The Top 3 things I Did to Create a Peaceful Space for My Newborn

What an exciting summer this has been for my family! On my daughter’s last day of kindergarten, our family of three turned into a family of four as we welcomed Baby Finn into our family. I feel more than blessed to be able to practice mindfulness with this second child, as I have learned from my first just how fast time flies by! 

 

-I acknowledge that the ability to cultivate a peaceful environment for the birth of a child comes from a place of privilege that I never thought I would have. Not all people have access to hypnobirthing coaching, the physical ability to breastfeed, or even the freedom to take time off work to bond with their child. I am so thankful for the support of our customers, family, and friends.

Blessing 1: Hypnobirthing

I began my hypnobirthing journey a few months leading up to the birth of my son, Finn, by reading Hypnobirthing: A Natural Approach to a Safe, Easier, More Comfortable Birthing by Marie F. Mongan. Having what felt like an eternity of labor with my first child, I was awestruck by the idea of having a smooth, joyful, natural birth. I knew it was possible since humans have been having natural birth since the Dawn of Woman. I had to give it a chance. 

Once I knew this was the journey for me, I began meeting a local hypnotherapist in my home on a weekly basis. The birth of my first kiddo was good in the respect that it was unmedicated and had few complications (almost two liters of blood loss), but when it came to the stress level I knew I could do better. My birth plan had gone completely out the window when I had to be transferred from the midwife-led birthing center to the hospital. This taught me that when it comes to birth, there are no surefire plans. It would be more beneficial for me to have tools, not plans. 

Hypnobirthing teaches you to use mindfulness, breathwork, and visualization to decrease your anxiety levels and therefore reduce your pain. I found this incredibly helpful in preparing for and the actual event of peacefully birthing my son into the world. I labored for only 4 hours, no crying or screaming, no drugs; simply breathing through the surges and reminding myself of all the positive birthing affirmations I had learned.

Focusing on the positive helped me stay out of the negative headspace and turned a scary experience into a positive one. Yes it was still incredibly painful but also incredibly rewarding and spiritual to have total body awareness while birthing a tiny human! After 4 hours of hypnotic breath-work, I left the birthing tub, I was ready to get on the bed and breathe Finn out. In child's position, I breathed through the crowning until Finn was out. 

“Fuck yeah, I did it!” I yelled my victory cry.

Blessing 2: Breastfeeding

I breastfed with my first child Ripley, and my second child Finn. Both experiences were totally different, and I must admit I understand why breastfeeding is not for everyone. 

I thought that breastfeeding would come naturally, but it didn’t. I couldn’t get Ripley to latch and it made me feel like less of a mom (I know I wasn’t, but the mom-guilt is REAL!). Fortunately, I was referred to a lactation consultant. Breastfeeding takes practice for both mama and baby. I was given so many useful tips and tricks on how to make feeding more comfortable for myself and my baby. It also gave me a better understanding of how milk is produced and how much my baby should be eating. The first few days were uncomfortable but once the baby and I got into the swing of things breastfeeding became a wonderful experience and a great opportunity for bonding. 

With my first kid I felt totally “touched out” and overstimulated by the amount of touching needed in supporting a breastfed baby, at times I wanted so badly to switch to formula and bottles, so I could get a break from sore nipples, an aching back, and the overstimulation of breastfeeding. I knew I wanted something different for my second kiddo; After all, if I was going to put so much energy into making the fetal and birthing journey magical and peaceful, I should strive for that in my daily routine that would follow with my newborn. How could I make breastfeeding less taxing? I turned it into a self-care, baby-care time. 

With my first child, I was back to work within 2 weeks and bouncing from farmers market to craft market. Feeding my baby was overstimulating for me since I had to engage with customers so much and balance my care with running a hands-on business. We were so small that maternity leave wasn’t even in the picture. Now whenever I feed Finn, I take the time to find a quiet place.  No more trying to feed my baby in a crowded market space while trying to help customers. This is sacred time and I treat it as such. I make the time and space to feed Finn in the garden, the cool and quiet bedroom, or in the park while listening to the birds chirp. These peaceful settings allow for better bonding with my baby, and my body.

Stay hydrated! I use this time to drink water, juice, or tea. With my first kiddo I was working so hard that I, sadly, wore dehydration and starvation as a badge of honor. Who has time to take a break from work anyway?! Part of my parenting journey with my firstborn was learning to take care of myself with love the same way I would take care of my daughter. This change in my thought process has changed my life immensely for the better. I would never want my daughter to be thirsty or hungry, thinking she had to suffer to show what a hard worker she was, so why should I expect that from myself? Now I take the time to take care of my nutritional needs in order to provide the proper nutrition for my breastfed baby. 

Enjoy your time. I still often think “I have so much to do” while I am sitting with my nursing kiddo. Now I replace that thought with a new one “I am so grateful for this time.” Someday I will be old and my children will be grown and I foresee wishing I had another opportunity to hold my kids close as tiny babies, feeding them and keeping them safe and happy. 

 

Blessing 3: Mindfulness and Scheduled Time Off

After growing my business for 10 years, I now have the opportunity to take time off for the birth of my second child. With my first born I worked up until my delivery day and then returned back to work a short 2 weeks later, newborn baby in tow everyday. This proved to be extremely difficult, I found I didn't get adequate work, nor parenting, done on a daily basis. This led to me feeling exhausted and disappointed in my ability to be a working woman and a mother, something our current society still stigmatizes as a lose-lose scenario.

So for the birth of my second child I knew I could not repeat this, I planned to take the summer off to bond with my newborn as well as my six year old. This meant I had to frontload my work and train my team to hold down the fort while I was gone. This turned out to be the most challenging part of my birthing journey. I have been running SWB for 10 years and this so happens to be the hardest time for our company economically. Inflation and having to relocate has hit our company hard and this was definitely not the best time for me to be taking off maternity time. However I think this was part of the challenge, to put my family before my business and have faith that everything would work out for the best. My team is doing a fantastic job managing things while I am taking this bonding time off and I look forward to returning to work in September full of inspiration for new products and my newborn in tow.  This time proud to be a mom and business owner.

My Favorite Sea Witch Products as a Mom

Being a crafter at heart, I have been able to make some products that have helped me immensely. It’s still a challenge to find petroleum-free maternity products, so I am so blessed to be able to make them myself. 

Nipple Balm- My go-to for sore nipples and dry baby skin.

Vasheen- The most gentle soap you can get for your baby's bath time!

Soothing Facial Toner- Lavender and rose essential oils in a witch hazel solution; This gentle spritz is perfect for spraying on bedding to help both mom and baby get some much needed sleep. (Do not spray directly on baby’s skin)

Incense- Once I am done changing a poopy diaper I like to light a stick of non-toxic incense and let it burn near the changing table in the bathroom to “cleanse the space”. I don't burn incense in the same room as my newborn since they should not be exposed to smoke or other aerosols. 

Woodland Salve- I always have this in my purse for my six year old. She is a total explorer, complete with scrapes, cuts, bug bites, and ouchies. I use this on her a ton!

 

Thank you for reading my thoughts and coming along with me on the journey. I am so appreciative of our supporters like you and feel so honored and privileged to have you in my life!