A lot of relationships change when you have a baby, and over this past year, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting over those changing relationships.  As May 9th grows closer and closer, there seems to be one relationship I keep circling back to–my relationship with my own mother. Well, let me rephrase. My relationship with my mother probably didn’t

When I officially planned to wean my seventeen-month-old daughter I was prepared for her to push back. After the last time I breastfed her, I assumed that a moment would come when she would ask to breastfeed, and I would be forced into the decision of refusing or giving in. But the days went by and she never asked –

Although I receive the quintessential “you’ve got your hands full!” comment frequently, the most accurate and true response I give is “You should see my heart!” I have five kids under the age of eight, and I LOVE having a big family! Is it full of chaos, noise, and mess? You bet! Is the laundry endless? Oh, yea. Is it

Whenever I told someone I hired a doula to be there with me for the birth of my son, a lot of the time it was followed up with: “What’s a doula exactly?”  The dictionary definition is: “a woman, typically without formal obstetric training, who is employed to provide guidance and support to a pregnant woman during pregnancy, labor, and

Happy Earth Day! Today is the perfect day to reflect upon what we can ALL do to minimize our carbon footprint and help keep this world a beautiful place for our children and future generations to come. That’s why we thought it would also be an excellent opportunity to discuss the ecological benefits of BREASTFEEDING! It’s important to remember that

I have battled anxiety since I was a teenager. My brain has always liked to imagine how things can go wrong. After years of self-improvement and making major progress with my anxiety, having a newborn was the ultimate trigger for it all to come rushing back.  I had never felt so vulnerable in my life as when I first held

In recent years, it has become widely available knowledge that breastfeeding your child for any amount of time provides them with some pretty amazing health advantages. These benefits include the transmission of ultra-valuable antibodies, which provide your child with top-notch protection against viruses, pathogens, certain cancers, diabetes, and SO much more. However- these benefits DON’T expire after a certain age.

Before having a baby, I never thought of my breasts as having any use for my child beyond milk. The day I gave birth I realized that they were one of the greatest early parenting tools I had. The baby is upset. Offer the breast. The baby can’t sleep. Offer the breast. The baby is sick or hurting. Offer the

Happy April Fools day! I don’t know about you, but this year, this particular day is feeling a bit peculiar for me. What is typically a day of laughter and jest has somehow managed to manifest itself into something a bit heavier. Maybe it’s the product of all the extra introspection this year has provided me (and all of us!)

New Zealand has long been known for its progressive maternity leave policies, granting employees up to 26 weeks of government-funded paternal leave payments as well as up to 52 weeks of unpaid leave. However, this week, the New Zealand Parliament expanded the parameters of what qualifies individuals for paid maternity leave, to now include parents who have suffered a miscarriage