Nursing Mamas Can Be Sexy, Too!

One of the biggest things new mothers have to combat after giving birth is their new body image. For 9 months, your body changed and developed into something entirely different than it was before. Beautifully encasing a growing baby, your body is (for most) easy to cherish during that time. Then the baby comes and it's as though your body morphed into something not-so-desirable in the snap of a finger. All of the sudden, you realize that you're overweight, have a very flabby belly, your thighs and butt are larger than they were before, and your boobs aren't nearly as perky.

While I am the first to say that mother's bodies are beautiful and the media has it totally wrong to consider the only form of beauty to be unhealthily thin models with large curves in very defined places (and forget stretch marks, or puffy eyes, right?), I am also the first to understand how hard it is to accept our new bodies once we become mothers. It's pretty tough to be sleep deprived, give of yourself so much in every way to those around you 24-hours a day, and somehow still feel beautiful.

After LoveBug's birth, it wasn't an option for me to do anything but breastfeed. I was so committed to it that I practically lived with my breast pump at all times since I had to work full time +. With breastfeeding also came the nursing bras...and boy, are they ugly! What is it with frumpy looking old-lady-beige colored nursing bras? Why didn't it occur to someone that us nursing moms need an extra boost of self confidence? I once heard a male coworker state "why would you need to wear a sexy bra after you're married? No one will see it..." I rolled my eyes.

It took me a very, very long time to find sexy nursing bras on the market that fit me (size 32huge--how would it make YOU feel if even Victoria's Secret didn't even carry your size?). Most of them are very expensive (at least to the cheapskate that I am), but I think they are totally worth it. So ladies, throw out your frumpy beige bolder holders, and stock your drawers full of these:

Hot Milk Lingerie

http://www.hotmilklingerie.com

From New Zealand, they sell matching bra and panty sets, include 3/4 cup size for pregnant and nursing mamas. Not only this, but they also have a few lingerie "nightie" selections, some pj's, and a camisole.  Bras average around $60.00 and sport dramatic names like "Her Midnight Charm Was Striking" and "Tamed By Her Sensuality." Oh, yes. I snagged an "Awakened By Her Desire" bra over Black Friday and am happy to report that the fit is pretty good, and it's a very sturdy bra. I thought the lace overlay was cheesier in real life than in the photo, but it's still 100x better than the beige. The nursing enclosure, like most nursing bras, leaves a strap in place where the cup would be when you open the nursing flap.

Cake Lingerie

http://www.cakelingerie.com

From their website: "Cake was born in 2008 when its founder; Tracey Montford yearned for beautiful lingerie during her pregnancy. All she could find was matronly, high cupped, uninspiring and unflattering product which did nothing for her self esteem and pride, during this period of vulnerability" ...Can it be said any better than this? This company is one that really gets it. In fact, they began a "Real Mums, Real Fit" campaign, using NO models and doing NO touch ups for stock photos. How much closer to awesome can a company get?! Their bras also retail for around $60 and matching panties are also available with 2 styles to choose from per bra. One exciting thing is that they're just about to launch a new line, and it looks pretty delicious (yes, pun intended).

My husband got me their "Plum Pudding" bra for Christmas and I have to say that it is the BEST fit in a bra that I have EVER had. I only wish that I had gotten a larger band size, but the cups are awesome! They're actually round and hold their shape which I can't say for most other bras (it seems that most are oblong one way or another). I also love that when you drop the nursing flap/cup, there is no strap that crosses your breast. It's just like a regular bra that will drop the cup on your command. Super comfy, very well made, and cute as all get out. I am hoping for another one come Valentine's Day and our anniversary. ;-)

Happy 75th Birthday, Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood just celebrated their 75th "birthday." Ironic, because they take the birthdays away from hundreds of thousands of babies every year. Yes, they do some good things in my eyes like provide affordable contraceptives to the public. Unfortunately, even when I have been broke and uninsured, I have been unable to take advantage of these things because I can't get past the truth behind Planned Parenthood. You see, I believe that all people from the moment their own DNA is coded (at conception) are valuable and have the right to live regardless of age, social status, abilities, or race. Since I feel it is extremely important to be a voice for those who have none and to protect the unprotected, I can't bring myself to add to the numerical statistics or an organization who so strongly works against the sanctity of human life.

Quotes from Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood:

“We are failing to segregate morons who are increasing and multiplying . . . a dead weight of human waste . . .an ever-increasing spawning class of human beings who never should have been born at all.” -Margaret Sanger

“Every feeble-minded girl or woman of this hereditary type should be segregated during the reproductive period. Otherwise, she is almost certain to bear imbecile children … we prefer the policy of immediate sterilization, of making sure that parenthood is absolutely prohibited to the feeble minded.” -Margaret Sanger

“Organized charity itself is the symptom of a malignant social disease. Those vast, complex, interrelated organizations aiming to control and to diminish the spread of misery and destitution and all the menacing evils that spring out of this sinisterly fertile soil, are the surest sign that our civilization has bred, is breeding and perpetuating constantly increasing numbers of defectives, delinquents and dependents…….to breed out of the race the scourges of transmissible disease, mental defect, poverty, lawlessness, crime … since these classes would be decreasing in number instead of breeding like weeds….such a plan would … reduce the birthrate among the diseased, the sickly, the poverty stricken and anti-social classes, elements unable to provide for themselves, and the burden of which we are all forced to carry” -Margaret Sanger

“The most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it.”  -Margaret Sanger

“The purpose in promoting birth control was to create a race of thoroughbreds,” -Margaret Sanger

“More children from the fit, less from the unfit — that is the chief aim of birth control.”  -Margaret Sanger

“We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population”
-Margaret Sanger

“When motherhood becomes the fruit of a deep yearning, not the result of ignorance or accident, its children will become the foundation of a new race.” -Margaret Sanger

“The third group [of society] are those irresponsible and reckless ones having little regard for the consequences of their acts, or whose religious scruples prevent their exercising control over their numbers. Many of this group are diseased, feeble-minded, and are of the pauper element dependent upon the normal and fit members of society for their support. There is no doubt in the minds of all thinking people that the procreation of this group should be stopped.” -Margaret Sanger

Planned Parenthood, founded on the principles of eugenics, I hope you have a happy birthday with my tax dollars.

Definition of EUGENICS (per the Merrium-Webster Dictionary)

noun: a science that deals with the improvement (as by control of human mating) of hereditary qualities of a race or breed 

Check it out: how many lives does Planned Parenthood take in one year?

Webcasting my birthing relay race

I know how much ya'll have been missing my insightful and addictingly interesting posts, so I thought I'd try to write something real quick to let you know what's been going on. :-)

I haven't been online in about 2 weeks and am only on now thanks to my parents' connection. Unfortunately, I don't ever get as much accomplished online as I'd like to when I'm at their house because my 19-month-old feels the need to be attached to me at all times. Not that I mind--goodness, I missed 9-13 hours a day of her life 5-6 days a week until I was taken off of work a month ago! On the other hand, having a dwarf holding both of your hands makes typing difficult.

So before I give the little update, I must apologize first to my readers (you are why I have a blog) and particularly those who are waiting for me to mail them prizes or to send their names on to companies for prizes. Secondly, I must offer an embarrassed apology to the companies who are patiently (and not so patiently) waiting for me to get their reviews and giveaways up. I'd love to tell you that a pregnant lady's life is predictable, but frankly, it's not and that's why I'm at home with a computer but no Internet. If you'd like to pay for me to have the Internet, I will happily write your post. Until then, I'm afraid you must keep waiting.

The Update

I am still pregnant, though my boy thinks he's not a part of me and continually tries to become un-attached whenever I walk. Part of me thinks I won't be giving birth until July 4th (he's due 6/30) simply because I was 11 (yes, ELEVEN) days overdue with LoveBug. The other part of me thinks I could have him tonight if I'd just take part in some roudy love making, eat mexican food, and walk half a mile. Only time will tell!

The delightful part of anticipating his birth is that we expect everything to take about 2 hours from the very first contraction...and our car ride is at least 30 minutes long. :-) I bought a nasal aspirator this week to keep in the car just in case. So here's my plan once that first pain hits my abdomen:

1) time two more contractions just to make sure it's the real thing.

2) call my husband and pray he's not out making a delivery in the next state (quite possible since he works for a restaurant supply company).

3) grab cloth diapers to throw into LoveBug's overnight bag while calling my mom so she can meet me at the hospital.

4) if I can drive, I load LoveBug and myself into the car (after grabbing everything else on my list of items I need to bring with me--the list is taped to our front door for easy access). If I cannot drive, I will call my dear friend and pray she isn't in a meeting at work so that she can drive us to the hospital. If my husband is close by, I will wait for him. Should I have to drive us alone, I will have my mom start towards me so that when I'm unable to continue driving, she can intercept us and bring us the rest of the way. Someone can just get our van later.

5) sit on a contractor type garbage bag and towel during the car ride. If I have to give birth on the side of the road, I will at least make it to the county line that puts me in "my" ambulance district. Not that I'm allowing any of my medic buddies to actually see me giving birth; I'll just be hollering to them to hand me stuff if I need it, and then let them take me to the hospital I was already headed to. I'm all about catching my own child, even if it is in a corn field.

TWO hours, folks. That's what I'm aiming for. Hopefully, when my child departs me, I'll be comfortable in a big tub of water in a beautiful birthing suite overlooking a lake and not in my car as I look at my daughter strapped in a car seat wondering what on earth is happening to her mother.

What do you say--should I webcast the whole event?

When Your Birth Doesn't Go According to Plan

When I found out my husband and I were going to have a baby, I got ready! I sought what I felt would be the best prenatal care with an excellent midwife, read a small library of books, prepared the nursery, took amazing care of myself, ate well, rested, did yoga, practiced hypnobirthing… I was prepared for my baby, so prepared. I was not prepared, however, for the way I would feel after the birth. The way I would feel when everything went “wrong”. I believed to the very core of my being that everything I worked for would happen just the way I envisioned it simply because I believed it. It didn’t.

I did not expect to reach 43 weeks of pregnancy and have a hospital induction. I did not expect the have a scarred cervix that would refuse to dilate for the better part of three days. Even after 43 weeks of pregnancy I did not expect a 9 lb, 6 oz baby or cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD)(http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/cephalopelvicdisproportion.html) or a c-section. I was so convinced I would be having a med-free natural water birth that I only skimmed those other sections in my pregnancy books. I did not expect my perfect pregnancy to have such a dramatic climax. I believed wholeheartedly that all the things I worked so hard for would come to fruition. I mean, I had a plan, a birth plan!

As it turns out, it's hard to plan nature. My cervix did eventually dilate to a full 10 cm and I pushed. I pushed for hours. I pushed until I lost consciousness, only to wake up with the next contraction and push again. When the decision for a c-section was finally made, I knew in my heart, it was time. The doctor that performed our surgical birth informed me that I had a true case of CPD, and I never would have birthed my son naturally. Yet, through all this, my boy never faltered. His heart rate remained steady, his breathing was excellent, and his apgar score was perfect.

And then, we amended our "plan". I was immediately allowed to touch and kiss my baby. He went directly to my husband who cared for him while I was being stitched up. Our baby was never without one of his parents. My husband brought him to me as soon as I was out of the operating room, before I even made it to our hospital room, where we continued with rooming-in as planned.

When we returned home, I struggled with a lot of negative feelings about our birth and the disappointment I felt at having "failed". We also had breastfeeding complications that only compounded the feeling of failure. Then, I started reaching out. I sought support and began to heal, but simply being with my son and keeping him close has had the most healing effect of all.

If your birth does not go according to "plan", do not despair, be kind to yourself. Treat yourself with compassion. Natural parenting is not an "all or nothing" concept. The "plan" can be amended.

A big thanks to Carrie L McClain from Oh, Baby O! for writing this guest blog! Have an article you think would be interesting to Life More Simply's readers? Email it to lifemoresimply @ yahoo.com with the subject of "Guest Blog".

Check out Carrie's Blog to read more about her mothering, crafting, baking, and homemaking pursuits: http://ohbabyo.wordpress.com/

Evita Dress Review & Giveaway from A Mother's Boutique!

A big thanks to A Mother's Boutique for being a big sponsor of the Baby Mama Shower!

You've probably noticed (and hopefully clicked on) me mentioning A Mother's Boutique throughout this month. Not only have they played a big part in me being able to bring this Baby Mama Shower event to you, but they are also playing a big part in the daily life of mothers through providing a place to find high quality clothing and breastfeeding accessories for pregnant and nursing mothers as well as some cute breastfeeding advocacy wear for babies. :-) Everything from underwear and bras to swim and eveningwear for every stage of early motherhood can be found at A Mother's Boutique with free ground shipping for orders over $60.00!

Some of my favorite items include:

The Organic Nursing Hoodie for $79.00 that comes in three different colors and doesn't even look like a nursing shirt. If you've ever tried to nurse while wearing a traditional hoodie, you too know that it becomes cumbersome very easily thanks to the bulk. I'd LOVE to have a hoodie made for nursing!

The Cichlid top on sale for $47.00. It's good for both pregnancy and nursing which is a huge bonus in my eyes, and it's fun as all get out. I don't know if it'd look as good on me in real life as it does the model, but it's fun to dream. :-)

 

Another super fun item is the breastfeeding advocacy wear that sports slogans like "The Milk Factory" for moms and "Born to Nurse" for babies. :-) Click here to check it out.

Their Front Twist Tankini by Anne Matthew for $63.00. I was tempted to snag this for the product review, but Judy, the owner of A Mother's Boutique, asked for a photo of me wearing whatever it was I chose to review. Well, I'm thinking that me in a swimsuit right now would NOT help make people want to buy anything from her store, so as much as I want the suit, I passed it up to spare you the image. ;-) So enjoy it on Anne Matthew to the side there. She looks great in it, doesn't she?

 

It comes in two colors and choices of bottoms...and you just lift the empire waist part of the top to nurse! I haven't ever tried to nurse when we've gone swimming simply because my chest is always too big so my suits are too tight and, well, getting the suit on to begin with is enough trouble without tryint to nurse on top of it. Since I've never tried a nursing swimsuit, I can't tell you how well it works, but I can definitely tell you that I want to find out!

What I did get a chance to review is also made by Anne Matthew: the Evita dress in crimson. It's a simple yet elegant dress that works for both the office and a night out--and it looks beautiful both during pregnancy and after with the ability to easily nurse your baby while wearing it! All you have to do is push the V-neck part aside and whola--nursing is easy while helping to keep you covered and without stretching your dress out. I've found it very easy to get on and off (important when you're 30-weeks pregnant and have a toddler who sticks to you like glue), falls around your figure nicely, and is easy to nurse from. I would recommend choosing a size larger than you think you'll need if you're a "lumpy" sort of lady. I've managed to sprout some love handles during this pregnancy (with my daughter it was the thighs and butt, this time it's the waist...what's a woman to do?) and notice that you can definitely see them when I wear this dress. I've modeled it for my sisters and husband who swear it is really just fine, but self concious me, I would just suggest that you go with a size bigger if you don't want all of the curves highlighted. :-) That picture to the side is of me wearing the dress at 29-weeks pregnant. Cute basketball-belly, right? I really like how the dress makes the bump look cute!

The dress is made of rayon spandex but is as soft as organic cotton, so the feel is great. I find that it can work for both chilly and warm weather and drapes very nicely over a pregnant belly. For $99.00, I think it's a decent price too, considering that you can wear it during pregnancy, nursing, and afterward--and look and feel great in it at any stage! I've even worn it with a dressy pair of pants underneath and have loved that look as well. We all know how important and difficult it can be to feel pretty during pregnancy and nursing, so don't underestimate the power of a nice dress. Five colors and a wide range of sizes ensure a good fit AND a flattering color to you as well.

A Mother's Boutique also offer a selection of "sale" items including all sorts of both regular and imperfect items that you'll want to check out, as well as a nice and informative blog which I've enjoyed going through. When you place an order, please expect great customer service. Judy was a joy to work with--quick shipping, great with answering sizing questions, and just all around pleasant and knowledgable!

Buy It! Visit http://mothersboutique.com/ and use the code "BABIES" for $5.00 off your $50.00 order.

Win It! A Mother's Boutique is giving away TWO $25.00 gift certificates to their store! Each will be chosen by random.org, so if you enter more than once, you might win both. :-) To enter, please visit http://mothersboutique.com/ and tell me what one of your favorite items in the store is and why. Be sure to leave an email address and separate comment for each entry! The winners will be chosen on or after May 7th, 2010.

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Note: A Mother's Boutique provided me with the Evita dress to write this review. No other compensation was received for this review and I was under no obligation to write anything positive. The opinions are all mine!

Club de Bebe Reivew & Giveaway

A big thanks to A Mother's Boutique for being a big sponsor of the Baby Mama Shower!

Club de Bebe Review & Giveaway

Club de Bebe is a unique and important company. Founded by two sisters, their purpose is to "give moms something to look forward to all through their pregnancy." They achieve this through offering a subscription type program that will send the enrolled mother-to-be a package each month that corresponds to her point in pregnancy as well as a la carte gifts and one-time packages. Each gift set is carefully selected to include a variety of high quality, useful items and offered in a way that will meet your budget, whatever it may be. 


Here's what they say...

Club de Bébé is all about mom-to-be. It was born with the mission of helping expectant moms feel as special as they are, as pretty as can be and as comfortable as possible. We offer wonderful gifts that pamper and spoil her, comfort and nourish her, and educate and ease her mind.

My thoughts...
I was able to review the Picture Perfect gift set from Club de Bebe. As with all of their gifts, it came beautifully wrapped in shiny purple paper and a rick white ribbon. Guys, know that your wife will feel particularly special if she receives a package that looks like this--and pregnancy is the BEST time to pamper a woman! The gift you'll receive from Club de Bebe will look exactly like the photo from their website; exquisitely wrapped and ready to make even the most sick, tired, and bloated of pregnant women feel special. :-)





The Picture Perfect set provides a deejohnnies delivery gown and a pair of the world's softest "Spa Socks." The gown I received was sent to me knowing I'm expecting a boy and so is light blue with white polka dots and blue ribbons on the back to tie it together. The Cece pattern from deerjohnnies is what is normally included in this package, providing a gown perfect for birthing either a boy or a girl as it's a pink and green print. Being a paramedic, I've seen all of the stuff that goes on underneath the gowns hospitals provide patients with. Even before my daughter was born, I knew I was not going to be wearing a hospital gown during her birthing. After all, who wants to birth in a gown that someone else may have died in? I didn't have the luxury of birthing attire during that first birthing (yup, just me in the birthing tub) and am sooooo glad to have this gown for when my son is born. It isn't the most flattering of apparel, but then, I don't think you'd want to substitute practicality for fashion during labor. :-) It functions well, providing enough room to move in but without twisting all around you. Everything's easily accessible including nursing abilities but without compromising your modesty. The prints are just plain fun and the ribbons on the back add a really nice pretty touch to the gown making it FAR more appealing than the generic hospital gown. :-)



And the socks...wow! They really are the world's softest socks--even after I washed them. I do wish they weren't white since I noticed the bottom of them are looking slightly grungy after wearing them a few times, but the comfort overshadows how the soles look. I will definitely be putting these into my delivery bag since they are so much more luxurious than the hospital provided slipper socks.

Overall, I have really enjoyed my Club de Bebe experience and I would love for other women to experience them as well. Everyone loves receiving packages, but when they're pretty, thoughtful, and full of useful things, it couldn't get better! This is a unique and awesome way to encourage the expecting mama in your life with either a one-time package or a monthly membership.

Buy It! Visit http://clubdebebe.com to view their monthly packages and a la carte gift selection for expecting mamas! 

Win It! Club de Bebe will be giving one of my readers a fun Baby on Board sterling silver necklace ($30.95 value). To enter, leave me a comment below with your favorite package that Club de Bebe offers. Be sure to leave a separate comment and an email address for each entry! Contest ends on or after May 7, 2010 at noon, EST.

Extra Entries:

*Blog about this contest or tell people about it through a parenting forum (2 entries)

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*Have another great idea to spread the word? Do it and tell me how you did!

This review is based on sample products provided by Club de Bebe. No other compensation was received.

Sleep Number Maternity Pillow Review & Giveaway

A big thanks to A Mother's Boutique for sponsoring the Baby-Mama Shower Event!

Sleep Number Maternity Pillow Review & Giveaway

Sleep and pregnancy just don't go together. You get about half way into the second trimester and you're either plauged by charlie horses, having to pee, or the dreaded "I-can't-get-comfortable" feeling due to your large belly and unsupported back. The comfort factor has been the biggest frustration for me through both of my pregnancies (and somehow, this time I've managed to still make it through a night without using the bathroom and I haven't had to jump out of bed with a calf ache yet!). For LoveBug, I had an array of pillows and stuffed animals that I would place in strategic locations around and under my body to support all of my new bumps. This was okay, but it was time consuming, a pain if something fell out of place, and I could forget about moving to a different position during the night.

I've lustfully looked at maternity and body pillows during the last two years and just about jumped out of my skin when Sleep Number agreed to participate in the Baby-Mama Shower. Immediately upon receiving their maternity pillow, LoveBug and I both layed down on it to "try it out" on our living room floor. Comparing it to other pillows I've seen and read about, this one has some unique features that I noticed right away:

1) It's made of two separate identical pieces that come together with velcro for an adjustable fit resembling butterfly wings. Instead of laying beside the pillow like other maternity ones I've seen, you actually lay in the middle of the "butterfly," creating a cushion for your belly AND your back!

2) It's completely machine washable.

3) There are ribbon handles on the outside of each pillow to allow for easy breezy carrying.

I've been using it for around a week now and can honestly say that I have slept a LOT better with it than my stuffed animal/bed pillow arrangement. I can't believe I didn't have one of these before and that there are other pregnant women out there who still don't have one! Mamas, sleep is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family right now. Don't underestimate the power of a supportive, properly placed pillow system for your changing body. It could make all of the difference in the world for you.

The only downside I've experienced with this pillow is that having to bring the pieces close together (I'm a smaller sort of person) can expose just the edge of the aplix/velcro which can rub against me if I'm not carefuly to smooth it down before I lay down on it. This could easily be remedied by just placing a piece of fabric over the pillow, but the rubbing hasn't bothered me enough to do anything about it.

Things I'd like to see Sleep Number further develop with this pillow would be an organic option, a cover option, and a pillow for between the legs or to elevate feet when lying on the back.

I love that the pillow is soft, I can roll around any direction I please without having to readjust it, and with one hand I can tuck it more under my belly or wherever if I want a little extra support! I've even been able to lay almost entirely on my belly to sleep with this pillow!!!! If you've never been pregnant, you'll need to trust me that belly-sleeping becomes a big deal towards the end of a pregnancy.

Sleep Number provided me with some awesome information and sleeping tips for pregnant women. I'll be sharing this through my blog and through Facebook, so be sure to become a Life More Simply Facebook fan to read these tips and also to find out how to earn an extra entry into this contest!

Buy It! You can purchase this pillow from http://www.selectcomfort.com/ for $39.99.

Win It! Please read the following carefully to enter.
One winner will be provided with her own Maternity Pillow from Sleep Number! To enter, you first need to put your full name and email address into the form below. This will put you on Sleep Number's mailing list and will not be shared with anyone else. AFTER you've done that, you can earn extra entries by commenting as usual through the Blogger form. Contest ends May 7, 2010 at noon, EST.

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Baby's First Phone Call Reivew & Giveaway

Thanks to A Mother's Boutique for being a big sponsor of the Baby Mama Shower Event!

There are lots of things a parent must remember to bring to the hospital and then do after a baby is born. Most expecting mothers make lists of things having to do with birthing: what to bring to the birthing center, delivery positions, birth plans, and of course, who to call once the baby's born. Wouldn't it be nice if the last one didn't have to be done, though? If you didn't have to tell your birthing story 15 times within the first half hour of your baby being born? If you could actually RELAX?!

Well, there is a way.

Baby's First Phone Call is a company that has developed a system allowing you to tell everyone you want about your new bundle of joy without tiring yourself out and without leaving some people to find out second or third hand. The system is pretty easy according to their website:

With Baby's First Phone Call, you set up an account before your baby is born—when you still have a moment of time to yourself—and enter the names and phone numbers of all the people you want to notify when the baby arrives. Then, after the baby is born, you make a single phone call and leave a personal voice-mail message of any length with all the details you want to share.

 

Our system places calls to each of the phone numbers in your account. If the person answers the phone they hear your happy message. If they don't answer, the message is left on their voicemail or answering machine. In either case, there is an option for them to leave you a return message that you can pick up at your convenience.

Key Features

• No limit on your outgoing message to friends and family.
• Friends and family can leave you a response message.
• Time-zone sensitive—identify delivery times for each person in your account.
• Convenient luggage tag with our toll-free call-in number comes with every call package.

Now, my little bundle of joy is still baking, so I won't actually be able to run a full test on this product until he arrives in early July...but I've found the website very easy to navigate, an account easy to set up, and the prices pretty reasonable considering the time (and money) you're saving by not making a million phone calls! After the birth of LoveBug, I know that I don't want to make a bunch of phone calls this time, nor do I want my cell phone to be on once people find out. Not that I don't love telling the story of her birth or hearing the excitement in a friend or family member's voice, but I realize now that you're a bit tired after giving birth and it'd be nice to relax for a little while! I will definitely be using Baby's First Phone call to let people know about Monkey's birth initially and will save my individual phone calls for a few days later. :-)
 
Buy It! Visit http://babysfirstphonecall.com/ to check out their packages ranging from $20-$50 or to purchase a gift certificate for someone else.
 
Win It! Baby's First Phone Call is giving away a $50.00 gift certificate to one of my readers! Leave me a tip on how you relax after giving birth or of what you'd like to do if you haven't ever given birth before. Be sure to include an email address and a separate comment for EACH entry you have. Contest will end May 7, 2010.
 
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Beautiful Dreams

Today's the day. For those of you who also read my pregnancy-family journal blog at http://octobersheart.blogspot.com/, you know that I'm getting an ultrasound today that will hopefully allow us to visualize my son's stomach. We had our 20-week ultrasound (usually the only one you get with my midwife) and were then told at our 24-week appointment that they were unable to visualize our baby's stomach. No big deal, right? The sonographer recommended a follow up U/S at 24 weeks. My midwife scheduled us for an U/S at 28 weeks though she said we only needed an U/S if we wanted it.

Of course we want it! We love seeing that little man in there!

So a few days after our 24-week appointment, I began reading online about why a stomach wouldn't be seen on an U/S. Basically, it's because my son had either just peed and so had no fluid in the stomach to see when the sonographer looked, or he has a serious congential malformation of his esophagus that prevents him from swallowing. Esophageal Atresia is the name of this disorder and would require a level III NICU, surgeries, and months of hospitalization after birth given that there are no other problems.

I don't think I'd be concerned except that I have many of the symptoms that goes with esophageal atresia. Shortness of breath, measuring small and then having a growth spurt during the second trimester, fluid retention very early on, etc.. *sigh* So I called my midwife on Tuesday to speak with her about esophageal atresia and to see if I could get my U/S bumped up. I was able to get the U/S bumped up to today at 4pm but the midwife still has yet to call me back. :-\

Last night, I dreamt very vividly that at our U/S, they saw the stomach clearly right away. My amniotic fluid levels were normal, Monkey was above average in size, and everything was fine. In my dream, we recorded the U/S on a video cassette tape but as I watched the screen during the recording, I saw myself sitting in a rocking chair just after having given birth. I was holding Monkey and he had lots of dark hair that was all frazzled looking because we hadn't bathed him yet. I had him wrapped in a blanket and he was looking up at me. He lifted his little hand, fingers spread out, up towards me, and I put my palm against him. He was perfect, alert, and beautiful. Sooooooo beautiful. I woke up after this dream (for whatever reason--I think it was God allowing me to be able to remember such a precious dream) and felt my little guy bumping around in my womb as if to tell me that's how it's going to be, mama.

I want everything to be okay. I want to hold my baby and nurse him after he's born. I want to not worry about aspiration, pnemonia, and feeding tubes. But if we go today and find out otherwise, we will be okay. As I drove home from work yesterday, it occured to me that while in the womb, my child is perfect. He doesn't need an esophagus while he's inside of me. It's not until he's outside of me that his body wouldn't be perfect. What a neat realization this was for me! The Bible says that in Heaven, we will be perfect because  the veil we experience in this life will be lifted and we will see Jesus face to face. I've always assumed we would be changed and that's why we'd be perfect in Heaven. Now, though, I wonder if the reason we'll be perfect in Heaven is because we'll be face to face with God and won't need the things we do now as a result. He, like a mother, will be what we need, like a child in the womb.

May today be the realization of beautiful dreams for my family. And if it isn't, we are still comforted by knowing that God is a God of love and power to anyone who will accept Him, and that one day, we all can be perfect.

The Blessingway

"Just as a tree grows best when anchored firmly in the earth, so can a pregnant mother feel strong and capable when supported by a sisterhood of nurturing friends."

-April Lussier

In contemplating the fact that I'm almost 18-weeks pregnant with my second child, my mind has been busy making lists of all of the baby items I'll need to get, the organizing I'll have to do, the cleaning that seems to never get done, and the meals I want in my freezer...all before Baby Monkey arrives! Of course, with the impending birth of my second child, I've also thought about baby showers. Since showers for any children other than your first is uncommon in my neck of the woods, I'm relying on product review samples and yard sales to gather the things I'll need for this next baby. This realization has made me think about how my local cultures places the focus of showers on the giver and the money involved in the giving rather than on the guest of honor and the reason for the celebration. In response, I want to tell you about an un-shower event called a "blessingway."

I love the Blessingway model of celebration and think it's a beautiful compliment or alternative to our standard baby showers. Started by the Navajo Native Americans, a blessingway is like a shower, but it focuses on the mother instead of the baby. While blessingways were ceremonies designated for all sorts of different life passages in the Native American culture, the most common one still held today is for pregnancy/birthing.Women who are close to the expecting mother all come together in the days before her birthing to bless her with encouragement, prayer, support, and love. There may be prayer, singing, foot washing, or special readings at a blessingway, holding firm to the traditional feeling of a ceremony. Belly casting, bead giving, and henna painting are all common activities with the purpose of empowering the mother for birthing and to celebrate her pregnancy.

In my research, I've found that many doulas and a few midwives offer blessingway services. They'll help you organize a blessingway and come run it to ensure smooth flowing from one activity to the next and a positive environment for the participants. Even for people who have never experienced a blessingway before, though, there is plenty of information available on the Internet to help you plan your own celebration.

The basics of a blessingway: http://www.naturalbirthandbabycare.com/blessingway.html

The blessingway's Navajo history: http://www.hanksville.org/voyage/navajo/BlessingWay.php3

Outline of a blessingway ceremony: http://www.birthbeads.com/Blessingway.html

Unfortuntately, I don't know anyone who has either thrown or been the recipient of a blessingway before. I'd love to hear first hand the effects on a mother-to-be from behind upheld in this very spiritual and joyful way in the days before her birthing!
 

Note: this blog post is taken in part from The Blessingway blog post at my pregnancy journal blog at http://octobersheart.blogspot.com/

The Pregnant Puker...at work

With LoveBug, I had morning sickness 24-hours a day for the entire 41 weeks and 4 days of being pregnant. I tried everything from Saltines in the morning to vitamin B6, papya, mangos, and B-Natal suckers (though they do taste really good). Nothing helped.

During the first half of my pregnancy, I was attending school full time and working ambulance full time. This led to a lot of traveling and a lot of interesting situations which promoted nausea. I didn't want to use my state of being pregnant as an excuse to get out of anything, so when I was given the task (in the hospital) of inserting a nasogastric tube into an eldery lady's nose so that we could draw out the feces that was backed up into her stomach, I did it. And I was doing okay until I saw the fecal material come up that clear plastic tube and into the bucket I was balencing on the patient. The head nurse asked me what was wrong and I simply uttered a meak "I'm pregnant" before she rolled her eyes, yelled at me for not telling her sooner, and had two aides whisk me outside into the fresh air.

On the ambulance, I didn't have the opportunity to run outside into the fresh air when I was hit with something bad. The first time it happened, I was chatting with a patient who was the CEO and founder of a local nation-wide company that sold cutlery. It was a routine transport and he felt fine--even promising to send me a pair of scissors when he got back home. During our conversation, I felt the nausea creeping up, so I just gently said "excuse me one moment," grabbed a puke basin, silently filled it behind him, and threw some drying chemicals and a towel over the bucket so no one would know what happened. Except for my partner who saw the whole thing and started laughing. He was male, obviously. I never got the scissors.

Other calls were worse, like the time I had a 16-year-old girl with a head injury who had made it all the way to the receiving hospital 1.5 hours away without puking. Then, as we're just about to the parking lot and I'm giving a radio report, she starts in. The radio report quickly ended as I grabbed a bucket for her and I to share. I had never, ever, thought I would break the cardinal rule of sharing a bucket for bodily fluids with a patient. There is just something seriously wrong with that picture, but when you're pregnant and it's coming up...

This pregnancy, my nausea isn't nearly as severe. Actually, none of my pregnancy symptoms are, and it's quite heavenly. I have a desk job this time and a short commute, so the gallon ice-cream bucket I keep in my car for those pregnancy problems hasn't even been used (I learned about the bucket after hitting my steering wheel and entire front dash one late night). I don't have to hug a disgusting porcelain bowl while waiting for calls, and I haven't had to throw up in front of anyone this time. No partner has had to hand me a towel after I've had to run to the side of a parking lot, and no one has laughed at me as I gag while cleaning up the back of a rig.

It's a beautiful thing, working while you're pregnant. The constant trips to the bathroom, trying to stay awake during boring meetings, finding clothing that allows you to go out into public...and the nausea and vomitting that can appear anywhere and everywhere. Thank God we can learn to laugh about these moments and catalog them away in our memory to share with our children when they're teenagers, giving us a hard time about something ("you have no idea what I went through to have you..."). And thank God it's women that have to go through this, because I don't know too many men who could live through 40 weeks of gut wrenching symptoms!

Take courage, pregnant women who must brave the world. Those babies are worth it in the end, and you can always move your car to another parking spot so as to leave the evidence behind when you go grocery shopping (just in case you forgot your ice-cream bucket).

Remedies for Pregnancy Related Leg Cramps

The author of Caching Family Blog recently wrote the post below and I thought it was so interesting that I had to share it with you in the form of a guest post. Watch for more guest posts by this author, and be sure to check out her original post here. Want to see your guest blog appear on Life More Simply's Blog? Email your submissions to LifeMoreSimply(@)yahoo.com!

As we entered week 19 I got my normal pregnancy update and this time it focused on leg cramps. My first thoughts were, "I got them about a week ago, I didn't realize they went along with the baby!" Although they do not know for sure what causes these leg cramps, there are several theories:

• fatigue from carrying around extra weight
• blood vessels in the legs being compressed
• excess of phosphorus or shortage of calcium or magnesium in your diet
• dehydration
• hormones!!!!

At first, I didn't think too much of it as I have had them in the past. I made sure to drink a lot of water and bought bananas; I had always been told leg cramps were caused by a lack of potassium. After one night of my 'solution' the cramps didn't come back. A few weeks later I had them again but I also realized that I had run out of bananas so I went back to my cure and didn't have them again.

Here are some other suggestions that I found online:

• straighten your leg and flex your ankle toward your nose (I usually forget which way I should flex and go the wrong way causing even more pain)
• stretch your legs before going to bed
• put your legs up as often as you can during the day
• avoid standing or sitting with your legs crossed for long periods of time
• stand on a cold surface
• drink enough during the day
• exercise each day
• gently massage your legs during the cramp
• take a warm bath before bedtime
• avoid getting too tired
• sleep on your left side

I was talking to a friend and she had also heard about putting a bar of soap under your bed sheet as a way to alleviate calf cramps. My first thought was "that sounds crazy!" but I did look the tip up since I was curious to know more.

Sure enough, most websites that talk about leg cramps suggested the bar of soap trick. I decided to keep this information the the back of my head as I just might need it one day. Go figure, 4 nights ago I had leg cramps again and I had been consistent with the bananas!! After 2 nights with no relief I decided to put a bar of soap under the fitted bed sheet (hey, if nothing else, the bed would at least smell clean!). I woke up the next morning and was amazed that I hadn't had a cramp! I tried it again last night and when I felt soreness, I would locate the bar of soap and lay my leg on it for immediate relief!

I am very amazed by all of this--who would think soap would take the serious cramp away?
Still curious, I looked up the reasons for soap relieving cramps, here is what I found: "Most leg cramp maladies can be associated with dehydration and depletion of potassium. Gator-ade has sodium chloride, which replenishes lost potassium, as well as rehydrates. Amazingly enough, most bar soaps also contain sodium chloride. During sleep, it is absorbed through the skin from the bar of soap."

So, I am here to tell you it works but I have found a difficulty with it. The bar of soap moves around under the sheets and I have to locate it as I need it. Also, one bar of soap isn't big enough for 2 legs! I have thought about cutting an ace bandage in 2 and wrapping a bar of soap on each leg; If I continue to have problems I just might!

What are some remedies that you've heard of?

**This post has been edited by the author of Life More Simply Blog. The original post can be found at http://CachingFamily.blogspot.com **