Hey! I’m Taylor!

A mom to 3 beautiful little ones - Gregory, Gabriel and Olivia. My motherhood journey has not always been enjoyable. And that is where MOMents Beyond the Bump was born (pun intended)!

They say each birth and baby is unique… and they weren’t kidding! With my first child I decided to be induced so my doctor could be the one to deliver my baby. Seventeen hours, tons of pain meds, and one epidural later, I was holding my baby boy. Completely unaware of just how much I still didn’t know or what wouldn’t come naturally. Breastfeeding was a nightmare. So much pain and such little supply and all the while I beat myself up repeating the narrative that “this is supposed to come naturally”! We moved to pumping and supplementing with formula almost immediately. Of course I had no idea how to use a pump or if I was even doing things correctly, which led to my despise of this dang pump. I ditched pumping after a short 4 weeks.

I had dreams of a unmedicated birth and a long breastfeeding journey, but neither of those happened.

Going into my second pregnancy, I was sure I knew what to expect. I had to be more prepared, right?! I knew how to navigate labor and what my body could handle. And Gabriel’s birth experience was AMAZING! I went into labor naturally at 39 weeks. I got the epidural early to help me progress faster, which this time around I knew was the key. Within 4 hours from the start of contractions I was holding my beautiful baby boy and successfully breastfeeding. He had a perfect latch and I was sure this was going to be a long journey, or so I thought. Unfortunately Gabriel needed to be seen by an SLP that diagnosed him with Pulmonary Aspirations and our breastfeeding journey was cut short at two weeks.

I had learned a lot about being a mom since having my first… and yet I still didn't have enough of the education or support I needed.

Gabriel was a terrible sleeper. Regardless of the thick oatmeal bottles he was required to eat, he STILL woke every hour or two to for a bottle. This is where my sleep consulting journey began - you can read more about that here! You see, both of my boys had a severe feed to sleep association. A WHAT? Yeah, I know. Something else I was completely oblivious to. Once I knew HOW to teach my baby to sleep, he began sleeping twelve hours straight through the night at just 4 months old. It was incredible! But why hadn’t I known about this skill and how to teach it?

So I wasn’t prepared for an induction, or an epidural. I had no idea how to breastfeed and honestly, I think I just got lucky the second time around. I had no idea how to get my children the sleep that they or I desperately needed. And then…

I got pregnant with my third child. This time I thought I was finally prepared for it all, BUT nothing could have prepared me for a traumatic emergency cesarian during the peak of COVID 19 shutdown. Yep… you read that right. I went into labor around 39 weeks, rushed to the hospital one hour away, only to be told it was false labor and “don’t come back until you are in tears from the pain”. This was my THIRD baby. I knew something was wrong yet I was completely disregarded. I wrote a whole blog post about this experience - you can read it here.

I recovered from a c-section in the hospital alone (thanks COVID) while my husband followed our life-flighted daughter to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. I definitely WAS NOT prepared for this. How could I be? I had to pump from the very beginning since my daughter wasn’t with me and I guess what… I still HATED pumping! The birth trauma plus the surgical recovery on top of the pumping was too much. I was spiraling towards PPD and yet somehow felt guilty for not being able to handle it all. I beat myself up for an entire week before I decided my mental health was more important than breastmilk.

The recovery was LONG and HARD. I felt defeated. I had a constant painful reminder that left me wondering what I had done that resulted in this traumatic c-section. And I never got answers.

Following my traumatic birth, I became extremely obsessed with Doula’s and the support they provide to avoid traumatic births. Insert Emily Pastrana. Emily and I went to high school together so I was very comfortable with reaching out to her and I am so glad I did! Not only was she a resource for my clients but, as a Pelvic Floor PT, she was able to repair my scar tissue from my cesarian (anybody else peeing every time they cough or sneeze?)!

During every meeting with Emily, the resounding topic we found ourselves chatting about was the education and support mother’s are receiving before and after baby. It was becoming evident to me that I was not the only one with a motherhood journey like this. MANY mamas experience being unprepared for birth, issues with breastfeeding, doubts with newborn care, doctors or pediatricians who disregard their concerns…

I want more for you! I want you to actually enjoy EVERY MOMENT because time is a thief!

I am here to support you. I know firsthand the challenges that come along with having a new baby, such as those related to breast and bottle feeding, infant sleep, and primary caregiver role strain. Navigating the early, delicate days and later developmental milestones are not easy! Let us help you on your journey with your little one by providing comprehensive, research-based education and customized support.