THE BIRTH POST

Morgan contacted us and told us that she was moving to a new house after she had lost her home and all belongings in hurricane Florence. She was making her new place a home and wanted to have a meaningful keepsake for her son Fletcher, who was born after years of battling infertility and after a baby loss. Today, Morgan shares her infertility journey with other women who experience similar difficulties.

Could you tell us the story about how you became a mother?

Our son Fletcher Ray was born after several years of infertility and the loss of our first babe, Sage. He came after a crazy fast 25 minutes of involuntary pushing (google ‘fetal ejection reflex’, it’s insane) and he has without a doubt been the absolute brightest light in our family’s life. We call him ‘biscuit boy’ after his uncle said his legs look like a busted can of biscuits!

For how long had you been trying to get pregnant?

My husband and I started trying to conceive as soon as we got married, nearly six years ago now! We had an impossible time getting medical help because, not lying, MULTIPLE doctors said to my face: “you’re too young to have babies anyway, don’t worry about it”. It’s one thing to not be able to reproduce, but to be refused treatment because of your age even after the third year of trying made it feel like the entire world was against us. Sharing our story through Instagram and connecting with other families in our shoes was our saving grace! I’m still close with friends who have prayed with us for years!

When you got pregnant with Fletch, how did you feel after having lost one baby already?

This question always gets me so emotional, because before Fletch I thought I could never possibly heal from our loss. That was the very lowest of low for me. But then I got pregnant with our sweet boy and I slowly started to feel peace. It calmed my worrying heart, knowing that no matter what, he has a heavenly sibling that will be with him everywhere, forever. We have a Magnolia tree planted for Sage that Fletch and I visit often and we see little reminders of Sage EVERYWHERE. I swear they already know each other and it warms my heart now instead of breaking it.

Do you have anything you’d like to tell other mothers who are battling infertility?

Don’t go through it alone! Find your community. I promise you more women are struggling alongside you than you could even imagine and they know the crappy things NOT to say while you wait. If you have Instagram, search hashtags like: ttc, infertilitysucks, iui, ivf, etc. You’ll never find a more supportive community than those mamas waiting for their babes!

You have mentioned a terrible loss caused by hurricane Florence, what has helped you moved past that?

Our son. His tiny, beautiful self healed my entire heart after the brutal years of infertility and now that we’ve survived that, losing all of our worldly belongings seems so insignificant. We have a family. That’s all we ever wanted!

In most countries around the world Mother’s Day is celebrated in May, although on different days. This is why, at The Birth Poster we have decided to devote the whole month to the topic of motherhood, its different models, challenges, and beautiful sides.

Today in The Birth Post we are talking to Victoria Snellman, a mother of three who lives in Finland and  has her own knitting business.

Could you please introduce your family to us?

In order from oldest to youngest: Sonny Lou, who is six years old, Juno Mae, who is four, and Lilo Kay, who is two. And of course, my husband Robin.

Did you decide to stay at home already after you got your first kid?

When I got pregnant with Sonny Lou I worked as a store manager in a clothing store, here in Finland. But when he was born with heart problems, after a very dramatic birth, so I decided from the beginning to stay home with him as long as possible. My goal has been to be able to work at home, so that I’m always home when the kids come back from school.

How did you come up with the idea for your business and when did you start?

I learned to knit when I was four years old and I have always designed my own clothes. Later I studied art and design. I started Lykkeliten, my own company, in 2016, after I had already been designing and knitting patterns for my kids for several years.

Your patterns are amazing! Where do you take your ideas and inspirations from?

Thank you! I always find inspiration in my kids and I make clothes that are difficult to find in stores.

Is there any special way you organize your day to be able to work?

I decided to always have time for my kids and that my job should not take our family time away, so I work when my husband comes home from his work and in the evenings or at night when everyone is sleeping. Of course my job takes time from family anyway and sometimes it feels hard to be home with my kids full time, while I work with my business full time, but every day I feel so lucky and blessed that I have this opportunity.

If you were to think about the most beautiful thing motherhood has given you, what would that be?

The most beautiful thing I have gotten from motherhood is probably the patience and calmness I have acquired since I became a mother.

And finally, if you had to choose your favourite design, which would that be?

I have many favorites, but the design I am most proud of is the Leopard sweater that I made for me and the kids.

Since last month The Birth Poster launched a Japanese website, we decided that it is the perfect time to talk to a mom that lives and raises her kid in Japan. Thanks to our friends from THE kids CONCEPT STORE in Tokyo, we got in touch with Aya, who is also a popular author of books on nutrition and food (over 90,000 copies sold in Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan). Aya’s interest in diet started with her own health problems. Today, she is coaching others on how to introduce healthy changes in their lives and frequently appears in Japanese media, while at the same time raising a little girl and preparing to become a mom for the second time.

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I live in Tokyo. I have a daughter who is now two years old. I work as a nutritionist for athletes and a vegetable sommelier. I am currently pregnant and am expecting my second baby in June. In August I plan to start a food education program for kids.

You seem to have a very active professional life, you have published five (if I am not mistaken!) books. How do you combine it with motherhood?

I also take care of my child while working. That way, I can combine my work with child rearing. For example, I cook together with my daughter. I also take her to the field and harvest vegetables.

As a mother and nutritionist – would you have any tips on what to do with a fussy eater? A lot of moms struggle to make their kids eat more varied food.

I practice taste education. Children are interested in what they harvest and cook by themselves. Therefore it is important to engage them in preparing the meals. Let them break the eggs, help with baking, etc. Nowadays, most foods are soft, so the kids are not aware of biting and texture. You can attract their interest by devising the size, seasoning, appearance, and arrangement on the plate.

The taste that children learn by the age of three is important. I prepare my daughter’s favorite seasonings and dishes. I pickle vegetables because she likes pickling.

It is also important to choose dishes that are the same as in their school and easy to eat from. I use Elsa Beskow’s [a Swedish author and illustrator of children’s books, who lived 1874-1953] dish set, since it is very easy to use.

Do you see any differences in raising kids nowadays as opposed to when you were a kid yourself?

I think we are lacking in gratitude because everything is easily available. Some people don’t know the producer or the manufacturing method because everything is distributed as a ready-to-use product. It requires knowledge and the “ability to choose”. We should know from where the good comes from. We need to feel thankful.

Do you or people in general also keep the Japanese traditional minimalism in the kids’ rooms? Has Marie Kondo also encouraged total cleanse there? Or when it comes to kids’ rooms everything goes?

Some people like the minimalistic approach, but many do not practice minimalism.

Children will be able to organize their rooms as they grow. I think it is important for parents to develop a habit in their children of being responsible for organizing their space.

I wrote a book about refrigerator arrangement for health. I studied a lot of examples. By giving up some of the contents of the refrigerator, we can re-evaluate our diet, eliminate food waste and become more healthy.

I think that even if many people keep their apartments tidy, clean them regularly, there aren’t many people who are careful when it comes to the refrigerator. Yet, it is important for your health. What you eat, makes your body. Our refrigerator should be arranged as thoroughly as any room.

What do you think it is in the Scandinavian design that it is so well liked and popular in Japan?

I feel that Scandinavian design is familiar to Japan. I think that both countries have a tree culture (appreciation for woods) and four seasons and a common spirit.

And one last question. Could you give advice on cool places to spend time with kids in Tokyo? A lot of mums who travel will appreciate your recommendations!

Toy Museum

Asobono

For people who love nature I recommend:  Komazawa Park, Arisugawa Park and Yoyogi Park.

Other museums to visit with kids would be: National Science Museum and National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation.  

Kidzania is also great, buy you may need to make a reservation.

—

Interview by Mariko Fukuda, manager at THE kids CONCEPT STORE in Daikanyama, Tokyo.

In most countries around the world Mother’s Day is celebrated in May, although on different days. This is why, at The Birth Poster we have decided to devote the whole month to the topic of motherhood, its different models, challenges, and beautiful sides. In The Birth Post we will be presenting interviews with great moms and today we are starting with talking to Evelina Westman, our creative director and co-founder.

In the last months of her pregnancy, Evelina had been sharing a lot of updates about how she and the baby were doing on The Birth Poster’s Instagram. She got an overwhelming amount of comments and words of support from you. You also asked her to write something more about her birth story. So, here it is!

In which week of your pregnancy did Ulf arrive? You feared it would be post the scheduled delivery date.

Since my first son, Uno, came 14 days late, I feared the second one would be delayed as well. I was so happy when he arrived in 39 weeks+6 days, exactly on the planned due date. 🙂 I was in such a good mood that my husband had doubts about how serious I was when I told him that the labour had started. Even when we got to the hospital, the staff was a bit suspicious because I was so happy and excited. 😀 Sounds weird, but it’s the truth.

How fast did things evolve? From the first contractions to holding him in your arms?

Contractions started exactly at 2 pm and Ulf was out at 8:38 pm that night. The first contractions came every 3 minutes and lasted for 30 seconds, so I called the hospital at once.

What kind of delivery did you choose?

I chose to deliver vaginally and got a good experience this time. My first delivery was a nightmare, so I wanted revenge!

Did you choose to have anesthesia?

When we got in to the hospital, I felt that I had control over the pain and didn’t need any anesthesia. After an hour I started with nitrous oxide and asked the nurse to prepare an epidural for me. Everything went very quick and the pain accelerated rapidly. Before the epidural began to work completely, the water broke and I started to feel that enormous pressure. It hurt like hell, but twenty minutes later Ulf was in my arms. When he was out I still had a lot of energy left, and I felt so happy about the fact the he came on the due date. It was such a beautiful moment and I will remember it as the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. I got the revenge I wanted!

Your first thought after seeing him?

I was passed out when I met my first son for the first  time, and I barely have any memories from that first moment. So this time, I thought a lot about that and how grateful I was about being awake and clear in my mind to remember the moment forever. It was like all my  senses were highly awake trying to register everything: his smell, his looks, the room, the light!

Who do you think Ulf resembles more? You or Gustav?

He looks a lot like his older brother so far… I think both of them are like a 50:50 mix of the two of us.

Your first craving after the delivery?

I thought I was going to have a craving for everything that I hadn’t been able to eat or drink for the last nine months, but I was too high on life and love (hormones!). I just needed the smell of my new little baby.

When do hospitals in Sweden let moms and babies go home after giving birth? Could the older brother come and see Ulfie in the hospital?

The hospitals prefer not to have a lot of visitors. However, if you insist, most of our hospitals have a limit two people at a time. Since it all went so well, we were able to leave the hospital after 18 hours and I did the rest of my recovery at home with the family. This is also when Uno met his little brother for the first time.

In Sweden you get 10 days off work, fully paid, for the father, so we had a beautiful start.

I am sure that a lot of moms out here would appreciate your advice on packing the bag to the hospital. What did you take with you?

When labour  began I hadn’t packed the bag yet. I was so excited I forgot half of the things I planned to bring. But we packed our camera, clothes for the baby, comfy clothes to me, chargers, my favourite candy, and some other things.

You visited our office several times now, Ulf seemed like the most peaceful baby in the world. Is this also the way he is at home? How do you find yourself in this new situation?

Ohh, he us such a peaceful baby. Now, almost two months in, he is more awake and has started to need a bit more attention, but he is never angry or anything. I breastfeed him quite often, approximately every 1,5 hour during the day and every 2-3 hours at night. This time around with a newborn I love the whole mom thing. I’m so happy in this new situation, I look at all my boys and burst into tears of gratitude (again, hormones speaking:)).

A question that must also be asked here: which Birth Poster did you choose for Ulf?

We choose Continuous Line #3, one of our new illustrations, with a black frame. It fits perfectly next to his bigger brother’s poster, which is Continuous Line #1.

With spring just around the corner, are you in the mood for some redecorating and refurnishing? We sure are! That’s why we’ve teamed up with some mom-influencers to get all the inspiration we need to get started.

Today we talk to Katya, the mother of three kids who lives in house in southern Sweden. She likes Danish design and Swedish retro from the 50s.

Hello Katya, how are you feeling today?

Hello! I’m amazing, Thanks!

Where do you live?

I live in a 250m2 villa in Helsingborg, in southern Sweden, with my three wonderful kids: the twins Leo and Olivia, and baby Ella.

What is your biggest inspiration when it comes to home interior?

I love Danish design for its minimalistic and simplistic form. Everything from Denmark is my favourite! I also love Swedish retro design from the 50s to the 70s. I usually get inspiration from Instagram.

What’s your favorite store to buy children’s room furnishings and decorations?

I have so many favourites! I usually shop at: Babyshop.se, Smalleble, Solheminredning, Cirkusfabriken.

Where do you display your Birth Posters in your house?

We keep them in the twins’ room above their bed, but I might move them to our bedroom, I have just found a perfect place for them in there.

What’s you favorite item in your entire house?

I love our rattan Ikea chair together with Sebra crib – those are a perfect match! And I also LOVE my newest purchase: the Tom Moore – John Lennon Seregraph poster. I can’t wait to hang it on the wall in our living room, which I find almost perfect now. The colourful print of John Lennon was the finishing touch.

Could you guide us in your children’s room?

The twins Leo and Olivia are sharing a bedroom on the second floor. I asked them last month if they wanted to start sleeping in separate rooms and Olivia started to cry, so I guess they are not ready to be apart from each other just yet.

Ellas room is one of my favorites! I Love the colours so much!

All the kids have a playroom on the first floor. It’s so helpful for us to have a room that can get messy and the kids can go as wild as they want to, without me having to tidy it up every day.

Do you let your children decide on how their rooms should look?

Haha, no! So far I still get to decide that myself! They are not interested in that either, but Olivia asked me a while ago to remove a swan head from her room because she was afraid of it and of course I did that.

We hope that you enjoyed our INSPIRATION WEEK! Follow us on Instagram to always be informed about our latest articles. If you have any ideas on what you would like us to write about or just want to say hello, shoot us an email at info@thebirthposter.com.

With spring just around the corner, are you in the mood for some redecorating and refurnishing? We sure are! That’s why we’ve teamed up with some mom-influencers to get all the inspiration we need to get started.

Today we talk to Velda, the mother of two girls. Velda is a Swede living in Austria and her apartment is the quintessence of the minimalistic Scandinavian style — white walls and furniture, a lot of natural wood. Same goes for her daughters’ room. Although the girls don’t always seem to like to keep it tidy, Velda shows that it is possible to introduce minimalism into the space usually considered the kingdom of garishness.

Hello Velda, how are you feeling today?

We have beautiful weather these days, the flu season is just behind us, so I’m feeling great and looking forward to spring 🙂

Where do you live?

We live in an apartment in Klagenfurt, Austria, but we also have a garden, where we like to spend our time. We moved away from Sweden a few years ago, but we still miss home.

What is your biggest inspiration when it comes to home interior?

Instagram is a great place, where you can look into other people’s homes and there are some really talented ladies out there.

What’s your favorite store to buy children’s room furnishings and decorations?

Babyshop.se is a great store to get anything to do with kids.

Where do you display your Birth Poster in your house?

The girls’ posters are just above the big bed in their room and, since they sleep in the same bed (it was their choice and they love it), that’s the perfect place. Now, they can see exactly how small they were and they keep comparing themselves to the illustrations in the posters. That’s really cute!

What’s your favorite item in your entire house?

I have a passion for wooden animals, and I just adore every single one of them. I have some in the living room and the girls have a few in their room. All of them are just pure, beautiful craftsmanship!

Could you guide us in your children’s room?

We’ve recently got a big bed for Bella, in which both girls fit, so they prefer to sleep together on the opposite sides of it. Lea still has her smaller bed, if she decides to move out 🙂

I’ve finally added some bookshelves and created a reading corner for them. All is easily accessible like everything else in the room. I want them to be able to use and to reach everything without climbing or asking for help.

You can also see a canopy, which is such a must-have in every room and in any great play corner. We also have a cabinet for storing blankets, toys and anything else that fits 🙂

Do you let your children decide on how their rooms should look?

I definitely ask them what they think about my new ideas and always explain if I’m moving things around, so that they know what’s coming. But they’re so used to the furniture being moved around and new ideas being implemented, that they’re super cool with it 🙂

With such a thought-through room design it feels like there is almost no work to be done while cleaning!

The girls are great at playing in their room and messing it up, but they’re not so good at picking they toys up 🙂 It really is a struggle to keep the room neat.

Do you want to get more interior-inspiration from mom-influencers like Velda? Stay tuned! This Sunday we will publish another interview from the INSPIRATION series with a new batch of pictures.

With spring just around the corner, are you in the mood for some redecorating and refurnishing? We sure are! That’s why we’ve teamed up with some mom-influencers to get all the inspiration we need to get started. This week we talk to Tania Noergaard from Denmark, who is a mom of two and has invited us to the room of her three-year-old son in her newly built house in Eastern Jutland. Take a look and read about Tania’s tips on how to create a stylish and kid-friendly room that both the parents and the kid will enjoy.

Hello Tania, how are you feeling today?

I am feeling great (if you ignore the lack of sleep during the night). I’m enjoying my maternity leave with our youngest child, a baby girl, 7 months old.

Where do you live?

We live in a 201 square foot villa in Skanderborg, Eastern Jutland, Denmark. We have designed and build the house ourselves and every little detail has been thoroughly thought through during the process. We could not be happier with our new home, in which we have been living in for 8 months already!

What is your biggest inspiration when it comes to home interior?

My very biggest inspiration must be Instagram. Here I find a ‘live’ inspiration board from real homes, designed by cool, creative women from around the world. I take screens of interior ideas on a daily basis, and never get tired of this inspiration source.

My second favorite must be Pinterest with an overload of beautiful (and sometimes unobtainable) interior and homes.

What’s your favorite store to buy children’s room furnishings and decorations?

I must admit that I just love IKEA. Even though the little things in my kids’ rooms are from smaller brands and designers, the main furnishing is from IKEA. They just know how to make timeless and functional pieces. Then it is up to you to make them look exclusive. Other great places to look for elements of nursery interior are H&M Home, Jollyroom and Konges Sløjd.

Where do you display your Birth Poster in your house?

My son’s Birth Poster is placed in this room. It is beautiful and gives multiple opportunities for raising questions and having conversations with him. He is three years old and often asks about how it was when he was a baby – especially after the birth of his baby sister. It must be almost impossible for a child to imagine that he has been that small (even though my kids where not small at birth). I will keep the poster in his room for a while, I think, but in time I want it to be hanging in our bedroom next to the poster of his sister.

What’s your favorite item in your entire house?

It would be impossible for me to choose an actual item. I would say that our kitchen must be my favorite. It is big, black and beautiful, and I just love how is plays a central role in the living room.

Could you guide us in your children’s room?

My son is one lucky child as he has both a playroom (filled with toys!) and a bedroom. This makes it  a bit easier for me to keep things tidy. In his bedroom he has a house bed which he loves. On the walls we put the grey confetti-decorated wallpaper from Ferm Living, which gives the room a cosy feel, and created this cave vibe. To exploit the room to its fullest, we decided to create storage furniture which can also be used as a table and a bench. It is easy to hide toys there, easy to find them again and the whole concept gives both room for creativity and relaxation. Furthermore, he has a small desk where he draws, colours and looks at his books. I decided to have only a few colours when designing his room. I was important for me to keep a boyish feeling without creating a baby blue zone. I chose grey, off-white, mint and warm yellow.

Do you let your children decide how their rooms should look?

No, not yet. My son is only three years old and his sister is seven months. Right now, I enjoy being the only one deciding on the interior. I am sure that my son will have his very own opinion when the time comes though.

Do you get a lot of feedback from other mums on your Instagram?

Definitely yes! Most of the comments are from mothers who do not know how to storage the toys and still manage to have a kids-friendly interior. My best advice is always to make sure that you have simple storage furniture. Avoid 2-3 different small cabinets, or furniture and decorative pieces placed on the floor. Use walls for storage, for example by installing simple, big cabinets or closed bookcases along the ceiling. Also  buy BIG baskets for toys, teddybears on other things children play with. Too much stuff on the floor will make the children’s room look messy. And do not be afraid of painting a wall, or two… or the entire room. The room needs some kind of contrast to all the colored toys, books and teddy bears, something that will catch your eye.

Do you want to get more interior-inspiration from mom-influencers like Tania? Stay tuned! This Wednesday we will publish another interview from the INSPIRATION series with a new batch of pictures.

This is the birth story of an amazing mom who had to fight a battle no one should have to, while becoming a mother of twins. She is a true inspiration for everyone and we’re honored that she shared this story with us. 

“My husband was admitted to the hospital a couple months before my twins were born. He had been battling cancer for several years and it finally caught up to him. He had some type of infection related to the tumor and the doctors didn’t know how to stop it. He was in the hospital for over a month and we weren’t sure he would make it out.

With many prayers answered, the doctors were able to find an antibiotic to fight the infection related to the tumor. He was able to come home a month before the babies were born. But the month-long visit in the hospital had weakened him tremendously. Our goal for that final month of pregnancy was to help him walk longer distances and get his strength up so that he could be at the birth.

Miraculously, Justin’s strength had improved enough to be at the birth. He sat in his wheelchair with oxygen right next to my bed. He gently held my hand as we welcomed our first boy into this world. My delivery was hard, but hearing Justin’s faint voice saying, ‘Come on, Jenn, you can do this!’ gave me all the strength I needed to keep going. As soon as we started to push for baby number two my doctor had a concerned look on his face. My baby’s heart rate started to drop and I was rushed into an emergency c-section. My son was only in the NICU for a couple hours and we were all able to leave the hospital a week later.

We were so grateful that we went home with two healthy boys. At home I was recovering from a c-section and my husband was still very weak. There was a lot going on between taking care of him, the twins, and I.  It was hard to focus on one thing at a time and I felt like I never got to really soak in their newborn stage. I’m so glad I have this beautiful poster to remember how tiny they were!

My husband passed away three months after the babies were born. I’ll forever be grateful for that time we were able to spend as a family; that time I was able to see him be a father. My boys will always know how much their dad loves them!”

Written By: Jennifer Hanks
Website: Cocoscaravan.com
Instagram: @cocoscaravan

It is International Women’s Day! Today at The Birth Post we choose to talk about the female body and pay our homage to it.

Evelina, the co-founder and CEO of The Birth Poster, often says that the biggest lesson her two pregnancies have given her was to understand how amazing women are. And so are their bodies. But in the same set with marvelousness and unimaginable endurance, also comes self-criticism and very often too high self-demands. Therefore today we talk to one of the moms who decided to show the real pictures of her body to the Instagram community.  Brenda Stearns (@she_plusfive) is a mother of five and it took her a long time to find self-acceptance and self-love after her body irrevocably changed. She is finally there, and so we hope all of you, the moms around The Birth Post community, will be. Love yourself, love your bodies!

The Birth Post: When you posted the picture of your postpartum belly on your Instagram profile with what reactions did you meet?

Brenda Stearns: I was very surprised by the response. I did not expect to receive such positive feedback. It left me feeling extremely encouraged!

What inspired or encouraged you to do that?

I had posted a photo of my postpartum belly a couple days before and I received a couple negative remarks calling my photo disgusting, unflattering, and something not worthy to be noticed. And while the comment was rude, it left me wondering why society views a mom body with such negativity. So I was inspired to post more raw pictures of my postpartum body to normalize the beauty of being different!

How would you define your relation to your body now as compared to the time before being pregnant?

I’ve learnt so much in the past eight years since I first got pregnant with my first child. Now a mother of five, and eight months postpartum, I embrace my body through every changing season, whether that be pregnancy, postpartum, fertility, and everything that makes me a woman. It’s empowering to me now to feel such love and acceptance for who I am and what I look like. And this isn’t to say I don’t have physical goals to reach for myself, or simply means I’m loving myself every step of the way. I’m no longer waiting to be a certain size, type, weight, number, age, etc. To love my body. I love myself now, today, right now. And my hope is to inspire others to do the same.

Do you remember the worst moment after delivery when you felt that you don’t like your body? When you couldn’t accept it?

It’s not a happy place to be in. It was after my first baby, and my very first cesarean. I had a traumatic birth experience and I carried a lot of shame and self guilt over that. I saw myself as a failure and carried those feelings deep inside.

I felt it again and again with every birth, postpartum hit me hard every single time and I just couldn’t get past “the way I looked”.

It took me five pregnancies, two cesarean births, three unmedicated vbacs, and five healthy babies to finally realize that the beauty of my body goes far beyond what it looks like on the outside.

What would you go for now on the beach: bikini or one-piece swimsuit?

Both!!!

Any advice you could give to other women struggling with self-acceptance?

Make a list of five things you absolutely love about yourself, every morning when you look at yourself in the bathroom mirror, compliment yourself in those things. I always say to myself “you have a beautiful smile Brenda!”, or “wow, look at those beautiful eyes!”, or “you’re such a wonderful mom”.

When we start the day on a positive, loving attitude, we begin that time to the rest of our day.

Realize that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Our bodies do so much for us day in and day out. It’s time to celebrate them!!!

The More the Merrier is this week’s Birth Post series devoted to mums of twins or multiples. Three mothers tell us how their life changed with receiving the news of expecting not of just one but more babies.

Maria is the mother of four, including triplets that were born when her first boy only two years old. Her beaming smile seems to suggest the opposite, but Maria admits that with her bunch of four there is never a minute to sit down and relax. How does she do it then, you might ask. Well, Maria has a lot of tips for mums expecting multiples. Read and learn from her!

Hello Maria, how are you feeling today?

I’m feeling really good. The new sleeping schedule we started yesterday really works. All three are now taking a long nap at the same time! And the sun is finally shining after days with grey skies.

What did you have for breakfast this morning?

We had bread, eggs and coffee, and all four kids joined us around the table.  

How old are the triplets now?

The triplets are five months old today! <3

What was your first reaction when you found out you were expecting not one but three children?

I was totally, utterly shocked! I started crying right away, and thought about a thousand things at the same time: how would I be able to carry three babies, how will we survive the first months/ the first 4 years/ the teenage years, how will our older son deal with this, what about all our travel plans, our house situation, and so on. And during the rest of the session I was going from laughing to crying hysterically because of the surrealism of the whole situation, but also filled with happiness from seeing three perfectly healthy babies kicking around on the ultrasound screen. <3 <3 <3 They were so, so cute.

How was your delivery?

It was a planned c-section, and they were all out in only three minutes. It was so emotional hearing those three scream, and they showed me each baby right away and let me kiss their foreheads, before taking them to some tables beside me for check-ups. Afterwards, I got to hold two of them for some minutes, before they went to the NICU with their father, and I got stitched up.  

What has the biggest change in you life since you became the mother of triplets?

The biggest change is that there is almost never a minute left to relax, and that there are so many children to love and give attention to all of a sudden. We went from zero to four kids in two years. 🙂

How did your surroundings react to the news?

We actually called our parents and siblings one by one on Facetime, and filmed their reactions. I’m so happy that we did that, because their reactions are priceless! They all had different ways to cope with the news, so we got both hysterical laughter, tears and a case of almost fainting, haha! They were of course all very shocked, but also very happy and positively convinced that we would make it.

Do you have any pro tips for women who just found out they’re going to have triplets?

Do a lot of research ahead of time (Instagram was my best place to go), get things early (Babybrezza formula mixer and a sterilization machine are must-haves), try to get things sponsored (we asked a lot of companies even before I had a big Insta-account, and almost everyone said yes), plan to get as much help as you can in the first three months (especially if you have other children). If people want to help, tell them to bring dinners that you can freeze. Relax a lot during pregnancy (you want to keep them inside for as long as possible), and eat-out a lot, because you won’t have much time in just a while. 😉