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Posted by Jessica Crawford on February 1, 2012

Taking a Parenting Break

By Jessica

The clock read 5:03 a.m. when I heard Charlie wake up this morning. I felt a flash of rage when I remembered it was Monday. Are you kidding me, universe?

The mental and physical exhaustion from the weekend re-settled. I felt desperation at the thought of facing my day: fixing Charlie breakfast, struggling to give him a bath, bribing him to get his shoes on for school, commuting in traffic, spending 8 hours at work, driving 90 minutes to pick up Charlie and get him back home, trying to feed him dinner without it ending up on the floor or on his head, 30 minutes of hysterics at bedtime, and the inevitable bickering between Charles and I. Oh, and I have to finish some homework before I collapse.

It was time to take a mental health day.

Parenting just feels hard lately. Charlie is at a stage in which his emotions are running high, yet he doesn’t have the cognitive ability to handle them nor the language to express what he’s feeling. So, he whines. A LOT. And throws things. And clings. And kicks. He’s also decided that he takes only one 40-minute nap a day. Dear Lord, help us. (more…)

Posted by Meagan Church on January 31, 2012

Pregnancy Annoyances

I’m just a few short weeks away from my due date. As with my first two babies, I’m in no rush to see the pregnancy end. I find babies are more portable and easier to care for in utero, so I don’t mind letting them chill out and take their time coming into the world. It also helps that I have had very smooth and uneventful pregnancies. If I were more uncomfortable, perhaps I’d be in more of a rush. Thankfully I’ve avoided the typical pregnancy complaints, such as morning sickness, indigestion, varicose veins, etc. But I have to admit that there are a few annoyances that I look forward to not having to deal with once the little one arrives. (more…)

Posted by Christiane Williams on January 25, 2012

This Pregnancy’s Bad and Ugly

I am usually not a complainer. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain (e.g. two drug-free labors) and reasonable endurance (finished the Chicago marathon in 5 hours while not really being a runner). But this third pregnancy is starting to really test my physical limits!

I am 39 and I have wanted this third child for so long! Since I spent years to convince my husband and finally gotten pregnant, I feel like this should be a very happy and content time of my life. After all, a dream is coming true! But while I try not to show it too much to my husband and friends, I feel like my body is falling apart.

Women are always told that pregnancy is a wonderful time in their lives that they need to relish and enjoy, but that often leaves us puzzled when things are more severe than expected. Husbands have no clue how it is to carry a watermelon under your shirt that compresses your lungs and shares your blood supply! Doctors will tell you that nausea, hemorrhoids, shortness of breath and fatigue are normal! And even other mothers have often conveniently forgotten how horrible you can feel while pregnant. (Especially mothers-in-law seem to have never had a bad day in their entire pregnancies or while raising their perfect children!) (more…)

Posted by Zoe Quinton on January 25, 2012

When Breastfeeding Isn’t Easy

When you’re pregnant, everyone is eager to tell you that breastfeeding isn’t always easy. Books, classes, friends, relatives — they all warn you that it doesn’t come easily for some. Yet somehow you think: not me. I’ll be a natural. I’ll be the best breastfeeder that’s ever existed. Just you wait.

Of course that’s what I thought: How hard can it be? I mean really. The lactation consultant at the hospital murmured things about my “excellent anatomy” and told me I’d have no problems with nursing. Sure enough, the first couple weeks after my son was born were fine. My husband kept remarking, “Look at you! You’re a natural!” as I whipped a breast out at the dinner table or while watching TV. I got this, I thought. No problem.

What no one warned me about though was that when it comes to breastfeeding, it really does take two to tango. And as with any relationship, problems can go both ways. So while my anatomy may have been up to the task, unfortunately my son did not agree. After a strong start, he suddenly decided that he really did not like nursing. (more…)

Posted by Jane Highley on January 22, 2012

An Interview with My Husband

Since this is my third (and most likely last) pregnancy, I thought it would be interesting to ask my husband to share his thoughts on this pregnancy compared to the two previous ones.  Additionally, I was curious about his perspective on witnessing up close all the dramatic changes that I experienced throughout the nine months.

What has been most surprising to you about your pregnant wife or about pregnancy in general? 

I was surprised by how big she got, especially towards the last few months.  I told a good friend about my surprise and then he later confided to me that he was also surprised by how big his wife became when they were expecting.  My wife became more beautiful with all that shiny hair and glowing skin.  And even though she complained a lot about her belly, I think it is beautiful.  Not necessarily sexy, but definitely beautiful.   She became more beautiful. (more…)