Own Your Birth Supporting Pre & Postnatal Women, Babies & Families

“Your baby, her body”.

The term “surrogacy” is generally used to describe a couple different scenarios.

A gestational carrier who carries a pregnancy for someone else using an egg that is not the carrier’s. Pregnancy is achieved through in vitro fertilization (IVF).
A traditional surrogate both donates her own egg and carries a pregnancy for an individual or couple. The pregnancy is usually achieved through intrauterine insemination (IUI) with s***m from the intended father. Donor s***m may also be used.

Super fans that watched KUWTK recently saw the journey of a couple to acquire a surrogate. The focus was around the unknown possibility of unplanned multiples. “The surrogate is within her right to reduce or terminate an unplanned outcome”.

How far we’ve come that we are finally seeing normalized informed decision making an entrance on mainstream tv!

Keep an eye open for these gems 💎.

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Me and my bestie 🥰🌈

As hard as it gets sometimes, I’m so happy to be able to spend my days with my beautiful Lucia.
She inspires me daily. She’s brilliant, kind, playful, loving and colourful.

Remembering how I always wanted an opportunity to WFH to be able to be with her.

This is what abundance looks like.

New year’s first babies deliver joy for families in the midst of the pandemic Baby Thomas was born 48 seconds after the clock struck midnight to Thuy Vu and Patrick Simmons at Humber River Hospital.

Ya’ll wanna hear a joke?⠀
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Decaf 😭⠀
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May your coffee be strong and your Wednesday be short ✌🏽⠀
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Remote learning 💻⠀
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It took a couple weeks to get into the flow of things but we are getting better at it. ⠀
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Some things that are getting us through:⠀
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- Lucia's virtual teacher is badass.⠀
- There's a good amount of live and independent study.⠀
-Lunches made by Cesar.⠀
-Dealing with emotional days by singing at the top or our lungs- top of the list right now...Lady Gaga "Stupid Love" or in Lucia's words S-word love.⠀
- a chalk wall I painted in Lucia’s room (super helpful for helping with work and getting her to write the date 🗓)⠀
-nightly reflections on how we can improve and being accepting of what we can and cannot change. ⠀
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How are you adapting to your new normal?

Weekend things 👋🏽 ⠀
⠀..with my pal C, he da baddest. 🤓

I’ve been transparent with my infertility journey when trying for baby #2. ⠀
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It took me a while to pull myself out of a dark hole, one that was incredibly hard to dig my way out of. ⠀
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I was finally gifted a baby. A God daughter, my beautiful Tiana. (Yep this is her and her mama 💕)⠀
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I was mindfully selected, gifted the opportunity to be a God mommy. I’ll never forget the sweet words of my dear friend telling me I could be a mommy to her too!⠀
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Her sunshine lights up a room and her smile melts everything away. ⠀
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Our connection is pure love and starts at the delivery room where I had the honour to be her birth doula. ⠀
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Today we celebrate her 2nd year of life. ⠀
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is not the end. Once a mother always a mother.

A timeline cleanse✨⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
"Currently smudging your timeline to release toxicity and welcome in more light and love ✨⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Please receive and tag a friend to share the cleansing vibes✨"⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Uncertainty is a bitch. 👊🏽⠀
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We are 3-ish weeks away from a new school year and I’d be lying if I’d say I wasn’t tripping out. ⠀
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Teachers and parents petitioning for smaller class sizes. ⠀
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Schools reopening with full 5 day weeks and full class cohorts. ⠀
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No clear indication of how things will work. ⠀
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My kid is just happy to see her friends...how will 1 teacher keep kids socially distant? Specifically for the smaller kids that don’t have the maturity to fully understand. ⠀
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But what happens if all s**t breaks loose and teachers strike it out? ⠀
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I have so many thoughts swarming 🐝 at once. ⠀
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Are you sending your kids back to school or are you opting for distance learning?

Everyone fails at who they’re supposed to be...a measure of a person is how well they succeed at being who they are.⠀
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Through this motherhood journey release the false expectations of who you’re supposed to be. Fall into your greatness. ⠀
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Celebrating World Breastfeeding week with all. 🤱🏽 ⠀
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For those that have ever breastfed, plan to breastfeed, or support breastfeeding mamas, it's time to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week. ⠀
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While I support mothers that exclusively breastfeed I don’t support shaming mothers for discontinuing to breastfeed after x amount of time. ⠀
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I breastfed Lucia for 4 months, I loved the bond we created but stopped. Why?⠀
Because I listened to my body and that’s all anyone needs to know. ⠀
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Do what feels right for you and OWN IT. ⠀
Whether you want to breastfeed until your child is 3 years old or 3 months old... it is your choice!⠀
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📷 Photo credit the beautiful

“Yemaya’s Womb” artwork/photography by, Simone Peruta"⠀
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Have you taken a moment to find deeper connections? I think sometimes life gives you moments to savour, or moments that force you to disconnect so that you can connect again. ⠀
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During the pandemic or “The Great Pause” (how I refer to it) filter out all the noise, WFH, news, daily cases, “what if’s” and simply connect (whatever this means for you). How do we find meaning? What resonates with you in this moment and what can you let go of?⠀
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I’ve captioned this picture “La vie est belle”, how would you caption this?⠀
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📷 Photo credit .jaz

DIY Inspo* ✨⠀
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I’ve recently been obsessed with this Dalmatian wall for my home office. ⠀
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I want to switch up the vibe so WFH isn’t so drab. ⠀
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Here’s the thing, there are two options wallpaper or Van-Gogh 🧑🏽‍🎨 a mural of Dalmatian spots on my wall. What’s a girl to do?⠀
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I also ordered a custom wall unit with mint and gold baskets that Is functional and chic...I can’t wait to see the finishes (lead time 7-8 weeks 😩) from ⠀
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I also found a similar chair at it’s to die for. ⠀
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Staring at my 4 walls for the past 4-ish months have really inspired change...some more superficial than others. ⠀
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Comment on the wall : do you love it or hate it?

Morning Cocktail of vitamins + night time supplements = super charged Stephanie. How else can I get all the things done?⠀
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Are you taking your vitamins?

How to Turn Healthy Behaviors into Habits | Goop Developing healthy habits is not a matter of white-knuckling your way through difficult things. It’s about automating what’s good for you. From a body of behavioral science research, we know that people who are good at locking in habits succeed in three areas: reward, repetition, and context. We...

Herbs That Support Gynecological Health and Fertility | Goop Hormones and surgery are often doctors’ first line of defense for most gynecological concerns. Herbalist Roy Upton tells us about several herbal medicine traditions that offer a different perspective on fibroids, endometriosis, PMS, and fertility. Upton says, “If you can at least try an herbal p...

Get Grounded 🧘🏽‍♀️📿⠀
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Our daily lives send us ruminating in the past or tripping about the future. The practice of getting grounded is the process of bringing ourselves into the present moment. Presence is the doorway to healing and the necessary first step in bringing our mind, body, emotions, and spirit into attunement. ⠀
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Our brain receives, organizes and responds to sensory input in order to behave in a meaningful & consistent manner.⠀
What does sensory processing really mean? ⠀
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We all do this, we smell something and it takes us back in time and connect us with what we were feeling in that moment or we recite a simple mantra "I think I can, I think I can".⠀
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Next time you are trying to ground yourself, think of your senses and what you are processing.⠀
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Reset (the bottle pictured here) is an Energy Cleansing Mist that I created to help ground and is perfect during meditation, reiki-energy healing, yoga or finding balance. 🧘🏾‍♀️✌🏽

This is how we Splash 💦 pad ⠀
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Photo cred

Having a career, balancing your life goals and caring for your family is hard AF. Sometimes physically and most times mentally. ⠀
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The best advice I’ve ever received has been to “show up”. ⠀
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This is my new mantra when I don’t feel like getting it together, whether to work out, run/prepare a meeting, take care of my family or show myself love. ⠀
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My new favourite IG handles that inspire me to just SHOW UP They specifically motivate and share best practices on working out and share their unique journeys doing it as moms. ✊🏽🤸🏽‍♀️🧘🏾‍♀️

TRUST ✨⠀
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Because trust is such a valuable and powerful feeling, it is important for pregnant women to be cared for by people whom they trust. Love is another very powerful healing and easing emotion. Trust and love make relaxation possible. I believe the best midwives are those who feel a special kindliness and love for the women they care for and appreciate the women just as they are. Doulas typically spend time during pregnancy with expectant parents, educating and developing a relationship of trust and respect. Doulas are not usually employees of a hospital and so are answerable only to the mother, not the hospital.”⠀
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• Hiring a Doula cuts in half the odds of an unnecessary cesarean, cuts in half the odds of having a forceps or vacuum delivery, shortens labor, and reduces stress, pain and anxiety. A Doula can also help you think through your choice of provider and birth location, encourage your baby to be well positioned for birth, create an environment that supports the hormones of birth, and helps you to find your voice to advocate for the care that best suits you.⠀
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Image by Lisa Sorgini .sorgini | Words and content from ‘Ina May’s Guide To Childbirth’ by Ina May Gaskin⠀
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Take what you need ✨⠀
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A few other things you can take from:⠀
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-Brene Brown ...a Call to Courage on Netflix (for all the leaders out there) or her book Dare to Lead (obsessed with B.B right now).⠀
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-Supplements that offer support for stress, sleep, hair, skin & nails. (I’m trying out Persona they offer a cocktail of supplements/vitamins)⠀
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-Workout playlist (currently listening to Gaga + Blackpink peppered with Pride 🏳️‍🌈 essentials)⠀
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-Dance party with your kids. ⠀
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-New workout routine. (You need to try out the app so many options for at home workouts ...my new obsession).⠀
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-A new morning routine. Think mind, body, soul. Morning meditation or quiet time, a walk/or workout, create a to do list, plan your meals for the work week. ⠀
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- Maybe you need to rest. Take what you need and listening to yourself. ⠀
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What do you currently need? 🧐⠀
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Toronto officially in phase 2 of Ontario’s plan to reopen businesses and ease restrictions. ⠀
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How does this make you feel?⠀
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Navigating how you’re going to ease back into social spaces is a very personal choice. Remember to be kind while we all work on figuring it out.⠀
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📷 Photo credit

“Why do you feel it’s important for you to breastfeed as a woman of color? "There is a huge disparity within the black community regarding breastfeeding, and because of this, the rates of infant mortality is up. Why are black women not breastfeeding? There are various reasons. History, socio-economics, racial biases within the medical industry, you name it. They all play a part. I breastfeed because I now realize that breastfeeding is truly amazing for my baby. I breastfeed because I can. I share images of me breastfeeding to show that black women do breastfeed, and to encourage other moms of color. Ten years ago, we didn’t have Instagram. It could have been quite beneficial to look online and have access to photos of beautiful black women nursing their babes." - | photo by "

“The goodness of the world prevails when we are courageous enough to defend it. “⠀
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-Alicia Garza⠀
co founder of black lives matter ⠀
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H I G H ✖️ V I B R A T I ON 📿⠀
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Spending time in nature, being creative and meditation will raise your vibration. Take steps everyday to restore your natural flow and rhythm. Nurture yourself everyday and listen to your body ✌🏾⠀
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Happy Friday 😉🌵📿🛀📚⠀
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"Welcome to pregnancy in 2020 in the middle of 😳 Yesterday, at over 32 weeks pregnant, I had a phone appointment with my doctor and today I had a 5 minute “drive thru” appointment to check my blood pressure and baby’s heartbeat. I’d say this picture is one for the baby book😂🙊 It’s weird to say that I’m sorta just used to the feeling of uncertainty and anxiety of being pregnant during this time, but also that I’m totally at peace with it at this point. I feel sad for those experiencing their first pregnancy this way... but the gift at the end is worth it all”⠀⠀
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Pandemic parents — and their babies — adjust to a brave new world | CBC News COVID-19 is changing how we all live, work and play, but for new moms and dads, it's adding another layer of uncertainty and stress during one of life's major milestones.