Author: Lindsay Ingalls

Thankful (but not for all-nighters)

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I have never been one to pull all-nighters. I like to go to bed at a reasonable hour (ie. when I am tired) and get a goodnights rest. Well last night I was shit out of luck because while I wanted to sleep Edie wanted to cry, fuss, bounce, nurse, and repeat. Around 4 AM she finally decided to fall asleep while I side nursed her in our bed and since I was too exhausted and afraid that she would wake up again she slept by my side for the next two hours. Needless to say I am running on about three hours of sleep (thankfully my amazing husband took over bounce duty for a good hour while I slept) and am exhausted today.

Even though I am exhausted it’s hard not to smile at our beautiful baby and be thankful for a number of things today including:

A husband who makes dinner when you are exhausted (and makes enough for leftovers). Last night Neil took over in the kitchen and made us Alicia Silverstone’s Rustic Pasta from The Kind Diet. It was so delicious and he made the full recipe so today we have leftovers for lunch, which is a life saver considering he is back to working (from home–>another thing I am thankful for) and we are both running on no sleep.

Recipe here.

I am thankful for water with electrolytes. I don’t know if it really makes a difference but Neil and I both had a bottle of resource® natural spring water* last night and if nothing else we were hydrated during our all-nighter.  I like to think that the electrolytes in the water were beneficial for both of us especially after all the bouncing and breastfeeding that was being done.

Lastly, today (and everyday) I am thankful for a beautiful little girl who may have her fussy nights but is otherwise a happy baby.

*resource is a 100% natural spring water with natural electrolytes for taste, sustainably sourced and packaged in a bottle made of 50% recycled plastic.* resource water is good for you and mindful of the Earth. With natural electrolytes for taste, its recycled bottle helps you keep nature in mind too.
 
Disclaimer: resource® natural spring water provided me with these products at no cost. I was under no obligation to review them if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway.
 
If you haven’t stop over to our family blog, Naturally Family, then head over now and Meet The Family.  This week we have been discussing our diapering plans, Neil reviewed The Other F-Word and our Doula Sarah wrote about her perspective on Edith’s birth. We have also been featuring a photo of the day for our 365 days of photo project that you can check out here.

Interested in sponsoring on Naturally Family? Check out the details here.

You can also check us out on  Facebook and Twitter.

 

The First of Many Firsts

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This weekend we have been pretty busy a little more busy than we should have been but more on that in this weeks postpartum post.  We had our doula over for our first postpartum appointment which consisted of us chatting about the birth, about how things are going so far and being new parents, among other things. We also had a few visitors over to meet Edie on Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

One first we gad this weekend was trying out cloth diapering. Make sure to check out my post on Naturally Family tomorrow regarding our cloth diapering plans.

Saturday afternoon Neil and I attempted to venture out to the market to pick up lunch and a few things but upon arriving at the store Edie had a little bit of a break down so her and I stayed in the car while Neil picked up some things.  I think she was a little over stimulated from all the new people and it was pretty hot out too.  I calmed her down and nursed in the car while Neil picked up lunch, some groceries and a green lemonade for me (bless him).

Today we decided to try and go out for an early breakfast and we were pretty successful.  I nursed right before we let in hopes that would fill her up so we could eat without much worry of needing to stop to nurse her.  Breakfast went pretty smoothly minus the fact that I ate too fast because I was nervous that Edie would have a little bit of a breakdown and I wanted to be ready to take her outside. Well Neil and I were both able to enjoy our breakfast before the fussing started and I took Edie outside (where she calmed right down) and Neil paid.

Another first for us today was going for a walk with Edie in the Boba Wrap. It took a few tries and 30 minutes of nursing before we could finally go but it was great once we did. We didn’t go far, just about 20 minutes of walking but it was nice to get out.

 

Postpartum Update: 1 week

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I can’t believe that 10 days ago I gave birth to my beautiful little Edith. She is quickly getting bigger and more interactive everyday.  It still amazes me that she is really here and she is our little girl.  I often find myself just staring at her for hours, especially after she has just nursed and is passed out on my chest or lap.

How I am healing: I am healing slowly but surely.  Unfortunately I had a 2nd degree tear which required stitches and 2 skid marks from giving birth so my healing time is a little slow.  I find at times, especially if I am on my feet for too long that I tend to get really sore down there.

Activity: My activity level is pretty limited right now due to my healing. Last Saturday I thought I was super woman and decided to head out to the farmers market with Neil only to find that the walk from the car to the market (about 1/2 mile) I was super sore and spent my time sitting on a bench while Neil ran around and picked up veggies, bread and fresh squeezed juices.  I also ended up having my first public nursing session (thank goodness for Aden & Anais blankets). Otherwise my activity includes kegels and a few standing crunches per my midwives recommendations.

Weight: At 39 Weeks 4 Day I had gained 34lbs and since giving birth I have lost 16lbs.  At this point I am not focusing on my weight but rather on healing and spending time bonding with my baby.  Would I like to get back to my per-pregnancy weight? Of course I would but I am not dwelling on it and I’m not rushing myself to get back to physical activity until my body is good and ready.

Catching up? You can read about Edie’s Birth here–> Edith’s Birth Story Part One.. and Edith’s Birth Story Part Two… and Edith’s Birth Story Part Three… and Edith’s Birth  Story Part Four… Also you can head over the Naturally Family and read our Doula’s Story.

Guest Post: Yoga in the Office

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Yoga In the Office

This is a guest post from Erin at Creative Soul in Motion. Erin is a yoga-loving, whole-food eating Warrior Goddess empowering people of all ages to find growth + happiness through active living.

For most of us, our jobs require us to sit in front of a computer typing away all day. There’s no movement, no spontaneity, no openness in our work days and instead our bodies are wound up and stressed out.

Every email can make your shoulders scrunch up just a bit more

Every phone call can cause jaw muscles to tighten

Every request makes your breath shallow and fast

For many, work causes stress not only to the mind but to the body and the spirit, which is one reason why taking your yoga practice off of the mat and to your desk chair can be so rewarding and uplifting.

The foundation of yoga – connecting breath and movement – can help you de-stress, unwind and open up even during the most stressful days.

So here are 7 simple yoga moves that you can do at the office, next to your desk and without much fanfare. Move through this at your own pace. These poses can help you wake up your body, wring out tension, bring fresh oxygen into your body and organs, alleviate tightness and generate new energy!

Mountain Pose – Reconnects you to your breath and realigns your body and posture

This will help you line up your body from your toes to your head. First, step away from your desk and ground your feet into the floor creating a connection between you and the Earth. Inhale your shoulders up and back and roll your neck. Take a deep breath as you let your shoulders slide down your back and your hands gently shake out next to your sides. Take 3 more deep breaths.

Eagle Arms – Helps dissolve tension in your neck, shoulders and upper back area

Inhale your arms out to the side palms up, exhale and bring your right arm up top crossing your elbows. Inhale and bring the backs of the arms together bringing your arms up and shoulders down. Breathe into your upper back and exhale your arms back to your sides. Repeat with your left arm on the top.

Standing Thigh Stretch – Opens your hips and leg muscles which get tight from sitting all day

Hold the desk in front of you with your left hand and press your feet into the floor. Lift your right foot and hold your right foot while pulling your abdomen in. Inhale and gently guide your right heel and your right knee towards the floor. Try to keep your knees close together.

To take this a bit farther float your left hand up towards the sky and stretch your fingers towards the sun.

Forward Bend – Releases the spine and allows new energy move throughout your back and your hamstrings to lengthen

Ground your feet firmly into the floor, take a deep breath in and let your arms float above you. Bring your hands together and allow yourself to fold over at your hips slowly moving your hands down your body and onto the floor in front of you. Inhale and lengthen your body to stretch out your spine and then fold forward. Just let go of everything and breathe deeply.

If you can’t touch the floor simply let your hands fall towards the floor and maybe hold opposite elbows and sway a bit.

Sitting Cat and Cow Pose – Opens your shoulders, chest and back and can cleanse your body and your mind

Sit towards the front of your chair with your feet firmly planted on the ground and your knees at a 90 degree angle. Have your spine long and your shoulders soft. Inhale as you puff your chest out and roll your shoulders down and away from your ears. Exhale pull your stomach in and let your shoulders roll forward and your head drop down. Repeat at least 5 times moving slowly with your breath.

This short and simple series re-connects you with your breath, your core and your body. It helps awaken your senses, open your mind and lets your stress just melt away. It brings you back to the present and renews your energy and focus.

Try doing this everyday around 2 PM and I bet you’ll notice your days don’t feel as frantic and overwhelming. Just a few minutes of yoga is all it takes to connect and find clarity.

Namaste.

You can read more about Erin’s journey towards balance, joy and connection at Creative Soul in Motion.

My Favorite Summer Getaways

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This summer we are sticking close to home since we now have a baby and Neil took a large chunk of vacation as paternity leave.  This is new for us as most summers we fill our time with various short getaways. Since we won’t be getting away this summer I thought I’d take a moment to reminisce about my favorite summer getaways.

Portland, ME

Head out and visit the lighthouses in the evening and watch the sunset and then stop into Silly’s to enjoy some tasty buffalo fries with spicy vegan dip or try one of these vegan friendly restaurants.

Pick up breakfast and lunch at Whole Foods and then take a day trip up to Freeport to do a little shopping at L.L. Bean and the outlets.

Call Allagash Brewery and make a reservation to do one of their tours and sample their tasty brews.

Run the Old Pork 5k or Half Marathon and then celebrate at Novare Res Beir Cafe where they have an extensive beer menu. Not a beer fan? Then stop into Local 188 and try one of their amazing cocktails (okay so I haven’t had an alcoholic one but the virgin versions were amazing).

Head down to the Fore River Sanctuary Trail and go for a walk or a run through the beautiful, well groomed trails.

Oh and my number one must do in Portland, ME is to schedule a foot soak at Soakology <– favorite thing ever.

New Haven, CT

My first to-do in New Haven is to make a reservation at Miya’s Sushi – trust me you need a reservation this place is always packed when we go there.

Stroll around the Yale Campus and stop into Blue State Coffee for a tasty beverage or snack.

Head to Claire’s Cornercopia for vegan pancakes (service here is lacking but the pancakes are tasty).

We always make a stop into Ikea because it’s the closest one to us.

Stop into Edge of The Woods Market and pick up a vegan baked good (I recommend the cupcakes and danishes) and while you’re there pick yourself up a jar of Biscoff Spread <–speaking of Biscoff anyone want to send me a jar?

If you are a beer lover head to Brü Rm. at BAR for a beer and if you’re hungry pizza.

Backpacking on The Long Trail

Pick a part of the trail to hike and either leave one car at each end or arrange a pickup.

Make sure to leave early in the day so you can get to camp at a nice hour so you can make dinner, do a little yoga and enjoy the view.

Make sure you pack a good amount of food but nothing too heavy; my favorites are crackers, oatmeal, Backpackers Pantry pouches and of course a few cans of beer.

Don’t forget to pack extra socks, something warm to wear at night and all the other essentials (see here).

Camping in Vermont and New Hampshire

Head to Franconia Notch in New Hampshire and camp at Lafayette Campground. While you’re there hike the Notch, bike or walk the trails or take the tram to the top of the mountain (and if you dare hike down).

Camp in a lean-to at Underhill State Park a small Vermont state park (one of my favorites) and then take a morning hike on Mount Mansfield.

Camp at Little River State Park in Waterbury, VT.  This is one of Neil and my favorite state parks because it has great hiking and nature paths, kayaking and canoeing and a beach area for relaxing and swimming. Tip: the best site (in my opinion) is site number 21 so make sure you reserve it ahead of time!

Where are your favorite summer getaways? I can’t wait for camping and summer getaways with Edith next year.

 

 

 

 

Guest Recipe: A Healthy Lentil Soup with Veggies

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A Healthy Lentil Soup with Veggies
It is often considered challenging to cook a healthy and tasty vegan recipe. But, with a little innovation and experimentation, one can churn out interesting, wholesome recipes like this one. The lentils give a huge burst of protein and the veggies provide the minerals and vitamins. The rice in the recipe provides the carbohydrates. Thus, this is a balanced, one-dish meal. Eat it as a soup or a small meal. It is very simple to prepare if you have all ingredients at hand. You can use any veggies of your choice or what is there in your house.

(Source)

Serves 4:
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup orange lentils (they cook faster)
¼ cup rice
1 onion chopped
2 large tomatoes chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic chopped
2 green chilies finely chopped (optional if you don’t want the heat)
½ cup chopped and steamed vegetables (beans, carrots, mushroom, green pepper, corn, peas)
¼ tsp. cumin seeds
½ tsp. cumin powder
½ tsp. coriander powder
¼ tsp. black pepper powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. Chopped cilantro for garnish
3 cups veg stock or water
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. oil

Method:
Wash the lentils and the rice well and soak for 15 minutes. Add oil in a pan or pressure cooker. Add the cumin seeds. Once they sputter, add in the chopped garlic and onion and fry till transparent which should take around 2-3 minutes. Now add the tomatoes and fry for another couple of minutes. Add the lentils and the rice along with the stock. Cover and cook till the lentils and rice are cooked. If you use a pressure cooker, you can cook faster. That is what I normally do. But, you can cook on the stovetop as well. Orange lentils cook faster, and soaking expedites the cooking time.

Now add in the vegetables and salt with all the other seasonings. Add more water if necessary. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Turn off the heat and add the lime juice. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and serve hot. I like my soup a little thin, but you can have it thick and chunky as per your preference.

Your tasty soup is ready. Enjoy with your family.

Rachna Parmar, an ardent blogger, enthusiastic cook and mom of two, is an editor at Livesnet.com, a site offering tips on baby safety products and parenting skills. Please visit Livesnet and read her wonderful articles on top rated food processors and best juicers to buy.

Edith’s Birth Story Part 4: The Finale

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So where did we leave off from Edith’s Birth Story Part One.. and Edith’s Birth Story Part Two… and Edith’s Birth Story Part Three…

At around 11:30am, I finally started the last part of my birthing journey…the pushing.  Little did I know that this would be the most challenging part of the entire birth experience.  At this point I had been up for nearly 28 hours with only one hour of sleep, my body was tired, my mind was tired, but I knew I had to push on (literally and mentally).

The front of the birthing bed was lowered and the squat bar was brought out.  I started off my pushing in an upright squat, using the bar as support.  The initial sensation was incredibly uncomfortable, awkward and new, but I knew there was no turning back.  I pushed slowly at first getting used to the new sensation, reminding myself to use my core to push and reminding myself to take a breath in between pushes (well everyone else around me also reminding me that I needed to take a breath).  At the end of each contraction I relaxed back, making sure to relax my entire body as I prepared for the next contraction and the next round of pushes.

After about 30 minutes of pushing in an upright squat I was getting exhausted so the midwives had me try a new position. A sheet was put over the top of the squat bar and I put my feet up on either side of the bar to put myself in a reclined squat position.  Each contraction I would wrap  the ends of the sheet around each of my hands, curl myself over my baby (thankful that Sarah kept reminding me to do so) and push with all my strength. The contraction would end and I would fall back, relaxing my shoulders, my face, and my body as much as I could  as I waited for the next contraction.

I pushed in this reclined squat for awhile and then was asked if I would be interested in trying pushing on my hands and knees, the thought being that gravity would help bring the baby down. The back of the bed was put almost up right for me to grab on to the top and I got on my knees, when the contraction came I started to push down, but I quickly wanted to come out of the position.  I was uncomfortable, it hurt more than the reclined squat and I just didn’t like it.  The midwives and nurse encouraged me to keep trying it and at least finish this contraction.  Reminding me that in each new position that I tried I would encounter a new sensation and that it would take a few contractions to get used to it.

I went back to my breathing and kept reminding myself that there was no turning back and that I was trying this new position to get our baby down and out as fast as I could. I pushed through a few more contractions in this position before I finally couldn’t take it anymore and moved back to upright squat for a few contractions before I finally went back to the reclined squat, which was the most comfortable for me.

At some point, I think about an hour and fifteen minutes, into pushing, Midwife Ellen checked on my progress and found that the baby was about one inch from crowning. This meant absolutely nothing to me. All I could think of was an inch? How long is that going to take? I knew there was no point in asking because I would either be given a time and be concerned if it didn’t happen in that amount of time or they wouldn’t be able to tell me anything at all.  Instead, I focused on breathing, pushing and psyching myself up at each contraction to push this baby out. I reminded myself that it would take as long as it had to but that I need to make sure I took advantage of each contraction and pushed with all my might.

After another 30 minutes or so, I was told the baby was almost crowning. This is when I knew I was getting closer.  I was looking forward to hearing that s/he was crowning and I kept in mind the “ring of fire” sensation that I had read about.  After around four or five more contractions I started to feel the ring of fire sensation and I knew that I was close, this was the motivation that I needed to finish pushing.

Once the baby was finally crowning Midwife Ellen took over coaching/guiding me through the last few pushes. At my next contraction, I made sure to bare down as much as possible and pushed, took a breath, pushed again and five breaths/pushes later I felt this incredible sensation and my baby was out and on my stomach while Midwife Ellen cut the cord.  After that she was quickly whisked away by the pediatrician to be assessed because of the meconium in my waters.

Neil went over to the warmer to reveal the sex of our baby (IT’S A GIRL!) and to cut (trim) the umbilical cord- we both loved this since he wasn’t able to cut the cord initially due to the urgency of having her checked.  She held onto his finger as he watched the pediatrician check her out.  He found that everything looked good, with no worries of her ingesting the meconium into her lungs. She was returned to my chest and I was ecstatic to have her on me. Neil then whispered in my ear that he knew which name he thought was perfect for her (at this point we had narrowed it down to two girls names and had decided to wait until the birth to choose a girls name).  I looked at him and told him I had decided as well and asked him to share his choice first that’s when he said Edith and I was delighted because that is what I had decided as well.

We announced the name and honestly I don’t remember much else after this just that I had my first breastfeeding attempt after about 30 minutes and was able to hold my baby on my chest for the first two hours before she was weighed and given her first bath by her daddy (with guidance by Nurse Ellen). Then Neil had his turn at skin to skin contact with the baby- and I watched, falling more in love with both of them.

 

My Reflection on the Birth:

I had nothing short of an amazing birth experience.  I attribute my amazing experience to staying active during pregnancy, prenatal yoga, hiring a doula, choosing the care providers that were right for us and having an amazing husband who was supportive through my entire pregnancy and the birthing of our daughter.