The Mothership was born out of a desire to bring mothers and families together to form meaningful connections and a strong community. It only makes sense that preparing our space to be a welcoming retreat took the work of four dedicated women and their families, friends, and neighbors. There was painting - SO. Much. Painting. - cleaning, planning, designing, shopping, leveling, permitting, and did I mention painting? And no one told me there'd be math involved, but there was and we rocked it.

As we sit here at The Mothership, enjoying the quiet before we officially open our doors next week, we are filled with gratitude for the support we've received from our community. When you walk in for a childbirth class or a new mama support circle we hope you'll feel the love that went in to making this gathering space for you all.

I stood at the kitchen sink after dinner feeling nervous about what was to come… bedtime. I love my four wild things like there’s no tomorrow, but sometimes at bedtime I feel like tomorrow may never come and we’ll be stuck in eternal bedtime, Groundhog Day style. Even on good nights it takes a serious chunk of time to put four children to bed. As soon as I utter the words “time for bed” everyone needs something. Thing one is absolutely famished and how could we dare put him to bed with his belly aching from hunger. And no, snacks won’t do. This kid wants a burrito… ok dude. Thing two wants to talk about major life events like passing gas at circle time. Then he drops bombs like “I want you to have another baby” and I feel compelled to dissuade him by pointing out all the awful and annoying things his siblings do. Thing three wants to be reassured that we’re not going anywhere, like ever. Oh, and water. She wants water. Thing four is 18 months old and he wants to read his books, over, and over, and over (I am totally into this part of bedtime. I’ll take all the sweet snuggles and books I can get). And he doesn’t want to miss out. His sweet little ears perk up anytime the other children make a peep in our modest-sized house. By the time our routine is done SO AM I. If only I had a bedtime doula to provide non-judgemental physical, educational and emotional support so we can all have a positive bedtime experience...
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The perfect Valentine's Day gift for mom is easier to come by than you might think. And regardless of your feelings about the holiday, a show of love and appreciation is always welcome. Here are six Valentine's Day gift ideas that remind mom that she's loved.
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The birth of my fourth baby was so much more than the birth of one sweet, squishy baby boy. His birth summed up so much of my adult life. I've now birthed four babies of my own, been witness to the births of many babies and with them the births of many mothers and fathers and grandparents and sbilings, and I've given birth to my passion and career as a doula. So I went into this birth, the birth of my last baby, with much intention and reflection. I felt that I could draw on the strength and courage (not to mention fantastic playlist ideas) I'd witnessed in all the women I'd supported. In a way, I felt surrounded and lifted up by these women. And I had no fear. I've personally had so many varied experiences during birth, foley catheter, pitocin, cervidil, preeclampsia, waterbirth, and I've witnessed so many other variations during birth that I was mentally prepared. I was ready and the raging cold I had that lasted weeks and turned out to be pneumonia made me even more ready.
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