Mothering takes patience

7/27/12 Mothering takes patience…

My 20 month old and I went grocery shopping today…after running a few errands.  By the time I plopped my daughter into the shopping cart – she had had it.  There was no way she was going to sit quietly in the cart while I shopped.  So I took her out and said “You can shop with Mommy like a big girl and hold my hand.”

She walked alongside me as we went up and the down the aisles.  Grocery shopping was slightly more stressful as I was a bit paranoid she would run off from me.  And it took twice as long since her little legs don’t walk as quickly as mine.  But she sang and babbled the whole time saying “Hi!” to each employee and feeling proud to be a big girl walking next to Mommy.  A little patience goes a long way.

Reducing your chemical exposure is EASY!

7/23/12 Reducing your Chemical Exposure is EASY!

When I talk about my business, a lot of people are quick to say “Oh that’s great!  I don’t have any children, but I’ll pass the word along to my friends.”  But the truth is, we all live on this one planet and are exposed to a myriad of harmful chemicals every single day.  You may not have children, but you can still benefit from reducing your chemical exposure.

The ugly truth is that 1 in 2 men will get cancer in his lifetime.  And 1 in 3 women will too.  I, unfortunately, have experienced these statistics first hand in my family.  I have lost both grandfathers and an uncle to this awful disease.  Environmental toxins play a HUGE role in these rising cancer rates.  We may not be able to avoid harmful chemicals entirely, but we can all take measures to reduce our exposure.

The majority of cleaning products on the market contain toxic ingredients.  You might not know exactly what these are because manufacturers aren’t required to disclose their concoctions, but it’s very clear these products aren’t good for us or the environment.  Many say right on the label “Eye irritant,” “Harmful if swallowed” or “Use in ventilated area”.  To me these have TOXIC written all over them.

We all have homes to clean and laundry to wash.  We can eliminate harmful chemicals without blowing our budget or sacrificing modern conviences.  And everyone can benefit from reducing their chemical exposure.

Start reducing your chemical exposure today.  Learn more at www.wildorchidbaby.com

Working Mamas

7/21/12 Working mamas…

Marissa Mayer is the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company.  She’s also 37 years old and 6 months pregnant.  She told Fortune magazine that she plans to take only a few weeks for maternity leave and will work from home while she is out.

How do you feel about this?  Some criticize her dedication to her career will interfere with motherhood.  Are we not allowed to have it all because we’re women?

I understand the pressure she’s under.  I may not have been a CEO of a ginormous company when I had Olivia, but I still felt pressured to return to work and perform as soon as possible.  I took a 12 week maternity leave and returned part time just as tax season began.  My boss made it clear that he would love me to come back full time, but “understood” my choice to work only 3 days a week.

By March, my boss asked “Are you able to get some work done at home?  Or work an extra day or 2 a week?”  He may have “understood”, but that didn’t stop him from pressuring me.  I didn’t want to work any extra, but I felt guilty not stepping up to the plate to help my peers during our busiest season.  Knowing that there would only be a month and a half left, I sucked it up and did it.  And the extra money I earned helped pay that $800 hospital bill I received to lay on a bed and push my baby out all by myself, without medication.

The extra money helped pay some bills, but those long hours during tax season also contributed to my declining breast milk production.  I would drop Olivia off at daycare by 8 and by the time I got home at 7, she was already alseep.  I was no longer nursing her and pumping just wasn’t cutting it.  If I had resisted the pressure would I have been a better mom?

If Marissa takes a full maternity leave, will she be a better mom?

We all face tough decisions everyday whether it be work, what to feed our family or how to budget our money.  I don’t have time to judge other moms’ decisions, I’d rather use that energy on my own “to do” list.

Good luck, Marissa.  Remember you have the rest of your life to build your career, but your babies are only little for a short time.  Do what’s best for your family and let the haters hate.

Breastfeeding Sorrows

7/19/12  When your breasts are betraying you…

I got a call from a very stressed out, desperate friend today and my heart goes out to her.  She is truly a wonderful person and has been battling with herself and her body trying to breastfeed her newborn son for the last 2 weeks.

At his latest doctor’s appointment she realized that baby boy is just not gaining weight the way he’s supposed to – he’s just not getting enough at his feedings.  And she did what we all do when something isn’t perfect with our kids – she blamed herself.

Breastfeeding has been a struggle since day one for her.  Poor latching, low supply and a sleepy baby who nods off at each feeding have all contributed to her elevated stress level, exhaustion and baby boy’s lack of weight gain.  And now that her pediatrician has suggested she switch to formula, she feels absolutely defeated.  “Everyone else just sticks their baby on the boob and it works.  Why can’t I have this too?”

Friend, I know you feel like you’re failing, but you’re not.  You’re doing the absolute best  you can and that’s what every great mother does.

Right now, the best thing for both of you is to relax and enjoy this time together.  Maternity leave will be over before you know it and he’ll be growing up right before your very eyes.  If feeding him formula helps you regain your sanity and helps your son grow up to be a strong healthy boy – then do it.

I know exactly how she is feeling.  Overwhelmed. Exhausted. Unsure. Scared.  No one tells us we’re gonna be a hot mess for the first month after giving birth, but that’s exactly what happens.  Hang in there my friend.  You’re making the right choice for you and your family and that’s all that matters.

Organic Living

7/18/12 What does organic living mean to you?

What does organic living mean to you?  Some might say organic living is taking control of what you consume by producing it yourself.  Gardening, raising animals and making your own soap.  If this works for your family – that’s pretty awesome.

Each of us has our own interpetation of organic living.  To me, organic living means making natural, greener choices whenever possible.  But as a working mom, I can’t let go of convenience.  I might not be able to make my own laundry detergent this month, but that doesn’t mean I have to buy a toxic mystery potion from the grocery store.

I care about what’s in my laundry detergent.  It washes my baby’s clothes.  And mine and my husband’s.  Carcinogenic ingredients are not needed to get our clothes bright, clean and smelling fresh.  Sparing my family and our water supply from these toxins one load at a time is my version of organic living.

It’s simple.  But it’s organic.  Get yours at www.shop.wildorchidbaby.com

“World’s First GM Babies are born”

7/17/12 “World’s First GM babies born”
“The world’s first genetically modified humans have been created…

…So far, two of the babies have been tested and have been found to contain genes from three ‘parents’…

…The babies were born to women who had problems conceiving. Extra genes from a female donor were inserted into their eggs before they were fertilized in an attempt to enable them to conceive…

…The fact that the children have inherited the extra genes and incorporated them into their ‘germline’ means that they will, in turn, be able to pass them on to their own offspring.

Altering the human germline – in effect tinkering with the very make-up of our species – is a technique shunned by the vast majority of the world’s scientists…”

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-43767/Worlds-GM-babies-born.html#ixzz20wKm1dFt

We don’t even know for sure if genetically modified foods are safe and yet we are subjecting our babies to the same practice?  This is very disturbing to me.  I feel as though science is exploiting infertility by guilting desperate parents into going along with these dangerous science experiments.  I have to agree with Professor Jaques Cohen when he says “It is a further and very worrying step down the wrong road for humanity.”

Infertility doesn’t just seem to be on the rise – it’s already been proven.  I’m only 28 years old and I know more than one couple who are experiencing trouble conceiving first hand and they aren’t much older than me.  What could be causing it?  Maybe I don’t know the “for sure” cause, but genetically modifying humans cannot be the answer.  Evolution is the answer, isn’t it?  Evolving the way we live improves our chances.

Instead of blaming mitochondria, lets start supporting our life giving vessels.  What are our bodies capable of?  We’re capable of planting a seed, providing the necessary nutrients for that seed to flourish into a baby human and to feed that baby after it’s born.  And on top of that we rule the world.
If our body is constantly warding off toxins, maybe it doesn’t have the natural resources or energy needed to “grow” a baby.  Maybe the body’s natural defense is to shut off our baby maker during these times to concentrate on the battles at hand.

Phthalates and parabens are everywhere – in our fertilizers, pesticides, cosmetics and personal care products.  It has been scientifically proven that these toxins mimic estrogen and “can cause structural and functional impairments of the reproductive system.”  If we can avoid these toxins, we should.  Safer products mean reduced exposure.
http://mothering.com/all-things-mothering/pregnancy-birth/toxins-in-pregnancy/factors-in-unexplained-infertility

I can’t guarentee that if you detoxify your life you will be blessed with a healthy pregnancy, but doesn’t it make sense to try before intensely intervening with nature?  It’s so easy to reduce your toxic exposure.  Learning more is the first step.