Tag: Pregnancy

For decades dads-to-be went golfing while their pregnant wives spent an afternoon as the honoree at a baby shower. Showers were the domain of women and it was made clear that men were not welcome in this feminine environment.

Well, the current trend may give fathers-to-be one last night out with the boys before diaper duty puts a damper on their social lives.

It is a life changing event – and not just for the mother. Men are more involved in raising their children than ever before. A dadchelor party is all about getting together with friends, knocking back a few beers, and letting off steam before the responsibility of parenthood changes leisurely weekends forever.

There are no hard and fast rules for man-showers; they are too new for that. Generally a package of diapers is exchanged for beer, often a lot of beer. A group of friends may pub crawl, spend the weekend in the city, or take in a baseball game. Generally the parties are rated PG although not always.

The dadchelor party acknowledges that a man is entering a new stage of his life. It is a modern rite of passage that can help the dad-to-be ease into the new chapter in his life.

Do keep in mind that, while dad may be blowing off steam and sowing the very last of his wild oats, what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas. Have a great time, make lots of good memories, but don’t do anything that would rock his (or his partner’s) world the next day.

Oh, and if you are a really awesome friend?  You’ll have room service bring him hot coffee and aspirin in the morning. Don’t forget to tell them to knock quietly.

photo credit: Olof Werngren

Many women today are waiting on having children until they are well into their 30’s and some are even waiting until after they are 40. There are many advantages to waiting to start a family; parents are presumably more mature and better equipped to handle parenthood, parents are more financially secure and have had time to travel the world and grow in their relationship with their partner.

All of these qualities lend itself to a solid foundation for raising a family. It sounds perfect, right? Read more…

Having a baby is a momentous occasion but when it happens, it’s all consuming and it literally takes over every part of your life. And trust me when I say, if you are a first time mom, it will be a little while before you will get back to an hour of time that’s all about you – so take some time before baby arrives and indulge a bit.

Get a haircut

Head to the salon and get those locks trimmed up because when baby arrives, a free hour will be hard to come by. So splurge a little by going to a salon that offers a scalp and neck massage for a bit of additional indulgence. Read more…

Here’s the thing about baby soaps and shampoos: they all smell the same.

I grew up in the decade of Johnson & Johnson baby bath and No More Tears Detangler…….if I try really hard, I can still smell that stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I love the stuff, but after a while a girl just wants something a little different.

Luckily, I was introduced to California Baby products shortly before our youngest daughter was born. Its calming scent was enough to soothe a cranky, pregnant momma and worked like a charm on a cranky, colicky newborn baby too!

A mom-created product, California Baby was born when newly-pregnant Jessica Iclisoy decided she wanted to raise her baby in the most natural and non-toxic environment possible. Her key ingredient, Decyl Polyglucose, is a gentle, biodegradable cleansing and bubbling agent derived from renewable and biodegradable plant sources. Add to that a variety of essential oils and you’ve got a fabulous product. Read more…

Have you ever noticed that when people find out you are pregnant the questions they ask border on being inappropriate? I was at the dentist today (fun fun!) and the dental hygienist was talking to me about my baby-to-be, which was difficult to begin with because I had numerous tools and both his hands in my mouth. Then he asked if I knew the sex of the baby and when I told him, “yes, we’re having a girl,” he asked me if I wanted a boy.

Now, I don’t know him. I’ve never spoken to him really except for a few grunts and “mmhmm” or “uhhu,” mumbles…What was I supposed to say? “Well, now that you mention it, I really did want a boy and I’m depressed and want to give it back and start all over again and thanks for asking because my shrink never even broached the subject with me and now I’m at a loss at what to tell my husband and, oh, have I mentioned that I can’t poop with any regularity?”

I mean come on!

At least he didn’t try to feel my belly!

photo credit: seanmcgrath

OMG! When thinking about the whole idea of having a second child, my husband and I forgot a number of crucial data points, which, unfortunately, have now reared their ugly heads. First, exhaustion. I mean, our toddler (20 months, now) is so precocious – she’s in to everything.

It’s fun, at times, to catch her studying how a chip clip works for minutes upon minutes, and I realize the wonder that has yet to unfold before her. Then, when she decides to remove each and every item from the pantry while I’m loading the dishwasher, it’s not so fun.

Just when I think I’ve gotten the house straightened up, I turn around to find hurricane Sophie has blown through, leaving bits of paper, stuffed animals and books strewn about. Everywhere. Now, add to that the exhaustion that comes with breeding a baby and you see where things get tough.

I never guessed that toddler-hood would require so much of my waning energy when I thought about getting pregnant. I based my decision on the facts I had at the time – little, docile 14-15 month old teetering from couch to chair back to couch. That was fun to watch, and I could do it sitting down!

Then, let’s address the whole morning sickness cover-up. I mean, the first time I was pregnant I was sick straight through, morning till night. No relief. Of course, on looking back I *remembered* it as being not so bad. When I had to lay down, I did. When I had to take it slow, I did. When I had to run to the bathroom (or pick up the nearest bucket), I did.

Oh oh, not so lucky this time…hormones are a wonderful curse – they cause all sorts of memory loss that, let’s be frank, is the only reason humans have continued to reproduce. If we actually remembered the hell that is pregnancy and childbirth, we, as intelligent, liberated women would NEVER choose to do it again. But, magically, we forget. At least I did.

Now, when I have have to puke (read: all day long) I can’t just lay down and bury my head…I have to *play* with my little one. Granted, no one watching me do this would regard it as playing for either adult or child, more like mild torture for both parties. But, hey, I do my best to at least throw up discreetly into a plastic baggie behind my back.

There is more – trust me – there is more, but full on complaining won’t get me anywhere. Although, a little venting is always good for the soul. Suffice it to say, if I knew then (ok, remembered) what I know now, my daughter would be a happy, well attended only child. That’s not to say I’m not looking forward to this little baby arriving – I am only too happy to get the tiny little thing out of my body and safely in to this world…it’s just that sometimes I wish I could skip the whole pregnancy part.

image credit: wilpf.org

Pregnant women are undeniably adorable. I find that there is something about seeing a woman with a big belly that makes me feel happy. Although, having been one of those women once, pregnant woman don’t always feel quite so adorable.

I photographed a beautiful woman the other day and, during the shoot I kept thinking that I should share a little about how to photograph a pregnant woman so that the soon to be mom looks great and not as huge as she may feel.

Without giving away the store, I decided to give a few tips for those moms and dads who want to take pictures of the pregnancy as it progresses. That way, many many pictures can chronicle the process.  Of course, there are many professionals out there (myself included) who can document the momentous occasion, but you might want to give it a try yourself, just to see what you can come up with.  If that is the case, then think of these ideas when you pick up your camera and start to shoot.

First, PROFILE. Shooting from the side rather than straight on will show more of the belly’s curves. Sometimes if you take a picture straight on of a pregnant woman, they can look large rather than pregnant – any trust me, no one wants that.

MYSTERY.  Yes, everyone will know it’s a pregnant belly, and sometimes they may even know it’s you in the photos, but nothing is sexier than a little mystery, even in maternity photographs.  There are many ways to do that, and here is my favorite photograph of a pregnant woman that incorporates a little seductive mystery.  We used what  we had around us and thought beyond the typical boobs and belly image.  In not showing everything, you may discover you reveal much more.

That should get you started!  Happy shooting.