Do you want to have a Baby?

Natural Baby Care

Caring for a new baby can feel like a daunting task, even for an experienced mom. In response, the baby industry is booming! There are literally hundreds of products to comfort and care for babies. And, there are hundreds of self-help books and websites with the “answers” to raising a healthy, happy baby. Through all of this, parents want to know what really works and what doesn’t. The truth is every baby is different and what works for one may not work for another.

The best medicine for your baby is love, patience and thoughtful care. And there’s no question that once bonding through holding and breastfeeding is established, pretty much nobody can comfort a baby better than Mom herself. New babies instinctively know their Moms, by smell and by sight. Dads, too, play a key role. Babies recognize Dad as a caregiver, and will usually be soothed and calmed through his loving touch and care. 

-Sarah

See preview chapters of my book, Do You Want To Have A Baby?

Millions of Americans struggle with fertility problems. Most can overcome them with simple lifestyle changes and natural therapies. Written by two experts in the field of Natural Health, Do You Want to Have a Baby? covers optimal nutrition for conception, the best fertility-enhancing supplements, and the documented success of bodywork therapies. The book also addresses the heartbreak of miscarriage and how to improve your chances if you’re at risk.

Do You Want to Have a Baby? includes a step-by-step diet for nutritional demands during pregnancy with special suggestions for women expecting multiples. It provides detailed recommendations on herbs you can use safely during pregnancy and nursing, and what to avoid. An expanded section on the special problems of pregnancy reveals the best natural therapies to reduce fatigue, hemorrhoids, morning sickness, labor pain, stretch marks, swollen ankles and many other common complaints. This 176-page guide explains your options for labor and delivery, how to avoid unnecessary medical interventions, and even offers special recommendations for losing post-pregnancy weight. Look for the bonus section on natural baby care!

If you would like to see complimentary preview chapters of my book, Do You Want A Baby, click here.

-Sarah

2 Important Tips for Recovery from Postpartum Depression

1. Make sure your diet is as nutritious as possible and get plenty of rest. Many doulas will help out with meal preparation, baby care and house work after the birth. Quick tip from experienced moms: Resist the urge to use the baby’s nap time for housework. Sleep when the baby sleeps. The house may get a little messier, but rest is essential part of recovering from postpartum exhaustion and depression.

2. Make a post-partum herbal cordial with 4 slices of dong quai root, 1/2 oz. false unicorn root, 1 handful nettles, 1/2 oz. St. John’s wort extract, 1 handful motherwort herb, 1/2 oz. hawthorn berries, and 2 inch-long slices of fresh ginger. Steep herbs in 1 pint of brandy for 2 weeks, shaking daily. Strain and add a little honey if desired. Take 1 tsp. daily as a tonic dose. (Good results.) Depress-Ex caps are another premier choice for relief of  the “baby blues.”

-Sarah

New Theories on Colic

Harvey Karp, M.D., author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, theorizes that colicky babies are suffering from what he calls “the missing 4th trimester” in their first three months of life. During this time, he believes that babies are missing a calming reflex, which was stimulated by the sounds and comforts of the womb. After a few months, most babies adapt to the drastic change, develop new calming reflexes and cry less.

If you are nursing, watch your diet carefully. Sometimes mother’s milk is acidic from stress or diet. Avoid cow’s milk, cabbage, brussels sprouts, onions, garlic, yeasted breads, fried and fast foods. If nursing, consider a weak fennel seed tea or Earth Mama Angel Baby Milkmaid tea with added herbs to soothe baby’s digestion. Avoid red meat, chocolate, alcohol, sugary foods and caffeine until the child’s digestion improves. Tried and true digestive remedy for colic: try Gripe Water with ginger and fennel.

If symptoms don’t resolve after a few months or are accompanied by frequent vomiting, it may be a sign of infant GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). Consult with a pediatric gastroenterologist if you suspect your child has GERD.

-Sarah

Using Herbs for Fertility Q & A

Q- How do whole herbs address fertility differently than drugs?

A- Whole herbs address a variety of fertility problems: hormone imbalance; toxin overload; stress; reproductive obstructions and scarring. They are much different than drug approaches in that they are gentle, generally free of side effects and do not carry serious risks like reproductive cancers like IVF fertility drugs. They do work more slowly than fertility drugs but their body balancing effect can be felt over time and they can produce tangible fertility benefits. A general rule of thumb is to expect one month of healing for every year you’ve  had the problem.

While we must recognize and respect the power of herbal medicines, herbs are really foods with medicinal qualities. As medicine, whole herbs are essentially body balancers that work with the body functions, so that the body can heal and regulate itself.

-Sarah

SIDS risk factors

1. Exposure to second-hand smoke greatly increases the risk of SIDS because it reduces an infant’s ability to withstand low oxygen levels if his face and head get covered. Even when a baby is merely in rooms where smoking occurs, the risk of SIDS can increase 800%!

2. Respiratory infections may contribute to SIDS cases, particularly if the child has a fever and is put to sleep on the stomach.

3. A newly identified SIDS risk is a heart abnormality called a prolonged QT interval which can be detected by an EKG and treated with up to 90% success rate.

4. Routinely feeding babies iron-fortified weaning foods to prevent anemia may increase the risk of SIDS, according to the British Medical Journal.

5. The same H. pylori bacteria linked to ulcers may be linked to SIDS. Scientists recommend avoiding transmitting adult saliva to very tiny babies to prevent H. pylori transmission.

6. Boys are known to be at higher risk of dying from SIDS than girls. Boys are at higher risk, possibly due to their higher metabolism and propensity to overheat. The newest research suggests that male infants with the highest levels of testosterone are at the greatest risk. The research showed that infants who died from SIDS had 50%-120% higher testosterone levels in their blood than infants who died from other causes. Very high levels of testosterone may depress breathing during sleep, increasing SIDS risk. SIDS researchers believe that hormone monitoring in infants could some day help prevent SIDS in infants in this high risk category.

-Sarah

 

How to Practice Pelvic Floor Exercises (Kegels)

First, identify your pelvic muscles by stopping and starting your urine flow when you are using the bathroom. After you’ve identified them, practice tightening and releasing these muscles often throughout the day. Pregnant women should strive to do 25 repetitions of Kegels a few times each day. Women with a history of prolapses or incontinence may benefit from doing more. Practicing Kegels strengthens the pelvic floor for an easier labor and even reduces risk of incontinence after you give birth.

-Sarah

 

Herbs you can take during pregnancy

Many women prefer body balancing teas during pregnancy. They are the gentlest way to overcome morning sickness and hormone adjustment. Take two daily cups of red raspberry tea (high in iron, calcium and other minerals); Earth Mama Angel Baby Morning Wellness tea (for nausea) or Earth Mama Angel Baby Third Trimester tea (only for third trimester) to strengthen the uterus and birth canal, guard against birth defects, long labor and afterbirth pain, and tone the uterus for a quicker recovery.

Iodine-rich foods are a primary deterrent to spinal birth defects. Consider kelp tablets, a sea greens sprinkle, or Ocean Minerals caps.

Many pregnant women need extra calcium and iron, minerals that are easily depleted during pregnancy. Herbal sources of calcium and iron are one of the best ways to get these minerals because they absorb through the body’s own enzyme system. Herbal minerals provide the best bonding agent between your body and the nutrients it is taking in. They are also rich in other nutrients that encourage the best uptake by the body.  Consider Calcium Magnesium Source, a calcium-magnesium rich compound of whole herbs for optimum uptake, and naturally-occurring silica from herbs like oatstraw, nettles and dark greens to help form healthy tissue and bone—a prime factor in collagen formation for connective and interstitial tissue.  Iron Source extract drops in warm water, or Floradix Iron Plus Herbs are absorbable, non-constipating herbal iron sources with measurable amounts of calcium and magnesium, along with naturally-occurring vitamins C and E for optimum iron uptake.

Consider a mineral-rich pre-natal herbal compound during the 1st and 2nd trimester, for absorbable minerals and toners to elasticize tissue and shore up nutrients.  A good formula might include herbs like red raspberry, nettles, oatstraw, alfalfa, chamomile, peppermint, yellow dock root, and dairy free acidophilus (Try UAS DDS plus or Jarrow Jarro-Dophilus). During the last trimester, we recommend a broad activity herbal mineral compound, like Ocean Minerals caps, or Calcium-Magnesium extract, loaded with highly absorbable plant minerals, or Floradix Calcium-Magnesium liquid with vitamin D, zinc and herbs.

Five weeks before the expected due date, an herbal formula to help your body prepare for labor, aid in hemorrhage control and uterine muscle strength for correct presentation of the fetus might contain herbs like red raspberry, false unicorn, cramp bark, squaw vine and bilberry. A simple raspberry leaf tea used in the last trimester helps soften the cervix in preparation for childbirth and stimulates milk production. Earth Mama Angel Baby Third Trimester tea is good choice for mineral nutrition from herbs and uterine tone.

-Sarah

Breastfeeding problems?

For yeast infection of the breasts: eat yogurt daily and keep nipples clean and dry. Apply acidophilus paste daily. Paint on a solution of gentian violet, available through many pharmacists but be aware it can stain clothing (highly effective, short term). Take garlic caps for relief of stubborn cases, but note that too much garlic can upset baby's stomach.

For engorged breasts during nursing: for prevention, nurse your baby every 2 or 3 hours in the first few days after birth. For relief, lie on your back to drain excess flow. Allow your baby to nurse until breasts soften and use a breast pump if you miss a feeding. Apply ice packs to your breasts to relieve pain; or use a marshmalllow fomentation with 1/2 cup powder to 1 qt. water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Soak a cloth in the mix and apply to breasts. 

-Sarah

Benefits of a Water Birth

Water birthing has been around for centuries. Ancient Egyptian women delivered babies who were destined to become royalty by water birth. Women from indigenous tribes around the world have traditionally entered the shallow ocean or river waters to help ease labor pain and delivery. Water births are still widely practiced in Europe and are gaining popularity in the West. Laboring in water offers hydrotherapy benefits for mother and child. One Canadian study showed 100% of women who birthed in water used no pain medication. (Women who choose water birth are less likely to want drugs in any case.) Midwives say that birthing in water reduces pain by 20-80% for women. It is so effective that the term “aquadural” is popular among midwives as the natural alternative to an epidural. 

Water creates a sense of weightlessness, so a laboring women’s muscles don’t have to work so hard at supporting her. Water also relaxes the pelvic floor muscles, decreasing birth canal injuries and the need for episiotomy. Birthing pain and pressure is reduced, and water birth labors tend to be shorter, provided a woman waits long enough before entering the water. (Most doulas suggest waiting until the cervix is dilated to 4-5 centimeters before entering the birthing pool. Entering the water prior to this may actually prolong labor.) Hot water from the birthing pool improves circulation to all the organs, especially the uterus, helping to protect the baby against fetal stress. Experts feel that transitioning from the womb into the world is easier for babies surrounded by warm water. 

Many expectant moms worry their  baby will attempt to breathe during a water birth. The trigger to start a newborn breathing is contact with air on its face.  While the baby is submerged, it is still connected to the umbilical cord and receiving oxygen just as it did in the womb.  Still, water birth attendants insist a women’s legs and hips be completely immersed in water during the birth process. If she is partly out of water, the baby may breathe in both air and water, increasing risk for lung problems.  (If the baby is in distress, a water birth is not  a good option.) Other moms worry about the temperature of the water and how it might affect the baby. The temperature of the water is kept to about 98 degrees, normally well tolerated by mother and child. Higher temperatures can be exhausting for the mother and dangerous for the baby. During a water birth (or any birth), staying well hydrated is important, particularly if your labor is long lasting and you’re in the water a long time. 

Home births and water births attended by a qualified midwife can be a good option for uncomplicated pregnancies. Many new moms and dads who choose water or home births feel empowered by the calm and personal setting. Some insurance companies  cover home birth expenses with in-network providers, but others do not.  Check to see what your insurance options are. If you choose to have a home or water birth, have a back up plan ready to go to a hospital with maternity and NICU units quickly if necessary. Unless you have a very experienced midwife and live within a few minutes ride to hospital, home births or water births are not the best choice for high risk pregnancies. 

-Sarah