Name (Age): Charity (34) City: Dexter Birth Location: St. Joseph Mercy – Menon, Miller & Midwives SRS: When did you decide to hire a doula? Was it always in your plan, or was there a moment when you decided? Charity: With my first I wanted and planned for an unmedicated birth but ended up having a c-section due to him being breech. So when I became pregnant with my second, just 5 short months after my first was born, I knew immediately I wanted an unmedicated vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC)! I knew hiring a doula would greatly increase my chances of READ MORE
Category: postpartum
Mother Interview: Really Drawn Out Change of Plans
We’re going to start doing small interviews with our past clients, not necessarily about birth, but about some of the little things surrounding birth. What was hard, what was the best advice you received, etc… We hope that in sharing these candid little parts of pregnancy and new motherhood, we can normalize this experience for everyone. We so often only see the most beautiful parts, or the hardest struggles, of this major life change. There is so much more! All titles for the interviews are chosen by the mothers themselves. This is MY interview! Nothing profound, just a casual chat. READ MORE
I get to teach! Birth and the First Three Months
Update! I am no longer teaching for Pregnancy Arts as Deb has retired from CBE and commenced her career as a Certified Nurse Midwife! It’s very exciting for her, and our area is very lucky to have her in that roll. Therefore, I will continue teaching at Ypsi-Arbor Childbirth Education, Ariana and my joint venture. Check us out! It’s happening! I get to teach childbirth education! This has been a dream for awhile, and while I have taught a few private classes here and there, I haven’t found a class model that I really wanted to teach in a group READ MORE
More babies?!
There have been big changes going on lately in the Gladwin family. We have officially moved into our new house! (post about that coming soon!) This house has been a dream or ours for many years. Over the last 3 years we have put innumerable hours into dreaming up, designing, hiring, firing, redesigning and building this amazing house that we will live in for the rest of our lives. During this time, we also got pregnant and had a baby! Zachary is an awesome, almost-2-year-old. He’s full of wonder, too smart for his own good (and mine for that matter) READ MORE
Lactation Nut Butter Balls
When I was newly postpartum, a lovely friend brought me these amazing lactation friendly peanut butter balls that were so nice to have around and just grab when I needed a snack. I scoured the web looking for the recipe that matched. I found this one at TheBabyGoat.com and it is amazing! I have changed it A LOT though over the past year a a half, and have added even more nutritional yumminess! I have also doubled the recipe (sorta). edited version: In stand mixer mix: 2 cups dry rolled oats + 2 cups finely ground dry rolled oats 1 cup READ MORE