GaGA! Growing and Getting Awesome… the Official Loving the Pregnant You Blog

YOU are THE authority on your kids

Experts are great. It’s great for us to be able to look to those who have studied and have years of experience in lactation, pediatrics, baby delivery, stroller manufacturing, parenting toddlers… whatever we’re dealing with, in the moment. Information and opinions are readily available and easily accessible in various formats these days. It’s great to have reliable, validated, thoroughly-studied advice…

Don’t listen to what others might say! You’re doing it your way.

Lettie made a choice that others might judge negatively. During her second trimester, she hosted Thanksgiving for more than 20 family members while her husband was in the hospital, and she had just moved into her house three weeks earlier. While most would see that choice as an incredible burden, Lettie wanted, in that space…

Be straight with yourself

There’s a lot of emphasis today about the power of positive thinking. And I agree that there is great value in this practice. Yet, at the same time, what we resist persists. If we resist looking at negative thoughts and concerns, they will stick around. The negative considerations may even fester and grow as we’re…

Give yourself a break! You’ve never done this before.

As you’re pregnant and as you continue to move through the various phases of parenthood, you’re going to be consistently doing things you’ve never done before. You’re going to be fielding questions about when you’re due, gaining pregnancy weight, preparing for delivery, adjusting to new sleep schedules, receiving opinions about what sorts of childcare work…

How to make those tough choices? Let your values guide you

We, as parents, are often striving to achieve a multi-faceted range of things in a given week. Or a given day. Or within the hour!! All too often, I feel it comes down to a choice between 2 activities that I want to do. And, sometimes more than 2 activities! I shouldn’t really complain because…

Don’t tell others what they should do!

We discover approaches that work for us. Sometimes after much trial and error. And, we’re excited!! And we understandably want to let others know. We want to share with everyone we see, “Here! Here’s the solution. I’ve figured it out! You should do this…” That’s great. It’s a valuable contribution to the community. Sharing what…

Creating a supportive, empowering community of moms

People are passionate – and often highly opinionated – about the choices they make during pregnancy. They should be. It’s an important time. It’s easy to think that some of the choices we make regarding pregnancy and childbirth are the best choices. Why not? They worked for us for all kinds of reasons that make…

Share your experience

One of the key themes that I share in the Loving the Pregnant You book and in the pregnancy coaching that I do, is to discover the approaches and methods that work best for you during your pregnancy and give yourself permission to do things your way. I’m breaking that pattern a bit with the following…

Can you go straight to “giddy”? Or is there always a detour?

I’ve spoken and worked with women who created their ideal birth experience, because they first had a delivery process that didn’t work for them in some ways. Maybe they agreed to an episiotomy (or other intervention) that in hindsight they wish they hadn’t authorized. Maybe they felt they invited too many people to be part of…

What do you love about the pregnant you?

I recently asked a group of expectant moms, “What do you love about the pregnant you?” It was Saturday during a “Get It Together and… Love Yourself!” workshop I co-presented with Eirene Heidelberger of GIT Mom at CocoonCare, and I loved the responses I got. The women acknowledged who they were being. They dug deep, and they patted…