Martha’s First Mindful Mission of 2012

Happy New Year!

I am looking forward to a great year and I am so excited about our Mindful Mission 2012 Challenge. I’ve spent some time brainstorming my first goal for 2012. I love organization. However, there are many days you wouldn’t know that about me due to the  stacks of clothes, shoes, papers, and such spread around my house. Even though I let the clutter happen, it drives me crazy. Unfortunately, since moving into our house last year I have not created a home base for everything to return to after it is used. This is because I have way too much stuff. This translates into messy spaces in my home. Since everything doesn’t have a home, during the work week I get tired and lazy and let stuff pile up until it becomes a super annoying mess. The worst spot is the backseat and trunk of my car.

The messy clutter weighs on my mind. I don’t like it. I forget about stuff. I lose stuff. It takes me longer to complete tasks. It has to stop. Thus, my first goal for 2012 is to create more organization in my home life. I will be elaborating and writing my SMART goal as we work through the Mindful Makeover for Moms Workbook. For right now, here is my list of behaviors I want to change:

(1) Letting stuff pile up in my car

(2) Letting mail stack up unopened

(3)Letting clean clothes stack up in my bedroom

(4)Not dealing with a crazy, second closet that has lots of random stuff in it.

I am excited to be setting a goal that addresses a few of the things that mentally bring me down. I am even more excited to make some changes that I feel will fuel my mindset and energy for future goals in 2012!

Mindfully,

Martha

Mindful Mission 2012: Setting My Mission

When we decided to have the Mindful Mission 2012 it took me about two seconds to decide on my mission.  Lose the baby weight!  No more excuses, no more maternity pants, no more being annoyed at myself when I look in the mirror, and no more being frustrated when it is time to get dressed and nothing fits.

I keep coming up with good reasons not to pay attention to myself such as,  I am tired and my day is too busy.  Well, I am tired and my day is very busy, but that isn’t going to change anytime soon.  I have been wanting to lose weight, but I have continued to push back the start date.  This hit home on New Year’s Eve when the pants and shirt I wanted to wear didn’t come close to fitting.

January, the start of a new year is a good opportunity to begin something new.  However, I don’t want to call this a resolution because many times resolutions turn out to be short term.  Maintaining a healthy weight is something that requires constant effort, so I think of this as a lifestyle change.

Since I know that my Mindful Mission is to return to my pre baby weight I need to consider my action steps.  I believe my focus needs to be on tracking my food intake, so I will be committing to keeping a detailed food diary.

During the first week of the Mindful Makeover for Moms Workbook I will further explore setting my SMART goal and developing the action steps that will take me there.  You may not know what your Mindful Mission is yet, and that is fine.  Your Mindful Mission should be something that you really want to accomplish and helps improve your quality of life.  It could be weight loss, organization, flossing your teeth daily, or anything you want to improve.  Nothing is too big or too small. The Mission officially lasts  10 weeks, but hopefully you will also be making a lifestyle change.

Challenge yourself to create a Mindful Mission and tell others about it.  Trust me, sharing your goals helps hold you accountable.   In our Facebook group we will be given daily reminders that go along with the workbook topics for the day to help us all reach our goals.  Begins January 8th so order your workbook today.

Mindfully,

Laura

Mindful Mission 2012: A Ten Week Challenge to Reach A Goal

Need more time for yourself? 

Want to start a new habit in 2012? 

Challenge yourself to complete a Mindful Mission.

     Find support and accountability in a community of women who are working on their own personal mission.  Each day we’ll make an initial post on Facebook about the day’s topic and then ask questions, discuss successes, challenges, and find support.  You can do this anytime of day when you have a few moments.

Your mission might be to achieve a better level of fitness, improve your diet, organize your closets, establish a daily meditation practice, or learn to do something new.   All goals are welcome.

Come join the fun!  Purchase our 10 week Mindful Makeover for Moms Workbook . The 146 page workbook is available as an e-book for just a dollar a week!  Once you purchase the e-book from our website, you will receive an email with a PDF to download.  Print it and you are ready to begin.   We also have bound workbooks available.

After you buy your workbook, request to join the Facebook group Mindful Mission 2012.

Starts January 8th, so order your workbook today!  We look forward to reaching our goals together!

Questions?  Comment here, on our Facebook Page, or email laura@mindfulmakeover.com

Mindfully,

Laura and Martha

Our Home Birth

Baby Bumps and Blessings

The Making of a Mindful Maternity

I don’t feel that my words can adequately explain how amazing and healing this experience was for our family.  Having a home birth was the right decision for our family and I am so thankful my husband encouraged me.  I couldn’t have done it without his support and belief.

Laboring at home felt relaxed and calm.  I loved being on my own clock, listening to my body and not having to decide when to go to the hospital.   At home I never doubted my ability to have a natural birth.  I felt confident, supported and loved.

Monday night, September 12, 2011, Johnny got home from work, and we sat at our kitchen table and talked about our day.  It was a nice quiet time together.  Around 10:00 PM I went to bed.  At 1:30 AM I work up with contractions that were about 20 minutes apart.  I got up to move around and eat a snack to see if they were the real deal.  Then I went back to sleep, the contractions continued.  I got up again around 4:30 AM I ate a popsicle, then went back to sleep.  The contractions continued to be about 15-20 minutes apart and did not get any stronger.  The sun rose and we decided that my mother-in-law would keep Bella for the day so she would be close by.  I was hoping for a baby by lunch time since I had heard your second labor should be about half the time of your first, little did I know what was in store.  I went for a walk around 9:00 AM and popped by my parents’ house to say hello.  Around 11:30 AM I called my midwife and told her what was going on.  Labor was still going slowly and she didn’t want it to last into the evening in case I got tired from the lack of sleep, so she suggested trying nipple stimulation.  With the nipple stimulation, my contractions became five minutes apart, but were not extremely strong.

We had been in contact with Susan Mooney, our doula.  She came to our house about 2:30 PM and my Mom arrived around 3:00 PM.  In the meantime, Johnny set up a birthing tub in our entryway the only place in our house besides the kitchen that doesn’t have carpet.  He put some water in it and planned to add a little hot water when it was time to  get in to raise the temperature.  From 3:00-4:00 PM I took some homeopathic medicine that speeds up labor.  Around 4:00 PM I felt really tired, so I ate a snack and prepared to go upstairs to take a nap.  First, I had a crying spell just from looking at my Mom and Johnny giving me a hug.  I tried to lay down for a few minutes, but got sick and threw up.  The mood got more serious, so we called the midwife.  Johnny and Susan were discussing the temperature of the tub.  It was too cold which could make me cramp.  Johnny started boiling water and siphoning some water out of the tub and replacing it with hot water.  I almost told Johnny to stop messing with the tub, but something made me keep my mouth shut.  Most of the time I was laboring in our living room, looking out our window over a field.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  The trees were green and the sky blue.  The most “comfortable” position was on my knees leaning over our ottoman.  Early on I sat on the birth ball, but as labor continued that was very uncomfortable and greatly increased the pressure in my rear end.

Around 5:30 PM the midwife arrived.  She brought in her equipment, checked the baby’s heart rate (it was good) and my cervix.  She said the cervix was paper thin and I was 5-6 centimeters dilated.  My  thought was, “What? Are you kidding me?  It took 16 hours to be 5-6 centimeters.”  I almost cried.  Susan quickly suggested that I get in the tub.  Johnny had finally gotten the water to the right temperature.   Susan could tell I was very disappointed and on the verge of frustration.  Getting in the water relieved some of the pain and helped me keep my composure.   I got in the tub and the contractions continued to be intense with tons of pressure in my rear end.  After about 40 minutes in the tub I said, “I HAVE GOT TO PUSH!” The midwife said, “ok, push on the next contraction.”  It made me feel confident that she trusted in the process and let me follow my instincts.   Johnny was outside talking to a neighbor because he thought it was going to be a long time before anything happened, so Susan quickly called him inside.

For the first couple of pushes I was sitting in the tub with my back against the side which wasn’t very comfortable or effective.  Johnny suggested I try getting on my hands and knees.  At first I was like no (really I just didn’t want to move.  I kept saying I can’t do this because it really hurts), but after another ineffective push I switched positions.   On the first push I made a lot of progress and on the second the top of the baby’s head appeared.  Then I had to do gentle pushes (that was super hard when you just want to get it over with, but gentle pushing can help to prevent tearing) and on the next contraction, her head emerged.  The cord was around her neck so the midwife quickly flipped it off.  Her head went from purple to normal color.  Then another contraction and at 7:17 PM on September 13, 2011, Frances entered the world.

I sat in the tub for a few minutes and held her and we all marveled at this new little person.   My mom said a prayer of thanksgiving.  After the cord stopped pulsing Johnny cut it.   Fran was wrapped in warm towels and I moved to the couch where the placenta was uneventfully delivered.  I could not believe how easily it came out.  With my first delivery, I had an inverted uterus right after the placenta came out, so I thought I would be super anxious about this, but my midwife was calm and I wasn’t the least bit nervous.  While I nursed Fran, Bella came in to meet her new sister.   Other members of our family joined the celebration.  Frances weighed 7 lbs 14 ounces and was 21 inches long.  I ate some delicious mac and cheese and went upstairs to my own bed.  I was supposed to go to sleep, but I was so excited that I was awake until about midnight listening to her newborn noises.  Around midnight we all fell asleep.

I cannot say enough positive things about our birth team.  Our midwife and her assistant were experienced and knowledgeable.  Our doula was calm and collected and helped me focus during labor.  I felt like I was well taken care of and trusted that if medical intervention were needed, they would make a good decision.   Sharing this special time with my mom was wonderful.   I am so glad she was there to see her granddaughter enter the world.

Frances is now 4 weeks old.  She is a beautiful, healthy baby.  We’ve been happily busy adjusting to a new member of the family.  Thanks for sharing this mindful maternity.

 

Live Well,

Laura

40 Plus Weeks

Baby Bumps and Blessings

The Making of a Mindful Maternity

Here I am at 40+ weeks.  I feel all ready, so I’m just waiting for the baby to decide to come out.  I put off writing this post in hopes that she would arrive, but since she hasn’t I thought I’d write a short update.   It is interesting how you have this due date in mind and you wait patiently and prepare, then when it arrives that patience tends to evaporate.  In certain moments I still have it and in other moments I feel like we are in a holding pattern.  However, I have been enjoying my time with my family and just being present and enjoying life.  My to do list is pretty short right now which is a rarity for me and I have been enjoying slowing down.

I’ve been having a number of contractions and even had a few at regular intervals last night (I thought it was going to happen) but then they stopped.  I have to remind myself that she’ll come out when she is ready and like many things in life the timing isn’t up to me.

Thanks to all of my family and friends for their support and encouragement as the big day approaches!  I feel blessed to have such a great support system and appreciate all your positive thoughts!

Live Well,

Laura

39 Weeks

Baby Bumps and Blessings

The Making of A Mindful Maternity

 

39 weeks!  So close!  I feel like a I do when I am all ready for Christmas morning and I can’t wait to open the presents and enjoy all the excitement.

I’ve got all my baby stuff ready!  We’ve made major organizational moves in the house, even putting up shelves in our garage and making things more organized and accessible.  The baby clothes are washed and put away, I have a trash can for my cloth diapers, I have food for after the birth, I’ve cleaned up my breast pump accessories, I’ve almost finished my belly cast, and lots more.  All the tasks are done!

Mentally there are times when I feel ready, confident and excited about giving birth and other times when I feel nervous and scared.  My doula encouraged me not to try and squash out those times of nervousness, but to consider that most negative thoughts last about 90 seconds, so just to say to myself, “Right now I am nervous about labor and I am going to take a few deep breaths and in about 90 seconds this feeling will pass.”

I’ve been walking daily, doing some stretches, practicing my deep breathing, visualizing a positive experience and saying calming affirmations.  I’ve felt kind of lazy, enjoyed naps, reading, and television (I’ve watched the entire first season of Friday Night Lights on Netflix) and I haven’t done much work on Mindful Makeover in my free time like I normally do.  My energy levels have been lower than normal, perhaps storing up for the busy time ahead.

We’re all anxious to meet the baby and at the same time trying to keep our normal routine.  I hope you have a great labor day and who knows maybe it will be an actual labor day for me!

Live Well,

Laura

38 Weeks

Baby Bumps and Blessings

The Making of a Mindful Maternity

38 weeks!  Everything is going pretty well.  I have been super tired this week so I’m trying to relax more and enjoy this last time of pregnancy.

Last weekend we had a great visit with our doula, Susan Mooney.  We discussed how we wanted to approach labor and the environment we hope to create once the baby is born.  We talked about pain coping techniques such as water, breathing, visualization, aromatherapy, and homeopathy.  I feel like I am in really good hands with my midwife and doula.

We also made a belly cast last weekend which was super fun!  I’ll be posting some pictures of that in the near future, but it was great and pretty easy.  I am hoping to put the finishing touches on it this weekend.

Last night I went to book club where we discussed the Hunger Games  (Awesome books!  We all loved them!)  and it was a great evening out with the girls!  We had a yummy meal at Sunny Point and some fun conversation!  I enjoyed that as I’ll most likely be at home hanging out with the new baby for awhile.

After a few more preparations this weekend I’ll have all the “stuff” ready and then it is just mental preparation for the big day!  I’m am working to have an open mind towards labor and to be tuned into what my body needs rather than have a set birth plan.  I also want to soak in the last weeks of being a family of 3.  I love our family unit and we have so much fun together.  I’m enjoying our time together before this change, which will also be great, but in a new way.

Here’s to 38 weeks!  Can’t wait to meet the new baby!

Live Well,

Laura

37 Weeks: Home Birth Preparations

Baby Bumps and Blessings

The Making of a Mindful Maternity

It feels like such a milestone to hit 37 weeks and be full term.  It is exciting and a bit nerve-racking that I could go into labor at any time.  And since I can now have a homebirth I’ve gotten my homebirth supplies together so we are ready!  Of course, I looked around on the internet at the supplies different people gather and people’s lists range from minimal to tons of stuff.  We’re trying to keep it pretty simple.  We have a tub and a birthing ball for labor.  We have drinks for labor and a protein snack for after I deliver, the midwife says this can help to prevent dizziness.  We’ll have our crock pot ready to make warm compresses for labor.  This is what is in my homebirth supply box

For Labor and Birth

Birth Kit put together by my Midwife that I bought

Towels

Wash Clothes

4 shower curtain liners

Ibuprofen

Flashlight

Hand Mirror

For Baby

                2 diapers (so tiny)

1 shirt with the built in mittens so she won’t scratch herself

Socks and hat

2 receiving blankets

Acid free paper for foot prints

I also ordered some homemade frozen meals (mac and cheese, veggie burgers, cheese grits, french toast casserole, and a breakfast casserole) to have in the freezer so we’ll have a yummy meal after we deliver.  I am hungry just thinking about that food!

At our appointment this week, the midwife said the baby is very low in the birth canal (yup I can feel that!) and in a good position to deliver.  She said to keep doing the cat/cow stretch daily to help her stay in the right position.  My blood pressure was good and I don’t have any swelling.  We did the Group B Strep test and will find out the results on Monday.  So, everything looks like a go.  It is really neat to have the midwife come to the house for our appointments.  My older daughter is very curious and asks her questions like, “How did you learn about babies?”  and she wants to check out everything she is doing.

Vacation was over this week and I have been super tired.  I haven’t been sleeping well, so that has made it worse.  Besides work and the birth preparations (shopping, making the birth box, watching a water birth video, reading, a couple of walks, relaxation exercises, yoga, midwife visit) I’ve done I haven’t gotten much else done, specifically for Mindful Makeover.  It is interesting that I still try to tell myself I should get more done, my self-worth is often tied to how much I get done…well growing a baby is pretty important work so perhaps I should just relax and do that.  I will have time to work on Mindful Makeover projects again soon…

Today we are doing a labor rehearsal with our doula and in the next couple of days we’re going to do some family photos and a belly cast.  I want to get those done just in case she makes an early appearance!

Live Well,

Laura

36 Weeks Pregnant

Baby Bumps and Blessings

The Making of a Mindful Maternity

Hello last month!  I greet you with excitement and a bit of nervousness about all the changes that are about to take place.

I’ve been enjoying two weeks off from work.  Last weekend we rented a cabin in Cosby, TN (near Gatlinburg) and had a great family weekend.  Hubby made all the meals (with delicious seafood from Blue Water Seafood in Hendersonville, NC), we visited Clingman’s Dome, and we played in the creek.

This week I’ve done some work around the house:  sorted baby clothes, cleaned the house, updated photos and….(I’d say that nesting is in full effect!)

To get ready for labor I started re reading Birthing from Within and decided to try the drawings about pregnancy and labor (I know I said it wasn’t for me, but for some reason when I was re reading I decided to try it out, so I got some pastels and let my inner artist emerge).  So far I’ve drawn:

How I See Myself as a Pregnant Woman

What is being pregnant like for me?

Fantasy of Labor and Birth

Beyond the obvious, my stick figures aren’t exceptional, I’ve enjoyed doing them and reflecting on my pregnancy journey and thinking about labor and delivery.  After I draw them I journal about them to process what I draw.  I’ve also been doing yoga daily (especially yoga squats) and relaxation exercises.

This weekend we have friends coming to town so we’re looking forward to having a great time catching up with them and spending time together.

Live Well,

Laura

35 Weeks Pregnant: The Best Place to Be in August

 

Baby Bumps and Blessings:

The Making of a Mindful Maternity

 

Another hot day in Mills River, NC.  So we headed over the North Mills River Recreation area for a couple hours.  Johnny set my chair up in the creek so I could chill out!  The mountain water took your breath away and felt great!  This was the best place to be at 35 weeks in August!

Live Well,

Laura