I say this with every birth and every pregnancy, “ Why don’t they show the flipside of giving birth and pregnancy?”  When you watch TV or movies, they show a beautiful barefoot and pregnant mommy-to-be in a flowing dress, cooking up some organic meal next to an ocean front. Or a glowing mother being rushed to the hospital, only to be followed with a scene of her holding onto a perfect beautiful baby, smiling from cheek to cheek, as if she just came out of a spa. I do agree that pregnancy and birth are so beautiful and one of the most sacrad moments in one’s life.  However, there is also that side of pain, recovery, and hormonal ups and downs.

I remember with my first birth, I was so focused on how painful the birthing process would be, I never knew that there was a period of recovery. I thought that after I endured the many endless hours of labor and delivery, and had the baby in my arms, it would be cupcakes and lollipops from that moment forward. Boy, was I wrong.  I remember the recovery period was more painful than giving birth.  I had gone through a tear, bled endlessly, and on top of it, breastfeeding was not as easy as I would have expected. Needless to say, I didn’t feel like I was experiencing all the ”Kodak Moments,” life had to offer.

I think our culture as a whole, stray away from “the other side.”  I know growing up, my mom talked about how long she was in labor with us, but she never talked about how long it took for her to recover from the whole birthing process.  Like myself, I think a lot of new moms think that pain ends with birth. That is simply not the reality, and I feel, lead most women to Post Partum Depression or the “baby blues.”  We are not taught about the loneliness, the frustration, the pain from the uterus contracting back to normal, the bleeding, and the nipple soreness.  It’s like you had time to build your army during your pregnancy and get all the support that you could get, and then you go to battle (birth) and you win.  Then you look around to see that all your soldiers are gone.  You are left to pick up the pieces in a foreign land.  I personally think there should be classes for mothers and fathers about post birth, so that everyone is educated and can prepare for it.  I think the biggest shock is not knowing and being thrown into it.  Just like labor and delivery, if we know what we are in for, even if other things may arise, we have time to emotionally and physically prepare for the task at hand.

So my proposal is a movie about everything that happens after a mother gives birth.  The challenges, the triumphs, the bonding, the crying, and everything in between.  I think a comedy would be a nice touch to a serious subject matter and the dynamics between characters, such as mom and dad, would be very interesting to see.  So come on down and invest in my film.  I can’t guarantee millions, but what I can promise is a personal journey, the ups and downs, the laughter and sadness, and ultimately reality.

Gown in Brown Cocoa Chanel

I had the pleasure of reviewing two gowns during this birthing process.  Being in and out of Labor & Delivery, for two weekends in row, I got well acquainted with my gowns.  One of the gowns that I had a pleasure reviewing was from Bring Your Own Gown (BYOG).  You got to love the name, it’s really to the point.  The gown that I got to wear was in a Brown Cocoa Chanel Print.  The gown itself is fierce. Very modern chic.  When one of the nurses saw me, the first thing that came out of her mouth was, “ooh la la.”  To me, that translates to, “that is very hot.” And surely the gown was nothing short of hot.  It made me feel strong, sexy, and empowered. 

I got to wear this gown during my experience at L & D leading up to my delivery (which turned out to be one of my false alarms), as well as after I gave birth to the baby, to take pictures and to nurse the baby.  What I love about this gown was that the sleeves unsnap for nursing.  Which means that no more boobage exposure while breastfeeding.  I know with my first, I hated the fact that I would have to completely disrobe, and basically breastfeed topless, while nurses, family members went in and out of the room.  I am comfortable with my body, but it’s such a special moment that you do not want it to be a public event.  I also loved that there were snaps all the way down on the back to keep you covered.  As many of you have read in Part 1, I don’t want to be mooning people, while I try to give birth, breastfeed, walk around the hospital, etc.  I just don’t understand why hospital gowns at the hospital have to be so open.  I mean, I understand that if one chooses an epidural, it makes sense for the back to have an opening, but the entire back/rear side? Come on.

The gown is also made of 100% soft cotton, which makes for a comfortable wearing experience.  It also has a removable ribbon tie in Brown, which accents the gown.  The gown is functional and fashionable.  It’s definitely for the modern day momma who wants to strut her stuff in the Hospital.  Why not look fierce, sassy, and strong, when you are giving birth to your little miracle.  It comes with a price tag of $95, but you will have a lifetime of pictures that show how good you looked on that very special day!  Please visit www.shopbyog.com for other prints and more information.

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

As many of you know, the ones that follow me, this is my second pregnancy.  With my first, I was so naive. I didn’t have lots of information or resources, so I did everything that was told to me.  One thing that really bothered me about my first labor was the way I looked. I mean of course giving birth is probably not the best time to be vain, but it is a special time when you are welcoming your little one into the world.  I still look back at the pictures and want to hide them because of the way I looked.  That should never be the case.  I wore the typical light blue hospital gown with a tacky print on it.  The back was completely exposed, so at any given moment, I could be mooning someone.  For me, it was super uncomfortable and just plain ugly, there is no other better way of describing it.

I know some mothers will read this and chew me out saying that the birth experience should be completely focused on the baby and its safe entrance into the world.  I totally agree that the energy should be spent on the baby and its arrival.  However, it would be the icing on the cake for the mom to also feel good, special and comfortable, during this special moment in her life.  It’s the whole theory, why do we get our eyebrows, mani-pedis, massages, facials, etc?  When we feel good about ourselves, everything is heightened.

I was thinking about purchasing a maternity dress that could possibly work as a hospital gown, until I watched an episode of “Tori & Dean.”  In the episode, Tori wore a designer maternity/hospital gown, and she just looked so radiant.  Of course, that lit a light bulb in my everso constantly moving mind. I jumped online and googled, “hospital gown, maternity gown, and designer hospital gown.”  It brought up so many companies, and it took me by surprise because I didn’t know the market was that huge!  It was the first time I ever heard or saw anything like it.  I was extremely excited because it only meant that a lot of mommas out there were in agreeance with the way I felt.

I researched and sorted through countless companies and was interested in only a handful of companies that designed and made maternity hospital gowns.  I am extremely picky when it comes to fashion and there are no exceptions because they are considered hospital gowns. These are fashion brought to the hallways of the Labor & Delivery Ward.  There were two companies in particular that stood out to me that I wanted to review. Both of the gowns were tested by me during labor, delivery, and recovery.  I felt like a fashionista and got a lot of looks.

The first is a company called Sweet Lullabies.  I love the name because it is so soothing.  The name puts you at peace and you want to give labor to the sounds of a lullaby.  I love their message, ” From belly to baby, we’ve definitely got you covered.”  I also loved the fact that these maternity gowns were designed by a labor & delivery nurse.  They are so comfortable and so very cute, in every sense of the word.  I wore a pink flower print from their spring line, which is danty, girly, and vibrant. There are new prints coming in for their summer line.  I wore this gown for my labor & delivery portion (plus a couple false alarm visits to Labor & Delivery, I had many). 

Every time I looked in the mirror, I smiled.  I constantly looked down at my belly and it gave me a sense of energy and fresh feeling.  Not only was it super cute, it was super functional, which I love.  The cross over back kept me covered at all times, which meant no mooning anymore, and the tie-open front made it easy for breastfeeding.  I received so many compliments from family and friends, and I could tell that other passerbyers were also eyeing the gown.  The nurses also commented on how fresh and cute the gown was. The gown comes in two sizes, Size 1 (Pre-Pregnancy Sizes 2-10), and Size 2 (Pre-Pregnancy Sizes 12-20).

 Other facts:

• Made in the U.S.A.
• Machine Washable
• 100% Cotton
• Physician Recommended
• Hospital Use Approved

The Sweet Lullabies Maternity Gowns definitely have the Mommas in the House stamp of approval.  I think every mother should be treated to a maternity gown that makes her feel special.  This one definitely made me feel special and will be a part of my memories with my second child. I definitely will not be hiding these pictures!  For more information please go to: www.sweetlullabiesbaby.com.  They also sell baby gowns, blankets, and more.

(Disclosure: Product was provided free of charge for review purposes and does not affect my views or feedback of the product.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

Hi everyone!  Just wanted to let you know that I am still recovering. It’s now day 11. I am feeling a lot better, although completely sleep deprived.  Probably in a week or so, I will start posting reviews for a lot of cool things I got to try out, so please stay tuned!