Dancing with Dahlias

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Lewistown, MT
Dancing with Dahlias

Offering birth photography + postpartum support in central Montana & surrounding areas.

01/31/2025

‼️IMPORTANT DWD UPDATE‼️

After much thought and reflection, I’ve made the difficult decision to take a step back from birth photography and postpartum support. Dancing with Dahlias was born from a deep love and understanding of where women need the most support during their postpartum journeys, and it’s been an incredible honor to serve so many families—connecting with new ones and holding space for dear friends along the way.

Birth and postpartum care will always be a passion that holds a huge place in my heart, but the current season of life requires me to focus my energy on my own family in different ways. Tides are changing, and my attention needs to embrace this moment.

While this chapter is closing for now, I hope it might not be a forever goodbye. For now, I will continue organizing and holding meetings for our local postpartum support/moms group, Learning to Thrive, which you can find on both Facebook and Instagram. I would love if you joined us for our monthly meetings!

If you are seeking support during pregnancy, birth, or postpartum, please see the list I have put together (here: https://msha.ke/dwdsupport). These are people I would trust with my own family, and I’m so grateful for their presence.

Thank you to those of you who extended unwavering support, and to those of you who entrusted me with precious moments and allowed me to step into such sacred spaces, in both birth and postpartum. Having the opportunities to work with such wonderful families, and alongside so many great women, has truly meant the world.

Until next time. 🙏🏼💖

11/28/2024

It’s your first family holiday since the birth of your new bundle, congratulations!

Now, take a deep breath. 😮‍💨

It’s all going to be ok.

Leaving the house or hosting for the holidays with a newborn can feel stressful or heavy.

Sometimes even the thought of having to pass your sweet one around like a gravy dish can be anxiety-inducing.

Let me be the first to tell you that it is a perfectly OK & absolutely acceptable boundary to want to keep your sweet babe close by. 🫂

It doesn’t matter what your reasoning is & you shouldn’t feel guilty or allow anyone to make you feel bad about it.

Don’t want your newborn passed around the table like a basket of rolls? (Although, how cute are those rolls?! 😍)

Perfect.

➡️ This is your reminder that “no” is a complete sentence.

On the other hand, if you don’t mind friends & family members snuggling your little joy, then by all means — share the love! 🥰

There is no right or wrong answer, but the important thing is that you feel comfortable & your wishes respected.

Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁

11/25/2024

Finding time for yourself as a momma is hard. We are often so busy taking care of everyone else that we forget about ourselves.

Implementing small, regular, & practical ways to do things you enjoy is so important & can truly make a huge impact when made a non-negotiable.

Taking 👏🏼 care 👏🏼 of 👏🏼 yourself 👏🏼 is 👏🏼 not 👏🏼 selfish 👏🏼

You, your needs, & your mental health is important too.

So, if you don’t have your “thing” yet, this is your permission to figure one out! Then, sit down with your partner to find consistent time in the schedule where you can pour back into yourself.

Remember, this time spent may look different in different seasons of life. Sometimes you will have more time, finances, or space whereas others it doesn’t feel as “big.” That’s ok… even just taking 20 minutes a day to yourself can make a big difference.

Oh, & as always, make sure you’re prioritizing rest. 😘

11/24/2024

Dear new momma,

What the heck just happened… am I right?

One minute you’re waiting anxiously & the next — p**f!

You’re a mom.

There is so much you planned for & yet somehow, so much you never would’ve guessed you needed.

Don’t you wish they gave you more of a heads up? So much you wish you knew…

It’s ok. Take more deep breaths. Slow down a little. Extend some grace — for them & for yourself

Every mom ever has been here before.

Close your eyes. Breathe it all in — this new life of yours & the one you now hold — let the chaos, commotion, & endless questions melt away.

One day you will look back & think, “I can’t believe I did that!”

You know why?

There’s a strength in you that you never knew existed & maybe that you can’t even fathom right now.

But it’s there, I promise… you’re a momma now & I don’t know how it happens, but something moves in you.

Just hold steady.
Take your time.
Be gentle with yourself.
Ask for help (& accept it).
Rest as often as you can.
Hold your baby as much as you want (No, they won’t spoil)
Leave the mess — we’re in our “lived in” era (& that’s totally fine!)

When they’re older, even just a little bit older, you’ll be so grateful you did.

You’ve got this.

You’re an incredible,
powerful,
resilient,
strong,
beautiful,
wonderful…

M o m m a 🤍

11/23/2024

Hey momma,

I know how hard those early postpartum days can be.

Not only do you have a new baby who is totally dependent on you for their every need, you’re also trying to meet a new version of yourself while navigating physical (& maybe even emotional) recovery.

It’s OK if it feels heavy because it IS heavy, & sometimes we need to acknowledge that.

Just remember: every one has a different story to tell.

Not every moment of motherhood will be the best moment of your life — there will be some you adore & others that you might wish away.

It is perfectly normal if you don’t love it all.

Give yourself some grace & allow room for time to adjust, heal, & get to know your little one & yourself as the beautiful & resilient mother you have become.

Rest when you can,
ask for help often,
communicate with your loved ones,
seek outside support when needed,
take it slow,
& never forget that you’re important too!

🫶🏼

11/21/2024

Skin to skin with your baby is so important during the first hour after birth, but its benefits actually continue well into, & even beyond, the first several weeks of life.

Skin to skin isn’t just for moms either — this practice carries many benefits for dads too! 🦘

According to the World Health Organization, the recommendation is for immediate & uninterrupted skin to skin contact after birth, ideally lasting for as long as possible.

Some sources state that anywhere from 8 all the way up to 24 hours of skin contact a day is optimal. 🤯

These numbers likely aren’t attainable for most & that’s ok! The goal is to try for as much as you’re feasibly able. A good goal is to aim for 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘶𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺 during those first few weeks.

11/20/2024

Something that so many of us don’t realize: mindset is everything.

Your mindset during pregnancy,
you mindset during labor,
and even during birth & beyond.

We hold the power to reframe how we think & feel about birth.

For example, your whole life when you have felt pain, it meant something bad was happening.

It was a pain that needed fixed. It needed medication. It needed a doctor. You weren’t sure how long it would last or how bad it would get. Every time you’ve felt pain, you weren’t sure if you were going to be OK. So, naturally, we associate pain with fear & it makes a lot of sense.

They go hand-in-hand.

But when you’re in labor?
Nothing is wrong.

The intensity of a contraction?
Nothing is wrong.

When you’re pushing your baby out into this world?
Nothing is wrong.

This is how it was perfectly designed. This is supposed to happen. This is good! Unlike all other pain you’ve felt, this doesn’t need to be fixed.

This pain has purpose & this pain will end. In fact, it will end with the most beautiful & rewarding thing — your baby.

When we begin to understand + trust the process & learn how to stop working against our bodies, but instead work with them, that’s when we’re able to really lean into the beauty of birth.

“When you change the way you view birth, the way you birth will change.”

Address

Lewistown, MT

Telephone

+16362957329

Website

http://dancingwithdahlias.com/, https://msha.ke/dancingwithdahlias

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