In some ways, breastfeeding is an instinctual art, but in other ways, it is a learned skill that takes time and space to master. Have you ever looked in a breastfeeding book and the images looked blissful? Well those women have mastered breastfeeding. It takes time and lots of practice to master something. Let me give you an example of what I mean. Have you ever looked at a yoga book and thought that the poses looked easy? What happened when you tried the poses for the first time? Did you wobble and topple over? Right! We all do. The woman doing yoga has mastered the poses. She practiced and practiced for months and maybe years before she got the confidence up to have someone photograph her for the book.

It’s the same with breastfeeding. It looks natural and easy, but it is a learned skill that requires perfect practice to master. This type of mastery requires patience and persistence.

The blessingway ceremony is the perfect opportunity for the pregnant woman to connect with their community as they prepare for birth. It is so important to honor each family as they embark on this incredible life-changing journey through pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. I encourage you to take some of these ideas and get creative to come up with your own ways to plan your blessingway.

A blessing way is a Navaho tradition that honors the woman’s transformation from maiden to mother. I used to shy away from the word blessing way because it has a religious affiliation. But the more blessing ways I perform, the more the word blessing feels appropriate. Our childbirth class blessing way is not religious in any way. But it is a soulful experience that couples appreciate.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with appreciating the beauty of a woman’s body, this single focus can make things confusing when a woman breastfeeds. When you have only experienced your breasts as sexual, breastfeeding can lead to some conflicting feelings. 

There is a wide range of what is normal in terms of your sexuality after you have a baby. Some women do not feel the return of sexual desire for many months or even years after childbirth. Some women wait impatiently for their caregiver to give them the go-ahead to engage sexually again. No matter where you fall on this spectrum, sexuality will most likely become part of your life. If you and your partner have enjoyed your breasts as part of your sexual experience in the past, incorporating your lactating breasts into your sex life is a new experience that requires patience, clear communication, and a sense of humor.

A Safe Place to Land

Now that you are on the other side of your experience. Now that it's over. Now that you're done. You can move on and get back to normal life just like it never happened. You can go back to work on Monday. At least that is what the vast majority of women are trying to do. Women are going on with their lives as if nothing happened. Yet the feelings of grief, fear, acceptance, regret, relief, keep surfacing, and women keep shoving the feelings back down so no one can see them as they smile and go back to normal life.

Balance is not about being perfect all the time, nor that your life is exactly rationed into equal parts. Instead, being in balance means you are in the right season for things to unfold and flourish in their appropriate time.  Learn how to find your center and stay balanced with qigong and nourishing herbal infusions

We all have beautiful lives, and yet we have days when we feel like crap. Some days are better than others. And somedays are so crappy that it's hard to remember that things will turn around and we'll feel better. All the great days and challenging days are temporary. 

I realize that I don't know w the exact problem you are dealing with, and I can't fix or solve the problems. But, I can help you shift your mood. So, on today's episode of Apothecary Wisdom, I will share 25 simple tools that you can use immediately to improve your mood and your perspective.  

Without adding to the burden of fertility challenges, I’d like to offer up some simple yet profound ways that can support you while you are on this journey. If you'd like to increase fertility naturally, I think there is more to it than something to do or take. Here are the four tips I'd share.

Fertile Ground herbal tincture is intended to support and regulate a healthy menstrual cycle, improve fertility and prepare the body for pregnancy.