Gaea baby birth

This one is important to me as I am working towards a successful VBAC due in March!
This is for my VBAC mommies ;)

6 Tips for Getting the VBAC You Want The 6 Most Important Tools to Achieving Your VBACVaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is a safe option for most women.

Let go of the clock and enjoy feeding and bonding with your little one :)

The Clock and Early Breastfeeding The clock looms large in the lives of many breastfeeding families. When a new baby is born, some parents are told or make assumptions about: How many minutes their baby should breastfeed How long their baby should be satisfied between feedings The longest stretch of time their baby should sleep Does

Tummy time is so important !

Babies NEED tummy time! At 11 months old, this little cutie should have a nicely rounded head, developed S curves in his neck and low back, and flexible legs that move in and out of various sitting positions. But, largely due to lack of time on his tummy and OVERUSE of "baby containers" such as bouncy seats, swings, and car seat carriers that go from car to grocery store to restaurant, he has positional plagiocephaly (flat skull) a big ol' C curve in his spine preventing him from getting on hands and knees to crawl, and hips and legs so tight he can't even straighten his knees! And these are only the outwardly visible problems...too much pressure on baby's spine and vision centers of the brain from lying on their backs are detrimental to development! So....tummy time, tummy time, tummy time! Do it!
ADDITIONAL INSIGHT:
Tummy time IS absolutely important for development! It doesn't have to be on the floor, but can be on the caregiver's chest, supported over their lap or bent knees, or on a nursing pillow for younger babies. Many of the comments we've read are stating babies shouldn't be placed in "unnatural" positions or those they can get out of. As developmental therapists, we specialize in the timeline of babies moving from the flexion posture (fetal position) through anti-gravity extension. The ONLY "natural" position for a baby is flexion. If you lay an infant on their back, i.e. In extension their arms flail and they think they're falling (this is the Moro reflex) and is why we swaddle babies to keep their arms and legs tucked in close like they were in the womb. The flexion tummy time provides is in fact very safe and natural. We urge you to find a specialist in your area if your baby struggles with reflux and isn't tolerating tummy time that can help develop strategies that will promote being off of their backs. AGAIN, this post is directed to parents and caregivers of babies who are typically developing and not those with special needs or other medical diagnoses. The baby in the picture fits this description. It is not meant to be judgmental but informative on what CAN happen. We are so pleased that it has opened up conversation between parents and health care providers to help prevent these issues from occurring.

I’m not depressed, I am enraged

At a society that dumps children in women’s laps and says ‘good luck with that’ as they turn their backs on the sleepless nights and swollen breasts, the isolation, the boredom, the monotony, the endless hours of crying that send you near insane, desperate for just five minutes of silence.

I’m not depressed, I am enraged

At a society that says ‘children matter’ and then gives so little support to the one person who holds it all together in the first years of that child’s life and beyond.

I’m not depressed, I am enraged

For all the nights I spent alone, feeding and comforting my child while the rest of the world slept, recovering from their day, restoring their bodies and their spirit.

I’m not depressed, I am enraged

At his request for more children. As though it were his body that would bleed and be grazed, that would be deformed, permanently scared, flabby and saggy.

I’m not depressed, I am enraged

That men debate the morality of abortion when they’re never left carrying the baby.

I’m not depressed, I am enraged

That society thinks so little of motherhood that it hasn’t yet created pregnancy leave but instead, expects women to carry on working despite vomiting, extreme tiredness, and constant nausea.

I’m not depressed, I am enraged

With a society that thinks 18 weeks is more than enough time to financially support a mother while she cares for her infant child.

I’m not depressed, I am enraged

That my husband gets a week of paternity leave. How is that supposed to help anyone? How can he become the father he wants to be when he’s given so little opportunity to parent?

I’m not depressed, I am enraged

That when the exhaustion and isolation, the soul destroying monotony and the mind numbing boredom gets too much, I’m no longer nice. I’m not compliant. I lose my pleasant manner and no longer fit the mould of what is acceptable behaviour for a woman. When I’m angry and scream, when I’m short and unhelpful. When I start putting myself first and others are left to fend for themselves.

I’m enraged that in those circumstances, society – were it to cast its eyes my way – would deem me an unfit mother. Crazy. Abnormal. Scary. Not to be trusted. Unstable.

I’m not depressed. I’m enraged at a society so unhealthy, so disconnected from its own soul that this is the way it treats the most sacred act of all – birthing, motherhood, the raising of a child.

I’m enraged that motherhood should sit right in the heart of what truly matters in society, but instead, it’s on the outskirts. Disrespected, disconnected.

I’m enraged that as I shifted from maiden to mother I became invisible. That people spoke to my baby but not to me. That people asked about baby but not about me. That when my husband got a cold he got more sympathy than I got for the daily rigours of motherhood. Been in physical pain for 6 weeks? Suck it up sister, you’re a mother now.

I’m not depressed, I am enraged.

*****

Author: Samantha Nolan-Smith
Extracted from the program 'A Visible Woman': www.avisiblewoman.com

For support with speaking up and being seen and heard in the world, check out www.theschoolofvisibility.com

Your baby sees home 💜

This is you, and I know what you see. You see a soft middle, a round belly. You see too wide hips and your favourite jeans that don't do up. You see messy hair and tired eyes.
This is you, and here's what I see. A woman who held the universe in her womb, told by society she should be ashamed of it. I see strength and power to hold that growing and changing body and I see a new woman has recently emerged, a Mother. I see a woman who will not bounce back or go back to what she once was. She is so different now in so many much more beautiful ways.
This is you, and I know what your baby sees. Your baby sees perfection, ecstasy, joy, life, peace, love. Your baby sees home. Your baby sees you.
Artwork by thoughts by me x

Find Chloe's artwork and page here!

https://www.facebook.com/artbychloetrayhurn/

Website here:

https://www.chloetrayhurn.com/

Starting the new year off with a great offer. Please email me for details and bookings!

Can I get some feedback from the couples who have attended antenatal classes as to what you found most valuable or interesting to learn in them , what you found boring and what you wish you had been taught ?
Expectant parents that have not yet attended such classes are welcome to comment on their expectations of such ;)

Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD): Causes and Diagnosis Cephalopelvic disproportion occurs when a baby's head or body is too large to fit through the mother's pelvis. Learn more about Cephalopelvic disproportion.

Is your Dr telling you your baby is too big for natural birth or that you are too small for it ? It is such a rare condition and can really only be determined once you are in labour... catch up on some reading mommy and own the birth you want :)
Here is one of many articles to start with !

Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD): Causes and Diagnosis Cephalopelvic disproportion occurs when a baby's head or body is too large to fit through the mother's pelvis. Learn more about Cephalopelvic disproportion.

Let's talk post partum !

How Cultures Protect the New Mother What can we learn from the cultural postpartum rituals of low-income, developing countries?