Holden's Birth Story

This birth story is one that's taken me about two months to process. It was a strangely intense but sobering experience; it wasn't what I was expecting for my third natural birth.

Two points to preface; I had my two previous children unmedicated, in the water, at stand alone birth centers. Click over and you can read Penny's and Ruby's. Throughout my pregnancy my midwife, who is a mother of four, mentioned that third babies tend to be a total gambit. Their births are so different from the previous two and from any future babies. I waited, curiously, to see how that would unfold. The second point, which I mention in full anonymity but want to include it in my story because it made a bigger impact on me than I had expected. The evening before I went into labor I learned that a friend had lost her precious baby girl to SIDS.

In the early morning of 40 weeks and 3 days I went into labor after having a bit of prodomal labor for the past week. That previous night my husband's aunt had arrived to stay with us for a week and I took a bath before bed. At 3:40am I was awoken by 90 second contractions that were spaced about 3-4 minutes apart. I probably had been laboring in my sleep and it was the real ones that woke me up. They weren't painful; they caught my attention and given my very fast birth with Ruby - I wanted my midwife to know right away.  My waters had broken but it wasn't a gush as it had been with my first birth. My midwife, Eloisa, agreed that it would be a good idea to carefully pack up and head over. My bag had already been ready for a few weeks, so all we needed to do was pack a few last minute essentials, tell "Nana" that we were headed out.  Let me tell you what a huge relief it is when you are in labor and you know your other children are well taken care of and they don't even need to be moved. When they would awake that morning, they would already be big sisters!

It was about 5:00 am on that Saturday morning when we drove the 20 minutes to my stand alone birth center; The Bellingham Birth Center in Bellingham, WA. My contractions weren't making me anxious. In fact, I was pretty damn chill. Chill enough to ask my husband to stop at the closest coffee stand to get us lattes and muffins. We laughed, said "#3rd baby!" What a difference this was from our first birth; when we got pulled over by a police officer and I yelled at him to either give us a ticket or to let us go...

We pulled in to the birth center at 5:30 and checked in. It's a small historic home that was tastefully converted into a birth center and a very comforting place to me. It has two birth suites and I could hear that there was another mama-to-be laboring in the other room - which was a first for me, in all of my appointments and hours of labor and post-partum through 3 children to be in the birth center while another mama was actively laboring. It is interesting to hear another woman in labor! Unfortunately for this mama, she was sent home a little later. She came in a bit too early.

Eloisa let us settle in and my husband hooked up my cell phone to their stereo and turned on the Pandora station we had been jamming out to lately (Mumford and Sons). I paced and sat on the bed while Eloisa prepped her paperwork too. I was feeling great, calm and relaxed. I was already pleased that this wasn't a "drop everything and run" kind of birth that I was preparing myself for. I was at the birth center, in the place that I wanted to have my son, and I was content. Whatever else was thrown at me - I'm fine. In retrospect, I was too comfortable and fine!

I pace some more, leaking my waters and working through contractions that were becoming more intense. But I quickly was able to overcome that discomfort and whatever position or action that I was doing would quickly become tolerable. Eloisa thought it would be worthwhile to check where I was at, and we discovered that my cervix was pulled back a bit, which was not helping baby boy get into the best position. She had me straddle the birth stool and during a contraction she pulled my cervix forward to help. No surprise, this was not my favorite thing to do, and I believe she had to do it two or three more times during the course of my labor.

Pretty soon I was over pacing, leaning over a couch arm and using the birth stool. I had my daughters in the water and I was wanted to get in. So I labored there for several hours...and AGAIN it was just too comfortable! My dear friend That Mama Gretchen had given me some protein cookies that I stashed into my labor bag so those got brought out and they were amaze-balls (G - I will be needing that recipe!). I asked my husband to send her a text just to emphasize how delicious they were. So there I was, relaxing in the birth tub, laughing, eating cookies and contracting a bit. The perfect image of a mother in labor, right? No. I wasn't getting anywhere!

As I process this experience I know that this stall in my labor was because of the position of my cervix and because of my emotional state. I wasn't excited, I was calm. Peaceful. Patient. Too patient. I don't feel like my head was in the game. I didn't push myself to make the contractions more intense because I didn't want him to come too soon. I knew my body would do what it needed to do. But a question that I ask myself often is "where was my heart in all of this?"

Around noon Eloisa gave me a couple homeopathics to encourage more labor and I used a sling in which I hung my upper body on and lunged through contractions using a stool. For my second birth I had done something similar just doing lunges on the edge of the outside of the tub. Angry contractions for a few minutes, and again - I adapted and it wasn't working anymore.

The final try was to lay on my side in the bed with three pillows stacked between my knees; around noon. WOW that was working! And with vengeance! I lost track of time, but got into the mode of labor where I contracted hard and slept for the couple minutes between contractions. Eloisa gave me some saline to help boost me along. Finally I began roaring through my contractions and I knew it was time to start pushing. And push I tried.

Nothing was happening.

I know the feeling of bearing down and pushing a baby out. I knew what was coming. And nothing was happening; I was pushing with all of my might and I felt no progression. I must have gotten those words out, and all at once I realize that there is a mask being put onto my face. I thought it was nitrous, which is used for pain management and I tried pushing it away (it was my husband who was placing it there). He resisted and kept the mask there. I was hyperventilating and it was oxygen, but I was in "the labor zone" of my consciousness and wasn't really listening to what was being said to me. He was pressing the mask to my face and providing counter pressure to my back that I was asking him for. He was right in the middle of the hardest moments of my life.

Quickly Eloisa tells me that baby's heart rate is down, even with the oxygen, and I need to get on all fours. His head was out (I didn't know this) and I quickly flipped onto my knees. More roaring pushes, not having the sensation I was expecting. I could hear Eloisa say calmly and quietly to the birth assistant to call the paramedics; just in case. She then reached in and pulled my son out.

It was but the smallest moment in time; but to me it was an eternity. The sounds were muffled to me, but I could hear Eloisa saying "call them, he's not responsive." She gives him a puff of oxygen and tells me - "talk to your son. He needs to hear you." I scream in pure terror and agony; all I could think of was the precious baby that my friend had lost just a day earlier. My husband whispers in my ear, "His name is Holden. Talk to Holden," and I scream to him, reaching out to touch him and Eloisa exclaims happily "HE'S FINE!" The paramedics never had to come because everything was fine. I was fine, he was fine.

From that point on everything was normal. He pinked up, he came to me and I hugged him so tight. We nursed. My husband, so physically and emotionally exhausted, quickly settled down next to us on the bed and napped.

A couple hours later Eloisa asked if she may weigh him and he came in a whopping 9 lbs 9 oz. No one was expecting a baby of this size because my larger daughter had been 8 lbs at birth. I didn't have an unusual weight gain. I ate healthily with the guilty pleasure of chocolate, but who could deny me? Besides the difference of having a boy, I don't really have an explanation of why he weighed so much more than his sisters had. But I am thankful for the 11 hour labor, my frustrating patience, even my difficult cervix because it helped extend the length of my labor and give my body time to accommodate a larger baby and of course - the skilled hands of my birthing team.

I have hesitated telling that final part of the story. I know that for many people that may give a sense of fear; maybe that I was extremely lucky and should have been in the hospital. Risk occurs everywhere. My pregnancy was extremely low risk and a stand alone birth center and midwife wouldn't accept an at risk mother. Births are unpredictable and that's kind of what is so magical about them. In processing this experience and speaking with my sister in law, who is a labor & delivery nurse, she had helped me reframe the part that scared me - that he was "unresponsive." "Babies born naturally and of that size are just born stunned. Imagine what they went through to be born. They just need a minute to catch up," she told me. It changed my perspective from one of fear to acceptance of the norm. Sure, it was hands down the scariest moment of my entire life, but does it mean that I've failed or made a foolish decision to have my child away from a hospital? No. He was born into the hands that he needed to be; hers were the ones that God knew would be the best to guide him here. I don't think there is enough thanks that I could give this woman for what she did for us.

Two months later and Holden is such an amazing addition to our family. The love that his sisters lavish upon him is without a doubt the sweetest thing I have ever seen.

---

As a final note, one part of a lot of births that is overlooked is how the dad is doing. In our case, Adam had taken the front row seat for all of my births but this one was particularly intense.  Pushing the mask onto my face, seeing his wife do the birth exactly as she was supposed to and not being able to get the baby out, and the final adrenaline spike of his first moments in life. Personally I felt completely fine and was recovering normally after getting Holden in my arms, but dads are a different creature. I experienced it, but he SAW it all. Be sure to give the daddy the opportunity to process as well. 

10 New Baby & Parent Memes

So if you've been hanging in there with me, you've seen my 10 end of pregnancy memes. One guarantee that my midwives were able to make was that my baby WILL come out, and so he did! 

"Little" Holden Dean arrived today after an 11 hr labor, weighing in at 9 lbs 9 oz and 21". We are elated, blessed and home. #pierogiepregnancy

A post shared by Bianca @ The Pierogie Mama (@thepierogiemama) on Jun 17, 2017 at 8:27pm PDT

My birth story will be published soon, but as you know - so here I am - in the throes of new parenthood and the newborn phase. It's so sweet - the little coos, that fresh baby smell, the snuggles and loves. And then there's the other 23 1/2 hours of your day - where you are in a fine balance of exhaustion and elation. 

One of the greatest gifts I received at the end of my pregnancy was all the extra sleep. I have NO idea how that happened with a 3 and 5 year old, but somehow the Good Lord decided that after almost 6 years of unrestful sleep, I deserve a little break in preparation for little boy. I'll miss it.

Anyone else have babies who don't follow your predetermined, perfected schedule? Or better yet - older siblings??

So true. Labor and birth are meant to be hard, but the end result is so, so worth it.

I'm hoping it's a little sooner than that, but many nights I feel like I'm pretty close to falling off the edge of reality.

This is especially true for cloth diapered babies when you start a wash.

I had 4 friends who were due in the same week as I was - and 3 of them delivered their babies at 38 and 39 weeks. Every baby comes on their own time, but seriously... did that put a bee in my bonnet to get this baby out faster.

I feel like this is a serious piece of flair that parents need to get on their vests. Do you remember how insanely exhausted you were in the first week after baby was born? How you reverted to an almost primal response to everything in life because all civility had been washed away?

I think babies are born absolutely adorable and sweet smelling so that their parents can forgive them for the lack of sleep. That first time that baby locks eyes with you, smiles or coos... that suddenly makes it all worth it. For a minute.

As a veteran mama of three I know that struggle. And I've apparently chosen to do it two more times after experiencing it the first time; just like Katniss seemed to wind up back in trouble with the Hunger Games series.

Pierogie #3 is a boy! --26 week ramblings--

Like most moms who are chasing around kids during pregnancy, I just haven't had the time to sit down and reflect on this little one a whole lot! So here's a brief run down of the first 2/3 of my third pregnancy.

First trimester:

• tired and nauseated. Surprised, anyone?
• cravings for steak and soft cheeses like NONE OTHER.
• Interviewed two birth centers and picked our favorite. What a totally different experience it is to be in the position to interview your midwife and make sure that her scope of care fits into what I want. Being a 3rd time stand alone birth center, water birthing mom, I had a lot of specific questions and preferences! I was so happy to find the perfect fit between the two birth centers and have been loving the care that I've been receiving, feeling supported and also the recognition that I'm a "no muss, no fuss" kind of pregnant gal. 

Second trimester:

• The love for food came back with full force! Woo hoo!!
• Energy to play with my kids came back too! Yippeee!!
• 20 week ultrasound - the only one we plan to schedule - revealed that we will be adding a BABY BOY to our family! Big Sister Penny (age 5) had guessed that baby is a boy and is really excited about it. Big Sister Ruby (age 3) was hoping for a baby sister and has recently warmed up to the idea of a brother. What a fun and exciting new journey this will be for all of us.
• Alas, starting around 24 weeks my hips started to ache. Thankfully I already knew about the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy and was able to meet with a well recommended chiropractor in our area. She's been working on getting me aligned and subluxation free to help carry this baby effectively and comfortably.
• Pierogie #3 loves to move around the most in the evenings when we are relaxed in bed and quiet. It's become very obvious when he is doing somersaults and rolling from side to side. 
• We celebrated the big sisters' birthdays - they are two years and a week apart so the first part of March is a birthday extravaganza for us! It was so sweet to reflect on my births for each child and how the experience of being pregnant changes as your children get older.
  // Read Penny's birth story // Read Ruby's birth story// 
• At 26 weeks weeks and over this past week I've had to be very proactive about taking care of my hips and pubis. Thanks to a few specific stretches, hot tub date nights, more chiropractic adjustments and a ring sling I've been able to keep the pain and discomfort at a manageable level but the pregnancy waddle has started early!

Pierogie #3 is on the way! -- 15 week ramblings--

I announced on my facebook and instagram a few weeks ago, but being that my blog has been quiet for about a month now - I figured a REAL post was in order.

We are expecting our third baby in June!

Breaking news! The blog has been quiet while I've been resting and working through my first trimester. I'm excited to share about this journey with #3!

A photo posted by Bianca @ The Pierogie Mama (@thepierogiemama) on Dec 12, 2016 at 1:02pm PST

The name of my blog, The Pierogie Mama, comes from what we have called our first born before we knew her sex, so naturally as subsequent babies became #2 and #3.

Our first two children are spaced 2 years (to the week) apart and this baby will be about 3 1/3 years younger than our second born. We chose to wait a year longer for this baby so that we had more time to let each of our older children develop their personalities and *hopefully* be getting a little more help (or at the very least, having both of them be a bit of independent) so that I may feel a little less of a hot mess whenever I walk into a room. Or just in general life!

Both of my daughters were born in the water, you can read birth story #1 and birth story #2 here. We have the same plan for #3.

How did my first trimester go? Well, last time I was super tired all the time - no surprise because I was chasing around a 15 month old and nursing through my pregnancy. Ruby, my second born, naturally weaned at 25 months so I've had a bit of a break to restore myself and my body in preparation for this pregnancy. My energy level didn't drop a whole lot in this pregnancy, but I did feel food aversions and a lack of appetite pretty much from 6 weeks through 13 weeks, resulting in a loss of probably 5-7 lbs. Shortly after Thanksgiving I started to feel more like myself and I've been back on board with eating and keeping the house and homestead in order. It feels so much better!

We had our first appointment with our midwife last week and we got to hear the baby's heart beat for the first time! Unfortunately we listened right after my blood draw and both of my girls were still really upset from seeing it, so they were too distracted to really get to hear the magic. The next appointment that they will get to be a part of will be my 20 week ultrasound in late January.

A photo posted by Bianca @ The Pierogie Mama (@thepierogiemama) on Dec 14, 2016 at 8:55am PST

Penny still remembers our appointments to "the baby house" while I was pregnant with Ruby and it was really fun getting to talk with them about how the baby is developing and what the purposes of the placenta and umbilical cord are.  Penny wasn't present for Ruby's birth, and my heart tells me that I prefer to labor in private, but it may very well happen that things will change and they will get to witness the birth of their sibling. Who knows? Ultimately I'm really ok with whatever happens; it's God's will. I like to put in my requests but am pretty go with the flow.

And that is pretty much what it is!

Wrapsody Breeze Haumea - 6 thumbs up for hot weather babywearing!

After reading the review, pop over and see how

this simple little snack

gives your toddler a power pack protein, fiber & Vitamin E in a single serving!

It was February - my sister in love was 7 months pregnant with baby #3 and she was relocating from Washington State to sunny San Diego due to her husband's impending deployment. Besides all of the normal things that would plague a mom's mind during that time (where will I deliver? where will my kids go to school? how are we going to adapt while Daddy is on deployment, living 1,200 miles away from family?), there was definitely one thing that I knew that I could help mama out with. How is she going to wear this brand new baby in unbelievably hot weather??

I got on the task and started asking around on social media - hot weather moms: what do you recommend for babywearing in hot weather?? <- You can find the answers to this question on my guest post on the Wrapsody Baby blog!

One thing was abundantly clear; she needed a wrap that behaved completely differently than what she and I would have used in Washington. This is how the Wrapsody Haumea came to live at her house.

Then early April came. I flew in to San Diego with the intention of being with the family for the birth of baby, being that there was no family living close by and I was brimming with excitement. My two girls (Penny is 4, Ruby is 2) and I set aside 2 weeks to spend in SD and I was just praying for this baby to hold out until I got there. It would just make everything smooth for mama and daddy. I arrive, and my SIL is definitely smuggling a beachball under her shirt. Whew, ok baby - you can come out now. Auntie made it. Oh, and the fun part? We wouldn't know the gender of this baby until birth!

So Wrapsody Haumea arrives, while we eagerly guarded the front door in anticipation for this very special fluffymail. It was exceptionally meaningful to my SIL because she is a Labor & Delivery Nurse, helping babies and mamas is her job and passion. The name, Haumea, is for the Hawaiian Goddess of fertility and childbirth. Really, how much more perfect can that be for a professional in the birthing field and for a woman just about to become a mama.

We quickly started to break Haumea in, and prayed for her birthy vibes to welcome baby soon.

The Wrapsody Haumea is here! Is it serendipidous to receive a wrap named after the Hawaiian Godess of Birth and Motherhood while we await the birth of my sister in law's 3rd baby? Hoping for some lovely birthing vibes and sleepy dust from this gorgeous wrap. #wrapsodybaby #wrapsodyhaumea #babywearing #wovenwrap

A photo posted by Bianca @ The Pierogie Mama (@thepierogiemama) on Apr 6, 2016 at 4:29pm PDT

It took a week. We're not going to dwell on that. Instead we are going to show you some serious Haumea love instead!

The Wrapsody Breeze Haumea was a tricky wrap to love at first. As with all of the wraps in the Breeze line, it is a very thin, but very strong, gauze wrap that comes deceivingly "rough" at first. I will admit, it was a bit of a shock. But I knew that the work would be worth it with this wrap! So with the help of 4 kids, we broke Haumea in lightning fast with many hours of wrap hammocks, braiding, snuggling and of course - belly wrapping.

The pain that you have been feeling will not compare to the joy that is to come. Romans 8:18 #birthaffirmations #wrapsodyhaumea #wrapsodyfamily #wrapsodybaby #bellywrapping #theresawrapsodyforthat

A photo posted by Bianca @ The Pierogie Mama (@thepierogiemama) on Apr 9, 2016 at 7:00pm PDT

Three days after this photo was taken, little "DJ" came into the world! I became the proud auntie of my 5th nephew!

I got to spend another week with the family, filled with a visit to Disneyland, fun trips to the park and aquarium, late night board games and a little bit of time with our childrens' Nana. And then I had to go home :(

Haumea took a little bit of a break during the first month of DJ's life; mama was finding a lot more ease of use with a ring sling. But after about 5 weeks, his mama started sending me a few pictures and updates. Being a newbie wrapper it was hard at first to find the right amount of pull to give the wrap for it to hold tightly and last. Because the wrap is somewhat comparably "rough" to other cotton wraps, it doesn't slide around too much and holds quite well.

Mama really got to loving it.

This wrap has become her go-to in the already hot San Diego summer, and she's learned how to pull on it just right to get the perfect wrap and support where she and DJ need it.

But do you know who loves it the most? DJ's 8 year old big sister. Mama says that the wrap is a little more narrow than her other wraps so it fits her daughter better. It is easier and neater to wrap than her others!

"My favorite is when he falls asleep and I get to snuggle him."

Haumea definitely gets 6 thumbs up (from mama, big sis and DJ, of course!) from us.

Let me take a minute to just drool over the beautiful artisan work on this wrap too. Did you know that Wrapsody Breeze wraps are hand dyed in Bali Batik style for Wrapsody Baby by a family in Bali? 

While breaking in Haumea, I washed and ironed her many times. It truly became a labor of love to get this wrap broken in and ready for DJ and mama. The family laughed whenever they heard the creak of the ironing board open - "Bianca's at it again - she's ironing the wrap!" I loved ironing it because it gave me extra time to really take a close look at the hand painted hibiscus flowers and the extremely unique gradient of sunset colors throughout the length of the wrap. It's truly a one of a kind wrap, you won't find two Haumeas that look exactly alike; just how every labor, every child, and every season of motherhood is different.

Head over here to find out who won the 
Wrapsody Breeze giveaway!

Which Wrapsody Breeze wrap do you love the most?

Disclosure: All photography and opinions are 100% The Pierogie Mama's.  This giveaway is in no way associated with, sponsored, administered, or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest or any other social media network. Participating bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment. Please contact Bianca via email: thepierogiemama@gmail.com if you have any questions or would like your product to be featured in a future post.  

Guest Post: Ava

The holidays are a joyous time, but for many it can also be painful. Having personally suffered the loss of a parent, wonderful memories return but also the bittersweet reminder that it's all we have left. Today, my brave and strong friend Sheila writes about her beautiful angel daughter, Ava.

For any sadness in your life, any time of the year, take refuge in sharing your feelings with one another. Be it your spouse, a close friend or even a stranger with a similar experience. Talking about it can be immensely healing and personally I have processed my grief differently by talking about it. If you have a friend whom you know what suffered a loss at any time, gently talk to her about it and remind her that you remember. That may be the most comforting thing you do for her.
__________

Her name is Ava, simple and fleeting on the tongue.  In French, it means “bird,” a sentimental nod to our time in the Navy.  Swallows are symbolic for guiding each sailor’s voyage and bringing them home.  Before she was born, my husband & I constantly debated on this name.  We just couldn’t agree.  As first-time parents, we couldn’t agree on many things.  Once we laid eyes on her though, the debate died along with our child.  It was clear who she was.  Ava.  I wish I heard her beautiful name spoken more.

She was our first child and so badly, badly longed for.  After trying to conceive for a handful of years, she entered our lives that May just as quickly and unexpectedly as she left.  Even in those sweet, early days of my pregnancy, I felt I knew the little life I was carrying inside of me.  I was carrying a girl—a darling, feminine girl with dark wavy hair.  She’d love ribbons and bows, wear pink tutus, and dance ballet.  She was constantly in my thoughts, and on the way to work, I’d listen to lullabies or sing to her.  In the evenings, I’d read her, Guess How Much I Love You.  My evenings and weekends were filled with prenatal yoga and building our registry.  My bookcase was lined with the latest in parent books.  I was five months pregnant, hopeful for our future together and very much looking forward to being her mother. 

I was a week away from a routine ultrasound appointment and so excited to see her face for the first
time, anxious to point out whose features were whose.  And then, it happened.  For reasons unknown, I awoke one morning to blood-soaked sheets.  My amniotic sac had ruptured.  I rushed to the hospital
and was met in the ER; there was nothing they could do to save her life.  I was in early labor, and
because she was a few weeks too premature to live outside of my womb, she wouldn’t survive.  I was
giving birth to say goodbye. 

Laying on the hospital bed and between contractions, I would whisper to her, “I love you.  I am sorry.  I am so, so sorry.  Be strong.”  What lead to this?  I dissected my pregnancy over and over.  I prayed for the first time in years, asking God for whatever pain she was feeling, to let it pass quickly.  She was born on August 23, 2010 at 8:13 p.m., tiny, wiggly, and pink.  I recognized my chin, my eyebrows, and her daddy’s feet.  She lived for a very short time, struggling to breathe through her underdeveloped lungs before passing in our arms.  After having such dry weather the entire summer, it stormed that evening.  It felt like the sky was despairing with me. 

I don’t remember much about the months that followed.  I do know that I felt broken.  Lost. Responsible for her death.  Suicidal at times.  I was a mother with no baby to show for it.  My work gave me 6 weeks of paid maternity leave, and I slept much of the day while laying awake at night.  Dressing was too much work.  Eating was too much work.  Living was too much work.  Concerned, friends and family would call or stop by for small talk.  They didn’t want to upset me, so awkwardly they would avoid her name or any conversation of Ava.  I just wanted to die alongside my daughter.   

Then came the months of November and December, which brought another dimension of grief.  There were so many unintended reminders of how she was missing from our lives that holiday season, the time of year that I once most loved.  We’d never see the excitement for Christmas through her little eyes, and knowing this made my heart and arms ache even more.  We received cards in the mail and invites to parties, and although grateful to be thought of, I couldn’t gather the strength to feign joy or even respond.  Ava’s name wasn’t on them.  I knew everyone remembered her, but for how long?  My worst fear was that her name would be forgotten.  I’d wake in the morning, cry on the drive to work, glue myself together, cry on the drive home, and then go to bed.  I stayed in our bedroom most of Christmas Day. 

I managed that winter, and the four that came afterwards, the best I could.  Ava now has two healthy
siblings who know her name and sometimes ask about her.  A handful of family members also speak of her, acknowledging her birthday and on holidays, or sometimes just because.   My heart bursts with gratitude each time.  One of my worst fears continues to be that she’ll be forgotten, the only record of her short life being the marker that sits atop her grave—which is why I write this. 

Sweet Ava, your story is now memorialized in written word, just as it is engraved in your daddy’s heart and in mine.  You were here.  You are remembered.  You are missed.  Love you to the moon and back, baby girl.

Breastfeeding through pregnancy

This past November marked a year since my older daughter, Penny, weaned on her own. She was about 20 months old and I was halfway through my second pregnancy with her little sister, Ruby. Choosing to nurse through pregnancy was not a decision that was lightly made; but it was a pure conviction that this was right for my girl and I. 

___

When I became pregnant with my second child in June of 2013, I realized I had a big decision to make. My daughter, Penny, was 16 months old, and I was no where close to being ready or willing to wean her. Was it possible, or even recommended, for me to continue nursing through my pregnancy?

My gut reaction was that yes; I can and should. My daughter still nursed 4-5 times a day and although she was nearing night weaning, I wasn't ever planning to make us quit cold-turkey. Even knowing in my heart that I wanted to continue to nurse, I knew I'd have a tough road ahead of me.

At the end of my first trimester I blogged about why continuing to breastfeed in the early part of my pregnancy was my saving grace. No, it wasn't always comfortable. Pregnancy hormones were coursing through my body, I was sore and nauseated. But for my toddler none of that made a difference. She had no idea why mama was so tired all the time. Some moms might think that breastfeeding during pregnancy is inconvenient, another worry on their plate on what to do when the new baby comes, but for me it was a break. It was a break throughout the day, several times, to just rest and relax with my daughter...because Lord knows there was little else to stop her!

In my second trimester the discomfort truly began to peak but I still pushed on. I purchased Adventures in Tandem Nursing to read up on what to expect and how to help cope.  As my belly ballooned we started side nursing more often and she began to naturally cut back on frequency and duration. I began to suspect that I was drying up at around the 17-18 week mark, and there were many times where nursing was just plain painful. I put up a few boundaries to help keep the nursing relationship a beneficial and enjoyable one for the both of us and that worked for the following month.

At 23 weeks we took our planned babymoon. Because nursing had steadily decreased to only 1-2 times during the day and once at night time, I prepared myself that the night before we left may very well be the last time I nurse Penny. It's fairly common for that age to wean over night, especially because I had never spent a night away from her until that night. So I snuggled my Penny close, quietly reflected on the past 20 months that we shared this special bond, and let it go. My husband and I left her in the capable hands of her grandparents and took a refreshing break to prepare for our second child (that was due the day before Penny's 2nd birthday...but she had other plans!). When we returned, Penny wasn't terribly interested and I never offered again. Weaning her was an emotional time for me, it meant that after a 9 month pregnancy and 20 months of nursing, she no longer physically needed me for nourishment. But the excitement of the next baby coming eased my heart a little, and I wondered if she would regain interested once she saw her little sister nursing.

Ruby was born a week after her sister's 2nd birthday, and my oh my how my life has changed! Having 2 children just a hair over 2 years apart has not been easy, but also has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. As Ruby grows and gains more mobility, Penny has begun to interact with her more and I catch some of the sweetest moments that they share together. Though Penny never asked to nurse again, she understands the importance of it. Sometimes when Ruby is crying, she exasperatingly says "Mama, give Ruby MILK!"

This was originally published as a gust post on Mama Pure.

The Importance of a Good Fitting Nursing Bra

Did you experience a change in your breasts during pregnancy and nursing? Silly question, right? :)

Our bodies undergo so many changes during the brief 9 month period where we grow our children within our bodies. It's not just our skin that changes; too many people focus on stretch marks or weight after baby. It's a beautiful thing that we experience, and God intended for us to be marked after this important time. These changes call for a different way that we care for ourselves though.

I argue that our breasts go through the biggest change of all. What didn't produce milk before now does. They are bigger, heavier, fluctuate in size throughout the day and over time. A good fitting bra during pregnancy and nursing is monumental in the short term and long term of your breast health!

I never knew how to fit myself correctly for a bra though. It's funny, the day when I bought my first supportive and comfortable bra in my 3rd trimester with Penny, it truly sunk in that my life would never be the same. I never shopped for supportive and comfortable; I always opted for cute or flattering. I felt like such an old lady when I explained to the "sizing expert" what I was looking for in a bra. Oh yes, how my world has changed. These days, comfort and support are #1 on my list (cute and flattering are a bonus). #sahmproblems

Ever since breaking the ice on having a supportive bra, I've been hooked (pardon the pun). After Penny's birth I lived in nursing tanks for the better part of her first year and purchased several nursing bras as "going out" / "fancying it up" occasions. My poor husband. I tried on a few different brands of retail store cheapies and finally snagged a couple Bravado Designs bras on sale at my local baby boutique. And my view of bras changed again. Prior to nursing I was a 100% underwire gal. All the time. I never had a problem with them and liked how it felt. Once I began to nurse I found that I will never look at underwires the same way ever again. I also found that the sizing I found most comfortable in nursing bras was completely different to what I used to wear. A big part of that, of course, is because my body changed after having children. Another part of it was that I never learned how to correctly size myself.

The Bravado Designs website has a really good video on how to properly size yourself - check it out. Are you the same size you thought you are?

Why is having a well fitting nursing bra important?

• Function: you'll be nursing (or pumping) all day and you need to have quick and easy access. Bravado Bras have very well made clips that are durable and easy to clip on/off with one hand.
• Fit: a bad fitting bra is a sure fire way to cause more problems than just discomfort. It can lead to mastitis or plugged ducts. Because your breasts change size throughout the day as they fill and drain, your bra needs to be able to accommodate that change without putting pressure on the breast tissue. In addition to checking the sizing video above, you want to be sure that you're not spilling out of the cups when your full or empty.

I've had the chance to review 3 of Bravado Designs' nursing bras, here's what I thought about them!

The Bravado Bliss has always been my favorite nursing bra, hands down. It is thick enough that if I spring a minor leak it won't go through and you can't see nursing pad outlines. It is the closest bra that  I've found that makes me feel close to my pre-pregnancy days. It has no underwire, which I love, but that doesn't stop it from making your rack look good ;) This bra is fitted by rib cage and cup size.

The Bravado Essential Embrace is my replacement for nursing tanks. It is made of thinner material (a combination of cotton and microfiber), but is still very supportive. Again, no underwire but fits like a good sports bra too. Because it is so thin, I usually wear it only at home or if I have a sweatshirt (or thicker shirt) over it, because it will show pad outlines and nip bumps. This bra is fitted by rib cage and cup size.

The Bravado Body Silk is my in-between; it is thin and breathable like the Essential Embrace but also features moulded cups that you can slip in to make it look more like a cupped bra (like the Bliss). It's one of the top selling bras that Bravado makes. This bra is sized in small through XL.

If you're looking for a good set of workhorse bras, these are my top picks. My Bliss and Essential Embrace have lasted me through two kids (and almost 2 1/2 years of nursing), without wear and tear.

Do you have a favorite Bravado Bra? Tell me all about it!

Shop online -- Breastfeeding support -- facebook -- twitter -- pinterest

Disclosure: I received product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

9 Items to Survive the 4th Trimester

With my "4th trimester" quickly coming to a close, I've been reflecting on truly what has been my biggest go-tos in recovering from natural birth and transitioning to two under two.

I know some of you are thinking - uhm, 4th trimester? Is Bianca completely off her rocker? The 12 weeks following birth are affectionately called the "4th trimester" because both mama and baby still have big (and I mean BIG) changes that they go through. Not too many people stop to think about how suddenly being in a whole new world is for babies - they have to learn how to do everything. Breathe, eat, poop, fart, focus their eyes, smile, coordinate their arms and fingers. It doesn't happen by magic, people! That little person has a lot of learning coming their way, and sometimes new parents get caught up in it all and stress when things aren't going as well as they'd hoped...when it's all normal. Mamas change too- whether you're a seasoned or first time mama.  Physical and emotional changes abound for these first 12 weeks and it's important to be aware of these changes for yourself and baby.

So I bestow upon you an abbreviated list of 9 things that I have found helpful during my 4th trimesters - the two that I've had in two years.

1. A fluffy robe is simply a MUST. Why? It's soft and cuddly for mama, soft and cuddly for baby to snuggle up on, easy access for nursing and pretty much a huge towel to catch all that spit up that is bound to make its way out of your little bundle's ever so precious mouth. Invest in several.

2.  The NuRoo Pocket. I've written about how much I love this shirt for babywearing and kangaroo mother care.  This is another item that keeps baby close and easy access for nursing. The NuRoo Pocket has a generous size adjustment so that it can accommodate to your changing body and growing baby during the 4th trimester and beyond.

3. If this isn't your first baby, you probably spent a considerable amount of time during this pregnancy wondering how you're going to juggle a newborn and your older child. Heck, I'm only a few months into this journey and I still wonder how I'm going to do it! With my kids being just about 2 years apart, my older daughter Penny is just now getting into independent play - which means its a 70/30 chance that she's going to get into some sort of trouble if left to her own devices for too long. The girl loves painting but when I'm tied up with the newborn she can't play with her colors. So that's when we pull out our Melissa and Doug Water Wow. This is a packet with stiff cardboard pages with illustrations that magically turn to color when painted with water. As they dry the color disappears and can be reused roughly a bazillion times! Our oldest packet is about 6 months old and was heavily used for 4 of those months and still works great. They're affordable, fun, clean and perfect for road trips or while waiting at the doctor's office for Little Sister's well child appointments.


4. I'm all about comfort, especially during the 4th trimester. Whether you're nursing your first little or 5th, breastfeeding a newborn is not always easy. Even after nursing Penny for 20 months and through 5 months of my second pregnancy, nursing Ruby still took some getting used to. She had a mild tongue tie and just like any other baby she was learning how to nurse (it's a very coordinated muscle effort!), which meant my boobs were very sore and tender. The small luxury I can give myself (in addition to a hot shower) is to make sure that whatever touches my boobs is soft. And when it comes to nursing pads, Bamboobies has no equal. The boob side of the pad is bamboo velour and the other side is waterproof PUL for no leaking spots!! Yay!

5. Then there's the milestone that pretty much every new mom dreads after birth...going to the bathroom. For many of us, #1 and #2 are not the most pleasant and the healing process of the postpartum period can take upwards of two weeks. If you're not a family cloth gal, the next best thing you can do for your lady bits is Cottonelle Freshcare cleansing cloths (which are flushable!). They're like baby wipes for grown ups, leaving you fresh and clean. When you're ready for real paper again try Cottonelle Cleancare toilet paper too - it's wider than most toilet paper rolls. Click here for a $1.50 off CVS coupon for the Cottonelle wet+dry combo!

6. Mama cloth - if you want the full details on reusable menstrual pads during postpartum, check it out here. Otherwise, again - do yourself a favor and require that anything that touches your sensitive parts to be soft and not scratchy. Soak these in witch hazel and freeze before your birth so that you've got some awesome "padsicles" to help with the healing and some pain relief when you get home.

7. Sitz baths are another 'down there care' requirement. There's tons of recipes out there for Sitz baths, but for both of my natural birth recoveries I've kept several bags of Deerfoot Herbs Sitz baths on hand. Made from hand picked, locally sourced herbs,;steep this in a huge pot and keep it in the bathroom. Buy a Sitz bath to put over the toilet or just take a bath. Keep a little extra to use in a peribottle when you pee. That cleansing cloth I talked about in point #5 is also a nice way to finish up.

8. Breastfeeding moms know that a healthy diet is a must for keeping your energy up while your body uses extra calories in making milk for your little one. Galactogogues (foods and herbs that help increase breast milk production) are also an important part of your diet. But eating oatmeal or drinking tons of mama's milk tea is not the only way to increase your milk supply! It's pretty much every nursing mom's dream come true when we learn about lactation cookies - and Milk Makers Cookies are one of my favorite!  {Stay tuned for a review & giveaway!}

9. My final recommendation for the 4th Trimester involves getting your support system in place. Every new mom, again if it's your first or 5th, needs a little bit of extra help in the beginning. Even though I had an uncomplicated natural birth, I still experienced a unique tear that required me to be diligent about bed rest for 2 weeks. That's not easy in the slightest when you have a family to take care of! So in addition to the amazing help that we got from our families on the weekends, we were blessed by meals from our church and friends. A friend set up a 'meal train' through Takethemameal.com and it was the easiest way to coordinate when someone would be bringing dinner. You just set up what days you'd like meals, make notes on what you like and don't like, and the rest of taken care of. The friend gets a reminder email a few days before their date so that you don't have to. It was a huge weight off my shoulders and an easy way for people to get to see the baby too!

What would you add to your 4th trimester must have list?

Disclosure: Thank you Cottonelle for sponsoring today's post. Please help me in supporting this Pierogie Mama sponsor by checking out Cottonelle on the CVS website (more clicks = more sponsors for me!). This post contains affiliate links.

Postpartum Care with MamaCloth Boutique + Giveaway!

I'm going to talk about a somewhat TMI topic with you all today - post partum bleeding care.

Here's a little back story. I've been a cloth diapering mama for about 2 years now (wooop wooop!), but for most of that time I've been "Aunt Flo Free." Breastfeeding does that to ya! I was blessed to be period free for the 9 months of pregnancy with Penny and through about 13 - 14 months post partum. Then I had a couple cycles and was pregnant again! I knew I was interested in reusable cloth pads but my cycle came back for such a short window of time that I barely got any research done.

Switching to cloth pads was sort of a no brainer to me, I was well aware of the reasons to cloth diaper and a lot of the same health reasons apply to disposable menstrual products. But a lot like cloth diapers, jumping into the reusable cloth pad world was daunting to me! What kind of pad do I want/need? How many? Plus, if I am to expect the same situation with my cycle to happen with Ruby as it did with Penny it will probably be well over a year before my cycle returns again. However, there is the case for post partum bleeding.

I got in touch with the Mama Cloth lady - aka, Meg, the owner of Mamacloth.ca. She gave me the run down on why you want to switch to reusable cloth pads (affectionately called "mama cloth" all across the board) and we worked out a package of what I could expect to use for my post partum bleeding. She also threw in 3 pairs of of pretty coordinating nursing pads. What a doll!

1 "All in one" organic bamboo velour, 2 layer hemp cotton fleece with PUL fabric (in hot pink / damask)
1 "Pocket" pad with several inserts (floral print)
PUL pad wrapper (damask)
3 pairs of nursing pads

As it turns out, mama cloth is kind of similar to cloth diapers if you're already familiar with it. The "All in one" style is just like an AIO diaper - no inserts required, it's all good to go just like you'd expect a disposable pad to be. The "pocket" style pad is just like a pocket diaper - add however many inserts you need based on your flow. It all looks pretty easy to me! Washing cloth menstrual pads is also very similar to cloth diapers; I rinse them prior to putting them in a wetbag that hangs on the door handle in our bathroom. Then we throw them in with the cloth diaper wash since we've been on wash overload with a newborn and toddler in cloth too!

You've got to be wondering how exactly these hold up with the super heavy, crazy flow that happens after birth. In my case I had a unique tear and coming into contact with anything was excruciating! Thankfully Mamacloth's AIO pad features an organic bamboo velour top that is what your skin comes in contact with. Seriously a life saver!!! I would trade all the underwear in the entire world to have this material be my underwear! It was so soft and truly absorbent. This is an important luxury to have when your lady parts are healing after birth; whether you had tearing, stitches or no damage at all. 

The pocket style mama cloth pad was really nice because as I mentioned before, you can customize how many inserts you need based on your flow.

A new mama can never have enough nursing pads either, so I loved trying out Mama Cloth's version of nursing pads. These come with two layers of so-soft fleece and an inner layer of absorbent cotton fleece. I never leaked a whole bunch during let down while I nursed Penny but this time my milk production is in crazy overdrive. These pads have done well with getting me through the night and their cute prints are a plus! :)

As you can see, MamaCloth.Ca is not just all about your period, it's all about reusable cloth products for the home. So in addition to menstrual products, she's got cloth/family wipes, wet bags and un-paper towels. 

So make your period a happy one - am I kind of a geek for getting really excited about these beautiful prints that she has for her products? Periods are rarely roses and unicorns but it does help a little to have these pretty pads to look at, right?

Here's your chance to win a $30 gift certificate to Mamacloth.ca! You can use it to buy anything in her shop - doesn't have to be just cloth pads!  Be sure to follow Mamacloth.ca on facebook and twitter to get the scoop on any new prints or deals that she's running!


This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all who entered!

Disclosure: I received product in exchange for my honest review, all opinions expressed are my own. 

Ruby's Birth Story

My wait for Ruby began around the tail end of the 38 week mark. I had Penny at exactly 39 weeks and was fairly positive that Ruby would come at the same time too.

I had been having contractions in the evenings for several weeks but nothing like the real thing. My midwife had started to check me at 37 weeks, when I started at about 2cm and stayed fairly constant over the next several weeks. Days passed, and I reached my "estimated due date" (March 4th). No baby yet. I began to despair.

That week I decided to get swept, which kick started some things into action but ultimately I wasn't going anywhere. We had several nights where I would have some consistent contractions but they'd peter off in several hours. We invited my parents up for the weekend so that they were already here as we planned for them to watch Penny when we checked into the birth center. That Saturday we went to our local pool (which has an awesome kids water park) and my 6 year old niece dragged me around the pool ("c'mon Auntie - let's go down the lazy river!!") and kept me very active. That night I started another round of good contractions - lasting a minute to a minute and a half and 4-7 minutes apart. We got excited, thinking that tonight may be the night! But alas, morning came and a very grumpy Bianca emerged from the bedroom for breakfast with the family. False labor - you are a cruel bitch.

So it was Sunday, March 9th. I was 40 weeks and 6 days. My parents were going to leave in the afternoon. I began to get anxious because I knew that as soon as they'd leave I'd go into labor and they'd have to turn right back around. Adam and my stepdad took a quick trip to work on a school project together and were gone for a couple hours, during that time my mom and I sat and chatted while I tried to keep my mind off my gloom. Around 1:00 a round of contractions started - this caught my attention. My contractions always started after dinner; very rarely did I ever feel anything before 5:00. I kept this to myself but eventually my mom noticed that my attention was elsewhere and she asked if I was having contractions. The guys came home around 2:30 with lunch (at my request: spicy Thai food) and at the table I continued to have contractions and I was getting on edge. We timed them - 1 minute long, 4 minutes apart. Adam decided to call the midwife to see what she thought. Darlene thought it still might be early but agreed to meet us at the birth center around 4:15 to see where I was at. So at 3:45 Adam and I kissed our sweet Penny goodbye and took off in hopes that I'd be bringing home a baby shortly.

My birthing room was prepared when we arrived and Adam turned on a good Pandora station that he knew I'd like. My midwife checked me out - 4cm, not fully effaced. But these contractions were real. She gave us three options - go home for a few hours, go for a walk, or break the waters. I definitely didn't want to go home because I was afraid that the contractions would stop and that it would mean bringing Penny back into the situation when she's completely content with the grandparents at the moment. So we opted for a walk.

We walked up and down the streets in a nicer part of downtown Everett. The rule was that I had to walk through my contractions; no matter how hard it was or how teeny tiny my steps were, I had to keep moving. It. was. hard. Many of these contractions were painful enough where I was openly weeping as we walked. I lamented over what a sight I must be - a clearly very pregnant woman, in her sweats, bawling her eyes out and clinging to her husband. I thanked my lucky stars that this wasn't a small town or one where we could possibly run into someone! The icing on the cake - we walked by the local events center and they were just finishing up the home and garden show, so a ton of strangers got to witness this as well!

After an hour we returned and I got checked again. Sorry honey, no progression and your baby is sunny-side up. We were presented with the 3 options again - home, walk or water. Home still wasn't an option, walk was no longer desirable because it was getting dark. My birthing team was completely confident with breaking my waters because I was past my due date and all other risks were low. I decided to go for it - it was time to have a baby.

It was within a minute of breaking my water that I went into transition. In an attempt to help turn baby, the team had me do lunges using the side of the birthing tub. Lunges through 5 contractions, on each side. Oy. I got through my round of 5 contractions on my left side before I crumbled into my husband's arms and we decided to go into the water. This was an immense relief, though the contractions were still coming very fast and very hard. I remembered with Penny's birth that I was able to 'check out' in between contractions and rest. There was no resting here. Even in between contractions I was uncomfortable and barely paying attention to what anyone said.

The urge to push came a lot sooner than I expected and I pushed for several rounds on my knees and hanging my upper body over the edge of the tub, using Adam as support (the same way as I had done with Penny). Eventually it was time to get baby out (her heat rate had dropped) and I switched to being in a sitting position and was told to push with all my might. I got to the point where I knew I had either approached the ring of fire or I was tearing - the birth team urged me on and with a couple pushes I had my sweet baby girl in my arms!

With tears in our eyes we spoke to Ruby for the first time, welcomed her into this new world and marveled over her perfect features. She weighed in at 7 lbs 15 oz, 20.5" at 7:16pm. That's a full pound heavier and almost 3 inches longer than her sister was, sheesh!

From the moment that my water was broken to babe in arms was about an hour and 3 minutes. The only family who knew I was at the birth center were my parents - the paternal grandparents, aunts and uncles were all surprised with a picture text of Ruby and I!

This labor goes to show just how different each birth and child are! I went into labor spontaneously with Penny, had an 8 hour and 40 minute labor and she came in the morning. Over the last couple weeks I've been astonished at how quickly Ruby has grown, how different our breastfeeding relationship is and how I've emotionally coped with having a newborn again.

Guest Post: Spencer's Birth (by Momma Jorje)

Today I am sharing Spencer's birth story with you. Jorje, from Momma Jorje, chose Spencer's birth location based on his potential special needs after receiving a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. 

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I had a lot of contractions in my final trimester. They came often and they were hard. Because of this, our doctor had said that Spencer might (safely) arrive as early as 36-37 weeks. That'll make a family anxious! We were open to having Spencer any time as Giftmas approached. Then we hoped to wait a week. Our doctor was on vacation from December 25^th - 30^th.

At 11 o'clock on December 25^th (11:04 actually, if I recall correctly), I decided I'd better go tell Tyler (13yo) to get to bed. Sasha (2yo) was still up with me. As I walked to the other end of the house, I noticed I was wet... really wet. I went to the bathroom to check myself and found some slight tinge of pink.

I got very shaky. I called my Jenni (my doula) and explained what was going on, including feeling like I was having a major adrenaline rush from the excitement of it. She reassured me that the shaking was normal anyway, but that we should get to the hospital. I didn't feel a need to rush, but I woke Elmo and we started getting ready. He carried the numerous bags out to the truck. We (Sasha, Elmo and I) were loaded up into the truck by 11:30. I called Jenni again to let her know we were on our way. Tyler was staying up at home, waiting for updates.

Blogger Spotlight: Blessed in Homemaking

Today I'd like to welcome Alix, from Blessed in Homemaking. Alix and I have a lot in common - we both are passionate about natural and green living, but I feel like there is so much to learn from this mama as well.  She is educated in herbalism and has an Etsy shoppe where you can check out her natural remedies as well! I hope you enjoy my interview with her and check out her blog too!

~Bianca

First off, tell me a little bit about yourself and your family. How you and your SO met, a little about your kids / pets, something unique to your family.

I am a stay at home wife and mother. My husband and I met at church youth group. He was the gorgeous and outgoing drummer, and I was an introverted girl 3 years younger than him. When we got together, we dated for a while, had a 5 months engagement, and got married! We got married outside, right next door to a skeet competition. We joke that we had a shotgun wedding. We have two littles so far. My husband and I want a large family. Both of our children were born at home, unassisted (yep, I'm one of those crazy people). Both were water births. They were both absolutely amazing experiences.

What is it that got you into blogging? Has that changed over time? 

I started blogging shortly after my first child was born. I wanted to write his birth story down, and decided to just start a blog so that I could write about him as he grew. 

 The focus of my blog has definitely changed over time. I rarely write about my children now, to protect their privacy, and instead I write about several other topics, including holistic and healthy living, herbal remedies, essential oils, tutorials, parenting, and marriage on occasion.

What is your "niche," or your favorite topic to write about?

Herbal and natural remedies. Hands down my favorite. It's my passion.

Share your top 3 favorite posts on your blog.

http://www.blessedinhomemaking.com/2013/06/why-i-want-my-children-to-be-betrothed.html

http://www.blessedinhomemaking.com/2013/01/15-things-i-dont-do-right.html

http://www.blessedinhomemaking.com/2013/09/holistic-health-q-a.html

What is a piece of advice, inspiring quote or phrase that really stood out to you in motherhood?

"Parenting without discipline is chaos. Discipline without joy is tyranny."

Bio: Alix is a stay at home wife to a wonderful man, and mother to two sweethearts. She spends her days teaching her children about Jesus, keeping her home, blogging, and increasing her knowledge of herbs and essential oils. She is an herbalist, and has a passion for natural, healthy living, and loves to share that knowledge with others. She is also passionate about natural childbirth. She runs a small business out of her home, selling her natural remedies, supplements, and body care products.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Blessedinhomemaking

http://www.blessedinhomemaking.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Blessedinhomemaking

http://www.pinterest.com/alix20/