Close

Member Login

Logging In
Invalid username or password.

not a member? sign-up now!

Customize Parenting.com to your family and get personalized newsletters.

Home ›
Amanda Jo Greep

Jo is a writer, doula, and mom to Poppy, a wily toddler who’s not going to know what hit her when her new little brother or sister, Boo, arrives this February. When she’s not busy chasing the kiddo around, you can usually find Jo snapping pictures of the world around her, helping a mama bring her new little one into the world, or happily curled up on the couch with her husband and the latest episode of Mad Men.
 
Although she’s lived and worked in New York City for 6 years, Jo still considers herself a Midwesterner at heart. And while she may cloth diaper, nurse her toddler, and give birth at home, she's more than just a crunchy mom stereotype. Read more about her family's (mis)adventures at her personal blog, Outta Jo, Onto You and follow her on Twitter at @outtajo.

Thursday, November 17, 2011 - 00:38
I think I'm growing a future gymnast.
by Amanda Jo Greep
Project Pregnancy
This week has been a confusing one in trying to figure out what this baby is up to. I’m getting kicks to the left and kicks to the right. I’m feeling thumps down by my cervix and body rolls all over the place. I know it’s still very early (27 weeks), but I can’t help but want to figure out where this baby is exactly. Sometimes I wish I could just take a quick peek inside and see for myself.

But barring that option last week, I opted for the next best thing – asking my midwife to lay her hands on me and tell me what she thinks. Of course, my guess turned out to be totally wrong. So much for a mother's intuition.

Read Full Post
Monday, November 14, 2011 - 23:50
And the third trimester comes roaring in.
by Amanda Jo Greep
Project Pregnancy
It has arrived. The third trimester is here and, much like my first pregnancy, it’s like my body wants to make sure I’m aware. From week 26 to 27, I have gone from a happy-go-lucky 2nd trimester-glow pregnant lady to a moody, reflux-y ticking timebomb. It’s a bit overwhelmingly, honestly.

Not that things are that different. I haven’t started swelling (yet) and it’s not like my belly grew noticeably in the last week or made my waddle more pronounced, but something has changed, that I’m sure of.

Read Full Post
Thursday, November 10, 2011 - 17:43
Trying my hand at two.
by Amanda Jo Greep
Project Pregnancy
Two days ago, I got a call from one of my midwives. There were some births underfoot and she was pinched for childcare. So I did what any uncomfortably pregnant woman with an energetic 2 year old would do – offered to help out and take on her 14-month old for the day. I’m gonna have two of my own come February, so I figured I may as well take a test drive and see what this is like. An hour later, I was home alone with the two kiddos, ready to see what the day would bring.Read Full Post
Monday, November 7, 2011 - 09:30
Chirp, chirp... already?
by Amanda Jo Greep
Project Pregnancy
I hit the 26 week mark this weekend, which means the third trimester is just around the corner. I spent the weekend hanging out with the family, catching up on some household and work stuff, and starting to make mental lists of Things to Get Done Before Boo Arrives.

Dare I say the early stages of nesting have arrived?

Read Full Post
Saturday, November 5, 2011 - 08:53
A baby shower alternative: The Mother Blessing
by Amanda Jo Greep
Project Pregnancy
Last weekend, we traveled out of town to help a dear friend celebrate the pending arrival of her new baby girl. Seeing as this will be her second baby, she already has most of the material things she’ll need to get by, so rather than throw her a traditional American baby shower, we opted to host an intimate Mother Blessing instead.

While most showers nowadays focus on the baby, baby gifts, and general silliness, “the Mother Blessing’s focus is positive energy to prepare the mother and her birth partner for the birth.” We invited a small number of the mom’s closest girlfriends, planned a couple of activities, and asked people to shop ahead and bring a bead or trinket to contribute to a birth necklace.

When the event arrived, it went off just as we’d hoped.

Read Full Post
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 - 23:25
Welcome back, old friend. Please keep your visit brief.
by Amanda Jo Greep
Project Pregnancy
So far my pregnancy has been largely uneventful. I'm growing as I should. Boo appears to be doing the same. I haven't suffered any major complications and have yet to feel the discomfort of a Braxton-Hicks contraction. But tonight I got the worst Charlie Horse imaginable. And I had no idea what the heck was going on. I mean, other than the fact that it felt like someone had just thrust a dagger into the back of my leg and I couldn't move or figure out any way to relieve it. Holy hell. That was insane.

The funny thing is that I got Charlie Horses in my last pregnancy, but I'd completely forgotten about them until tonight. And now I'm worried. If my pregnancy amnesia led me to forget this crummy side effect, what else am I forgetting?

Read Full Post
Tuesday, November 1, 2011 - 10:42
Family fun on Halloween, bump included.
by Amanda Jo Greep
Project Pregnancy
I've never been much of a Halloween person. Sure, I enjoyed it as a kid (free candy -- who wouldn't?), but grew out of it as a teenager and was sort of lame in college. While my friends were out dressing as Sexy ______ [insert any costume here] and getting drunk, I was… um… I can't even remember what I was doing. Probably laundry. Now that I have a kid of my own, though -- with another on the way -- my perspective has changed.Read Full Post
Thursday, October 27, 2011 - 21:09
I interrupt this blog to bring you a brief bit of whining. I apologize in advance.
by Amanda Jo Greep
Project Pregnancy
Let's just say that while taking care of a sick child when sick yourself is just awful, taking care of a sick child while sick AND pregnant is downright unbearable. Ugh.Read Full Post
Monday, October 24, 2011 - 10:00
A toddler + a newborn = recipe for disaster?
by Amanda Jo Greep
Project Pregnancy
We've been thinking about child spacing a lot recently. Not because there's anything we can do about it at this point, being 24 weeks pregnant and all, but more just wondering whether we've done the "right" thing or whether we'll regret Poppy and Boo being this close together. Most days I think we've made the right choice for our family. But then I go and reflect back on my toddler's newborn days and start to think we should've waited 10 years to have our next child. Or maybe never.Read Full Post
Thursday, October 20, 2011 - 23:14
Two.
by Amanda Jo Greep
Project Pregnancy
Today, my toddler turned two. I wasn't sure what to expect from this birthday. Last year felt monumental somehow. She went from being x months to an entire year and I was flooded with nostalgia and emotions over the events of my labor and her eventual birth. This year, not so much. Funny how much a little thing like a looming second child can suddenly change one's perspective, eh?Read Full Post

< previous   next >
awkward pregnancy photos - what-about-me

The Weirdest Maternity Photos Ever

You've got to see these awkward pregnancy pics to believe them