Ask any Baton Rouge mom what she wants for her children, and health + wellness will be one of her first responses. Whether it’s the mental health of her teenagers, how much screen time to allow her toddlers or struggling with breastfeeding, moms simply want the best outcome for their children’s overall health.
Each year around Labor Day, approximately 115 cities around the country hold the Rally to Improve Birth sponsored by ImprovingBirth.org. This year, Baton Rouge held it's 3rd annual rally, and I was lucky to be invited to participate as a co-coordinator along with Hannah Birchman (mother of 6 and Coordinator of the Baton Rouge Chapter of the International Cesarean Awareness Network) and Amy Shamburger (mother of 3 and Administrator of the Louisiana Natural Birth group). More than 135 men, women, and children fought the heat and came together to "stand in support of evidence based maternity care and the right of women to make their own informed decisions about how to give birth".
2014 Rally Coordinators and speakers
Photo courtesy of...
The other day I had a conversation with a friend who had just had a baby two days earlier, and she wanted to know how I had lost all of my baby weight.  She had literally just come home from the hospital and was already allowing herself to feel shameful about her body.  It broke my heart to hear her express her feelings of unworthiness and insecurity, but it brought back the feelings that I experienced shortly after giving birth.
Immediately after my second son, Ben, was born, I felt insecure and ashamed of my body and the 70 pounds I had amassed during my pregnancy.  And even though this was not my first child and I knew that it would take a...
I’ll be the first to admit, I’m easily influenced by what I see on television. I see a commercial for fried chicken and I’ll immediately want Popeyes for dinner. However, I’m an adult and also possess the ability, for the most part, to make rational decisions about what I desire versus what I need. As my kids are getting older and now have more access to television than in past years, I’m beginning to see firsthand the negative effects television has on my kids, mainly advertising.
When my kids were younger, they’d tend to watch TV shows on channels like PBS, Sprout & Nick Jr. which had limited, if any commercials. However, now that my oldest has outgrown most of...
Ah, the TV questions. They’ve been floating around since I was a kid, and probably before that. How much television do your kids watch? What do they watch? Do they have TV’s in their rooms?
As much as every mom would like to say that their kids spend all day doing puzzles, reading books and playing outside, most children spend at least some time in front of the TV. Opinions vary among experts and parents alike about how much is appropriate, but most seem to agree that kids today watch too much. We have a childhood obesity problem in this country that is often attributed to the sedentary lifestyle Americans have become accustomed to, and children are more difficult to...
Staying active has been beneficial for both me and my baby. I am remaining healthy and fit. Exercise has eased my back pain, boosted my energy, improved my mood, and helped with my sleep. I also feel less nauseous, especially in the first trimester. And, of course, the more you exercise during pregnancy the more your body stays strong and toned.
Here are some of the great benefits:
Makes you feel better
Improve your sleep
It can reduce constipation and swelling
Get your body back faster from childbirth
Prepares your body for childbirth
Less weight gain
Minimize aches and pain
Muscle tone, endurance and strength
Staying active is an overall mood booster and body changer. Working out de-stresses the mind. Exercise causes your brain to release endorphins-- those positive feelings that improves your mood and fight pregnancy...
Around Baton Rouge
The Best Coffee in BR is Actually in Ascension
The Best Coffee in BR is Actually in Ascension
Like a lot of moms I'm often in need of caffeine on a regular basis and...
