From Bump to Baby: Transitioning from a Pregnancy Blog posts to baby blog posts

It's time to switch gears a little bit when it comes to pregnancy blog posts, I'm sure there will still be some, but because this blog follows my day-to-day life, I'm no longer pregnant anymore. I believe that this blog is both a learning platform for myself and others and also a way to document my life. That also means documenting my new babies' milestones and experiences and posting things I'm learning about when it comes to pregnancy. 

That doesn't mean that I won't have health, mindfulness, and bonding blog posts, because I will. It's just the change when it comes to pregnancy vs. baby that is going to be changing a lot. 

 A little memory-jogging moment

Some of my favorite blog posts were the ones that taught me to be mindful during pregnancy and reminded me to bond with my unborn baby. Belly story time was even more fun once my baby was born. I even tried to be mindful when I was in labor. Things like that became a valuable moment for me when I was pregnant for obvious reasons. 

Embracing the New

I am starting a list of new baby-related blog posts already! I want to be able to help other new moms. I'm not afraid to bring people along for the new baby journey and create memories, and help others with some more important mommy and baby bonding moments, ways to increase breastmilk production, and things that are hippie related. There are so many new adventures to on now! Who's ready to see what the future holds? I know that I am! 

A bit more about the content

What I expect to be posting about is a ton of cool things that are still unfolding inside this crazy mind of mine.

Milestones. As a mom to a late-term preemie (I'll talk about my birth story soon), I am almost certain there will be personal and learning-related milestones that I think would be a great thing to learn from. 

Parenting Tips. There's going to be a lot more about parenting when it comes to giving some tips that I hope would work for others. Learning, especially when it comes to new babies and children sounds like a whole lot of fun.

Product reviews. I hope to be able to talk about products that I've been able to let you know if the products are a good buy, or do not try a type of thing. Especially when it comes to baby stuff. 

If there are things that you would like to learn and talk about when it comes to pregnancy and would like me to post about. I would really love some suggestions. This blog isn't all about me, I really like to be able to help others along the way as well.

The excitement continues

I'm not going anywhere anytime soon nor do I plan on it. I do understand that there may actually be times when there may not be a post for a few days, just because babies are exhausting, but I do intend to share as many experiences, no matter what they are, or if they're related to babies or one of my other topics or not. If you're not subscribed to my blog or following any of my social media, I encourage everyone to do so! 

Why I Plan on Documenting, the Milestones and Memories of Pregnancy and Stuff

Even though I've been down the "new baby" road before, it's been so long ago that I was down this particular road, and the old, phrase, "They won't stay little for long, so make memories why you can," sticks my head. I won't be writing a baby blog for long either, or so it'll feel, write the posts I can, while I still can. I am one of those moms who aren't a fan of posting pictures of my little one's to strangers, to protect their safety, but when it comes to memories, I am not afraid to talk about milestones, talk about things going on in my life and I'm not afraid to talk a little bit about my pregnancy journey either.

Possible Collaborations in The Future

What I'd really love to do in the future, would be to collaborate with other parents whether it'd be influencers, bloggers, or vloggers, I want to make this blog as much of a cute little family as I can make it.  If I'm able to collab with anyone, either on the parenting aspect or any of my other blog posts. I feel having a whole new perspective would help others on whatever life journey that they are on. If my story or my life doesn't resonate with you, I'm hoping someone else's life story or content will. If you're a blogger, vlogger, influencer, or content creator and you want to submit a post, don't be afraid to message me, I'd love to hear from you. 

Conclusion

The small journey from pregnancy blog to baby blog has been a short one, but I'm so grateful that I have been able to share the journey so far and I'm even more grateful that I'm going to be able to start a new phase when it comes to blogging. Even though this blog is about me, I'm hoping that this journey will be an amazing one. I thank everyone who's read my posts and supported me so far and hope you all keep supporting me!

Mindful Mama-to-Be: 8 Activities for a Joyful Pregnancy

Because I love the mindful bear technique when need time to be mindful, and there are so many things that say Mama Bear on them at the store and online. I thought why not combine the two together, mindfulness and pregnancy should go hand in hand, there's no better time than being in the moment while you're pregnant. I've been told it's a great way to stay stress-free, connect with the baby, and to know if something doesn't feel right with your pregnancy! If you're looking for some pregnancy-related mindful activities look no further, I have 8 of them, some may be new, others you may have seen before, but they all are great during pregnancy.

8 Mindful Activity Suggestions for Pregnant Woman

1. Prenatal Yoga: With prenatal yoga, we're able to stretch, improve our strength, have a better sense of body awareness, and prepare our bodies for childbirth and it also relaxes us! If you're stuck on where to find some places online for prenatal yoga, SarahBethYoga, and BrettLarkinYoga are two great yet free places to start. 
2. Light Walking and Exercise: Time to boost our moods and energy level, control our weight gain, and help enhance circulation by exercising and walking. Before starting any exercise regimen, please consult your doctor before doing them. 
   
   
   
3. Meditation: Bonding with our baby with meditation isn't as difficult as it seems,  you can still meditate and focus on a video while being kicked in the bladder. I have a list of places to check on my blog post about staying mindful on the go and have also included The Honest Guys YouTube channel as well. 
4. Journaling: As if I haven't given people more of a reason to have their own journal. I have one more, pregnancy mindfulness. Your mindful, gratitude journal is going to be a life changer! Some prompt suggestions during pregnancy include, "What are my fears or worries about being a parent," "What are some things I'm grateful for during pregnancy?" or "How am I taking care of myself during my pregnancy?" An even cooler idea is to create a pregnancy keepsake just for your baby! 
5. Creative activities: I'm not trying to be vague when it comes to creative activities, but I do know we all have our own ideas of what could be considered a creative activity. Journaling like in activity 4 can be creative, but if you are not much of a writer, painting, drawing, crocheting, and scrapbooking are some more ideas to get you started. Having some self-expression and accomplishment thrown in with mindfulness is a great stress reducer!
6. Breathing: Breathing is something that we do every day, I bet you're doing it now! Remembering to focus on your breathing can help with some pregnancy discomforts and relax yourself. Both my Mindful Bear post and my Mindfulness on the Go post have some breathing exercises to try on for size. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Mindful eating: Let's shift our thoughts from focusing on baby to what you're eating. The food is going to them as well, but it also teaches us how to be aware of when we're full, keeps us from being emotional eaters, and lets us focus on the taste and the texture of the food we're eating. 
8. Mindful communication: I know pregnancy hormones can turn a once calm pregnant woman into a beast sometimes, but we can still practice mindful communication. Using some empathy, avoiding assumptions, and connecting with each other's feelings can help keep things running smoothly. 

Tips for incorporating mindfulness into a daily routine

Now that I compiled a list, and give you some ideas, I'm moving on to the more complicated part, at least for me. Learning how to incorporate mindfulness into your (and my) busy life. 
Tip 1: Start small: Starting small and taking baby steps, is a great way to move in the right direction. If all you're doing is eating mindfully and breathing. It's all a smaller step to a bigger goal. 
Tip 2: Make it a habit: If you're eating, remind yourself it's time to eat mindfully and remind yourself to try to be mindful every chance you get. It may not be a regular thing at first, but once you get into the habit of being mindful adding more mindful activities and making them a habit as well, will become easier. 

Tip 3: Find what works for you: One mindfulness activity may not be the right one for you. Maybe none of this list is for you, but if you've seen a mindful activity on one of my other posts or online somewhere, do that instead. 

Tip 4: Practice it regularly: Set alarms, make mindfulness the first thing you do when you wake up or the last thing you do before bed, or do whatever you do to make it a regular thing. 

Conclusion

When you're mindful during pregnancy, you're able to bond, relax and even prepare for childbirth a little bit better. When it comes to being mindful, if there's a will there's a way, and take a little time to attempt being mindful when you're pregnant. If someone isn't as compassionate about your pregnancy mindfulness activities, practice a little mindful communication back, and show them some empathy an d compassion, without judgment. 

Bonding Before Birth: The Power of Prenatal Reading

Hey moms-to-be, it's time to read to your stomach! It's a great bonding experience, it can introduce them to sounds, and words, and even start them on the road to a love for reading, and that's all before they get here!  Even if they can't hear yet, it can calm both mom and baby. It doesn't matter what you read, as long as you and your womb dweller enjoy the book! 

Benefits of Reading to Your Baby During Pregnancy

As silly as it sounds, there really are benefits to reading to your baby before they arrive. From enhancing brain development, stimulating their hearing, helps with their language skills to help calm your baby. If you don't want to take some random blogger who scopes the internet to help her learn about how to bond with their baby or talk about ways to better their life, Terra Centre,The Green Child Magazine and Belly Belly all talk about the benefits of reading to your baby during pregnancy. And that's only three links talking about reading to your baby during pregnancy! 

How to Choose Books to Read to Your Baby

Yeah, I know I already said it doesn't matter what you read because it doesn't really matter. But if you're looking for a little guidance. Finding books that have rhythmic language, simple text, books that reflect different ways of life and books that make you feel good. If you're feeling good then they're feeling good. Some examples of books to read are, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle and Where's Spot by Eric Hill. 

Techniques and Tips for Reading to Your Baby During Pregnancy

Now that we have a suggestion about what to read, and know the benefits. Let's get to the fun part, the tips and the techniques, that make reading to your baby worthwhile for both you and your unborn baby. 

First things first, it's best to create a relaxing environment for you to read. Dim the lights, find somewhere with little distractions, play some nice relaxing music, and get comfortable. Some places that may be comfortable, especially for those that are farther along are a cozy chair, your bed, or maybe a pile of pillows on the floor. Be warned that if it's done correctly, you may fall asleep while you're reading! If you don't want to fall asleep, pick a time of day that you're more likely not to fall asleep.

Now that we're comfortable and ready to read, use a gentle tone, but vary your volume and pace to give the book its story magic. You don't need to be a Hollywood actress to read a book, and sometimes it's difficult to read with a pace, tone, or volume that you're happy with, but that's okay, it takes practice and practice makes perfect! When your read, incorporate some soft touches and rocking motions. 

If you're having trouble finding time to read to your baby, you can carry a book with you wherever you are or read to your baby while you're taking a break from work. Don't get too upset if you can't finish your book, because of time restrictions. You can finish the book another time. 

Conclusion

Reading is great at any age, even when your baby isn't here yet. You're still able to promote language development and bond with your baby. Relaxing and reading a book is great for mom and baby.  Let's all share a love for reading. 

From Bump to Baby: How to Bond with Your Little One Before Birth

Bonding with your baby can start even before they’re born! It doesn’t matter how far along you are and you don’t need any fancy equipment, to bond with your baby. When your bonding with your baby, you reduce stress, promote fetal development, strengthen your bond with your baby, and even boost your confidence as a parent!

Are you talking to your belly, touching your belly to let your baby know you’re around or are you thinking about the future between you and your unborn? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, surprise! You’re already bonding! But it doesn’t have to stop there, there are other ways you can bond with your baby it’s amazing, isn’t it?

Why You Should Be Bonding

Before I talk about things you can do to bond during your pregnancy I need to get some of the important stuff out of the way. You know the reasons why one should bond. Because the reasons why one should be bonding is very important.

Cortisol and oxytocin are the feel-good, love hormones that reduce stress. Reducing stress is good for both mother and baby. You know how to release those hormones right? Your baby can sense your emotions and knows when you’re happy or sad, and chances are if you’re happier, they’ll feel more secure. And feeling secure in the womb will also make the baby feel secure outside o the womb.

You know that cliché phrase about falling in love with your unborn before you met them? Bonding also gives the phrase a whole new meaning. You know you’re already attached by means of a cord, but you’re also attached by the interactions you’ve had together, even before they’re born.

Ways you can bond with your baby

If you want to bond and you can't think of anyways, these are just a few of the suggestions, there are more ways but these are some of the ways that can help you bond with your baby. 

Talking to them: Just because they can’t carry on a conversation, you can talk to your baby. You can talk about your hopes and dreams for them, what you’re doing at the moment, or whatever it may be. I often talk to my son when I’m at the store, explaining what I’m buying and I explain what I’m eating before I eat it. Kind of my way of letting him know how things are.

 
Singing and playing music: When you’re listening to music, it does many things such as relaxing mom, especially if the music is that feel-good kind music that makes you feel good. If you want to sing, it’s fine to sing to them as well, they don’t care if you can’t sing well, all you have to do is sing.

Reading to your baby: It’s never too early to start reading. Reading short engaging stories in a calm tone to your unborn baby.

Massaging your belly: If you want to relax, reduce stress, and stimulate circulation. You relax, and can even connect with your baby through touch.
Do all of the above including your partner in the process: Your partner can also bond with your baby before they're born.

Bonding with your baby costs nothing, and it’s a great way to relax yourself and connect with your unborn. Sing, read, talk, alone or with your partner. Way to go for wanting to bond with your baby! You can try one of my ideas or try your own, try to switch it up if you can. Unborn baby bonding is adorable and beautiful.