Childbirth

November 4, 2016 black family life

…on breastfeeding for seven years straight

This post was sponsored by WaterWipes as part of an Ambassador Program for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review.

Ok, I’m reaching. Sorta.

If it weren’t for my soon-to-be 7-year-old giving up the breast for table food before he turned 1, that title would actually be true. Not complaining at all, just being honest. My 4-year-old nursed until he was 2.5 and I was pregnant with my now 19 month old (who still comes knocking 8 times a day like I owe him $20!)

The crazy part is, I actually love long term nursing. I love the early stages of motherhood when I can love and hug on them and they still need mommy. That’s when they’re the cutest. Along with nursing for-eva, I’ve really enjoyed the non-stop adventure that is growing little boys. After thinking I would never have children for a while and remmbering how devastating that thought was, I make sure to savor all their little moments – even the moments that make me wanna pull my hair out…or cause you to lose your hair like I did after my most recent birth.

I remember my first adventure in breastfeeding. My oldest son was a preemie and I had to pump milk while he was in the NICU. He was so precious and small, but he didn’t stay that way for long! I had milk coming out of my eyes! Much more milk than the mini freezer in the NICU could handle. They had to stop me from bringing in bottles. I wish I had known then about milk banks because I could’ve fed at least three more babies!

WaterWipes works hard to remind mothers of the importance of savoring those first moments with our babies. It’s beautiful to know that a company is basing their mission on building a stronger bond between mama and baby through promoting skin to skin contact. WaterWipes encourages us to indulge in the early memories of motherhood, because sometimes in the everyday mayhem, we can forget how beautiful momlife really is.

My most vivid memories from my birth experiences were centered around touch. I couldn’t hold my oldest baby for 4 days while he stabilized in an incubator. I would reach my hand inside and rub his little back for hours, talking to him, praying with him. It was definitely painful but he was a fighter. When I was finally able to hold him I think I stayed in the NICU for 2 months straight giving him Kangaroo care – skin to skin holding that helps babies develop. I talked all about it in this post a while back. Looking back on that first year I’m amazed at how far we’ve come.

From 2.9 lbs to preparing to lose his two front teeth! He’s a big boy now!

I love that WaterWipes encourages mothers to take the time to slow down and enjoy all the beautiful firsts.

For my most recent homebirth, it was beautiful to share it with my older boys. They were so excited to have a new little brother and I remember my now 4-year-old asking “is the baby gonna drink my milk now?” He seemed so sad but it was really the cutest thing. It took him a while to get over the fact that he wasn’t the baby anymore.

Now they’re big enough to help ME!

Having home births meant I didn’t give myself “maternity leave” – which I’ll never do again (the taking-no-breaks part, not the homebirth part). I shared how hopping right back into work affected me here. Next time around I’ll be sure to take my time and bask in every moment…but that’s far into the future!

WaterWipes asked us to share some of our favorite first moments in a beautiful compilation video that you can check out below.

We all love remembering our babies’ first year and all the moments that make motherhood the most special journey. Of course, it gets messy. You will lose sleep and have to wash pureed veggies out of just about everything. And you’ll wonder if it’s possible for a little human to pull your boob off your chest – but it’s all worth it. The years pass by so fast. In the messiest moments I try to remember how much I’ll miss it all when they’re way too busy being big boys to hug and love me.

August 23, 2016 Childbirth

How Kangaroo Care helped my Preemie grow

This post was sponsored by WaterWipes as part of an Ambassador Program for Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review.

I was only 29 weeks pregnant when my water broke with my first son. Single and sorta crazy, I’d planned a home birth …yes, alone.

What’s that they say about the best-laid plans?

Thankfully, I was admitted – then put on bedrest. I gave birth at 31 weeks and 4 days. He was tiny. 2 lbs. 9 oz. and I didn’t get to hold him for almost 4 whole days. All praises to God that he was healthy enough to breathe on his own and didn’t need much in the way of interventions. He came out fighting and he’s still a fighter.

He came out fighting and he’s still a fighter.

That’s him making the silly face! Almost as big as me now!

He grew so strong, so quickly that I was able to bring him home in a little over a month. I can’t take the credit, though. A precious, elderly African doctor gave me the best advice to help him along. She told me to hold my son skin-to-skin as often as possible to help him develop. She called it “kangaroo care” and it was wonderful. I was able to bond with my baby while giving him what he needed to grow.

I love how this WaterWipes Pure Love video highlights the importance of the critical bonding that happens through skin-to-skin contact with baby. From regulating the baby’s heart rate to controlling baby’s temperature; skin-to-skin contact helps babies handle all the changes that happen outside the womb.

I spent every day of my 6-week maternity leave (and then some) in the NICU cradling my baby against my skin and filling him up with “the best milk”.

I’ve had two home births since then. (Stories for a whole ‘nother post) I still use the kangaroo method to comfort my babies as they get accustomed to being earth side. I’ve noticed how my babies breathing matches mine when we’re skin-to-skin. The WaterWipes Pure Love video shows the science behind that.

Along with knowing our options in birth, I’ve always advocated using the purest natural products as well – because why go through all the trouble of a natural birth to turn around and load baby and mama up with unnatural chemicals?

Natural baby care doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

It was a challenge for me to find pure and natural baby care items at a reasonable price. I turned to DIYing it for a while but as a mom of three, time management is critical to my sanity. WaterWipes changed the game with their pure water baby wipes. (Do wipes really need anything else?) Their two-ingredient solution is 99.9% Irish water and .01% grapefruit seed extract.

I love that they’re natural and chemical free. More than that, I love that they’re strong. All my cloth diaper mamas know, there is nothing worse than a flimsy wipe! With a baby in cloth diapers and two big boys making all sorts of messes, I need a wipe that can stand up to the challenge.

They’re pure enough to use during my most vulnerable moments after birth, yet tough enough to pack for the first day of school.

My boys are all too big for skin-to-skin comfort now. Yep, even the 1 year old, but the closeness we created in those early days never left them. They’re all still “attached” and I’m blessed to have that bond. I’m also blessed to be able to make better choices when it comes to the products I use on their delicate skin.

This WaterWipes Pure Love video is a beautiful reminder of how important skin-to-skin contact is for babies.

Have you tried natural products to care for your baby’s skin?

July 8, 2015 Childbirth

#WombmanWednesday: How I didn’t take a break after homebirth and paid the price.

homebirth, childbirth, natural birth, natural home birth

This is me LITERALLY 2 minutes after birth returning emails and checking sales. Still waiting to birth placenta…yea, that’s sad!

Remember when I said “after I have this baby I’m gonna rest and chill and jut take care of my body!” Well, that turned out to be a big fat lie! When I was saying that I didnt take my future-scope goggles out and realize that we’d be displaced for more than a month, I’d have jewelry orders backed up or that Hubz would lose his job and we’d be on a grind trying to make ends meet. LIFE HAPPENS!

Of course I just went with the flow of things. I didn’t take a second to stop and say “but I NEED this”. I needed that time to rest and let my body get itself together. Especially after such a difficult birth.

To be honest, today, three months post partum, is the first day I’m saying- Eff it all, I’m getting some rest! Why? Because I keep spotting and i know my body is telling me I need to let it recover.

Yes, I’ve been drinking my teas and doing my v-steams but there’s nothing like proper rest and relaxation. There’s no magic herb or pill that will take the place of giving your body time to recharge and recover.

Birth is a serious process for the body and even if you do go the hospital route with meds and painkillers- your body still needs time to recover.

I know things come up and it feels like if YOU don’t handle it, it won’t get done- but the post partum period is a serious time that deserves your utmost care and respect. Give yourself permission to take a break. You’ve just given almost all of your life force to bring life into the world. Don’t take that lightly- in theory OR in practice.

You don’t have to lose the baby weight in a week. You don’t have to “get your sexy back” in a month. The house will get cleaned. CHILL MAMA!

Have you experienced any body issues after birth? Share them with me so I don’t feel so alone in this! 🙂

Peace to your body and health to your soul! 🌻

April 9, 2015 Childbirth

#WombmanWednesday: Getting ready for Birth + VIDEO

Note: Unpublished Post from last month…but still useful 🙂

Drumroll please! We have arrived! The last month of pregnancy is here and I’m soooo ready to pop!

I’m waking up daily hoping to find a puddle of water under me so we can get it over already!! But another side of me wants to stay glowing and pregnant as long as possible.

And the third side (yes I know) says we’re all too busy being “busy” to be giving birth right now!

…

March 17, 2015 Childbirth

So Delicious, No Bake Labor Energy Balls

So, we all know how “rigorously” we’re over here getting ready for our home birth. I’m especially trying to make sure all the bases are covered because the kids will be home and we’ve moved kinda far from family so there won’t be any “helping hands” around.

Anywho, if you’ve ever endured the HOURS long experience that is childbirth, you know that keeping your energy up is KEY! Not just for mama but everyone else involved too.

So I worked up this energy ball recipe-thinking it’d be an OK little snack that we can munch on during our labor and LET ME TELL YOU….They may be gone before labor even gets here!

Good thing they’re so quick and easy to make because I can throw another batch together in no time!

…

March 11, 2015 black family life

VIDEO: Our Super Simple Homebirth Kit…..and my “birth anxieties”

So here she is….the video you’ve all been waiting for!

OK, maybe not, but I’m excited 🙂

Here’s the skinny on what we have on hand for the birth (definitely NOT a hospital worth of equipment) and why we keep it simple!

Also, answering the “are you scared?!” “OMG ur SOOO brave” questions and comments.

Take a gander then let’s chat about it!…

January 27, 2015 Childbirth

Super Luxurious (and easy) DIY Baby Wipes + Multipurpose Solution

Disclaimer: I’ve included affiliate links in this post for your convenience, but I would never recommend a product that I don’t absolutely love!

So I finally got around to filming my wipes tutorial! I know, the anticipation was killing you!!

I make my own because I’m a snob for moisture and gourmet ingredients in my skin care stuff and I refuse to drop greenbacks on those fancy pants brands!

But really, these wipes are a hit in our house and (surprisingly) when we send our babies out for overnight visits, other folks love them too!

They’re super super moisturizing, yet cleansing and healing at the same time! And BONUS, You can leave them dry and keep a spritzer of solution in your purse!

I keep several little spray bottles at all times because it’s SO much better than hand sanitizer!

Now, the wipes themselves aren’t luxurious….unless you consider stealing your husbands tshirts a luxury- then by all means….

But the solution is AMAZING!! If you use just a few drops of skin-safe essential oils, !the scent is DIVINE! If you’ve never tried EOs, the time is NOW! They’re every mommy’s best friend! Here’s a great price on a bottle of therapeutic grade lavender oil, I think that’s the best one to start with… and this sized bottle should last you WELL into the year!

As you can see in the video, I’m using an infused olive oil. Really easy to make! I added dried calendula flowers (which you can find here) to a jar of olive oil and let it infuse in a sunny spot for about two weeks. It’s amazing at calming all sorts of skin conditions, including excema and diaper rash. I’ve been using it in our DIY diaper rash cream and it works wonders!

Anywho, enough jibber jabber! Here’s the video! Enjoy![youtube=http://youtu.be/L18hxKa_VE8]

January 6, 2015 Childbirth

My Little Cushy Butts PLUS DIY Cloth Diaper Tutorial

*Affiliate links included in this post for your convenience.

Who doesn’t love a baby with a cushy cotton butt? They’re super adorable! It’s too easy and eco-friendly, and did I mention CUTE?! OMG!!

I know, I know… our parents and grandparents generation will make you feel like cloth diapers were the bane of their existence but I’m telling you, they’re AWESOME now! Long gone are the days of plain pinned diapers (or God forbid- bed sheets) and those horrible “rubber pants” – that I’ve never seen but I hear about too often!

Diapers are too cool for school now and I can’t even begin to tell you how much money we’ve saved by switching!

Now, generally, cloth diapering, especially if you want the cute ones, is a serious investment in the beginning. Even if you buy “pre-loved” diapers via DiaperSwappers or other sites, they’ll run you at least $8/ ea…yea….think about how many diapers your kids use and how many you’ll need… Those $8 begin to add up!

Around the time I got pregnant with my second son I decided to dig into the DIY world and started making all sorts of things at home. I knew I wanted to cloth diaper as well because I couldn’t live with those “millions of pounds of diapers in the landfill” statistics. Being a brand new family with very little disposable income, I figured I could DIY some diapers too. I talked all about it on my old blog.

Those were my very first attempt and they worked for the time being. The great thing is, they still work today for inserts, soakers, etc.

So any who, I’ve up’d my game in the cloth diapering world and got my sewing skills in order. I’ve officially switched to PUL fabric with this baby (mostly because I found some from //ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=wwwnspiyahdli-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B005P1RILI&asins=B005P1RILI&linkId=33KUGQ2WNCA47HH5&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true“>Babyville Boutique on an awesome sale on Amazon) and I’ve FINALLY done a tutorial for you mamas who are ready to save BIG TIME!! Enjoy mamas!

December 19, 2014 Childbirth

My Natural Pregnancy and how I’m listening to my body

So we all know I’m pregnant right? Well I am FULL! Lol! “Bursting with life” if you will. As a matter of fact, as I’m writing this post I’m being punched in the bladder and the back at the same time! I’m guessing this will be a tall one.

Anywho, if you’ve been following us since our last pregnancy (which we -sorta- documented over at www.beautifulzion.weebly.com) you know that pregnancy and childbirth are two things that we hold at the highest regard.

It’s sacred to us. It’s sacred in general but today’s “culture” kinda steps all over these processes with worry and interventions. To keep our sanity intact, we go about things a little (lot) differently.

We handle everything, outside of medical emergencies, ourselves. We definitely don’t recommend that approach for everyone but we have years of experience as well as a network of awesome midwives and doulas to keep us on track.

So back to the topic. I woke up this morning with a weird pain in my lower abdomen which reminded me that I haven’t shared much about my healthcare regimen with my sistas on THIS blog yet. (Oh but I will. I have a whole video series planned before this baby gets here.) Handling my own care has made me sort of an expert at listening to my body. So of course I’m on full relax mode today.

That “listening to your body” part may be the most important aspect of self healing. See, you can go see a doctor and TELL them what you’re feeling, but only you can FEEL what you’re feeling. Your body is always telling you exactly what it needs. Obedience to those ques is key to keeping your machine running smoothly.

I’ve learned to obey my body’s demands whether I’m pregnant or not. That’s one of the ways we stay healthy. If I’m tired, I rest. If it hurts, I attend to it. Also having a healthy knowledge (and supply) of healing herbs, oils, foods, etc makes it easier.

I’m currently sipping a mug of my MUST HAVE pregnancy brew. It’s a mixture of nettle leaves and red raspberry leaf with a few other herbs. Soothing my soul, I tell ya!

Some other things I make sure to keep tabs on are my blood pressure, my weight, and my “BM”s. (Yea, when we’re talking body health, I had to go there.)

Whether your doing things the traditional way or the modern way I really can’t stress the importance of being able to listen to your own body. Paying attention to those aches and pains and looking deeper into the causes.

Minimizing stress on my mind and body wasn’t easy at first. You feel like “if I don’t stress about it, how will it get handled?” Or “if I don’t do it, who will?” But at some point I realized that it’s not the stress that solves the problem and I don’t HAVE to do EVERYTHING…. Some things don’t even need to get done. Learning to relax and let my body do what it’s built to do naturally – grow, heal, reproduce- has helped me get through these last two pregnancies comfortably (enough) and happily.

I only wish I’d learned all this earlier!

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Have you tried natural products to care for your baby’s skin?

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