2018 Update: Baby #3 is here! I did this amazing birth program this time around and couldn't have been more pleased. Even though my 3rd labor was a whirlwind (2 hours from start to finish), I managed to stay calm with these techniques. When I got pregnant with “Dumplin”, we were elated and I felt prepared. I had been through all of this just a year before, so I felt like a seasoned vet when it comes to pregnancy and babies. One thing I wasn’t expecting was just how different a second pregnancy can be from your first! If you have Read The Full Story
What My Doctor Recommended to Get Pregnant with PCOS
When you’re first married, you assume that you will decide when to start a family. Unfortunately, for many women who have PCOS, having a baby seems almost impossible. When this was the case for us when trying to conceive baby number 2, I consulted my doctor. What ended up getting us pregnant were the tips that I share here, but I found numerous women online who had success with my doctor’s tips as well – including some of my doctor's very own friends. The Most Important Thing Your sanity. You absolutely need to be more than your PCOS. When you're struggling to get Read The Full Story
9 Ways to Appreciate Your Kids While They’re Still Little
Between the stress of trying to keep a house running smoothly, paying bills, maintaining friendships, marriage, and raising little ones, life can get pretty stressful. It’s easy to see why days turn into weeks, and weeks into months and years in the blink of an eye. I’m here to encourage you to be a little more mindful of the time that’s passing while your little ones are still young and to appreciate your kids while they're still little. Believe me, there are days that our baby crying and household chores are enough to make me wish I could fast forward a few years to when it’s just my Read The Full Story
7 Ways to Make Your Husband Feel Special Again After the Baby Comes
Quick disclaimer: Simple Living Mommy is positive vibes only. I've received a lot of negative comments on this post from people who either REALLY hate their husbands or are just totally offended that a new mom would care about her husband's feelings at all. Your husband BETTER be taking great care of you after you have a baby, if he isn't, send him my way ;-) Finally, all comments are approved before they're posted, so any not-so-nice comments are deleted before anyone can see them...in other words, positive vibes only or don't bother ;-) You’re Read The Full Story
The Absolute Cheapest Way to Start Vegetable Seeds
It’s officially that time of year! Depending on where you live, it’s time to get your veggie seeds started indoors so you can enjoy the earliest possible harvest. If you’re trying to live on a budget, this is an absolute MUST! If you’ve never gardened before, I know you might be thinking that you’re not cut out for it. Take it from the person who has killed basically every plant she ever looked at…if I can do it, you can too! This is my FAVORITE time of year. It’s so exciting and so homesteading-esque to be starting our own seeds and raising our own food. One of our biggest priorities Read The Full Story
How to Have a Seriously Awesome Sex Life When Co-Sleeping or Bed Sharing
The number one reaction I get when I tell people that my husband and I co-sleep with our son is “you still have to make time for your husband even though you’re a mom” or raised eyebrows and a look of pity as though it’s a bad thing. Almost everyone, stranger or not, that knows about this aspect of our lives insinuates that our sex life must be virtually non-existent. If they only knew… If you blush easily, you may want to stop reading now. It’s about to get real… Time for some TMI – my husband and I have the most active sex life of any of our friends. Read The Full Story
6 Ways to Include Daddy in Breastfeeding
Most men who feel left out during pregnancy probably assume that their role in care taking will develop when the baby comes. In a lot of ways, it does! However, if mama chooses to breastfeed (and I strongly believe that if you’re able, you absolutely should!) dad can be unpleasantly surprised at how little time he actually gets to spend with the new little one. While there are lots of ways to include dad in every step of becoming a new daddy beginning in pregnancy, there are also ways to include him in the breastfeeding experience! Here are some things that my hubby and I tried as well Read The Full Story
How to Set Boundaries – “This is My Box”
One of my key phrases is “this is my box.” I define boundaries as this box that you can draw around yourself that set the limits on the behavior you will and will not tolerate. You really do teach people how to treat you. If you are the kind of person to bite your tongue every time someone does or says something that is upsetting to you, you are sure to attract more of that behavior. By making the following few changes within yourself, you will actually begin to notice changes in others. I promise! Soul Search The first step to drawing boundaries is figuring out where to draw them. Read The Full Story
