• Say YES to your body’s guidance to guide your baby into the world. Let it open.
• Ride the wave of natural forces. Just like surfing. In times when you feel caught under a wave, remember that it won’t last forever.
• Smile.
• Remember that you’re a vehicle through which your beautiful baby is travelling to be in our world. Do it for her.
• Breath slowly and deeply.
• Have fun!

You Are More Beautiful Than You Give Yourself Credit For

One thing that has blown me away during pregnancy is the perspective shift on my body. For most of my life the area of my body that I have felt the most self-conscious about has been my belly.

I strived to have a flat stomach and great abs. Yet often had a little bulge that kept me feeling lesser-than during bikini season.

Ironically, as soon as you let people know that you’re pregnant one of the questions get asked most is:

“Are you showing yet?”

People are obsessed with seeing your belly grow!

An area that we often hide becomes the centre of attention.
As I look at pre-bump photos I wonder why I ever thought my stomach wasn’t good enough or why any woman would ever feel self-conscious about the part of her body that creates life.

Embrace your body as it is. If you have never been pregnant honour your life centre. If you are pregnant, embrace the transformation that is taking place…9 months goes by fast and I know that I’ll miss this unique expression of my body. If you’re a momma and feel societal pressure to get your pre-baby body back…don’t. Strive to love your body and celebrate the post-baby era as you should be proud every single day of who you are.

He’s Worth The Wait

I have wanted to be a mom since I was a kid. I have also known that I wanted to find the right partner to enter parenthood with. It took longer than I thought it would to find him, or rather, find my way back to him, but it was totally worth it.

As the late Steve Jobs once said;

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

Alex has been an incredible source of confidence and support. He is already a wonderful father and I can’t wait to see him hold his little girl. He is caring and sensitive. Devoted, loyal, and a family man. He has made me feel safe and cared for. I am honoured to have him as my life partner and excited to have him by my side during labour as I know his presence will be more powerful than I’ll be able to put into words.

We had a blast doing a photoshoot during my 36th week of pregnancy. We set up the tripod, put the self-timer, and laughed as we awkwardly tried out different poses inspired by professional shoots. The photos turned out great and the memories will last with them no doubt!

Our Hospital Bag

I started laying out items a few weeks ago. I felt a sudden urge to be all the more prepared with what was going on.

Once we arrive at the hospital, we cannot leave our designated room for anything. Meaning we are packing everything down to water. What we need is now packed in a little black carry-on and back-pack.

• The journal I’ve been keeping for our little one.
• A special little something for my love.
• Welch’s Fruit Snacks…because these have become my favourite candy as of late!
• Lavender essential oil as I have heard of mommas loving its soothing effect during labour.
• Our camera as I want to capture her first moments.

On Productivity 

In a world that is obsessed with “more,” getting results quick, and that celebrates “busy”, it can feel unnerving when we feel that we aren’t meeting the standards of productivity.

Pregnancy has made me see productivity in a completely different way. In the way nature has designed it to be. 

I remember sitting on the couch at my parents’ home early in the 1st trimester. I felt exhausted yet didn’t have anything to show for it. I hadn’t gone for a long run, even though it felt like I had run a marathon. I had slept plenty, napped even, yet felt I had been up all night. I cried. I felt like I wasn’t doing anything.

Then reality hit me.

I was being more productive than ever before.
My body was hard at work creating the building blocks for new life to take form. By week 4 the ball of cells are splitting into the embryo and placenta. The neural tube, the building block of the spine, brain, and backbone, are already formed. Yet it’s the size of a poppyseed.

There are many instances in life where you may feel discouraged and as if you are being less than productive when, in fact, you may be building the most important thing in your life. You may be doing important work that simply can’t be seen by the naked eye or hasn’t taken shape enough for you to even realize what you are building yet.

I’ll admit needing to remind myself of this often. As of late many thoughts about what the future will look like and what I’ll do to elevate my business with motherhood have come forward. This is what I remind myself of:

Keep nourishing your mind, body, and soul. Show up. Practice presence. Look at how nature demonstrates productivity and you may realize that you are more productive than you give yourself credit for. Amazing things can happen when you align with her timeline.