That is going to be our first Christmas with baby. I am getting slowly in the mood. Did not do yet list what I am going to cook, but still have plenty of time. And also this year we are both on holidays, so no rushing between kitchen and busy workplaces. Presents are such an important thing in Ireland. Everybody gets crazy, shops are so busy I try to avoid city centre in December and do my shopping as a very planned or just online. But we also have our small tradition and every year we go for Dublin Flea Christmas Market. It is much bigger then usual flea market which takes place on every last Sunday on Newmarket Street in D8. I am a huge fan of bric-a-brac and supporter of small local companies especially involved in fair-trade and organic movement as well as just beautiful well-designed trinkets. But this year was special as we went there to find something for Z. She is too small for box of chocolates, so I wanted a gift which will be a toy for future but also a memory of her first Christmas. Will you guess what I have chosen? Have a look on all those loveliness for babies, toddlers and children what I found there. And if you did not have plans for tomorrow here is an idea to check crowded Point Village!

Vintage for children

Skincare for baby 

Dublin Herbalists oil and balm

Hand made herbal skin salve - Herbalist without borders

Cloths 

A bear from Stencilize

Vintage dresses from Golden Child

Tiny creative tee, 100% cotton from Grown

Toys

One of my favorite Guadalupe Creations bunny dolls

angels and Santa Clauses

Frida and Baby Bowie!

Mira mira is a treasure of remarkable child's-play

heart-shape box and wooden puzzles, cars

Saturday workshop wooden rocket

Teddy-bots! 

Mish mash of soft harmless animals from Magic Forest

Furniture for fairies' houses from Fairyhill

Small and me: everything for teething little ones to keep them busy and distracted 

Food 

(to keep you going)

Great selection of food stalls - simple toasties, freshly brewed coffee and tea, mulled wine, pies, falafels from guys from Fumbally and...

one of not many chances to try Asian cuisine by Katie Sanderson: mish mash between Korean Bim Bap and a Japanese donburi. Simply and delish nourishment for your tummy!

And after...

just get festive with mince pie!

And that is not all! 

Even daddy with little helper hunted some gems!

One of my passions is good coffee, which I got from my husband, and food. With food is a long story as even at my family home we always liked to cook. My dad every summer made preserves: jams, jellies, marmalades, cornichons and much more, his imagination never stop! And my mum cooked every day for us. She taught me how to make sponge cake when I was 5 or 6 years old and I was able to make surprise birthday cakes when I was just 8. I had my own cook book with Winnie the Pooh and tried so many recipes from there. 

Now I am in love with few chefs, Jamie Oliver and Yottam Ottolenghi are my tops. And I love to go out and eat. Try new tastes, new cuisines. Every trip has its own trail in cafes and restaurants. Has it changed since I became a mother? Well I do not drink as I breastfeed, but I miss only cold glass of white wine in summertime and a mug of mulled wine in wintertime. We go out mostly for lunches, coffees but I do not see any reason why we can not eat also dinner. And it happen few times, obviously not at 9 o'clock as Z. is at that time bathed and ready to sleep. But going to any venue with baby means that every mum will choose convenient place. So let me introduce my little...

Mum&baby venue guide

First Draft Coffee 

3 Curved St, Dublin

Opening hours:

mon-fri 10-17

sat 11-16

sun closed

Secretly hidden cafe on first floor in Filmbase in Temple Bar Dublin 2. That makes quiet and relaxing atmosphere far away from crowdy streets and running people. It is run by Ger, lovely guy, who will always make you feel special and the most important person in the world: his customer. If you do not know anything about speciality coffee, how to taste it, how to extract and find all beautiful fruity notes here is the guy! I drunk many times absolutely stunning cuppa there made with The Barn beans so I guarantee you will not regret a visit. If you are hungry they have simple and short menu: homemade soup, sandwiches. And if you are sweet tooth like me try wild flour bakery goodies. Lovely small cakes in many flavors which combinations sometimes are a bit strange, but believe me they will change your thinking about a treat. And if you are a tea drinker they also have few types of teas and herbals. 

Place is very spacious. Few tables beside huge window, big table for groups, friends or family in the middle and every cosy space with armchairs. Delicate light, raw concrete look and few Spathiphyllum plants give this spot unbelievable warmth. Or maybe it just people. 

So you can easily find comfort space to breastfeed and enough room to park your buggy. Even cafe is not on ground floor you can get there easy with lift. Also there is a changing unit in toilet for disabled. Unfortunately they do not have high chairs, but will offer you a bowl with boiling water to heat up your bottle or baby food. Must visit and recently my number one for long cheat chats with friends. 

The Fumbally 

 

Fumbally Ln,
Merchants Quay,
Dublin 8
Opening hours:
tue, thu, fri 8-17
wed 8-17 and 19.30-21
sat 10-17
sun, mon closed

Fumbally can be loved or hated. But well, most of people love the spot! That makes them so busy during lunch time and on Saturdays! So if you like queueing that is perfect time for you. But even there is busy the atmosphere is always like in good friend's house. Controlled mess, collection of vintage furnitures, books, posters, "All sorrows are less with bread" by Don Quixote written on black board and actually huge basket of bread makes that place so friendly. Open kitchen invite you to be a witness of the show of natural and intriguing flavors. They do almost everything themselves! Dairy free cappuccino? - here you go: sunflower seeds milk on espresso made with 3fe or The Barn beans. They control milk waste and baristas' leftovers are process into homemade ricotta. How clever is that?! Food is seasonal and organic. Definitely it is one of my top taste inspiration! You have to try their falafel. So simple! So delicious! It will not be a lie when I say I just love there every bite of everything and in reasonable prices. Also it is spacious for buggy, but you will notice probably more baby wearing parents than anywhere else. A minus is few steep stairs on entrance, but someone always will give you hand. Changing unit in toilet. Just ask them to heat up baby food and if you run out of snack for your little grab a piece of bread for tiny hands - it is much healthier than any baby cookies! If you have never been there yet, it is a must! 

  

Considered Cafe 

35-36 Drury Street 

Dublin 2

Opening hours:

mon-wed, fri 8.30-18

thu 8.30-19

sat 10-18

sun 12-17

For me it is a place for tea and scone (3.50 deal!). Great selection of Matthew Algie caffeinated and herbal infusions will make your cold morning better: organic roiboos with honey (jut ask!), apple loves mint, red berry mix- yumm! Huge scones are homemade and my favorite - full of raspberries. But be quick, sometimes they are gone before 11 am. For lunch they serve homemade sandwiches and hearty soups. And again in great price. Try now turkey sandwich, it is just the right time to taste that delicious combination of stuffing, meat and cranberries. 

Place have plenty of seats, as they just refurbished, but I try to avoid it between 1-2pm, as it is very busy and loudly. There is not much space for buggy, but if you do not need it beside you, ask staff and they will help you to park in corridor. Changing unit in ladies upstairs. They have one high chair so be quick to grab it before other mum. They can offer you bowl of boiling water to heat up baby food. If you have any special orders for older children like cheese tostie or babycino that is the place to make your little ones happy! When leaving do not forget to grab little gift to feel up your Xmas stocking, they have great selection of knick-knacks designed by Helen James in collaboration with Dunnes Stores. 

Hope you will like the idea of my guide and it will be helpful for all mums who are concern where to go for a coffee to feel comfortable like at home. If you have your favorite places let me know! I will check them soon! 

Out and about. I love that name. There is no such a thing in Polish language. Did I mentioned our first walk with buggy was actually a walk from hospital to home?

After a proper rest I was just so proud of myself, my baby and my husband (whole family!) I wanted to get out as soon as possible! And I checked few websites. Some of them were strict we should wait two weeks and first put baby outside in a buggy next to window, in a garden or on a balcony. And thankfully some of them says there is no reason to wait as far baby and mother feel comfortable. Well after natural birth "comfortable" meant for me not too fast and not too long distance. I did not wear Z. until I felt confident, so on the beginning daddy cuddle her under his beard. 

So we went for a short walk and little shopping to organic market nearby on very next day when we came back home. It was beginning of autumn, as I remember 15 degrees and cloudy sky. And we wanted to try baby wearing! So we put up our stretchy wrap as we learned with a teddy bear and were ready to put baby inside. She was tiny and sleeping all the time during that walk. And we were obviously like all parents terrified! Is she warm enough, comfortable, is the posture good? Thousands of questions and one million strokes of her sweet face, the only part which could have been seen.

Next day there was a Pregnancy and Baby Fair and I could not miss that! So there we had first ride in a car. And again to the sling! Z. was 3 days old and no doubts she was the youngest on the show! There was a crowd and after some time I almost blame myself for all germs which were for sure in the air. Thanks to breastfeeding and my great immune system! That was also my first time of feeding in public. Quite early if I think so.





Babywearing. I still feel like a target for other mothers. How you can squeeze your baby, hang it in front and dangle just like that? Well yes I can!

Carrying a baby in arms is natural atavism, well known as primitive behavior, has its roots in early human culture, which allowed to survive and spread our species. Just look at people still living in tribes - that is what they do! They do not have buggies, cars and car seats! They wear their babies.

All those women looking at me strangely can call me a primitive human. Yes please! No I do not do voodoo and do not drink my period blood! But I am wise woman who apart of having a baby has also life. And two free hands! Other benefits? We are close to each other which does not mean only calm baby but also warm and cosy environment. Believe me she is like small heater. And vice versa! No need to put five layers of clothes. Our stretchy wrap is already like three. Also usually I put on bigger sweater or jacket and if it will be windy I can just wrap her in another layer. And if it will be raining? Emergency umbrella will be perfect. I do not need those plastic bags which you have to wrap over a buggy and they take ¾ of storage. Happy days! Instead all my stuff is on my back in bag! Z. just sleeps. And she goes on until she will be too hot or starving. My movement is like magic and heartbeat - the best lullaby! How about posture? It is totally natural! For spine especially in first months and for hips! When she was spitting up a lot in the time where her digestive system was not mature enough upright position was the only comfortable. It probably also reduce colics. I am not an expert as we never experienced one.





For me is mostly convenience. I can jump to a grocery when I forget anything. And all prep will take about few minutes. It is also great when we are going for shopping. Not every spot has a lift and even if there is it is usually so busy and takes so much time to get in with buggy! Quick lunch in busy cafe? Here you go! Easy access to bus? Yep!
Does it mean we have never used our buggy? Not at all! We have two wraps: stretchy one Polish branded Poofi and wooven Lenny Lamb, also Polish but well known also on US ank UK market. We use mostly Poofi for now. Z. is 8 weeks and it is easier, faster, cozier and we feel more confident. But once she will be bigger, no doubts we will use Lenny Lamb and all more complicated tied configurations.

Our travel system includes car seat: Cybex Aton and Joolz Earth buggy. What can I say about car seat? You know rules: needs to be safe, new for new baby, can not be mostly used with buggy base (well the name- car seat means something ! So babies should not be in car seat in shopping centre or on walk! ) and baby must not be placed into with e.i. winter jacket. Car seat is to protect your baby in case of an accident.

Our buggy? It is just amazing! I love design, leather details, beautiful unisex elephant grey color, which is for me something between grey, khaki and olive. I can push it with one finger. Literally! I did tried! It is light, fits to our trunk easily also can be stored upright. And it has two options - a cot or seat. Obviously at the moment we use cot. Is slightly longer than other brands, high enough, so you do not have to bend to take baby out. As I know seat option can be used as high chair - handy in restaurant! Adjustable handle - important for my taller husband. For me storage space is just enough. Some people complain the bag is small or lower storage too compact. But I have also mummy hook attached and cupholder for coffee so I can fit everything what is necessary for me.

I try to walk a lot with Z. Irish autumn was this year very mild. And even today when December is just about to begin we had such a beautiful sunny day! So being out is a must! And when we are cold or just need cosy space for feeding we usually stop in one of Dublin's cafes, which very often are adapted to mums and babies needs. Which ones? Let's wait for new post. I will find out for you! 

I am guilty. That is how midwifes, doctors and medical carers made me to feel. I believe that one of the biggest concern for parents-to-be is sleep deprivation. Antenatal classes trying to prepare you by explaining that a baby will cry: often, a lot, loudly and sometimes do-not-know-why. So your life is just going about to change. No pubs, meetings with friends, newspaper reading, coffees in favorite cafes, listening to music. Cold breakfasts, late lunches, no dinners. OMG! That what I saw on all Irish faces at same time. Plus sleep while your baby is sleeping and same time nurture yourself - eat well, just look after yourself! So how to manage all of those and not get crazy?

So my first focus was sleep. We bought big cot for Z.'s room quite early. We just could not wait! And than we got small moses basket for first few months and great mobile solution also for daytime. And then I went to hospital. All staff encourage skin-to-skin contact. Fair enough. Great feeling! You have your baby on chest, breathing, wriggling like a minutes ago in your tummy, it is warm and cosy, you are tired as never after delivery and... you fall asleep. What is then? I think your baby should magically teleports herself to cot. Well, surprisingly it did not happen in my case. I fall asleep with my baby in bed. In hospital. And I was woken up by midwife in the middle of the night and asked to put my girl to cot. I was just exhausted, sleepy and... I answered in Polish without thinking: "Ale ona będzie płakać!" (But she will be crying!). Midwife looked at me like at crazy women who just cursed her. So I repeated in english. Well "that is the policy, put your baby down in cot". So I decided to not sleep and have her next to me.

Once we were back home, we arrange everything. Put Z. overnights to moses basket. But she was falling asleep in my or my husband arms. So we were transferring her and she slept 2-3 hours. And we had our system. Husband was changing her in first half on night (I was like zombie at that time) and brought her for feeding and second half, on morning I was doing by myself. And that was perfect. Guilt free. But on the morning moses basket transfers were harder and harder and... I fall asleep few times and Z. was with us in bed. I was terrified we would do something accidentally to our baby. But we have noticed also that all of us slept just much better in that configuration.

So what we should do? Co-sleeping or worse bed sharing is such a controversial thing! I was bad mother. I risked my baby's life. We will never have same life as we had before. I am not going even mention our sex life.

I started to read and look for answers. When I went for postnatal class I think someone asked that and answer was so strict: "you need to put your baby on back in cot" I decided to never have questions about bed-sharing to Irish medical staff.

What did we do to our humanity? Depressions, medicals, low self-confidence, no trust in our bodies, to the others, arguing families, zero respect to beloved ones. Too posh to push, breast for sale not for feeding, bottles instead of breasts... And now this. Sleeping. Why all mammals sleep in nests? Mothers and babies? And why we trying to be so different again?

So there is one professor, anthropologist, who create in US a Laboratory of Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep. James J. McKenna is the most famous person and the world’s leading authority on mother-infant co-sleeping in relationship to breastfeeding and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). So I had a read on his website. Then I started to ask other mums. And suddenly, all of them were hiding with bed sharing. We are all bad mothers!

I spoke with my husband and he said he did not see any problem when there was three of us in a bed. We checked 7 steps of safe bed-sharing and yeah! We can do it! 

So then community. I have heard so many opinions and judgements! Your baby will get use to it. She will be addicted to you. No life. No sex. Divorce! It is unhealthy. And none of you will ever have a proper sleep. For years!

How did it happen our bed life is in bloom? I said to myself again I should follow my instinct. And I prioritized. The most important thing is for me well rested daddy, baby and mummy. In that order. Daddy - someone needs to make money, baby - will be less fussy during day, mummy - can catch some sleep during day with baby. But usually we are fresh and ready for new day in same way. So it did not matter for me how we would do this. If bed sharing works for you, that is fine! You are fine! 

I found and still am finding many benefits! It helps with breastfeeding - sometimes Z. will not even cry and somehow I will wake up and I know by her movement she is hungry. I can feed longer on my side and fall asleep, sometimes daddy will put my breast if it will fall out. Baby is more calm and sleep longer. When I want to do something on morning I leave them together and they can sleep for hours then! All of us just love being close to each other! And I love to take photos when we sleep together!

And sex? Well my stretch marks, flabby belly or post delivery vagina did not ruined that so will my baby? And who said you have to make love only at evening and in bed..? 

My body has changed. I did not mind it when my bump was bigger and bigger week by week during pregnancy. I waited first for nausea, then for bubbly-feeling movement, cravings, wormy wave, kick which could be seen outside, first hiccup, first stretched mark... Recently there is so many women who will tell you that motherhood is not easy. Hormones make you different person, someone stuffed your tummy and then left, trampled your vagina and pulled breasts. Your brain is a wreckage during baby blues.
So I had to go through so many of this experiences and impressions when I wanted to find any valuable article about firsts weeks of being a mum. And I am sorry for all women who feel like that. It must be horrible. The thing which terrifies me even more is those women do not have anyone to talk about. World is as it is and does not care if you feel bad. Even there is so much pressure recently to show everyone that motherhood is not a fairytale. I would go further and I will say it very simple. Motherhood is like a life. You expect prince on white horse and even if he comes onto, hooves are dirty, full of mud and back is dusty. Same with motherhood. First smiles come, but apart of those there is plenty of yellowish nappies, cheesy-milky stains everywhere, lack of sleep and house full of scream no-one-knows-why. And I am saying: life is good. As far as you are able to believe and manage that. Often not by yourself as we live in a herd. Just... ask for help and let it go.
Everything will change. And my first thoughts were not regretting my previous life, were rather just  a question: "how we lived before?". I do not know.
I have stretched marks. Not even one appeared during pregnancy, but in few days when my baby was born. On tummy, thighs and breasts. And you know what? I think is normal. How could I produce new skin during those nine months? My body grew a new human so I assume it just forgot about few inches of skin here and there. Is it a catastrophe? Nope. Am I attractive? Well ask my husband, his opinion interest me the most. But I feel beautiful. I feel like a women. Not anymore a girl.
I have huge breasts. I breastfeed so they are full of milk and will change for sure in the future again and again. They are tempting for my hungry eater. And they are like miracles producing food, safe cushions for day naps and they are starring confidently on men passing by me. I always dreamed about bigger breasts and when they changed over two sizes I am thankful I was rather small sized complainer before.
I have scars on my vagina. Like in every natural birth pushing baby out was not without consequences. Episiotomy in Ireland is rare procedure and is implemented once advised by midwife. Also they do not do stitches which I know from Poland - separated, every single tide up near to skin. Instead it is a one string threaded over skin like a lace. They dissolved after a week and left small painless scar.
I was bleeding for six weeks. After nine months without period it is still a win! And honestly it was not bothering so much as I did not have obviously period cramps. When I fed, from time to time, I felt few contractions as uterus was shrinking to normal size.
My acne is back. I was pimple-free for nine months. God! Perfect skin! And now I am without pattern regulated by my cycle. But honestly it is not so bad as it was before pregnancy! And when I see anything popping on my face I use the most natural and cheap remedy: breast milk. Nothing ever worked so effectively!
I can walk fast again, I see my toes, lost over 10 kilos without any special diet, I eat donuts again, can polish my feet nails without a trouble, shave lower parts and seeing what I am doing. I can sleep during a day as much as I want, go to bed early and after opening my eyes see little smily face, which is waiting for hug, familiar smell, sip of freshest babycino ever. Lucky me I found benefits of mum's life, lucky I can talk about my fears in reality, lucky I have someone who noticed the woman.

Hospital. Who likes them? I do not. My first thoughts always go in sick direction. There is obviously great benefit of giving birth in hospital as if you have any risk there will be always an army of doctors and midwives to help you and your child. But! If you are healthy women and the little is fine why someone is trying to lie you down in bed and treat you like sick. No it is not a huge tumor or sore appendix in your tummy! It is a new screaming life. And I think it is sometimes forgotten so much!
Researches show that c-section rates recently increased and they are between 19-38% of total deliveries in different maternity units in Ireland. If there is a need for that, go for it, well run for it! That is the only chance for you and thanks God for that. But what about those electives sections, planned and scheduled to every second? Is there so many women too posh to push?
I am huge fan of home deliveries. Not extreme free births, as it is good to have with you someone experienced just in case and for your peace of mind. I did not have many options which could speed up naturally my labor and I was almost chained to delivery bed. But I had in my mind huge believe "I can do it" and I was brave enough to ask for being next to bed on a ball. And I am happy with all what happened. Never felt guilty I could not tick all boxes in my birth plan. So do not yourself!
After late night delivery I just wanted to go home as soon as possible. I was down in ward about 4am, taken down on wheelchair, climbed to bed, trying to fall asleep with my baby in the glass cot. And even I had so many things too feel like home, I could not. I was in hospital. And she was crying so loudly. And I felt guilty, because the rest of women probably could not sleep! There was, including me, 5 of us. But next day 2 were gone home and nobody new came. I was experiencing every second of being a new mum and new woman inside myself, so I did not really want to talk with anyone. I just smiled to them and that was enough for me. For most of the time we did not see each other as we were separated by curtains. My baby was stubborn and very sleepy. But on the other hand hungry and in need to be just next to the only person she have known, her mummy. I decided to breast feed, which I did attempted in delivery suite. But it was such a new experience and suddenly nothing worked. All positions which I saw on antenatal classes and breastfeeding workshops were just hopeless. And I felt hopeless. Especially just after delivery, when I did not know that my baby did not need to eat much. Even one suck should be considered as a success. But that was the only moment when I met totally unpleasant person in a hospital. That was a midwife who was not present during my labor nor delivery and honestly even today I have no idea where she came from. She pulled my breast, stuck in baby's mouth and said: "that's how you should do it". Then she screamed at my husband who did skin to skin contact with the baby: "she's cold, that's why she's crying". I did not catch her name neither remember her face, but if only I would made huge complain. Lucky her!
My bed was comfy even it was much older then that in delivery suite. I have enough space for my stuff. I was surprised by quality of food. Portions were big enough and there was always a choice of two dishes and there was even a dessert! That is such a different comparing to Polish hospitals. My husband could be with us for most time during a day. There was few breaks for meals and resting. I felt like a wreckage physically, just sore, with kind of pain which I never felt. And next to me I had the most beautiful creature in whole world. So I could do anything and cross every hurting edge and border. So my main activities during hospital stay was crying over her beauty, eating donuts and trying to feed. It was hard. I had plenty of colostrum. When she just sucked, which was already a challenge, she felt asleep. And again, again, again.. Then we were found by a great midwife. Young girl, who showed us position which I had never seen. And it worked! She ate, had wet nappies and I could not believe. After 12 hours we were ready to go home. But I decided... to stay one night more. I was just afraid something would go wrong and I would panic. I actually wanted also my husband would  have proper sleep, before we would be together. And feeding were going great. Next day we were discharged and we went home. I mean walking. First time with buggy. And I would not change that for a ride of any car. Even it took for me a while and we did about 300 or 400 meters that was another point, which I could be proud of. Our new life was just about to start, our new little flatmate was just about to move in. I will not surprise you, that was the most exciting change of our life.

My hospital stay was quite short. I was a bit afraid of that as I did not choose private care, so I could not be by myself in room. We were down from delivery ward at 4 pm. Three hours took to give a birth to placenta, make some stitches, to hug my baby skin-to-skin and eventually to get tea and toasts. And believe me that was the best tea with milk and the most delicious toast with raspberry jam and marmalade (with sugar!) which I have ever had. Baby Z. was weighted, measured, she was given vitamin K and at the end dressed in our baby grow, hat and wrapped up in blanket. She was like a small christmas present!
My husband was all the time with us. Well with a small break! I decided at the end of my pregnancy I wanted to keep my placenta and encapsulate it. So someone had to take it home and that was obviously him.
It may sound for you disgusting, for me it was so natural that my only concern was just price. I have read many articles and opinions. I watched also interesting BBC documentary: Childbirth all or nothing , which shows 4 different ways of giving a birth. Some of them were for me kind of extreme, but I am far away from judging anyone. There was no way there I would follow in 100%, but actually this short film just convinced me in my decisions. I had that luck my pregnancy yoga teacher, Gail is also an expert in placenta encapsulation. So when I came for the first yoga class and found out she can prepare my placenta I was sure I would go for it.
All signs on earth tried to directed my thoughts to that. There was even recently an article in Irish Times  about benefits of placenta consuming. You can find there all basic information, which you may be interested in. I just want to tell you how it was for me even I can not compare it.
If you have doubts, are totally against that practice or just disgust, please do not read it.

I got all instructions from Gail how we should transport and store the placenta. It was simple. I was also given a form by hospital as they had to ensure I was decided to dispose placenta by myself.
After delivery placenta is always examined by midwife as it is important to make sure whole tissue was excreted and nothing left in womb as later it may cause bleeding. In 30 minutes placenta should be kept in cold place. It may be in cooler bag full of ice or just in fridge. As we live 3 minutes from hospital there was not big effort to take it home and just store it in fridge. My husband made then all arrangement and Gail collected placenta day after. All process of encapsulation is long, as tissue has to be dehydrated, powdered and than placed in those small capsules. I got a small jar of about hundred capsules just on the day when we were going back home.
So what about those two days? I was afraid of my hormones. I just wanted to enjoy beginning of new life so I asked Gail to separate three small raw pieces of placenta and they were made into smoothie. It sounds disgusting I know. But it was blended with berries and honestly it tasted just like regular berry smoothie. It was just full of iron and even if it was only a placebo, I just did felt good.
I did not suffer of any baby blues. I was crying, but all my tears were just like "Oh my God she is just so beautiful!".
I did not any problem with my milk supply. I did not loose my hair and they were not even thiner, weaker or so after - still long and well kept. My body has been healing very well. I was out after just few days. In a week I walked as usual. After 6 weeks of taking capsules I feel just normal and I am back in my shape with few kilos over my usual weight.
I do not know if I am just so healthy that my body and mind recovered rapidly or it really was the placenta. I can just say every autumn and winter I suffer from lack of sun and I am more like a bear - can sleep through those seasons. I am liable to my moods, seasons, weather, my cycles, hormones and, I believe, many others. But now I am just fine. Happy. And as a mammal I would recommend to my friend breastfeeding and consuming a placenta. It is for me part of nature and part of motherhood.