It Takes a Village to Raise a Mother

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."
~ Albert Schweitzer

I'm going to come out and say it.  This is the second time I started this blog post.  I had started typing, had a little melt-down, let some friends know what was going on in my head, got a virtual smack to the back of my head to get me back on track, and started over again...including the title and quote!!  There wasn't anything bad that happened today, on the contrary, great things were happening at the office.  The negative that I was feeling was because I couldn't enjoy it myself and I started having a little "pity-party".  

I'm not going into the details, but a 4 month old received his first adjustment today.  His mommy got him started and is getting the rest of the family checked, too!!  Another healthier family!!!  I love that.  What I AM going to go into with more detail is the importance of a support system.  Every woman who has pregnant will tell you that as soon as someone finds out you are going to have a baby, the advice starts flowing warranted or not.  In my first couple posts I commented on the importance of me putting together my perfect Birth Team.  I truly believe there is just as much of an importance in putting together a general Mama Support Team.  This should go beyond even just your family.  They will be there for you through thick and thin, but by having a group outside of your family may give you insights on things you hadn't considered before.  Seek out a group of moms, other pregnant women, and other like-minded women (and by like-minded, I mean those who have the same philosophies regarding health, birthing, etc.) to keep in touch with throughout your pregnancy AND BEYOND.

I am EXTREMELY fortunate to have a group of ladies like that to keep me "in check".  Like the Schweitzer quote referred to...my "inner fire" was going out for a bit today.  These wonderful, strong, supportive ladies definitely rekindled my inner spirit!!  The beauty of this blog is that often times after I post, I will get a little text or Facebook message from a friend or family member that gives me a little boost, too.  My support system, or the "Kool-aid drinkers" as I lovingly refer to them (some of the ways we view pregnancy, birth, health, etc. aren't considered "Mainstream".....YET....he he he), are my cheerleaders, shoulders, advice-givers (when asked, of course), and exactly what I need as I go through this journey.  They are the cheerleaders on the sidelines of this marathon I'm running and will be there at the finish line to help me recover, too.  Don't get me wrong, my family is my CORE support and I couldn't do any of this without them. But as tonight's title states...it DOES take a village to raise a mother.  Thank you, ladies!!!!