Mom's Timeout

What was life like after you had a baby? Was it everything you imagined it would be? I remember right after I had my son – those first few weeks at home. It was the beginning of June, which is still mild in Southwestern PA. Nothing like August, that’s for sure. We spent the majority of those […]

Which milestones did you most look forward to during the first year? I was all about crawling. I mean, I waited and waited for the little guy to crawl. And I seriously think he knew that and purposely took his time. After all, he went from not crawling to crawling, pulling up, and cruising within […]

Babies are interesting creatures, aren’t they? I remember when my son was born. He was so perfect and, of course, sweet and innocent. Yea, for the first few days. And then? And then you get the privilege of experiencing all the ironies that come with parenting… You want to eat? Tough! Shower? Not happening! You can pretty much […]

All the pregnant women I meet say they want a natural birth. They talk about it in all the Hollywood movies. But when I was pregnant with my son, I was shocked by the reactions I got when I said I wanted a natural birth. It’s amazing the things people will say isn’t it? I’ve […]

When you think back to being a first-time mom… what comes to mind? Is it the immediate connection you felt to the life you grew inside of you? What about the first few months of sleepless nights… Or all of the crazy fears that came with having a baby for the first time. I remember having my […]

Babies are so awesome! Tiny. Squishy. Chubby. Perfection. Who doesn’t love babies? They’re so cute! They smell amazing. One whiff of baby’s little head and you’ll be high on baby. Seriously. Try it. It’s so intoxicating that moms with grown children play pass the baby at parties just to get a whiff. When the cute […]

During my first pregnancy, I was astonished at home how much information had been withheld from me. There’s so much that people just don’t tell you about pregnancy, child birth, and being a new mom.  Everybody who’s ever had a child tells you about the cravings, the epidural, and sleeping when the baby sleeps. As a […]

When I had the little guy, I had a few awesome friends who helped us more than I’m sure they could ever realize. One came to visit and brought multiple meals that just needed to be heated up in the oven, which made our lives so much easier when my husband got home from work. The […]

Do you remember those first few days at home after having a baby? Were you nervous? Were you afraid of messing up? Did you worry you would do everything wrong? I remember it all too well. I remember being afraid that I would break my son. I remember panicking and calling my mom when I […]

Breast may be best, but it definitely isn’t the only option. Sometimes, breastfeeding just doesn’t work out for one reason or another. It’ not necessarily anyone’s fault. It’s just reality. Sometimes, a baby has issues that prevent breastfeeding or that make breastfeeding incredibly difficult. Other times, mom has a health issue and needs to be […]

Maternity Leave seemed to fly by, especially on that last day.  The first day back to work and away from baby comes all too quickly. There were so many things I enjoyed during my maternity leave.  I loved being able to nurse on demand and gaze lovingly at my tiny chubby babe. It was much […]

If you think new moms cry all the time because their hormones are totally out of whack, you’re right… sort of. We can’t deny that all those crazy hormones jumping up and down turn us into mush for the majority of our pregnancy and even a few months afterwards. But if you thought it was […]

There’s not a doubt in my mind that I went into pregnancy completely blind. I never paid all that much attention to the scare tactics. Let’s be realistic – every baby is different and there’s not one of us that knows exactly what expect. I had so many friends tell me that I would be […]

Sometimes, technology amazes me. I remember when I first realized that IVF existed and I was, no doubt, completely shocked and surprised that such a thing was possible. These days, we can also apparently choose the sex of our children. And quite frankly, I’m not so sure how I feel about it. At one point, […]

I love to travel. My husband and I don’t get to travel as often as we would like. When we do, I try to make the most of it. This year, we are planning a small vacation to the beach. I’m really looking forward to it, but it will be the first time I’ve traveled […]

We are taking a trip to the beach in a few weeks. I love the beach, but I’m really nervous about going this year. Why? Mostly because I’m in my third trimester and it’s over 100 degrees outside. I’m afraid I’ll be too moody and self-conscious to enjoy myself. What if I just spend the […]

With this pregnancy, I’m learning that sometimes good maternity care is hard to find. I’ve been reading a lot in an effort to learn how to find better care than I had the last time I labored. Often times, I don’t find the articles very helpful. Either the questions are too generic or they’re directed at […]

Wanna know the inside scoop about labor and delivery? Ask a labor and delivery nurse. If you’ve given birth before, you know these women do all the real work. If you’ve got questions about the hospital, the doctors, or just what you can expect out of labor in general… these are the people who can […]

Let’s be realistic for a second – no two husbands are the same, especially when it comes to the business of labor and delivery. There are good ones and bad ones, funny ones and annoying ones. The list goes on and on. How did your husband handle the maternity ward? Was he front and center […]

We’ve never taken a baby moon. I didn’t really see the point the first time. Now, on our second pregnancy, I’m starting to understand. It might be nice to get away for some quiet time with the hubby before we are thrust into even more chaos at home. A toddler and an infant at home […]