Wonderfully Made

I remember walking into the yoga studio, but this time was different. Before, I had breezed in with a mat, my keys, a water bottle, and my growing baby bump. Nothing and everything had changed since the last time I had joined this group of mamas-to-be. Now I navigated the narrow hallway with a diaper bag in one hand and a carrier in the other. Inside that carrier was a new little person I had begun to get to know. She was our second baby, so she couldn’t have our undivided at

Q. During my first birth, my OB insisted that I lay on my back during the pushing phase of labor even though my baby and I were doing fine. Pushing on my back was painful and didn’t feel right to me. Do I have to give birth lying on my back? A. No. In the absence of true complication, you should be supported in choosing a pushing position that feels right for you. Your instincts were good in choosing a position other than lying on your back. Positions that work with gravity

This post is part of the series, 10 Tips for a Better Postpartum . This is Tip #9 in a list of 10 things you can do in pregnancy to set yourself up for a more comfortable, peaceful, and enjoyable postpartum journey. Check back in the coming weeks as I share the next tips in the series! Tip #9: Make Your Full, Holistic Recovery a Priority What do you think of when you think of recovery after birth? The physical recovery? Or perhaps tending to emotional challenges? The mental

This post is part of the series, 10 Tips for a Better Postpartum . This is Tip #8 in a list of 10 things you can do in pregnancy to set yourself up for a more comfortable, peaceful, and enjoyable postpartum journey. Check back in the coming weeks as I share the next tips in the series! Tip #8: Maximize Your Sleep Sleep when the baby sleeps, right? YES. Please do! But in reality you may need to do a bit more strategizing to find ways of getting much needed rest that work for y

This post is part of the series, 10 Tips for a Better Postpartum. This is Tip #7 in a list of 10 things you can do in pregnancy to set yourself up for a more comfortable, peaceful, and enjoyable postpartum journey. Check back in the coming weeks as I share the next tips in the series! Tip #7: Nourish Yourself One of the pieces of advice my midwife shared with me related to postpartum is to focus on a diet rich in lean proteins, fruit, vegetables, and sunshine . With my first

This post is part of the series, 10 Tips for a Better Postpartum . This is Tip #6 in a list of 10 things you can do in pregnancy to set yourself up for a more comfortable, peaceful, and enjoyable postpartum journey. Check back in the coming weeks as I share the next tips in the series! Tip #6: Manage Expectations for Yourself I vividly remember taking our first baby to her routine checkup at the newborn assessment clinic. She was 4 days old. ( The ridiculousness of asking new

This post is part of the series, 10 Tips for a Better Postpartum . This is Tip #5 in a list of 10 things you can do in pregnancy to set yourself up for a more comfortable, peaceful, and enjoyable postpartum journey. Check back in the coming weeks as I share the next tips in the series! Tip #5: Manage Expectations with Your Family and Friends Bringing a brand-new human into the world is exciting, and those who love you will share in that excitement – they will want to see you

This post is part of the series, 10 Tips for a Better Postpartum. This is Tip #4 in a list of 10 things you can do in pregnancy to set yourself up for a more comfortable, peaceful, and enjoyable postpartum journey. Check back in the coming weeks as I share the next tips in the series! Tip #4: Make a Plan for Postpartum Meals To be completely honest, newborn baby care can feel like, well, A WHOLE LOT. Those early days and weeks are so precious! But they can also feel like a

This post is part of the series, 10 Tips for a Better Postpartum . This is Tip #3 in a list of 10 things you can do in pregnancy to set yourself up for a more comfortable, peaceful, and enjoyable postpartum journey. Check back in the coming weeks as I share the next tips in the series! Tip #3: Accept and Ask for Help Let me just begin by saying that the fourth trimester is NOT the time to be a superhero. During this time, you are tasked with many jobs: physical healing aft

This post is part of the series, 10 Tips for a Better Postpartum . This is Tip #2 in a list of 10 things you can do in pregnancy to set yourself up for a more comfortable, peaceful, and enjoyable postpartum journey. Check back in the coming weeks as I share the next tips in the series! Tip #2: Take a Quality, Independent Birth Class When I was pregnant with my first, I took ALLLL the birth classes available in my community at the time. I wanted ALLLL the information so that