One Woman Awake

One Woman Awake Awakens another the second awakens her next-door neighbor and three awake can rouse the town And turn the whole place up side down And many awake can raise such a fuss That is finally awakens the rest of us. One woman up, With dawn in her eyes multiplies -- author unknown

the best

repost:

Luvs' Breastfeeding Commercial

This is hysterical. I love the mom, she is so sincere looking.

Just had to.

One Woman Army

I love this song! It's fun and the lyrics are so sweet, about a mothers love:

"Never knew what I was signing up for,

Knew it was hard but not this hardcore,

Never gonna stop, never gonna give up on you."

Going beyond fear

Going beyond fear begins when we examine our fear: our anxiety, nervousness, concern, and restlessness. If we look into our fear, if we look beneath the veneer, the first thing we find is sadness, beneath the nervousness. Nervousness is cranking up, vibrating all the time. When we slow down, when we relax with our fear, we find sadness, which is calm and gentle. Sadness hits you in your heart, and your body produces a tear. Before you cry, there is a feeling in your chest and then, after that you produce tears in your eyes. You are about to produce rain or waterfall in your eyes and you feel sad and lonely and perhaps romantic at the same time. That is the first tip of fearlessness, and the first sign of real warriorship. You might think that, when you experience fearlessness, you will hear the opening of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony or see a great explosion in the sky, but it doesn’t happen that way. Discovering fearlessness comes from working the softness of the human heart.

~ Chogyam Trungpa

Happy Friday!

This is a happy story with a lot of lessons! Although she didn't plan a homebirth, this mom delivered her baby in her bathroom, calmly and without fear. Check it out!

How will I know my baby is getting enough to eat?

How will I know my baby is getting enough to eat?

-6 or more wet diapers a day by day 3

-4–8 ounces of weight gain a week after the first week

-3 or more stools a day by day 3

-Yellow stools by day 5

Mothers are often surprised to see how quickly their milk supply increases during the first 3–5 days after birth. What may seem like small amounts of milk at first turns out to be exactly what newborn babies need. Frequent feedings (8–12 times in each 24 hour period) ensures that each mother’s milk supply matches the needs of her growing baby.

The first days and weeks of your baby’s life will give you an opportunity to learn your baby’s feeding cues and feeding patterns, including signs that your baby is hungry or full. Should you see signs that your baby may not be getting enough to eat, contact your baby’s health care provider right away.

CREDIT: http://babygooroo.com/ Test Your Breastfeeding IQ: http://babygooroo.com/2012/10/test-your-breastfeeding-iq/

beautiful words

Every midwife knows

that not until a mother’s womb

softens from the pain of labour

will a way unfold

and the infant find that opening to be born.

Oh friend! There is treasure in your heart,

it is heavy with child.

Listen. All the awakened ones,

like trusted midwives are saying,

'welcome this pain.'

It opens the dark passage of Grace.

~ Rumi

Break the Silence: Respectful Maternity Care

The Things You Would Have Said

Growing a First Food Movement

amazing-ness

Singing to Baby in Utero

more info about this at http://www.scienceandsensibility.org/?p=6236&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+science-sensibility+%28Science+%26+Sensibility%29

Advice from a new mom to pregnant moms

Giving Birth: You can do it - you are not sick or fragile or in danger - mother nature has this well thought out and trust the process.

Engage in any activity that will release fear.

Surround yourself with positive, supportive, nurturing people.

Treat your body gently and kindly.

Breastfeeding does not have to be oppressively suffocating - its actually pretty easy once you get the hang

Get a calendar to write baby's first and hang on fridge - the baby book never really comes out of the closet.

You don't need a lot of crap from babies r us - get massages with the money instead.

You wont kill your baby by co-sleeping

Prepare for your relationship with your family to change i.e. your own parents, aunts, uncle grandparents, partner

Go to counseling - it really helps - if you don't like who you first see don't give up

Breathe - try to savor quiet snuggly moments

DO NOT READ WHAT TO EXPECT OR ANY OTHER AWFUL PREGNANCY/PARENTING BOOK

DO NOT READ SCARY BIRTH STORIES ON THE INTERNET

ADD TWO WEEKS TO YOUR Estimated Due Date- PLAN ON BEING PREGGO TILL THEN

let people take care of you.

Keep the number of a lactation person on your fridge

-Anonymous

How much weight should I gain during pregnancy?

How much weight should I gain during pregnancy?

Each body is different. Each baby is different.

Visit: http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ to calculate your BMI BEFORE pregnancy

You can roughly follow this esimation of about how much weight is healthy to gain during your pregnancy:

25-35 pounds if your BMI was 18.5-24.9 before pregnancy

28-40 pounds if your BMI was less than 18.5 before pregnancy

15-25 pounds if your BMI was 25-29.9 before pregnancy

11-20 pounds if your BMI was over 30 before pregnancy

WEIGHT ISN'T everything, though. Eating healthy foods with high satiety will help you maintain a healthy weight during your pregnancy while nourishing your body and your baby!

Some great resources:

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

http://sites.tufts.edu/pregweight/

remarkable photographs

2012 IAPBP Image of the Year Competition - some truly amazing photos!

Tips to Prepare for a Healthy Pregnancy

Tips to Prepare for a Healthy Pregnancy

Mental/Emotional Preparation

Getting pregnant can be easy for some women, and challenging for others. Before trying to get pregnant, establish some sort of relaxation therapy and work it into your life. For example, exercise, meditate, and/or practice deep breathing. If you feel you have some personal and/or relationship issues you need to work out, find a therapist. We often think pregnancy is only physical but a healthy mind can help you have a better, healthier pregnancy.

Exercise

If you do not exercise regularly, start introducing it into your routine. Choose something low impact like walking, or yoga to start. Be realistic with your workout goals. Begin by walking or doing yoga once or twice a week. If you already exercise regularly, continue your routine, keeping in mind that you must listen to your body and honor it.

Nutrition

The importance of nutrition during pregnancy cannot be stressed enough. While keeping in mind that balance is essential for good health, there are definitely certain foods to avoid and certain foods to enjoy. It is best to talk with a nutritionist about what is right for you.

Care Providers

Learn about the care providers in your area BEFORE you are pregnant. Often times women find comfort in sticking with the same provider throughout their pregnancy which makes this tip extra important. Your gynecologist may be great but find out if he or she has the same goals you do for your pregnancy and delivery. If you don’t know what those goals are yet, just start simple. Take notice of the way you feel when you are in his/her office. Does she treat you with respect and make sure all of your questions are answered? This may be a sign that your provider may do the same thing throughout your pregnancy. As a new mom, you deserve time and concern from your provider. Additionally, learn about the different hospitals in the area. If your doctor is affiliated with a hospital where you know you do not want to deliver, that is something to consider.

Breastfeeding

Long before we are pregnant, our breastfeeding goals are often established. Educate yourself about breastfeeding and familiarize yourself with community resources such as your local community La Leche League.

Balance your life

Learning how to balance your life is something that will benefit you before, during and after pregnancy. Take every piece of advice with a grain of salt. There is no single solution to any issue. Most of all: listen to your instincts. As women, we have a powerful intuition, especially when it comes to pregnancy and mothering. Never dismiss your feelings, they are real and are there to guide you.