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This cartoon is soooo hilarious and accurate.

Did you hire anyone to assist you after your birth? Which did you find the MOST helpful? Did you hire them for subsequent births, or only the first?
It is so funny how many “THINGS” we think we need with the first baby, then we actually give birth and find out what we reallllly need. Haha!

Diapers. Milk. Sling. Clothes. and HELP!

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*happy babywearing*
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Well… the news is out… PAXmommy Jillian is expecting Baby Number NINE sometime in July 2017!!!
#weneedanewhashtag

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*happy babywearing*
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The post BABY #9! appeared first on PAXbaby.

***Please take caution when reading this heartfelt post; you may be triggered if you have been affected by pregnancy loss.
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Now that you have tried to make a baby, there’s the endless two week wait while you wrestle with the inner turmoil and emotional personal disputes not limited to “was now the right time?” “should we have waited?” “am I ready?” “are WE ready?” “what will I do if we are pregnant?” “what will I do if we’re NOT pregnant.” For me, having lost our eighth baby in May but knowing for 21 days before I started bleeding that the early birth was imminent, my current wait for my period to start is causing PTSD style flashbacks. A few months ago I was hanging onto each moment with my baby and trying not to lose my mind in grief. Here I am today, hoping for the best, but expecting nothing, and reliving each day of my loss while I carefully check my toilet paper (ok, you got me! family cloth!) for a trace of blood or ANY clue as to why I am now 2 days late without a positive on my pregnancy tests. Speaking of which, I ordered a stack of 100 cheapies from Amazon when we decided that September would be our first TRY month! I love the cheap sticks because I can pee away without worrying about the money; I limited myself to 1 a day but quickly progressed to 2. Given the fact that I am crying at the latest episode of This Is Us, craving eggs (I’m a VEGAN!), and I suddenly think that coffee tastes gross, I want to believe that I am pregnant and my HCG levels just aren’t caught up yet. But on the other hand, I have become a public crier since losing my Blaise in May, my friend Guin has been hooking us up with amazing happy eggs from her backyard chickens, and at PAXretreat I was treated to amazing cappuccino every day so ordinary coffee is kind of gross in comparison. So maybe these aren’t symptoms as much as they are just part of being me.

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The thoughts that go through my mind every time I step into the bathroom to pee on ANOTHER stick are :
You just bribed your other kids to stay downstairs with some gluten free cookies and a science based show on Netflix so that you could go in the bathroom and cry. This is a new low.

You can’t even go to the bathroom without at least one child sitting in your lap. How will you fit your belly in here too??

If you pee on your hand one more time while aiming for the pee stick….

And my personal favorite, your baby is finally sleeping through the night and 100% potty trained except the occasional accident. WHY ON EARTH would you want to start all over?

But the thoughts that go through my mind each time I pee on another stick and see that negative sticking its tongue out at me are :
You have peed on 10 sticks in the last 3 days; just wait and see.

You are the most impatient person I know.

You need to drink more water; your pee isn’t clear!

You need to calm down, and focus on the 7 little blessings waiting for you downstairs, covered with cookie crumbs and filled with new Science facts to share with you.

You need to accept with grace whatever happens this month.

Next month is another cycle, another chance for the baby that YOU KNOW you are meant to hold in your arms.

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But let me tell you, the wait is so stressful, and the associations I can give every odd event make my emotions swing wildly within minutes. I took 2 naps yesterday; I MUST be pregnant! I don’t feel like eating; I MUST NOT be pregnant! My breasts hurt; I MUST be pregnant! I have high highs and low lows like PMS; I MUST NOT be pregnant! My belly is sticking out even though I’m not eating much and exercising daily; I MUST be pregnant!

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Now add to this emotional rollercoaster the guilt that I feel for closing the story of my 8th baby, and wanting to try again for #9. Did I give her tiny life enough respect. Have I taught the kids well that though they never got to meet their baby sister, she counts as one of their siblings. Was I a good enough mom to my Blaise during our 15 weeks together.  Am I ready to share my love with someone new.  Am I ready to be pregnant again, count the weeks again, and hold my breath until we pass that 15 week mark when I gave birth last. Will my body be ready in 36ish weeks to be healthy, and my mind to be whole and focused and not remembering the pain and suffering that a year beforehand brought me to my hardest birth. Can I give a new baby the grace to not replace my Blaise, but to be another love of my life, not detracting from my previous experience, but adding a new bud to the beautiful bouquet of lives, deaths, and memories that I hold in my heart.
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Am I strong enough? Am I mom enough? Time will tell.
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The post Waiting appeared first on PAXbaby.

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It’s been a lovely, busy and amazing 4 years working with PAXmommy Christina! She first asked me about being part of the PAXbaby team on a sunny afternoon while we were watching our baby boys climb clumsily on a local playground. I needed the help so I accepted her invitation gladly, and it’s been non stop fun since! A zillion birthday parties, pedicures, BBQs, new babies, and late night work sessions later, it’s time for us to say goodbye to PAXmommy Christina and let her her spread her wings! She is a doula, Bradley instructor and placenta encapsulator when she’s not being a full time mama to 4 little ones and has touched many with her beautiful presence!
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Thank you, Christina, for gracing PAXbaby.com with your steady peace, your constant patience, your loving nature and your deep babywearing knowledge. We will miss you, we love you, and we can’t wait to see where your bright wings take you!
With love, jillian and the PAXmoms

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*happy babywearing*

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The post Farewell, PAXmommy Christina! appeared first on PAXbaby.

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Yesterday  kicked off National Infertility Awareness Week 2016. The theme this year is #StartAsking. As words aren’t always adequate, a simple heart will do. For each loss, you can share a blue heart, if you’re currently still walking this infertility path, a yellow heart, and for each child in your life, a red heart. Share this post with your friends and #StartAsking, raising awareness for all. Hope we may find comfort in discovering we are not alone.

BIG LOVE to all of you!!!

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*happy babywearing*
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The post National Fertility Awareness appeared first on PAXbaby.

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We could go on & on about the benefits of placenta encapsulation : postpartum recovery, natural milk stimulant, added dietary iron, etc!!! The ingestion of one’s placenta has been used by Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries, but here in the United States, it is still a relatively new & *shocking* trend! Ask any mother who has compared postpartum experiences with & without the help of her placenta, you will hear glowing reviews! Read more at Placenta Benefits http://placentabenefits.info/index.asp or ask at PAXbaby.com!!!!

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*happy babywearing*

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The post WE <3 Placenta Pills!! appeared first on PAXbaby.

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Let’s show PAXmommy Christina some L <3 V E!!!!! She welcomed her beautiful baby boy last night and we are over the moon (rainbow??)!!!!

Name and details to be announced at a later date!

Happy babymooning!!!

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*happy babywearing*

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The post Congratulations, PAXmommy Christina!! appeared first on PAXbaby.

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Goodbye to PAXmommy Brianna!

To every story there is a beautiful beginning and a happily ever after, and for PAXmommy Brianna, her dream come true has happened! As of this week, she is the owner of a sweet baby boutique in San Diego called Buddha Baby, and also of this week, she won’t be working with PAXbaby as a PAXmom anymore! As sad as we are to see her go, all the PAXmoms wish her so much luck with her new adventure; the local community is so blessed to have such an avid knowledgeable babywearing educator to help spread the love!

Please join us in sending Brianna and Buddha Baby much love!!!

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*happy babywearing*

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The post PAXmommy Brianna’s Happily Ever After appeared first on PAXbaby.

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Today is International Day of the Midwife, so we should not let that go by without some fanfare!!!

The PAXmommies have been so lucky and so blessed to have some of the best midwives around!!!

Thank you for looking after our families so well!

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*happy babywearing*

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The post Happy International Day of the Midwife! appeared first on PAXbaby.

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It’s International Doula Week, and since a few of our PAXmoms are doulas, we wanted to share this amazing meme with you!

Please feel free to post and share as well! Birth is a passion of PAXmommy Jillian’s and birth photography is the best of both worlds coinciding into one perfect moment! Thank you, PAXfriend Gabrielle for this <3

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*happy babywearing*

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The post International Doula Week appeared first on PAXbaby.

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The PAXmommies gifted January from Birth Without Fear a Vice Versa *cream* DW wrap conversion ring sling for her adorable little #beardbaby at BabyFest today!!
We cannot wait to see action photos! <3

Congrats, January!!! Thank you so much for your passion in regards to everything that is BIRTH!

<3 The PAXmommies

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*happy babywearing*

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The post PAXmommies and January appeared first on PAXbaby.

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Have you written out birth stories for each of your children?
How soon after their birth did you write it up?

Did you find that you forgot the little details, or was it still etched upon your mind?
It is crazy how you spend 9 (ish) months (give or take), dreaming of your sweet baby – what he or she will look like, what they will sound like, how big they will be, whose eyes will they have?? What will their first carrier be?? And then… how will the birth be? Will it go “as planned”? Will there be any surprises?? Will they be early? Late? Just on time??

And then…

That moment.

When you hold your baby for the first time, breath in his sweet scent… and all the questions fade… it is like you knew them all along.

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*happy babywearing*

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The post Birthstories… appeared first on PAXbaby.

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PAXmommy Shannon’s Baby #5 – Kelly Joy is HERE!!!!!

Born August 16th in her own home, in water. 

7 lb 12 oz, 20″ long.

We are all just SO overjoyed that Baby KJ is finally Earthside and so proud of our amazing friend!! 

A huge congratulations to PAXmommy Shannon and her entire family.

Happy Babymoon, Shannon!!!!

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*happy babywearing*

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The post INTRODUCING: Kelly Joy appeared first on PAXbaby.

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PAXmommy Shannon is due with Baby #5 in only a few weeks!!!

Did you have a birthing mantra that you used? Please share with us your faves! 

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*happy babywearing*

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The post Birthing Mantras Needed! appeared first on PAXbaby.

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Care to place your votes???
PAXmommy Mel is pregnant with baby #4 and due THIS September!!!
Do you think she is having a GIRL or a BOY???
The count at her home thus far is: boy, girl, girl.

Were any of the old wive’s tales true for you? Or did you just have a “feeling”?

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*happy babywearing*

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The post PAXmommy Mel – BOY or GIRL!? appeared first on PAXbaby.

Dear Jillian,

I’m Anna from Budapest,Hungary. I wrote you a comment on IG (@szannae), about thank you for inspiring me. But I think that’s not even close to enough.

Me and my baby boy had a really painful birth story. Long story short,after two days of contractions,being alone in hospital,without my husband, I was allowed to call my family, then the doctor gave me enema,epidural (I asked for it because after two days I was exhausted and I really wanted to have a small piece of break to have strength to push),pitocin and he broke my water. Then I felt that I have to push. They told me what to do, I was so happy, I knew that I’ll meet my baby in a few minutes. Then the doctor said something’s wrong, let’s go to the surgery… So that’s it.

They didn’t even show me the baby, they took him immediately to wash him. I saw him for a few seconds after that but then they took him away for 7 hours! Just because that’s the protocoll. I cried constantly in the hospital. My milk came in just on the 5th day. He was mostly on formula for almost 3 months. I had supply problems, I pumped and nursed, pumped and nursed. My baby and I were so unhappy. I felt I failed. I wasn’t able to give birth naturally and to feed him.

Then I found loads of blogs of wonderful mummas all over the world, sharing their stories. And it gave me hope that I can do this.

You, Jillian, gave me the idea of wearing him in a ring sling (in this country it’s not very common…) and a I’ve read a lot of posts so I decided to quit pumping, I grabbed the baby and didn’t get out of bed for almost two weeks. I nursed/wore him 24-7. And after that two weeks we never used bottle again. I realized that the key was not pumping or any medicines..it was the silence, the intimate days of constant cuddles. It was locking the world,the doctors,the bad advice out. And just focusing on my baby and me. That helped me not to cry always when I thought about birth or the first 7 hours of knowing nothing about him… Here, attachment parenting is not very common. Parenting traditions are way too old-school. And every third birth ends in cesarean.

So that’s why I found so much relief in your posts! I cannot even thank you enough for helping me and my baby boy to not just survive the first months, but healing enough to find joy and happiness in being with each other. I thank you oh so much, all of you, wonderful mummas, sharing your thoughts, experiences, now I know, I’m not alone.

I hope you all the best!

And for Jillian, special thanks for transforming me into a babywearing-addict.

With love and respect,

Sincerely, Anna

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*happy babywearing*

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The post Anna’s Story appeared first on PAXbaby.

PAXbaby.com is proud to host THREE  Uppymama *After Midnight* Auctions, to benefit Commonsense Childbirth!!

100% of the proceeds from these auctions, beyond the opening bid, will be sent to Commonsense Childbirth to provide midwifery care to women who cannot otherwise afford it.

These auctions will run from Monday, March 24th, 2014 to Friday, March 28th, 2014.

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Auction #1: http://paxbaby.com/paxbabys-after-midnight-uppymama-auction-1-commonsense-childbirth/

Auction #2: http://paxbaby.com/paxbabys-after-midnight-uppymama-auction-2-commonsense-childbirth/

Auction #3: http://paxbaby.com/paxbabys-after-midnight-uppymama-auction-3-commonsense-childbirth/

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<3 This cause is especially close to our hearts, as Jennie Joseph of Commonsense Childbirth was PAXmommy Brianna’s midwife during her pregnancy with her oldest daughter, Delia. <3

Thank you so much for everything you do, Jennie!

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Commonsense Childbirth: because every woman deserves a healthy baby.

Read all about Commonsense Childbirth and Jennie Joseph’s vision, here: 

http://www.commonsensechildbirth.org/index.php/overview 

Read the inspiring interview with Jennie Joseph from ImprovingBirth.org, here:
http://www.improvingbirth.org/2013/07/privilege/

“We started with the fundamental premise that every woman wants a healthy baby and every woman deserves one. When a woman sees that you firmly believe that, she too is motivated to do the best she can for herself and her baby.”

Jennie Joseph, LM CPM
Midwife, Founder and Executive Director

Our vision is that all women have a healthy pregnancy, birth and baby and our key principle is that no one is turned away.

Commonsense Childbirth’s mission is to ensure access to timely maternity healthcare particularly for minority, low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women; and to provide practical, social, educational and emotional support, resources and referrals as a means to improving the chances for a positive outcome.

Commonsense Childbirth currently operates a birthing center, known as The Birth Place in Winter Garden, Florida which incorporates a new concept, a community-based midwifery clinic called the Easy Access Prenatal Care Clinic. Our goal is to provide Easy Access Prenatal Care Clinic wherever we can partner with supportive agencies and/or practitioners.

Commonsense Childbirth provides an on-site outreach clinic day once a week. Maternity care is provided utilizing Jennie Joseph’s JJ Way® MCH health care system, as well as help with Medicaid applications and referrals to social services as needed. We see all women, regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation or ability to pay, for full new-patient exams, repeat prenatal visits and post-partum care as needed. Education services encompass nutrition, childbirth preparation, breast feeding and parenting support groups. Referrals are made to our regional perinatal service at Winnie Palmer Hospital, Orlando for any high-risk patients that we identify. Healthy, low-risk women who are motivated to deliver naturally are offered the opportunity to deliver at our birth center, all others proceed to the hospital for delivery and return to our care for postpartum follow-up.

OUTCOMES AND DESIRED CHANGES

We have found that perinatal outcomes have consistently improved in the women who are currently being served by The Birth Place/CSC program. Women in our practice tend to reach full-term, have babies over six pounds and are more likely to initiate breast feeding than similar populations. (See our 2007 Study results). By providing easier access to this model of care in the targeted areas we anticipate being able to continue this positive trend.

Contact:

http://www.commonsensechildbirth.org/index.php/contact-us

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Donate here

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Read more about The Birth Place:

http://www.commonsensechildbirth.org/index.php/thebirthplace

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*happy babywearing*

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The post Commonsense Childbirth appeared first on PAXbaby.

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Let’s chat about placentas, friends!

Who has questions?

Who has concerns?

Did you keep yours?
Did you have it encapsulated?

It seems that perhaps the concept behind ingesting placentas can be scary or misinterpreted; let’s talk about that to start!

You can either comment below, post on our Facebook wall, or email us at help@PAXbaby.com to share your questions, comments or concerns.
We would *love* to hear from you!!
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*happy babywearing*

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The post Let’s Talk Placentas! appeared first on PAXbaby.

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“I believe in birth.”

Find a great compilation of positive and spiritual birth affirmations here : http://motherbabybirth.blogspot.ca/2012/02/birth-affirmations.html
We just love the pure joy depicted on this mama’s face.

Did you have any specific affirmations that you used that helped you on your birthing journey?

Credit for this stunning image goes to Amy Haderer

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*happy babywearing*

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The post I Believe In Birth appeared first on PAXbaby.

How was *your* 2013?? At PAXbaby.com, we had a wild a crazy year!! But we are SO ready to ring in the New Year with a special back-to-back giveaway!!! Help us celebrate 2014 by joining in on the giveaway fun!!!

PAXbaby.com‘s New Year’s Eve Countdown Giveaway, hosted by Wearing is Caring, is that PERFECT “Born in the Water” advocacy onsie in a 24 month size!!! What better was to share your birth story than to have your little one wear it!?! The winner will be emailed after upon the return of the PAXmommies on January 2nd!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

PAXbaby.com‘s New Year’s Day Giveaway, hosted by Jude’s Forest, is an oh-so-precious knitted bunting outfit!!! This  outfit features wooden buttons and a handy hole for the car seat or stroller buckle! It is about a size 6-12 months. Jude’s Forest has also graciously offered a FREE monogram on the bunting for the winner! The winner will be emailed after upon the return of the PAXmommies on January 2nd!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and *happy babywearing*
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