Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
A couple of years ago on Mother’s Day, I shared a call to peace in the mommy wars and to step into our power as moms and women. Over the last couple of years, I’ve noticed a shift. The “war” between working moms and stay-at-home moms seems to have calmed a bit… maybe we’ve realized …
Let’s be honest… as moms, we will do just about anything to get our kids to sleep. Sleep is what makes a parent’s world go ’round. We need good sleep, and we desperately need our kids to get good sleep, too. Recently, I’ve begun reading about how a weighted blanket may be able to help kids sleep …
Parents of toddlers always ask me for tips on three things: how to keep them busy, how to get them to eat healthy food, and how to potty train them. Toddlers have a mind of their own and aren’t afraid to let you know their feelings (very loudly, I might add). So, when it comes …
I remember how easy it was to “work out” in college. For one thing, I was walking miles each week just to get to class, and whenever I got stressed and needed a mental break from homework, I could just go to the gym on campus (for free) and get a workout in. I didn’t …
I’m a huge proponent of getting enough sleep despite how difficult that is in our modern lives. But sometimes it’s outside forces that are causing us or our kids to have trouble going to sleep, staying asleep, or getting quality sleep. Luckily there are many natural ways to help kids sleep that are simple to …
During every one of my pregnancies I’ve learned many new words and terms that I didn’t even know existed before we started having children… Words like placenta previa, nuchal cord, VBAC, and HBAC (and lots of others). After having several babies myself and serving as a doula for many others, I’d started to feel that I finally …
I’ve had to get creative finding ways to keep my older kids active indoors and engaged instead of bored. But toddlers are a whole other ball game! Toddlers are at an interesting place developmentally. It’s a time of incredible growth with so many firsts: saying first words and then whole sentences, potty training, and so …
A toddler’s appetite can sometimes seem like a bottomless pit! Their growing bodies require nourishment, and lots of it. Go beyond conventional finger foods like Cheerios and baby puffs with these ideas for simple and nourishing finger foods for toddlers. I promise… even picky eaters will ask for more of these! Healthy Finger Foods for …
A healthy diet is vital during pregnancy, but it’s just as important while nursing. The body uses up a lot of calories and nutrients to make that amazing liquid gold for baby. But sometimes moms don’t make enough breastmilk to meet their baby’s needs and may need a little help getting their supply up. Alternately, …
Pregnant women may have that healthy glow, but there are plenty of skin issues that can also accompany motherhood. From hormonal acne to stretch marks and everything in between, it helps to know the ins and outs of pregnancy skin care. With each kid I learned a little more about which products were best to …
I’ll never forget when a video called “The World’s Toughest Job” went viral. In this video, people came in to interview for a job for “Director of Operations” and were told that it required 135+ hours per week with no vacation, no sick days, and no pay. They were told it would be physically and …
Pregnancy, labor, birth, and then breastfeeding… all of these things put high physical strain and demand for nutrients on a mom’s body. It’s so important to take time to nourish and replenish our bodies each step of the way, especially during the crucial postpartum time. Sitting down to breastfeed many times a day (and night) …
The decision to cloth diaper is easy for some. But if you are like me, there are a million questions that need to be answered first! Cloth diapering today is so different from the way our grandmothers did it. I have talked to many women who remember cloth diapering as a burdensome task that they …
Utah recently passed legislation to “legalize the 80s” and let kids play outside again without fear of CPS being called on the parents. The new law essentially defined the difference between letting kids have independence and parental neglect, protecting the ability for kids to ride bikes and play outside alone. I shared a video about …
I remember being pregnant with my first baby and going to the store to register for baby products. I was like a kid in a candy store, convinced that I needed every cute outfit, innovative gadget, and award-winning baby products. I registered for dozens of items, and in hindsight, I’m so glad that I never …
As many of you know, I’ve had six children in nine years. I’m certainly open to having more children in the future, but I feel like my body would benefit from a break from pregnancy/nursing, especially as I am working to overcome my autoimmune disease and heal my thyroid. Why Not Hormones? I’ve written before …
Healthy baby food is a topic I feel very strongly about and will definitely step onto the soapbox for! Like many aspects of life, convenience doesn’t equal quality (although I argue homemade baby food can be very convenient if you take a simple approach) and many of the current pre-made baby food options are definitely …
Being a mom is hard work. Really hard work (but that’s preaching to the choir, right?)!! I love my children, but that doesn’t make caring for them 24/7 any easier. As moms our help and support is in constant demand … but you can’t constantly give when your own cup is running dry. (Unless the …
There’s no doubt that infertility is a rising problem in today’s society. And while this has never been an issue for me, the CDC finds that about 10 percent of women (6.1 million) in the U.S. ages 15-44 struggle to get pregnant or stay pregnant. The reasons are many (and we don’t know all of …
There’s nothing cuter or sweeter smelling than a baby fresh out of the bath! Unfortunately, those sweet-smelling conventional baby washes can strip away natural protective oils, and many contain undesirable ingredients (especially the mot popular brands). Thankfully there are some great natural baby wash brands, but they can be expensive. This foaming baby wash is …
Note from Katie: My good friend Genevieve Howland, aka Mama Natural, has one of the top resources for natural pregnancy. She just released her beautiful new book, The Mama Natural Week-By-Week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth and is sharing from some of her research today. Enter Genevieve: Psssst. I want to let you in on a little secret. …
In short… yes. My amazing last home birth experience that saved me from an 8-week c-section surgery recovery was not legal in my state. If you missed my birth story, the birth (of my now one-year-old) was a breech home VBAC and my 8 pound daughter had perfect APGAR scores. This post is different from my normal posts …
Our children are the first generation in history to grow up in a world where the internet has always existed. Many of them know how to work an iPhone before they can talk. They may give you a quizzical look when you talk about things like VCRs, typewriters, and pagers. In many ways, their generation will …
At more than one point in time I have had as many as three children teething in my home. The older children are able to understand what is going on but the baby just doesn’t understand why there is an aching pain in his mouth. It seems to happen the same way every time. After several days …
