at - even if it’s not where we want to be.
It
July 08, 2016
I recently wrote a blog about my grocery store lists and foods I always have in my kitchen. Today's post is going to give you a few ideas of things you can make with those items. This blog will focus on our daily routines and plant-based, dairy-free meal ideas. Developing routines and food prepping in advance have cut in half the amount of time I spend preparing meals. Here are some routines we have implemented into our daily lives. Sidenote: If you haven't already, invest in a high powered blender. I recommend the Blendec or Vitamix. I love my Blendtec and use it everyday.
Routine #1: Lemon Water
I try to start every day with 8 ounces of room temperature or warm water with juice from 1/2 a lemon.
Routine # 2: Green Smoothies
We have a green smoothie every day before breakfast. It took awhile for this to become a habit, but when I got pregnant I drank one every single day, and have ever
June 24, 2016
This is part of a series where Elizabeth Bachner, Midwife and owner of the Gracefull Birth Center, answers questions from parents and parents-to-be. You can learn more about Elizabeth here. And to submit a question, see the email address provided at the bottom of this post.
Dear Elizabeth,
Hi! I’m 38 weeks and 4 days and my doctor has told me that it is his hospital policy for me to be induced at 40 weeks. I’m in a panic, because I had NO idea that this was the policy. I don’t want to put my baby at risk, but I was born at 41 weeks, my sister was born at 41 weeks and 4 days and my mother says that all the babies come late in our family. I’m so scared that the baby will not come until after 40 weeks and I will have to be induced. Any suggestions? -Sacred2BLate
Hello Scared2BLate,
Your question is one of the
June 20, 2016
[youtube]https://youtu.be/KdTAjNoT-Jo[/youtube]
We recently had the pleasure of spending the weekend in Provo, Utah, as we continued our "Mama-to-Be Mornings" series, celebrating the launch of the new Adapt carrier. You can see our New York event highlights here. It was a lovely morning, full of expectant and new parents, with lots of excitement in the air. The venue we chose- The Startup Building- was absolutely perfect for the event! It was the perfect size to accommodate all of our featured vendors, long tables for the luncheon, and a stage for our panel. It was amazing to take a step back while the event was going on, and see all of the happy faces milling around, checking out baby items and mentally adding products to their wishlists!
The three-hour long event
June 07, 2016
While some women never experience nipple pain when breastfeeding, for many new mothers nipple soreness in the first few days is very common. In fact, sore nipples are the number one reason most women give up on breastfeeding. It’s really a shameful statistic, since, for most women, the pain and tenderness is only temporary and usually lessens after a matter of days.
In the first few days of breastfeeding, tender and sore nipples are to be expected. However, cracked and bleeding nipple conditions that last longer than a week should send a signal to new mothers that something more is going on, and it may be time to seek professional help.
When a baby first latches on, there may be some level of pain. I always tell my clients to count to 30 and see if the pain level abates. If her pain doesn’t lessen up, it probably means they baby has not latched on or positioned properly. The solution is simple: try to take her off and latch her back on again. Your nipple
May 16, 2016
Time just seems to get away from you when you have kids right? I swear I just had this little boy and now he's cutting teeth and moving around. I mean, what? I know people always say "time flies" and "before you know it they'll be grown up" but you don't really believe them until your in it and you can't possibly fathom how your once newborn is now 2 1/2 and sassy as ever. Oh, all the emotions seem to be pouring out of me lately. I don't know if it's the post partum hormones, the seasons changing, or just being a mom in general but somethings got me all kinds of teary eyed lately. Right now, more then ever, I'm trying my hardest to soak in every inch of these precious babes. Before I know it, they'll be out of the house and I'll be lucky to get a visit once a month. Tears, tears, ugly cry, more tears.
May 12, 2016
When I first discovered I'd be having a C-section, I felt frightened and overwhelmed. Like many new moms, my C-section was unexpected and I hadn't thought about it or prepared for it. While meeting my son for the first time was incredible, my overall experience was very negative. I had missed out on some essential bonding time with my baby after delivery; struggled with breastfeeding; and overall, did not feel adequately supported.
When I was pregnant with my daughter, I knew that if I needed another C-section, I wanted it to be very different from my first experience. I spoke with several maternal health professionals, had a prenatal visit with a lactation consultant, and created a plan to have a better c-section. My second c-section was a remarkably smoother and very positive experience. Here are some tips that have helped me have a better C-section experience.
1. Know your hospital policies
Make sure to inquire about your hospitals policies regarding the care of you and
May 11, 2016
This is the first in a series of posts from a handful of guest bloggers, documenting baby's first year. This first post comes from talented writer and mama of two, Megan. Visit her Instagram account here, and read on to enjoy a peek into her life with her newborn.
The tiny girl that I carried for nine months and could hardly imagine is finally here in my life and it’s truly extraordinary. I was so distracted by my two-year-old son during this pregnancy that I really could never wrap my mind around the idea of two --- although I’m not sure I could imagine life with my son before he was born either. These first few weeks with León have been hectic, challenging, exciting and undeniably sweet. When I was finally feeling up to it, we
April 19, 2016
One huge perk of babywearing is having extra arms to get everything done. So often we as parents have multiple things to attend to, other children to care for, and a huge to-do list...all with a new baby in tow. It's the "new normal" right? And the funny thing about parenting is that as soon as you have it down, it changes again!
But babywearing is something that has a place in all stages of you and your baby's life. Babywearing is there is create a stronger, closer bond, help with naptimes and rest periods, and also assists parents in parenting other children, including very busy toddlers! Below are some benefits of babywearing while chasing your other rambunctious little ones.
babywearing + chasing toddlers
If your children are anything like mine, there will be plenty of roughhousing and being silly. When my youngest was born I was always a little nervous to put him on the ground with all the activity all around, so I would find myself wearing him around the
April 18, 2016
What happens when we find out we are going to be a mother? Is that the moment we receive the implanted “mommy chip” and become equipped with mother’s intuition? Are we born with it? I remember being pregnant with my first and asking my sisters “What if…?” too many times to count. After working with thousands of Moms and being a mother of 2 myself, I’m a firm believer in “Mama knows best”. Still, so many women ask me, “How can I feel more confident in my choices as a Mom?” Today I’m sharing three ways to tap into your mother’s intuition.
Get educated on all things mom/baby wellness
It’s a great idea to take prenatal classes, read books, and start making some parenting choices before baby even gets here. This gives you a chance to “practice” being a Mom and envision yourself in that role. That doesn’t mean that your views won’t change later! Motherhood takes a lot of adapting to the different stages and what’s working in the moment.