Pregnancy And Breastfeeding Body Art

Body Art is an ancient and outward expression of admiration, adoration, loyalty, homage, pride, commitment, gratitude, fanaticism, obsession, infatuation, love, lust, and sometimes lunacy. Although tattoos have been traced back to Neolithic times, they have not always been viewed as acceptable in Western society. Over the past several decades, tattoos have made a resurgence in America, and have transitioned from low class to upscale, from the jail house to the board room, and from discreet to prominently placed. Today, with tattoo-inspired reality shows, magazines, museums, festivals, and even Barbie dolls, it is common to be "tattooed and employed", and even more common to be tattooed and pregnant, or tattooed and breastfeeding. It is thought that nearly 33% of Americans under the age of 30 have at least one tattoo. 

Mrs. M. Stevens Wagner, one of the earliest Tattooed Ladies that performed in the circus sideshows, 1907

This increase in popularity, visibility, accessibility, and acceptability, means that more and more women of childbearing age are feeling free, and maybe even compelled to wear their hearts... and everything else, AS a sleeve, literally. As with nearly anything related to pregnancy and breastfeeding, having tattoos, and getting tattooed during these times are controversial. The primary concern with getting a tattoo during the childbearing year(s) is the risk of contracting an infection, such as Hepatitis B and HIV. Although the risk is small, it is commonly recommended that you postpone your next tattoo until your family, and you breastfeeding journey are complete. 

Henna Tattoo

According to The American Pregnancy Association,"Little information is available about the safety of skin dyes used for tattooing during pregnancy. It is possible that the chemicals in the dye may affect the development of the baby during the first 12 weeks. However, the risks are unknown, as are any effects on the baby during the remainder of the pregnancy. Some women may have also heard that if they have a tattoo on their back, they will be unable to get an epidural. Very few studies have been done on the risks that could exist for women who have back tattoos and receive an epidural. So far none of these studies have conclusively found any data that indicates there are risks, so most anesthesiologists have no problem giving an epidural to a woman with a back tattoo."

Amazing C-Section Scar Tattoos

Breathtaking C-Section Scar Tattoos

According to La Leche League International, "It is very important to screen the tattooist and the shop carefully, checking with the local health department for local laws and regulations. Professional tattooists will follow universal precautions such as sterilization of the tattoo machine using an autoclave, single-use inks, ink cups, gloves and needles, bagging of equipment to avoid cross contamination, and thorough hand washing with disinfectant soap. Most tattooists will not knowingly tattoo a pregnant or breastfeeding mother. It is suggested that mothers wait at least until the child's first birthday to give their bodies a chance to recover completely from childbirth before getting a tattoo." 

Story: Court Battle Over Breastfeeding Mom's New Tattoo

T. C. Poole, Memphis, TN

Tattoo Risk While Breastfeeding

However, there are many pregnant and breastfeeding moms who, after taking certain common sense precautions, fearlessly, and unapologetically choose not to wait. What To Expect reminds us that: "A new tattoo that looks symmetrical on your 15 weeks pregnant skin might become lopsided or distorted after you regain your pre-pregnancy shape — if you opt to get it in a spot that’s prone to expand during pregnancy, like your belly or your side, that is. There’s also the potential for stretch marks, which could appear smack in the middle of your new design (most common locations: abdomen, buttocks, breasts and thighs)." 

This Breastfeeding Mom Isn't Feeling It!

Can You Get A Tattoo While Breastfeeding? 

This Mom and Lactation Consultant Offers These Facts

Tattoos And Breastfeeding: Is It Safe? What Are The Risks by The Milk Meg

Piercings, Tattoos, And Tattoo Removal 

According to Breastfeeding Today, "It is estimated that 20% of people who get tattoos later regret the decision and wish to have them removed (M. Armstrong et al., 2008). The medical literature says little regarding the safety of tattoo removal while breastfeeding. Tattoo removal is accomplished with the use of Q-switched lasers. The laser causes the tattoo pigment to fragment into smaller particles that are picked up by the immune system and filtered out via the lymphatic system. The most common side effects include pigmentation changes, local infection (due to not following the aftercare regimen) and possible allergic reaction to the ink that is now “free” in the mother’s system. However it is unknown whether the ink particles can enter into breast milk (Kaatz et al., 2008; Vasold et al., 2008)."

15 Breastfeeding Tattoos To Commemorate Your Breastfeeding Journey

18 Tattoos That Capture The Magic Of Breastfeeding 

Heartwarming Breastfeeding Tattoos

Show us your Mommy Ink! What's been your experience with tattoos during mommyhood? 

Yo! Microphone Check One, Two! What Is This?! Phife Dawg, Diabetes, and Maternal Wellness!

So nowadays I go and see wifey just to cure me from stress

Lay my head on her breast, Sugar Dumpling knows best

Explaining all my problems to her, gettin' things off my chest
A lil hug up, squeeze up and no more am I vexed
Aye yo Sun, without my peeps I'd be truly assed out
Making sure I have my medications so I wouldn't pass out 
~Stressed Out, Phife Dawg, A Tribe Called Quest 

Now Here's a Funky Introduction of How Nice I Am... 

Before I was a mother, childbirth educator, yogini, nutritionist, or lactivist, I was hip-hop. Although I grew up in suburban Ohio, and attended a Catholic school, I was deeply connected to hip-hop (even if just in my heart and mind). I was in a breakdancing group, where my classical ballet, tap, and gymnastics lessons helped me to stand out; I had a rap alias: Def Lady J; I memorized and recited other artists' rhymes in my sparer time- many of which I still know; I spent every dime of my allowance in the brand new, but very tiny, rap section of my local record store; between 1987 and 1992, my mother made sure that I didn't miss a rap concert within the tri-state area... and I sold dubbed copies of songs that weren't available in stores- I'm still not revealing my sources, but I don't  get down like that anymore. Today, I'm always blasting Backspin and marauding for ears at classic Hip-Hop Karaoke events. I love and live this stuff.

Check The Rhyme

Hip-Hop Karaoke

Heartbeats & Hip-Hop

My Aura's Positive, I Don't Promote No Junk

Why does any of this matter, and what does any of it have to do with maternal health and wellness? Last week, beloved lyricist, and member of the quintessential rap group, A Tribe Called Quest, Malik "Phife Dawg" Taylor, passed away at the age of 45, after a 25+ year battle with juvenile diabetes. Even though his struggles with the incurable disease have been largely public and referenced in his own rhimes, interviews, and the terribly difficult-to-digest documentary Beats, Rhymes, and Life, the hip-hop community was still buggin' out that the 5 Foot Assassin had met his final day. In the middle of the night, as I cruised the Internet for information to share with my new and expectant moms, I saw the first posts and tweets about the Funky Diabetic. I initially prayed that it was one of those sick Internet jokes. It wasn't. Phife is gone. It is difficult to accept that our contemporaries, those whom we've watched grow up, are now too soon passing away from health related conditions: J-Dilla,  Guru, Nate Dogg, Heavy D, DJ EZ Rock, Sean Price, and (maybe) Chris Lighty. Now Phife Dawg adds to that number and brings subject of diabetes to the forefront. It's time to expand the subject matter that touches everybody, so that it reaches everybody. 

Atlanta's Traffic Reporter Mark Arum Is On Point With This Phife Dawg Tribute

Styles Upon Styles Upon Styles... 
Three Types of Diabetes

Diabetes or diabetes mellitus (DM), is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body's cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both. Individuals with high blood sugar will typically experience polyuria (frequent urination), they will become increasingly thirsty (polydipsia) and hungry (polyphagia). There are three types of diabetes: Gestational, Adult Onset. and Juvenile- the latter was Phife's kryptonite.

Gestational diabetes begins when a pregnant woman's hormones interfere with her ability to make and use all the insulin she needs for growing her baby. Gestational diabetes affects a mother late in pregnancy who is often asymptomatic; therefore pregnant women are routinely tested for this condition during their second trimester. The condition shows up in women not previously diagnosed with diabetes. It typically resolves after the birth of the baby, but the mother is now at greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes, while the child is at a greater risk of being a "big baby", becoming obese, and also developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Having a big baby (8 lbs. 3 oz., or heavier) can lead to additional discomforts toward the end of the pregnancy, and long term pelvic floor damage beyond pregnancy. More importantly, women with gestational diabetes are more likely to develop preeclampsia, be on bedrest, go into preterm labor, request an epidural, be induced, receive an episiotomy (or natural tear), or have a planned or emergency C-section. Incidentally, all of these complications can make breastfeeding more challenging. However, breastfeeding decreases the risk of the infant developing both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, so ask for help from a lactation consultant early and often. 

{Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, often the kidneys. Preeclampsia usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy in a woman whose blood pressure had been normal. Even a slight rise in blood pressure may be a sign of preeclampsia. Left untreated, preeclampsia can lead to serious — even fatal — complications for both you and your baby. If you have preeclampsia, the only cure is delivery of your baby}

During the process of vaginal birth, this big baby is at a greater risk for nerve damage, shoulder injury, or even brain injury. If a woman’s diabetes was not well controlled during pregnancy, her baby can very quickly develop low blood sugar after birth. The baby’s blood sugar must be watched for several hours after delivery. Often gestational diabetes can be controlled through eating healthy foods and regular exercise. Sometimes a woman with gestational diabetes must also take insulin during pregnancy. Even if the diabetes does go away after the baby is born, half of all women who had gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes later. It's important for a woman who has had gestational diabetes to continue to exercise and eat a healthy diet after pregnancy to prevent or delay getting type 2 diabetes. She should also remind her doctor to check her blood sugar every 1 to 3 years.

20 Essential Songs By A Tribe Called Quest

I Drink A Lot Of Soda, So They Call Me Dr. Pepper 
Diabetes Type 2

Adult onset, or Type 2 Diabetes, is the most common type. The name can be misleading as more American children are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes because of our high sugar and high fat diets, along with our increasingly sedentary lifestyles. In type 2 diabetes, the body produces more blood sugar than it is able to use efficiently, without overtaxing other organs. There are many factors that can place an individual at risk for type 2 diabetes, including a genetic predisposition, extra weight, excess glucose from the liver, poor communication between cells, and metabolic syndrome.

{Metabolic Syndrome describes a group of conditions including insulin resistance, high blood glucose, extra fat around the waist, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides, that increases the risk for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke}

Women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), have given birth to a baby weighing over 9 pounds, or as mentioned previously, gestational diabetes, are also at an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Over time, mismanaged blood sugar can cause complications with the heart, arteries, veins, kidneys, eyes, nerves, digestion, libido, wound healing, and of course pregnancy. Having type 2 diabetes at the onset of pregnancy can cause birth defects early in the formation of the baby, unlike gestational diabetes, which does not begin to complicate the pregnancy until after the baby has already been formed. Type 2 diabetes is also a risk factor for preeclampsia and its associated issues. Embracing a general healthy lifestyle can decrease in one's risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Enjoying a well-balanced, nutrient dense, low sugar, low-fat diet; exercising regularly; managing weight and  stress; getting adequate rest; and not smoking; are ways to minimize the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as reversing it if a diagnosis has already been given. 

Random Facebook Conversation Among Some Headz, Just Days Before Phife's Transition

When's The Last Time You Heard A The Funky Diabetic? 

Diabetes Type 1

Phife was diagnosed with the less common, but more complicated Type 1 Diabetes, a few months before his 20th birthday. His grandmother, a nurse, recognized one of the signs (frequent urination) and tested him after a show. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin, the hormone needed to get glucose from the bloodstream into the cells. Type 1 diabetes is incurable and is not preventable. There are known factors that increase the risk of developing type 1 diabetes, including a family history and genetic susceptibility. There are additional risk factors, including Viral exposure: Exposure to Epstein-Barr virus, coxsackie virus, rubella or cytomegalovirus may trigger the autoimmune destruction of the islet cells, or the virus may directly infect the islet cells. Low vitamin D levels: Research suggests that vitamin D may protect against type 1 diabetes. However, early intake of cow's milk — a common source of vitamin D — has been linked to an increased risk of type 1 diabetes. Other dietary factors: Drinking infant formula and water that contains nitrates may increase the risk of type 1 diabetes. The timing of the introduction of cereal into a baby's diet also may affect a child's risk of type 1 diabetes. Between the ages 5 and 7 months appears to be the optimal time for introducing foods. The current recommendation is to skip rice cereal altogether, and certainly, DO NOT put it in a bottle with breastmilk or formula, no matter what Nana says! Proper education on maternal and infant nutrition, could help to decrease the numbers of those affected by diabetes, and save billions of dollars in health care costs.

Skip The Rice Cereal! Start With These Foods Instead!

Can I Kick It? (Yes You Can!)

Lifestyle Management

It is often a challenge to talk about health conditions that can be managed by lifestyle changes, without making the individual or parent feel guilty or defensive. Diabetes- all types- is one of those conditions. Type 1 diabetes can affect nearly every major system in your child's body, including the heart, blood vessels, nerves, intestines, eyes, bones, immunity, and kidneys. Long-term complications of type 1 diabetes develop gradually, so it is important to stay on alert of even subtle changes in health. Eventually, if blood sugar levels aren't well-controlled, diabetes complications may be disabling or even life-threatening, requiring dialysis or kidney transplant. Phife had both. The good news is that keeping the blood sugar level close to normal most of the time can dramatically reduce the risk of these complications. Maintaining a healthy diet, that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, while limiting processed, high fat, high caloric, and high sugar foods, is a great first step. Eating on schedule, exercising regularly, checking insulin, taking medication, and resting well, are other important ways to manage type 1 diabetes.

Rare Phife Dawg Freestyle From 1999

Stressed Out, Stressed Out 
Other Considerations

People with diabetes have an increased risk of depression and anxiety, which may be why many diabetes specialists regularly include a social worker or psychologist as part of their diabetes care team. Women with any type of diabetes during pregnancy are at an increased risk for developing postpartum depression, and should be assessed and monitored accordingly.

When it comes to diabetes and infertility, there IS a connection for both men and women. In men, DM is a triple threat to fertility. It causes erectile dysfunction, lowers testosterone and libido, and reduces ejaculate volume. For women, diabetes alone does not keep them from getting pregnant, but it often times keeps them from staying pregnant. In many cases, “a woman with higher than normal glucose levels does get pregnant month after month. Unfortunately her diabetes status prevents that embryo from implanting in the uterus, causing a miscarriage before she ever realizes she is pregnant.” In this case, the diabetes isn’t preventing conception, but is preventing an ongoing pregnancy. High glucose levels are reported to increase a woman’s chances of miscarriage by 30-60%. If a couple is having fertility issues, insulin levels may be the culprit.

Prediabetes is a “pre-diagnosis” of diabetes— a warning sign. Take heed! It’s when your blood glucose level is higher than normal, but it’s not high enough to be considered diabetes. Prediabetes is an indication that you could develop type 2 diabetes if you don’t make serious lifestyle changes. It is possible to prevent prediabetes from developing into type 2 diabetes. Consistently eating healthy food, losing weight, and being physically active can help you bring your blood glucose level back into the normal range.

Phife As A Spokesperson For Diabetes 

With All These Trials And Tribulations, Yo! I've Been Affected

Addressing prevention or lifestyle management in the time of a loved-one's passing, or failing health, can seem calloused or accusatory, but I feel confident that Phife himself would want his illness and subsequent transition to be used to benefit others. He spoke often about not taking his health seriously but wanting to help others. He had been very candid about having challenges managing his diet, exercise, and rest needs. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle may not be easy or convenient, initially, but it does not have to be dull or restrictive. In fact, it is nothing more than the lifestyle from which we could all benefit every day. The routine can become second nature, especially within a supportive environment. It is essential for all of us to be educated about how and why we need to make healthy choices and encourage our favorite mothers, children, and hip-hop icons to do the same. For Phife, let's all eat and move like our lives depend on it.

Put One Up For The Phifer, It's Time To Decipher

The Ills of the World Make The Situation Lighter

Phife Dawg's Final Interview and Flow

Rest in Peace, Power, and Love

Phife for Life!

Running to Motherhood and Racing To Get My Post-Baby Body Back!

“At times you have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition.  What you’ll discover will be wonderful.  What you’ll discover is yourself.”  -Alan Alda

Before I became pregnant, I had run 12 half marathons. On the day that my husband and I conceived my child, I had run a 5K (trust me, I'm sure). I ran another at 8 weeks, and continued to run 2or 3 miles until 16 weeks. At that point, it was taking 2 to 3 days to recover a short run. It wasn't worth it for me. I concentrated on yoga and water aerobics, forgoing my dreams of running 13.1 while pregnant. Check out the amazing Jocelyn Green, a Blossom Mom who did that and more! 

It was Sunday afternoon and I was in my bedroom unpacking my suitcase (I had just returned from a week long cruise with my family). I was sorting, putting away things, as well as, going through the list of things coming up the following week. At the top of the list was , running the Jacksonville Bank Marathon in Jacksonville, Fl. I was to run with my running accountability partner and friend, Wanda. As I continue to unpack, I come across a pack of up-opened tampons and my heart almost stops. I immediately check the calendar and realized I had missed my cycle. I calmed myself down and told myself not to worry, maybe my hormones were a little out of sync. Inthe previous weeks I had been working long hours as well as training for the marathon and so my body was probably a little off.

So I start my workday Monday as usual, trying not to worry. But by lunchtime, the worry had started to set in, so off to the store I went to get a pregnancy test. All the while I'm thinking, I'm suppose to run 26 miles in a few days!!! What if I am pregnant? Should I still run??? I can’t be pregnant, I'm just tired….a million things were going through my head! So I make it to the store, get the test, make it back to work, and decide to the test there in the restroom. The test came up positive IMMEDIATELY!!!! Lol I mean, there was no waiting three minutes! Anyway, I call my husband (fiancé at the time) and told him what I suspected, of course he was ecstatic. All I could think about was running 26.2 miles. So we decided that I would take another test when I got home and then call my doctor. I didn't wait…I had taken about five tests before he could get home and they were all positive…lol so the next day I made the call. I talked to my doctor, but unfortunately she wouldn't be able to see me until afteR the date of the marathon. But she gave me the okay to go ahead and run, since she knew that I was already a runner. She just told me to listen to my body and gave me a few things to be aware of….so began my journey of running while pregnant!

The morning of the race, I get up…of course nervous and prepare for my 1st marathon. Race begins and my partner Wanda has told me she would stay with me the whole race. She is one of few who knew I was pregnant. Race starts out great, I was able to run/walk the first 18 miles with no problems. But I did have a lot of time to meditate on how my life was about to change! Around mile 18 I started to feel some slight pressure in my pelvis so I decided to walk. To make a long story short, I completed the marathon injury free.

 Pre/Post Jacksonville Bank Marathon

Once I returned home the following week, I was able to see my doctor and was informed I was about 8 weeks pregnant!

As my pregnancy progressed I continued to run 6-7 days a week, an average of 3-6 miles each run. My running partner Wanda and my husband Demarcus were very supportive!!! Wanda was always with me on the runs making sure I was not over-doing it and being safe, while Demarcus was there for with emotional support…and food after each run!

I was able to run several “official” races throughout my pregnancy, along with the marathon. I ran the Disney Enchanted 10k, Jacksonville Gate River Run (15k), and the Publix Savannah 5k. Savannah was my last official run and I was a little over 5 months pregnant. I completed the race with a sub 35:00.

Official Races

By the beginning of my 6 month, I noticed several changes in my running. I was definitely slowing down, I was becoming short of breath, and I also started to experience increase sciatic nerve pain. But I didn't let this stop me from continuing my walk/run routine. I went on Amazon purchased a pelvic support band to aid with the pain and switched to more interval training, and increasing my walk to run ratio. I had to cut back on the official runs as well as it was heating up for the summer and I didn't want to get over-heated while running.

With some of my run pals!!!

By the end of my 8 months I had stopped running, but I continued to walk 4-5 days a week, an average of 3 miles. By week 38 I was definitely wobbling but was determined to stay as active as possible. I was also going to the doctor weekly and was anticipating my due date of August 23, in which I would be induced if I had yet to go into labor.

Aug 23…the big day! Just finishing my morning walk!

August 23 came, I got up and did a 3 mile walk in my neighborhood….it was to settle my nerves!!!! I went into the hospital at 6:00 pm and was induced, baby James Dean Henderson was born 23 ½ hrs later at 5:30 on August 24, 2015. What a wonderful feeling that was….I had become a new mommy!!!

Before I left the hospital, I followed up with my doctor on recommendations as to returning to exercise. Since I had a natural birth she stated I could return to walking at 2 weeks and return to running after my 6 week postpartum visit. While waiting for the two weeks to pass, I started some pelvic floor and light core exercises, as well as some upper body strengthening. At two weeks post-delivery, I begin walking 2-3 miles a day, 3-4 days a week until my 6th week. I was cleared by the doctor to begin running, so I begin to do slow walk/runs for 3-4 miles. I started with a 2:1 run/walk interval and am still in the process of getting my pre-pregnancy pace back.

I am currently a little over 3 months postpartum and I feel great!!! I try and jog with my little one as much as possible, but the weather is starting to get cold here (and he has been sick already). It has been a challenge getting adjusted to having and little one and not being able to just go on a run whenever I please, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Baby James and I were scheduled for our first run this month, but I had to cancel (due to illness again), but we have plenty of races to run.

Throughout this journey, my goal was to stay active and as healthy as possible. I won't say I didn't receive any criticism, especially in the African-American community. It is almost taboo for black women to exercise/workout while pregnant. I had a lot of people including family telling me I was putting the baby at risk for exercising, but that is not so. My words of encouragement/advice would be to listen to your body!!! I feel that continuing to exercise helped in many ways, too many to name. But I also recommend to definitely discuss your exercise plans with your doctor as well.

For myself, I'm looking forward to continuing an amazing running journey with my new running partner Baby James!!!!!

A Note From Blossom

High level training during pregnancy can be safe in a low risk pregnancy, if your body was accustomed to moving at that level before your pregnancy. Be sure to check with your care provider before beginning any fitness regimen, especially when pregnant. 

Jocelyn is a full-time working mom, working in the field of physical therapy. She is from Panama City, FL and is a proud graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.  She is a Disney fanatic, avid runner, traveler, and foodie. In her share time she blogs about a little of everything under the sun, including running and the joys of motherhood. She currently resides in the middle Georgia area with her husband Demarcus, and new baby James Dean. 

Instagram: Runningrattlermom 

Facebook: Runningrattlermom.facebook.com

Email: rattlerrunningmom@gmail.com

The Conception and Birth of Maternal Wellness

"Connecting with those you know love, like, and appreciate you, restores the spirit and gives you energy to keep moving forward in this life." ~Deborah Day

According to the Facebook Memories feature and my beloved TimeHop app, I posted the following exactly one year ago today, as a preface to the article below. It seems that this is when and where the seeds of Blossom Health and Maternal Wellness were planted: 

10/28/14

I can't say enough about this topic. As a prenatal massage therapist, I thought that I offered a nice service. As an occupational therapist treating countless repetitive use injuries- but never any related to pregnancy, childbirth, nursing, or motherhood- I overlooked a great many potential patients.  As a yogi & runner, I cheered on new mommies to just bounce back quickly, but there is SO much more to consider besides dropping 30+ pounds. Specialized intervention is sometimes necessary, as is self-care. There is a market for this kind of treatment, if docs, moms, and dads buy into it.

My Child Is Here, But My Body Is Not My Own

10/28/15

I don't think that even I imagined that less than 6 months later, these ideas, experiences, opportunities, and skills would align themselves to birth Blossom Health and Maternal Wellness, which offers perinatal fitness, massage, nutrition, education, breastfeeding support, and rehabilitation all in one place. 

Now for the buy in: moms, there are ways to help usher in normalcy, even if it is a slightly new normal. There are mechanisms and modalities to help alleviate pain, strengthen weakened areas, regain confidence. Your body will be different, your sleep habits will be different, your priorities will be different, and your emotional state will be different, but you should not be unrecognizable. You do not have to succumb to the abyss of post-baby everything. You are not weak for asking for help. Typically, when we think about postpartum ailments, we're only thinking about depression, which is good. Postpartum depression is real, affects many, and needs to be better understood and treated. However, there are also physical and physiological remnants of childbearing that do not have to remain indefinitely.

Daddies, despite what you may see on television, there is no metaphor, similie, mental image, or weighted vest that can adequately convey all that a woman's body and mind go through during and after the 40 weeks of pregnancy. Trust, anticipate, and listen. Your partner is amazing! She is a warrior! She has gone through battle and has birthed a miracle. She needs a massage. She needs an opportunity to exercise. She may even need therapy or chiropractic care. She is not a wimp. She is not looking for attention. She needs for you to understand and advocate for her. The easier and more complete her recovery, the better she will be able to take care of your family... and the less resentful she will be toward you, for the rest of her life. There's nothing worse than grandma oversharing at Thanksgiving about how her body was completely destroyed 55 years earlier by childbirth and how it is all grandpa's fault. Women remember those BC (before children) bodies and capabilities like they do the days of the week. Find ways to help her get back to that.

Physicians can help too. By listening to new moms, asking thoughtful questions, re-sensitizing themselves to the wonder of each and every birth experience, and being aware of pregnancy and postpartum community resources, they can assist moms in adjusting to life on the other side, with minimal pain and without involuntary peeing. 

We often hear about how the care for postpartum mothers in this country is amongst the least desirable and least helpful in all of the world. Our bodies were not meant to create a life, birth it forth, stick an artificial nipple in its mouth and return to data entry 6 weeks later (or whatever amazing career we have). We simply were not designed that way.

We were designed to be nurtured by our tribe and to be nurturing to our children. After giving birth, we need rest and restoration. Facilitating this recovery is the reason that Blossom Health and Maternal Wellness is here today. 

Here We Grow Again

Three years ago, almost to the day, I left my job in corporate healthcare in order to work for myself, full time, in my own wellness company, One Touch Wellness, Inc. All year, I had prayed for the strength, finances, discipline, faith, and favor to abandon my comfy direct deposit, health insurance, and 401K, to pursue a desire that had been burning within me since I was in college, 10 years earlier. My fiance', at the time, encouraged me, almost daily, to take the leap. After a month long yoga retreat in Costa Rica, I finally did.

Over the next week, I went on an organizing, workout, cleansing, and cleaning spree. By the end of the week, I was exhausted... I was also nauseous, emotional, and "tender". So, before beginning another week in that condition, on Mother's Day 2012, I took a pregnancy test, and passed with flying colors- pink, to be exact. It turns out that the strength, stability, discipline, faith, and favor needed was not for my business, but for my child and my family.

I had just begun teaching sunrise yoga at a fitness bootcamp. I continued teaching through my 32nd week. I also continued to hike up Stone Mountain and practice Bikram yoga. In my second trimester, I started taking pregnancy yoga, pilates, and water aerobics. I also quickly found another job and moved our planned December wedding, to August. My entire life was spinning out of my control. My everything was revolving around my child's embryonic development, as well as her future.

My daughter was healthy and so was I, but I had an unmanageable and constant nausea throughout the entire pregnancy, known as hyperemesis gravidarum. I also had a new husband who was living 3 states away, who was not privy to much of my misery. At the beginning of my third trimester, I moved to be with my husband, left my home, left my mother, and ultimately, left my business. 

I loved being with my husband and I loved caring for and nursing my child. My adjustment to a new space, new routine, new financial status, little support, and little social outlet was a lot to handle at once. I declare that my success with breastfeeding, after a challenging pregnancy is the major reason that I did not fall into the throws of postpartum depression.

My overall experience with pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding is what has driven me to create Blossom Health and Maternal Wellness.

I believe that I am purposed to help women to create a greater life for themselves than they are currently living. However, 2 years into motherhood, I found myself living a fraction of the life that I had been called to live. My life is more than 3 minute showers, skipped lunches, workout excuses, and 3 pair of yoga pants to last all week... without any yoga. I was not meant to study women's anatomy, physiology, and mental health, only to keep the information between random Facebook posts and me. It was becoming painful to not be doing more... saying more, teaching and helping more.  

Women have children every day, but each life is truly a miracle, and each mother needs to and deserves to be supported in each pregnancy. That need for support should not be discounted by family, friends, physicians, or the mothers, themselves, simply because everyday is someone's BIRTH day. The fitness, nutrition, education, and rehabilitation that we provide helps to support new and expectant mothers, so that they can spend more positive energy caring for their child. 

While I was in the initial stages of creating Blossom, there was all kinds of confirmation that this was to be. From phone calls to friends sharing news of their pregnancy to pictures of me nursing my daughter being plastered all over the city, the time is definitely now. In church, on Mother's Day 2015, three years after discovering my "YES", my pastor talked about women living in and believing in their own destiny. I am doing that through Blossom Health and Maternal Wellness, starting now, with your help. 

Happy Mother's Day, today and every day!

and the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to BLOSSOM. ~ anais nin