Moments of Musing

Newborn Lifestyle Photos – July 2021

Filed Under: motherhood //

As I mentioned before, we did things a little different with our firstborn. One of those things was professional photos. We opted for professional maternity photos and took our own newborn photos. The second time around, I took my own maternity photos and we decided to get professional newborn and family photos. This time, especially since Baby E might be our last baby, I wanted to go all out, so we got professional maternity photos and newborn family photos taken by Cait & Will Photography. I couldn’t be happier with our decision!

Potty Training Follow-Up

Filed Under: motherhood //

 This post is sponsored by Cottonelle® but all opinions are my own. 

I remember dreading potty training before we started the process with our kids. The thought of cleaning up accidents all over our house made me queasy. Thankfully, that wasn’t really the case. 

Though I was initially pretty nervous to tackle potty training, it wasn’t as difficult a process as I’d envisioned it would be. My husband and I did some research to figure out what method to use and how to tailor it to our kiddos. To my surprise, both boys caught on and were potty trained within a few days. 

Getting them to go to the bathroom on their own and wipe their own behinds is a whole other story though! That pretty much has taken years ha! I knew it was something I wanted the older boys to do before bringing the new baby home, though, so they’d be a little more independent because I knew how busy I’d be taking care of them and their newborn brother. Fortunately, they’ve each made progress and I’m one proud (and relieved) mama. 

Something that has really helped are good quality toilet paper and flushable wipes. Cottonelle® Ultra ComfortCare™ Toilet Paper and Cottonelle® Flushable Wipes provide all day freshness for potty training and beyond—and for the whole family! 

Stocking up with these Cottonelle necessities from Walmart is easy with all the ways Walmart lets you shop – in-store, pickup/delivery, and ship-to-home. 

We all know that there are many great Cottonelle products so take this fun quiz to find out which products are best for you!

Finally, A Quiz To Tell You Which Toilet Paper You Are— https://www.buzzfeed.com/cottonelle/finally-a-quiz-to-tell-you-which-toilet-paper-you-are?bfseed=sodisco&distro_platform=facebook&origin=paidfb1&fbclid=IwAR0yw9cPwjHAk6om-MOKB6c1UmqZJVLXm4udTulwBqN9nKxG0X9PGRTqv3o

Normalize Motherhood’s Messiness

Filed Under: motherhood //

This post is sponsored by Poise® but all opinions are my own.

I recently got the call for my scheduled c-section date (feelings about that could go in a whole other post)! The bright side of it is that we know around what date the baby will be here. Despite feeling “ready”, to say I am nervous is an understatement. I have never had three kids so the adjustment will be a new experience, and I am scared to have a third c-section.

I am trying to view all the change positively, though. Thankfully, the baby is doing well and I am feeling pretty well. My weight gain is stagnant and my mood is happy. One of the more recent body changes I am experiencing has been increased bladder leaks. It’s nothing I haven’t experienced during pregnancy before, though… I am well aware that it’s just another part of the joyful messiness of motherhood!
 


Though this can be an uncomfortable topic for women to discuss, I think it’s important to raise awareness about what causes bladder leaks (hard kicks from the baby, laughing, sneezing, simply walking around, just being!) I am all for normalizing all parts of womanhood and motherhood – even, and perhaps especially, the messy parts.


For my bladder leaks, I have used Poise throughout my pregnancy and plan to continue during postpartum. They keep you 10X drier than the leading period pad, offering up to 12 hours of protection. Poise pads provide an incredible fit that helps prevent bunching and leaks, and though thin, they are thick enough to actually keep you dry. Poise’s trusted 3-in-1 protection provides dryness, comfort and odor control.

 
You can buy Poise pads and liners from your local Walmart in-store or via your online Walmart grocery order.


Raising Race Conscious + Kind Children

Filed Under: motherhood //

This post is sponsored by Inmar Intelligence but all ideas are my own.  #InmarIdeasThatMatter

As a Latina mom to multicultural kids and who works for the anti-violence nonprofit organization, CONNECT, I find importance in educating my kids about current events in age-appropriate ways. It’s why my boys have diverse dolls they play with (doll-playing in itself has been shown to increase empathy and nurturing in boys) and a collection in their little library dedicated to diversity.

When we watched Sesame Street’s town hall, Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism, on CNN last year, my 4-year-old asked me, “Why are people mean to Black people?” I explained to him that some people treat others differently based on skin color but that it is not the right thing to do. 

I went on to explain that everyone deserves to be treated equally and with kindness, no matter what they look like. I also remind him that he is multicultural, and that we have family members of different races and skin colors whom we all love the same.

Fast forward one year and he has begun identifying others by skin color. At first, it took me aback but I realize it is what he sees. Acknowledging the differences in skin color and emphasizing the significance of being kind and accepting of others no matter our differences is important and appropriate rather than simply ignoring his observations.

As parents, it is important to address race with our children because they begin observing and differentiating between races when they are babies. At just three months, they prefer faces from their own race. Between 2.5 and 5 years of age, social preferences based on race emerge, and by age 5 express preference for their own race. This is why discussing race, privilege, and bias early and often with kids is important.

Admittedly, these are not easy topics to navigate, though, and we parents are still learning, too. That’s why I think it’s important we give ourselves grace as we explore the topics and know we are trying our best to raise a more kind and compassionate future generation. 

Childbirth Can Make You Nervous, But There’s Hope…

Filed Under: childbirth, motherhood, pregnancy //



This blog post is sponsored by Blue Cross BlueShield Association, but all opinions are my own.

As a mom of two boys, most people probably thought what was most on my mind during pregnancy was the sex of the new baby. However, as a two-time c-section (the 1st of which I believe was avoidable) mom, what’s been on my mind most (aside from staying healthy and not getting sick) are my pregnancy and childbirth decisions, and what birth will ultimately be like. 

Have I chosen the right practice/doctors? Will a third c-section be especially risky? What can I do to be healthy this pregnancy? Will my birth be safe? 

I actually thought about those things even before I got pregnant. To others who’ve never been pregnant, it might seem premature to have been thinking about birth before even conception, but it’s worth thinking about because birth is such a monumental experience for both moms and babies. Birth makes me nervous…It is what’s made me most nervous each pregnancy, and with reason.

 

According to a recent study by Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), “Racial Disparities in Maternal Health,” pregnant women in the U.S. are more than twice as likely to die from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth than those in most other high-income countries in the world. 

 

There are wide disparities among those who experience childbirth complications: Across all age groups, women in majority Black and Hispanic communities were more likely to have higher severe maternal morbidity (SMM) rates compared to women in majority white communities. Black and Hispanic women have 63% and 32%, respectively, higher rates of SMM than white women.



The BCBSA study found that racial disparities in SMM are especially pronounced for women in majority Black communities. The SMM rate for women younger than 35 in majority Black communities is still higher than the SMM rate for women 35 and older (and, therefore, considered higher risk) women in majority white communities.

 

Compared with white mothers, mothers of color missed more prenatal appointments, mainly due to transportation costs or scheduling conflicts. Mothers of color were also less likely to feel their doctors spent enough time with them. Black mothers were the least confident, when compared to Hispanic and white mothers, that they received or would receive the prenatal care they deserved, and that they could speak openly about their pregnancy with their provider.

 

To combat these racial disparities in our country’s maternal health care, BCBSA’s National Health Equity Strategy and local Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are doing the following:

  • Collecting data to measure disparities
  • Scaling effective programs for mothers of color
  • Working with providers to improve outcomes and address unconscious bias
  • Leaning into partnerships at the community level
  • Influencing policy decisions at the state and federal levels
  • Improving postpartum care, particularly for high-risk moms
  • Delivering groceries to food-insecure households 


And that’s just a few of the efforts taking place. I appreciate these efforts and their goal to reduce racial disparities in maternal health by 50% in the next five years. 

 

Like all other moms, the health and safety of myself and my baby are what matter most. Ultimately, no matter the birth I experience (though I always wished for a vaginal birth I am scheduled for a third c-section), all I want is for me and my baby to be safe.