Tag: maternity

That Time We Made Breast Milk Soap

hollymilkowski April 12, 2020

Disclaimer: I did not receive any money, promotion, commission, or sponsorship from the manufacturer and/or company in exchange for this post or for sales of this product. I did receive a free sample of this product from the manufacturer. In this post, my own honest opinions are described.

Today was a good day for making breast milk soap. Stir-crazy kids, trapped in the house due to quarantine, needing to spice up the bathtime routine, breast milk for the taking… I’d say this project sounds like a recipe for sudsy success. Read More

Celebration of the Breast

hollymilkowski August 25, 2019

A Year of Celebrating the Breast

Images by Blue Fitz Photography. Event co-hosted by Sage Beginnings Doula Services. Thank you to all who participated in this calendar!

Julep’s Pregnancy Story

hollymilkowski May 26, 2016

Photo credit: Tender Nest Portraits

This is the story of my pregnancy with my second child, Julep. I’ll share details of my pregnancy with my oldest son MaiTai in a future post.

After this post, check out Julep’s birth story here.

D.I.Y. Postpartum Padsicles

hollymilkowski April 20, 2016

Postpartum Padsicles bring soothing relief to sore, swollen, tender tissues after childbirth. Even if you didn’t tear or didn’t have an episiotomy, your (strong yet) sensitive passageway of life will thank you for looking out!

They fit nicely into those postpartum diapers or mesh panties you’ll be wearing for a while, too.

You’ll need about 18-24. I made 30 — just to cover my butt (ha).

“We Come From The Water” — My Finished Belly Cast

hollymilkowski April 19, 2016

Last week I sat for my first (and I predict last) pregnancy belly cast. I wrote about it here. After a double layer of gesso on the front and back had finished drying, I conjured up a vision of what I should do about decorating the thing. Here’s how it turned out!

5 Reasons to Keep Your Due Date a Secret

hollymilkowski April 13, 2016

Some mamas want to share their baby’s estimated arrival date the instant they find out for themselves — graciously inviting their tribe and beyond into this part of their pregnancy journey. Hey, that’s cool!

Other mamas answer the “when are you due” question as if an answer is socially expected. They don’t apply much thought to the alternative. Ah, no big deal!

Then there are mamas who feel a bit sketchy on the matter. They’re the mamas like me who may have a birthing day in mind, but it’d take a military inquisition for them to reveal it to ‘just anyone.’

Now, here are a few compelling reasons for keeping your due date secret…

Making a Pregnancy Belly Cast

hollymilkowski April 10, 2016

Ever wondered how to make a belly cast? This is a fun idea for the last few weeks of the the third trimester (or after baby’s Guess Date has come and gone) when your belly is as abundant as it’ll ever be, and you’re waiting on baby to make his or her arrival among us air-breathers.

The Most Beautiful Quotes About Breastfeeding

hollymilkowski April 5, 2016

21 of My Favorite Painted Pregnant Bellies

hollymilkowski March 19, 2016

Have you ever had your pregnant belly painted, either with acrylics or henna?

Here is some inspiration for those who love the positive energy of color, art, and creation. These would also be perfect to re-imagine on a belly cast if your skin is sensitive to paint.

(In no particular order).

It’s OK to Love Your Pregnant Body

hollymilkowski February 29, 2016

You are interesting. You carry a mystery, an unexplained power, a blessing that gets bigger every day. Do you not see the way you evoke turned heads with that package of life centered right on your body, one that might feel fragile to you, or burdensome with its new demand for constant responsibility and attention?

Have you forgotten (or have you ever really considered what it means) that “a woman’s body is the first environment”?

I tell myself this now…

But almost four years ago as a first-time mother, I couldn’t appreciate the changes in my body during three trimesters’ worth of pregnancy and the fourth trimester postpartum.

Maternity in Photos & Words

hollymilkowski February 15, 2016

“The life of a mother is the life of a child: you are two blossoms on a single branch.”

– Karen Maezen Miller

(Lyrics Parody) My Bump, My Bump, My Lovely Baby Bump

hollymilkowski December 30, 2015

Black Eyed Peas (singer Fergie, left, pregnant with first baby). Via Hello Magazine.

Just what the world was waiting for: An updated baby bumpin’ version of Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps”!

I spent way too much time on this admittedly frivolous post so I hope you enjoy it. 🙂

Here are the words to the original song “My Humps” performed by Black Eyed Peas.

And now my maternity-inspired lyrics rewrite….

The Best Time to Announce Your Pregnancy (and Why)

hollymilkowski September 14, 2015

Many women holding that positive Home Pregnancy Test meet intense pressure to tell others who’d feel left out otherwise. Others feel great pressure to zip their lips until the calendar hits 12 weeks.

**Spoiler alert** (since that’s what this post is about, right?): Based on some hyper-scientific and extensive research, I’ve concluded that the best time to announce your pregnancy is…whenever YOU feel like it! No explanations, defenses, or peer-reviewed supporting hypotheses necessary.

I see nothing wrong with waiting to spill the news of pregnancy… even up to the moment of birth! If a woman doesn’t want to tell anyone about her pregnancy, I wish her influences (society, family, what-have-you) wouldn’t oblige her to believe she must do so. No woman should feel the need to inform others of her pregnancy before she’s ready.

Likewise, she also needn’t wait the standard 12 weeks to share her news if she feels like she’s unwillingly fighting an invisible muzzle.

The first time around, we waited until nearly the close of the first trimester to inform the general public that we were expecting. This time we tried something a bit different.

A Mother You Know

hollymilkowski August 23, 2015

She who becomes a mother is wild. She brought new life and energy into the world and fights so fiercely to keep it here.

Within her, a ready wildness was so great and brimming that it manifested into an entirely new human being prepared to take on the world with her.

Now that this woman is a mother, she’s gained a discernment of where to devote her wild energy, a special kind that wasn’t present before. Her definition of wildness is her own, decided by her now, and it need not always rebel against others to prove itself .

This is a woman we all know.