EmpowerMama

20 week anatomy scan  Today was our 20 week anatomy scan. Leading up to the scan I get such anxiety and always fear the worst. Part of this is because both my husband and I are adopted. We do not know anything biologically so anything is possible. But today everything check out and he’s perfect. He’s a little smaller but all my 6 kids were small so it’s not shocking that he’s on the small side. Our sweet boy wouldn’t uncross his feet the entire time and wasn’t shy showing off the goods. Even though we knew we were having a boy it was nice to get confirmation. Our boy is growing and doing great after a rough start to the pregnancy. 
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 More updates to come as we get further into the pregnancy.   

 I used to be pretty! Many of us have a hard time wrapping our heads around our new mom bod. Some go into a depression state because we can’t accept the new reality. I’ve been there with every pregnancy, birth and postpartum recovery. I still from this day do not look the way I did before I had babies. Society has told us that once your baby is born your body will bounce back. Sure, for some it does. But for many it doesn’t and for those who have multiples it definitely doesn’t. What you need to take in is that it doesn’t matter how you look after birth. Your body is forever changed because of one thing. Your body’s changed because you brought life into the world. Embrace the mom bod because you now have a story. For those with stretch marks don’t be shameful of them. Love them as they held your baby. You are stronger than you think! You are brave and blessed! You are powerful in your own way! Don’t allow anyone to shut that down. Embrace the new you! 

  Preparing for birth  The journey is coming to an end and it’s time to prepare. As you sit scrolling on your phone all the things you need for birth you start to question what you truly need. Now you think you need it ALL!! I get it because I was there too. But I’m here to help you wrap your head around the overwhelming list of needs and wants. As a new mom you think you need everything, but the truth is you don’t. Much of what we think we need turns into wants. I’ve created a list of needs to help prepare you for birth. Many of the items are provided to you at the hospital or birthing center. These lists are based off of my personal experiences. Some might need more or less than others. But here are the things that worked for all 6 of my births. 
 Need:  
- change of outfit (2)
 - nursing essential  
- going home outfit (mama & baby)  
- baby outfit (2-4)  
- car seat  
- toiletries  
- slippers/socks 
- snacks  
- charger  
- Bag ...

6 and counting!  Back in the day large families were common. Many children were raised in big families. However, times changed and the thought of 5+ children seems less common than it once was. But why should it matter to anyone else how many children you are raising? Why should it matter how a family chooses to live? The simple answer is IT DOESNT MATTER. If you aren’t raising the children, if you aren’t in anyway affected by the number of children one has then it’s not your concern. I am a proud mom of 6 beautiful children under the age of 9. We chose to have a big family because both my husband and I are adopted. We wanted to create our own biological family to carry on our name for years to come. Just because we chose to have many doesn’t mean others need to as well. There are always two sides to every story. Don’t allow yourself to only see one side of things.   

Is the epidural for me?  While the epidural may not be for everyone it can be beneficial to others. Some may have trauma from an epidural complication and some may rave about an epidural. The thing to know is there is always a risk of something going wrong, but we can’t allow that to shut out the idea of getting one. The point of an epidural is to allow women to stay awake and feel the pressure of labor without the pain. When done correctly the benefits can give a great outcome. But with all medical interventions educate yourself to make sure it’s the right thing for you.   

Pushed to breastfeed?  Since becoming a mom in 2016 I was always encouraged to breastfeed. After doing my research I knew I wanted to give it a try. Unfortunately, for me breastfeeding was nothing but overwhelming, challenging and stressful. Even though I did my best I had to stop. Being able to physically feed my baby wasn’t possible for me. I tried silicone nipple shields to allow baby to latch but that only led to more issues than it was worth. I was so desperate and determined to do what was right for my baby that I pushed myself to pump exclusively. It worked for the first little bit til I started getting mastitis repeatedly that only caused more pain. At that point I didn’t know what to do but to stop. The journey I had invested into failed me drastically. I felt like a failure. I was ashamed I couldn’t. But I’m here to tell you it’s nothing to be shameful of. Not everyone can. Not everyone wants to. AND THATS OKAY! I applaud those who can breastfeed and I also applaud those ...