Tag Archives: new mom

7 Ways to Survive Life With a Newborn and No Family Support

Pregnancy Concerns

It was never my plan to have a baby while living hundreds of miles from my family, therefore completely destroying any possibility of having nearby family support.  Before we had a child, I imagined that every other aspect of our lives would have miraculously fallen into place. My husband and I would return home, buy a cheap yet beautiful country house, and acquire fluffy chickens and rabbits to wander picturesquely in the grounds. Best of all, we’d have free childcare at the perfect distance (not too far and […]

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Hey, Be Kind to Yourself (and Your Body) Right Now

Pregnancy Concerns

Any time the topic of weight comes up, our spidey sense can begin to tingle. Where is this conversation going? Is someone about to be shamed for weighing too much? Too little? Ordering a burger and fries when they “should” have gotten a salad? When we’re so prepped to hear negativity and judgment attached to the weight conversation, it’s no wonder that our inner dialogue on the topic can become downright nasty. If weight is something that you’ve struggled with at the best of times, the fact […]

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Finding the Best Infant Car Seat

Pregnancy Concerns

When it comes to baby car seats, it might feel like you’ve got a million and one choices to make. So I’ve put together a little list to get you started. Start with the Basics: You basically have three styles to choose from for your newborn: infant car seats, rear-facing convertible car seats or all-in-ones. All are considered safe, but let’s break down the differences between these three types of seats. Infant Car Seats These seats are the traditional ‘bucket’-style seats that only face the rear of […]

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Pubis Diastasis – A Real Pain in the Crotch

Pregnancy Concerns

From about six months pregnant on, I was having this consistent pain in my lower left abdomen. “Ligament stretching,” they said. OK, I thought, that makes sense. After all the obsessive googling I was doing, out of natural paranoia, I was in agreeance even though the pain was only getting worse. Little did I know that this pain would escalate into the worst pain I would ever experience in my life, even more than giving birth! A pain that was caused by a pretty rare condition called pubis diastasis. The Pubis […]

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You Don’t Have to Have a Great Mom to Be One

Pregnancy Concerns

The biggest fear I have had as a motherless mom was when I realized I had no idea how to be a mom.  I do not have very many memories of having a mother at all. My mother left when I was 6 years old, and our relationship was a roller coaster of toxicity for many years until I got off that ride. She had made her choices and had no intention of changing, so I had to make a decision for my own well-being and end […]

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Medela Freestyle Flex – Small, Mighty, and Mobile

Pregnancy Concerns

Small and efficient is the name of the game when it comes to pumping on the go, and Medela’s newest pump, the Freestyle Flex, highlights these two essentials in a smart, simple design. This is Medela’s lightest pump yet. Roughly the size of the palm of your hand, and weighing in at just under a pound, the Freestyle Flex is easy to carry around and stash once you get to wherever your day takes you. It’s small size also makes it possible to put in pocket while […]

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100 Great Gift Ideas for Babies Under One

Pregnancy Concerns

4.2Kshares Coming up with baby gift ideas – even gifts for infants – is hard! I think we all understand that babies don’t want or really need anything, but I totally get that people really want to recognize special occasions. So I put my own list together of great gifts for kids under one. It was a little tricky because shopping for an infant is different from shopping for a 10-month old but I tried to make it fairly universal. Here is my criteria for baby gift […]

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Five Beautiful Truths about Postpartum Bodies

Pregnancy Concerns

photo courtesy of @alliesdasilva Oh boy, this is the thing that is hard to ask, but am I vain because I am not always in love with my postpartum body? I go through waves and cycles of thinking, wait I have a life giving, life sustaining, powerful, beautiful body! I think this in the shower, that my new wider (permanently wider) hips are like Beyoncé, and that my curves are sexy. Then I whip back the shower curtain only to be confronted with my full length mirror and I think, oh […]

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If I Don’t Take Care of Me Who Will?

Pregnancy Concerns

I used to have a crappy restaurant job. There was a career, lifetimer waiter who I really liked who gave me a valuable life trick. He would say my Grandpa always told me anytime you need a break at work just go to the bathroom, no one will ever bother you in the bathroom. I have used this in all the jobs I have had after this and it always has given me just a minute of peace… until I had my baby. Now when I want that little break, my […]

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It’s Possible to Hate Pregnancy, but Love Motherhood

Pregnancy Concerns

I was one of those people who absolutely could not wait to be pregnant. I fantasized about what I would look like with a big ole’ baby bump and glowing skin. I touched my stomach tenderly and told myself one day. Then, that one day came. I saw two bright pink lines – a very positive pregnancy test to match my very positive outlook on how wonderful it would be to grow a human. Within a week, it all came crashing down when I regurgitated my morning cup […]

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