Unfolding Dreams

Goal: Baby Budget Part VI:  Home Birth Costs I feel there are benefits to doing an un-medicated birth in a healthy and uncomplicated pregnancy. I've birthed in two different ways and both were both rewarding experiences. My first birth medicated for 5 hours of active labor after 2 hours of pre-labor and my second un-medicated for 1.5 hours and delivering my own baby in the waiting room of labor and delivery. My husband, although not crazy about un-medicated births agrees with me that having a home birth will probably be safer, so we don't end up having our baby before we make it to labor and delivery again. Traveling when you are in full blown labor and transitioning is unbelievably painful. Even when I was in pre-labor before I started active labor with my first delivery, I had a hard time walking in between contractions, going down the stairs and getting into the car. I am not someone that travels well once labor has started. So we would like to attemp...

Goal: To Use More Natural Products Part V: Beauty Products Sulfate Free Shampoos and Cleansers Using Regular Hand Soap I am happy to say that since writing these posts, my family and I have overall been using natural body washes, shampoos and conditioners and cleansers. More recently, we have started using natural hand soaps and laundry detergent.

Goal: To Be A Healthy Weight & Shape Part IV:  Fitness As I am writing this part, I am 6 weeks postpartum. I am healthy and not having gallbladder surgery this month. So the first thing I am doing is going to be exercising so I can get back down to my pre-pregnancy weight and if possible loose even more to get to my ideal weight and keep some good habits I can use throughout pregnancy and my everyday life. Postpartum  Belly Band I haven't been super consistent with this, but I have been trying to sleep as often as I can in the postpartum belly band and to walk around my home in it to tighten the loose skin around my belly. The bonus about this product is often there are some that say you can use as support bands during pregnancy too, serves 2 purposes for 1 product. Stretching One study suggests a way to prevent pre-eclampsia is as simple stretching, because stretching may release a special kind of protein. I want to keep this habit throughou...

Goal: To Eat Healthier Part II: Diet Water  (8 + Cups) In pregnancy you are advised to drink your 8 cups of water and then some. It is something I struggled with since I don't always prefer the taste of water. I want to get into the habit of drinking more water and often. My goal is to try each day to get my 8 cups of water, that way when I become pregnant I will be able to drink 8 cups to a gallon of water easier. It is also suggested that people who drink 2 cups of water before meals 3x a day were said to loose 5 lbs more than people who do not. As well as the new rule for drinking water should be women consuming closer to 11 cups of water and men 13.  Article Link:  What to drink and when to drink it   In some more  literature  I have read, water does act like an appetite  suppressant. It also recommends pregnant women to drink about 10 cups of water a day and breastfeeding women to drink about 13 cups per day.  Article Link: ...

My husband and I desire to have a large family. That does mean as soon as we are pregnant and even after giving birth to a baby, we are already discussing the ins and outs of having more children and how that will impact our lives and our children’s lives. This post is going to follow our preparation for preparing our home, hearts and lives for a 3rd little blessing. We are hopeful that we could be blessed with more, because we have already been blessed with two. Time Line: While Waiting for Menstrual Disclaimer: I am not promoting supplements or advocating them in place of food. I think  supplements  in  addition  to a person's diet is helpful. Goal: To Be Overall Healthy Part I: Vitamins / Supplements Pre-natal Vitamins Pre-natal vitamins are so important for pregnant and lactating women, as well as for women who are trying to conceive. One big reason is because it contains folic acid. Having a deficiency in folic acid during pregnancy could res...