Modern Mamahood: The Book That Saved My Pregnancy

Jennifer Louden has authored several books for women. In all of these books, she uses creative, self-evaluating exercises and assignments to reveal how we can master common challenges that are a natural part of womanhood.

When I was pregnant, I picked up Louden's "The Pregnant Woman's Comfort Book: Self Nurturing Guide to Emotional Well-Being During Pregnancy and Early Motherhood". I looked through the book when it arrived in the mail and thought it seemed pretty cool, something different.

It wasn't until I was in the thick of pregnancy, when my hormones went wilder than Lohan, that I was able to put this book to use. I loved that it has a 2-page spread matrix in the middle of the book. You read down the list of emotions on the chart, find what you are experiencing at the moment, and then look at the various chapters of the book that deal with sorting through those feelings.

Chapters that helped me most are How to Gracefully Ask For and Accept Support, Ambivalence: Grieving Changes, Fear and of course...Work. Each chapter was brief but included enough anecdotal and factual information to allow the pregnant reader to feel connected with and that help was on its way. The next few pages of each chapter are filled creative activities such as free writes, drawing, meditations, affirmations and action items.

One chapter in particular saved my pregnancy. It's entitled simply: Surrender. I was having a really hard time confronting the fact that I had zero control over many of the things that could happen during pregnancy and childbirth to myself and to my child. From small things like body changes to big things like stillbirth, I was a mess when it came to surrendering control of my destiny in this situation.

Me at 37 Weeks...woah.

Louden's solution was for me to learn to sink into submission and explore what it meant to me and the larger meaning of why I was called to surrender right now. After an awesome free write, an assignment that had me draw/paint/color five different representations of what surrendering meant to me, and a heavy affirmation, I came out on the other side with a deeper connection to why I must surrender to nature and how to feel okay about it. Can't thank this woman enough for allowing me to actually enjoy that beautiful place of surrender aka my pregnancy.

Other titles by Louden using a similar approach that many LL's would probably devour include:

• The Life Organizer: A Woman's Guide to a Mindful Year
• Woman's Comfort Book: A Self-Nurturing Guide for Restoring Balance in Your Life
• The Woman's Retreat Book: A Guide to Restoring, Rediscovering and Revitalizing Your True Self -- in a Moment, an Hour, or a Weekend
• Comfort Secrets for Busy Women: Finding Your Way When Your Life is Overflowing

The Modern Mamahood Column on the Ladies Lotto Blog:

As our Ladies Lotto community grows and evolves, we now have quite a few mamas and mamas-to-be! The LL Modern Mamahood weekly column presents the issues and products related to being a Ladies Lotto Mama. Blogger: Lana Perry

Cup O' Joe Anyone?

I found this Time article a bit interesting. For a couple of reasons. One, caffeine can be a serious addiction and should not be taken lightly. And two, as someone who did not have any morning sickness I'm a bit offended that morning sickness is equated with a healthy pregnancy. My midwife would say otherwise. Most past and present pregnant women give me the evil eye whenever I say I haven't had any morning sickness.

Speaking of morning sickness, according to the American Pregnancy Association (didn't know there was one), morning sickness "is not harmful to you or your baby." But if the sickness is excessive definitely tell your health care provider. Here are some of the Do's and Don'ts of morning sickness. Truthfully, if you are experience morning sickness, try them all. But if not... you and your baby are fine until otherwise told by a doctor or midwife.

Helpful Do's and Don'ts:

Do:

• Eat small meals often
• Drink fluids 1/2 hour before or after a meal, but not with meals
• Drink small amounts of fluids during the day to avoid dehydration
• Eat soda crackers 15 minutes before getting up in the morning
• Avoid foods and smells that increase nausea
• Ask someone else to cook for you and open the windows or turn on fans if the odor bothers you
• Get plenty of rest and nap during the day
• Avoid warm places (feeling hot adds to nausea)
• Sniff lemons or ginger, drink lemonade, or eat watermelon to relieve nausea
• Eat salty potato chips (they have been found to settle stomachs enough to eat a meal)
• Exercise

Don'ts:

• Do not lie down after eating
• Do not skip meals
• Do not cook or eat spicy food

Lenox Davis Out.