About me

My name is Ivana Bednářová, I am a mother of two active boys and a wife of a great supportive husband. I live in Brno, I love snowy mountains and good food, I like dancing and laughing.

I entered parenthood years ago excited and unprepared. Like most pregnant women, I didn't underestimate the preparation for childbirth, but I didn't think too much about what would come at home after the birth.

After a challenging birth, which fortunately turned out well for me and my son, thanks largely to the care and support of my midwife, I found myself caught off guard in the six-week period. The initial never-ending care of the baby was exhausting and I was not happy about anything. With a newborn in my arms, I struggled to find information about breastfeeding and manoeuvred between familiar stereotypes that did not add to my or my son's happiness.

I thought it was normal and that everyone was like that. In my search for the causes of my son's dissatisfaction, I met moms who introduced me to the magic of contact parenting. I stopped fighting it and started enjoying motherhood more. Eventually, we found out he was allergic to cow's milk. Still, it took me a while to start looking forward to having another baby and process the whole experience.

Our second son came to us as a happy, almost 4 kg baby after a smooth and quick delivery without any interventions. This six months was also a lot happier, the big shift I see is that I learned to ask for help. I was enjoying being around the baby a lot more and no longer wanted to manage everything on my own.

Over time, my older son grew out of his allergies and the experience I gained directed me to care for other women on the cusp of motherhood. I feel that this is the right thing to do. If I had known then that there was such a thing as a doula or a lactation consultant, I would have saved myself a lot of tears.

I would have liked to offer pregnant women and new mums the care and support they need to feel more confident and relaxed in their new role.