My name is Yana and I am the founder of Little Fox Mom. I am a single mom from California navigating this new and wondrous adventure called mommyhood. My daughter Alice Annette was born in August 2016 and my life became a whirlwind of smiles, coos, round the clock feedings, wet diapers, and more love than I have ever thought imaginable. Yes, it’s a total cliche, but, hey, cliches have stood the test of time for a reason – they are inevitable and true. While I have had impeccable and unwavering support from my family, my friends, my mommy group and an online group of moms who had babies within a month of one another, I realize that not every parent out there has access to the same kind of support and understanding. Sometimes when Alice is up nursing for the third time in one night and I can barely keep my eyes open, or keep myself from crying along with her in our equally sleep deprived states, scrolling through some honest “I feel ya on that one” blog posts on my tablet helps me slow down, catch my breath, and attend to my gorgeous and wonderful and sometimes way-too-stubbornly-upset baby girl. So I am here to provide the same kind of relief to all of you. Let us together relish in the glow and pride of mommyhood, while also relishing in the stench coming off that shirt you are wearing with 3-day-old spit up on it and the child asleep in your arms with the pacifier you swore you would take away by now. Little fox mom is an honest, unencumbered look at the love fueled wonderland of mommyhood. And for those wondering, the name is an ode to my little one – one of her nicknames in Russian is Лисёнок (read: lee-soh-nok) meaning Little Fox.
When not mommying, I am a developmental psychologist and recently certified childbirth and lactation educator. I’m sure the topic of my professional affiliations will come up at some point but for now let me say that birth work has emerged as an unexpected career fueled by the passion I have had for my little girl pretty much since the moment I saw “pregnant” on that pee stick. Gosh, seems like a lifetime ago.
Please note: I will be sharing my experiences and research into various kinds of childrearing approaches, as will my guest writers and interviewees. There is not right or wrong way to parent and I respect that you and I may do things differently. This blog is a safe community for parents to express their thoughts, frustrations, concerns and questions and there is absolutely no room for bashing, disrespect, or arguments. Please treat each other with kindness; we are all doing the best we can for our littles.
***The thoughts, opinions, posts, and links shared anywhere on Little Fox Mom blog are not those of a medical professional and have not been evaluated by the FDA, American Academy of Pediatrics, CDC, or any other professional governing body. Always consult with your doctor or pediatrician for any concerns regarding your and your children’s health and development. The blog owner, writers, and affiliates are not responsible and hold no liability for any issues or injuries that may arise out of your decision to follow information provided on this blog. Information on this blog is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any illness, injury, or ailment.