Hi friends! I’ve been super busy lately with packing up to move to a temporary home while my family waits for our permanent residency to be vacant. On top of that, these 37 weeks of pregnancy are starting to take a toll. Whoa, baby! Today I’ve created a set of free labor and birth Bible…
Postpartum Tips for Enjoying Life with a Newborn
Writing about postpartum tips probably doesn’t do much for my Google ranking. It might make you click away before you even get –here–. Nevertheless, it’s important to me to give it to you straight about what’s coming after baby arrives. When I was pregnant, this was the kind of down-low this first-time mama was eager…
Proven Best Motivational Tool for Birth
Scripture verses are a powerful motivator during birth. Focus is everything when you feel like you just can’t possibly do it any longer. For both the natural home birth of my daughter and my son’s hospital birth, Scripture note cards were incredibly helpful to pull through the pain & remember that my Creator fashioned my…
Elijah’s Birth Story
My son’s recent birth was in a Costa Rican public hospital, a far cry from my daughter’s natural home birth. I still can’t believe I gave birth in a third world country, especially under free public care, but thankfully Elijah Josias’ birth went smoothly, despite my frustration with a handful of routine hospital procedures. I…
How to Bless a New Mom
Having a new baby in the house is a blessing, but it’s also hard work round the clock. Although they might not admit it, new moms love pampering and having a friendly face around for those long hours of rocking the baby. If the family already has children, you can more than bet that mama…
How to Write a Birth Plan Fast
Short on time, but still hoping to write a birth plan? Make it easy on yourself by following along with these easy-to-follow guidelines for how to write a birth plan fast. Talk to your spouse about your birth preferences, feelings, and anxieties. Determine as a couple what your best-practice birth plan might look like. Pray…
My Birth Playlist
When Summer Elizabeth was born, I had a playlist ready to go, stereo loaded. We used only one of those CDs before my midwife arrived and determined the music not “soothing” enough. The rest of the birth went on under the approved calming harp melodies that the doula had in her handbag. Not my cup…
Labor-Friendly Natural Massage Oil
Show me a pregnant woman who doesn’t like massage, and I’ll show you a…. wait a minute, I’m not sure what I would show you. Anyway, most pregnant women in labor appreciate the relaxation benefits of a massage given with strong hands and a labor-friendly natural massage oil. Source With our first child, our sweet…
How to Pack a Hospital Bag for Birth
Oh, how the tables have turned for the birth of baby Elijah. This time around, in contrast to Summer Elizabeth’s home water birth, I’ll be giving birth in a public Costa Rican hospital. Dun, dun, dun… Source Although I did have some items packed away in case of an emergency with my homebirth, this time…
