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 MetroMom
Charlotte Pollanen
Full-time working
mom, part-time business owner
MM - What is your
most memorable moment of becoming a mom?
My daughter was born 8 weeks premature thanks to
Hurricane Katrina. I was on a business trip in
Hilton Head, SC when Hurricane Katrina hit Miami. I
was on my way home by Friday and started having
contractions (the low barometric pressure induced my
labor). I was more scared at the time of having the
baby someplace other than in Dallas (my husband
would have KILLED ME! Ha!). My OB instructed me to
come on in to the hospital and get checked out once
I got home. My family was at my house already
because my baby shower was planned for the next day
- what timing! Our flight getting out of Hilton Head
was almost three hours behind because none of the
flights inbound could get in due to the weather. We
made the last direct connecting flight to Dallas in
Charlotte and had less than 10 minutes to catch that
flight. Here I am running through the airport in
labor and didn't even know it! My water ruptured
thirty minutes after getting checked in at the
hospital. Our daughter was breech, so we knew we'd
have a c-section anyway. By the next afternoon she
couldn't wait any longer. Eeva Katrina was born on
8/27 at 5:05pm!! But everything happens for a
reason. We had a sonogram the morning before Eeva
was born to check the fluid levels and noticed a
"mass" at that time that looked to be on a kidney
but we weren't sure. They performed an ultrasound on
her after she was born and it ended up that she had
an ovarian cyst. By two months it did not go away,
it only got bigger and she ended up having surgery
that removed her left ovary and fallopian tube. God
works in mysterious ways!
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MM -
What advice can you give to women who are trying to
conceive?
Be patient and relax - and don't give up! Every
woman's body is different - just because your best
friend went off the pill and became pregnant the
same night does not mean your body will react the
same way. And if things don't work out in time,
don't be scared to see a specialist. I was 20 years
old when I was diagnosed Premature Ovarian Failure
and was told I'd have less than a 1% chance of ever
conceiving on my own. My only option was IVF with
Donor Eggs. Well, thanks to a fantastic donor, I now
have two of the most beautiful children in this
world!
MM -
How do you balance a full time job, a part-time
business and motherhood?
I have been working at Nokia for 12 years now and am
so fortunate to have the flexibility of working from
home when I need to. This comes in handy with kids
in daycare that get sick quite often! When I'm in
the office, my co-workers tease me with "who's the
new girl?!". I am also an Independent Jeweler for
Premier Designs Jewelry and I am able to do this
business as little or as much as I want to. I'm able
to earn a little extra shopping money (which somehow
always gets spent on the kids and not me - how does
that happen?!) and still have plenty of time with my
kids on the weeknights and weekends. My husband
travels quite a bit for business, sometimes weeks at
a time. When it comes to motherhood, you do what you
have to do - I'll always be there for my family no
matter what!
MM -
How was your "momcation," and what can you tell
other moms about taking time for themselves?
My best friends birthday was coming up (in March)
and I was thinking of what could be the most special
gift for her. She has two little girls 2 and 1 and
she never gets any time away from them on her own. I
came up with the best possible gift...a Momcation!!
I surprised her with a weekend getaway to a lakeside
cottage on Lake Travis. Just the two of us, a
suitcase full of girlie movies, and margarita mix!
Oh - and lots of chocolate, of course!! The whole
point was to just get away and relax. We got to
sleep in as late as we wanted to, no crying (unless
it was us while watching Steel Magnolias!), no
diapers to change. Just peace and quiet. My husband
goes hunting almost every weekend during the seasons
and travels so much for work. The first two years of
my daughters life I would get so jealous because he
had all this time away to have fun and be on his
own. He always told me I could plan a getaway if I
wanted to but when it came down to it, I never
wanted to leave my daughter. Who would feed her real
food, who would get her to bed on time, etc.?? Mom,
that's who! But when my son was born last October, I
needed a big spiritual boost and realized I need to
sacrifice a little bit of time away from them FOR
ME. It's soooo important mentally, emotionally,
spiritually to have that time for yourself! It may
feel like you're being selfish because "your baby
needs you" but in the long run YOU need you just as
much!
MM -
What is your favorite "momessential" product and
why?
For baby - The Fisher Price Nature's Touch Papasan
Swing and a Moses Basket my best friend bought me as
a gift. THEY ARE THE BEST!!! And for Mom - The Mama
Mio Tummy Rub! Have you ever smelled this stuff??
It's fantastic!
MM -
What is the best advice you received about being
a mom or raising a child?
A friend of ours says "You spend the first two years
teaching your kids to talk and walk, and then spend
the rest of the years after that telling them to be
quiet and sit down"!
MM -
If you could give another mom or expectant mom one
piece of advice, what would it be?
Sleep is precious but so is the time you'll have
with your husband. Do what you can to get some time
together (easier said then done, I know...).
MM - Do you have a motto you would like to
share with other moms?
My husband is from Finland and the Finns don't have
much expression when they speak. I love to say
"Ottaa tai jata!" in Finnish. It translates to "Take
it or leave it!" but I say it with such expression
that it's greatness! This expression comes in handy
when bartering with Eeva - take it or leave it -
either eat your chicken nuggets or no Wiggles! :-)
MM -
What is your favorite
MetroMoms event to date?
The Best & Hottest Event on April 10th was great
because I was able to sit and meet some new moms and
made some wonderful friends. But as for the event
itself, the Morning at the Spa on April 6th was
greatness!!! I'm looking forward to Mom's Night Out
on May 15th! It's all about ME, remember??
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