A Gorgeous Maternity Session in Pillnitz

A couple weeks ago I met Sophia (and her awesome sister who helped with the bubbles!) in the gorgeous area just outside the city of Dresden called Pillnitz, complete with the beautiful Pillnitz castle and gardens. We had 2 hours of fun and creativity. It was so amazing to see Sophia really bond with her baby during the session and just relax. It was a bit different from the sessions that I usually do with mamas to be, and I absolutely loved it. I love how she was the one who was suggesting the more creative ideas such as getting in the Elbe waters and splashing around. She was fearless and fierce with her ability to be 39 weeks pregnant and still climb trees, get in the cold water, and leap around with bubbles! Best wishes to you Sophia, and you new baby <3 

xo, Elyse

Yummy Pregnancy Smoothie

Have you guys heard about how eating dates throughout your pregnancy is linked to shorter/easy labor?!?! Who knows if it's true, BUT why not give it a shot?!

I'm about about 2 weeks out from my due date, and also planning a homebirth, so I'm all about doing things that might help my labor go as smoothly as possible. I've been eating about 6 dates everyday for the past week or so, but that can get kind of boring. While looking for a more interesting way to get in my daily allotment of dates, I came upon this DELISH smoothie!

So here is what went in my date pregnancy smoothie!:

- 7 dates

- A handful of almonds

- About a cup of almond milk

- About a cup of ice

- 1 banana

Blend it up and enjoy! It's so sweet, creamy, and very yummy.

What are some pregnancy foods/treats that you enjoyed while pregnant? Have you tried the date trick, and did it work for you?

Cheers!, Elyse

What Helps: Birth Affirmations

Hey all and welcome to my very first blog post!

So, let's just get right to it.. I'm super pregnant and desperate for anything that helps ease my mind and encourages my mama heart. I've used these birth affirmation cards in the past with clients and have given them to friends, but here I am... needing them for myself!

Have you ever thought to use affirmation cards in your pregnancy and labor? I love the idea of affirmations that you can just carry around with you in your purse or pocket to use when needed. I know from experience that sometimes those waves of panic, fear and just general fed up-ness (that's a word, right?!?!) can come at you quickly and unexpectedly. When those times hit, it's good to have a quick resource on hand to help center and calm your heart and mind!

When in labor, birth affirmations are a key way to ensure that you stay focused, calm, and empowered. Give them to your midwife, partner, or doula to either read to you when you need it most or to hand off to you when you need to look through them yourself. Maybe you could tape some up on the wall next to where you're laboring to be able to look at them hands free. This would be especially helpful in the event of a water birth where you might not want to get the cards wet.

I'm planning on having my stack of cards printed out and tied together in the corner so I can flip through them as need be, as well as another copy of the set printed and taped on the wall by my birthing pool (can't have too many!!). If you're interested in making your own birth affirmation cards, I suggest looking through books and different resources online to gather all your favorite birth quotes, scriptures, words of power, and helpful reminders to put on your cards. I love the affirmations used in the Hypnobirthing technique. Find a background that's calming and visually pleasing to look at to either write or type your affirmation on. A great idea would be to paint/draw/color your own cards, use fabric, photographs, calming plain colors or anything you think would speak to you in a time of need.

As a doula, I've left birth affirmations with a mama who was having a LONG labor and needed something to comfort her through a long and uncomfortable night in the hospital. I've given them to a mama who was preparing for a HBAC (homebirth after C section) and was dealing with feelings of fear during her pregnancy. Both women said that they used the cards and felt that they were an awesome help to them in those times of need! I usually give them as a gift at baby showers and blessingways, and I've heard that my mama friends always look forward to this very special and helpful gift :-)

So, here I am... almost 38 weeks pregnant and definitely finding myself in need of some affirmations here and there! If you are pregnant, or looking to make a meaningful gift for a friend who is pregnant, be sure to remember the importance and power of positive affirmation! Who doesn't need a little reminder every once in a while that they are freaking awesome and can kick some major ass! This is of course especially important during pregnancy and labor!

Now, let's say it all together... "You Got This!"

xoxo, elyse