Tips and tricks for flying with child under twoMy daughter has flown 5 times in her first year of life, and I have to tell you; It's been really easy. 3 out of the 5 times, I have even been by myself.
Through these travels, I have discovered some helpful tips and tricks for flying with a baby.
Most importantly, it is only a slight amount of time in your life. You are a strong person and an incredible parent. You can handle this. Wrap your baby up in a carrier, snuggle and kiss, hum a song, rock back and forth, and just stay in your own little world with your child. P.S. Unsolicited ad for Southwest: We now never fly anything besides Southwest (when available). You get two checked bags for free. There isn't a fee to use your airline credits if you have to reschedule your flight. Families with a child under 6 can board together between the A group and the B group. They've taken to presenting their safety announcements with humor, which starts the flight off on a good note. I feel all of these components make them very baby and family friendly.
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Music During Labor and BirthThey say smell is one of the strongest senses tied to memory. I think music is even stronger.
Think of when a song comes on that you haven't heard in forever, and bam you're right back to jamming at your middle school homecoming dance. You know all the words, even though you can't remember geometry; but your jam, it will forever be in your soul. I had a specific Pandora station I listened to towards the end of my pregnancy and during my birth. This is now my daughter's station, as she is familiar with all the songs. When we played this familiar music to her in the early postpartum period it soothed her better than any shushing. One song in particular we call the baby song - What a Day (2008) by Greg Laswell. "What a day to welcome a baby to begin breathing." This lyric stuck with me and I knew I needed to hear it while I was in labor. And there was a time during my labor I had this song on repeat. It was my day to welcome my baby to begin breathing. Whenever this song comes up on our Pandora station I am brought right back to a very special time surrounding the introduction of my baby to this world. Should you make a labor playlist? It's up to you! You never know what you might want to listen to, and you might not want to listen to anything. I had an Enya playlist all set up, and I listened to it a bit, but found I actually wanted my normal playlist on with my lyrical songs I could get into. If you have time and enjoy making playlists, go for it! But if it's stressing you out to have one more thing on your "must do" list. Skip it. Your doula probably has a playlist set up anyways ;) My top baby playlist songs:
Not the most standard labor songs, but these touched my heart and will forever bring me back to the birth of my daughter in our little Colorado apartment during the snow of winter. Bodily Changes After PregnancyThe Mulligrubs: The thing my mother has been warning me about for many, many years. The squishy, scarred skin on your stomach, with lumps, and grumps, and general displeasure. Generally happens after you've had a baby.
I gained 30lbs through the pregnancy of my daughter and am now 10lbs under my pre-pregnancy weight; my stomach shows this progression. I now have the mulligrubs. My stomach has never been flat, will never be flat, and I've never truly been happy with my body. Some days, when I catch my image in the mirror, and think how could anyone my age possibly find me attractive looking like THIS, it can be really difficult to not think: I'm ruined. But then my baby crawls over, pulls up on my leg, and gives me a hug; I'm reminded that in a way, my body is not my own anymore. Through pregnancy, nursing, snuggles, and hugs, my body has made itself perfect. With my grubs, came a type of peace with my self-image. I carried my baby nine long months. I felt my skin break when she stretched and kicked. I felt my body make room and adjust around her. I earned my Tiger Stripes. My marks are almost completely faded, my daughter isn't on me quite so much, but my mulligrubs remain and will get worse when we decide to have another baby. I think I'm ok with that. I'd sacrifice anything for my children, especially something as insubstantial as the idolized perception of how a woman should look. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.In some interviews, a question from naturally minded potential clients comes up: "Will you leave if I choose to get an epidural?"
I get why they think they need to ask this question, as I've encountered other doulas who do say yes. Doulas that do retain judgement about their clients choices and will leave. No one knows how their labor will go. Even from one pregnancy to the next. You may set out with the goal of avoiding an epidural, but in the moment of labor, when there is this option of pain relief presented to you, you may change your mind. You may need to rest if you've been dealing with labor for days, heck even a few hours. Getting an epidural is perfectly ok! Even when you had initially not wanted one. You didn't fail yourself. You didn't fail your baby. You certainly didn't fail me, because I'm not your grader. You didn't make the wrong choice. You made the best choice for you, your body, your baby, your labor. As your birth doula I will not leave you. I still have a role and can add value to your experience. Just as your job is not done, mine is not done. You should be proud of whatever choice you make. You should be proud if you had a natural birth. You should be proud if you chose an epidural. You should be proud of the incredible strength it takes to go through a cesarean. If you do experience trauma and regret about what happened, I don't leave you alone for that either. I provide postnatal appointments and continued postpartum support that allow you the opportunity to process the birth as you wish. I also have the resources to recommend additional support if needed.. A doula's job is about Continued Support, through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Judgement free, guilt free, shame free, unbiased support. |
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