2: Natural Living & Finding Peace after Miscarriage with Genevieve Howland

In this episode of The Merry Messy Moms Show, I interview my dear friend that I met through blogging, Genevieve Howland, a.k.a. Mama Natural of mamanatural.com!

coping with miscarriage

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Episode Recap

Genevieve Howland is an inspiring mama of three who is also blogger, YouTuber, author and boss babe! In this episode, she shares with us why and how she started taking a more natural approach to living her life. From being addicted to sugar in her twenties, to switching to natural cleaning supplies later on, to coping with miscarriage, to having natural unmedicated births, she became passionate about living holistically. It was the foundation for starting her YouTube channel and blog, and eventually led to writing a best-selling book.

She takes us on the journey from working in corporate America, to coming home to raise her children, and starting a business from her home that turned into the main income for her family and how her and her husband, Michael, are quite the dynamic business duo. She also talks about her faith journey as she wrestled with God after having three miscarriages, coping with miscarriage, and how she found peace. You're going to really enjoy this inspiring episode mamas!

Links from This Episode

The Story of How Mama Natural was Born

  • Living natural started in her early twenties when she broke her sugar addiction by eating healthy food and healing emotionally, then it led to changing out her cleaning supplies to natural ones
  • When she got pregnant with her first child, Griffin, she became even more passionate about living healthy and naturally so she could have a safe pregnancy and delivery
  • Her mom had c-sections with both of her children, so at first she thought that might be her fate, too.
  • Then she saw the documentary, The Business of Being Born and it opened her eyes to new way of giving birth – holistically and naturally without interventions and medication
  • Both her and her husband had fathers who entrepreneurs and it made a strong impression on her and they both wanted to get out of corporate America. They read an article one day in 2009 about all of these families making their living on YouTube
  • Her and her husband, Michael, and her started doing videos after she got pregnant to document the pregnancy
  • They did 2 videos a week for years, it wasn’t easy, but they loved it! What started as a humble side hobby, turned into a full time job. They would work from 6-10 pm after their baby went to sleep.
  • Free week to week email series for moms who want a natural approach to pregnancy
  • Book is a week to week guide for a natural pregnancy – one of the only one of its kind! 500 pages.

How Living by Faith Helped to Propel Her Business Forward

  • Leaving their corporate jobs took courage and faith – and they got many signs along the way 
  • She loves having the privilege to get to do what she loves with the flexibility of owning her own business

Work-Life Balance as a Working Mom – Mindset of Seeing Motherhood as a Privilege and Honor

  • She keeps that work-life balance by choosing to work part-time and some weeks it’s less than 20 hours a week. It was perfect for her and her family! Her husband, Mike, works full-time on the businesses. They did have a babysitter before the kids were in school that came two days a week. They each focus on different parts of the business so that they are able to work really well together.
  • Her number one priority is her family and she feels like God rewards her for that, that time is almost expanded during the time she allots for working.
  • She enjoys seeing her life more low-key and simple, even though she’s very accomplished, so she can keep her focus on her family. And she was able to give her gives a secure attachment at first.

Coping with miscarriage: How she healed and found peace after 3 miscarriages

  • Before writing her book, she had decided they were done with having kids. While writing the book, she realized just how much she loved being pregnant and having another baby.
  • She prayed about it and they tried and got pregnant right away, and then had 3 miscarriages in one year. This was at the same time the book was being published and launched.
  • It really rocked her faith and belief in prayer and an MP3 by Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church in California, Overcoming Life’s Disappointments, really helped give her the strength she needed while coping with miscarriage.

Looking to the Future

  • Third baby due in September 2018
  • Baby’s first-year email series and curriculum

Feeding Your Kids Naturally doesn't Have to Be Stressful

  • She talks about her journey of stressing about feeding kids perfectly, to realizing it's more about balance than perfection.
  • That enjoying life and social events is important just like eating healthy is also. And helping our children develop a healthy relationship with food.

 

Natural Birth and Finding Peace after Miscarriage with Genevieve Howland - The Merry Messy Moms Show

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