childbirth

I got my tubes tied when I was 33 years old, right after the birth of my daughter. She was my third child, and even though I wasn't entirely sure that I was "done" with the whole baby-making thing, I knew that my husband and I couldn't handle any more.

I became pregnant the first time while I was on birth control. I did not know that antibiotics and birth control didn't like each other, and I unwittingly asked them to play nicely. They didn't; the antibiotics won, and I found myself in an ER in the middle of the night, writhing from the sharp pain of a kidney infection, and thinking that surely I was hallucinating when the nurse told me that I was six weeks along.

Keep reading.

"Wow! You have four kids?! How did that happen?"

FYI — don't ever say that to anyone. It's kinda rude. It implies that having four kids is somehow weird, or that my having four kids is somehow weird. Both of which may hold some truth, but it's still rude. But, since I have never shared just how these minions invaded my life, I will share it now. (Not the actual how — I mean, ew. But, you know, the how.)

I met my husband in 1997. We knew almost immediately that we were meant to be together, and in less than seven months we were engaged, and six months after that, we tied the knot. We had grand plans — be married for five years, have a child. When that child was 3 years old and potty trained we'd have another. When child number two was potty trained, we'd decide whether or not we wanted a third. We knew that the kids were in our future, we planned on them. Very specific, detailed plans. We planned, God laughed.

Keep reading.

Who knew giving birth could be so funny? These birth stories shared by Circle of Moms members prove that amid all the pain and pushing there can also be priceless comedic moments in the delivery room, especially in these four particular scenarios.

Keep reading

Here's a post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we bring you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post about what labor really feels like.

One of the most agonizing aspects of being pregnant is wondering what labor will feel like. When I was pregnant with my first child, I'd often lay awake at night, wondering how it was all going down. Would I be able to handle it?

Related: Are pregnant women being bullied into C-sections?

It's one of those life-changing events that you have to experience to understand. I've had six births and no two labors were alike. Our BabyCenter Community is talking about this very same topic, Is it as bad as everyone says? Here are a few opinions from our members:

kirstenk86 said: "It was horrible and I wanted to die." Tell us how you really feel, kirstenk86.
BabyMine1104 said: "It's the hardest work you'll ever do, perhaps the most painful, but 100% worth it!"
abrigham said: "If birth was so traumatizing and near-death horrible we'd all only have one kid and we'd die out as a species…have confidence in yourself and your ability."
LittleLucy2 said: "Labor is hard work. But you can do it."

As a woman about to give birth, encouragement and pats on the back were great, but I wanted to know the truth. Give me the 411. Give me the real deal—the cold hard truth. I wanted to know what this whole thing actually felt like.

Early labor feels a lot like menstrual cramps.
To me, early labor felt like it was that time of the month. Achy legs, achy back and menstrual cramps. Not enough to cry out in pain, but just enough to make me uncomfortable and crabby. I recall being really grouchy in early labor—it was as if I was royally pissed off that a child was making its way down my birth canal.

Keep reading for one mama's thoughts on labor.

Are you pregnant and wondering how to jumpstart your labor? We’ve rounded up various natural and medical methods of inducing labor that Circle of Moms members have tried. Please note that you should always get an induction method approved by your doctor before giving it a go.

Keep reading.

We're excited to bring you a new post from mother and actress Tori Spelling! Every other week, we bring you the best parenting and lifestyle advice from ediTORIal by Tori Spelling, Tori's daily blog about everything from food and fashion to parenting and relationships. This week, Tori shares her final minutes before giving birth to baby Finn.

From the moment we got to the hospital in preparation of Finn’s big arrival, I was a nervous wreck. We had a scheduled C-section, and even though I'd been through this three times before, I was a mess. Superanxious, totally scared, dreading surgery, and thinking the worst.

Related: Mini McDermott Chefs

Luckily, I had Dean and Mehran (my two husbands) with me, along with my amazing friend and doctor (Dr. J) and my wonderful nurse Mykel (who was also my nurse when I was a resident in the hospital for those long months during the pregnancy) who did a great job of calming this pregger down and assuring me that everything would be OK.

After an hour or so, it was finally time to head into the operating room and welcome Finn into this world. I'm so happy Mehran was there to catch this video message to Liam, Stella, and Hattie as Dean and I headed into surgery where we would finally meet our little man . . .

Keep reading to see Tori's video message to her kids.

We love hearing about children who have overcome medical odds to survive and thrive. Such has been the case for Hayden Hoskins. 

As the Huffington Post reports, Hayden was born with Omphalocele, a birth defect that causes some internal organs to grow externally in a sac protruding from the belly button. In Hayden's case, he was born with his liver and intestine outside his body.

Despite the odds, Hayden survived the birth and is adapting well. Naturally, his parents Andy and Kelsey Hopkings are thrilled. "I think Hayden is going to surprise everybody," Andy wrote on his blog.

Read the full story (Huffington Post)>>