My VBAC Experience

Wow. Where do I even begin? I began thinking about a VBAC the day Niamh was born. Literally. I knew there would be at least one more baby in our future and I hated the thought of enduring another major surgery in the process.

Quick recap on my first birth experience: I wanted to do anything I could to avoid a cesarean. I switched from my OB to a midwife at 28 weeks and enthusiastically embraced home birth. I trusted that my baby and my body knew how to get the job done with little intervention. Just over a week past my due date, I went into labor on a Tuesday evening. By Thursday afternoon, I had only made it to 3 cm and I had come to the realization the my midwives really didn't have a grasp on what was going on. After a botched IV that resulted in me pouring blood all over my bathroom floor, I headed to the hospital, where I labored until Friday morning when I eventually wound up with a c-section. My recovery was terrible and there was no way that I could imagine doing that again with a toddler (a.k.a. the Texas Tornado) living in my house.

After Niamh was born, I chose a new OB in a very VBAC-friendly practice. She was totally on board when I initially expressed interest and even encouraged me to give it a go in order to avoid some of the complications that could potentially arise with 3 or 4 cesareans. Of course, there are risks associated with every birth and, as any mom knows, babies tend to have their own plans and don't want to be influenced by our attempts to formulate "birth plans." Damn kids.

Throughout my pregnancy with Rowan, I tried to take things as they came; I was going to shoot for a VBAC, but if it didn't work out, it was ok. Looking back, I think that decision to simply try again gave me a feeling of power and control that I had lost the first time around.

I woke up on my due date with some crampiness and contractions around 6:00 am. By 8:00 I was in the tub relaxing and getting cleaned up (anticipating that I would probably be heading to the hospital in the next 24 hours and should probably shave my legs!) and Jeff and Niamh ran off to pick up some breakfast tacos. My contractions were about 9 minutes apart and lasting 45 seconds to a minute. No big deal, eh?

All of a sudden, it was like someone flipped a switch: my contractions were one minute on and one minute off. Frantic, I called Jeff and told him to get home so we could get to the hospital. I was concerned that I get there with plenty of time to monitor my scar for any signs of rupture and also to get an epidural so that I could be awake for the birth in the event that I wound up with another c-section. 

By 10:15 we arrived at Texas Children's and my water broke immediately. With only one minute of rest in between contractions, I was begging for an epidural...although they could probably figure out that I wanted one based on my choice language. Lots of f-bombs. Whoops.

By 5:30 that evening, I was fully dilated and ready to have a baby! She was being VERY cooperative and working her way down on her own so I firmly believed she and I were on the same page and this was going to happen. The L&D team (who was amazing, by the way) coached me on how to push and within 30 minutes, BAM! All my doubts about my ability to birth a baby went right out the window.

The experience was unbelievably surreal; still to this day, I almost don't even believe it worked out the way it did. My recovery has been so drastically different this time, both physically and emotionally. I went through a tough period after Niamh was born because I felt as though I had done everything I could to avoid a c-section but failed. Yes, let's dwell on that insidious little thought for a moment: I. had. failed. It took me quite some time to realize that I hadn't actually failed myself or my baby; the way a woman brings a child into the world is not a reflection on how hard she worked, how badly she wanted it, or how beautifully she decorated her well-researched birth plan for the hospital staff. Sometimes things happen. Sometimes things unfold in a way that we wish they hadn't despite our best efforts. And that sucks. But life is funny and babies are funny; there's no telling what's around the corner.

Mama Must-Have: Hands-Free Nursing

For those of you breastfeeding moms out there who have never nursed you little one in a baby carrier, oh my goodness. Drop what you are doing and try it. You will be amazed at the whole world of opportunity and productivity that opens for you.

I bought two baby carriers when Niamh was born: a Baby K'Tan for the first couple months and then an ERGObaby for later on. Over her first year of life, I really enjoyed wearing Niamh. Not in a super crunchy, granola hippie momma way, but for the sheer practicality of it. I was able to put her in the wrap at a few weeks old and do things like get myself ready to leave the house if I needed to. There were certainly other benefits: she was always likely to take a stellar nap when in her carrier and she seemed to maintain a very laid-back personality with little fussiness.

I nursed Niamh a few times in the ERGObaby carrier and it was a breeze. Just loosen up your backpack straps to drop the baby down to milker level and have at it. However, it was a truly a game changer for having two under the age of two. I can keep Baby Ro content and nursing while fixing Niamh lunch or playing. It has really helped our transition to a family of four because I'm able to give Niamh the time and attention that she needs without continuous breaks to nurse Rowan.

I have only attempted nursing in soft-structured carriers, so I can't give any recommendations for slings. For those of you in Houston, Nurtured Family offers free Saturday classes and has a baby-wearing expert that could give you all the basics on nursing in a sling. (Check out their class schedule here).

If you're in the market for a soft-structured carrier, I was a HUGE fan of our ERGObaby. I once borrowed someone's Baby Bjorn carrier when Niamh was about a year old and could only carry her for about 15 minutes before my back was screaming; with the Ergo I could carry her for hours and stay comfortable. My only complaint about the Ergo was that the forward-facing front carry position wasn't an option, but the new Ergo 360 has solved that problem and still offers a great ergonomic position for baby's hips. Keep in mind that you need to use an infant insert with the ERGObaby 360 and, if you live in a hot climate like I do, you might want to find something that won't be as hot for you and baby. I recently purchased the Beco Gemini carrier and LOVE it! I have used it every day since I bought it and couldn't be happier! I even discreetly nursed Ro in it during a family walk around the neighborhood the other night!

Of course I had to buy this in camo. Duh.

Mama Must-Have: The Windi

When I was in labor with Baby Ro, I developed a pretty high fever and she was given antibiotics during her first 48 hours of life to treat any potential infection she may have been exposed to. The down side of these antibiotics is that they have the potential to upset the balance of "good" bacteria in the gut.

Sure enough, Rowan had some serious crying marathons every evening and her poor little tummy would get as full and hard as a little basketball! She was so gassy and just seemed to constantly struggle to get the excess air out. Our pediatrician taught us the "toes to nose" technique, where you lay the baby on her back and grab both legs, rolling her toes up to touch her nose. Similarly, you can also "bicycle" her legs to force some gas out. These two techniques worked fine for Niamh but they didn't even come close to soothing Rowan.

Jeff and I thought we were going to lose our mind...until we found a miracle: the Windi. This little tube is a bizarre and disgusting little godsend. It's basically a one-time use catheter that is inserted into the rectum and helps release gas (and whatever else happens to be there - it can get messy). You literally hear the "pssssssssssst" of gas when that thing is inserted and Rowan instantly calms down and is ready to nurse and fall asleep for the night.

They are pricey at about $15 for a package of 10, but they are worth every penny!

Manifesting Good Sleep!

Holy crap. I woke up an hour ago and realized that it was 7:00am...and then I realized that Baby Rowan hadn't woken up all night! That's right, this little nugget slept through the night for the first time!

Lucky for us, Niamh was a great sleeper and started sleeping twelve hours a night at 7 weeks old. When I got pregnant with Ro, everyone gave me a knowing look and insisted that I was going to have a much more challenging baby this time around.

Maybe it's me being naive, or maybe it's my years working at lululemon athletica where the company culture emphasizes creating a vision for your life and setting goals:

Your vision:

• provides focus
• helps you discover your personal path

Your goals:

• inspire you to do the work
• excite and even scare you
• are specific, measurable and written in the present tense

When you're a new mom, your mind is muddled with questions, worries, appointments, lack of sleep, etc. Creating a vision and goal for yourself and your little one keeps you moving forward in a positive way rather than just focusing on keeping your head above water. I really believe that manifesting positive thoughts of a good sleeper and refusing to believe that my baby's sleep depended on the arbitrary whims of the Universe helped me keep my sanity through those first few rough weeks with each babe.  

Good luck to you!

There's nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby!

The Infant Culinary Arts

I've had several friends recently ask about my baby food making process so I figured it was time to finally put pen to paper. Disclaimer: we chose to feed Niamh a fairly strict "paleo" diet for the first year of her life. Basically, she consumed nothing but breast milk, organic fruits and veggies, high quality meats and fish, grass-fed butter and cheese (yes, we did some dairy). No grains/rice/sugar/etc. Please talk to your pediatrician about your kiddo's diet if you have any questions/concerns.

I started making Niamh vegetable purees when she was just shy of 5 months old. This is a little earlier than some recommendations, but she began showing many of the signs that she was ready for solids (chewing, curiosity about food, head control, weight gain, etc.) and I knew that it would take her awhile to get the hang of solids before she actually started swallowing her food. Sure enough, the first couple weeks of experimentation consisted of a lot of funny faces, food splatters, and general messiness. Initially, I fixed her purees of things like steamed carrots with some grass-fed butter or sweet potatoes with a little breastmilk. (Be sure to wait a few days in between foods to check for any allergic reactions.)

As she became more comfortable with the texture of solids as well as the process of moving food around in her mouth, I started making more complex purees. By six months, I moved from simple fruit and vegetables to things like chicken thighs with sweet potato and apple. I tried to stick with nutrition-packed darker meats and organ meat (she LOVED chicken livers!) and the highest-quality meat and produce that I could find; everything was organic, non-GMO, or grass-fed, when possible. My philosophy was simply to keep things as close to natural and local as possible. 

The best solution that I found for storing food was to spoon my purees into ice cube trays, freeze, and store the individual food cubes in freezer bags labelled with the type of puree and date. Each cube was about 1 ounce, so it was easy to thaw and serve whatever I needed.

The next stage we hit was the finger food phase and I found myself at a loss. Toddler biscuits? Cheerios? Goldfish? What do you give a grain-free baby when you’re out and about? At home, I could easily chop up a banana or avocado and have Niamh work on feeding herself. However, these tended to get messy pretty quickly and needed to be confined to “high chair meals.” I didn’t know what kind of “on-the-go” snacks I could feed my little Paleo baby.

After some research, I found a couple great options:

Little Duck Organics Tiny Fruits: These are just teeny, tiny freeze-dried fruits. Niamh got teeth pretty early, so I was comfortable having her experiment with these under close supervision. Whole Foods carries these for $3-4 a bag.

Happy Family Happy Creamies: These are made with coconut milk rather than dairy (so much of the dairy in kids’ prepackaged food is skim milk for some strange reason). I’m not 100% crazy about the ingredients but, for the most part, they are fruit and veggie purees/juice. Niamh loves these things and they’ve gotten us through many a dinner out.

Happy Family Happy Munchies Veggie and Fruit Crisps: These came a little later since they’re larger and crunchier. They’re basically like little crackers but (when I would break them into smaller pieces) Niamh had no problem with them. Both of these Happy Family products are about $3-4 per 1oz. bag, and that 1oz. disappears pretty quickly!

Then, I found the Holy Grail of Paleo Baby snacks! Trader Joe’s carries bags of freeze-dried bananas, mangos, apples, strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry that are like kryptonite to Niamh. These keep her entertained and happily nibbling away in her stroller, car seat, or at a restaurant. They are one-ingredient snacks that are easy for a little one to bite or gum; they’re not hard like dried fruit (think puffy dried banana, not hard banana chip). They are certainly budget-friendly too with a full 2.46 ounce bag for only $2.69. My only complaint is that organic fruits are not an option. For that reason, I tend to stick to the banana and mango rather than the berries.

Many people have asked me how we’re going to keep Niamh from eating grains and sugar at school when she’s older and the answer is pretty simple: we don’t intend to. Like any kid, she’s going to eat cupcakes and pizza and other highly-processed, nasty stuff that kids love. Jeff and I love having Mexican on the weekends, or occasionally ordering a pizza. I enjoy all types of food and life wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t get to enjoy some chocolate cake every now and then. My philosophy is that when we eat well during the week, those “cheat” meals and sweets are that much sweeter and I’m healthier overall. The same is true for Niamh. When she gets older and we go out to eat on the weekends, she can get chicken fingers and fries off the kids’ menu sometimes and she certainly won’t die.

A cupcake for the Birthday Girl!

Once Niamh turned one, I gradually started introducing some non-Paleo items. My goal was not to raise a helmet-wearing bubble baby, but rather to keep her rapidly developing little body operating on all cylinders during this first crucial year. I’m no doctor and this blog is not meant to offer medical advice, but so far this plan has worked well for Niamh; she’s almost 21 months old and has never been sick. If I can keep her body from having to fight off an illness, it can devote those resources to learning about the world around her or acquiring new skills. Please talk to your pediatrician if you have any questions/concerns about your child’s diet. Our little paleo baby has been extremely healthy and consistently easy-going and I wish the same for your family!

Bumbleride Indie Review

Ok, so let's start with the fact that Bumbleride is an American company started by real-life parents who wanted to find solutions to their stroller woes. Love that. I firmly believe that every dollar we as consumers spend is a vote in favor of businesses, people, and philosophies that we want to see succeed.

I actually purchased this stroller from a friend who was expecting twins. I was in a place where getting to the gym with (a very mobile!) Niamh was just not a feasible option any longer and I needed a jogging stroller. Of course, I initially thought I'd go with a BOB Revolution because I had seen them everywhere and it just seemed like a natural solution. However, when an opportunity came up to try the Bumbleride, I jumped on it.

The most noticeable thing about this stroller is the weight: 20 lbs. is amazingly light! With a fairly compact fold and a manual lock, this thing is an absolute breeze to throw in any car. It also features an almost flat recline. Niamh has napped in this stroller many times and I've even utilized the deep recline to change diapers in a pinch!

The maneuverability is a dream as well. Given that everything is bigger in Texas, I typically don't run into many scenarios where my stroller size is really put to the test. We traveled to Chicago to visit family last fall and the Bumbleride worked well is every scenario: train/subway rides, elevators, restaurants, shopping, etc. The air-filled tires were a breeze hopping over curbs and sidewalks.

I have also been pleasantly surprised with several of the other features: large canopy with peek-a-boo window, large cargo basket, easy folding mechanism that folds the seat on itself to keep clean, zip-off canopy hood for increased air flow, adjustable footrest, and adjustable handlebar to accommodate parents of different heights. The Snack Pack accessory is a nice option for older kids who want to eat on-the-go, but a traditional tray might be more functional. Niamh had a tendency to pull on the velcro tabs that keep it stationary and flip it upside down. It also has to be removed to fold the stroller, which isn't a deal breaker, but still kinda annoying.

The only thing I haven't been thrilled with about this stroller is the ride when jogging. Let's be honest, I'm not training for a marathon or breaking any land speed records, but this stroller had an intermittent vibration in the frame that drove me up the wall. The front wheel locks for jogging, but I found that it had a tendency to track to the left. That, in conjunction with the "death wobble" was enough for me to call Bumbleride customer service. My experience was pleasant and they gave me instructions on how to run a couple tests to check for a bent frame. Since I was pregnant with baby #2 at this point and rarely jogging anyway, I did not disassemble the stroller to run the tests. I noticed that a simple Google search revealed quite a few people posting about this vibration when running, although many people raved about Bumbleride's customer service and willingness to replace frames or even entire strollers to keep their customers happy. Based on my initial experience with the company, I can absolutely see them working hard to rectify any problem with their products, which is very reassuring when you're investing in a high-end luxury stroller.

I just sold this stroller last week and was very sad to see it go. The quality of the stroller, especially the fabric and finish, were far superior to the BOB that I tested. I'm not sure yet if I'll end up with a double jogger down the road, but the Indie Twin is already on my short-list, despite the "wobble" issue I had with my single. 

Bedtime Must-Haves for Baby

Nothing is more valuable to a new mom than a good night's sleep. We were blessed with having a phenomenal sleeper very early on ::knock on wood:: and I thought I would include a few items that worked really well for us!

*Swaddles!

For the first few days that Niamh was home, I attempted swaddling with my beautifully soft Aden and Anais bamboo swaddling blankets. I would wrap her into a tight little baby burrito, but she still managed to squirm around enough to get out every few hours; that means, she was waking up every few hours. I immediately switched to the Summer Infant Swaddle Me wraps that have velcro tabs to keep them securely fastened and...HALLELUJAH! Niamh immediately slept for MUCH longer chunks of time - we're talking about going from 2-3 hours at a time during the first couple nights to a whopping 5 hours straight simply by using a more secure swaddle. That made for one very happy mommy.

After a few months, when she was starting to really outgrow her Swaddle Me wraps, I switched to Halo Sleep Sack Swaddles which allow you to swaddle with arms in or arms out. These worked like a charm as well; by 7 weeks old Niamh would sleep from 7pm to 7am. (I know, I know, most of you are wishing terrible things to happen to me right now.) I think these served as a great transition because she was still securely swaddled in the upper body, but had some freedom of movement in the lower body. These also allow you to wean off of swaddling by gradually swaddling one arm in, one arm out.

*Sound Machine!

I thought about going for some of the typical registry sound machine items, but ended up opting for an inexpensive Homedics option. I couldn't be happier with this noise maker! This thing stays on all night and during all naps (at full volume - after all, it's pretty noisy in the womb). We have two dogs who are terrible barkers anytime the mailman comes or someone walks their dog down the street and this thing will drown out their noise enough to keep Niamh happily in dreamland. Love love love!

I even grabbed a travel version of this noise maker for traveling and it worked pretty well. I could put it in her stroller to give her an extra little nudge toward napping and it was fine for a few days away. It does go through batteries pretty quickly and it's not as loud as our home version is, so I usually opt to pack the regular noise maker if we're going to be gone for several days.






Ok, those are my must-have products for getting a good night's sleep. However, getting a baby to sleep through the night is just as much about teaching them good sleep habits. I tell all my mommy-to-be friends about the book Happiest Baby on the Block. Every friend of mine that has a good sleeper utilized the tools in this book to set their little ones up for nighttime success.

I also made a few blunders along the way that really ended up helping Niamh in the long run. After the first few weeks, I realized that my husband and I weren't really ever getting good sleep because this little baby was making so much noise in her pack n play next to our bed. In an attempt to improve our quality of life, I started moving Niamh to her crib after she would wake up to nurse in the middle of the night (usually around 4-5am). I would let her sleep for a few hours in her own room until she woke up again (usually by 8-9am). After about a week or so of that, I took the leap and put her in her crib for the full night. I readily admit that this move was driven by my own selfish desire, I mean I LOVE sleep. But now we have a kiddo who never had a messy transition to a crib since it's all she's ever known. She also loves her crib and will sit in there for an hour before falling asleep (or even an hour after waking up in the morning, which I'm a huge fan of) just speaking gibberish to herself and her lovies.

Hope this helps! If you have any must-have sleep items, let me know! xoxo