birth Archives - The Badass Breastfeeder

My Introduction To Parenthood

By Mellissa Harris

My husband and I are high school sweethearts and were together 7 years before deciding to get married. We were married on September 7th, 2013. That’s when the roller coaster started. I was pregnant the next month, we used the money we were supposed to spend on a honeymoon on a down payment to buy our first home which was purchased by November, and I got a new position at work while I was pregnant. I was projected to start after my maternity leave. Every aspect of my life changed that year! I became a mother, a wife, and a homeowner to a pretty big fixer-upper, and changing jobs. I was a hormonal mess! My current job, while I was pregnant, was an infant/toddler teacher to 8 babies at an Early Head Start center. I was frequently sick and did TONS of lifting. I was frequently asked when I was going on maternity leave because I needed a long term sub to cover my position. In my current position, we did not pay into state disability so I was not able to use that during my maternity leave. I had to calculate the hours I had with my baby postpartum and that was a frequent argument with my husband during my whole pregnancy. The maximum I could take was 6 weeks. That left me with ZERO sick time or vacation for the remainder of the year.

The Birth and Breastfeeding Story of Britn Jones

My #breastfeeding journey has been an amazing one. I did not get the birth I had imagined, but breastfeeding healed that. I had pictured this beautiful, natural, no-intervention birth. Instead I got every complication I could.

Our Bodies Are Not Broken

When I was pregnant with my second son, Exley, people would often ask if this birth would be the one that righted all the wrongs from the first. I never felt that was the case since the birth of my first son gave me my beautiful son and also got me to where I am today. Learning to breastfeed was so hard so I figured I had my big empowering moment when it started to work for us. My first birthing experience was traumatic, but it taught me so much that I can’t call it “wrong.” There were plenty of things that I wanted to do differently the second time, but I don’t think I would have had the second experience without the first. So, essentially, both birth experiences served an important purpose. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Birth // Tagged: birth, giving birth, home birth, pregnancy, women's bodies

Surrender

By Melody Fetterman

A great deal of my pregnancy was spent anticipating birth. I was afraid of it for a long time, for most of the time. Luckily, my fears dissolved as I neared the end of my pregnancy and I felt peace. And though my son’s birth was not silent or simple, it was peaceful in its own way. I remember it as a storm. The lightning contractions, the thunderous moaning, the sounds so loud that the world seemed quiet. And then, just as a storm ends, it was over. My son was born. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Attachment parenting // Tagged: attachment parenting, birth, Breastfeeding, child discipline, childbirth, disciplining children, gentle parenting, instinctual parenting, motherhood, natural parenting, parenting advice, parenting blog, parenting challenges, parenting skills, parenting stress, parenting struggles, parenting styles, parenting tips, positive discipline, positive parenting, raising children, raising kids

Birth Recovery Tip: Soothing Witch Hazel “Ice Packs”

Recovering from birth can be painful! Even with no tearing or stitches the vaginal area is sore for awhile. Here is a tip for some relief after all of the work you did. You deserve it!

An Open Letter to Doctors About Birth and Breastfeeding

Dear Doctors,

I want to personally thank you for dedicating your lives to helping people maintain wellness. You have gone through a lot of schooling and gained a ton of experience to be able to guide people through sickness and to live healthy, fulfilling and long lives. You have literally saved the lives of family members. When I am sick or injured you are the first person I call. We would be in a terrible place without you.

The Home Birth of Sweet Wyatt William

By Sally Sites

In October 2005, I met the first love of my life- my wonderful husband Jake. On August 19th 2010, my second love was born (plans for a natural, relaxed birth center birth were derailed by a pitocin induction at the hospital…I still birthed as naturally as I could while tethered to an IV lying in a bed but it was everything I didn’t want). My passion for all things pregnancy/birth/breastfeeding developed as I grew into my new role as a mom to my darling little man. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Birth // Tagged: birth, birth story, child birth, having a baby, home birth, homebirth, pregnancy, pregnancy stages, pregnant women

11 Affirmations of Birth

Before Jack came along and I was introduced to the world of parenting I had never heard of things like midwives, doulas, home births or birth affirmations. I probably would have laughed at these things, called them “hippie” and said they had no place in modern society. Since then I have come to not only feel that they have more of a place in society than most of the things I went through giving birth to Jack, but also to feel a deep sense of empowerment as I internalize more of the values behind these concepts. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Birth // Tagged: birth, birth affirmations, child birth

Become a Badass Public Breastfeeder in 7 Days: Introduction

I spoke with hundreds of women before writing this e-course. It was the responses I got from these women that motivated me to make this course as extensive as it is. What angered me more than the rare story of harassment was the level of fear that many hold about breastfeeding in public. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Become a Badass Public Breastfeeder // Tagged: attachment parenting, birth, Breastfeeding, child discipline, childbirth, disciplining children, gentle parenting, instinctual parenting, motherhood, natural parenting, parenting advice, parenting blog, parenting challenges, parenting skills, parenting stress, parenting struggles, parenting styles, parenting tips, positive discipline, positive parenting, raising children, raising kids

Become a Badass Public Breastfeeder in 7 Days: Day 7 – Know Your Rights

Congratulations! You have made it to the last day of How to be a Badass Public Breastfeeder in 7 Days! This course will end with a summary of laws protecting breastfeeding in public and a list of breastfeeding resources for you to have on hand anytime you need them.

Breastfeeding is not a lifestyle choice. It is a public health issue.

Breastfeeding in public is not a privilege. It is a civil right. [Read more…]