Ten weeks ago, I gave birth to my second child, a boy. We are told in so many ways that birth and motherhood should be blissful, perfect, happy, wonderful. Or that birth is going to be a medical emergency and a nightmare. In reality they are both positive and negative all wrapped into one. The … Continue reading
Filed under Emotional changes and challenges …
Why Stop Working before the Birth?
I haven’t found time to write since the birth of my new baby boy, 8 weeks ago. I hope to, soon! But I did manage to respond to this email from my sister, due to birth her first baby in the coming weeks. Our sisterly correspondence will have to suffice for now! From my sister, … Continue reading
Keeping it Real in Birth
Being cared for by a homebirth midwife has been a revelation. Here at 38 weeks pregnant I don’t have a lot of energy or focus to describe my experiences, but I want to mention a few ways this care has changed everything and to link to two articles for more information. First, after my tough … Continue reading
Separation Toddler-style
“Letting go” has been a recent refrain for me. Preparing for the surrender of giving birth. Letting my older daughter go farther from my arms, challenging both of us to trust our connection, even without physical closeness. Trying to believe that these tests will make us stronger! My daughter, who is now almost 3, started … Continue reading
Part 2: Baby Grows Up
I wrote awhile back (“Part 1”) about some attempts at night-weaning my toddler when she was 22 months old. As the New Year begins, I have the next chapter of the story to tell. Here are my main conclusions up front. In regards to the major milestones of babyhood: 1) When both parent and child … Continue reading
Fulfill Your Mothering Urges
Mothering is intense. As I’ve written here and here, sometimes other parenting styles seem like they’d be so much “easier” or more convenient than the path we’ve chosen, or the path our own children have led us down. We may ask, is all this intensity and hard work really necessary? What do I get out … Continue reading
Part 1: Sadness and Weaning
I’d like all new moms to know that right after giving birth is NOT the only time you may feel something like postpartum depression. We lack so much crucial information about the hormonal shifts and big emotional changes in the years after childbirth. There are several times when women may feel bigger, stronger emotional shifts: … Continue reading
Asking for Help: Me This Time
I’ve written before about asking for help: how hard it can be for a new mom to feel confident rather than inadequate when she asks; how hard it can be to ask friends and family while fearing rejection. I’ve encouraged women to seek support from postpartum doulas to ease this. In response, women have wished … Continue reading
Book List: Child development and Waldorf education
This list of recommended books comes from Allison Carroll, our wonderful teacher when she was director of the Parent-Child Program at San Francisco Waldorf School. She is now a nursery teacher there. Some are about child development or child psychology and others specifically relate to Waldorf education. The first one, The Emotional Life of the … Continue reading
Feeling Close, Being Present, Playing
Today was our first day “back to school” with our parent-child class, SF Waldorf School’s Exploring Nature class. I was reminded what a refuge this experience was in my postpartum days. I felt calm and especially close to my daughter after each class. And I found such loving support from the teachers and families I … Continue reading
Chigüiri-cosas 