What I Learned on My Maternity Leave

Leave a comment August 7, 2012 drworobec

I am going back to work on Monday August 20th, and with this date quickly approaching, I have started to reflect on all that’s happened in the last six months. I had originally planned on taking three or four months off following the birth of my daughter; being self-employed has some practical and financial limitations for maternity leaves. As that deadline came and went, however, I just didn’t feel ‘ready’ to go back. She still had more to teach me. This is what I learned:

I learned that no matter how uncomfortable and anxious I was to meet her, she wasn’t ready until six days after her official due date. She taught me patience.

I learned that I was able to fall in love with her deeply and immediately, as I did with her brother when he was born three years ago. She taught me unconditional love.

I learned that I don’t need to second-guess my maternal instincts and intuition. She taught me confidence.

I learned that seeing my children laugh together gives me a feeling of complete happiness. She taught me joy.

I learned that I’m the first one she looks to for comfort, acceptance, and approval. She taught me loyalty.

I learned that if I do not succeed at a new skill, I need to keep trying. She taught me perseverance.

I learned that many of her needs can be met with a simple cuddle. She taught me compassion.

I learned that seeing my son meet his baby sister for the first time was easily the most astounding moment of my life. She taught me about miracles.

So as I return to work, I will keep these lessons in mind. And I will continue to learn.

What Makes it Still Feel Like Home?

3 Comments July 31, 2012 drworobec

I am home. Well, technically I’m at my parent’s home, which is my childhood home. And I haven’t lived under their roof for 15 years. We live 3000kms apart, and have for a decade now, yet I still feel like I’m coming ‘home’ when I visit here. Why is that?

Is it that my mom knows my favorite meals and makes them for me without fail?

Is it that I don’t have to ask if I can come for a visit or knock when I enter?

Is it that driving through town brings back memories with every street I pass?

Is it that I can be quiet and (admittedly) grumpy until I’ve had my morning coffee?

Is it that my favorite running trails, my ‘happy place’, are right around the corner?

Is it that sleeping in my old bedroom makes me reflect on where I was and where I’ve ended up?

Maybe it’s the familiarity. Maybe it’s the comfort. Maybe it’s the deep-in-your-bones happiness.

This particular visit to my parent’s home is significant because it is the first time that my daughter has been here. She’s still a newbie, only five months old, and tonight I will sleep in my old bedroom with her, while my husband and son sleep in the bedroom next door. The logistics of small kids and available beds dictate this arrangement, and somehow this makes me feel even more at ‘home’.

Jonas Salk wrote: “Good parents give their children roots and wings. Roots to know where home is, wings to fly away and exercise what’s been taught them.” My parents gave me wings; wings that I have used often and used well. But they also gave me roots; roots that run deeper than my wings can fly. I wish the same for my children.

This picture sums up memories of ‘home’ for me: family, running, and my parent’s backyard.

From Wheat-Addict to Reformed Wheat-Addict

6 Comments July 24, 2012 drworobec

I am a carb junkie. I love cereal and bagels for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and pasta for supper. My snack of choice is pretzels, a granola bar, or whole-grain anything. I have a weakness for fresh bread and any kind of ‘doughy’ dessert. Coming from a background of long-distance running, this is not entirely surprising, as I was always coached to carb-load to fuel my runs. Upon entering into the world of Crossfit a couple of years ago, I was introduced to the Paleo lifestyle- essentially a hunter/gatherer diet that focuses on protein, fat, and vegetables. Quite the shift from my carb-heavy nutrition. But I wasn’t quite sold, and continued along eating a ‘healthy’ diet, complete with mounds of carbohydrate, mostly in the form of wheat.

The Universe tapped me on the shoulder a second time when Wheat Belly became a NY Times Bestseller. The buzz surrounding this book was big and I was intrigued with the research angle. Written by a cardiologist, Wheat Belly points out many observations that I was noticing in myself: despite all the training I was doing, my body was holding onto abdominal fat, I felt the highs and lows of my blood sugar throughout the day, and I felt bloated a lot of the time. The wheels in my head were spinning as I ate my breakfast bagel.

The final push for me came through my baby girl. She is exclusively breastfed, and when she was six weeks old, I started to notice that she was developing an eczema-like rash on her feet and arms. Being a chiropractor who supports natural medicine, I decided to try eliminating wheat from my diet to see if I noticed a change in her- after all, wheat promotes inflammation in the body. I am not exaggerating when I say her eczema cleared up completely. Immediately. Within a day or two, her rash was gone. And another side-effect that I hadn’t anticipated was that her spit-ups also stopped completely. Immediately. She went from being a twice-a-day puker to never spitting up again. She is 19 weeks old now, and she has not spit up since the day I eliminated wheat when she was 6 weeks old. Pretty compelling evidence if you ask me.

As is the case many times as a parent, we will sacrifice for our children, but not for ourselves. My daughter was the incentive I needed to try a wheat-free diet and now we’re both reaping the benefits- no more bloat for me, no more mid-afternoon cravings and fatigue, and I’ve lost five pounds. Does this mean I’ll be wheat-free always and forever? Probably not. My mother-in-law’s homemade bread is too good to pass up from time to time, and I never say no to birthday cake, but for the most part a wheat-free lifestyle is the new me. My name is Ashley and I am a reformed wheat-addict.