Stretch Me Out: My Favorite Prenatal Yoga Moves.

So if you've ever been pregnant, you are probably familiar with the aches and pains that come along with it. If you haven't - just take it from me that it isn't fun, okay? In the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, shifting pelvic bones and muscles, and the weight of your growing baby can really start to cause some discomfort in your pelvis and lower back; one of the best ways to deal with these annoying pains is prenatal yoga or stretches! Here are some of the best poses/stretches that I have found - you can do them multiple times a day!

Cobbler's or Tailor's pose: This sitting pose helps open the pelvis and relieve some discomfort that you might feel from the shift in your pelvic floor.

Sit up straight against a wall with the soles of your feet touching each other.

Gently press your knees down and away from each other, but don't force them apart.

Stay in this position for as long as you're comfortable.

Pelvic tilt or Cat-Cow: This position helps relieve back pain - and is the one that I do the most these days!

Get on your hands and knees, arms shoulder-width apart and knees hip-width apart, keeping your arms straight, but not locking the elbows.

Tuck your bottom under and round your back as you breathe in.

Relax your back into a neutral position as you breathe out.

Repeat at your own pace.

Squatting: Squatting is a very important and useful position for labor and delivery!

Stand facing the back of a chair with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed outward. Hold the back of the chair for support.

Contract your abdominal muscles, lift your chest, and relax your shoulders. Then lower your tailbone toward the floor as though you were going to sit down on a chair. Find your balance — most of your weight should be toward your heels.

Take a deep breath and, exhaling, push into your legs to rise to a standing position.

Side-lying position: This is a good resting pose for the end of a practice.

Lie on your left or right side with your head resting on your arm or a blanket.

Put a body pillow or blanket roll between your thighs to give your hips some support.

These are just a few positions that have really helped me through the transitional stage that my body is going through - there are many more that you can learn from a professional instructor or your care provider! Other things that can help ease your burden a little bit are staying hydrated (you should be drinking close to half your weight in ounces of water a day), staying active for a half hour each day (walking our dog or pushing B in the stroller around our parks is my favorite), and taking small breaks throughout your day with your feet up and support for your lower back!

Do any of y'all have any helpful hints on how to manage some of the pains of pregnancy? Let me know in the comments below! 

Stay sweet,

Bumpdate: 24 Weeks.

Dress: PinkBlush Maternity - Enter to win $75 to PinkBlush in the link below!

I hope that y'all had a very happy Easter weekend! I am heading into the third trimester of this pregnancy... I can see the finish line before me! Baby Dos has been moving around more and more but seems to still be in the head-down position, thank goodness! I have been slacking on using proper form to pick things up (and by things I mean my increasingly clingy toddler and the hundreds of things that she throws on my floor all day long), and now my lower back pain has returned with a vengeance. Stay tuned later this week to learn about some stretches that help alleviate sacrum and lower back pain - I am doing them about three times a day at this point.

Baby Dos is measuring at around twelve inches long, and a little over a pound and a half - about the size of a really heavy earn of corn, haha! I have gained about a half pound since last week, but still am a few pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight - I am hoping to continue this slow and steady increase for the next fourteen to eighteen weeks (give or take). 

I am starting to have a little bit of swelling in my lower extremities, nothing too severe or abnormal, but something that I am keeping an eye on as the temperatures start to increase here. I have started walking a half mile a day or exercising for thirty minutes, to help improve my circulation. I also bought a HUGE water jug today to help me get more water into my system, and take small breaks throughout the day with my feet elevated (but not higher than my heart).

How are y'all feeling this week? Did Easter tire you out? Let me know in the comments below! 

P.S. There's still time to enter my giveaway for $75 to PinkBlush! 

Stay sweet,

My Maternity Fashion Must Have + Pink Blush Giveaway!

PinkBlush Maternity provided me with product and compensation in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have shared about the products are my own.

Anyone who has been pregnant can tell you that feeling cute ain't easy when you're dealing with a rapidly changing body AND trying to find fashionable clothes that fit! My personal maternity clothing go-to is a comfortable, and cute maternity maxi dress - but I often have trouble finding ones in my size, and a suitable length for my tall frame (I am just barely under six feet tall).

Then I found PinkBlush Maternity. Holy mother of cuteness!

PinkBlush is an online maternity boutique that caters to a variety of sizes and personal styles. They also carry non-maternity clothing that is equally adorable and fashionable. With Spring making it's debut, and Summer coming hastily around the corner down here in Texas, I wanted a cute maternity dress that I could style for the breezy spring weather now - and the blistering heat later.

I love this dress because of the lightweight fabric, trendy color and style, and more than long - enough hemline for me! It is a great pop of a bold color that makes me feel comfortable, fashionable, and beautiful. Three of my favorite words! I also plan on wearing this after the baby as a comfy-fitting maxi for those first few months of postpartum life.

Dress: PinkBlush Maternity / Jewelry: Kendra Scott / Sandals: Target

I really love PinkBlush Maternity because of the effortless nature of their trendy maternity clothes; that make my life just a little bit easier in this transitional stage of motherhood!

I want to spread to love with you lovelies, so I have raffling off a $75 dollar gift card to PinkBlush Maternity (to my nonpregnant readers, there are ALOT of super cute non-maternity options as well!)!

The contest will run for one week, starting today, and will end at midnight next Saturday! The winner will be announced next Sunday on the blog and my Instagram account @milkandnectar, and will be contacted by PinkBlush to receive their gift card!

Enter below, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Stay sweet,

Money & The Midwife: Dealing with Your Insurance Company.

Last week, I discussed my emotional and personal reasons of why I chose to see a midwife for this pregnancy. Today, I want to talk about the economic reasons, as well as some of issues that we faced along the way.

Becoming a parent can be expensive in the United States; hospital bills for the delivery that could break the bank, lack of paid maternity leave (or any paternity leave at all), and exorbitant costs if your baby may need any kind of medical intervention or to stay in the hospital for any amount of time. According to Parents.com, the average hospital birth rings up as $3,500. If you add in the cost of the prenatal appointments, delivery, and postpartum healthcare, the cost goes up to $8,802!

That's alot of enchiladas, folks.

With Bonnie's birth, we stayed in the hospital for the minimum amount of time, she never let my side, and it was a normal, vaginal birth. We still ended up paying around $4,000 for the hospital fees ALONE. Now, depending on your insurance company these rates can differ; but for most people in the United States it is similar. For this pregnancy's care and delivery, we wanted to be as cost efficient as possible - but still receive the quality care that I wanted and deserve. I did some research on our hospital choices here, and the cost seemed to be the same or even higher!

So when we found Kelly, my midwife, I was shocked to find out that her total cash bill for my prenatal care, delivery, facility fee (because I am delivering at the birth center and not at home), and postpartum care was $5,500 TOTAL. That's around $3,000 cheaper than the AVERAGE American's bill after everything is totaled up. Why does it cost so much more to go to an OB/GYN at a hospital, for an average, run-of-the-mill mother and baby with no complications? And why aren't more women seeking out midwives as their care providers during pregnancy?

Insurance.

Most insurance companies will not cover professionals like Kelly, because midwives order less tests (if you show signs of distress or disorder then tests will be ordered - but if the pregnancy is normal and healthy there is no real reason to have your blood drawn a hundred times in nine months), and women often need less medical interventions (which makes them less money). Most people who see Kelly find that their insurance providers do not cover a Certified Professional Midwife, or a Licensed Midwife; so they have to pay out of pocket in cash for her services. Though her bill is much less expensive for the total cost of care, and she breaks it up into payments over the course of your pregnancy, $5,000 is a scary number to see on your contract.

In my case, I have a pretty good plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas; so it was exceedingly easier for me to work with my insurance provider versus some of the other horror stories I've heard from friends. First, I had to have my midwife's third-party billing company contact BC/BS to estimate my potential in network and out of network coverage. At first they didn't think they would cover her at all, but then found that she did meet the requirements for an out-of-network provider. Next, I petitioned BC/BS to accept her as an in-network exception because she is the only midwife in the area for several hundred miles. To the surprise of myself and Kelly, my petition was accepted she is considered an in-network provider for me now! Lastly, I called personally to confirm my limits and coverage and had them send me a copy of what I was told for my own records, in case they decide to change their decision later on. 

My dealings with the insurance company was stressful for me, but ended much happier and easier than I would have ever expected; but many other women who want to receive care from a midwife aren't lucky enough to have the same outcome. My advice to other pregnant mommas out there who are interested in home birth or delivering at a birthing center with a midwife is to...
1. stay positive and persistent - If I had just accepted my fate and left it alone after getting my out of network quote, I would be paying $5,000 out of pocket (which is still considerably cheaper than most totals for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care)!

2. Don't get discouraged if it seems difficult, just find the care provider that is right for you- and fight for what you deserve!
3. Do your research, and use all of your resources! 

I hope my story might help inspire others who might be faced with the same difficult journey! Did you have a hard time getting insurance to cover your birth choices? Or have a huge hospital bill that you weren't expecting? Let me know in the comments below! 

Stay sweet,

Bumpdate: 23 Weeks.

This had been a whirlwind of a week! We FINALLY got to see Baby Dos on the sonogram machine - so exciting! Already, we can see that he/she is feisty just like his/her big sister; they were VERY stubborn and uncooperative during the sonogram. The thirty minute appointment quickly turned into an hour because Baby Dos did NOT want his/her picture taken. When he/she finally cooperated with us, everything looked GREAT - Thank the Lord! Brain looked healthy, spine was perfect, face looked normal (and adorable), and legs looked extra long. In the 3D picture, you can see his/her face looking left, with the cute little nose sticking out, then the arms are bent in front of the mouth and cheeks and hands are behind the head - like he/she is relaxing in the womb.

Baby Dos was measuring about a week ahead of schedule (which is normal for our babies) and weighed in at 1 lb 6 oz. Thankfully, baby was head down and in formation like Beyoncé, after being breech up until that point. We did NOT find out what we are having (to the dismay of basically all of our friends and family), but even if we had wanted to, it would have been very difficult with all of that rolling around!

I have maintained my weight this week, but the bump continues to grow! Baby Dos continues to be super active and loves to hang out with his/her head smushed on my cervix, bladder, or cuddling with the placenta. Y'all I pee all the time now. It's THAT point in the pregnancy.

I have traded in my lower back pain for some "growing pains" in my hips and pelvis as things start to shift to accommodate my little bowling ball. You can't do a whole lot for this kind of discomfort except for sitting and laying in positions that you find the most comfort - so that is what I am trying to do! My appetite has increased this week, and I am trying to keep up my healthy-ish (because everyone needs Mexican food now and then) diet and exercise a little more frequently to strengthen my pelvic floor and my leg muscles for support capability.

Stay tuned later this week for a new post about some of the difficulties with using a midwife vs. an OB/GYN, as well as my personal anecdote about working with my midwife! Also, we start our natural-birth child-birthing classes this week - I am so pumped! It is run by a fellow doula friend of mine, who is expecting her NINTH child! She is a superwoman. 

To my other preggo mommas, or just mommas who like to chat about pregnancy, how is your week going and how far along are you? Or just tell me something about your pregnancy, I promise I will love it! Let me know in the comments below!

Stay sweet,

My Journey to Midwife.

As soon as a woman finds out that she's pregnant, the need for planning and an obsessive amount of information begins - or maybe that's just me? One of the biggest things that I stressed out about was where I was going to have this baby, and who was going to catch him or her. With my first pregnancy, I was less educated about different methods and choices during pregnancy and childbirth (but still had a perfectly good experience with my OB/GYN at a very progressive hospital) so I didn't know what I actually wanted out of my birth experience. Now that I am a doula who knows so much more about maternal choices in pregnancy and labor/delivery; the search for a like-minded birth professional was a little trickier. 

We just moved to our city in August, and I hadn't really made alot of friends yet; so I didn't have anyone's experience to go off of. I googled providers and searched for those with recommendations or awards, and found an OBGYN that had a list of recommendations and gold stars next to her name. So, I made an appointment with her and thought that I would give it a shot - I had heard that the doctors here were what you might call "M.D-eities" who can be domineering towards their momma-patients, so I was a tad skeptical. I also found that there is ONE midwife in our area (and she is literally the only one until the next city several hours away) and decided to meet with her as well.

When I met with the OB/GYN, she was very polite at first, but as soon as I said something about being a doula and having specific desires for my birth plan - she got a little scary. It went from "your pelvis is great for babies" to "because you are technically obese and your baby was almost 9 pounds, I think you had undiagnosed gestational diabetes." Now, I am very aware that I am overweight; that's not a shocker to me in the slightest. But the gestational diabetes comment? No. After explaining that I didn't have gestational diabetes and I took the test twice to make sure, she told me that I needed to gain ZERO pounds during my pregnancy or I would NEED a cesarean section. I was ten weeks along. There is no way she would have known that I would need a cesarean section - especially having a healthy first pregnancy and healthy delivery! 

After that encounter, and finding out that the hospitals in our area had a cesarean rate of 42% (which is even higher than our ridiculously high national average), I went to my meeting with my midwife hopeful and desperate. When I got to the birth center, I was surprised at how relaxing and homey it felt inside. The midwife was so nice and listened to all of questions and concerns - and never once made me feel like a burden or annoyance. I addressed the concerns of the OBGYN about my weight and health, and she said that unless I had symptoms or a previous history of gestational diabetes, that there was no reason for concern; if anything changed we would address it. I felt heard and respected. I am so happy that I chose our midwife for this pregnancy, because she has offered me personal support and comfort, replied to all of my crazy texts about whether or not to be concerned, and overall made me feel more prepared for this baby than I ever would have if I had just bit my tongue and went to that OB/GYN. 

One of the biggest things that I have learned and stress as a doula, is that mothers need to feel respected and supported in their choices. Using fear to make mothers do what you want them to do is an irresponsible act and is one of the causes of the rising maternal mortality rate here in the United States.  For me, the best choice for my pregnancy care this time was my midwife. For you, it could be different! But I want to stress to you that YOU are the driver of your pregnancy, and YOUR choices and concerns should not be taken lightly. You matter and how you birth matters.

I will continue to write about my experiences during my pregnancy, and I hope that it might encourage some of y'all who might be struggling with the same issues to stand up for yourselves and make informed choices! 

Stay sweet,

Bumpdate: 22 Weeks.

This last week has been full of ups and downs, but I am finally feeling much better than I have been! The weather has been better here, so we have been able to spend more time outside - Bonnie's favorite thing to do! Baby Dos had another growth spurt this week, and has been dancing low (like on my cervix, y'all) almost every night. 

This week, Baby Dos is a little longer than 11 inches long, and weighs about one pound now - about the size of a spaghetti squash! I haven't gained a significant amount of weight over the last week or so - about .3-4 lbs, so still doing well to stay on track with my weight gain / under my weight from when I began this pregnancy. 

I am growing increasingly aware of how big my belly is getting - I have knocked over several glasses of water by not paying attention to my bump. Christopher and I watched the baby roll around in my belly one night this week (it still looks a little like Alien vs. Predator to be honest), and he was really excited about it. I am also starting to get some lower back pain that I have been dealing with by increasing my stretches and making sure that I don't bend at the waist, but squat to pick up Bonnie or dropped things. 

This Wednesday I have my 20 week (ish) diagnostic sonogram, so we will get to see little Baby Dos in 3D! I am super excited about that because I have never had a 3D ultrasound before - so it will be so awesome to see the baby's features and not just a grainy, black and white picture. We are also getting ready for Easter, and are looking forward to maybe going on an Easter egg hunt!

Stay tuned in next week for a recap of our sonogram results and more information on Baby Dos!

Stay sweet,

Baby Dos Wish List.

The best part about passing a milestone in life, like getting married or having a baby, is getting to register for things... Okay just kidding! But as an obsessive/anal-retentive planning addict, registering for things helps me feel more prepared for the huge life change that is coming! The one thing that I disliked about registering for B's arrival, was that I had to go to several different stores and make a list of things we needed at each one; some of the items we wanted/needed were only available online, or were out of stock, or just weren't carried anywhere else! For Baby Dos, I discovered BabyList on one of the countless baby blogs/websites/apps/pages that I visit obsessively. Because we are waiting to find out what this sweet bundle of joy is until his or her birthday, and that this is our second baby, the majority of the items on my list are either practical in nature/convenience oriented... but still needed!

1. Sakura Bloom Ring Sling - Sea Glass $180

This is one of the more pricey items on my *wish* list. I just love how beautiful and versatile these silks are - and durable! I love babywearing and love that these slings add a simple elegance to carrying your baby close to your heart.  

2. Charlie Banana Diapers $115 for 6

We decided to cloth diaper when we found out that we were pregnant with our daughter, to save money and resources. It saved us a TON of money, and she has loved them; we plan to continue to cloth diaper with Baby Dos as well! Charlie Banana is a great company for all of your cloth diapering needs, and they have tons of cute patterns for covering your baby's tush!

3. HALO Swivel Bassinet $250

We plan on rooming in for the first few months - because night feeding is NO JOKE. We had a Pack n Play with a bassinet feature for Bonnie - but I could never get it close enough to the bed/it took up too much room. I would love to have one of these with the bendable mesh walls to get Baby Dos in and out easier!

4. Solly Baby Wrap $65

I carried Bonnie around in a wrap constantly for the first few months (and onward) and loved it - but the ones that we have are now stretched out and ill fitting because they were made with cheaper fabric. Many of my friends have this wrap and they rave about it! 

5. 4moms Mamaroo $239

Again, this is a product that I have heard nothing but good things about. We have a great swing that was gifted to us during my first pregnancy that we used for Bonnie a few times - but it was problematic because we couldn't let her stay in it in case she fell asleep (because of low seat belts and an angle). 

6. bumGenius Diaper Sprayer $69.99

With cloth diapering comes some extra chores sometimes. Right now, I hang out diapers on the clothesline outside and spray them with our watering hose to get the poop off of them (when they're solely breastfed, it's all watersoluble so you can wash them easier, but when they eat solids... They poop solids). It would much easier (and cost-effective) to have a diaper sprayer directly hooked up to the toilet!

7. Burt's Bees Baby Bundle $58.99

Since we are waiting to find out the sex of Baby Dos, the gender neutral onesies included in the basket are super helpful. Also, with the recent news of certain companies having carcinogenic ingredients in their baby bath and lotion products, Burt's Bees is one of my favorite (and most trustworthy) brands.

These are just a few of the bigger ticket items on my baby registry for Baby Dos - all of which are listed and organized on my BabyList registry! 

Do you have a favorite "must have" to add to my list? Let me know in the comments below! 

Stay sweet,

Bumpdate: 21 weeks.

Okay, so I am obviously really bad at putting these out on time. So sorry. Please just assume that no news means that I am still continuously getting larger and growing a human. Bonnie has been teething (three molars at once, hurray!) and then got a random stomach flu that she decided to share with mommy this week. Oh, the joys of motherhood with a toddler!

Besides possibly combating dysentery/the flu/the plague this week, I am happy to say that I am HALFWAY done! Woohoo! Granted, Bonnie was born at thirty-eight weeks and this baby is chugging right along, so it may be a taaaad sooner. I am feeling much better these days and only get sick every once in a blue moon - or every other week - whichever timeline you prefer. Baby Dos is ACTIVE and has had a big growth spurt in between now and the last bumpdate that I posted, which seems to be exactly how he or she should be, according to Baby Center, 

"Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — about the size of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges."

At my last check up with my midwife, baby was hanging out transverse and low - hopefully he or she will get it together soon and start getting into diving formation. Other than that, everything seems to be going great! Baby is right on the growth schedule, measuring a little long for his or her gestational age, but that's no surprise! I lost around ten pounds during the first trimester due to rampant morning sickness, and a serious lack of appetite; but I have gained back approximately 3.6 pounds - so my weight is above par for this point in my pregnancy! 

I still feel huge, though.

This week I am finishing up my baby registry via BabyList, and we are having the twenty-ish week diagnostic sonogram taken on Friday to make sure that everything is growing properly and nothing is out of place! It is going to be 3D - a first for me - so I am very excited to get to see those cute, tiny features!

I promise to stay up to date on these bumpdates from now on! Or at least I'm really going to try!

Stay sweet,

I Don't Want My Body Back.

"Ladies wan't to get your pre-baby, sexy body back?" 
"Bikini season is around the corner, let us help you lose that baby weight!"
"Have you lost your baby weight yet?"
"My [neighbor, sister, cousin, random celebrity on a 'reality' show] said her tummy just fell off!"
"Have you tried [ItWorks, Plexus Slim, Waist Trainers, Whole 30, Advocare, Hydroxycut, etc.]?"

If you are like me, you have probably heard one or more of these sentences before - probably from either a random spammer on your social media account, or a well meaning friend/family member. Even though someone might be genuine in trying to "help" you. more often than not, it just makes you feel ugly or ruined. You grew a human being inside of your body for 9-10 months; stretching and tearing your skin, adding lumps and curves where there use to be none, changing the color or size of certain parts of you... but are expected to have the body that you had before that amazingly trans-formative process?

30 minutes postpartum. Whooweee.

I remember crying because the day after I had given birth to this beautiful and perfect baby girl, my stomach looked like a saggy pancake. I was prepared for a slightly less-pregnant looking belly, but not a droopy/deflated balloon for a torso. I wouldn't let Christopher see me change for a week or so, and much longer for him to see anything else (ladies, sometimes it's best to not look down there for a little while). I cried when Bonnie was done nursing, and my milk dried up; leaving me with what I affectionately called "National Geographic - Old Lady Boobs." I was absolutely sure that I could no longer turn on my husband with these saggy sacks strapped to my chest - my chest that was full of self loathing, vanity, and guilt. I was sure that this was the body that I would always have; lumpy and loose. I made the mistake of googling what a "FUPA" was one night, and cried hot, pregnant-lady tears for a good forty-five minutes, y'all.

I use to hate this picture because of lumps and bumps, but now I love it.

I had never been model-esque or in crazy good shape. I had never felt like the prettiest girl in the room. I just felt like the little that I had to work with before, was gone.

In the midst of my wallowing and self-loathing one night, my husband looked at me and said something that took my breath away
"You are the most beautiful woman in the world to me, why do you doubt that? Why do you not see it?"
I looked at him, heartbroken over these obsessive thoughts in my mind, and I said
"Look at these lines across my stomach. Look at the flab around my torso. Look at all of these things that are wrong with me!"
He just shook his head with a deeply pained expression, and told me that I was wrong. He reminded me of how powerful my body is. How sexy my body is. He reminded me that I carried our baby and nursed her for over a year with this body, just like I am carrying our baby now and will nurse that baby. He reminded me of the transitional nature of the state of life that I am in. He told me that no matter what changes we or our bodies go through, he will be by side.

I felt so beautiful on this day because I was so proud to be her mommy.

That moment with him sparked a change in my heart that I continued to pray on for the next few weeks. I poured out my insecurities to the Lord and searched through the scriptures for my strength and direction. In the love of my husband, and the love of the Lord, I began to love myself and my body more.
My body is not the same as it once was, it is forever changed. I will never get my "prebaby body" back, and that is more than okay. This body has carried two babies now, nursed one for thirteen months, carried the weight of the world sometimes. This body is loved and cherished by my God and my husband. This body is perfectly and wonderfully made. This is my body, and it is beautiful.

1 Peter 3:3-4
"Do not let your adorning be external - the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing that you wear - but let your adorning be the hidden person of your heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."

If you're struggling with your self esteem or identity, let me encourage you to see how incredibly loved and desired you are. Don't let this world get you down sweet ones, you are more beautiful and precious than you can ever know!

Stay sweet,