Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum - Elizabeth McCravy

Three Babies Later: My 13 BEST Tips For the Postpartum Season

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 36 minutes

Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast — and welcome to the final part of my birth series (about the postpartum season)! So far, I’ve shared three episodes all about pregnancy and birth, and I really appreciate everyone who’s listened along. If you haven’t yet, you can totally go back and check them out after this one!

Here’s a quick recap:

The first episode was all about my pregnancy — the behind-the-scenes of my decision to have a home birth and prepare for a VBAC (Episode 318)
The second episode was Sofia’s home birth story (Episode 319)
The third was a Q&A where I answered 15 questions about all things birth (Episode 320)
Now, my 13 best tips for thriving during postpartum season (Episode 321)

Today, we’re diving into postpartum but instead of sharing my personal postpartum story, I wanted to do something a little different. When I sat down to plan this episode, I realized that what might be most helpful for you is practical advice.

After going through three postpartum and newborn seasons (each one unique, with three very different births and babies), I’ve learned a lot. As I’m recording this, I’m about three months postpartum (Sofia is around 14 weeks old), so this is all still very fresh for me.

These are the postpartum lessons and pieces of advice I wish I’d heard sooner — things that aren’t your typical “postpartum recovery” tips. Instead, we’ll focus more on lifestyle, adjusting to a new baby, a growing family, and the transition that comes with it.

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Okay, so like I said, I’m coming to you right now at three months postpartum with my third baby, Sofia. I also have two boys — Colin and Ethan. Colin is four years old now, and Ethan is a year and a half. So yes, we’ve got a brand-new baby in the house!

I’ll start by saying that I’m not really going to share much about my specific postpartum experience in this episode. It’ll naturally weave into my advice, but what I mainly want to say up front is that this has truly been my best postpartum experience yet. Some of the advice I’ll share will explain why that’s been the case, and I’m so grateful for it.

There are so many factors that go into what makes a postpartum experience feel easier or harder — physical, emotional, situational — so I just want to remind you: don’t compare your postpartum journey to someone else’s. Every situation is different.

And honestly, with this being my third baby, it’s kind of crazy to me that even with more kids, a husband who went back to work much sooner, and a business to run, this time has actually felt easier than my first. Back then, I was just adjusting to having one child. So, it doesn’t necessarily get harder every time.

This has been such a sweet postpartum season for me. I’ve truly loved these months and am continuing to love life as a mom of three. It feels so amazing. I’m really loving our family-of-five life. So that’s a little life update and some context before we dive in.

Now, let’s get into these pieces of postpartum advice that you might not have heard before or at least not explained in this way. These are things I’d tell any mom, whether it’s your first baby, your second, your third, or beyond.

1. None of these difficulties of postpartum last forever. Remind yourself that when it’s hard.

Remind yourself of that when things feel hard. Truly, the first year of a baby’s life, and even beyond that, is full of constant change. Week by week, even day by day in those early months, everything shifts so much.

For me, as a third-time mom, it’s easier to see that now. I can look back and think, yeah, that was hard last time too, but it didn’t last forever. It passed quickly. I know to expect things like the three-month sleep regression, and that perspective really helps.

It’s definitely not as easy to see this as a first-time mom, when everything feels so new. But now, I really know how fast it all goes. Especially with my second, Ethan — he still feels like such a baby himself. He’s 19 months old right now as I’m recording this, and that close age gap has shown me just how quickly time passes.

So when things feel hard, I really want you to remind yourself — none of it lasts that long.

Let me give you some real examples from these past three months:

Your baby won’t always be awake with you until you go to bed, like in those newborn weeks when if you go to sleep at nine or ten, they’re still up with you — and then waking throughout the night. Eventually, your baby will have a bedtime around 7:00 or 7:30 (that’s my recommendation), and you’ll get your evenings back. You’ll have that time again to just relax or do something for yourself.

This time around, I actually enjoyed those evenings with Sofia — once the boys were down, she’d stay up with us until our bedtime. But now, at three months postpartum, that phase has already ended.

Nursing also won’t always take 45 minutes every two hours. It becomes quicker, more spaced out, and so much more manageable.

Your baby will eventually sleep through the night. I can’t say exactly when, it’s different for everyone, and honestly, they might sleep through the night for a while and then stop and start again. That’s been my experience. But it does happen, and you will sleep again.

Going out gets easier (both with your baby and without your baby). It really does.

If you hate swaddling (or your baby hates it!), you’ll be done with it before you know it because your baby will outgrow it so fast. Ironically, as I’m recording this, Sofia is taking her first crib nap in the Magic Merlin Sleep Suit, which we use as our swaddle-to-sleep-sack transition. We did about three months of swaddling, and now she’s in that next stage already.

You’ll also get to an actual nap schedule eventually, with fewer naps and more predictability, instead of feeling like your baby constantly needs to sleep.

Those are just a few examples of things that can feel challenging early on, but they really do pass so quickly. Try to remember that and soak in the parts you want to enjoy, because this season goes by in a blink.

The beautiful things about this season also go by quickly. I’ve been reminded of that too… yes, the hard parts pass fast, but so do the amazing, precious, sweet things about the newborn phase. Those are the moments I want to have as permanent photos and videos in my mind forever.

For example, contact naps. Yes, older kids and toddlers can still nap on you, but it becomes so rare, and you really do miss it. I’ve been soaking those up. The little newborn stretches when they come out of the swaddle all scrunched up, the cooing, the way you can just lay around and look into your baby’s eyes and babble back and forth, those happy moments when your baby just wants to be held.

And then all the “firsts” — the first smile, the first laugh, rolling over, grabbing something — all of it is just so, so sweet and precious. And it really does fly by.

That little saying, “the days are long, but the years are short,” is so true in parenting. You’ll find your groove and your new normal sooner than you think but it’s always changing. That first year, the schedule constantly shifts. Eventually, though, you’ll reach a point where things feel more stable (the feeding rhythm, the naps, the daily flow), and if you’re someone who thrives on routine, that will feel really good.

2. Getting “ready” for the day can be very mood-boosting

I’ve talked about this in other podcast episodes, including the ones about my postpartum experiences after both of my boys were born.

But I mentioned this especially after Ethan was born, how much my mood improved when I took a little time to get ready. And I don’t mean putting on jeans or a fancy top or doing your hair perfectly. I’m talking about simple things: comfy sweatpants or leggings you feel good in, a nursing- or pumping-friendly top, a little bit of makeup, and a shower.

That has truly been one of my best postpartum hacks. It’s crazy how much my mood shifts when I go from wearing pajamas, not showering, and having no makeup on — to just putting in my contacts, brushing my hair, or applying a little makeup.

I don’t do that every single day, especially not in the early weeks, but during that first month, it made a huge difference to get ready every few days… even just blow-drying my hair or putting on mascara.

And that’s true even if I look at the day ahead and think, “I’m only going to be at home,” or “the only place I’m going today is the pediatrician and the Starbucks drive-through.” It doesn’t matter and it still helps me feel better and more like myself to get a little bit put together.

On that note, I highly recommend buying yourself some cute clothes, lounge sets, and PJs for postpartum… things you’ll be excited to wear, that feel comfortable and beautiful. Maybe even size up a bit.

Find a few outfits that fit the season you’re in. For me, those early months were during the hot summer, and now we’re easing into fall. Having a few sets or outfits that were easy for nursing or pumping, but also made me feel comfortable, made a big difference.

I usually find mine on Amazon… I’ll just search for sets, pick a few that look cute, and return what doesn’t work. It’s simple and easy.

And again, this is something that really works for me. If you’re hearing me say that and thinking, “Ugh, that sounds stressful, that sounds like more work,” then maybe this tip isn’t for you. But for me, during times in postpartum when I’ve felt down, stressed, or anxious, that little act of getting ready has really helped.

3. Take the rest and slowness that postpartum is inviting you into.

First, it’s okay to hog your baby. It’s okay to just lay in bed and have other people bring you things.

I think too often, after having a baby, whether it’s your first or your third, we feel this impulse to get back to it right away. But you don’t need to. I promise.

And sometimes that impulse can be even stronger if your birth felt easier or went really smoothly. You think, “I don’t actually need that much recovery time,” so you try to jump back in faster than you should.

For me, with this third baby, I actually rested the most. Way better than with my first or second. And that still feels kind of crazy to say, considering what life looks like with three kids.

This time, I had my easiest recovery because I had a straightforward, no-intervention home birth. So in theory, my recovery should have been faster. Plus, I already had two other kids, so I could’ve told myself, or someone else could’ve said, “Elizabeth, your recovery was simple, you’ve got other kids to care for, you need to get back to it.”

But I didn’t tell myself that and thankfully, no one around me did either. And I’m so grateful for that.

So if you have that little voice in your head (maybe because it’s a subsequent birth, or because your delivery was smooth and you feel like you don’t need as much rest), let me be the one to tell you: take the longer recovery.

My midwife actually encouraged me to rest big and I did.

And like I said, I actually rested longer and better this time than even after my C-section.

If you missed the earlier episodes, this was my first home birth, and the postpartum care was completely different from my other two births. My first was through a birth center, and my second was hospital care. But with home birth, I was honestly surprised by how much care and follow-up there was.

I saw my midwife, Aubrey, four or five times before I even got to six weeks postpartum. And when I compare that to my other births, it’s night and day. With my previous experiences, it felt like no one checked on me. I didn’t see a doctor or midwife or have any guidance until that six-week appointment that everyone knows about — you have your baby, you leave the hospital, and then it’s radio silence for six weeks.

And even that six-week appointment… I remember thinking, “What’s the point?” It felt like nothing was really checked on, and then there’s just that quick mental health screening with a few questions, and that’s it.

This time was completely different. I felt like I had so much care and support, and that made a huge difference in my postpartum healing. It helped me rest.

Every appointment, Aubrey would come to our home. We’d meet in our bedroom while I was still laying in bed, and I’d ask her questions like, “Should I start doing this or that now?” or “Can I go up and down the stairs again?” And she kept encouraging me, “No, just keep resting. Keep letting other people help you right now. Focus on rest.”

And I really did. I leaned into resting this time and fully embraced the slowness and that’s exactly what I’d encourage you to do too: embrace the slowness and take the rest.

I can’t say enough how much I loved those first two months postpartum and how well cared for I felt. I loved the slowness. I loved having family help and support. I loved not being the one in charge of meals, laundry, and all those daily tasks (which we’ll talk more about in some of the upcoming tips).

Now, I still did things here and there. I’ll admit, one of the harder parts this time was feeling more disconnected from my older two kids, just because I wasn’t with them as much. But they were totally fine. We had so much family around, lots of people coming and going, and they got tons of attention.

During that first month or two, I wasn’t doing their bedtime routines every night. Normally, Adam and I would each take one kid and alternate nights, but this time, I wasn’t doing that as much. Still, if I felt like, “Oh, I really haven’t connected with Ethan today,” I’d make a point to do his bedtime that night. Little things like that helped me feel connected, even while doing less overall.

And again, it’s not forever. Your kids will be okay with you being less available while you focus on the baby.

The 5-5-5 Rule

There’s a postpartum ritual I want to mention called the 5-5-5 Rule, and there are a few versions of it. The basic one goes like this:

Five days in bed
Five days around the bed
Five days around the house

So, in bed, around your room, and then around your house so you start slowly easing back into activity after birth.

There’s also a more gradual version that goes:

Five days in bed
Five days on the bed
Five days around the bed
Five days around the house

It’s all about gently transitioning from full rest to light movement and, eventually, normal activity.

I really encourage you to read up on the 5-5-5 Rule — there are tons of blogs and articles out there. Share it with your spouse or family who will be supporting you, and let them know you want to try it.

And if this is your second or third baby and you’re thinking, “I didn’t rest at all after my first,” that was totally me too. I didn’t rest well after my first birth. So this time, I made a point to do it differently.

It doesn’t have to be something that only works when it’s your first baby and you don’t have other kids to take care of. You can absolutely do a version of this with your next baby too.

So, talk to your spouse, talk to your family members, and let them know, “Hey, this is my plan so I can heal better and faster. I want to rest, stay in bed, and really bond with my baby.”

When I talk about taking rest and embracing the slowness that postpartum invites you into, I know it can be hard. You’ve just done this huge thing, and it’s so easy to feel like you need to jump right back into everything. But your body just went through something enormous, and I don’t care what kind of birth you had, your body still needs time, rest, and nourishment to recover.

You need to feed yourself well, you need to rest, and you need to get sleep whenever you can. That’s why everyone says “sleep when the baby sleeps.” It’s not always realistic, but it’s because your body truly needs that time.

Even if you’re feeling pretty good a few weeks postpartum, remember, your body still has a lot of healing to do. You just did something massive, and recovery takes time.

So, I could say a lot more about that, but I’ll leave it there: take the rest, embrace the slowness, and look up the 5-5-5 rule.

4. Ask for help and accept help.

I have some specific advice around this that we’ll get into, but again, this applies whether it’s your first baby or your third. What people help with will just look different each time.

With more kids, there’s naturally more to manage, so this time, help might look like people caring for your older children. With your first, it might’ve been more about help with the house or with the newborn directly.

I also know not everyone has a strong support system or family nearby, and that can make it really hard to get the kind of help you want postpartum. I totally get that. And I truly pray that if you’re in that situation, someone will come into your life who can help, or that family might be able to travel to you and stay for a bit.

If that’s not possible, I’d really encourage you to pray about and think through who you could ask to be that helping hand for you and your spouse during this season.

Now, let’s talk about some practical ways to ask for and accept help. Obviously, this depends on your own family and friend situation, but here’s some advice I’d give:

1. Create a postpartum help checklist and put it on your fridge so people can see it when they come over.

This is a more passive way to guide people who are already in your house — visitors, family, friends — on how they can actually help.

This was really helpful for us with my first baby, especially since everything felt new to everyone.

For some of our family, this was the first grandchild, the first time any of us were doing this whole “new baby” thing together. Honestly, I didn’t even really know what kind of help I would want. The idea of having my in-laws or my mom in my house doing things for me felt really strange and different from what I was used to.

Normally, when they’d visit, I’d be in full hostess mode… not laying in bed while they cooked or cleaned.

But I had taken a birth course from My Essential Birth — shoutout to Stephanie, who I just adore. I actually shared Ethan’s birth story on her podcast, Pregnancy and Birth Made Easy. Anyway, I took her birth course as a first-time mom, and it included lessons about postpartum. She now also has a full postpartum course, which I’ve heard great things about.

In that original course, she had a PDF you could print. Something to stick on your fridge or send to family members with ways they could help postpartum.

So, I printed it out and put it on our fridge.

When family came to visit, I could just casually say, “Hey, the birth course I took suggested printing out this list, it has some ideas for ways you can help while you’re visiting if you want to look at it.” It was super casual, nothing awkward or pushy.

That list from Stephanie had things like:

Take out the trash
Wipe down the kitchen counters
Hold the baby so mom or dad can shower
Take the older kids out of the house for an activity
Make a pot of coffee
Fold laundry
Prepare a meal

Simple, practical things, but it gave people direction.

So, I definitely recommend making your own little list to put on the fridge — something like, “Here are some ways to help.” It’s such a great, low-pressure way to ask for help, especially if it feels uncomfortable to directly tell people what you need. That was definitely me with my first. I didn’t want to ask, so this was a perfect workaround.

2. If you have a family member you’d feel comfortable having stay with you after birth to help, ask them to.

Even if you don’t have a guest room, maybe they’re sleeping on the couch or in another room, having someone actually stay with you can make a huge difference. Or, if they live nearby, maybe they just come over every morning and stay through the kids’ bedtimes.

For both of my second and third births ,with Ethan and Sofia, that person was my mother-in-law, Jan. Both times, she came over when I went into labor to watch the other kids, and then she stayed for about four to seven days straight, just living with us. Then she went home, and came back again a week later to help even more.

It was truly so helpful, and I’m beyond grateful to have that kind of family support — and to actually want someone to come live with us for a week! My mother-in-law and I are super close, and she knows exactly how to take care of me postpartum. She’s also amazing with the kids.

She took such great care of me and was constantly encouraging me to rest, along with Adam, especially during that first month. Other family members helped, too, when they were around.

But if you have someone in your life who you could ask to come stay for a few days or a week, do it. It’s honestly more helpful than people just popping in and out for short visits.

3. Say yes more often when people offer to help. It shows them that their help is appreciated (and say thank you a lot).

This applies in general life, too. If people keep offering to help you and you always respond with, “No thanks, I’ve got it,” eventually they’ll stop offering because it feels like their help isn’t wanted. And maybe sometimes it’s not, but if you do want help, then say yes, even if it’s not done exactly the way you’d do it.

Like, I’ve literally had this scenario: my mom unloads the dishwasher and says, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know where everything goes, so I just left it on the counter.”

And I’ll tell her, “Thank you so much for doing that, it’s still super helpful, even if things aren’t put away.” Because now the dishwasher’s empty, and we can reload it. That’s still progress.

So just saying a big, genuine thank you and letting people know, “Yes, that helps! Please keep doing that!,” goes a long way.

Same with folding laundry. My sweet mom used to say, “I know I might fold things differently than you do,” and I’d be like, “I literally don’t care at all.” I don’t have a special system for folding. Any help is helpful!

Something I also love to do for my friends in postpartum, and that friends have done for me, is when I’m driving through Starbucks, I’ll text and say, “Hey, what’s your drink order? I’m going to drop one on your front doorstep, no need to talk or hang out.”

And saying yes to those kinds of offers, and showing appreciation, is such a good way to encourage people to keep helping. When people aren’t sure if what they’re doing is useful, just tell them it is, and thank them.

4. If family or friend support isn’t an option, consider hiring a postpartum doula to help you in those early days.

We had postpartum doula help when Colin, my first, was a baby, and it was so helpful. They can help at night with everything except feeding the baby (or even do the feeding if you’re using bottles), and they can also help during the day with all kinds of things… whatever you need.

You typically book them by the hour for a set number of hours per day or week. And honestly, if you don’t have nearby family you feel comfortable leaning on, that can be such a worthwhile investment.

5. Eat a lot to support breastfeeding and postpartum recovery!

This applies whether or not you’re breastfeeding or pumping, because your body needs nutrients and energy to recover from birth. But it’s especially important if you’re nursing or pumping. If you want to increase your milk supply, help your milk come in, and keep your energy up through sleepless nights and recovery, you’ve got to eat.

I know it sounds simple, but seriously, eating more food is your friend.

If you’ve ever Googled “how to increase milk supply,” you’ve probably seen all the supplements and products being sold for it. But a random thing that always comes up is that Oreos supposedly increase milk supply.

Here’s the truth: there’s no scientific reason Oreos would increase milk supply. There’s nothing magical about them (other than being delicious). I once saw someone joke that Oreos help because they release endorphins and make you happy and that happiness helps your milk come in.

But the real reason is simpler: most breastfeeding moms aren’t eating enough.

So when they suddenly eat a few Oreos, they’re just bumping up their calorie and fat intake, and that’s what helps the milk supply.

So no, this isn’t advice to eat Oreos to boost milk supply (although, funny enough, I did have two Oreos last night). But the real takeaway is — just eat more.

When my midwife and I talked about this, her advice to me was: “Whatever amount you think is enough to eat in those first few weeks — it’s probably not.”

So feed yourself generously.

Don’t forget protein

So get another little serving, especially a serving of protein.

I really did this. For example, one thing we did a lot during those first few weeks postpartum was getting Chicken Salad Chick to have on hand for lunch — just tubs of chicken salad, some croissants, and grapes. (Chicken Salad Chick’s one of my absolute favorite things, by the way.)

My husband or mother-in-law would bring me a plate in bed, and instead of just eating whatever portion they gave me, I’d ask for another serving just to get that extra protein in.

This is not the time to focus on weight loss or starting a new diet. It’s the time to eat to nourish your body. Let yourself enjoy food again. Enjoy the postpartum season. Get your calories up, focus on protein, eat good foods, and drink plenty of water to support breastfeeding and recovery.

Eat warm foods

Also, as you think about what to eat, especially in those early postpartum days, think warm foods.

This was something I learned, I think after Ethan was born, that I didn’t know with my first. I found a little quote from an article that explains it perfectly:

“Eating warm foods postpartum is recommended because they’re believed to help restore energy and balance, support digestion, and promote healing and nutrient absorption. Warm, cooked meals are easier for the body to digest, which is especially important when the digestive system is sluggish after childbirth.”

I wish I’d known that earlier, especially after my C-section or even after my first vaginal birth. After Colin was born, I really focused on smoothies, because they were easy for Adam to make and easy for me to drink one-handed.

But this time, I tried to focus more on warm, cooked meals, and I do think it made a big difference with digestion and just feeling like myself again.

So all that to say, enjoy your food. Have a treat. Eat the Oreo. Have some ice cream. Get the extra serving of protein. Drink your water with electrolytes. Just focus on nourishing your body with good food and kindness.

6. Paper plates, plasticware, and throwaway dining supplies are your best friends.

You can save the planet another day but right now, you just had a baby. So make life easier by going disposable for a little while.

At the end of my pregnancy, I stocked up on paper and plastic plates, plastic utensils, and even paper bowls. I like to get the nicer, microwave-safe ones that won’t melt — you know what I mean.

We used that stuff all the time in the early weeks, especially when we had visitors or big family meals. A lot of it was my husband’s or my mother-in-law’s call since they were managing the food, and they went straight for the paper plates every time — and it was so helpful.

Honestly, I still use paper plates at least once a week now, usually on Friday nights. That’s kind of our thing — pizza and paper plates. It just makes cleanup easy.

So, stock up on all that, right? Use it as needed, and run your dishwasher less. Don’t forget plastic cups too!

In addition to that, take other shortcuts in the kitchen.

Once you’re at a point where you’re starting to cook again, make it as easy as possible. For example, salad kits. We love salad kits in this season. My favorite is the Everything Bagel Salad Kit by Taylor Farms. There’s also Caesar salad kits and so many others, but seriously, we use them all the time.

Yes, they’re a little more expensive and maybe a little less “healthy” than homemade, but it’s still a salad you’ll actually enjoy and can get on the table fast.

Funny enough, Ethan’s favorite food right now is the Everything Bagel Salad Kit, which cracks me up, but he absolutely devours it.

Other shortcuts: buy pre-cut veggies if that helps, keep frozen pizzas on hand, or other easy frozen meals outside of the freezer meals we’re going to talk about next. Just have those options ready to go.

Basically, when it comes to cooking and cleaning in the kitchen, if you find a shortcut that makes life easier, even if it’s a bit more expensive or less eco-friendly, do it. Just do it for this season. It’ll make you happier and make things run more smoothly.

So yeah, one of my biggest little hacks: paper plates and plastic everything in postpartum. Total game changer.

7. Make freezer meals at the end of pregnancy, and then keep the practice up in postpartum once you do start cooking again.

Make freezer meals at the end of pregnancy and keep that habit going in postpartum.

Freezer meals are your best friend in those early weeks, second only to paper plates and plasticware, honestly. And they’re one of my favorite mom-life hacks in general.

I first got into doing freezer meals during my first pregnancy. Like I said, I prepped a ton of meals at the end of pregnancy to have ready for after birth and I never went back. I still make freezer meals now, even when I’m not in that newborn season.

Right now, I’m three months postpartum, and our freezer meals and meal train lasted about two months. So for the last month, I’ve been back in the kitchen cooking like normal.

Last week, I spent some extra time, in between naps for Sofia and juggling the boys, making a couple of casserole-style dishes for dinner. I doubled both of them and froze half.

I also made 16 frozen breakfast burritos last week, which we’ve been enjoying this week (and some last week too).

The two dinners I doubled were a chicken enchilada dish, and a pesto chicken protein pasta. And no, my kids will not eat either of those! Those are just for me and Adam. The boys are in a pickier stage right now, especially with those kinds of meals. But still, doubling them and freezing half has been such a win.

Freezer Meal Tips

I recommend doing your freezer meal prep between 34 and 38 weeks pregnant.

Why that range? Because after 38 weeks, you’ll probably feel too pregnant to spend hours walking around the kitchen and standing on your feet cooking all day.

And if you do it too early, before 34 weeks, the food might not last as long and could go bad before you get to use it postpartum.

For most of these meals, you’ve got about a three-month runway to eat them, which is great. But keep in mind, if one of those months is during pregnancy, that really only gives you two months into postpartum to use them. You get what I’m saying?

Go in with a solid plan for what you’re going to cook.

The way I do it is:

Plan out the exact meals I’m going to make.
Choose recipes that share overlapping ingredients.
Make a full list (what dishes I’m making and the ideal order to prep them in).
Create a master grocery list for everything.

Then I do a giant grocery order, usually through Instacart, which, yes, is always really expensive. I have everything delivered the day before my prep day, just in case some items aren’t available and I need to go in person to grab them or stop at another store.

After that, have a big prep day, or even two prep days, depending on how much you’re making.

Do a mix of breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. It’s easy to only think about lunches and dinners, but don’t forget breakfast!

Things like breakfast burritos, oatmeal bakes, and muffins are my go-tos. And this time, just like with Ethan, we also made a French toast casserole. It’s definitely not the healthiest meal, but it’s delicious, satisfying, filling, and something my kids love. So we made a few of those too.

Get someone to help you with it all

This is not something I’d necessarily recommend doing alone, unless you think you’d really enjoy that solo time, maybe listening to a podcast or something. If that sounds peaceful to you, go for it.

But personally, especially being so pregnant, I’ve always liked having someone help. And all three times I’ve done this, my mother-in-law, Jan, has helped me. It’s become kind of a special tradition for us, something we do together while expecting a new baby. She loves cooking too, so it’s always fun.

I handle the planning and shopping, and she comes over to help with all the cooking and prep.

It’s looked a little different each time:

When I was pregnant with Colin, we just did it on a random day since I didn’t have kids yet. Scheduling was easy.

When I was pregnant with Ethan, we already had Colin. So we planned it for a day when Adam was home from work. That time, Jan helped more with Colin, while Adam and I did most of the cooking, because Colin was so excited his Mimi was there, there was no way he was letting her hang out in the kitchen with me!

And this third time, when I was pregnant with Sofia, we did it on a weekday when I had childcare for both boys and Adam was at work. So it became kind of a “workday” for me and we got it all done while the house was quiet.

So, my advice: get someone to help you with your freezer meal prep.

Depending on how much you’re making, expect that it might not all get done in one day, and think strategically about the order you cook things in.

You can work on multiple dishes at once, do all the chopping at once, batch your steps — there’s a lot you can do to make it more efficient and manageable.

It doesn’t have to be a recipe that’s specifically labeled a “freezer meal” in order to work well as one.

This is something I learned after my second baby. The first time, when I was figuring out what to make, I was just Googling and searching Pinterest for “freezer meals” and that’s all I was typing in. But really, anything that’s a casserole-style dish usually works great as a freezer meal.

Meals that can be pre-assembled and tossed into a big Ziploc bag to go straight into the crockpot later also work really well.

My favorite type of freezer meal, especially for lunches and dinners, is casserole-style. And like I mentioned before, I love muffins and breakfast burritos for breakfast.

But just know, you probably already have recipes you make all the time that would freeze beautifully. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You just freeze it differently.

Instead of using your regular glass pan, buy aluminum foil pans in a few different sizes.

Freeze in smaller portions

For example, let’s say you’re doubling a casserole recipe, instead of freezing it into two big pans, split it into four smaller ones. That way, you’re not thawing a massive dish every time.

Because, and this ties into tip number eight coming up, you might have a meal train, or people bringing you food, or you might be getting takeout more often. So you don’t always need a full 9x13 casserole’s worth of food every time you want to eat. Smaller portions make things easier.

So those are my freezer meal tips.

And if you’re listening to this thinking, “Okay, that’s great, Elizabeth, but I’m one month postpartum and I didn’t do any of that,” that’s totally okay.

You can start anytime… just double whatever you’re already cooking and freeze some in freezer-safe containers.

This is something that’s become part of how I cook as a mom. I started doing it after having my first baby, and I’ve kept it up ever since.

Even when it was just Colin and Ethan, before I was pregnant with Sofia again, I got into a habit of doing big freezer breakfast preps every few weeks.

I’d make breakfast bagel sandwiches, English muffin sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and breakfast muffins. I love breakfast freezer prep, it makes mornings so much easier.

So, it’s not just for postpartum, it’s really a great rhythm for motherhood in general.

Anyway, those are my rapid-fire freezer meal tips.

And let me know if you’d ever want a full episode, or even a series on another podcast, all about freezer meals. I know it’s not business-related, but if that’s something you’d want to hear more about, I’d love to know.

8. Ask a friend to make you a meal train and then send it out to people for you as well.

Ask a friend to make you a meal train.

I am a huge fan of meal trains when a family has a new baby. Maybe it’s a Southern thing, or maybe it’s just my specific friend group, but it’s kind of an unspoken rule — when someone has a baby, someone organizes a meal train for them.

And I’m the same way, if a friend has a baby, I’m like, “I’m bringing you a meal.”

We use MealTrain.com for this. It’s free to use (they do have paid features, but the free version works perfectly).

I actually just logged into my Meal Train account recently, and I’ve personally organized seven meal trains for other families over the past few years. And my family has had four meal trains made for us — one for each baby, and one when my dad passed away.

A meal train is exactly what it sounds like — it’s a calendar where people sign up to bring meals to a family. Usually dinner, though it can be anything. The idea is that it’s like a “train” of meals that keeps coming, so the family doesn’t have to cook for a while during whatever big life event they’re going through.

On the Meal Train site, the organizer sets it up with the recipient family’s info — you can include photos, food preferences, favorite dishes or restaurants, preferred drop-off times, your address, dietary restrictions, and more.

It’s all laid out clearly for everyone who’s helping.

So that’s why I’m saying, MealTrain.com is so worth using, versus just having a friend say, “Oh, want me to ask some people to bring you food?”

Use the website. The calendar function is really nice, because maybe there’s a night when you’re like, “No, we don’t want anyone coming, we have family in town,” or “We’ll still be at the hospital,” or “We just want a quiet evening.” You can block off those dates easily. I love that about it.

If you’re approaching your due date and no one has offered to set up a meal train for you, or if you’re thinking, “Wait, I’ve never done this before, none of my friends usually do meal trains when they have babies,” then I would just say: ask a friend if they’d be willing to set one up for you.

They can text or email it out to people. Or, if you prefer, you can be the one to share the link yourself where you’re listed as the recipient and they’re the creator.

There are a few ways to handle it. I’ve done it differently for different friends:

Sometimes I’ve had the friend send me a list of phone numbers for everyone they want to include.
Sometimes I’ve entered everyone’s email addresses myself.
Other times, I’ve just posted the link into a group text we’re both in, and the organizer sends it out to the rest.

There’s no one right way, just whatever makes it easy for you.

Another idea: if you have a fellow expecting mom due around the same time as you, offer to swap meal trains. Like, “Hey, we’re both pregnant, let’s each set up a meal train for the other.” That can be such a fun and practical way to support each other.

Every time we’ve done a meal train, it’s been one of the biggest blessings in our postpartum season.

Yes, I make freezer meals, like I talked about earlier, but the meal train meant that we barely had to touch those freezer meals at first. For the first two months, I literally didn’t start thawing any of them for dinners.

Actually, we even used three or four of our freezer meals before Sofia was born, between 40 and 41 weeks pregnant, because we all got sick as a family.

If you listened to Sofia’s birth story, you probably remember this part — Ethan got really sick, then we all caught it. And even though I was like, “Ugh, I didn’t want to dip into our freezer meals yet,” it ended up being so, so helpful.

I was in no position to cook or even go grocery shopping, so having those freezer meals ready to go was a total gift.

So the meal train and freezer meals really work together beautifully helping you not have to worry about cooking at all.

It’s also a really sweet way for friends and family to meet the baby, if that’s something you want, they can drop off a meal and say hi for a few minutes. (More on that next.)

This time around, since it’s still so fresh, Sofia was born at home, so I didn’t have that hospital stay beforehand where you wait to start the meal train until you’re discharged.

But we still had the meal train start later because we had so much family visiting at first, and they were already providing meals.

My friend Sarah Clark set up my meal train for us, and I had actually done hers too, since she had a baby about three months before me. So it was kind of like we swapped, “You do mine, I’ll do yours.”

She made me a recipient on the MealTrain site, which meant I could log in and edit the dates myself, but she handled creating it and filling in all the details, our preferences, favorite restaurants, dietary notes, all that.

Basically, we kept the first week blocked off for family, with no sign-ups, and then opened it up afterward for a few nights a week where people could bring meals.

I even added a note on the page that said something like, “After this date, Adam will be on paternity leave for three weeks,” so, I put a note after that date saying that would actually be the most helpful time because Adam was going to be back at work, and I’d be home alone more with three kids. Having dinners taken care of then would be really helpful.

Some friends came in and visited when they brought food, while others just left meals on the doorstep, depending on timing. We also had some really sweet non-local friends who sent gift cards or ordered food from local restaurants and had it delivered to us which was so thoughtful.

So, if you’re hearing all this and thinking, “That’s nice, but my community or my friends don’t live nearby,” don’t worry. Gift cards, DoorDash, and delivery meals work just as well.

One of my friends, Tori, actually did this a few years ago. Right after she had her baby, she’d just moved away from where I live, so she didn’t have much local community yet. I set up a meal train for her, and all of us back here, her friends from home, signed up to send her gift cards, order her food for delivery, all of that.

So, even if your community isn’t local, it can still work beautifully.

9. You don’t have to see every visitor, even if they are kind enough to be bringing you a meal.

Sometimes people want to drop off food and also stay to chat, or they’ll text like, “Hey, can I stop by and see the baby right now?”

I’m just putting this out there… you can say no. Short and simple, you have permission to say no.

I remember as a first-time mom, and even last time, and a few times this time, feeling so overwhelmed when someone wanted to visit and I just wasn’t up for it.

Maybe Sofia would be due to nurse, or maybe I just wanted to nap, or I didn’t feel like getting ready, or cleaning up. Sometimes it’s even that feeling of, “I don’t want this person to see my house like this.”

Whatever it is, you can be kind and still say, “Oh my gosh, thank you so much, I appreciate this meal so much, but the timing’s not great right now.”

Or you can say, “Yes, I’d love a quick visit, let’s just plan for about 30 minutes.”

You can totally set those boundaries ahead of time.

You don’t have to let everyone hold the baby. You don’t have to have long visits.

And sometimes, you will want to! I had a few times this postpartum where a friend dropped off a meal, and I was like, “Stay forever.”

I was loving the company, catching up, talking about everything. We even had some close friends who brought takeout, brought their child too, and we all ate together. She held Sofia while I ate, and it was just such a sweet evening.

Those moments are wonderful, but again, if it doesn’t work for you in the moment, you can say no. Or if it does, say, “Please stay longer.” Just don’t be afraid to tell people what you need, and what kind of visit you’re up for.

10. Take all the photos and videos you want, and be in them too.

Hand someone your phone and ask them to take a picture of you and your baby, or of you with all your kids, or even a short video where you’re just being yourself — no makeup, messy hair, nursing your baby.

It doesn’t have to be a “postable” photo to be a perfect memory. Some of my favorite postpartum photos are those real, unfiltered moments.

Sometimes I’ll just hand Adam my phone and say, “Hey, can you snap a photo of this?” Or I’ll take a selfie with Sofia, or a picture of the boys doing something simple or of Adam being sweet with the kids.

The big takeaway here is: be in the photos, too.

And that’s not just postpartum advice, that’s motherhood advice in general.

It’s so easy to always be behind the camera, taking the perfect photos of your baby, your kids playing, or your husband with the kids.

But turn the camera around, or ask someone to take a photo of you in it, too. Those are the moments you’ll want to look back on.

And again, I truly believe that some of your favorite photos and videos from the postpartum season are going to be the ones that feel the least “Instagrammable.” Those are often the most real and the most meaningful.

So anyway, just a reminder, that’s true for all of motherhood. Be in the photos. Take the photos and the videos.

11. Find comfort in the fact that things will be different with every baby, so something that was disappointing or hard with one postpartum season might be different the next time.

I want you to know, and find comfort in this, that things are going to be different with every baby. Something that felt disappointing, hard, or frustrating in one postpartum season might be completely different the next time.

Basically, my point is: it doesn’t necessarily get harder and harder with each baby. Every child is different. Every season is different. And you are different each time, too.

Just like each child needs something unique, you as a mom will need something different with every baby because you’re evolving, too.

For example, I’ve had three kids now, and even though Sofia is still so little (she’s three months old), I’ve already had a completely different feeding journey with each one.

This time, with my third, nursing has actually been the easiest for me. And that doesn’t mean it came without work. We’ve still seen a lactation consultant, and that was so helpful. (Cannot recommend that enough.)

But with my first, Colin, he had tongue and lip ties and a bunch of other things going on that made nursing really difficult. That was such a struggle for me. We made it work, but we supplemented with formula, I pumped constantly, and I did the whole “triple feeding” routine. Ultimately, though, I nursed him for a really long time (until he was about 20 months old), and then weaning was the hard part. That was our experience with him.

With Ethan, it was totally different. He didn’t have any ties, which was awesome, and feeding started out really smoothly. But we ended up supplementing with formula again, and over time he preferred the bottle. So I did a lot of pumping and bottle feeding with him, and that was hard for me in different ways (mostly the amount of time and work it took, all the washing and prepping, the constant cycle).

So, again, there were challenges with both, but they were different challenges.

And I think as you have more kids, and more experiences, you start to learn what matters most to you: what you want to try for, what feels sustainable, and what fits your family best.

I remember, when Colin was a baby, a lactation consultant asked me, “What’s your feeding goal?” And I just laughed and said, “My goal is to get through today.”

Because that’s honestly how it felt… hard and overwhelming. I couldn’t even think long-term.

But this time around, I went into it with a clearer sense of what I wanted. After experiencing bottle preference and nursing refusal before, I knew how much work that pumping-and-bottle routine was and I realized I really didn’t love it.

I wished I’d been able to nurse more exclusively. That would’ve been my ideal.

So this time, I went in with the goal of exclusively nursing, if possible and that’s what I’ve focused on.

My bigger point is: there have been really hard things and really great things about all three feeding experiences.

I’ve truly done it all — nursing, bottle feeding with formula, pumping — and each one taught me something different.

You figure out what works best for you, what you prefer in that season, and what your baby prefers.

One thing might go beautifully with one baby and be a total struggle with the next or the other way around.

So just remember: every experience is unique.

Whether it’s feeding, sleep, postpartum recovery, anxiety, depression, maternity leave, or how your birth went it will look different every time.

And that’s okay. And yes, there will be some things that stay similar, just because that’s who you are as a mother and how you tend to do things. But overall, things will be different.

So try not to compare. Try not to compare your current season with this baby to your past experiences and definitely don’t compare yourself to friends or what other people are going through.

An extra note about feeding your baby

Even if you’re bottle feeding, whether that’s with pumped milk or formula (both are great options, by the way), you can still be the one feeding your baby.

I think that can be hard sometimes, especially early on, when everyone’s like, “Oh, anyone can feed the baby now!”

But maybe you’re actually thinking, No, I want to be the one feeding my baby.

Even if you’re doing bottles, you can say that.

You can say, “Thank you, but I want to do this feeding.”

That’s just my little tip if that’s how you feel. It’s okay to hold that boundary.

12. To my business owner friends, plan for your maternity leave, then enjoy the plan. Your business will be OK.

I’ve done a couple of episodes on this podcast all about planning a maternity leave:

Those episodes are a great starting point, because figuring out how to plan for a maternity leave is really hard.

But here’s the truth: you will never plan it perfectly.

There’s always more to do in business — always.

Even if you say, “Okay, I’m closing my laptop, unplugging the podcast mic, taking a break, not posting on Instagram,” there will still be something calling your attention.

That’s just the nature of running a business.

So at some point, you have to make the plan, execute the plan, and then actually take the break.

Simple as that.

This time with your baby, this particular season when your body needs you to slow down, it only happens once. It won’t last forever so rest well, take the break, savor the moments, unplug from your business.

Your business will also likely look different post-baby

And I’ll also add: your business and the way you run it will likely never go back to exactly how it was before you had kids or even how it was when you “just” had one child, or two.

Each baby changes things. Each season evolves the way you work and the way you show up.

And when they’re older, things will shift again — maybe when they’re school-aged, you’ll be able to dive deeper into your business in a different way. I’m not there yet, but that’s what I imagine.

But just like how you’re not trying to get your body “back” to how it was before you had a baby, you’re also not trying to run your business the way you did before either.

Becoming a mom changes everything including how you run your business.

And if you’re anything like me, you might have a little existential crisis when that happens. You might find yourself thinking, “What am I even doing? How do I do it all?” It can feel overwhelming to add a baby into a system that was running smoothly before. You can feel divided — pulled between two things you love deeply.

But here’s my best advice: you’ll figure it out.

It’s hard at first. But as time goes on, you’ll settle into a rhythm. You’ll learn how to do both, business and motherhood, in a way that works for you.

But start by taking the break. Really, take the break.

I can’t tell you how many times I see women share later that they wish they’d actually taken a maternity break.

They’ll say things like, “I was in the hospital posting a reel,” or “I launched a client’s website from my hospital bed,” or “I only took one week off before hopping back on Zoom calls.”

You probably see that too.

No one ever says they don’t regret that.

You’ll never hear someone say, “I’m so glad I brought my laptop to the hospital and launched while I was three days postpartum.”

No one says that.

What they do say is that they wish they could go back and do it differently.

So, hear that advice and take the break. Savor the moments. Do a little work if it genuinely feels fun and energizing, but generally speaking, stick to the break you planned to take.

13. Don’t compare your motherhood or your baby to other babies and other moms.

Don’t compare your motherhood or your postpartum journey to anyone else’s.

Talk with other moms, learn from them, use helpful resources like this podcast or others you love, but resist the urge to compare.

Because what makes something feel easier or harder for someone is a mix of a hundred different factors.

And when you compare — especially when you don’t know someone’s full story (or even if you do, but your story is just so different) — it’s never helpful.

I remember this so vividly with my first baby. We had so many feeding struggles, like I mentioned, he had tongue and lip ties, a head preference, and sleep was rough.

And I remember hearing people say things like, “Sleep like a baby,” as if babies just sleep anywhere and everywhere.

Mine did not sleep.

We were doing fully swaddled, held naps in a dark nursery when he was just a week old because he simply wouldn’t sleep out in a bright room.

And that was fine, we got through it. He does sleep better now (though still not a great sleeper at this age). But at the time, it was so hard not to compare.

I had friends whose babies were already sleeping through the night, and I’d think, What am I doing wrong? Do I need to read a different book? Take a different course?

But the truth is, some babies just don’t sleep as well.

And that’s what I mean you can’t compare. There are so many factors that go into every experience.

For me, seeing a mom who looked well-rested with her baby napping peacefully in a stroller while she sipped coffee, that just wasn’t my reality. And that’s okay.

In postpartum especially, social media, Instagram in particular, can be such a tough place for comparison. So if you find it’s making you feel worse, get off. Stop the scroll.

It’s so easy to spend hours scrolling when you’re feeding a baby or awake at night. But ask yourself — is this actually helping me, or is it hurting me?

If it’s hurting, maybe step away.

You’ll still be on your phone some, that’s just part of this season, but try shifting what you do there. Read a book or an article. Read the Bible on your Bible app. Listen to a podcast. There are so many ways to use that time that can actually fill you up instead of drain you.

For me personally, scrolling doesn’t usually leave me feeling good (especially in postpartum).

My Best Tips For The Postpartum Season

Anyway, that’s it, my best tips for the postpartum season.

I could honestly say so much more about this topic, but these are the ones that stood out the most as I reflected on the last three months — especially that first month postpartum.

I really hope something in here is helpful for you.

And if you’re curious about home birth resources, you can visit elizabethmccravy.com/birth: there’s a full blog post there with links to all my favorite home birth and VBAC resources.

Next week on the podcast, we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled, mostly business-related episodes.

But I really hope you’ve enjoyed these more personal reflections on birth and postpartum. I’ve loved recording them, truly, and I hope they bless you in both your life and your business.

Links Mentioned:

If you missed the earlier parts of this series, you can go back to listen to:

Episode 318: My Pregnancy + Home Birth Plans
Episode 319: Sofia’s Home Birth Story
Episode 320: Your Birth Questions Answered

My best home birth and VBAC resources: elizabethmccravy.com/birth

Colin’s birth story: Episode 148

Ethan’s birth story: Episode 265

Maternity Leave Prep Episodes: Episodes 139, 276

BTS of my maternity leaves with Colin and Ethan: Episodes 158, 277, 278

Shop Showit Website Templates

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Listen to the Breakthrough Brand Podcast

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

Join Booked Out Designer

Join Podcast Success Blueprint

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

My family has been CHM members for over 5 years, and their maternity care shared all expenses for all 3 of my children’s births—from c-section to home birth. They even shared costs for key parts of prep and postpartum care, like pelvic floor physical therapy and lactation consulting.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

The post Three Babies Later: My 13 BEST Tips For the Postpartum Season appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

My Birth Story Q&A: 15 Honest Answers To Your Home Birth and VBAC Questions

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 4 minutes

In this week’s episode, I’m continuing my birth series by answering your most pressing home birth and VBAC questions: the things that surprised me most, what was hardest, and how I prepared both mentally and physically.

After sharing Sofia’s birth story last week and my VBAC prep the week before, this episode answers the top questions I got from you on Instagram and in my DMs. We talk about everything from overcoming fear and finding a supportive birth team to managing pain naturally and navigating childcare when you’re giving birth at home.

I share what it was really like to have my first home birth after a C-section (from how I organized my birth space to what it felt like to labor and push without medication). I open up about the afterbirth pains that totally caught me off guard (spoiler: they were worse than I expected!) and the mental work I did to release fear leading up to birth.

I also talk through how my husband and I handled the logistics with our two little boys during labor, the role of our midwife and doula, and why I believe prayer and preparation were just as important as any physical work I did before labor.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 320!

This episode is part of a four-part birth series, listen to them all here:

Episode 318: All about my pregnancy (the behind-the-scenes of my decision to have a home birth and prepare for a VBAC)
Episode 319: Sofia’s home birth story
Episode 320: A Q&A where I answered 15 questions about all things birth
Episode 321: My 13 best tips for thriving during postpartum season

If you’ve ever been curious about home birth or considering a VBAC, this episode is a real, honest look at both. I share what I loved most about being at home — the peaceful atmosphere, the lack of interventions, and how supported I felt — as well as the mindset shifts that helped me feel confident and calm.

Whether you’re planning a home birth, hospital birth, or just love hearing real birth stories, I think this conversation will encourage you and help you see what’s possible when you’re informed, supported, and trust your body.

Thank you for holding space and caring enough to listen to my answers! Instead of blogging all the details, I'd encourage you to listen to the audio versions of episode 320 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast!

Tune in to episode 320 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast to hear me answer your home birth and VBAC questions!

In this episode, I’m answering your biggest home birth and VBAC questions from the first signs of labor to the moments that made Sofia Kate’s birth so special. You’ll hear how I decided to pursue an HBAC, the spiritual preparation that grounded me, and the lessons God taught me through it all. See below for a detailed list on questions answered.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

[02:45]: What was the HARDEST part of the labor and birth experience?

[05:41]: How did you mentally get over fears around a home birth? And fears around a VBAC?

[15:13]: What was your favorite part of having a home birth?

[17:59]: What was your least favorite part of having a home birth?

[21:14]: How did you prepare your body for a VBAC?

[24:28]: When did your water break during labor?

[25:51]: Did you involve your kids in the birth? What did you do for child care?

[35:32]: What pain management tools helped the most for unmedicated labor?

[38:52]: Do you think staying home for birth helped things progress faster?

[40:56]: How did you find a HBAC supportive provider? Tips for finding a supportive VBAC provider in general?

[44:56]: What surprised you the most about a home birth?

[46:37]: What surprised Adam the most about the home birth?

[47:57]: Do you have any advice on how to get your husband on board with a home birth?

[50:53]: How did you organize your birth supplies? How did you decide how to set up your birth space?

[53:19]: What was your favorite birth affirmation?

Links Mentioned:

Read my home birth resource guide (with links)

Shop Showit Website Templates

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Listen to the Breakthrough Brand Podcast

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

Join Booked Out Designer

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

The post My Birth Story Q&A: 15 Honest Answers To Your Home Birth and VBAC Questions appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Sofia’s Birth Story: Our Dream Faith-Filled Home Birth After C-Section (HBAC Birth Story)

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 4 minutes

In this episode, I’m sharing the story of Sofia’s birth (our first baby girl and my first home birth after two very different experiences with my boys). If you listened to last week’s episode, you heard about the months of prayer, mindset work, and preparation that led up to this day. In this episode, I take you right into those final days of waiting, the emotional rollercoaster of thinking “is this it?” a dozen times, and the incredible ways God answered every single prayer on my list.

I talk about the tension between faith and fear in those last few weeks: walking through sickness in our home, trusting that labor would begin at the right time, and trying to rest when all I wanted to do was make this first home birth happen. I share how my midwife’s gentle wisdom (and her very specific midwife’s orders ) helped calm my heart the night before everything finally began.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 319!

This episode is part of a four-part birth series, listen to them all here:

Episode 318: All about my pregnancy (the behind-the-scenes of my decision to have a home birth and prepare for a VBAC)
Episode 319: Sofia’s home birth story
Episode 320: A Q&A where I answered 15 questions about all things birth
Episode 321: My 13 best tips for thriving during postpartum season

In this episode, I take you through Sofia’s birth hour by hour, from the first contractions in the middle of the night to realizing how quickly things were progressing. You’ll hear how peaceful the early labor felt, how supported I was by my amazing birth team, and the moment I knew it was time to meet our baby girl. This story is full of answered prayers, full circle moments, and the quiet presence of God guiding every part of it.

Thank you for holding space and caring enough to listen to this story! Instead of blogging all the details, I'd encourage you to listen to the audio versions of episode 319 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast!

Tune in to episode 319 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast to hear me share Sofia's birth story!

In this episode, I share the story of Sofia Kate’s home birth from the very first signs of pre-labor to the full-circle moments that made this experience so special. You’ll hear how I decided to pursue an HBAC (home birth after cesarean), the spiritual preparation that grounded me, and the parallels I found between preparing for birth and starting my business years ago. See below for a detailed list on topics covered.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

[01:20]: Why I love sharing (and listening) to birth stories (here are Colin’s birth story and Ethan’s birth story)

[04:58]: Deciding to try with an HBAC (home birth after cesarean) and how I prepared spiritually (you can also find a list of home birth supplies here)

[10:40]: Signs of pre-labour starting (and why it felt like the worst timing)

[14:31]: Feeling both hopeful and nervous for labor to start

[17:00]: How preparing for a home birth reminded me of starting my business 10 years

[21:22]: The last two days before Sofia was born

[29:59]: When labor started

[38:28]: My advice for mothers planning their birth plan with other kids at home

[39:59]: Feeling like I had delayed my birth team and then having birth be so fast and different this time (with some parallels from my past births)

[51:13]: Setting up my birth space

[54:56]: A shout out to my amazing husband Adam

[56:25]: Affirmations during my first home birth

[59:00]: Sofia Kate McCravy was born and my prayers were so answered

[01:04:55]: After the birth (with the boys napping, after birth food, and Sofia’s weigh-in)

[01:10:39]: What I believe about birth (and conversations I wish more women had/were told)

[01:17:13]: Full circle moments this pregnancy and first home birth

[01:20:26]: My prayer list for my first home birth

Links Mentioned:

Read my home birth resource guide (with links)

Episodes mentioned:

Shop Showit Website Templates

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Listen to the Breakthrough Brand Podcast

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

Join Booked Out Designer

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

The post Sofia’s Birth Story: Our Dream Faith-Filled Home Birth After C-Section (HBAC Birth Story) appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

From C-Section to Home Birth: BTS of My Pregnancy, Choosing to Try For a VBAC, Finding an HBAC Supportive Provider, and the Journey to Home Birth

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 4 minutes

In this episode, I’m opening up about the journey that led me from having a C-section with my second baby to experiencing a home birth with my third. First, you’ll hear me share about the surprise of finding out I was pregnant again just seven months postpartum and the swirl of emotions that came with that news. Because of the short gap between pregnancies and my prior C-section, I found myself in the complicated space of navigating VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) versus scheduling another C-section. There were a lot of ups and downs as I navigated going from a c-section to a home birth (and there’s definitely a business lesson or two in this episode).

I also walk through the conflicting advice I received from providers with some encouraging me that I was a strong VBAC candidate, others trying to scare me out of even considering it. That contrast really forced me into deep research, lots of journaling, and long conversations with friends, podcasts, and faith reflections. If you take nothing else from this episode, I hope you can hear how much I believe in YOUR right to be an active participant in the birthing plan you choose to pursue.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 318!

This episode is part of a four-part birth series, listen to them all here:

Episode 318: All about my pregnancy (the behind-the-scenes of my decision to have a home birth and prepare for a VBAC)
Episode 319: Sofia's home birth story
Episode 320: A Q&A where I answered 15 questions about all things birth
Episode 321: My 13 best tips for thriving during postpartum season

In this episode, you'll hear me talk about the early pull I felt toward home birth, even though it seemed so out of reach at first. Many midwives flat-out rejected me because of my prior C-section and the 16-month age gap between my babies. For a time, I thought home birth was impossible, and I grieved that. But as I kept seeking, praying, and pushing forward, clarity began to form that I not only wanted a VBAC but specifically a home birth after cesarean.

I also share the very real fear I had of whether my body could handle it, and how I wrestled with thoughts of “who am I to think I could do this?” At the same time, I began to see how faith, persistence, and taking massive action worked together—I contacted 17 different midwives before finally finding the right one, someone who believed in me and also had the caution and wisdom I wanted in a provider

Throughout the episode, you’ll also hear me make it clear that my story isn’t about prescribing one “right” path for birth. I make it clear that I believe all birth is beautiful (whether by C-section, hospital VBAC, or home birth), and that the real key is being informed and supported in your choices. And ultimately, I share why I chose to pursue a home birth after cesarean, how I prepared mentally and physically, and the role faith played in carrying me through what became my dream birth story.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

Timestamps & Topics Discussed:

In this episode, I share how I moved from processing my C-section and learning about VBACs to finding a supportive midwife. Then I walk through the preparation side: the differences in prenatal care, the faith and mindset work, and how I found peace heading into a home birth after C-section. See below for a detailed list on topics covered.

[02:58]: Finding out I was pregnant with baby Sofia just 7 months after a C-section (and learning more about C-section recovery and VBAC options which I hadn’t been aware of prior to having one).

[07:10]: Feeling the desire of a home birth and quickly getting discouraged after reaching out to a few providers that it might be harder to try for than I initially realized (and prematurely grieving over the idea this would be my last baby and I was never going to have a home birth).

[09:11]: A bad experience with a nurse practitioner that spawned my research into VBACs, HBACs, and repeat c-sections (and the risks of both) and feeling undecided what the right birthing plan would be.

[13:11]: Core beliefs I have around birth (after having three very different birth experiences)

[16:38]: Some of the resources that helped my research whether or not a c-section, VBAC, or HBAC (which you can find here) and discussing with my doctor whether I personally would be a good (or bad) candidate for different options.

[23:40]: Getting clarity on the birthing plan I wanted (which was a VBAC at home) and also how clarity looked different than I expected.

[27:06]: Why I wanted to pursue a VBAC at home (HBAC) - 6 Reasons

[34:03]: Finding and assembling my birth team (there’s a business lesson in here). While it wasn’t without challenges, it was absolutely worth the effort assembling the best team possible. If you’re looking for a Nashville birth team, you can find who I worked with here.

[46:02]: What prenatal care looked like (and why I think this was my healthiest pregnancy yet)

[52:42]: Why I always recommend hiring a Doula regardless of your birthing plan

[55:00]: Preparing my body for birth (this does not get talked about enough!)

[01:09:03]: Nesting for a home birth (you can see some of the home birth supplies here)

Links Mentioned:

Read my home birth resource guide (with links)

Episodes mentioned:

Shop Showit Website Templates

Not sure which template is right for you? Take the quiz!

Listen to the Breakthrough Brand Podcast

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

Join Booked Out Designer

Thanks to our blog sponsor, Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)!

CHM is a faith-based alternative to health insurance—at about half the cost. You can enroll at any time and join a proven, faith-based solution that’s both reliable and affordable.

Beyond birth, CHM has helped us through ER visits, surgeries, and procedures. Those bills were shared by other CHM members, leaving us responsible only for our monthly contribution.

I can’t recommend Christian Healthcare Ministries enough! It’s more than financial help—it’s also spiritual support when you need it most.

Learn more here! And if you’d like to hear our full story, check out episode 305 of The Breakthrough Brand Podcast, where Adam and I dive into our experience with CHM.

For a complete list of home birth supplies, links to my birthing team, and more birthing resources I found helpful (and mentioned in this episode), click here.

The post From C-Section to Home Birth: BTS of My Pregnancy, Choosing to Try For a VBAC, Finding an HBAC Supportive Provider, and the Journey to Home Birth appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Home Birth Resource Guide (Supplements, Birth Space Set Up, Birth Prep, VBAC/HBAC, and More!)

Elizabeth McCravy — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 14:43:24 +0000

Reading Time: 5 minutes

I just had a home birth VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) with my 3rd baby, also called an HBAC (home birth after cesarean), and I had my precious baby girl in a birth pool! I am so grateful for how wonderful the experience was. I truly felt God's presence and my prayers were answered. In this blog post, I'm linking resources that helped me prepare for an HBAC and home birth in general, supplements I took, what I used for pain management in an unmedicated labor, and things I used in my birth space like fairy lights. I'm also sharing my birth team, so if you're local to the Nashville, TN area and looking for a midwife, chiropractic care, doula, a birth photographer, etc. I'm sharing my team here.

Supplements I Took to Prepare for My HBAC:

Obviously, consult your midwife/doctor before taking anything new during pregnancy! I'm just sharing what worked for me.

Happy Birth-Day Homeopathic Tincture
Dr. Christopher’s Birth Prep
Iron Repair Supplement by Three Arrows
Jarrow Formulas Fem-Dophilus - Probiotic Supplement that helped me not be GBS+
Evening Primrose + Red Raspberry Leaf Tea Supplement
Earth Mama Third Trimester Tea

My birth team - for home birth and birth prep:

If you're local to the greater Nashville area, these are people worth reaching out to! I truly believe a supportive birth team who believes in you and who you TRUST is such a vital part of a great home birth experience. I found my amazing midwife, Aubrey, when I was over halfway through my pregnancy and had decided to try for an HBAC (more on that here) and I received the BEST prenatal care — better than either of my hospital births. I believe that my time working with Dr. Ashley at Plus One Pelvic Health was HUGE for helping me have a faster labor and not tearing during the pushing phase. She also was just the SWEETEST encourager each week as my pregnancy progressed. You can hear the whole story of how I prepared for an HBAC and how my birth team played into this on episode 318 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast.

Aubrey McMillan of Oak and Clove Midwifery - My amazing midwife
Viergeni White- My amazing doula
Plus One Pelvic Health (I see Dr. Ashley Carley)
Tennessee Alternative Medicine (I see Dr. Molly Stevens)
Elizabeth Nord Photography - Our birth photographer
Blessed Beginnings Lactation Consulting - My IBCLC team for breastfeeding help

Home Birth Room Set Up:

Battery-Operated Fairy Lights - I put 2 sets of these in my birth tub between the tub and the liner! (I have “warm white”)
Twinkle Lights for hanging affirmations/photos onthe wall (I have “warm white”)
Black Maternity Swimsuit for water birth - I loved this swimsuit during pregnancy, and then wore the top for my water birth. The buttons are functional too, which was great!
Pretty flower claw clips for birth
Portable Bluetooth Speaker - This is great for playing music or your hypnobirthing tracks during labor.
Essential Oils Diffuser - I had this white diffuser on our bedroom shelf during labor! I used Heart Harmony, Peppermint Oil, and Clary Sage. Heart Harmony is my favorite essential oil blend.
I did have a water birth! My birth pool was from Birth Pool in a Box, and it was provided by my midwife.

I bought my midwife's birth kit as well plus her birth list of things to purchase. I had everything organized on a shelf in our bedroom for easy access! I loved having it set up on a shelf versus bins in the bedroom. I also had a hospital bag packed with a printed list of what else needed to go in the hospital bag in case of a transfer.

Podcasts and YouTube Channels I Enjoyed for Birth Prep:

Happy Homebirth Podcast
VBAC Link
Peaceful Homebirth Podcast
Pregnancy and Postpartum TV on YouTube
MamastFit Podcast
Pregnancy and Birth Made Easy Podcast
MamasteFit YouTube
Some specific videos/episodes that were helpful for me:
- 8-Minute Pelvic Floor Release
- 9-Minute Hip Mobility for Birth Prep
- VBAC Versus Repeat C-Section Podcast Episode - This episode was such a helpful starting point for me to get knowledgeable about risks/benefits of both options.

Additionally, if you're having a home birth, I cannot recommend enough just getting on YouTube and WATCHING clips of babies being born at home. Listening to birth stories on podcasts is really helpful, but visually SEEING how home birth is different from hospital birth will help you know what to expect!

Pain Management Tools in an Unmedicated Birth:

Wooden Birth Combs - This set of 3 combs was my #1 tool for pain management in my homebirth. I would squeeze the comb during contractions, and basically had one in my hand at all times. This is not the same as a regular hair comb. It is wooden, sharper, and meant for birth.
TENS machine - I actually did not use this during my home birth, but did use it with my first baby. I had it on hand for my home birth!
Hypnobirthing Tracks by Built to Birth - I love these from Built to Birth. I purchased the set and added them to my Spotify account, but you can also listen to them free on Youtube.
Warmies Neck Wrap - I used this during birth like a portable heating pad. You microwave it, and then it stays warm for a while! I actually put it in the back of my shorts (lol) and it stayed put!
A bonus pain management "tool" - having a birth doula! Truly that support person IS such a resource for strength and comfort during the pain of labor. I love my doula, Viergeni White, if you're local to greater Nashville area.
Additionally, having a spouse who knows how to do hip squeezes, knows what you need, and knows how to comfort YOU specifically during labor is huge! My husband has been an amazing support in all 3 of my births. I've tried to help him be supportive ahead of time by telling him specific ways he can encourage me during labor. He also knew where everything was on the birth shelf, he prepped our sheets for birth once labor started, and he set up the birth tub and hose! He was busy in early labor getting things set up which was so helpful!

Random Home Birth Prep Things:

This book, “Mommy’s Having a Homebirth”, was really helpful to help my boys understand home birth. This would be GREAT if you plan to have young kids in your birth space, but is also a great book even if your kids won’t be at the birth, but will just be at birth appointments.
For snacking during labor, I recommend the foods you like when you're sick or thirsty. That's how I think about it! I specifically love having honey sticks (a great easy source of energy), electrolyte popsicles, granola bars, and Body Armour drinks.

More Birth/Pregnancy Resources:

I have so many pregnancy and birth related content on my blog and podcast — from birth stories to advice for moms in postpartum!

You can see all birth/pregnancy posts here!

And, check out the Breakthrough Brand Podcast to download episodes. Click here for Breakthrough Brand on Apple Podcasts and click here for Breakthrough Brand on Spotify.

Here are some specific blogs and podcast episodes where I share more pregnancy, birth and postpartum things:

Sofia's birth story - coming soon!
Ethan's c-section birth story
Colin's hospital birth story
How I planned and executed a 3 month maternity leave with my 2nd baby
Freezer meals to prep for postpartum
BTS of my maternity leave and c-section recovery
Maternity studio photoshoot at 34 weeks

All photo are by my AMAZING birth photographer, Elizabeth Nord Photography!

The post Home Birth Resource Guide (Supplements, Birth Space Set Up, Birth Prep, VBAC/HBAC, and More!) appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Pregnancy, Projects & Podcasting: Life Update After a 3-Month Break (+ Giving Your Brain Space to Slow Down & Have a Quiet Quarter)

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 2 minutes

After taking my first-ever extended podcast break in over six years (!!!), I’m back behind the mic with a big life and business update for you. If you've ever thought about taking a break and giving your brain space to slow down, this episode is for you. I’m sharing what these past three months off have looked like—from behind-the-scenes shifts in my business to some really personal updates as we get ready to welcome baby #3.

I open up about what led me to step away for a bit, what I learned from listening to that nudge, and how God’s timing showed up in powerful, practical ways during this season. You’ll hear about how I’ve been prepping for maternity leave, making some big birth-related decisions, organizing every corner of our home (nesting!), and even getting ready to launch new Showit templates—all while parenting two young kids and navigating a third pregnancy.

Plus, I’m recapping our spring adventures like buying a new van, celebrating baby girl with a sprinkle, and taking a family beach trip. I also share what’s coming next for the podcast as we move into a new season (including what to expect while I’m on leave).

Whether you're here for business insights, real-life motherhood, or a little bit of both, this is a fun, full-circle episode to catch you up and (hopefully!) encourage you in your own season of growth and change.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 308!

Tune in to episode 308 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast to catch up with me after the podcast break.

Some highlights from this episode:

Why I took my first real podcast break in 6 years
How the break impacted my creativity, clarity, and mindset
What I’ve been up to behind the scenes in my business
How taking a pause affected my business revenue
The spiritual side: trusting God’s timing and nudges in business decisions
Preparing for baby #3 and navigating a VBAC decision
What it’s been like being pregnant while parenting two little boys
Why I’ve chosen to be more private about this pregnancy (and what I’ll still share)
Moving offices, organizing our home, and lots of nesting
Selling a car and buying a new van
Celebrating baby girl with a sweet, small sprinkle
Taking our family beach trip while 30 weeks pregnant
How I created margin to work on brand-new Showit templates
What I’ve learned from parenting, working, and preparing for maternity leave
What’s coming next on the podcast + how to stay in the loop during my leave

Links Mentioned:

Hear Why I Chose To Take a Podcast Break (Episode 307)

How to Start a Podcast in 2025 (Episode 302)

Tune Into Colin's Birth Story (Episode 148)

Tune Into Ethan's Birth Story (Episode 265)

Listen to the Breakthrough Brand Podcast

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

Join Booked Out Designer

Shop Showit Website Templates

The post Pregnancy, Projects & Podcasting: Life Update After a 3-Month Break (+ Giving Your Brain Space to Slow Down & Have a Quiet Quarter) appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Baby #3 Is Coming! (How We Found Out, Close Age Gaps, and Preparing for Life as a Family of Five)

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 2 minutes

As the title says, WE’RE HAVING ANOTHER BABY! It’s our third! I couldn’t be more thrilled to share this incredible news with you all in the 300th episode of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast! This announcement feels extra special as it marks such a significant milestone for both my personal life and podcast journey. I recorded this at 14 weeks of pregnancy, and I can’t wait for you to hear all about how we are becoming a family of five.

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 300!

Some highlights from the episode:

- The story of how I found out I was pregnant (hint: it’s wild—at a conference right before a big speaking engagement!)

- How I shared the news with Adam and my two boys

- The sweet and surprising intuition both Adam and I had about this pregnancy

- How I'm thinking about managing life with a 16-month age gap between our youngest two

- How we decided we wanted another baby—and whether this might be our last!

- My birth plans and the decision between trying for a VBAC or a repeat C-section

- How this pregnancy fits into our family’s evolving seasons—and what this means for my business as we become a family of five

- Plus, my thoughts on going from two to three kids, and why I’m embracing both the challenges and the joys of this new season as a family of five

… and so much more!

Special shout out to Alli Campbell Photography who took these announcement photos! I love them so much!

Whether you're a mom, a mom-to-be, or simply curious about balancing being a mom of 3 and entrepreneurship, my hope is that you'll love this behind-the-scenes episode.

I can’t wait to hear what you think. Come find me over on Instagram, where I’m sharing even more behind-the-scenes moments and updates.

Links Mentioned:

Listen to the Breakthrough Brand Podcast

Follow Elizabeth on Instagram

Shop Showit Website Templates

Not sure which template is for you? Take the quiz

Starting a podcast (or trying to scale your current one)? Learn more about Podcast Success Blueprint

Join me Inside Booked Out Designer

The post Baby #3 Is Coming! (How We Found Out, Close Age Gaps, and Preparing for Life as a Family of Five) appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Back From Maternity Leave! My Work Schedule as a WFH Business Owner and Mom of Two (Working Just 2 Days/Week)

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 9 minutes

I'm back from maternity leave! This is part three of the three part series all about my maternity leave as a business owner, as a mom of two, and just taking you guys behind the scenes more of my life and business. I have gotten the sweetest messages about how you have enjoyed the last two weeks of episodes (head here for episode 276 to hear about planning my maternity leave and episode 277 to hear how the first three months went!). Today, I’m sharing all about coming back from maternity leave and what my schedule looks like as a mom working two days per week!

What I’m sharing:

Our experience finding a nanny
What we’re doing for childcare for each child
Our current family schedule
My hope for the rest of this year
My feelings wanting more time at home and with my kids in this season

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 278!

First things first, for some context — I have had my business for 8.5 years! I’ve been a mom for almost 3 years now. My business has evolved a ton in these 9 years. Today, I mainly sell digital products and online courses and host this podcast.

Ever since Colin was born almost 3 years ago, I've worked part-time hours with an average of three days of work for the last two years and even less than that his first year of life. I’d say as a business owner, I’m all about growing slower and not letting your business take over your life. I’m all about not doing random stuff that just wastes time and doesn’t move your business forward (if you can avoid it)

While I often hate sharing vague numbers, I’m going to here because I do feel like it makes sense in this episode. With my business, I am able to pay myself a multi-6-figure per year salary with these part time hours in my business. And believe me, I am so grateful for it.

I truly think it's a blessing from God that I'm able to run my business this way and I also think it's something that I worked hard on and that doesn't just happen by accident. I've had this vision the whole time I've had my business. I've not gone through a season where I was working insane hours, burning myself out, offering too many things, and saying yes to all the things. Growing slow has worked and I also have really, really strong systems in my business.

My Schedule Over The Last Two Years

For the last two years, my oldest, Colin, has gone to a preschool, three days a week (on Monday, Wednesday and Friday). Those 3 days have been my main work days, and then on Tuesday and Thursday, Adam and I would split the days. That worked really well, and I got into a good work rhythm this way! But of course, what works is always changing (especially with kids!).

With Colin, we did try a nanny and Mother’s Day Out but neither felt right for us. When we tried those, he ended up having a lot of separation anxiety. We kept him home for the first 14 months (with a lot of juggling and help from family!) and eventually, we did put him in preschool for three days a week and he’s been doing that ever since.

Hiring a Nanny

We knew we couldn’t realistically do that again with Ethan because Adam had more work going on now that he’s a therapist (he was in grad school before). We knew we needed a nanny. While I was pregnant, we actually worked up a family schedule to work towards that included Colin's childcare at preschool, a nanny for Ethan two days a week, and then three days where one of us was going to be with both of them or with just Ethan.

We could have enrolled Ethan in the same preschool that Colin’s at but I really wanted to keep him at home longer than that. I like the idea of him having the individualized care of a nanny and me just being able to pop in and out all day while he's with the nanny, which is how it literally looks, and I absolutely love it.

In order to find a nanny, we tried Care, and made the listing actually at the very end of my pregnancy. We wanted to find someone early ideally, and were hoping they would be willing to wait until Ethan was closer to 3 months old to start. This felt better than trying the moment I was ready to come back to work.

We didn’t have much luck with Care though. I interviewed one person from there, but mainly the people who replied to the job posting were flaky and didn't write me back after I followed up with them. Which was strange because back when I was a nanny (one of my many side jobs when I was starting my business), I was on Care and got a lot of jobs that way!

From there, I tried Facebook groups, specifically a Young Life group, which ended up being much better. That was ultimately how we found our amazing Nanny. We connected through the group, and interviewed her on the phone first, then in person. Then, we offered her the job!

Having Incredible Childcare Help

The nanny we hired is absolutely wonderful — truly such a blessing, especially when with Colin we struggled to find good child care help at first when we needed it. Without sharing too much personal information about her, she is just lovely. She has prior experience in a daycare setting with newborns, so that felt perfect. She’s an aspiring musician (and super talented!) and has another part time job too, so she was happy to do part time with us. She’s just so good with Ethan too. I love that I know he’s in great hands with her, and that I am just upstairs working, and they are right downstairs and I can go see him/her any time. Or help her if needed.

I can also help manage his schedule with her, so we’ll text and talk about “extending his naps” or how much food he’s had, etc. while she’s with him. She also is a professional laundry folder (she used to do it as a side job in high school), so usually on the 2 days she’s here, I’ll give her laundry to fold and she does that during Ethan’s naps when she’s not having to hold him. Honestly, laundry is insane for us right now. We’re doing laundry daily. So having help with the laundry folding is huge. One less thing I have to do as a mom.

Our Current Schedule Now That I’m Back From Maternity Leave

So right now, what are we doing? Now that I’m back from maternity leave, Ethan is almost 5 months old and our days look like this (with exceptions popping up always!):

Mondays: Our nanny comes and she’s with Ethan while I work (usually from 10am-5pm)! Colin goes to preschool, usually from like 8:30 until 4:30 or so right now. Adam is at work that whole time in his office doing counseling.
Tuesdays: This is more of a hodge podge day right now. Both kids are home, and Adam and I take turns working. Last week, for example, he went into work for a few hours on Tuesday morning, and I was solo with the kids all morning and had a playdate with a mom friend and her 2 kids!
Wednesdays: They are the similar to Monday other than Adam usually works late so I’m alone with the kids.
Thursdays: Thursdays are the same as Tuesday!
Fridays: Fridays are my solo day with Ethan and Colin is in school. I take Colin to school on Fridays because Adam works really early! And then it’s just me and Ethan having solo time together. I’m trying to use Fridays to mainly focus on time with Ethan and then other things I want to accomplish for our home (for example, last Friday I went shopping with Ethan for stuff for the house). I try not to work on Fridays!

Our Vision for the Future

This is working for us now, but we came up with a goal schedule for when we adjust more to life with another kid for what Tuesday and Thursday will look like. And that goal will be that one of us is working on Tuesday and then the other one is with the kids (then vice versa for Thursday). For now, I'm wanting to keep Fridays solo, just being Ethan.

We're working towards that in little stints because we like having all the time together as a family right now. I’d say that’s the biggest reason why we haven't just adapted to that for Tuesday and Thursday. We really like doing different things together as a family because we can do that and we've worked our work schedules and our life to where that's possible. We want to take advantage of that and enjoy it.

Why We Chose To Do Childcare This Way

I’ve talked about this stuff many times on the show, and so before I get into it I want to remind you that I truly think you should do childcare, however it makes sense for your family, your desires, your finances, all of it. Just because I do something does not mean I think it’s the only way or even the best way. It’s all so individual to your unique family.

For us, we (Adam and I) have always wanted to not do full time child care for my kids, even though financially that would give us the “most gains” to just both work full time in our careers. This is something we were both on the same page about before we started our family even. Neither of us wanted to stay home full time, but we both wanted to do BOTH.

What’s Been On My Heart As I’m Back From Maternity Leave

I have felt very much like God is working in me right now with motherhood and work things. This has been going on for me, feeling like God's really speaking to me about this and working out some things in my life since I would say October of last year. Almost a year ago now. I was pregnant at that point with Ethan when I started to really feel like God's stirring at me about this stuff. I've had a few times where I've truly heard God speak to me about motherhood and work and his desire for my life. Maybe I'll do an episode about that in the future once I'm done processing all of this with God because I do think it would be a really cool story to be able to share with you.

Basically, it all started with a prophetic word that someone on Showit’s team actually spoke over me at an event last year. At the time, I felt like it meant one thing and then slowly God has been like, “Hey, wait, that's actually not what I meant”. So the moment I realized what God was truly trying to tell me, kind of happened when Ethan was about one month old, I was up for a night feed and literally felt God talked to me of like, “Hey, what he said, I actually meant this”.

Since then I've had other days where just in subtle ways I’ve felt other people talk to me about something or specific things happen in my life where I know I’m on the right track.

With all that said, with all that super vagueness that I just shared, I am very much in a listening space right now of honestly trying to be superintendent to God and letting God make my motherhood and work schedule. I’m letting him really be the leader of my business and where it is headed and trusting him with this season where I feel like I hardly have any time to work.

Hopefully you can tell if you're new here, I adore this business. It lights me up. I feel called to this business. I truly feel like God has me where I'm meant to be doing things like recording this podcast for free, making my courses, making my templates. But I do feel like God has been tugging at me to work less and less and be with my kids more and more.

I really feel like I have had him just tell me to trust him in that endeavor. I know it doesn't make sense. And even right now, you're going to see this cool title for this episode, but yeah, I'm only working two days a week. I have a successful business. I get to be with my kids more.

But it does feel scary at times and it feels really hard and it can feel like I get behind on things. I'm recording this episode one day before it's going to air. I feel like I have to say no to more things. I've been working on my new website redesign for a year now. But I have just felt God being like, “Hey, just trust me with this”.

What I’m Working On Now That I’m Back From Maternity Leave

Now, my biggest focus coming back is my new website and rebrand. My team and I have been hard at work on this! Huge shout out to Stacey who has been designing with me (and Christy now that she’s back from her honeymoon!). I’m hoping to launch it fairly soon! It takes a lot of time, some pages I’m totally redoing from ZERO, so it’s a ton of work. I also released a new podcast rebrand, which we finished up the podcast art since I’ve been back from leave.

Other projects going on in my business now that I’m back from maternity leave:

Recording new interviews for this podcast!
Creating new add on template designs
Sponsorship agreements and partnerships
Preparing to teach at Spark / Showit designer retreat coming up (Grab your ticket here and use code MCCRAVY100 for $100 off!)

So it’s been a lot! And things are moving slowly and I’m saying no to more things. But it’s OK. There are less meetings. Anything that can be a loom video is. That’s been a focus for me so I can spend more time actually getting things done in my business.

Links Mentioned:

Listen to episode #276 where I shared how I planned for my maternity leave

Listen to episode #277 where I shared BTS of what my maternity leave has been like so far

Join me at Spark and Use Code MCCRAVY100 for $100 Off

Shop our Showit Website Templates (use code BBPODCAST for 10% off!)

Join me inside Booked Out Designer

Want the insider scoop? Join my Free Facebook community!

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

The post Back From Maternity Leave! My Work Schedule as a WFH Business Owner and Mom of Two (Working Just 2 Days/Week) appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Raw BTS Look at My 4-Month Maternity Leave: Recovering From a C-Section, Adjusting to Life with 2 Kids, Unplugging From Work, and My Business Finances While Out of Office

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 11 minutes

Today I’m taking you behind the scenes of my 4-month maternity leave with my second baby as a business owner! We’re going to talk about what my leave was like from a business perspective (what I still was doing, how I unplugged from work, how my business did financially in those 4 months, and more), and on a personal level (what it was like going from 1 to 2 kids, c-section recovery, how we had “4 weekend days a week” while I was on leave, potty training my toddler with a newborn, going on a beach vacation with a 2-month-old, postpartum emotions, and more).

As you can tell, we’re going to cover a lot today but I’m excited to share with you all what it was really like behind-the-scenes of my maternity leave!

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 277!

First things first, I started my leave slightly before my due date! I quit having meetings for work about 2 weeks before my due date, which felt really good to me this time! With Colin’s birth, I started my leave 2 weeks before my due date, then he was a week late. That felt too early, and I was stir-crazy and ended up getting back into working before he was born.

I like the way I did it this time. A week before was enough time to not really work except like an hour a day or so and mainly was focusing on last-minute pre-baby things and family bonding time! I did so many fun one-on-one things with Colin right before going into labor. If you’re interested in listening to Ethan’s birth story, you can hear more about the pre-baby time here.

I Did Not Struggle To Unplug From Work This Time

With Colin in his newborn season, I really struggled to unplug at first and that did not happen with Ethan. With Colin, it felt like I was trying to go from “100 to 0”, and it just didn’t work. With Ethan, I actually felt like I craved the unpluggedness this go around, and I doubt anyone really noticed because people notice us less than we think! But I posted a lot less than normal and wasn’t showing up on social media really much at all on my leave.

I mainly felt like I wanted family time and wanted to step AWAY. And that felt so good. When Colin was born, I also ended up stepping away really well eventually, but at least in that first 1-2 weeks postpartum, I was still sharing sooo much on social media about new mom life. I even randomly ran a Labor Day sale when he was like 3 days old.

Recovering from a C-section

This time, I was able to check out from work a lot more quickly. That might have been in part from having had a c-section and a harder post-birth recovery. With Colin, my labor was insanely hard and long, but recovery was really chill. With Ethan, labor was shorter, ended in a c-section and recovery was way harder.

For anyone wondering, C-section recovery was so intense for me at first, but then got easier quickly. I’m not going to lie, I had some deep moments of feeling absolutely defeated over how hard it felt in the first 10 days postpartum. I remember at the hospital in the postpartum unit the nurse had me do a short lap up and down the hall just walking crazy slow while holding onto Adam as a “test” before leaving, and I did it, but it really was so hard. I couldn’t do things like sit up on my own from laying down, walk up and down stairs, roll over comfortably, walk comfortably for any distance, or even hold Colin or anything heavy. I couldn’t drive. I was on pain medications. My stomach and intestines were feeling really weird. It was a lot.

And I did have moments of “I’ll never be normal feeling again”, which proved to NOT be true, but that’s how it felt in the moment. Plus, processing my birth story was really hard at first, as the c-section was such a shock and not what I had planned. However, in hindsight, I’m so grateful for the experience. And if you listened to Ethan's birth story, you’ll hear that in it!

You can listen to Colin’s birth story here, or Ethan’s birth story here for more details.

When I was planning my postpartum period and thinking about what it would look like before Ethan was born, I decided I wanted to do the 5-5-5 Rule.

There are different versions of this, but mine was 5 days in bed, 5 days around the bed, 5 days around the house. My doula, before knowing I’d have a c-section, had encouraged me and Adam in one of our last doula meetings to go for this! And I was all like “Yes, Adam! I want to do that. I want to really rest and soak up newborn snuggle time and recover slowly”.

I went back to doing normal things quickly with Colin, and I liked the idea of letting someone else do the laundry and unload the dishes and I just rest.

So then I had a c-section and the 5-5-5 rule became less of a “luxury” and more of a NEED. Like, I was at home and told not to go up and down our stairs more than 1x a day because it would be hard on my body. Bending over and picking things up was a major no. I couldn’t unload dishes, do laundry, or organize new baby things.

And I will say, something about NOT BEING ABLE TO, triggered me, and on maybe 6 days postpartum, I got soooo upset about not being able to do anything and cried and cried about it. Adam reminded me that I wanted this type of rest. I can still picture us sitting in our bedroom with me crying trying to go downstairs. We had family there who wanted to help and he wanted to help, and my body needs it, so just relax and remember that I did want to rest.

This little pep talk truly changed things for me and I was able to lean into the 5-5-5 thing well after that.

Because the truth is, you have the rest of your motherhood journey to do the dishes, go up and down the stairs 100000 times a day carrying a toddler and newborn, being responsible for laundry and dinner and grocery shopping, so JUST TAKE THE BREAK!

Things I Did That Helped With My Recovery

Here are a few things that helped with my recovery:

Diaphragmatic breathing early on (here’s a free guide for how to do it!)
Lauren Fitter Exercise Videos on YouTube
Wearing my belly wrap and walking for 10 minutes outside
Lots of family help in those early days
Lots of snuggle and TV time in the early days with both boys!

As I’m recording this now, I’m 4 months postpartum, and I feel GREAT. In the gym, I can do what I could do pre-pregnancy. My body feels good/normal. The only thing is that my incision site/scar feels really weird still. It feels like sandpaper. I’ve been told sometimes it takes years to actually get feeling back in that area (and that’s how it seems like I’m heading). The scar was also really emotional for me at first and I felt sensitive about it, but now I feel good about it. It’s also much lower than you’d think.

The Newborn Phase

Every child is so different, but for us, the newborn phase of those first 3ish months with Ethan was a breeze compared to with Colin. He SLEPT SO EASILY! It was bizarre to us, because Colin never slept well as a baby, really not well until like a year and a half old. And we did NOTHING SPECIAL. Ethan was just a sleepy new baby. You can do all the sleep stuff or none of the sleep stuff, some babies just sleep more easily than others!

I also think some things felt easier because your capacity expands! We are more skilled as a parent after doing it once already, compared to when Colin was a baby, everything was so new and sometimes scary! Things like going out solo with a baby felt challenging, whereas now it feels easier going out with just one of them, but going out with TWO feels tough!

Adam took three weeks completely off work. If you didn’t know he’s a therapist, so taking off is harder, because your clients need to keep seeing you. It’s also worth noting that, similar to me in my business, Adam also only works part-time. So he works Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as a therapist, and then we are home as a family Tuesday and Thursday.

Family Life on Maternity Leave

Adam said we have “4 weekend days a week” while I was on leave. And honestly, we’ve kept some of that still as I’ve come back. We spent Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday together as much as possible. It was blissful, and hard, but truly felt like two additional weekend days.

Especially when Ethan was little and sleeping so easily everywhere, we’d go out of the house every morning for his first nap either out to breakfast or just to a park. I feel so grateful for all of those days!

Even now as Ethan is 4 ½ months, we are all still spending a lot of Tuesday and Thursday together. Like when I outlined this, yesterday was a Tuesday and we all went out to breakfast together from 8 am - 10 am and just had family time. Then, Adam and I did divide and conquer the rest of the day to get some work done.

When Adam went back to work (and Colin went to preschool), I got to enjoy:

Watching SVU in the middle of the day while holding him for a nap on the sofa
Reading lots of books (both nap-holding and just reading)
Co-sleeping naps with him
Long walks with him in the stroller for his naps
For those first 3 months, I would take Ethan to our bed after his 4 am feed

I’m grateful I had that 1:1 time with him, and if I could do it over again, I’d do it even longer. I share this because I want to encourage you to EMBRACE this time. There’s a lot of busyness with a newborn but there were a lot of slow, special moments too.

When you’re a business owner, you always have to do something on maternity leave.

This is true of some other jobs as well. But especially when you’re running a business. You hear some business owners share that they didn’t even get to take a leave because of this fact!

As you heard last week, I planned my maternity leave. I worked hard to make it happen, and it was super important to me to take significant time off and also slowly get back to things. So, I got a leave! But there’s still some work (even if it wasn’t much).

What it looked like for me:

For the first month, I would check Slack most days, but wasn’t busting out my laptop
Tuesdays were the days I had to do a little something for the podcast. I’d have to post about it and send/approve the email to go out to my list
After that first nothingness month, I did some things like recording two podcast episodes and managing some projects that team members were doing (like redesigning all the freebies)

But overall, I unplugged really well I think. My autoresponder on my email always helped keep me content! I can’t recommend that enough on leave because with some of the emails I’d get, I felt the impulse to “handle” quickly, but then my autoresponder took care of it for me, at least for the time being! Knowing Stacey was in the inbox helped me a lot too! But there were also opportunities I missed because of being out of the office.

A cool thing about my business is that you can do so many things easily from your PHONE, anywhere. So while I only got out my laptop for like an hour or so per week (after the first month of never touching it), I would reply to my team members on Slack or post on social media, look over an email that came through and things like that… all on my PHONE! I even did things like making a reel or writing a podcast outline while holding Ethan for a nap in the nursery.

How My Business Did Financially During Maternity Leave

My business didn’t make any less money while I was on maternity leave. March, April, and May were actually all higher than those same months in 2023 when I was working normally. Crazy right? Some of the months were even doubled the revenue.

On top of that, the profits were excellent too. Since I was not working, my expenses were down some because I paused some of my subscriptions I wouldn’t be using like Zoom and Calendly, and I didn’t have any big projects going on with contractors or any special new expenses.

Some of that going “good” was because of the work I did right before my leave. I do think if you keep your business in a perpetual state of out-of-office, you’ll see things go down long-term, but even now as I’m back form leave, I’m still seeing strong financial numbers.

It’s also worth noting on the business front, unplugged from work does NOT mean I didn’t know what was going on, that things weren’t still happening, or that I was not coming up with new business ideas. I started on outlines for podcasts, had new website copy ideas for my new site, came up with a new course idea, and had so many interesting new dreams and visions for my business while I was gone. It was really cool.

Other Things That Happened During Maternity Leave

Our Beach Trip During Maternity Leave

We originally started talking about a family trip this year as something to do in the fall, because we can’t do that with a new baby, right?! Then one night it hit me that this was the BEST TIME to go because I was on maternity leave, Ethan was as easy as he was ever going to be, Adam was back to work but had more flexibility, and it was early summer before beaches got crowded, so we did it.

We actually went from the idea to booking a house to stay in within 3 weeks. That trip was truly incredible and just so fun. It was Colin’s first time at the beach, and he loved it. We stayed in a beautiful house in Watercolor in Seaside. We stayed up late after the kids were down and would have drinks on the porch or swim in our own private pool. We went to the pool a lot and ate great food!

Ethan, because he was a newborn still, was awesome at sleeping on the go in the stroller or car seat or being held. And as I think about that trip, if we did the same trip now it would feel so much harder because naps with Ethan are so much harder and so is night sleep.

Potty Training

A few weeks later, we decided to do potty training with Colin! He was so ready, but we had held off on it because we didn’t want to do it right before the huge change of becoming a big brother. It was hard with a newborn and toddler but also was the right timing and nice that I was on maternity leave. The first 3 days felt really intense, but then it got a lot easier. We did the “Oh crap potty training” method and loved it.

We also found and hired a part-time nanny while I was on leave, so getting that all figured out was something that needed to happen before I came back full-time. I’ll talk about that more next week!

What Surprised Me The Most

First, I was surprised by how much more confident I felt as a mom this second time. Second, I was surprised by how sweet Colin is and how great he adjusted to being a big brother (to be fair - we read lots of books to help him). Two of my favorite books we read him were My New Baby, Best Ever Big Brother, and Waiting for Baby.

I also feel like you appreciate the newborn baby stage more because you visually SEE how fast time passes by looking at your toddler daily and being like… what… in 2 years or 3 years or whatever, they’ll be SO BIG!

This time, we still had a meal train and made freezer meals! That was so helpful the first time and honestly was maybe even more helpful the second go around!

Hard Moments During Maternity Leave

I’ve mainly focused on the positive here because it has been mostly positive. I absolutely love being a mom, but yes, there have been hard things in this postpartum season.

I’ve had some postpartum anxiety at times, and I don’t really wanna get deep into any of that, but I want to mention it so that if that is YOUR EXPERIENCE, you know you’re not alone! I’ve seen with friends that postpartum depression and anxiety tend to be more common with second and third kids than the first time through because your life is more overwhelming! I’ve had plenty of moments of overwhelm in this adjustment period, and the anxiety wasn’t happening for me in the newborn stage. It's more prevalent right now when he’s four months old and people just expect life should be back to normal, but you still feel like you’re adjusting a ton. Your hormones are still shifting so much!

That’s all for the behind-the-scenes of this maternity leave! Next week, I’ll share what back to work is looking like for me and what my new normal will be. I’ll also share:

How coming back has been slow
Finding a nanny
Why I’m doing childcare the way I am
Projects I’m working on first
How I’m accepting less work time

Links Mentioned:

Listen to episode 276 where I shared how I planned for my maternity leave

Shop our Showit Website Templates (use code BBPODCAST for 10% off!)

Join me inside Booked Out Designer

Want the insider scoop? Join my Free Facebook community!

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

The post Raw BTS Look at My 4-Month Maternity Leave: Recovering From a C-Section, Adjusting to Life with 2 Kids, Unplugging From Work, and My Business Finances While Out of Office appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

How I Planned (& Executed) My 3 Month Maternity Leave with Baby #2

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:36:20 +0000

Reading Time: 9 minutes

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing a behind-the-scenes look into my 3 month maternity leave with my second baby. Specifically, what my maternity leave looked like as a business owner! I’ve done this once before (and actually took off 5.5 months with Colin when he was born). Back then I planned to take 2 ½ months off, but ended up taking longer for a lot of reasons!

This time, I was more up in the air about how long exactly it would be, but ultimately thought I’d want to take around 15 ish weeks. I have to say though, it felt a lot more fluid this time. In this episode, I’m going to share a behind-the-scenes look at how I planned this leave: from what I had to do to prepare my business for me to be gone, what I’d do differently, what I thought worked well, and what I did do differently from my last leave.

I also want to say - you can apply this stuff to another type of business leave too, so if you want just my tips and thoughts in general for planning time away, you’ll enjoy this episode too!

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 276!

It’s always so interesting to talk about a “leave” or “maternity leave” because going back as a business owner, at least for me, doesn’t just go from “you’re not working at all” and now you’re working everyday! It’s been way more subtle than that.

First, I’m still home because I work from home. I’m Ethan’s primary childcare. So I’m starting with just 2 work days a week right now, which is really limited. To some people, this would even be considered back at work. But the truth is that my business is really really lean and I’m fortunate that I’m able to work less and still keep things stable (or even see growth).

Taking time off as a business owner

When you’re a business owner, it’s hard to truly take off “all the way”. I know this is true of some jobs when you work for an employer as well, but it is especially true as a biz owner. That said, I do take off the best I can, and I did for both my leaves. Personally, I also don’t struggle with taking time off from work for a new baby. I actually love the time and if anything, I struggle more getting back into the swing of things. While at the same time, I’m also being hit with a ton of great business ideas while on leave!

How I Prepared During My Pregnancy

First, I went on two trips with Showit that happened basically immediately after finding out I was pregnant. First trimester trips are not my favorite (partly because of the heat, and partly because I wanted to start planning right away!).

I also decided to make another course! I made Booked Out Designer pregnant with Colin, and something about pregnancy gives me a course itch. It felt really ambitious to make Podcast Success Blueprint while pregnant since I was not just pregnant but also had a toddler. That felt a lot different than when I made my first course “just” being pregnant.

But I did it. I beta launched the course in October last year, then created it basically my whole pregnancy, then opened the doors again in January. Now, the Podcast Success Blueprint is on evergreen and available now!

But with that said, during my pregnancy itself I was working on creating the course, maternity leave prep, plus maintaining everything happening in the business already. There was PLENTY to keep me very busy!

I always recommend starting earlier in your expecting/waiting for baby time if you’re able to. I know with things like adoption, you can’t always plan as much, and that is hard! But if you’re able, starting earlier is great because you lose energy around it often as you get later into pregnancy because you want to just be in baby nesting mode. At least that has been my experience!

Planning My Maternity Leave as a Business Owner

When planning for this new baby’s arrival, I did the planning part really similar to how I prepped for Colin, only with more experience this time and some of those things I really had to focus on delegating and eliminating with Colin, were already done. So that was nice and easier. Also Ethan was born at a totally different time of year, which I think made for an easier leave actually. With Colin, there was an upcoming Black Friday sale which was a bit more stressful.

I used a ClickUp system for planning a leave and mapping things out nearing the due date that I just LOVE. I plan to make it into a little mini offer and sell it at some point - if that interests you, let me know. I literally have it planned out month-by-month up until my leave.

When I think about the biggest things I had to prep before my leave, it was:

Internal communication things for our team
Autoresponders and communication outward
Podcast episodes
Social media content
Any sales/promos
Projects happening behind the scenes with my team

So let’s walk through those! And I’ll share what I did and how that went.

Internal Communication

On leave with Colin, we weren’t using Slack or ClickUp yet! We were on Voxer and Basecamp back then, so internal communication was just really different. Personally, I like Slack so much more than using Voxer when it comes to team communication with multiple people. It’s way more effective.

But when planning my maternity leaveI had to decide: what would the set up be? What’s the expectation for communication? I was planning this mentally throughout my whole pregnancy, but really got down and made a written plan in early February, a month before my due date.

The plan lived in ClickUp documents and then it was mainly executed in Slack. Again, I might make an eBook/audio course on this at some point!

But basically, I had documents for:

Important dates/contact info
My plan for unplugging
Best methods for communication about different things (Slack or ClickUp based on urgency)
The new maternity leave slack channel I wanted to use
Managing the inbox notes about different requests we get and how to reply (plus information on all the canned emails I made)

Then, I shared that with my team, everyone read it over, and then we all had one-on-one meetings before my leave in the month of February to discuss questions and just touch base about things! I feel like all of that went really smoothly too. I loved our slack set up, and think that things felt clear to everyone. I also felt like I knew what was going on, while being unplugged!

Outward communication

This was mainly between me and Stacey since she responds to most things in my inbox! I made some canned emails in our email software for her to use and I set up an autoresponder. Business and customer service inquiries were responded to by Stacey as per usual, but for anyone emailing me, they got an auto response. I can’t recommend autoresponders ENOUGH! It gives you so much peace of mind when an important email does come through.

Podcast Episodes

This was the biggest thing probably that I actually had to prep for before my leave. ALL THE EPISODES! This can feel like a lot of work because you’re prepping ahead, while also just recording episodes for the month when you’re not on leave yet.

You need to make a decision: do you stop airing episodes and take a break? Record anything in real-time? Recast stuff? Interviews? All solo episodes? There is a lot to decide.

I have to say that I prepped this better than I did with Colin’s maternity leave, which I’m proud of. With his, I didn’t go as far out because of Black Friday looming and feeling like I needed to record in “real time” for that. I batched 15 episodes for this leave. That’s a LOT of episodes.

That said, it was a mix of things:

2 recasts from other shows
3 interviews I pre-recorded with guests
Solo episodes
2 recasts of my old solo episodes

I was really strategic too in mapping out when things would happen. For example, one of the recasts happened the week that I assumed (correctly) that I’d have a newborn baby on my hands and might not want to promote an episode much on social media. I also left a gap for me to do the birth story if I wanted to.

When planning, I tried to vary up when things were airing so it wasn’t like 3 motherhood episodes in a row (for example). Ultimately, I looked at a 3 month period and the episode ideas I had and mapped them all in.

It’s worth noting too that my podcast team worked on these not in advance, but in real time, so I had communication with them every week for episodes. Tuesdays were a little bit of a work day for me on leave for episode things. I also recorded a few reels ahead of time for specific episodes, but mainly did social media content to promote the episodes in real time. It probably would have been easier if it were all prepped.

Social Media

Social media was so different when I had Colin! While Reels were a thing, I could also post an image with a caption a lot too. I did a prep day for social media where I recorded some things. Ironically some of the stuff I prepped, I never posted.

Generally over my leave, I felt less engaged on social media and felt less of a need to show up this time around. I would go days at a time not posting anything, even to stories. I liked that.

I didn’t do that with Colin, I was on a lot sharing everything. I enjoyed the privacy this time posting less but then when I felt inspired, really going for it. For example, I did a few content pieces that I made while on leave that I really loved! I also had a doc going my whole leave with social media ideas that would come to me and some of them I made while holding Ethan in the dark nursery rocking him while he napped.

I can’t say I’d do anything different on the social media prep honestly. But it would have been easier on me if I had made more in advance to post. I also would have something planned to post and then just keep delaying and delaying it. So that’s the disadvantage of prepping.

Sales/promos

Ethan was born March 5th and I actually had a leap day sale going when he was born. It was a last minute decision which ended up being true pregnancy brain because I set up the coupon code wrong.

Generally with the timing of his birth, I decided no sales or launches were needed while I was on leave or even immediately when I returned! Which was SO GREAT AND NEEDED.

I did do a quick Memorial Day sale that I just put on my website and sent one email about, but that was it.

My products are all evergreen, which is the business model I love for this season of life! Things are always for sale. And that works really well for planning maternity leave because money can keep coming into the business, and people can still access your products while you are away.

Projects happening

The fun thing about having people work with you, is that you can have things happening when you’re not working.

We had a few projects that were actually tackled while I was on leave where I’d approve things and communicate about them over Slack and ClickUp like:

Redesigning all my freebies into new brand look
New social media graphics to go with new branding to use as needed on stories
New blog post graphics to promote offers
Making Podcast Success Blueprint evergreen
Created two new freebies that went with podcast episodes (my guide to team check ins on Slack and my podcast equipment guide!)
Weekly episode emails going out with weekly podcast episodes

Those were the main things, but I’m sure I’m forgetting something!

I originally had myself doing some 1:1 consulting meetings at 37/38 weeks pregnant and ultimately asked those people to reschedule for after baby was born. I was so beat at the end of pregnancy, feeling myself in more nesting/privacy mode and couldn’t do it.

So those got canceled and ended up being meetings I did when Ethan was like 2 months old. I am so grateful that they were ok rescheduling! I was just truly feeling so exhausted and anticipating birth at the end of pregnancy and felt honestly overwhelmed by to do list things for postpartum season like freezer meals, nursery, thank you cards for the baby shower, appointments, and I felt like I couldn’t take on anything else! And needed that break from meetings.

Next week, I’ll be sharing what the leave was actually like on a personal and professional level.

In the meantime, if you want more maternity leave episodes, tune into:

If you're an expecting mom right now listening to this, I just want to say you're doing amazing. Pregnancy is really hard. Running a business while pregnant is really hard. Planning this leave on top of everything you're already doing is really hard, and you're doing amazing. Keep going. It'll all be worth it when you get to have that planned time away where you're just snuggling your baby, enjoying that phase, not having to worry about work.

Links Mentioned:

Shop our Showit Website Templates (use code BBPODCAST for 10% off!)

Join me inside Booked Out Designer

Want the insider scoop? Join my Free Facebook community!

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

The post How I Planned (& Executed) My 3 Month Maternity Leave with Baby #2 appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Ethan’s Birth Story: How My Unmedicated Labor Turned into an Unplanned (and Peaceful!) C-Section

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Hi friends! I’m so excited to share Ethan’s birth story with you! I’m a new mom again (and we are officially a family of four). Baby number two, Ethan Daniel McCravy, is absolutely so wonderful and amazing and it’s been fun doing this all again (but with more experience than my first go around).

If you haven’t listened to Colin’s birth story (and you’re curious), you can listen to that here. I personally relistened to it before I started outlining this one partly out of curiosity and partly to relive that experience as I thought about this one. The TL;DR version of that one is: Colin’s birth went so NOT according to my plans or hopes, but God showed up in so many ways. It’s definitely worth a listen

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 265!

Ethan’s birth also did not go according to plan, and in fact, I ended up having an un-planned c-section, which I share about on this podcast episode. I really believe it’s so important to share stories like these because we often only hear birth stories that are glamourized: the “quick births”, the “unmedicated births” and “the ones that went according to plan”. The truth is that despite parts of the birth being disappointing, I still love my birth and I believe so much of it was really beautiful. Plus, at the end of it all, I ended up with a perfect and special baby boy!

Thank you for holding space and caring enough to listen to this story! Instead of blogging all the details, I'd encourage you to listen to the audio versions of episode 265 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast!

Tune in to episode 165 of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast to hear me share Ethan's birth story!

Some highlights from this episode:

What my biggest hope was with going into labor
Why I chose a hospital over a birth center or home birth
Why I recommend typing out your birth story
What it was like going into labor naturally (at home)
The precious video Adam made with Colin (to show me during my labor)
Why my birth was always going to be a C-section (despite what the nurses and midwives thought)
When I decided to get an epidural (and how it went)
How I felt about my C-section and a message for fellow C-section moms
The first moments of meeting baby Ethan
How Colin has adjusted to meeting his precious baby brother
Ways God showed up and answered prayers in Ethan’s birth
A few key things from my postpartum c-section recovery

Links Mentioned:

Tune Into Colin's Birth Story (Episode 148)

What a Walking Epidural Is (From Very Well Parent)

Built to Birth "Powerful Active Labor" Meditation

Listen to the Breakthrough Brand Podcast

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

Join Booked Out Designer

Shop Showit Website Templates

The post Ethan’s Birth Story: How My Unmedicated Labor Turned into an Unplanned (and Peaceful!) C-Section appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Indoor Studio Maternity Photo Inspiration – 34 Weeks Pregnant Photoshoot

Elizabeth McCravy — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 18:26:55 +0000

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Second pregnancy and second time doing a third trimester maternity photoshoot! I took these at 34 weeks pregnant, and I love how they turned out! I did a few outfit changes including the classic unbuttoned jeans and white button-down look. I also wore a blue maternity dress (for baby boy on the way!) and a brown floral dress. Plus, I took some more entrepreneurial/working mom style photos with my laptop and favorite lilac sweater.

These photos were taken indoors since it was in the dead of January and freezing outside. With my first pregnancy, I did a mix of outdoor and studio photos. You can see those here! This photo shoot was at Vow Collective Studio in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (right outside of Nashville) and taken by Alli Campbell Photography.

Scroll on for my absolute favorite photos from the photoshoot plus links to everything I’m wearing! The dresses are all from Pink Blush and the white button-down look is actually a swimsuit cover from Amazon!

Pink Blush Blue Sage Lace Floor Length Dress

I love all things Pink Blush Maternity, and wore tons of Pink Blush dresses in both of my pregnancies. This one is truly a show stopper and this color is perfect for when you’re expecting a boy. It comes in TONS of color options though. I also think it works great for all seasons. I’m wearing a size small and it’s true to size.

Blue Maxi Dress Link

White Button Down Shirt and Unbuttoned Jeans Maternity Photos

The white button down is actually a non-maternity swimsuit cover I got from Amazon! It’s so cute and great for post-pregnancy too. My black bra is a nursing bra from Motherhood Maternity. And, the jeans are my everyday non-maternity jeans from H&M. I was hesitant about this outfit, but ultimately loved the white shirt and jeans maternity look!

Amazon White Button Down Link

Black Maternity Bra Link

Pink Blush Brown Floral Fitted/Body Con Maternity Dress

I wore this cute fitted dress my entire pregnancy, and it’s perfect for fall! I love how it hugs the bump well making it great for earlier in pregnancy when you’re showing less but are sick of hiding your bump. I’m wearing a size small, and 5 '4". I think it worked well with heels as well!

Short Brown Dress Link

Lilac Sweater and Jeans Business Woman Maternity Photos

This lilac sweater has been my pregnancy obsession. It’s not maternity, as it’s from Pink Lily. But it worked with my bump basically my whole pregnancy. The jeans I’m wearing are also the maternity jeans I wore my whole pregnancy. They are a fab and affordable Amazon find! I wore this outfit to get some cute maternity photos AND somewhere I tried to hide the bump so that they’d be a little more timeless to share.

Amazon Maternity Light Wash Jeans Link

Lilac Sweater is not in stock anymore, but here's a similar one!

Pregnancy Announcement Burnt Orange Fall Maternity Dress

These photos jump WAY BACK to earlier in this pregnancy when I was barely showing. We did a family photoshoot in the park to announce our pregnancy. These photos were taken in Smith Park in Franklin, Tennessee. This cute floor length dress is from Pink Blush too, and was another key pregnancy find for me! The straps untie and are adjustable, plus there’s a lot of stretch in the fabric. I’m wearing a size small and it is true to size.

Rust Smocked Maternity Maxi Dress Link

Maternity Photoshoot Outfit Links:

Blue Sage Lace Floor Length Dress

White Button Down

Black Maternity Bra

Short Brown Body Con Dress

Amazon Maternity Light Wash Jeans

Rust Smocked Maternity Maxi Dress

More Maternity Photo Ideas:

Check out this post with maternity photos from my last pregnancy. Tons of cute outfit ideas here as well!

This post has great gender reveal outfit and photo pose ideas for gender reveal photo sessions!

The post Indoor Studio Maternity Photo Inspiration – 34 Weeks Pregnant Photoshoot appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Exciting News! Baby #2 is On Its Way (1st Trimester + 4 Things I’m Doing Differently This Pregnancy)

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 11 minutes

Hey everyone! So, as you can tell from the title, I'm super excited to announce that I'm pregnant with baby number two. I have so much to share with you all! While I am sharing the 4 things I’m doing differently with baby number two below, this is one conversation you’ll want to grab your earbuds for!

I’m sharing:

How we found out (and how I shared the news with Adam)
The timeline we are looking at with our due date and the age gap with Colin!
An update for how this first trimester has been (it’s been way different!)
Two journals I am using this pregnancy (linked here and here)
My fun pregnancy cravings
Baby predictions

Again, I really encourage you to tune into this fun celebratory episode! Below, I’m going to share the 4 Things I’m doing differently with baby number two this pregnancy!

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 229!

1. I’m holding birth plans much more loosely this time around

I am probably not aiming for a birth center birth this time, although I'm actually not sure yet. So, basically, during my last pregnancy, I was determined to have an unmedicated childbirth at a birth center. I did all my prenatal care with the birth center and was very committed to that plan without realizing it. However, my dream and vision got shattered when I went past my due date and had to be induced. The birth center informed me that I was no longer eligible to give birth there. It was unexpected, although now I understand that it's common to be risked out of birth centers. I acknowledge and respect why the midwives made that decision. But in that moment, it was really upsetting, and it made me realize that I wasn't as flexible with my birth plans as I thought I was. Looking back, I really did have that mentality that it was “birth center or bust”.

I also had an interesting fear at the time that many of you can probably relate to - not just the fear of giving birth, but specifically giving birth in a hospital setting. I know some of you listening can understand this. Some of you may even have the opposite fear, feeling more afraid not to give birth in a hospital as hospitals are considered safer. However, leading up to my ultimately hospital birth, I had the mentality that hospitals are not the ideal place for giving birth. I felt that a birth center or home birth would be safer for me. Now, I am navigating the possibility of having a hospital birth again and working through the mentality that made me uncomfortable initially. I believe that this resistance played a part in my longer labor experience.

Let me also just say this: everyone has their own preferences when it comes to birth stuff. I almost didn't want to include this in the podcast because there are so many opinions around how women give birth. But now, having gone through it once and considering different plans from what I originally thought, I have so much respect for the choices women make when it comes to giving birth. There's no right or wrong birth plan or goal—it's all about what you want and need as the mom-to-be.

My labor last time

However, based on my previous experience, I had a really long 44-hour labor. And when I say 44 hours, I mean I was actively in labor for that entire duration, with various interventions like induction, Pitocin, my water breaking, sleep-inducing drugs, and eventually an epidural. I even came close to having a C-section, and there may have been other interventions that I can't even recall.

Despite the challenging experience, I've learned a lot and can now reflect on it with a positive outlook (although it felt very traumatic at the time and took a lot of time to process). For me, I realized that for future births, I need to be more flexible and not hold on tightly to my birth plan. I want to approach it with an open mind, understanding that things may not go exactly as planned. As of right now, I've completed the first trimester of my pregnancy, and I still haven't decided where I will give birth. I'm seeing an OB-GYN and am initially planning for a hospital birth but I could still see my mind changing later!

I want to approach this pregnancy and birth from a different mindset. Instead of fear, I am choosing to pray and seek what kind of birth God is calling me to and what aligns with my current season and needs. I am enjoying the process of exploring different options rather than feeling pressured to have a specific birth plan. I remember I was so worried about getting an epidural the last time, but the truth is it worked well for me last time, and I may consider it again, possibly opting for a walking epidural with lower doses so that I can still move around.

While I understand that not everyone has a positive experience with an epidural, mine definitely was. In fact, Adam remembers me saying that I want an epidural every day. So I might do that, and I might now. This time, I am embracing the uncertainty and openness, and am enjoying holding my birth plan more loosely.

Working with a birth doula

I also wanted to note that I'll have a birth doula with me, regardless of my birth plans. I'll be working with the same person I did last time. Sometimes people think having a doula is only for unmedicated births, but I believe a doula is invaluable for both medicated and unmedicated births. So, I'll definitely have one again and it’s something I encourage every mama to consider!

2. I’m finding out the gender earlier

Last time, we decided to wait until the 20-week ultrasound to learn the gender. I didn't really consider finding out sooner or using extra tests or ultrasounds. I was patient and enjoyed the anticipation, wondering and discussing with Adam. This time, however, I'm more eager to know. We're thinking about buying the "SneakPeek" home gender test. I do have some hesitations about the process, as it involves drawing your own blood and mailing it back, but it promises to provide results within a day. I might still change my mind, but currently, the plan is to buy it after I finish recording this. With the SneakPeek test, you can find out the gender as early as six weeks. Since I'm already past that point, it's just a matter of deciding whether we want to wait another 10 weeks or go ahead and find out early at home. I'm really excited about the possibility of finding out the gender early so I’m sure that’s what I will do!

3. I think I will take a shorter maternity leave, but won’t jump back to “full-time” as quickly

So, I've been thinking about my year ending in February because that's when I'll start my maternity leave. Last time, I started my maternity leave two weeks before my due date, but Colin was a week late, so I had three weeks of going crazy waiting for the baby to come. Anyway, this time I'm planning to start later, closer to my due date

Last time, I was off the grid for about 3.5 months, including the two weeks before Colin's birth. After that, I only worked around 5-8 hours a week for another two months, sometimes even less. During that time, I only had one meeting with a team member. But besides that, I was really off the grid.

With Colin, we didn't have any outside home childcare until he was 14 months old. So it was harder to work while taking care of him. Adam and I were tag teaming it - he would take care of Colin while I worked, and vice versa. We also had some family come in and help.

This time, we plan to do a similar thing with childcare. Our plan is to not have any outside home childcare, besides me, Adam, and family, until the baby is at least 10 months old, maybe even waiting until 12-14 months like we did with Colin.

So I'm going to be entering my “kind of a stay-at-home mom, but still running a business that does a lot of revenue and has a lot of stuff to manage” era again.

And I did it once, and I'm excited to do it again. I really hope to fully embrace the out-of-office vibes this time and soak up the newborn phase while taking care of myself. This might be our last baby; we're unsure if we'll have more than two more children. With our first child, the newborn phase was challenging, but having the time to focus solely on taking care of myself and our little ones made it easier. I'm excited to experience the end of pregnancy in winter and start the postpartum season in spring, when we can go out for walks without it being too hot. I'm oddly looking forward to the postpartum season because, despite the difficulties, it brings so much joy and sweetness with newborn snuggles and new discoveries. So, I plan on taking around three months off again, completely off.

So basically, this time, I won't wait until my due date to stop working, so I won't go stir-crazy. After the three months, I'll likely work around five to ten hours a week, possibly increasing to fifteen, depending on Adam's availability, after around three to three and a half months.

Changes in my team before baby number two

My business has changed a lot since Colin was born. The team has also undergone significant changes during that time. When I was postpartum with Colin, I had two main team members, along with my exceptional podcast editor. Now, we have three team members, including the podcast editor, and we've also added some other contractors.

It's definitely a different vibe now. My team has grown in wonderful ways, and they are now doing a lot more than before. In the past, I used to be the only person in my business who knew how to do certain tasks. However, after going on maternity leave for five and a half months, I realized the importance of having other people who can handle those tasks as well. I'm happy to say that I'm in a much better place now, as I'm no longer the sole person responsible for everything.

How this maternity leave will be different

First, this time, we're not moving. Last time, when Colin was just four months old, we went through the process of moving houses. It was a huge undertaking, especially with a newborn. We had numerous appointments for him, including feeding therapy for his tongue tie. We were incredibly busy during that time. If we hadn't been moving, I probably would have been able to work more. However, at the time, it was necessary for me to take a few weeks off to pack and settle into our new home, while also taking care of Colin. It felt good to have that break from work. This time, I'm looking forward to not having to plan another move. We'll be comfortable and enjoy a cozy winter before embracing the spring postpartum period, which I'm truly excited about.

I’m also feeling so much more at peace about taking maternity leave this time around.

Last time, I was really excited about it, and I'm glad I did it. If you're thinking about taking a long leave as a business owner, I can say it might be challenging for your business in some ways, but it's absolutely worth it. I wouldn't change it back for anything. However, during my leave, I was nervous about becoming irrelevant. For example, will technology change too much? I remember that while on leave, both Basecamp and ConvertKit, the software I was using at the time, completely changed their interface in just a few months. It felt really difficult coming back in many different ways. This time, though, I feel more at peace with whatever will be, and I'll never regret taking this time off.

4. I am resting more and nesting more

You would think that having a toddler at home more than at daycare while being pregnant would mean there's no time to rest and run a business. But surprisingly, I feel like I'm actually getting more rest compared to when I was pregnant with Colin and didn't have any other kids to care for. It's probably out of necessity because I've been feeling worse this trimester than the first trimester with Colin. When I was pregnant with him, I didn't take a single nap throughout the entire pregnancy. I just kept going like the Energizer bunny, working on various projects and not getting enough sleep.

I mean, gosh, I created Booked Out Designer during my second trimester of pregnancy: created the whole course, launched it, everything. And that was so fun.

Taking more naps

I'm not usually a natural napper, but lately, I've been taking a lot of naps, too. Last night, even after Adam and I put Colin to bed, we were reading when I suddenly fell asleep for two hours. After waking up, I watched some TV before going back to bed. There have been plenty of times when I've chosen to nap instead of working on my trip during free time. Currently, I'm napping a lot, especially during the first trimester. I've had days where I've spent more time than expected just lying on the couch, using a heating pack to relieve back pain. Allowing myself to rest feels quite luxurious, and I'm enjoying it. So, if you're pregnant and feel like you need a nap, go ahead and take one.

Nesting during this pregnancy

I currently in full-on nesting mode. It's funny because last time I didn't start feeling this way until much later in pregnancy. Initially, I focused on preparing my business for maternity leave, which I've already started but now I'm mainly focusing on getting our home ready. Recently, I completely reorganized our fridge, freezer, pantry, Colin's playroom, and even his bedroom. I sorted out all his clothes that are too small and got all the newborn baby clothes ready. I have everything organized really well. I recently reorganized everything, including our gift bags. Previously, they were all in a giant tub in our guest room, but now they are neatly sorted by type in magazine holders on a shelf. We have separate sections for baby shower gift bags, Christmas gift bags, birthday gift bags, and more. I have several other organizing projects that I'm excited about, such as reorganizing our kitchen cabinets, Colin's toy closet in the living room, another cabinet in the living room, and some items in my office.

I'm getting organized and feeling excited. As mentioned, I'm oddly excited about postpartum, specifically about preparing my postpartum freezer meals. Here’s the link to the blog post where I share all my favorite freezer meals, along with prepping tips, supplies, and tricks.

There's also a change in my nesting routine this time around. My office will be relocated to the third floor to make room for the nursery. So, the room currently serving as my office will be transformed into the baby's room. On the third floor, there's a playroom that opens up to a bedroom and an attic space. I'll be using that bedroom as my new office, despite the two flights of stairs to reach it. I'm definitely getting a mini fridge upstairs, so I don't have to go downstairs every time I need water or something. Anyway, I'm excited to move my office to the third floor and set up a nursery again. It'll be really fun!

I hope you enjoyed this post where I start preparing for baby #2

Thank you for being here. Let me know if you want more podcast pregnancy content this time. I'm undecided if I'll do trimester episodes like last time, but I enjoyed recording them. I'd love to hear

if you're interested. I'll definitely do maternity leave planning episodes and share new tips and tricks. I know how helpful that is for fellow business owners and soon-to-be mama’s!

Thanks for celebrating with us!

Announcement photos by Alli Campbell Photography

Before you go - are you in the Breakthrough Brand All Access Facebook Group yet? It’s free to join, and it’s where I share even more behind-the-scenes (and get to know about your life too!). Pop in and ask questions, share insights, and even peek behind the scenes of my own business and what I’m trying lately. I would LOVE for you to join!

Links Mentioned:

Listen to Colin’s Birth Story in Episode #148

Check out the two journals I am using this pregnancy here and here

Grab the bulk pregnancy and ovulation kits I love here

Check out my post with my favorite postpartum meals here

Shop All of My Showit Website Templates (use code BBPODCAST for 10% off!)

Join my FREE Breakthrough Brand All Access Facebook Group

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

Join me inside Booked Out Designer

The post Exciting News! Baby #2 is On Its Way (1st Trimester + 4 Things I’m Doing Differently This Pregnancy) appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Postpartum Freezer Meal Prep: Delicious Recipes I Made Before Baby Arrived!

Elizabeth McCravy — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 17:22:18 +0000

Reading Time: 9 minutes

Prepping meals toward the end of your pregnancy is one of the best things you can do to BLESS your future postpartum self! As a new mama, you won’t want to be cooking in the kitchen again for quite some time, and your spouse likely won’t have the energy for much cooking either. (And, meal trains are GREAT… but they don’t last forever.)

In my third trimester, I prepped some lunches/dinners and some snacks and breakfast foods as freezer meals for postpartum. Here I’m sharing every recipe I made, and I’m sharing this AFTER eating all of these, so I know they’re good stuff!

Once we ran out of these recipes, we kept the freezer party going with more and more freezer meals. My amazing mother-in-law actually made some freezer soups and casseroles for us when she’d come to visit in the early months of Colin’s life. I’m including those recipes on here too — they are delicious!

Get a Friend to Set Up a Meal Train for You Too!

In addition to these freezer meals, get a friend to set up a meal train for you. (If no one offers this, ASK! Your friends will say yes and it will be such a blessing to you!) I’ve done this for multiple friends of mine, and had a friend set up one for us. We used MealTrain.com — it’s free and amazing!
Even if you have a meal train, I’d still recommend making freezer meals! We had a meal train where someone brought dinner most days for about 3 weeks after Colin was born. On the days that no one brought a meal, we used one of our freezer meals. And, I ate the breakfast and snacks I prepped basically EVERYDAY because no one brings you breakfast! Once your meal train ends, you’ll have these meals to dive into next.

Top Tips for Getting Started with Freezer Meals:

All of the dishes I prepped are good for up to 3 months in the freezer.
For the frozen dinner dishes, break them up into smaller portions in the freezer pans a.k.a. Not one giant frozen dish but 2 to 3! That way you can make enough food for just a few meals instead of one giant dish.
Always write the name of the dish, cooking instructions, and date it was prepped on the pan cover!
Buy the freezer aluminum dishes at your grocery store or on Amazon. I prefer these from Amazon because it’s a WAY better deal than what you’ll see at grocery stores. You don’t want to use your regular Tupperware and pans to store to this stuff!
For soups, we used plastic Tupperware to store it in. This worked great! We’d thaw the soup overnight in the fridge, then run the tupperware container under hot water to thaw MORE. Next, just pour into a bowl and microwave your serving.
For the breakfast items and snacks, you can store them in freezer ziploc bags.
Other things you’ll want on hand that aren't meal prep are just granola bars and other fast snacks! As a new mama, snacks are KEY! Especially easy to eat snacks for during breastfeeding — day and night! I feel like I was constantly hungry (and constantly eating) in those early months.

Freezer Meal Cooking and Storage Supplies:

Silicone baking cups — These are great for making freezer muffins in big batches. The clean up is much easier.
Disposable aluminum baking pans — These are what I use for all my freezer casseroles and baked dishes.
ZipLoc Twist N Loc Containers — This is what we use for freezer soups! When storing this amount in the freezer, it will need longer to thaw. Thawing overnight in the fridge is great or letting the container sit out in hot water.
ZipLoc Gallon Freezer Bags — This is what I use for freezer items like muffins!

Not Postpartum? Freezer Meals are still for you!

So, as I’m writing this, my son is actually 16 months old, and guess what? I still make freezer meals all the time! Today it looks more like doubling a dish and putting half in the freezer versus a big “meal prep day”. It’s become a way of life for me as a mom, and it’s nice knowing that on a week where time is especially tight, we have a delicious meal ready to thaw in the freezer. I also love making freezer meal items for my son, Colin, these “Grinch Muffins” and Chicken Zucchini Poppers are 2 of his favorites and are really great to have on hand!

Amazing Breakfast Freezer Meals for Breastfeeding Moms:

These will likely be what you use first if you have a meal train. These were essential for me to not have to cook a big breakfast but still get something tasty in a hurry!

Baked Oatmeal Cups (with 4 variations) by Eating Bird Food:

Think oatmeal, but in muffin form! This has become my favorite breakfast. Just take out of the freezer and pop in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, add some peanut butter or butter on top, and you’ve got yourself a warm, tasty breakfast. I added brewer’s yeast to this recipe to help promote lactation. The oats + brewer’s yeast are a great combo to increase your milk supply! I’m not in the early postpartum days anymore, and I still like to meal prep these like once a month!

FAST TIPS FOR THIS OATMEAL CUPS RECIPE:

Add brewer’s yeast to SOME, but not all of the batches. If you’re a first time mom, you don’t know what your “breastfeeding journey” will be like. In case you have an oversupply of milk, you won’t want all that extra brewer’s yeast. If you have a normal or undersupply, it’ll be perfect. Just make both versions, and label the freezer bags so you know which is which. [Get my Brewer’s Yeast from Amazon!]
This recipe is dairy and gluten free, so if you have to give up dairy at any point in your breastfeeding journey… These will still be good to eat!
2-3 are a serving. I’d recommend tripling the recipe for your first freezer batch.
My favorite variations are the apple cinnamon and blueberry!
If you don’t have almond butter on hand, peanut butter tastes great in them too.
I use these silicone baking cups for this recipe to make cleaning up nice and easy.

Oatmeal Banana Bread from Work Breastfeed Mom:

I loved these, and made it in muffin format instead of a loaf of bread so that I could easily freeze single servings. This is a great recipe to help build up your milk supply, and makes for a great snack in addition to a breakfast item!

Freezer Meal Dinners and Lunches for Newly Postpartum Families:

Tuscan Chicken Pasta from Diary of a Fit Mommy:

She has a ton of freezer meals in this blog post that all look great, but the Tuscan chicken pasta is the only one I made. And, we’ve made it AGAIN to restock it many times now! If you love sun dried tomatoes, you’ll really enjoy this one. It’s savory and a very nice comfort food as a new mama. This one took us WAY LONGER to cook than her directions say, so be sure to thaw for a long time (on the counter or in the fridge) before cooking. Pairs great with an Italian or Cesar salad!

PRO TIP: Double or triple this for more freezer meals and the same amount of work. Just a few weeks ago, I made this for a new mama friend’s meal train. We doubled it for us, put ours in the freezer for later, and ate it a few weeks later.

Healthy Baked Turkey Ziti Turkey from The Clean Eating Couple:

This is one of my favorite recipes EVER, and I had never made it as a “freezer meal” until I was making postpartum freezer meals. And, it worked great! I did all the steps up until cooking it, and then froze. We froze it into 2 smaller disposable baking pans for smaller serving sizes. To take from frozen to cooked, allow for extra cooking time, and I’d recommend thawing on the counter for a few hours beforehand or in the fridge the day before cooking! This one pairs great with a side salad and some french bread! Or, it is a great meal on its own. P.S. We make this one with high protein pasta instead of whole wheat like the recipe calls for. Try Banza pasta with this one for even more protein! I also like to sub out half of the ricotta for cottage cheese.

Chicken Zucchini Rice Bake from Half Baked Harvest:

We discovered this one when a friend brought it to us during our meal train, and we were in love! And, turns out… It makes a great freezer meal too. Just bake the whole thing according to directions, then divide into individual tubs for small servings. Take the serving out of the freezer, pop on a plate then into the microwave for a quick lunch or dinner. This recipe is more “labor intensive” than some of the others in this list, but I promise it’s worth it!

PRO TIP: This recipe is also great with cauliflower rice or Right Rice instead if you want to make it low carb.

Roasted Vegetable Stuffed Shells by Two Peas and Their Pod:

This is a yummy pasta dish with a variety of veggies in it — like eggplant and red pepper. Super flavorful, and easy to reheat. You cook it all THEN cool, then freeze. Reheat the whole dish to eat later or pop individual shells in the microwave for a faster meal. This was one of my favorites, and I wish we had made more! I especially loved the red pepper flavor and how it’s a great comfort meal, but with some veggies too.

Crispy Cheddar Chicken from My Freeze Easy:

This is one that we loved so much that we’ve made it multiple times since! It’s fairly easy to make. Note that at least for us, going from frozen to cooked took FOREVER… so definitely thaw for a long time before cooking! Pair this with some roasted veggies or a salad!

This one does contain dairy, which I had to give up for 2 weeks during my early breastfeeding journey to see if Colin had a dairy allergy. A non-dairy version that we’ve also made is linked here. We love this version too, just use vegan butter!

Whole30 Creamy Potato Soup with Bacon from Paleo Running Mama:

My mother-in-law made us a big batch of this one after Colin was born, and it was the perfect winter freezer soup! Plus, if you have any food allergies (or are cutting dairy due to breastfeeding) this recipe is perfect for you. We froze this into tupperware containers after it was completely cooked. We did some in single-serving tubs and others in 2-3 serving containers. Just thaw overnight in the fridge or out on the counter for a few hours, then pour into a bowl to microwave!

Whole30 Creamy Salsa Verde Chicken from Just Jessie B:

This is another one my mother-in-law prepared for us (two times actually… She's the best!), and it’s absolutely delicious. If you add some additional chicken broth, you can make this into a soup, which is the way she prepared it. You can also make it in the crockpot, which is what we do! Same as the above recipe, we froze into tupperware for individual servings and some containers with 2-3 servings in a container.

[NOTE: including a few Whole30-approved recipes for postpartum is so smart. If you’ll be breastfeeding, you might have to cut out allergens at some point, unfortunately. And most Whole30 recipes have those cut already.]

Easy Freezer Snacks to Promote Lactation for Postpartum Breastfeeding Moms:

Healthy Lactation Cookies from Eating Bird Food:

This has quickly become our FAVORITE COOKIE RECIPE! (Yes, lactation cookies are Adam’s favorite now, lol.) We’ve made these so many times before and since Colin was born. This makes 24 cookies. I highly recommend doubling it. Do not bake the cookies, instead freeze the dough balls in the freezer for cookie dough to eat or to make some cookies when you want them. I like the dough so much that I just eat it that way! Seriously obsessed with these! (Husband Approved!)

No Bake Lactation Bites from Exclusive Pumping:

This is super similar to the above recipe but way simpler. It’s basically a twist on normal “energy bites” but with some stuff to help milk supply! I love these for a quick snack while breastfeeding or to pack on the go! I’d also recommend doubling this recipe, and freezing some of it for later.

Bringing a loved one a freezer meal (or a meal train meal)? Here are some tips to bless that family as much as possible!

If you’re reading this and you’re bringing someone else food (or a freezer meal) for their meal train, here are my best tips to BLESS that family and new mama as much as possible!

Bring her a drink: Bring a mini champagne bottle for the new mom! When I had my meal train, one of my best friends did that for me and I do it for every new mom ever since. A big bottle of champagne or wine is nice, but if she’s nursing, 1 glass is probably all she’ll want in the early days. So, a mini champagne bottle is perfect!
Make it a full meal: Instead of just a pasta dish or casserole, add in a salad kit to make it a “full meal”. I love using the Taylor Farms salad kits for this. You can find them at most grocery stores.
Use disposable dishes: Don’t send it in a dish she has to send back to you. Either put the dish in throw-away disposable cooking pans OR in some Tupperware that you’re okay parting with permanently.

So there you have it! I hope you enjoy these freezer meals for postpartum! Tons of awesome recipes to freezer prep — whether you’re a new mom or not, preparing food ahead of time and freezing it is such a win to save TIME.

Discovering freezer meals has been a game-changer for me. Now, any time I plan a meal that could work as a freezer meal, I double the recipe and freeze half of it for later. Doing all the work ONCE… but for another week’s worth of meals is a total productivity win!

Want more? Here are some other blog posts that I think you’ll love!

The post Postpartum Freezer Meal Prep: Delicious Recipes I Made Before Baby Arrived! appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.

Try These 5 Strategies to Get More Done with Your Limited Time in the 1st Year of Motherhood and Business.

Elizabeth McCravy — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Reading Time: 9 minutes

To create this blog post, I asked myself — What would I want to tell a dear friend who owns a business and now has a baby (or is expecting) and is about to start doing motherhood and business together? And these are the things I wrote down! Whether you’re an expecting mama, a new mom, or have been doing motherhood and business longer than I have; I think you’ll find some great tips you can implement right now about motherhood and business, particularly in the realm of productivity as a working mom.

I’m approaching this from my own experiences of being a new-ish mom to a recently 1-year-old baby boy. Some of this may look different in your particular circumstances or if you have multiple or older kids. So take what you can from my advice to apply to your life and leave what doesn’t work.

A few weeks ago, I shared a blog post that could be considered part one of this! That was titled “My Top 4 Productive Mom Hacks for Running a Successful Business with a Baby or Toddler” — you can check it out here if you haven’t already. And, I’ve done TONS of episodes on the podcast at this point about motherhood, business, and productivity as a working mom that are worth scrolling through the podcast feed to find and listen to!

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE NOW:

Subscribe & download the episode to your device: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Search for episode 177!

1. Plan times that you can work away from your baby with someone else you trust taking care of him/her.

This does not mean you're in your office and your baby is sleeping in the next room. It means you are leaving the house to work while someone stays with him or her. This is a time for focused work, whether it's in a coffee shop or a coworking space. Before having my son, I worked from home because I loved it. I wasn't very into coffee shop work, and my home office is an enjoyable environment.

In this first year of life with my baby, he's often home when I'm working. He's either downstairs or in his room which is one door from my office. So in this season, a focused work session at a coffee shop with no distractions allows me to get far more done than being at home. These work sessions help me increase productivity as a working mom, and I get to come back and be more present with my baby.

Adam and I intentionally plan these work sessions for me throughout this first year. We started jokingly calling it “working off campus,” but over time it stuck. Adam will encourage me to go ‘work off campus’ because he knows it will help me get focused work done. With Colin transitioning into a parents' day out program, I haven't done as many of these work sessions lately.

Three or four hours away may sound daunting and complicated if you are a newer mom with a baby still in the first few months of breastfeeding. However, I started doing these work sessions consistently after my milk supply had become more regulated. I would miss a feed, and Colin would get a bottle of either pumped milk from the freezer or formula.

2. With your limited time, be selective in what you focus on in your business.

You might be tempted to tune me out here, but I want you to pay attention to this because it is helpful for a new mom or a mom adapting to business and motherhood. You cannot do everything, especially in the early months of motherhood. So when dealing with limited work time, you have to pick what your time goes to more deliberately than before.

Some things are worth hiring help for when you're able to, and I would add that since I've become a mom, I've become a better delegator. Letting go of things and giving others more autonomy has helped my business grow in many ways. There are also things worth trying to automate and create systems around so that you can spend less time and effort on them while increasing your productivity as a working mom. There also may be things that you need to let go of for this season or possibly even longer than this season, which is ok.

Some things I've let go of in this first year of motherhood include posting on Instagram much less than I used to and not looking for trending Reels music/topics all the time. For quite a few months, coming off of my maternity leave and getting back into the swing of work, I decided to switch to releasing a podcast episode every other week. You don't have to make a formal announcement about stuff like that. You can just make a change without telling everyone.

The truth is, I've had to let a lot of things go since Colin was born, and I genuinely believe that business and life are seasonal. So I encourage you to look at your business, focus on what's working, and maintain where you are right now or grow. It's okay if your goal right now is to maintain. The beautiful thing about business is that if you're in it for the long haul, it doesn't have to be a record year every year.

In his book ‘The Four-Hour Work Week,' Tim Ferriss says, “Being overwhelmed is often as unproductive as doing nothing and is far more unpleasant. Being selective, meaning doing less, is the path of the productive. Focus on the important few and ignore the rest.” I love this quote because if we're spending our life and business being overwhelmed, that's often more unproductive than if we were to do nothing. It's way more unpleasant, but being selective and doing less, is how we become productive and focused on the few essential things.

3. Have the occasional early morning or late-night work session.

It will be best to do this occasionally but intentionally. Too much of this good thing and then suddenly you’re working ALL the time. Try doing an early morning or late night session with the intention of trying to get something done versus working while watching TV or unloading the dishwasher. You're likely limited on time in this season, but maybe you have big goals and big things you're working on right now. You can plan extra time to work after bedtime and before anyone gets up. Then, once your baby is on a regulated sleep schedule, you will have a few hours before you go to bed and a few hours before they wake up.

If you're still in the thick of night feeds, though, don't do this. Instead, get all the sleep you can and go to bed when your baby goes to bed. Even though I'm not doing night feeds with Colin anymore, I still wake up when he does in the mornings; I just get to bed much later. Then, when your baby starts sleeping more consistently, you could consider getting up early one day a week to get two focused hours of work done. If you did that twice a week, that's four hours extra a week; you're getting some good time to focus on your business.

I got this idea originally from Ashlyn Carter sharing on the Called to Both Podcast with Joy Michelle. The episode is an incredible compilation of work-from-home hacks to increase productivity as a working mom. It includes myself, Stephanie Kase, Ashlyn Carter, and Ashley Freehan. Ashlyn shared that she does her early morning work sessions by having an accountability partner in the form of another business owner. She talked about how you got your cup of coffee, no makeup on, just ready to go, opening Zoom and saying hi. Then you keep it pulled up for accountability while accomplishing whatever you're working on for the day.

This would be great if you're in a season where you could use an extra two or three hours, once a week, when the baby's sleeping, to get focused work done.

4. Let go of traditional views of time management.

We've been taught that every job needs to be done between the hours of 9-5 and somehow takes precisely 40 hours a week to do well, which is simply not true. Now that you're a mom, you might be looking at your schedule and seeing that you don't have 40 or even 20 hours to give. Feeling this sense of time scarcity can be overwhelming at first. However, I want you to know that time scarcity can be a gift to help you lead a more fulfilling life full of balance, where you can get the essential things done.

I have often said to myself since becoming a mom, ‘I don't know what I was doing with my time before I was a mom.’ Looking back, I feel like I was wasting so much time, even though it felt productive at that point. I wasted more time “halfway working” but not getting anything done. I do much more focused work now, and it's been great.

Let go of the belief that you need whatever amount of time you had in your business before becoming a mom. Know that if you focus and work effectively, you can do more with less time and return to your life. To do this, you need to know what you will work on before you start working. Ideally, you don't want to sit at your computer and spend the day putting out fires. You also should have one to two things a day in your business that are ‘must-do’s’ in order to feel like you had a successful day.

If it's a shorter work day, which is my situation right now, you know you won't have the whole day to work, so look at any to-do list item through that lens. Building on that, if you can automate or delegate it, do that. So often, we hold on to things in our business that we could delegate to someone else. Once you have added a baby to your business, there are some things you probably need to let go of when there is less work time. If you know a team member could do it just as well as you can, and they have more time, pass it on to them.

5. Be so gracious with yourself and your agenda.

I've experienced running a business with and without a baby; being a mom does change things. It's so fulfilling being a mom, but it is hard to run your business with a baby. There are a lot more decisions and a lot less time. But, on the other hand, you might be much tighter on time, so it's important not to expect things to be the same.

You need to be gracious with yourself when you come back from maternity leave, or even if you're on maternity leave and are still working a little bit on your business during the break. I had a lot of challenging moments early on when transitioning back into work. Even during my maternity leave, I naturally wanted to be harder on myself if things weren't going well. I wish I had been less hard on myself.

During this time, you're probably not sleeping much. You're feeding a baby and keeping them alive, which is a lot of work. Let your health and the health of your baby come before your business.

You will have seasons in your life where you'll be able to prioritize your business more than you can right now. The early days, weeks, and months of motherhood might not be when your business gets to take a huge priority in your life. Remember that the beauty of having your own business is the freedom to have job flexibility to do something like motherhood while working.

I would encourage you to say to yourself, ‘God has called me to be exactly where I am right now. He has called me to this exact place, and He will provide.’ Be gracious with yourself and your agenda. Give yourself time to get extra sleep, take a nice long shower, go on walks, and not feel like you need to work every nap time.

Your health and healing need you right now, and your precious baby needs you. It's not always going to be this way. There'll be other seasons where your business can be more of a focus, which might not be right now. And that's okay.

I love you guys. Thank you for reading to the end, and I hope this blesses you on your motherhood journey and this first year of motherhood.

Let’s recap:

Plan times that you can work away from your baby with someone else you trust taking care of him/her.
With your limited time, prioritize what you’re focusing on in your business, and let other things go or hire help. (aka do less)
Have the occasional early morning or late-night work session.
Let go of traditional views of time management.
Be so gracious with yourself and your agenda.

I hope this blog post was super helpful to you. Let me know any other tips you have learned in your motherhood journey. I'd love to keep the conversation going on Instagram.

I’ve done a ton of episodes on the podcast, all about motherhood, maternity leave planning, and getting back into work productivity. I encourage you to download and listen to the episodes that stick out to you. I'm constantly trying to create content and teach things I wish someone had told me when I started this motherhood and business journey.

Episodes Mentioned:

Episode 152: Don’t Mom Alone: How These Working Moms Have Help Inside The Home (And Their Top Tips For Getting Help With Your Kids, Business, And Household)

Episode 172: My Top 4 Productive Mom Hacks For Running A Successful Business With A Baby Or Toddler

Episode 160: Powerful Productivity And Time Management Secrets For The Busy Working Mom (From Some Amazing Entrepreneurial Women!)

Episode 158: What My 5-Ish Month Maternity Leave From My Business Was Really Like (The “Day In, Day Out” Life On Maternity Leave, Emotional Rollercoasters, And Changing Desires As A New Mama!)

Episode 157: My Postpartum Journey (+ Tips For Surviving And Thriving In The Early Days Of Motherhood)

Episode 128: Running A Successful Online Business As A New Mama With Callie Ammons (Maternity Leaves, Child Care, Self Talk, Lessons Learned And More!)

Episode 139: What I Did To Prepare For A 2 ½ Month Maternity Leave As An Online Business Owner (+ My Top Tips For Planning ANY Time Away From Your Business)

Links Mentioned:

Called to Both with Joy Michelle Episode 17

The Four Hour Work Week by: Tim Ferriss

Motherhood blog category

Listen to the Breakthrough Brand Podcast

Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram

Join Booked Out Designer

Shop Showit Website Templates

The post Try These 5 Strategies to Get More Done with Your Limited Time in the 1st Year of Motherhood and Business. appeared first on Elizabeth McCravy.