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all, Parenting

I don’t have my s*@# together.

schmidtkathryn

I too have days that I don’t know the difference between up and down.  

I have days I don’t want to clean, cook or take care of any one. I just want to simply be, simply exist. Days when my children are so overwhelming and loud I can’t function. And to tell you the truth they aren’t being bad, they’re just being kids. Those are the moments I feel like the world is flying by me. When I feel like I’m zoning out. 

I can tell you this much my kids are happy most of the time. They are clean, fed and VERY LOVED! 

These moments DO NOT make me a bad mom. These moments make me human. 

As a mom you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders. You feel like you need to handle it all. Girl let me tell you, you can but it may make you loose your sanity. The days of moms keeping the children happy, keeping the house clean, having dinner done and made by the time your spouse gets home every day are gone. We live in a different world now. If you are a mom who can do this, PLEASE teach me your ways! Many of the moms I’ve run into can’t.

At the end of the day if your laundry is still not folded its ok. If your dishes need to be washed and you are too exhausted its ok. If your child is upset, talk to them, soothe them.  Is your spouse happy? If not how can you help?

In my home we live, we laugh, we love and we deal with dog hair.

~ Katy Schmidt                                                                                                                                 The Nurturing Doula, LLC                                                                                                          Birth Doula, CPST and CBE                                                                                                           805-791-8325                                                                                     http://www.thenurturingdoula.com                                            thenurturingdoula@hotmail.com

 

all, Parenting

Annoying Kid Obsessions

schmidtkathryn

Heres the story, there was a toddler we’ll call her Sam. Sam loved gold fish so much, thats all she ate for months.  Ok she did eat some other things but not many things. Her mom and dad tried everything to get her to eat something different, and to no avail she wouldn’t. When Sam saw her pediatrician, he said its ok! He said just keep trying those other foods, she’ll come around. Whats funny is,  she was only a week away from being food adventurous again!

Kids will always have some form of obsession and they will out grow it!

These are the top 5 kid obsessions:

  • Food obsessions – Favorites they will only eat, or foods they once loved and now decide they hate
  • Videos – Kids watch their favorite movie over and over again! Because of this they can quote it verbatim. Which drives you bonkers and now you can quote it too!
  • Toys – They will want and have their FAVORITE toy, and beg you for it left and right then just when you get used to it, it changes.
  • Flash lights – They want them for bed every night. Im tired of changing out batteries. This is one I can’t wait for mine to out grow!
  • Repeating words – Toddlers are so smart, they hear you talking to them and other people, even when you don’t think they are listening. Around toddlers you MUST watch your mouth! They get into this faze of repeating everything! Some how they know when to be the most embarrassing.

What were some of your kids obsessions? What was the one thing you couldn’t wait for them to out grow?

~ Katy Schmidt                                                                                                                                 The Nurturing Doula, LLC                                                                                                          Birth Doula, CPST and CBE                                                                                                           805-791-8325                                                                                     www.thenurturingdoula.com                                            thenurturingdoula@hotmail.com

all, Parenting

We only live once, enjoy it!

schmidtkathryn

Life is short!

 

Remember the little moments, for those are the moments that seem the biggest as we get older.

When:

  • Your little one smiles up at you just after a feeding then falls asleep, take a mental picture. Remember this mental picture when you are having a tough moment with your tiny baby.
  • You ask your kids to do something and they do it right away. Remember to praise them, they will happen more and more if you praise them.
  • Your toddler who is learning to talk says something you’ve been trying to get them to say for days/weeks. Remember this moment when your three-nager starts sassing you.
  • Your child comes home from school to share with you they learned the pledge of allegiance and they recite the whole thing to you. Remember this moment when they doubt their self worth.

These little moments you will remember the most.

  • Your teen is going from elementary school to middle school they are going from a sweet elementary kid to a middle schooler who thinks they know everything
  • Your child meets their one true love who they want to marry, they introduce them to you. You look at your child with the eyes of a new parent, you feel like you just blinked and then they’re off living their own life. Making their own family and you couldn’t be prouder!

These are the moments will shine into y

our brain and heart forever.

  • Your spouse comes home form deployment and looks at your children with a blessed heart. This moment needs to be remembered and maybe even documented just in case they deploy again. 
  • Your parents are getting older, you celebrate mothers day/ fathers day with them. Enjoy when they want to reminisce about when you were young or when they were young, even if its a story you already heard. There will be a day when they aren’t there anymore, You’ll look back and remember those little moments.  

If you can, document these little moments.

These are the moments that last a lifetime. Life is short, eat the cake, buy the shoes, take lots of pictures!

Take care of your self and your family. Enjoy those moments.

~ Katy Schmidt                                                                                                                                 The Nurturing Doula, LLC                                                                                                          Birth Doula, CPST and CBE                                                                                                           805-791-8325                                                                                     http://www.thenurturingdoula.com                                            thenurturingdoula@hotmail.com

all, Parenting

Easier Shopping with Kids

schmidtkathryn

Whether they are babies, toddlers, preschoolers or school aged children, shopping with them can be challenging.

Here are a few things to make each stage easier:

Babies:

  • Take them directly after a feeding if possible. Who knows maybe they’ll nap!
  • Make your list at home during nap time, so you can focus on what you need
  • Schedule your groceries to be picked up or even delivered. Sure having them picked up or delivered is fine most of the time, but when your babies are little the more you force yourself to go out the easier it will be.
  • For the first few weeks if you need groceries have someone else get them. Delivering a baby is hard on your whole body.
  • I found baby carriers can make shopping a little easier
  • Remember infant carrier carseats are safer in the basket not on top where smaller children sit.

Toddlers:

  • Bring snacks, no really bring snacks with an extra ziplock for the snacks they drop on the floor
  • Bring a few toys for distracting also get your hands on some of these rings if you don’t have them yet.
  • Make your list at home
  • Get cup strap which works on soppy cups, bottles, and some toys, for those moments when your little one wants to throw their cup.
  • If you have a lengthy list try to take some breaks, bonus points to the stores with fish! Kids love fish.
  • If you have a “helpful” toddler encourage them to grab something off the shelf and “put” it in the cart.

Preschoolers:

  • Preschoolers (most) like to be independent and not ride in the cart, which means chasing them down when they decide to run. When I first encountered my own runner, I took the time to teach him why we couldn’t just run off from mom.
  • Bring snacks, no really bring snacks with an extra ziplock for the snacks they drop on the floor
  • Make your list at home
  • Try to teach them about the produce you are picking out even if its just practicing how to say it
  • Have them count items you are buying more than one of
  • Read a few things off of your list to them before heading in, have them grab those items.

 

School aged:

  • This is the perfect age to teach them how to pick produce, how to watch out for the dented cans and check expiration dates on the dairy.
  • Have your child help you make your list at home.
  • Depending on the age, have them read the list to you
  • Try a new food with them, this will encourage them to be more adventurous with their food.
  • As they become older challenge them to find the best price on an item, remember the whole grocery list, or even pick all of the ingredients for a meal.

 

From the moment they were born they have craved knowledge.

They need to spread their wings and learn with their whole body. Shopping with children won’t always be terrible. If  you only have a baby now and its currently easy to shop with your little one, it may continue to be easy or it could get harder. With every age know that there can be a melt down. Its how you handle it that makes a difference.

When your little one is having a melt down and someone, like me, stops and says: I’ve been there and it gets better know that they mean it!

It takes a village to raise kids, really it does! Lastly on rare occasions you find someone who stops and tries to distract your little one briefly. They see you on the brink of a melt down yourself and they speak to your child with a kind soft voice.

I have been on both ends of this spectrum. When I encounter this situation I do not get too close to the child as that may seem life threatening. I try to talk to the kiddo who is most likely at check out with his/her parent and district them with “hey thats a cool shirt or toy!” Sometimes its the little things that help other moms out. Happy shopping!

~ The Nurturing Doula, LLC

    Katy Schmidt

    805-791-8325

    http://www.thenurturingdoula.com

    thenurturingdoula@hotmail.com

 

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Top 5 Summer activities

schmidtkathryn

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Summer is right around the corner!

We all know that feeling of what should we do with the kids today? The park again!? No, we did that yesterday and the day before! If you are tired of the same summer activities over and over you’ve come to the right place. I’ve compiled the top 5 inexpensive things to do with your kids over summer break, and one of them is free! Each title is hyperlinked to the corresponding place.

Flint Children’s Museum

  • Admission: adults $6 and children $6
  • Hands on exhibits for children of all ages
  • No limit how long you stay and play
  • Snacks and beverages for purchase lunch can be brought and eaten there, but only in designated areas

  • personal favorite: the music room

 

Fort Clarkston

  • Admission: Children $10 Mon-Thur, $12 Fri-Sun
  • Slimbing area
  • Slides
  • Scooters to ride
  • Arcade
  • Gift shop
  • Cafe and bar

  • Personal favorite: Children and adults receive wrist bands, they can not leave with anyone else but you.

Lake Callis

  • Admission: Day pass for Davison Residents $5 per vehicle, $10 per vehicle for non residents
  • Lake to play in
  • Splash pad: Admission:  Residents $2 and Non-Residents $3, 2 yrs and under free
  • Concession stand
  • Grills
  • Kayak and water board rentals
  • Friday night movies on the beach

  • Personal Favorite: Splash pad is gated so little ones are contained

Bowling   

  • 2 free games each day for kids registered
  • Shoe rental is included at some bowling centers

  • Personal Favorite: Bowling gives kids a chance to practice their hand eye coordination

Columbiaville Library

  • Admission: Free!
  • Summer reading program for children and adults
  • Daily activities for the kids 
  • Prize drawing each week for adults
  • End of the summer party for kids and adults

  • Personal Favorite: It encourages reading for all ages

 

If you found this helpful to make your child’s summer fulfilled please share it!

 

– Katy Schmidt

The Nurturing Doula, LLC

805-791-8325

http://www.thenurturingdoula.com

thenurturingdoula@hotmail.com

all, pregnancy

Baby’s making my back hurt!

schmidtkathryn

“Chiropractic care is health maintenance of the spinal column, discs, related nerves and bone geometry without drugs or surgery. It   involves the art and science of adjusting misaligned joints of the body, especially of the spine, which reduces spinal nerve stress and therefore promotes health throughout the body.” (http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/chiropractic-care-during-pregnancy/ )

Chiropractic care during pregnancy can be very beneficial. Make sure you speak to your health care provider before beginning any chiropractic care. Some benefits of chiropractic’s during pregnancy are maintaining a healthier pregnancy, a balance in your pelvis, can possibly control symptoms of nausea, may reduce your labor and delivery time, and can relieve back, neck and joint pain. With a balanced pelvis your baby has room for development and room to move into the optimal position for birth. Also this may make a breech or posterior presentation at birth less likely. If your baby is not in the optimal fetal position your Chiropractor may suggest the Webster Technique.

The Webster Technique is a chiropractic sacral adjustment to help align the mothers pelvis and nervous system function.

Which balances the pelvic muscles and ligaments, reducing torsion in the uterus. Originally this technique was used to help a baby get into the optimal position.  Recent studies have shown this technique has more than just positioning benefits. This technique may help with sleep, low back pain, relaxation in the mother, and a possibility of a quicker labor and delivery. It is important to know that the Webster Technique is not guaranteed to change the position of the baby. It simply allows the baby the room it needs to turn. Some Chiropractors do this adjustment 3-4 times before calling it quits. There could be an underlying cause to the Webster Technique not working for you and your baby.

I talked with my go-to chiropractor in Lapeer, Dr Teresa Cummings, about chiropractic care in pregnancy.

This is what she had to say.

“Chiropractic can be valuable throughout all the stages of pregnancy. It can help with the aches and pains of a normal pregnancy. Chiropractic can help decrease pelvic pain, sciatic pain, rib pain, back and neck pain, and headaches. By keeping your pelvis and sacrum in the proper alignment it may also help make labor and delivery a little easier.

There is also a chiropractic technique called Webster’s Technique which helps the correction of breach babies. With Webster’s Technique the chiropractor adjusts the sacrum and releases the round ligament on the opposite side. This allows the uterus to come into a more neutral position allowing baby to turn.”

Chiropractic care is as important in pregnancy as when you aren’t pregnant. Take care of yourself!

Katy Schmidt
thenurturingdoula@hotmail.com
805-791-8325

facebook.com/KSThe.Nurturing.Doula

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Bringing Home Baby?

schmidtkathryn

 

The day you bring your baby home is a special day. No matter if its your first or your fifth. Preparing to bring your baby home doesn’t start the day your leave the hospital.

Start preparing around 30 weeks.

Some questions you need to ask your self and your partner:

  1. Where will baby sleep?
  2. When will you shower?
  3. If you are nursing where will  ou nurse? Do you want to set up a special area with anything and everything you may need?  Including water, snacks, nursing pads, and a burp rag. Some other items you may want to include in this area would be a nursing pillow, a book, a tablet or laptop, your phone, and the remote for the tv. This list is not all of the necessities.
  4. If you are bottle feeding do you have your bottles washed and sterilized? ready to feed? Have you bought formula?
  5. Did you buy your carseat? Is it installed? If you are unsure about your install contact your local CPST (Child Passenger Safety Technician) or CPSI (Child Passenger Safety Instructor                                                                                                     (for information regarding used car seats contact your local CPST or CPSI)
  6. Who will do the cooking when you arrive home? You can look up freezer meals on Pinterest for examples of make ahead meals
  7. Who will clean?
  8. Who will do the laundry?

I find the easiest way to remember all of this is by making a chart.

You and I know there will be plenty of people coming over to see the baby.

Have your chart up on your fridge when someone asks if they can do anything to help you can refer them to your chart. Take time creating the chart and talking with your partner about it.

All of this helps make your postpartum life run more smoothly.

I hope this post helps you prepare for your new bundle of joy! I hope you have a wonderful birth.

Please leave me a comment on how you prepared to bring your little one home. The Nurturing Doula’s Child Birth Education classcan be anything you need it to be to prepare wether its just labor and birth or if you need help preparing your home to bring home a baby.

-Katy Schmidt

The Nurturing Doula, LLC

Birth Doula and CPST

thenurturingdoula@hotmail.com

805-791-8325

facebook.com/KSThe.Nurturing.Doula

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A letter to my “mama’s”

schmidtkathryn

From the day I met you, yes all of you, I thought to myself wow! Wow, you are so strong, and so beautiful. We worked on your birth plans, your postpartum plans, and checking your car seats. You stumped me with questions, then I made sure I answered them in a timely manner. Time is catching up with us so we practice labor and birth positions. Im pretty sure you think I’m crazy because of how much fun I have with teaching you all this craziness. The day of your labor, you showed me your true strength. As we arrive where you plan to give birth. I see your nervousness. You may think you hid it well. To the untrained eye ( i.e.: spouse who you fool often) you did hide it. Distracting you was my main focus. I watched you minute after minute. Trying to stay calm and breath through the pain. I reminded you to keep breathing and I could tell you were having a hard time. There was a moment I could tell you wanted to give up. I looked at you and told you you can do this! You are doing this! You are almost done. Your baby will be here soon. You kept going, contraction after contraction. Until your baby arrived. When your face relaxed and you realized you did it! YOU did it. You brought your baby into this world, into your family. I watch you look at your beautiful baby, yes even boys are beautiful, in amazement. The look of “I grew this tiny human in my body and my heart”. Time seemed to stop for a moment. You had a smile on your face from ear to ear. Motherhood is hard, long, dirty and much more work. Labor and Delivery was hard but you got through it beautifully. You are so strong and If you ever think you aren’t you can call me and I’ll remind you how strong you are!

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I am one PROUD doula! Have a great day. Welcome to motherhood. Please give those babies hugs and kisses from their favorite doula

~Katy

The Nurturing Doula, LLC

thenurturingdoula@hotmail.com

805-791-8325

facebook.com/KSThe.Nurturing.Doula