Simply Lovely

Have we become so focused on HEALING from our childhood that we’re now AFRAID to actually parent our children? 👀

Many of us grew up saying, “I’ll NEVER parent my children the way my parents raised me.”

And some things absolutely needed to change. Harsh parenting, emotional neglect and abuse should never be disguised as discipline.

But have we swung too far in the opposite direction?

We’re afraid to say NO, give consequences or let our children be disappointed because we don’t want them growing up talking about their “childhood trauma.”

But a child being upset with you doesn’t automatically mean you’re doing something wrong.

Breaking generational cycles is important but are we creating a NEW problem by becoming afraid to discipline our children? 👀

Where do you draw the line?👇🏽

After having my third baby, both my OB-GYN and family doctor asked what birth control I wanted.

I decided to research my options first…but the more I researched, the more confused I became.

One woman swears by the IUD, another says NEVER again.

You hear about mood changes, weight changes, acne, heavy or irregular periods, no periods at all, and different risks depending on the method.

Even natural family planning has its limitations, so I’m genuinely at a crossroads.

Mamas, I want the HONEST stories. 👇🏾 Based on your own experience, which birth control would you recommend to your sister or best friend and which one would you tell her to stay away from? 👀

PREGNANCY AFTER 40 👀

We constantly hear that a woman’s fertility declines with age because the number and quality of her remaining eggs decrease over time.

But then you’ll hear about a woman getting pregnant naturally at 42, 44, even 45+.

So what’s actually happening? 🤔

Do some women simply have more viable eggs remaining at that age? Does genetics play a role? And why can one woman struggle to conceive at 35 while another becomes pregnant naturally in her 40s?

Obviously, getting pregnant naturally later doesn’t mean fertility doesn’t decline with age—it does.

But the differences between women are fascinating.

Moms who conceived naturally after 40, how old were you when you got pregnant? Was it planned or a complete surprise? 👀👇🏾

We always hear that breast milk isn’t exactly the same all the time. Its composition can change throughout a feeding, across the day, and as the baby grows.

But this has always fascinated me…

HOW does the mother’s body know? 😳

I’ve even heard people say that when a baby is sick, the mother’s milk can change to provide more immune protection.

Is it because the baby is nursing more frequently? Hormonal signals? The mother’s immune system being exposed to the same germs?

Because the human body is honestly AMAZING. 🤯

Breastfeeding moms and healthcare professionals—what’s actually happening here? How does the body “know”? 👀👇🏾

We LOVE our children. We want them to have a better childhood than we had. We don’t want to see them cry, sad or disappointed.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

You can spoil a child out of LOVE too.

Sometimes because we don’t want to hurt their feelings, we avoid correcting them or giving consequences.

Having multiple children has taught me that every child is different.

One child listens when you sit them down and explain. Another may need consequences. Lose the iPad, miss an outing, remove privileges, etc.

Yes, some of our parents were too harsh, and abuse should NEVER be called discipline.

But love doesn’t mean allowing everything either.

Sometimes “NO” is love.
Correction is love.
Boundaries are love.
Consequences are love.

And above everything, parenting is not something we can do by our own strength or wisdom alone.

We can read all the parenting books, be intentional and genuinely try our best, but ultimately, we need the grace and wisdom of God to raise these children well.

As the Bible says, “It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”

But asking for God’s help doesn’t mean folding our hands and expecting God to raise our children for us.

We have a part to play.

We teach.
We correct.
We set boundaries.
We pray.
And we ask God to give increase to our efforts.

May God give us the wisdom and grace to raise sons and daughters who grow into responsible, respectful men and women that we—and society—will be proud of someday. Amen. 🙏🏾❤️

Parents, what do you think? Have we taken gentle parenting too far, or are we simply learning to discipline differently? 👀👇🏾

Apparently, yes but it’s extremely rare. 😳

It can happen with fraternal twins when a woman releases two eggs during the same cycle and each egg is fertilized by s***m from a different man after in*******se with two different partners within the fertile window.

There’s even a medical term for it: heteropaternal superfecundation.

So the babies are twins because they develop during the same pregnancy and are born together but genetically, they can have different fathers.

Now imagine finding THAT out through a DNA test. 😭😭

Before today, did you know this was biologically possible?👇🏽

“They told me my baby was going to be HUGE, so they recommended a C-section.”

Then baby comes out and weighs much less than predicted. 😳

Now I understand that delivering a very large baby vaginally can come with risks, and doctors have to consider the safety of both mom and baby.

But here’s my question:

How accurate are those late-pregnancy ultrasound weight estimates?

And should an estimated “big baby” alone be enough to recommend a C-section, or are there other factors doctors consider before making that decision?

Moms, were you ever told your baby was “too big” for a vaginal birth? What weight did they predict and what did your baby ACTUALLY weigh? 👀👇🏾