Laura's Story.

Laura is a BUSY stay at home mom with a 3-year-old daughter and a 19-month-old son. She is currently pregnant with her 3rd baby and has recently learned that she has hypoglycemia. She is looking forward to the new addition to her family and plans to have another homebirth!

You have had 1 hospital birth and 1 homebirth. Tell us about that.
"I had my first child at the hospital and had a positive experience there. She came very quickly once my water broke, however, and I was nervous that the second time around I wouldn't make it [to the hospital] in time. After a lot of prayer and research, we decided to have a homebirth, and it was wonderful. I had an experienced midwife who helped support me through the delivery, and gave birth to my son after less than three hours of labor. It was extremely intense, and if I had my druthers, I wouldn't opt for such a short labor this time. But it was an amazing opportunity for my family to welcome this little one into our home. I loved having my family around and being in a comfortable, relaxing environment. I also appreciated the follow-up care I received in my home as my midwife made several visits to check up on me and my son in the weeks that followed his birth. We are planning another homebirth this time, and I couldn't be more excited!"

How did you find out you were pregnant? "I really didn't have any warning signs that made me think I might be pregnant. I just woke up one Saturday feeling nauseous and thought, "I know that feeling." Sure enough, the test was positive."

What were your children's reactions when told you were going to have another baby? "My daughter was very excited and is convinced we're having a girl. I asked her what she'd do if we had a baby girl. Her answer: "I'd give her much love." When I asked her what she'd do if we had a boy, she replied, "I wouldn't want it. We already have one."

Tell us about the hypoglycemia. "My midwife told me that hypoglycemia is a very common condition for pregnant women. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, dizzy spells, headaches, fatigue, tingling sensations, hot or cold flashes, insomnia, a general "blah" feeling, and ketones in the urine. I had almost all of those symptoms. To help keep my blood sugar level, I kept nuts and crackers by the bed to snack on if I woke up in the night or to eat before getting up for the day. I ate several small meals throughout the day, usually every hour to hour and a half. Snacks and meals consisted of lots of protein and complex carbohydrates. Your body treats simple carbs (the white, refined stuff) like sugar and they can wreak havoc on your blood sugar. It took help from my husband and family, but my first trimester was much better this pregnancy than the last two."

Are there any milestones in this pregnancy that you are looking forward to? "I was so thrilled to be out of the first trimester I was almost giddy when it was over. Now, I'm really looking forward to feeling the baby moving and having another homebirth."

What is a typical day like for you? "When I'm feeling better, a typical day consists of cleaning, laundry, preparing breakfast and lunch for the kids and myself, reading Bible stories, trips to the library, playdates, teaching the kids to do age-appropriate chores (like cleaning up their toys or putting up their clothes), art time (painting, play dough, coloring, etc) naptimes, refereeing between my two children, and whatever else needs to be done!"

What do you think is the most important thing about being a mother? "I think the most important thing about being a mom, other than trusting the Lord, is knowing your children. Too often we try to get our kids to conform to our way of thinking or doing things without teaching the why behind it or listening to them to find out why they have a different approach. When you take the time to really know your kids, you don't automatically get frustrated b/c they aren't doing what you want. You realize that there may be a good reason (i.e. they're hungry, angry, confused, lonely, tired) for their actions and seek to understand their hearts rather than just modify their outward behavior."

Is it what you thought it would be? "The mechanics of motherhood are what I expected. Dirty diapers and peanut butter kisses, sure. But the emotional side of motherhood caught me off guard. I had no idea how challenging this would be. I've had to evaluate what my personal beliefs are about family, children, roles in the home and society, discipline, anger management, and a million other things. Before I can teach my children, I have to know what I want to teach them, and that takes a lot of thought and personal reflection which was a lot harder than I expected. Learning who they are is teaching me who I am, and it's an amazing journey we're on!"

What are your favorite things to do? "I enjoy working at my church, writing, scrapbooking, hiking, reading, research, cross-stitching, and traveling."

Do you think you will have more children? "I'm not opposed to the idea, but honestly, I'd rather adopt at this point than face another first trimester."

What advice would you give a new mom? "During pregnancy, eat protein!! And eat every hour or two. It makes a world of difference. As far as being a mom goes, remember that you know your child better than anyone else. Trust your heart, and make the decisions that are best for your family, even if others disagree with you."

Thank You to Lexington Aesthetics for sponsoring free gifts for our Mom of the Month!