90. Have You 'Lost Yourself' in Motherhood?
Postpartum on Purpose
Hi Lady! In this episode, I talk (at length!) about the idea of losing yourself in motherhood or not feeling like yourself after baby. I share how many hours of consecutive sleep I've found I need bare minimum in order to not feel like a zombie. But then I ask you to consider the question: what does it mean to you to 'lose yourself' or 'not feel like yourself' during postpartum? The three themes that have emerged at different times, sometimes all at once, over my various postpartums are: -being needed all*the*time -fear of failing my child or children, failing to meet their...
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89. How It's Going at 10 Months Postpartum
Postpartum on Purpose
Hi Lady! I last did a Postpartum State of the Union address ;) at 4 months postpartum, so I thought it was time for another. Here's how things are going with baby's sleep and eating and walking and teething, plus mom's exercise/activity/healing/movement, weight loss, mood, cycles/return of fertility, and more. I hope what comes across in this episode is the idea that, yes, generally improve and progress as you move through postpartum, but at any given time there're usually some area/s that are still in-process. And that's OK. Remember to check out the blog at postpartumonpurpose.com for...
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88. Postpartum as a Teen Mom
Postpartum on Purpose
Hi Lady! When today's guest host reached out to me about hosting an episode on a breastfeeding-related topic, my initial reaction was that I have a fair amount of breastfeeding content already. But when I learned the 'why' behind her decision to become an IBCLC (international board certified lactation consultant), I realized it was my privilege to share her story with you. Here's one woman's experience courageously choosing life and then navigating postpartum as a high school student. After hearing Amber's story, I'm signing us up for the local pregnancy resource center's annual fundraising...
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87. Why NFP/FAM can be Less Reliable During Postpartum
Postpartum on Purpose
Hi Lady! You've heard the jokes about what you call people that use natural family planning (though it's often mistakenly equated with 'the rhythm method'): parents. But if you've been in the trenches of postpartum fertility awareness/NFP, you also know it can be particularly tricky deciphering your fertility (don't go it alone!!!), and you're far from the only one who thinks that. In this episode, I'm sharing why postpartum NFP/FAM can be difficult, and the answer isn't just that you're too sleep-deprived or distracted to chart your biomarkers accurately. Postpartum NFP/FAM is far from...
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86. What to Expect when Your Period Comes Back
Postpartum on Purpose
Hi Lady! A whole variety of factors play into when your period comes back after baby. But once it does, there are several patterns those first postpartum cycles tend to follow ***if you are breastfeeding and baby latches (as opposed to exclusively or regularly pumping or exclusively formula feeding) in terms of cycle length, follicular phase length (the part of your cycle before your first ovulation) and luteal phase length (the part of your cycle after ovulation and before your next period starts). Here's what to expect in those first few cycles after you were expecting. ;) To find an...
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85. My Mira Monitor Review
Postpartum on Purpose
Hey Lady! Here's my review of the Mira monitor for the Marquette Method of natural family planning (NFP)/fertility awareness (FAM). I've used it for 5ish months during this postpartum, and during that time my fertility returned. If you're considering switching to Mira from Clearblue or another method, or tracking your cycle for the first time with an NFP method, here's what you need to know about how Clearblue differs from Mira (though both are options to track LH and estrogen as part of the Marquette Method, Mira is still considered experimental because effectiveness research is ongoing),...
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84. Stop Throwing Away All That Pumped Milk!
Postpartum on Purpose
Hi Lady! Today, Let's break down a new deep dive from ParentData founder + Harvard-trained economist + best-selling author Emily Oster on why the CDC's recommendations for breastmilk storage are overly cautious. Specifically: -how long is it safe to keep freshly pumped milk on the counter and in the fridge? -What about milk that was previously frozen and then thawed? -Can you add freshly pumped milk to a bag/bottle/pitcher of cold milk from the fridge? -And just how long do you have to use up that bottle baby started but didn't finish in one feeding? For more reading: Emily's original...
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83. 2 Things that Can Make or Break Your Postpartum
Postpartum on Purpose
Hi Lady! Reminder that my new website, postpartumonpurpose.com, is now live!!! Each week, I post the link to the podcast in the blog, ALONG WITH anything I forgot to say, thought of later, OR links to other episodes on similar topic/s. In this episode, I'm sharing the heart or attitude or mindset behind Free Things and One Small Change, the two features I start each episode with. The ideas or attitudes behind Free Things and One Small Change can truly make or break your postpartum experience. If you enjoyed this episode, I hope you'll SUBSCRIBE, RATE the podcast, and SHARE it with a mom...
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82. How To Do *Less* Laundry During Postpartum
Postpartum on Purpose
Lady, listen. I had no idea laundry was something that could be revolutionized...until I learned otherwise. Here, I'm sharing top tips from reading Laundry Love by Patric Richardson that will cut down the time you spend on laundry. Yes, even with the spitup on baby's clothes and your clothes and the burp cloths. If you enjoyed this episode, RATE, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE this episode with a mom friend. Check out postpartumonpurpose.com for articles on all aspects of postpartum.
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81. Lent: Postpartum Edition
Postpartum on Purpose
Hi Lady! Today, I've got 2 updates for you: 1) why I recommend pressing PAUSE on purchasing the Mira monitor if you're trying to avoid pregnancy 2) I have a new website (!!!!!!) postpartumonpurpose.com. And then I've got 3 thoughts for your consideration during Lent: 1) perhaps you've got enough suffering to hold you over for the time being, but maybe your emphasis could be on approaching that suffering more gratefully 2) perhaps the resolution(s) you make of something(s) to add or take away have in mind this goal of becoming more open to the graces He seeks to bestow so that you...
info_outlineHi Lady! I last did a Postpartum State of the Union address ;) at 4 months postpartum, so I thought it was time for another. Here's how things are going with baby's sleep and eating and walking and teething, plus mom's exercise/activity/healing/movement, weight loss, mood, cycles/return of fertility, and more. I hope what comes across in this episode is the idea that, yes, generally improve and progress as you move through postpartum, but at any given time there're usually some area/s that are still in-process. And that's OK.
Remember to check out the blog at postpartumonpurpose.com for extra notes (including past episodes you might be interested in plus any related articles I've written on the topic). Per always, I'd love for you to share this episode with a mom friend.