I am always all about the hippie hippie methods of finding a solution to a problem... In almost any situation my first efforts are a natural option... sleepless nights are no different. Zaq and I have always been fans of Melatonin in the case of restlessness. And lets face it... as busy parents of 4 there are many MANY restless nights... I love that it is a natural alternative to sleeping pills but has the same result. Melatonin “is a hormone made by the pineal gland , a small gland in the brain. Melatonin helps control your sleep and wake cycles.” So instead of relying on something like zzzQuil or Ambien – its a fantastic option to trigger your body that it is bedtime. Recently we had the option to try Natrol Melatonin. Im totally in love. They are just 1mg tablets so you can easily adjust the dose based on your needs... and what sets them apart from other brands is that they are strawberry flavored and easily dissolve on your tongue. This is a great choice for people that don't like or have a hard time swallowing pills.

“Melatonin supplements are sometimes used to treat jet lag or sleep problems (insomnia). Scientists are also looking at other good uses for melatonin, such as:

*Treating seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

*Helping to control sleep patterns for people who work night shifts.

*Preventing or reducing problems with sleeping and confusion after surgery.

*Reducing chronic cluster headaches.”

Now as a lot of my readers are pregnant and nursing moms... I definitely wanted to mention that you should not take it without talking first to your doctor, ob or midwife as with most things there in conflicting evidence about how it could effect baby. 

A standard dose is 1-3mg... When I first started I would take 1mg about half an hour before I wanted to sleep. I usually only need 1-2 mg. My husband tends to need 2-3 mg... I think it just varies from person to person and you can adjust as needed which is another that that makes the low dosage of the Natrol Melatonin so perfect. Best part? Only $5.49 right now on Amazon WITH Prime. Awesome! They also have 3mg, 5mg, 10mg, based on your needs and a convenient liquid dropper option. Finally, its made in the USA so you can "rest easy" supporting a locally made product. See what I did there? So punny... ;) Sleep tight friends!

Hey readers!

Wanted to take a few minutes to give a shout out to a new blog I had the pleasure of being introduced to... The writers name is Kimra Bettasso and she is an entrepreneur & crafter extraordinaire. Its a super clean blog without a ton of clutter overwhelming it (like I totally tend to be - hello, ADHD)...   and is full of SO MUCH great content. If you take a bit of time to read through some main posts you will see everything from thoughtful posts, crafty projects for kids, blog interviews and much more. Through reading her blog I found a great new craft to do with my kids this weekend using old tires in our garden for planters... and I also got some fantastic tips for being an even more successful blogger and using it as a way to make money. Anything to bring in a little extra cash now a days is always great! So if ya some free time, stop by and give her blog some love... and subscribe to new posts if you like what you see!

Hey local friends! You know we're lovers of MommyCon... and I am SO happy to announce that they will be heading to Minneapolis on April 18th. There is a huge schedule of events... great gift bags... VIP options... and in my experience they fill up fast, so hurry!

Want to go? Get your tickets here! 

This week I have seen two articles circulating the web that have done nothing but stir up drama in the mom circles... They seem to either be written by men trying to put women down or by another woman being sarcastic and defensive trying to make herself feel better for her own choices. One example is the article going around claiming that c-sections should be considered natural birth. The comments were FLOODED with so many opinions... some saying yes it should- either way the baby gets out... some saying no way... those of us that had unmedicated natural births vs. those choosing an elective c-section can't possibly be compared... and others shooting down women that have natural births saying you're just doing it for the attention of saying you were in pain, there's no hero cookie, etc. Just spewing word vomit and hate behind the confidence of a computer screen. One by one I have left SO many mom groups on facebook and communities on the web in an attempt to avoid this kind of drama. Its unfortunate as these are supposed to be welcoming places where we help each other through difficult transitions during pregnancy, after birth and into parenthood. But, instead they almost immediately with every controversial post from birth choices, breastfeeding/bottle feeding, babywearing, circumcision, etc. etc. become a war zone of women belittling each other... making themselves feel better by putting down the other. My friend Cheri put it best, "so many women viewing others as the enemy, when we are all the same. Equal, and breathing life into a little soul whether its pushing or pulling them across the threshold of two worlds."

My births have changed SO MUCH since my first experience... With Izzaq I did whatever they told me including early induction and epidural... it was slow going but easy and pretty much pain free... With Zavery - I was a little more apprehensive, but still went along when they suggested a later induction & then an epidural that didn't work... it all totally backfired and I should have stood up for myself. With Rozz (after the hell labor that was Zavery's) I stuck to my guns but had to be induced. This time having a natural unmedicated birth with the max dose of pitocin causing my contractions to come so fast and hard I couldn't even take a breath in between. I went from 4cm to holding her in 45 minutes... With this one - I will not be induced unless absolutely proven to be medically necessary/at risk... I DO NOT want pitocin and will not have an epidural. None of those has anything to do with a hero cookie - or bragging about taking the pain. It has to do with taking control of something that my body has been built to do... that hospitals keep getting in the way of. I have educated myself in so many ways regarding birth and decided that my PERSONAL CHOICE is to avoid as many interventions as possible... be it side effects to me or to baby... PERSONALLY, I think avoiding those is worth the pain... and when women bashing each other turn that personal choice of mine into some sort of contest for bragging rights it is seriously offensive. I wish that the women making comments like this would come out from behind their screens and think about it they have the guts to talk like that to our faces.

These mommy wars need to stop. Its sickening... if we would spend more time supporting and defending each other the world would be a MUCH better place. My personal choices don't have to be yours... your personal choices don't have to be mine. That is OK. I don't understand when it became this constant challenge and contest to be the only right one with the correct opinion. What works for one person may not work for the other and as moms we need to come together and support one another - NO MATTER THE SCENARIO. What ever happened to the days of saying "it takes a village to raise a child?" At the rate things are going the current mommy village is one filled with hate and competition and through that we will be raising our kids that we're fighting so hard to protect to be the same way. Teach love, teach support, teach understanding... and lets try to come together rather then push each other away. 

Rozzlyn's Birth - 10/30/2011