My hand-and-homemade Legend of Zelda-themed baby shower
I’m a huge Legend of Zelda fan — my daughter is even named after one of my favorite characters in the series. So it was a no-brainer for me when coming up for a theme for my baby shower — of course it’d be Zelda!
What are the ethics of naming your child — can you use someone else’s baby’s name?
As days went by, I couldn’t stop smiling and giggling when I thought of the name — I know it’s meant for my baby, and my husband feels the same. Except… I feel guilty about the idea of “stealing” this beautiful name.
Why I’m saying no to maternity leave
Now that my husband and I are expecting, of course the issue of maternity leave has come up. I think I initially just thought that a standard 12-weeks would be assumed. I have so many friends who wish they had more, who would tell me “after the baby comes, you won’t want to go back to work!” And I tried to believe that. Really, I did. The problem was that I never, ever felt that way.
Ambivalence: in which I pay $270 a year to avoid making a decision about our leftover embryos
The aforementioned pregnancy with the thousands of dollars and drugs started in a lab, with the creation of five embryos, made from donor sperm and eggs collected from my wonderful wife. Two embryos had 8-cells (the ideal), and were squirted into my uterus, and one of those grew and grew and was born a day before her due date but the day after the Pixies show we had tickets for (thanks kid! It was a good show!). The remaining three were put in the deep freeze in case the first try didn’t work. And there they remain. Three embryos, conceived the same day as my daughter, frozen in time.
Do you know of any toddler-friendly books that talk about breastfeeding a baby?
I’m hoping for something simple enough for a toddler, that shows the basic baby stuff — baby sleeping, crying, breastfeeding, having a nappy change and so on. I keep coming across books where the baby has a bottle — and while that’s a valid choice, I’d really like my son to see pictures of a baby breastfeeding, as that’s what we hope our new baby will do!
Rewind to autumn with this Canadian engagement-meets-family-meets-maternity session
Not so long ago, temperatures were significantly warmer in much of the Northern hemisphere. Like, warm enough to wear a dress WITHOUT A COAT, if that’s your thing. Since those days are gone and it sometimes seems like winter will never release its icy grip (see also: I live in the Pacific Northwest), this sunny family portrait session from Samantha Clarke Photography seems like just the thing to warm your cold, bitter bones.
Nursing gave me a supposedly-perfect body (but I wanted my A-cups back)
I was astonished by this transformation into my ideal body. I felt lighter on my feet and more comfortable in my skin. In one year, I had gained 50 pounds, and then lost 65. I had gone from a size 6 to a maternity Large, then back down to a size 4. I went from a bra size A to B and then C. I felt like a real woman, feminine in a way that finally matched how I had always felt on the inside.
Here’s the place for tons of practical, body-positive maternity clothes advice
No one article of clothing is going to fit the same way all through your pregnancy. You’ll need different clothes at different times, and you’re not going to get the same level of fit you would when your body’s not changing shape. At least not for long.