Britt Fohrman's Birth Photography

If you would like to have your pregnancy, birth or family photographed here is a great resource for you…. I have a sort of complex relationship to photography, I don’t like being in pictures much and having majored in it in college I think I could be considered picky when it comes to photography… but when I saw Britt’s photowork, especially of laboring and birthing women, I was blown away by the sense of intimacy, respect and love she portrays these wonderfully private and vulnerable moments with. I cringe having my picture taken but would completely trust Britt to photograph my most intimate moments with my family, and that says a lot for me. Check out her work

Rachel Yellin’s hypnobirthing classes

Rachel Yellin of One Moon is a SF Bay Area Birthing resource that is a true gem to expecting parents. She offers birth preparation classes in Hypnobirthing; a “method of natural childbirth preparation that teaches pregnant women and their partners techniques of hypnosis, guided imagery, visualization, and special breathing in order to have a more manageable birth. This preparation promotes a deeper connection between partners, joyful anticipation of the birth experience, and a dramatic increase in the belief that birth is normal, natural, and safe.” I have taken Rachel’s class and would warmly recommend it, not only does it give you confidence and techniques to manage your labor and birth, but it gives you tools for parenting and coping with challenges in general. Visit her website for more information: www.one-moon.com

Mommy on the go diaper bag!

This diaper bag is completely awesome!!
The Mommy on the go diaper bag is created by Moms, as so many great products are… and this is why I love it: It’s the perfect size; it fits everything you need without being big and bulky, I tend to carry too much stuff if the bag is too big, this one is perfect. It has a feature that is very unique, it has a zip off part that is a smaller bag attached to the larger one an is easily detached if needed and voila, you have a purse. This diaper bag can be carried like a back pack or over the shoulder bag, I mainly use it as a back pack; I have my baby in the MobyWrap in the front and the Mommy on the go bag on the back J
The detachable part has wallet features, so you can actually replace both diaper bag, purse and wallet with this one piece! On the side are two pockets that fit a bottle perfectly, or like in my case when you have the bag on the back your cell phone within easy reach. Inside the large bag are several smaller compartments making it very easy to stay organized with this bag. Did I mention it comes in great patterns, is made in California and comes in a eco friendly version? Check it out!
http://www.mommyonthegobag.com/

Britt Fohrman’s prenatal Yoga classes

Britt’s prenatal yoga classes are not just yoga classes. They are a community of pregnant women lead by a woman who not only breathes pregnancy and birth, an endless resource for all you need for this time in your life. I’ve been practicing yoga with Britt on and off for five years or so, and I am always challenged physically and mentally, and I always s come away with the feeling that I did something that I didn’t think I could do, and I liked it.
With all the obvious advantages of doing yoga in pregnancy and using those tools in birth, Britt will specifically prepare you for welcoming your baby during the duration of your pregnancy, and she’ll give you the opportunity to ask yourself questions that might seem obvious but always make you think and connect to yourself in a wonderful way. Check out her schedule at www.brittfohrman.com
As always, ask your health care provider if prenatal yoga is a good option for you.

Lactation cookies!!

In my mom's group this week one Mama brought lactation cookies that are supposed to make you produce more milk... I tried them, liked them and decided to try and find a recipe.. I made these yesterday and they are definitely yummy, and we'll see if they make me produce more milk!

Ingredients :

* 1 cup butter or marg
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 4 tablespoons water
* 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal*
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups oats, thick cut if you can get them
* 1 cup or more chocolate chips
* 2 tablespoons of brewers yeast* (be generous)

Directions:

Preheat oven at 375 degrees F. Mix together 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal and water, set aside for 3-5 minutes. Cream (beat well) margarine and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mix well. Stir flaxseed mixture and add with vanilla to the margarine mix. Beat until blended. Sift together dry ingredients, except oats and chips. Add to margarine mixture. Stir in oats then chips. Scoop or drop onto baking sheet, preferably lined with parchment or silpat. The dough is a little crumbly, so it helps to use a scoop.

Bake 8-12 minutes, depending on size of cookies.

Serves: 6 dozen cookies

Preparation time: 15 minutes

*can be found at any local health food store.
*NOTE* IT MUST BE BREWERS YEAST, NO SUBSTITUTIONS.

this is where I found the recipe

this is another article on benefits of lactation cookies

Morning sickness relief tip!

I am one of those moms who has nausea throughout my pregnancies, much more in the beginning, but it hits me every once in a while. I have used a plethora of remedies, eating crackers, sour apples, frequent meals, ginger, peppermint, lemon, ice, motion sickness remedies of all kinds, and although they all work to an extent, often in combination, there is one thing that definitely saved me early in this pregnancy; Preggie Pops. They are hard “candies” that are not really sweet (anything sweet made me gag), but sour and really yummy. They were developed by healthcare professionals I found out when doing some research on this great product and they are all natural. I would say they are a definite must have for any pregnant Mama experiencing nausea in the beginning of the pregnancy.
Check them out at www.threelollies.com

Back after a long break!

We are relaunching this blog!
Look out for collaborations with Prenatal Yoga specialists, reviews of products that you might want to check out when pregnant and/or breastfeeding, resources I couldn't have done without and much more.
I'll be sure to include personal notes from the frontier, I'm breastfeeding my now almost five week old son, and it's not as easy as I remembered... but just as joyful. Well, it was less painful nursing an almost two year old, which is where I left off, but more on that later..

One of my favorite blogs...

Is the Poop from the San Francisco Chronicle. It’s about parenting, pregnancy, well everything baby and parenting related in Bay Area style.
They have great writers (Heather Maddan has written about Mamatotowear in both the Chronicle and LilSugar) and my favorite part is when comments get frisky there is an entry about Sunshine and Rainbows…. If you’re not familiar with it I suggest you check it out…..in my mind they seem to have found the frequency of craziness and nuance that being a parent seems to bring… read it!

Basq Soothing Foot Releif at www.mamatotowear.com

Most of us have tired achy feet when pregnant, and now more than ever do we need relief for tired and swollen legs and feet! With its cooling, soothing feel, this lotion provides the perfect lift after a long day. Basq antioxidant rich blend of green tea, eucalyptus, cucumber, lavender and aloe vera and energizes and soothes fatigued feet and legs during pregnancy. The soothing tingle is the perfect all over body refresher after a brisk walk, gentle workout or long day. The refreshing lavender aromatherapy and gentle tingling make putting your feet up a pleasure. Smooth it on and relax, you’ll feel the difference immediately!

Basq is a skincare line specifically developed for pregnant Mamas, with all safe ingredients and the right smells and textures to please our senses.

This footcream is delicious, you have to have it, and good news is….you can get it right now at www.mamatotowear.com for $19.50

Mamatotowear at DayOne Center!

Mamatotowear at Day One!

I am very excited to announce our new collaboration with the Day One Centers in the Bay Area!

Most moms who have babies here know about the centers, you can find them in San Francisco, Palo Alto and Walnut Creek and they have everything you need for baby as well as being a great resource center and community tie. Midwives and lactation specialists love this place and so do we!!

There is an event at the San Francisco location called living green with baby where Mamatotowear will be participating in the trunk show, and I will be giving a talk on green apparel and the importance of supporting locally produced products! My talk should start between 11:30 and noon, come check it out!

The show info is:
Saturday, March 22 2008, 11:00 am – 5 pm
DayOne Center
3490 California street, suite 900 (enter on Locust)
San Francisco, CA

I look forward to seeing you there!