johncsnider

Not a Pre-Planned Birth During this blogging experiment, I have been planning and awaiting the arrival of Baby #3. She was due 8/24/12. Like my other babies, that due date came and past. My other two births were pushed along before my body went into labor. For this birth, I was worried that my husband would not be able to make it from work in time. My last labor was only 3 hours and I was thankful that we lived near my husband's work. Now we are in the suburbs and my hospital was even further away (a two hour trip from his office to the hospital). I could use a closer hospital but there is nothing closer that has midwives. So I tried to "plan" the birth! The day before my due date, my husband took the day off and went to my midwife appointment with me. We hoped that she would strip my membranes and send me into labor. Unfortunately the baby was not low enough yet and she worried that the cord could get in the way. So instead we had a "date" and went out to lunc...

The placenta of baby #2 I had heard of people eating their placenta after birth. Supposedly it is extremely common around the world and has been done for eons BUT it seemed weird and extreme! So the thought did not cross my mind (although my doula had suggested it) for baby #1. By the time I was pregnant with baby #2 I had learned about all of the positive benefits of consuming your placenta post-partum. It is really a miracle substance that prevents postpartum depression, stabilizes hormones and keeps your vitamins and minerals in balance. My midwife highly recommended it since I had been anemic and since my life was going to be extremely busy. Not only was I about to take a newborn home to a household with a 2 year old BUT, I was moving 2.5 weeks after the baby was born and leaving the country with the family the day after the move. It was a busy time in life. I heard about having my placenta encapsulated and that felt like a method that I could deal with. Popping a pill is easy. I...

image: www.openphoto.net Adrian van Leen This is a recipe for pregnancy tea that my doula, Karen Kelly (now a midwife!) shared with me.  I ordered the individual dried herbs from  Mountain Rose Herbs and there were enough to last through my multiple pregnancies and several gifts to other expectant moms. It is much more cost effective than buying store bought pregnancy tea bags, you know that you have fresh organic ingredients, and you know that it is the right combination of herbs. This mineral rich tea is also a great tea for labor, after birth and lactation! Pregnancy Brew Ingredients 8 parts Red Raspberry leaf  3 parts Alfalfa herb  3 parts Peppermint leaf  2 parts Nettle leaf Simply add in 1 to 2 tsps of the premixed herbs to 1 cup of hot water. And let it steep for 5 to 10 mins. Sweeten with raw honey if you desire. Drink daily from 16 weeks on! Red Raspberry leaf used as a basic herbal foundation for all female organs and problems. decreases profuse ...

Have you ever heard of pregnancy brain? It is a real thing that happens to us pregnant ladies. Our minds are filled with thoughts of juggling family, work, chore, bills, and our cute unborn baby while our body has extra hormones raging through us. Maybe you go grocery shopping and forget to buy half the things on your list or you blurt out "T igers love to tug on purple ducks" as you walk past the duck pond.  You can control this pregnancy brain by making new and realistic expectations of yourself and staying focused on one thing at a time. That way, you can complete one area of your life and be present in your current area. How can you do that report at work if you mind is still thinking about those dirty dishes that you left at home and how you will have to juggle 10 things when you get home from work. Write down what you have to do to get it off your mind then go back to work and put your full attention at your work.  Take breaks and go for walks as often as you can. Of co...