Mom Life According To Elisa

  My family used to joke that I couldn't hear directions in the same room but I could hear the sound of a chocolate bar unwrapping all the way across the house with the TV blaring. Clearly, the issue wasn't hearing loss , but rather a disconnect when it came to dividing my attention between different speakers (or in my case, between a speaker and a candy wrapper!) Concerned about hearing loss? It could be selective hearing. Selective hearing is the natural process by which we filter out background noise, picking up the auditory information that is important to us. Selective hearing is a helpful phenomenon, but it can become problematic if the brain filters out what it should be paying attention to. Read More   

Breastfeeding on a schedule worked best for my baby, but I quickly learned not to talk about it.  Breastfeeding mothers  often rely on babies' hunger cues and shun schedules. But the clock's guidance actually transformed  my colicky infant  into one who was happy, alert, and even  met her milestones  more quickly. Read the rest here on POPSUGAR

Finding the best nipple cream may have saved my  breastfeeding journey  from ending within weeks. I had no idea how  painful nursing  would be for me, especially since my baby had a poor latch. In the end, I made it through and ended up  nursing for two years and four months . I came to love and cherish breastfeeding, but I almost didn't make it past the first month. Read the rest here on POPSUGAR

“Have you been depressed or thought of suicide?” The question rolled off the doctor’s tongue, and I smiled and shook my head on cue. I had heard it about seven times over six weeks after having my baby girl — from NICU nurses, our pediatrician, my lactation consultant, and now from my OB at my 6-week checkup.  They all rattled the question off, and I always smiled and said no. Depression has never been much of a friend of mine, and after having my first child, I was on the other end of that spectrum. I was so happy I felt a constant sense of bliss and euphoria. Between the postpartum and breastfeeding hormones flooding my system with oxytocin and soaking in the concept that I did this—I had a baby, my life’s goal complete—there was no depression. None. But there was anxiety. No one ever asked me about that.  I never even asked myself. It’s very difficult, for me at least, to reflect upon my emotional or mental state while I’m in the middle of experiencing it. I can...

While awaiting your firstborn, you may have visions of folding laundry or reading a book as your little one coos to himself a few feet away. Then reality hits and between feeding, changing, and doing strange acrobatics you’d never have expected to get this little guy to sleep, there’s no time for anything else. Our babies need us, and that’s a fact, but there are lots of creative ways to hack mom life. Getting your baby comfortable playing alone is one of your best tools. So how in the world do you do it? Well, my first piece of advice is going to sound a little harsh… Continue Reading

As a former elementary teacher, I used to cringe when I overheard adults demanding, “Say you’re sorry!” to a child after he’d been involved a scuffle with another kid. I couldn’t stomach the obvious lack of remorse when the child parroted out the phrase, and I worried about the loss of the greater lesson of making things right after committing a wrong. So instead, I used to pose a question, “How can you make it better?” And let the children mull it over before they skipped away to help a friend up, rebuild a fallen structure of blocks, and often apologize of their own will. It was special to watch and I felt certain I’d never direct a child to robotically apologize. Then I had a baby. Who became a toddler. And toddlers are a whole other animal. Toddlers bump, push, scream, and throw things. And they have NO IDEA what I’m talking about when I ask them how they can make it better. So I realized that it’s my responsibility to teach my children that skill. Toddlers are brand ne...

When it’s naptime at my house, you might find me sprawled out on the deck in my bikini soaking in the afternoon sun. I could also be curled up in our guest cottage with a book and a hot cup of coffee. Depending on the weather and my mood, I might be in a number of places in my home doing a number of things, but generally, I won’t be vertical. My eyes might be open, but my body systems have gone into a dormant state. And. I. Will not. Be cleaning. Don’t get me wrong. I’m the kind of girl who bleaches the counters and does two loads of laundry per day. When you add it all up, I spend at least an hour an half on cooking and cleaning each day. And that time doesn’t even include running errands, shopping, or making appointments. So when do I get it all done? Simple: when my toddler is awake. After breakfast, I clean the kitchen and prepare lunch. Then we read books and do letter work together. Next, I throw in the laundry, vacuum, and clean the bathrooms. We have an outing, come ba...

Would you believe me if I told you that I don’t say No to my kid? I don’t practice permissive parenting. I set limits, I’m consistent, and I don’t say No. Here’s why I don’t say No, and what I say instead. Read More

Your baby is finally sleeping well, but are you? Many parents struggle with sleeplessness themselves. Often we never had the greatest sleep habits, but we didn’t notice until we became parents. Sleep feels so much more vital to our daily existence after kids. The truth is, everyone can benefit from improved sleep, and not many of us know the science behind it. Read More

Someone once said to me, “My wife is a feminist, so she’s waiting until her thirties to have kids.” As a twenty-something with a baby on my hip, I cocked my head and all I could muster was, “Oh.” I’m a stay at home mom. I’m responsible for all of the household chores except taking out the garbage. I literally wear an apron. And you know what I wish I had said instead of “Oh”? Actually being a mom is the most feminist thing I’ve ever done. And only after becoming a mom did I truly understand feminism and feel empowered as a member of my gender. To begin with, there’s the simple fact that my body grew an entire human being. While I continued with life as usual, my organs rearranged as, over nine short months, two cells grew into a six-pound human. Then you know what happened? My body literally split open and I pushed that little human out into the world. I spent 27 hours in pain I could ever have imagined. And I’m still alive! Then I sustained this little life for another 6 m...