Category: Pregnancy

Childbirth, Parenting, Pregnancy, Reviews and Giveaways, Uncategorized

Interview With the Creator of My New Favorite Baby Shower Gift- Stockpile

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#MomConfession I dreaded the mountain of ribboned tissue paper and bags at my baby shower. I was grateful, but. So. Much. Stuff. I was already having trouble fitting the essentials into my tiny living space and didn’t know how the stuffed animals galore would be integrated.

I get it- stuff is what you get and give during a baby shower. But, what if there was another option? A great gift that would create lasting value for the baby, and wouldn’t give the mother an additional thing to find a home for? Enter Stockpile, a gift card you can purchase and load with stock from a company of your choice.

I was able to interview the mind behind Stockpile, Avi Lele, and he didn’t disappoint.

Bailey: What was your background before becoming the CEO of Stockpile?

Avi: I started out as an engineering major at MIT, got a law degree at Harvard, and practiced law for 16 years before founding Stockpile. My specialty was patent litigation, and our cases involved complicated, cutting-edge technology. But technology can be intimidating to many people, so every time we went to court, we had to find a way to make the technology accessible – easy to understand and even entertaining – so lay judges and juries had the information they needed to decide the case.

Read more on Huff Post!

Childbirth, Mind-Body-Spirit, Parenting, Pregnancy, Uncategorized

The Pros and Cons of Freezing Your Eggs

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Confession: I’m afraid my eggs will poop out on me before I’m done having kids. But the thing is, I’m not ready to have more children just yet — I want to buy a house, write a few books, travel with only one small human, sleep … so what’s a girl to do?

Freeze my eggs?

Egg freezing is the hot (or cold?) fertility trend of procuring eggs from a woman’s uterus, freezing them, and re-implanting them when she’s ready to introduce the egg to a sperm. This practice became a viable option in 2012 when breakthroughs in freezing and thawing techniques helped prevent eggs from being ruined by ice crystals forming in the eggs.

I’ve been privileged to gain an insider’s view to this wild baby-making world by my mother, who was an IVF nurse for over 15 years and now owns an egg donor agency that is partnering with an egg freezing bank. My mama’s been my fertility Yoda as I navigate this world, helping me dig beneath the surface pros and cons I find on the Internet, giving me the scoop on what the experts find to be the real benefits and risks of sticking lady eggs in a freezer.

Read more on Babble!

Childbirth, Guilt & Forgiveness, Mind-Body-Spirit, Parenting, Pregnancy, Uncategorized

Why You Should Create a Cesarean Birth Plan- Even If You’re Planning For a Vaginal Birth

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Loss of control is a primary fear many women feel when considering the possibility of a cesarean birth. “I’ll have to give up my power to the surgeon. I’ll have no say over how the birth unfolds. I’ll feel like a piece of meat on an operating table.” But it doesn’t have to be that way.

You can reclaim your right to empowerment throughout your baby’s birth by creating a cesarean birth plan — even if you’re planning for a vaginal birth.

Creating this plan doesn’t set the intention that you’ll have a cesarean birth, it sets the intention that you’ll be prepared, regardless of any unforeseen circumstances that may pop up in your birth journey.

Below are preferences you can use to create a simple one-page cesarean birth plan (that you’ll create in addition to your vaginal birth plan), which you will present to your care provider around the beginning of your third trimester. I recommend discussing each preference with your care provider to determine if they, or the facility you would be having the surgery in, would put up resistance to any of the preferences. If so, discuss why there would be resistance, and what can be done about it.

Read more on Babble!

Childbirth, Pregnancy, Uncategorized

5 Of The Craziest Birth Stories You’ll Ever Read

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Childbirth is about as predictable as a cranky toddler with a full glass of juice — it can get messy. When the new-human-delivery process is allowed to naturally unfold, it rarely fits into a sterilized box. Nope, it often spills out, splashes onto your favorite shoes, and demands you step into your ability to roll with it — even if “it” laughs in the face of your birth plan.

I recently attended a gathering for maternal health care workers and many of their clients, where I heard hundreds of birth stories — some of them, completely insane. I received permission to share a handful of the most intense stories (some women wishing to remain anonymous), in the hopes that you can take comfort in knowing that even if your birth goes sideways, rolls down a hill, and falls into a murky pond — you can handle it, and will come out of it a stronger (totally badass!) mom.

Here’s a glimpse of the stories from five women I find far superior to any superhero …

Read more on Babble!

Career, Childbirth, Mind-Body-Spirit, Pregnancy, Uncategorized

Trusting Your Whole-Being During Childbirth (And BIG News!)

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Hi friends!

I haven’t been blogging much because… I’ve been busy writing the Feng Shui Mommy book- eek! (Insert embarrassingly spastic happy dance here.) Being published by New World Library Spring 2017.

Besides that little announcement, I’m keeping today’s written message short and leaning on the spoken word (many of them.)

This relaxation recording was created for pregnant women, but can be utilized by any individual wishing to have more trust in their whole (mind-body-spirit) being.

Send me your thoughts and questions 🙂

xo
Bailey

Childbirth, Mind-Body-Spirit, Pregnancy, Uncategorized

9 Ways Dads Can Emotionally Prep For Childbirth

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Hey dudes — your modus operandi during baby’s birth can consist of more than shelling out ice chips, taking the occasional photo, and having the life squeezed out of your hand. The vibes you put off directly affect your baby’s and lady’s journey through birth. Exuding a calm, confident, and prepared demeanor (even if you’re faking it!) will help your birthing honey assume more of a goddess essence than a “What have we done?!” shrill.

Here’s how to clear then bolster your emotional state before The Big Day, and infuse traditional childbirth preparation methods with deeper meaning.

1. Fear release exercise

Sometimes, releasing negative emotions via talking and journaling isn’t enough — that junk may need to be worked out via physical exertion. Make a list of any and all fears you have surrounding the birth of your child, and all areas of your life the birth will affect (which is everything). Every day, or every other day, choose one fear from the list and exercise it out. As you run (or bike, or engage in any other exercise of choice) envision the fear being released via your sweat.

Childbirth, Mind-Body-Spirit, Pregnancy, Self Love, Uncategorized

Coming To Terms With the Negative Birth Experience You Weren’t Expecting

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As a doula, I recently attended a 30-hour birth that turned the mom’s birth preferences on their head (or maybe into the breech position). The mama was elated to end up with a healthy baby but is moving through deep regrets over certain aspects of her experience (about 90 percent of her preferences had to be scrapped for medical reasons.)

It can be really deflating when you put in months of preparation to have a particular type of birth, and then fall into having the opposite type of birth. It totally sucks. But “it’s not allowed to suck” — or so everyone says — if you and baby end up healthy.

“Well at least you have a healthy baby.”

Ugh.

Yes, you had your healthy baby, and obviously you’re thrilled with that ideal outcome, but what about all the yuck in between? The dashed expectations? The missed opportunities to move through certain experiences you had prepared for? The residual trauma of moving through experiences you hadn’t prepared for? 

Read more on Babble!

Pregnancy, Self Love, Uncategorized, Video

Talk to Me: How Talking to Our Grandparents Can Make Us Better People

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G-Betty lookin’ fierce on her 86th birthday.

My relationship with my Grandmother Betty (Grambetty) has always been a selfish one. I share endlessly about my worries, accomplishments and major missteps, siphon rich streams of advice from her, send her photos of my little family but rarely ask for images from her life and generally fill her with my own “stuff”, scarcely asking about her experiences.

 

She recently visited my home, and arrived on the same day I heard about the Huff Post Talk to Me project- total “Ah-ha! I’m a jerk” moment.

 

“Why haven’t I done this with my Grandmother before?”

Read (and watch!) more on Huff Post

Childbirth, Mind-Body-Spirit, Pregnancy, Uncategorized

I’m a Doula and Let Me Tell You: Orgasms During Childbirth Are a Real Thing

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IMG_7891The terms “orgasm” and “childbirth” sound like antonyms to most people. But, women have an orgasm when they conceive a baby (hopefully!), so maybe it’s not outside the realm of reason that they could have an orgasm while birthing the baby.

According to The Independent, a survey by the Positive Birth Movement and Channel Mum has reported that 6 percent of women say they have had an orgasm during childbirth. My initial reaction when I first heard about women who reported orgasms during birth was that they were lying braggarts — mainly because I was jealous I had never experienced this phenomenon.

But since I’ve become a birth doula, my “lying braggart” theory has been crushed; I’ve witnessed many women experience multiple orgasms during birth. I’ve heard them describe these births as “ecstatic overflows,” “spiritual awakenings,” “waves of bliss,” and “the longest, strongest, orgasm ever!” 

I wonder if these will be the ladies that end up having six children?

Read more on Babble!

Childbirth, Mind-Body-Spirit, Mom Humor, Parenting, Pregnancy, Uncategorized

Playing Music For My Son In the Womb Made Us Closer

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IMG_2634Music allowed me to hear the voice of my unborn baby.

During my pregnancy, I set the intention that my baby would offer me insights and answers via movement when we listened to music. I believed it was his opportunity to show me a glimpse into his soul.

Music also supported me in understanding and expressing (via my own movement) all the emotions I couldn’t actually verbalize to my baby (or to myself, sometimes). Each note sparked a new idea, question, or simple moment of appreciation for the being developing in my womb.

I would play reggae music as he moved back and forth across my mid-section. Some days I would try out 90’s hip-hop (I swear he would tap his foot to the rhythm). Classical music (the ultimate baby music cliché) just put him to sleep, no complaints.

His favorite music ended up being anything that made me dance. If I was shaking my bloated pregnancy booty it was (and still is) a good day for him; he’s down to shake along with me.

Oh, and we also listened to audio books. I had to drive a painful amount of time for work (four hours, three times a week). He slept through those audio books: Miranda’s dilemma about whether her Latin lover was actually murdering middle-aged art dealers in downtown Los Angeles really didn’t interest him.

Read more on Redbook!

Childbirth, Parenting, Pregnancy, Uncategorized

I Was The First To Get Pregnant

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IMG_1187Be wary of a friend who uses your pregnancy as a soapbox for self-righteousness.

When I became pregnant in my mid-20s, it became the source of invasive gossip amongst my group of childless friends.

Many of my friends didn’t get it.

“A pregnancy? That you don’t want to end? But what about alcohol? You can’t drink alcohol when you’re pregnant, did you know that? And isn’t there a baby at the end of a pregnancy? Who will change the diapers?”

My pregnancy was unplanned, but still welcome. I was on birth control and my partner was just beginning graduate school. But the stars (or sperm and egg) still aligned. I immediately knew the pregnancy felt right, even though most people were telling me it was wrong.

My partner needed time to reconcile with the fact that he was going to be a dad and when many of our acquaintances heard this, they latched on.

Read more on Your Tango! 

Childbirth, Mind-Body-Spirit, Parenting, Pregnancy, Uncategorized

Pregnancy Bagua Map

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Toying around with a “pregnancy version” of a feng shui bagua map for the Feng Shui Mommy book 🙂 A work in progress, but having fun mixing the harmony of this ancient Chinese art into the magic of pregnancy and childbirth.

Oh, are you wondering what the heck a bagua map is? The bagua map (BAH-gwa) is a tool used in feng shui to learn which parts of a space correlate with particular areas of life.

My version helps you learn what areas of your life to nurture during different stages of your journey into motherhood. 

You begin your journey in the watery North (1st trimester), explore the woods of the East (2nd trimester), absorb the warmth of the South (3rd trimester), then slide into the cool landscape of the West (4th trimester.)

At the center of it all is the grounding presence of the Earth, which holds the power to harmonize the light and dark moments of your journey (yin and yang.)

Childbirth, Pregnancy, Self Love, Uncategorized

9 Ways to Bond With Your Unborn Baby

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IMG_0978Are you nervous at the prospect of birthing a stranger? Sure, you love the little nugget floating in your uterus, but do you feel like you know them?

When I was pregnant, I had serious doubts about my ability to “do parenting well.” I felt wholly unprepared and feared the big P-D: postpartum depression.

Because I have control freak tendencies, I became consumed with putting in bonding work before my son was born — I had a deep need to get to know him before he was put in my arms.

Many of the following prenatal bonding activities are practiced in the HypnoBirthing (Mongan Method) childbirth preparation classes I teach, and some are pulled from my personal tinkering.

Read more on Babble!

Childbirth, Pregnancy, Uncategorized

How to Stall Labor Interventions

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Many doctors have places to go and other patients to see, so they like to move things along. But guess what: if you’re pregnant, you’re not sick — you’re not even a patient. You are a client of the doctor, moving through a natural and extraordinary transition in life. If you choose to accept a bit of intervention during the birthing process because you feel it is the right choice, I think that’s great.

As a doula, my frustration enters when interventions are pushed on women that do not want them — women who are comfortable and content with the progression of their labor, but have overzealous care providers pushing unnecessary needles, apparatuses, and drugs on them because the care provider wants to “get that baby out” pronto.

I don’t believe these care providers push medical assistance on birthing women to complicate their situation; I believe they do it because it’s what they know, and it’s what they were trained for. Many obstetricians who practice in hospitals were primarily educated to manage births that are flush with special circumstances — and that’s fabulous, I’m so grateful women who need that specialized care can receive it.

Read more on Babble! 

Pregnancy, Travel, Uncategorized

The Pregnant Woman’s Guide to Disney World

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wd032wdw2015091212907179Are you pregnant? Do you like to tap into your childlike wonder? Do you enjoy the occasional giant cookie and churro? Perfect. You’re going to love Disney World.

You may not be able to free fall in the Tower of Terror, but you can still get your kicks on Safari (with real animals!), watch Broadway-level performers flip around while belting out a Disney ditty, or quell your pregnancy hot flashes in cool and comfy capsules that transport you through the Haunted Mansion.

Come to think of it, all of my favorite attractions (and the attractions my toddler can attend) are all pregnant lady-approved.

But before you hop on a ride …

Read more at Babble!