Jen started her family when most of her friends already had older kids. Soon after graduating from school, Jen and her partner moved across country to live closer to her family. When Jen went in for her first ultrasound, this surprise baby came with another big surprise – two babies! The move, the new jobs, and now the babies were…
by Kaela Koepke I’d like to dedicate this second pregnancy to Prozac. I’m 3.5 months pregnant with number two and already the difference in my mood between pregnancies is night and day; the contrast is astounding. At eight weeks into my first pregnancy three years ago, I was sobbing at my midwife appointment, petrified of a miscarriage, despite having no…
Here’s the deal: We need each other. Yes, we human beings need one another to be healthy and to thrive. Brené Brown defines connection this way: “connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” Thanks to…
By Barrie Rein Thunemann MA, ICCE, CD, Certified Birthing From Within Mentor, www.fullmoonbirthseattle.com Our culture tells us that giving birth is supposed to be one of the best days of our lives, however, many mothers and parents can feel disappointed or let down after their birth experience. In fact it’s actually not all that unusual to feel that something just doesn’t…
You can say that in any groups of parents that you are comparing your kids to one another. That kind of has a negative feeling, right? Well sure, it could have that feeling, but it doesn’t have to. I read a lot of the feedback from parents in PEPS Groups and I’ve led a few of my own and participated…
by Sarina Behar Natkin, LICSW You survived the newborn days, and life with baby is rolling along smoothly. They are full of belly laughs, find delight in just about everything, and their biggest complaints are easily whisked away with a clean diaper, a snuggle, and some milk. As you push your easy-going babe in the swing at the park, you…
By Shawna Gamache Don’t worry too much! Getting a sibling really is the best thing to happen to most kids – and as this essay is from my own experience, the suggestions here are mostly directed at families with a toddler when their second child is born. Involve your older child in planning, pregnancy and birth Maybe he can help…
By the time my daughter Ravenna was seven weeks old, I had mastered parenting. Confident in my ability to meet her needs, I decided it was time for our first mother-daughter day out. A local outdoor mall boasted a beautiful new women’s lounge with ample space to nurse and change diapers. Perfect. I packed the kitchen sink into the diaper…
Have you ever done something accidentally? Like maybe you accidentally signed up for 2 year magazine subscription to Women’s Health even though you know you’re never going to look like the woman on the cover, or maybe you accidentally befriended someone who is super annoying and now they will never leave you alone, or maybe you simply, accidentally, spilled your…
Probably the most important thing I’ve learned so far as a parent is to not worry so much about what my kids are doing. To realize that what I’m mostly doing here is giving them a safe place to unfold— not molding them.
