Cherlyn ended up giving birth before I could adorn her pregnant belly with henna, but she kept her appointment and came with her new baby for some postpartum henna and photos. It was really wonderful to see how lovingly supported she was by her mom and husband.
Julia blooms with the spring flowers at sunrise. Her design features a blossoming lotus flower.
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Today I welcomed Spring with a warm heart! So far this has been a warm and gentle Spring, idyllic compared to the local norm or to the blizzards they are getting back East. Spring is the season of starts, new green leaves and freshly blooming flowers, it’s pure inspiration, especially working with pregnant mamas and new little ones. It is my favorite time of the year for outdoor photography, expecting mothers blooming right along with the nature around her... I am very excited for Spring! Hello Mothers and Mother Lovers! Thank you for joining us for the Spring issue of Artfull Mother - Mothering and Art! We have some really great stuff for you this season! Starting with: I am unveiling my most extensive single Art Project to date, both in duration and in Henna Bellies, for one mama: From Seed to Blooming Flower. Check out the artistic magic; as her pregnancy progresses, so does her henna. Each moon cycle, we photograph her as the full moon is setting and the sun is rising, right up to when she gives birth. We have a new column, “The 4th Trimester,” this is a lot of fun, I call on women who I’ve adorned previously, while pregnant to come into the studio, with their baby, now in arms, to talk a little about pregnancy, birth, where they find support and knowing what they know now, what they would tell themselves at the beginning of their pregnancy. Artfull Mother: Martha, shares some of her poetry with us, accompanied by her husband’s art, check-out the photos from their family farm in Lyons. I love to follow them moms I paint, Rachel (a mom) sparked my interest by writing this post describing how ‘Tidying Up’ can be done with a baby, if your read “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,“ then you’ll know why I am really excited to reprinted her post, here for you.
out another one of Monet’s Nicole’s beautiful birth stories, told through photographs. I want to take a moment and mention Stacey Malik our amazing editor, without her sharp eye and attention to detail, I would have died of embarrassment 1000 time over! Stacey has a busy life, yet makes time for us when we need her! So here is to one of most awesome Artfull Mothers around, thank you Stacey, we love you! Spring is a great time for Henna; if you’re lucky enough to be pregnant this Spring, don’t miss out on your chance to get your own henna pampering, photo shoot and a high quality book of photos as an awesome keepsake of this very special time. Spring spots are filling up. book your hennapampering appointment today!
I am happy to say we have another story from Samantha Jessup & “ The Bond Project,” her insightful blog about women & breastfeeding. This season Samantha brings us Raquel Williams’ experience with breastfeeding - an easy- going story of inspiration and success. We just wouldn’t be the same with
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I first met Laura when she participated in one of my breastfeeding art projects with her daughter (see Fall issue, 2015). She mentioned that she and her husband were trying for a second child and I said, if you do get pregnant, let me know,
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I’d love to adorn you every month of your pregnancy! To my surprise, she contacted me for henna as soon as her pregnancy was confirmed, and was just 5 weeks pregnant for the first henna in April of 2016. A ‘seed to flower’ theme was
decided on and Laura asked that the Flatirons be in the design to - she was born and raised in Boulder! Each time the henna design got bigger and more intricate. For the last session, we had to split up the adornment into 2 days.
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The first time we met for photos it was a pure coincidence that the moon was setting over the Colorado mountains as the sun rose. Since we had decided to meet once a month, I worked it out that we would try to capture the full moon each time. Colorado is incredibly sunny, but we do have cloudy days. We were able to photograph Laura with the moon each month except December, when it was overcast and bitterly cold.
Counting the first moon of her pregnancy in March, Laura’s pregnancy lasted 10 moons. After she gave birth I visited her for postpartum henna in January (middle photo) and then she came for more photos in March with both her daughters. See a timelapse of all the designs and pregnant silhouettes on my blog: http://www.sarahkatebutterworth.com/blog/mybiggest-art-project-yet 6
It’s a beautiful day,
sunny, warm with blue skies and that particular stillness of holiday. It may be one of my last days truly alone for many, many years. It feels sweet, so long and so short at the same time. Moving slowly around the house, around the farm, followed by the dog and the stillness of the air and little else. Waiting for you is bittersweet. I have been told how things will change once you arrive, 7
how my heart will grow bigger than I ever knew possible. How I will stretch beyond my limits. How the adventure that awaits is like nothing I have experienced or can imagine. And, I have always loved the hours and days of being alone, content in the presence of self. And, I have come to love this pregnant body, its grace and fullness that exists only now. I know your coming will only multiply our love exponentially,
And, already I miss the time of just me and your papa, laying my head on his chest and feeling the most thankful ease of fortune and luck and love. But even as I walk alone in the afternoon sun on this golden road and the golden light shines on the golden grass, I look forward to sharing it all with you. I imagine you on my chest instead of in my belly, hearing the sounds of the land, watching the dog chase the groundhogs, tasting the world.
With each step on the earth, I feel the gratitude and the grief of this moment, knowing it will never come again. And with each look to the horizon, the excitement and anticipation of the unknown change and the journey of life with you. But isn’t that how it always is, if we’re lucky? The sorrow and the joy both holding us in their ever tender hands?
Poetry by Martha Gilbert, art by her husband Android Jones - Highland Christmas www.androidjones.com, Lyons, Colorado
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The other day I was really frustrated about
pretty airy fairy. Grounding is a necessary tool in my something and I found myself mopping my kitchen toolbox, but I didn’t consciously realize that day that floor. A friend called and I said, “I don’t know why, but mopping my floors was grounding me as I went through an emotionally challenging situation. this issue has got me finally cleaning my floors.” Recently, I was listening to a great audio on psychic awareness by John Holland and he was talking about someone who said that cleaning is really grounding and that if you really want to get grounded and connected to the earth, clean your toilet.
I loved this because in my line of work, I can spend 31 a lot of time in my higher chakras, which means I’m
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I wanted to share this today, as I often counsel people to ground by imagining a tree trunk, or to use imagination to work with other energy tools, but today I want to say that maybe scrubbing your toilet is a perfect way to get earthy, grounded, and to help clean up your life, physically and emotionally. I believe that our environment has a powerful influ-
ence over us. If we live in a messy and dirty space, it’s hard to feel joyful and creative. If we have too much clutter, we’ll subconsciously feel bogged down. The first steps to changing our lives are simple things, like finally letting go of what we’ve been holding onto that we no longer love. Why would we let that take up space in our energy field?
I began to go through all of my stuff and anything that didn’t bring me joy, I let go. Soon, I wasn’t willing to stop. I became insistent that ONLY things that uplifted my spirit and brought me joy were allowed to reside in my home! After eight years of having the same furniture, I sold my couch and bought a new one.
This year I read, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, and I found out that it really Then, I noticed that beautiful over-sized chair my mom’s is life-changing. Here’s what happened for me. friend had given me ten years prior. She said, “You can have that if you promise to never get rid of it.”
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I realized that I was living under an oath of pressure I’d made years ago, and that subconsciously that chair was reminding me, everyday, that I owed her something and I mustn’t let it go!
that is absolutely transformational. So, if you’re stuck, the first place to look is in your home at your physical space and things. What messes are you tolerating? What would it be like if you cleaned that up?
I sold that chair.
How’s your toilet? What energy could you create if you scrubbed it clean? Do you think that could ground you and change your life?
Then, my mom bought a beautiful new entertainment center for my living room, along with a nice flat-screen television. Now, everything else needed to be upgraded, too. You see, we’re willing to tolerate a lot of things in our lives. Ya know the drill…how many piles of junk have you walked past for weeks, months or years? How many broken things are you hanging on to that you’ll supposedly fix one day? The reason that book is actually life-changing is that if we truly choose to only allow ourselves to be surrounded by things with a high and joyful vibration, we’ll have a total upgrade in every area of life! Once I had that new television, then I needed the couch. Once I had the couch, the chair had to go. Once I had that space a new ottoman came in. After that, I got a new rug. Now, my house is full of things I absolutely LOVE. I find joy, peace, and beauty in my home. I have no tolerance for putting up with crap, junk, or holding on to other people’s things out of guilt. That’s a huge upgrade. Space clearing, clutter clearing, cleaning our toilets, these things create an energy that permeates our physical lives and our energetic boundaries (Aura). Upgrading our lives, allowing ourselves to have what we love, to eliminate junk, and stop tolerating clutter creates a new level of awareness, new choices, and a new level of havingness in our world
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Sometimes, changing our lives is a lot simpler than we think. It’s throwing out that gift we got that we don’t like. Or cleaning up that pile of paper. By finally relating to our environment, we can create awesome changes in our energy, which can permeate out and impact the whole of our lives. So start with your physical reality. Get your home, car, and office all cleaned up. As you engage with your reality, you’ll change your energy field too, which is key to attracting the kind of experiences and people you desire. To upgrading your whole life, xo
Rachel Claire
http://theboulderpsychic.com/
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The 4th Trimester One of the things I like most about my work as a pregnancy artist is meeting lots of expecting women, hearing their stories, sometimes meeting their families at this special stage of growth. I see some of these women again for breastfeeding henna and many for their second, third, fourth even fifth pregnancies, another thing I cherish. I thought it would be interesting to call some of these women back to talk about their pregnancies, birth and those first months and share the results with other Artfull Mothers. I was interested to hear how their experience aligned with their expectations, what they would do differently and what they did right. I came up with these 4 simple questions to get our con-
versation rolling... “Advice for you yourself ” - “If you knew then, what you know now, what would you want to tell yourself...” “Going to your village” What role did ‘community’ play in your pregnancy, where did you find it? “You’re most proud of ” Something you got right, an accomplishment, the thing that surprised you about you? Recommended Resources: What helped you, where did you draw strength, what do you recommend? I am excited and grateful to introduce these new moms, who graciously agreed to come back to my studio with their dear little ones now in arms, to talk about their their experiences.
Marisa & Sequoia I was really excited when Marisa and Sequoia agreed to come back to the Artfull Mother studio for this piece. I really enjoy Marisa’s company, she’s smart and up-todate on a wide array of topics. Her sunny disposition and can-do attitude make spending time with her a pleasure and chances are you’ll learn something from her... What’s special about Marisa is, she will learn something from you, too. She is mellow until she’s not. She’s very social too. This is kind of how she is. - Marisa
“Advice for you yourself ” Learn to be present, be in the moment, as much as I can, because that’s all babies are, they are just in the moment. 914 67
“Going to your village” My mother lives in Longmont, she’s like my best friend. Hopefully I can pass on closeness like this to Sequoia. “You’re most proud of ” I had breastfeeding challenges, enough that I considered not doing it, but the challenges weren’t enough to quit. I’m so glad I stuck with it. It’s totally worth it. “Recommended Resources” I’m a doula, so I give some advice to moms. Go to the groups! Make it a goal to go to a group within a month of your birth. In my head, I was like, I don’t want to go. I felt 100% better when I did. Remember, you are not alone. We gave birth at the Mountain Midwifery Center, they have a once a week mama’s group and a breastfeeding group, check for groups where you give birth.
have story time. We get to play with musical instruments, read books and sing songs. It gave her a social experience, she would just stare at other children and try to interact with them, it helped us both to get out in the world. Shop at second hand shops; I love to get musical instruments, clothes, and good toys for reasonable prices. Some of my favorites are: Once Upon A Child - there is a Littleton and an Arvada store, check their website because there are lots of them. (http://www.onceuponachild.com/) Childish Things (Boulder) (http://www. childishthingsconsign.com/) has a good selection of cloth diapers and lots of good quality used stuff. Just Between Friends (http://www.justbetweenfriends.com/) - this is a children’s and maternity consignment “event” put on by Moms, at the Boulder County Fairgrounds for our area.
A resource that saved us, when I didn’t have any outings were the libraries near me that
Gretchen & Leora
When Gretchen and Leora came in, I had no idea what they were going to talk about. I want to thank Gretchen; it takes great deal of personal strength and compassion to speak up, in an effort to help others, this is how a community heals. We listed some resources, and the message here is: “Reach out to your health care professional, do it right now, don’t wait.” “Advice for you yourself ” I would tell myself not to worry so much, not to be so anxious. I was worrying about everything. Writing down how often she wasn’t sleeping was helpful, but I was obsessing with how many times she pooped, should I do this about it, etc. I wish that when I first started noticing my Postpartum Depression (PPD) that I would have reached out sooner. My midwife urged me over
and over again to reach out. There’s a lot of perceived shame when it comes to PPD, I wish I had gotten over how proud I was and reached out when I really needed it. I first noticed PPD as soon as my milk came in. I didn’t realize it was part of it… I had heard it got hard in the first couple days, but I didn’t recognize it for what is was. The most I did was the Breastfeeding group and the yoga, but I never really got into what I was really going through. I never did any therapy or moms groups for it. So that’s something I would do very differently. “Going to your village” My mother and the Boulder mama’hood (now closed) classes were very important, day to day. My midwife, Janelle Boyington. She did an amazing job for
me, (she personalized my care, for what I needed at the time). “You’re most proud of ” Breastfeeding. Biggest challenge was breastfeeding, I’m glad I powered through it. We had to use a nipple shield and I had excruciating pain, to the point where I would cry, and I can handle pain; I have a whole sleeve of tattoos! I first had an oversupply, then lowered supply. It was a constant thing, cracked nipples, bleeding, extreme pain [however] at 7 months we completely weaned off the nipple shield and had powered through the pain. We managed to figure it out, it was a long road; I did it to help my postpartum depression and I kept on breastfeeding her because I knew it was best for both of us. “Recommended Resources” My Breastfeeding group was a lifesaver, especially with the [mama‘hood] Lactation Consultants and yoga classes. When I was having difficulty, we went every week, sometimes twice a week. We spent a lot of time at the mama’hood; the breastfeeding group was there too. I was having a rough time and my mom noticed my punch card had run out, so she bought me a 3 month membership which I feel saved me, especially working with the Lactation Consultants. I went as often as I could, twice a week for Breastfeeding Groups and twice a week for Yoga too. The Facebook moms group: Boulder Babies has been a big resource for me. Not only to reach out and ask questions, but seeing that other moms are going through crazy times.
We we found a woman online and she makes rings out breastmilk. We have milk saved for it, and we’ll have one made. - Gretchen
OH, and having Siri remind me of things has been a GODSEND. So if I ever think like, oh I need to switch over laundry in 30 min, I just tell Siri to remind me to check the laundry in 30 minutes. It’s an annoying a little reminder. You might ignore an alarm, and then it just goes away, but Siri won’t let you forget, it puts it on the front screen. It reminds me to refill the dog’s water too.
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Laura and Ryla
I gave Laura henna for an art project I was doing with breastfeeding, and we had a great connection. As soon as she knew she was pregnant, she gave me a call and offered herself as a subject. We created a design that would change & develop during her pregnancy. We started with a tiny design on her mostly flat belly and as her ‘bump’ grew, the design did as well (see this design on page 23, in From Seed to Blooming Flower). “Advice for you yourself ” I would have tried to have a more relaxed environment more immediately, stayed more relaxed and take more personal time to focus on myself just for a few minutes. “Going to your village” I loved the Boulder Birth Center! I wish I had chosen to do it with Annelyne. Ryan loved it too, he recommends it to other dads. We had Annelyne at Boulder Community, it was fine, nothing went wrong; we delivered with the midwives. It’s just that when you’re at the hospital they wake you up constantly, then they need to weigh the baby every few hours. It’s exhausting! You’d think it would be easier in the hospital because they are bringing you food and everything but…with a healthy pregnancy and birth, you really don’t need a long hospital stay. With Ryla, we were home, got in bed and were sleeping 5 or 6 hours after birth. Then I got sleep; it was amazing! “You’re most proud of ” This Birth! It was really rough this time, intense and fast. “Recommended Resources” I love the Birth Center of Boulder and they have 2 International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC). My favorite online facebook communities: Expressions Lactation Services (ELS) run by an IBCLC https://www.facebook.com/ groups/expressionslactation/ An offshoot of ELS called, It Takes A Village
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1078662918891705/ Milky Mamas is another one and it is huge, especially interesting for nursing moms. https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheOfficialMilkyMommas/
Ryan loved The Boulder Birth Center too and recommends it to other dads. This photo was 1 or 2 hrs after birth. Photos by Ryan. - Laura
Laura is organizing a breastfeeding event on April 28th, noon -2pm at the State Capitol in Denver. It’s time for the third annual Nationwide Nurse-In! This year is particularly important following the executive action to repeal the ACA which provides mothers with time and accommodations to express Breastmilk at work. Mothers may again be dependent on their state laws to provide workplace pumping time and accommodations. Unfortunately, nearly HALF of our states do not have workplace pumping laws and even fewer have laws that provide adequate protections. This leaves many thousands of working mothers vulnerable! So, this year we will be hosting a NurseIn/Pump-In to bring attention to the need for protections for working moms in addition to public breastfeeding laws. ALL are welcome! Friends, family, men too, nursing, pumping, donor, SNS, tube, formula. If you support public breastfeeding and workplace pumping, please attend! https://www.facebook.com/events/387118731656169/?active_ tab=about
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Jen, Liz & Luca
I met this first couple, Jen and Liz, while doing henna for one of Mindy Arbuckle’s Sacred Pregnancy Class at Maitri Yoga (http://www.yogamaitricenter.com/). Later, I had the pleasure to get to know them a bit better when I gave Jen a full Henna Pampering at my studio during her pregnancy. They were so enthusiastic about parenting and obviously cared a lot for each other. I was really excited to have them back again, this time with their dear little one; they are a very sweet family, an inspiration. Here is what they had to say: “Advice for you yourself ” Have a schedule; starting a daily rhythm was really helpful, for all of us. We loved it and Luca thrived when we started him on a regular schedule. The book, Cherish the First Six Weeks by Helen Moon, was a wonderful guide to creating rhythm for us.
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If it’s right for you, then it’s right for your family. People will give you advice and it may feel weird, but that’s because it’s not their kid. Knowing why you do things is very helpful. It feels strange when people come up to you and try to tell you something... You know why you’re doing things, so just believe in yourself. -Jen I think a big part of my healing was getting outside. It was hard to feel like me again, it can take time to feel empowered. You’re still YOU, it’s just hard; your body changes so much, which you know. Be patient with yourself. -Jen I didn’t know what to do with my first bit of free time, so I took a nap in my car at the park and it was glorious- just what I needed. -Jen
More advice, not trying to make your new life like your old life. Life isn’t going to be the same. Everyone once in awhile I’m like, remember what it used to be like? But then I realize...enjoy your time before baby more! Arrange for more time off before the baby arrives so you’re not desperately needed back at work right away. Focus on what works for your family; it’s not about giving of yourself until your depleted, it’s everybody getting their needs met. - Liz “Going to your village” Our Sacred Pregnancy Group: I would have never done a Sacred Pregnancy class, but Liz mentioned it, she had been taking classes at Yoga Maitri (MaitriYogaCenter. com). That’s my core group, my tribe, that has supported me so much. I can really be honest with this group because we bonded so deeply during pregnancy. -Jen (photo of group below!) “You’re most proud of:” Our relationship, how we’ve grown individually and together as a couple, to really process emotions as they come up. -Liz
There’s a 4th trimester and people don’t talk about it and babies need to be treated as if they are still in utero because they are still growing, they are still, technically, too small to be out. They’re not crying for no reason. They really need you to comfort them and hold them as if they were still inside of you. -Jen
Samantha Jessup created this project, which strives to give support and
understanding to women as they breastfeed as well as those who choose not to, or who supplement with formula or donor milk. As a photographer and writer, Samantha shares mothers’ stories through her pictures and their own words.
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Raquel Williams Thankfully, I was blessed with a good supply and a baby that eats like a champ from the very beginning, but it was not always a cake walk. About a week into our journey, I experienced terrible pain from cracked and bleeding nipples. The lactation consultant was awesome and referred me to a website (www.queenbeelactation.com) that helped me adjust the latch by watching videos. Those few days were rough, but we were able to get a better latch and I was able to heal. Then about a month into our journey, I started experiencing breast pain even when I wasn’t breastfeeding. I attended a breastfeeding support group through my insurance to help us figure out what was going on. The IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) checked his latch and asked about symptoms. She suspected that I was dealing with vasospasms and gave me some suggestions to help manage the pain. I dealt with the vasospasms for about 2 months and while it was quite painful, it didn’t affect my supply or his eating so we were able to continue just fine. 23
Breastfeeding isn’t always easy, but it was something I really wanted to do from the very beginning and have been blessed to be able to continue through anything that has come up. I love the bond it has created with my son. I love having that time with him and how if I allow myself to get distracted he brings me back to that moment by grabbing my hand or face. It’s a perfect time to slow down and just focus on him. There is also something so empowering in being able to provide nourishment for my son. I remember those first days, sitting there and listening to him drinking, I was just an awe that my body was able to produce just what he needed. To this day, 8 months in, I feel the same way. I am grateful for the ability to nourish my son, both physically and on an emotional level as well. We introduced a bottle around 6 weeks as I read that it was the ideal time to get him used to it before returning to work. We weren’t super consistent about it, but
There is also something so empowering in being able to provide nourishment for my son. I remember those first days, sitting there and listening to him drinking, I was just an awe that my body was able to produce just what he needed.
did offer it once in awhile. We are blessed to have flexible schedules so my husband watches him while I work. I gave him some info on paced bottle feeding and he was able to work with Noah and get him to take the bottle. The first few days were a little rough, but my husband found that he would take the bottle better if he positioned him laying back on his legs instead of cradling. Weird position, but it worked for them. I also started pumping prior to heading back to work to try to build a bit of a freezer stash and was worried that I wouldn’t be able to pump enough milk when I went back to work because it didn’t seem like I was pumping much at home. Now, it is nice to have a little stash, even if it isn’t very much. My husband has always been very supportive and he would just tell me not to stress about it until I knew for sure there was a problem. Luckily, I have been able to keep up with No25
ah’s needs. I don’t have an oversupply, but I have enough and I remind myself that it’s all he needs. I work with a very supportive team and have my own office which has really made pumping much easier. I have what he needs and that is what is important. While pumping has gone well for me, it is definitely hard work and I admire the mamas that can’t breastfeed but pump to provide breast milk for their little ones. Even though it’s hard to work and not be with Noah always, it is nice to know that while I am working my son is home with his dad. I love watching their bond grow and seeing what an amazing father my husband is. I love coming home and seeing the smile on Noah’s face because he’s happy to see me. Usually, he wants to nurse as soon as I get home and it’s a perfect beginning to my afternoon and evening with him. I would say I have been pretty lucky to have a good support system both in my family and close friends. I really haven’t encountered any negativity from them; everyone has been really supportive of breastfeeding. I have a good friend whose son is 8 months older than Noah, so it’s been nice to have someone that is going through some of the same experiences at the same time. The breastfeeding support group has been great as well. Even though it’s been awhile since I’ve been, it’s so nice to know that it is there for me anytime I feel that I need it. Fed is best. I strongly desired to breastfeed and felt that I had done as much research as I possibly could do to help myself be successful. At the same time, realizing that some things are out of my control and that the most important thing is that baby is fed and cared for helped me not feel extra pressure than what I was likely putting on myself. Along the same lines, I think the absolute most important thing for me was having my husband’s unconditional support. He knew how important this was to me and was committed to helping me be successful. At the same time, I know that if it would not have been possible to breastfeed he would’ve been supportive as well and not put me under any additional pressure. Luckily, I really haven’t had many incidents in public that were uncomfortable. I’m sure my husband’s imposing demeanor helps with that. I have used a cover or the two-shirt method when in public because I understand that29some people can be uncomfortable. At the same time, my priority is my hungry child so if he’s not comfortable being covered or I don’t happen to have the cover with me, I don’t worry about it. 25
I can only think of one time when I was out to lunch with a few friends. Noah got hungry towards the end of our lunch, so I went ahead and fed him in our booth using our nursing cover. An older gentleman across the way could not stop staring, so I just stared back and finally asked if I could help him which prompted him to look away. Not a big deal to me, but I’m definitely prepared to defend my son’s right to breastfeed at any moment, as is my husband. My advice would be that sometimes the breastfeeding journey is not as “easy” as some people make it seem, but it is absolutely amazing. I would suggest being informed prior to beginning the journey and make sure you have a good support system, whether that is partner, family, friends or support group, but to also give yourself grace. I think as parents there are so many things that we can always second guess, but it’s important to give ourselves grace and remember that we are doing the best we can. People will always have advice, but only you know what is best for you, your baby and your family. http://miraclekissesphoto.wixsite.com/miraclekisses/thebond-project
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Monet Nicole had the honor of photographing both of Rachel’s births. She delivered in Colorado Springs at
Memorial Hospital, surrounded by her mom and her husband. At 41 weeks, her OB suggested breaking her
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water to see if they could induce labor without medication. It worked beautifully. Rachel started contracting almost immediately. She worked through her contractions with peace and grace.
When it came time to push, she breathed her baby down and then gave a few strong pushes. Her baby born was placed immediately in her arms. http://www.monetnicole.com/