I came across this quote the other day and couldn’t help but feel like it was fate.
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
-Anais Nin
No matter where one is in their life journey, this quote is fitting. However, I feel like it is particularly relevant to moms. Whether you have just found out you are pregnant, are anticipating childbirth, or are walking through the unpredictable land of motherhood – you will no doubt be challenged and stretched more than ever before. The good news? YOU WERE MADE FOR THIS and you are not alone.
Why is it that change and the unknown are so often accompanied by stress? Our human nature wants to stay where it is safe and where life is predictable. To top it off, the media is filled with all kinds of drama and one has only to tune in for a few minutes to feel the anxiety creep in. I have had to learn to keep a close reign on my temptation to be fearful. Nothing good has ever come from fear.
I want to encourage all of you moms to move forward with great expectation of the days ahead. Motherhood is the greatest gift you could ever be given. Whatever the next season holds for you, loosen your grasp on the controls and have confidence in the woman you are, in your beauty and strength. Allow yourself to really bloom…and to become all that you were meant to be.
Blessings!
This morning as I was eating breakfast with my boys, I saw this story on the Today Show.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/32795933#32795933
I have mixed emotions. First, my heart aches for the Mackenzie’s who lost their sweet baby girl, Noa. I cannot think of anything more devastating than losing a child.
“Extreme births” is how Matt Lauer categorized home births in this segment. While it is true that home births in the United States (although growing in popularity) represent only a small fraction of births when compared to hospital births, is “extreme” a fair description? Unfortunately, circumstances, such as this tragic birth, are tainting the image of midwives and home births, even though we are given only a small glimpse into what really happened that day.
What concerns me most about this story, is the depicted role of the midwife, Cara Muhlhahn self described as “the guardian of safety” and one of the country’s most prominent midwives. Very few details are given about the labor and birth except for the fact that mom labored for four days and the baby was born “tangled in her own umbilical chord”, and consequently without a heartbeat. Cara Muhlhahn Midwifery declined an interview. The brief and incomplete account of the events of Mrs. Mackenzie’s labor and birth only leave the public with an inaccurate, and fearful perspective of home births.
This description is far from the home births I have attended, where the midwife faithfully and frequently monitors baby’s heart rate with the doppler and will not let a woman labor for an extended amount of time without seeing “normal” progress before recommending that she be transferred to the hospital for a physician’s opinion and possible intervention(s). I have attended several home and birth center births where mom was transfered to the hospital and required interventions, such as ceserean. A midwife has no control over the position of the baby, or the umbilical chord or how mom’s body and mind respond to child birth. A midwife’s role in childbirth is to act intuitively and with her (or his) expert training to guide both mom and baby safely through the natural birthing process. Sometimes interventions are necessary. Sometimes circumstances come up that require emergency care in a hospital setting. Part of a midwife’s role is to recognize signs of a situation that are out of their scope of practice. I am proud of the midwives I have worked with and their ability to allow women to give birth naturally and safely.
Documentaries like the Business of Being Born are intended to share a different perspective about child birth and empower women with knowledge of their options. They are not advocating that every woman will have a perfectly safe child birth experience and a beautiful healthy baby at the end. Nor are they advocating that out of hospital births are for everyone. Unfortunately, whether in a hospital, a birth center or at home, there are always risks.
My recommendation to parents: educate yourselves, understand your options and follow your hearts.
About two years ago, I began my quest to find the truth about baby (and mommy) skin care products. I had begun hearing things from the media and other mom’s regarding chemicals and toxins in the supposedly “safe” and “natural” potions I was slathering on my pregnant belly and my sweet toddler. As perhaps a bit of a product “junkie” myself, I had never really paid much attention to the ingredients, as long as a product smelled good and was attractively packaged. But now, my mommy radar was out and my protective instincts kicked in. I began scrutinizing labels and scouring the internet for information on every ingredient.
What I learned through this process was enough to convince me to start my own skin care line. I began meeting with a cosmetic development consultant and reading anything I could get my hands (or eyes) on. There is so much information and I want to share as much of it as I can. I have started a new blog, http://zoeorganics.wordpress.com, where I will post news, research, tips and chronicle my own journey with my all natural and organic skin care line, Zoe Organics. As I am in the formula development stage, I will need some parents who want to “test” my formulas and provide feedback! If you are interested, please contact me!
Cheers!
I was recently visiting a client of mine and her sweet new baby when she asked me for advice on the best swaddle technique. I wished I had one of my favorite swaddle blankets (Aden & Anais) with me, because we parents know that if you have an average size baby, the traditional receiving blankets will never cut it. How many of those large hospital receiving blankets are ‘accidentally’ brought home?
These Aden & Anais blankets were actually a shower gift for my 2nd son. While they make fabulous swaddles, they also function as breastfeeding covers, stroller, babywearing or car blankets and are perfect for warm weather. They are made from super soft muslin fabric and come in a wide assortment of fashionable prints.
They can be purchased at babiesrus and many other baby retailers.
*As a reminder, once baby is strong enough to wiggle free from their swaddle, it is no longer safe to leave them swaddled due to risk of suffocation.
