Nina Spears, The Baby Chick®, was nice enough to answer a few of our question and tell us more about her, the online community she helped create, her life, and the joys of being a mother.

Besides Co-founding Baby Chick (name inspired by her own nickname, about which you can find out more here), Nina is also a baby planner, doula, educator, massage therapist, and many more, all of which we discussed below.

 

  1. Let’s begin! Care to tell our readers a little something about yourself

 

I’m a mom, wife, first generation Texan, twin sister to my brother, and lover of babies! I’ve been working with expecting and new moms over the past 8 years and have helped hundreds of women.

It’s been an honor helping with baby registries, nurseries, being a doula at their births, being their postpartum doula when they bring their babies home, and more.

 

“I’m all about empowering mothers because peace on earth begins at birth.” 🙂

 

  1. What’s the story of Baby Chick? What determined you to start this online community and how has it evolved since your first post?

 

My husband was actually the one who thought I should start Baby Chick. I had been helping so many moms as a baby planner, doula, and educator that he thought I should share my knowledge with moms everywhere.

That’s how it started!

I began sharing my tips and experience, and over time, have had other contributors share their personal and professional experiences on our site as well. We’ve now had 100 different authors on our site, all with the end goal of educating, inspiring, and uplifting moms.

 

The Baby Chick®, Nina Spears, On the Happiness of Motherhood

  1. What have you learned from blogging? How did it impact your life, and what motivates you to keep it up and running?

 

I’ve learned that blogging is more demanding than I ever thought, but that it’s also way more rewarding than I ever dreamed. I’ve been able to help so many more families with the information that we provide on Baby Chick.

Having people write to us and tell us how our articles have helped them during their pregnancies, births or journeys through motherhood is so worth it. It’s what motivates me to keep going.

 

  1. You blog, you’re a mom, you are an entrepreneur, how do you manage to stay organized throughout the day and make time for everything?

 

It’s all about having a schedule. And help. I know certain days I can have family watch our son so I plan all of my meetings and big projects on those days.

On other days, when I don’t have family to help, I work during his nap times and stay up late or get up early.

I always do better when I have a schedule to follow and list my priorities of the day. It ensures that I at least work a little bit on everything and that I complete the things that are most important.

 

  1. Do you have any advice for our readers on that matter

 

My advice is to find help if you can, delegate jobs/tasks if possible, and to not give up when things get hard. If you really are passionate about something and believe in it, you will make the time to make it work, no matter what.

 

  1. Want to share a funny kid-work balancing story or event?

 

I can’t think of one, unfortunately.

 

  1. What do you most enjoy doing with your kids or what is your favorite family tradition?

 

Two of our (Nina and Brian’s, her husband) favorite things to do together is dancing and cooking. We tend to have a lot of dance parties in our house —just the two of us— and a lot of them happen in the kitchen while we’re preparing dinner. It’s one of my favorite times.

 

  1. Confession time: what do you consider to be your biggest parenting success? Would you also share your biggest parenting failure?

 

My son is a one-year-old right now so we still have a little while to see who he will become as a person, but thus far, I feel like my biggest parenting success would be helping him sleep through the night.

We got him sleeping through the night by 4-5 months old (which was 8 hours straight per night) and by 6 months old, he began sleeping 12 hours a night and still does to this day. It is wonderful!

 

My biggest parenting failure is to have only breastfed him for 6 and a half months. Let me say this first, I don’t think bottle-feeding or formula feeding is a bad thing or makes a parent a failure. Not at all!

I just had a goal to nurse for one year so I was disappointed when I didn’t reach that goal. Once I got my son to sleep through the night, it really made my milk production drop.

I was pumping every single night in the middle, but it wasn’t helping, and my son began to refuse the breast during the day because I wasn’t making enough for him. He was so hungry!

It was really tough and it all made my production go away. I really wanted to breastfeed him for a year, but it didn’t work out that way. That’s one of my biggest regrets and parenting failures.

 

  1. On the same note, which were your best and worst days as a mom?

 

The best days are the weekends! I have my husband home, we get to do things together and spend quality family time with one another. Those are the best days.

The worst days are when I have a deadline and I have to get everything ready but my son is having temper tantrum after temper tantrum. When he’s having a tough day and I have to be productive, those days are tough.

But by far the worst days as a mom are seeing your sweet angel feeling sick. Those are the days that break my heart. Especially when you are also feeling sick.

 

The Baby Chick®, Nina Spears, On the Happiness of Motherhood

  1. What helps you decide to post/not to post pictures of your children on social media?

 

This is a personal choice. I decided to share pictures of my son because I wanted to connect with other mothers and share our stories. I’m all about sharing the good and bad so that people can feel like they’re not alone.

As long as I’m not sharing anything too personal about my son, that I don’t think I would need his permission for, it is fine.

There are certain things that are private and are his story to share that I won’t post, but I normally share things that are my experiences and that don’t reveal anything personal about him.

I made the choice to share my life on social media and he didn’t, so I have to respect his privacy. That’s what helps me decide what to post and what not to post.

 

  1. Would you share your opinion on a controversial parenting subject?

 

I’m all about fed is best. Everyone has different experiences and circumstances, so I’ve learned to never judge. I’ve helped women through cancer with their newborns that literally could not breastfeed because they were going through radiation. As long as you are feeding your baby, you do it wherever, and however, you want.

 

  1. Tell us all about your favorite baby or child accessory or product.

 

My favorite baby product is a ring sling. I’m a huge fan of babywearing and a ring sling is the best thing ever. As a work from home mom, I need to have free use of both of my hands as much as possible.

A ring sling is something that I could use from day one with my son and is something that I still use to this day, even though he is 13 months old and 25 pounds. I can’t recommend it enough!

 

  1. While it might sometimes be hard to find a moment for yourself, what are your favorite “Me time” indulgences?

 

I hate to admit it, but my favorite “Me time” indulgences are when I can sit on my couch, catch up on my trash television shows that are on my DVR, and pig out on some sweets. I have a huge sweet tooth and ice cream and chocolate are my favs.

 

  1. Want to share your biggest achievement/what you are most proud of?

 

Always and forever, my biggest achievement and what I am most proud of is being a mother. I am proud that I had an unmedicated and beautiful home birth to my son a year ago. Giving birth to him was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done, but it was amazing at the same time — very similar to how motherhood is. He is my biggest accomplishment.

 

  1. To wrap things up, do you have any advice you want to offer our readers?

 

Do what you love and love what you do. If you don’t, change it.

The Baby Chick®, Nina Spears, On the Happiness of Motherhood

 

You are the only person that determines your own happiness, so make a change. In regards to motherhood, find your mom tribe. Find a group of women that you can connect with. Whether that is online, via text or in person, we have to create our modern tribes.

 

Baby Chick is also about moms,  so be sure to check it up and follow its Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to get your daily dose of ideas, tips, and tricks.

 

Have another question to ask Nina or something you’d like to find out about these Moms? Then leave it in the comments, and we’ll be sure to ask your questions next time around! 🙂

 

 

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