You may have heard one or more people talking about using the services of a doula during and after childbirth. If you are wondering what a doula is, you have come to the right place. Today I am going to offer a brief explanation of what doulas do, so that you can decide whether you would like to find one to help you out. A doula is a trained professional who provides useful information as well as physical and emotional support for a pregnant woman during and for some period of time after the birth of the baby. There are … Continue reading →

There are several pregnant women in my extended family. Yesterday I attended a baby shower for one of these pregnant women; she is my husband’s cousin’s wife. Aside from my sister who very recently gave birth to her first child, a girl; there are a total of three expectant mommies on my husband’s side of our extended family. It is not uncommon for sisters and sisters-in-law, and in our case cousin-in-law, to be expecting around the same time. When I was young, my mother was expecting at the same time as five other sisters and sisters-in-law. What is interesting is … Continue reading →

Ah the holidays… a time to take time off work, relax and enjoy your family. Who am I kidding? The holidays are probably the busiest days of the year for moms. It’s a confusing time for pregnant women especially. The abundance of food is tempting. Having two dozen family members commenting on the size of your baby bump is less than thrilling. The thought of not having to work and relaxing is great in theory, but oftentimes between all the visiting, baking, and celebrating, we end up more exhausted than we were before. My solution is actually the same regardless … Continue reading →

For her entire life, you toddler has had you all to herself. Depending on her age, she may or may not understand your pregnancy and what it means for your family’s future. Once the new baby is born, however, there’s no question her life is going to change. She may love it and become mommy’s little helper, but what if she has a hard time adjusting? How can you help your toddler adjust to being a big sister or a big brother and help encourage a strong bond between the two new siblings? It starts during your pregnancy, of course. … Continue reading →

Many pregnancies are unplanned, but if you have opportunity to decide when you want to have a baby, how do you go about making that decision? How do you know when it is the right time to start a family? Often the first factor that people consider is money. Can you afford to get pregnant? Can you afford diapers, baby clothes, gear, child care and other costs associated with having a baby? The answer is not black and white because the costs of having a baby can vary so much from one family to the next. For example, if one … Continue reading →

The sound of the electric beater would make my son startle when he was in the womb. The swell of a hymn on Sunday morning would seem to send him into a happy dance, making my stomach look like a bag of popcorn in the microwave. Daddy’s voice would almost always earn a kick or a punch. It was pretty clear he could hear us and I would experiment with different sounds to see what he would do. Sometimes I would sing or listen to music with a driving beat just to see how much I could get him to … Continue reading →

Your baby’s birth will be a whirlwind of activity. From the moment she enters the world, time will seem to speed up and she’ll grow up right before your eyes. In the first few days of life, a baby’s appearance changes dramatically. Everything from her skin tone, to the shape of her nose, to the curve of her tiny head, morphs as she recovers and adjusts to her new surroundings. After all, she was crammed in a pretty tight space for nine months; she’s bound to have some serious bedhead, among other things. In all the hustle and bustle, you’ll … Continue reading →

1. Paint her toes. Just because she can’t reach them, or see them, doesn’t mean she doesn’t want them to look nice. Score bonus points by throwing in a foot rub. 2. Vacuum the floors. Vacuuming never seemed like a difficult chore before, but strap 20-30 pounds to the front of your chest and then try it. The occasional dip to pick up something too big for the vacuum cleaner is what really turns a simple task into backbreaking work. 3. Tell her she looks beautiful until she believes you. Praise every curve on her body. Pregnant women tend to … Continue reading →

For the final installment of my Pregnancy and Relationships series, I am going to talk about marriage. I’m saving the best for last, since pregnancy will have the greatest impact on the two people who started it. It’s hard to describe in 500 words or less the kind of changes that will take place when two people move from being a couple to a family. Suddenly, your whole world revolves around the well being and development of an eight pound, crying, pooping, drooling mess with big round eyes, dimples and a smile that will make you melt every time. The … Continue reading →

“The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy.” ~Sam Levenson I can’t speak from personal experience on this topic. I can only say good things about the positive impact that having a child has had on an already great relationship with my parents. Becoming a mom has given me a clearer understanding of my childhood, of my parents as people (not just as “my parents”) and the sacrifices they made. During my pregnancy, we had a lot of fun preparing and celebrating. It was everything I ever wanted it to be, if … Continue reading →