My Birth Story - Part 3

Pregnancy was fairly easy for me. You hear so many stories from other women about their experiences, you expect certain things to happen to you. I had no weird cravings or mood swings...really! - you can ask my husband! I kept busy at work, and did plenty of reading on my down-time. I felt really prepared for this birth. We signed up for Hypnobirthing, which is a form of self-hypnosis and guided meditation for birth. Avery and I practiced often. We started our baby registry, and realized that all the stuff the stores tell you that you "need", you really don't need (another blog on that one!)

Normal mid-wife visits. One thing to think about is if your OB or midwife asks if you want genetic testing for abnormalities. They do this by taking out some of the amniotic fluid. Two problems I have with this: (1) there is a chance of a miscarriage, and (2) many times the testing is a false-positive. I did not want these test done. I would love our baby no matter what. Ultrasounds are also usually routine. You can opt out of them. There are some researchers now that theorize the ultrasound waves can affect the baby. We decided to do one quick one around 20 weeks. At that stage, all the vital organs and limbs are formed. Our midwife suggested to get a quick one just to make sure everything was where it should be - and everything was! How amazing to see that little person growing in there. And it was even doing some "kickboxing", just like mama! Looking back now, Nolan really did look like his ultrasound pictures.

As the baby grew bigger, our midwife could now feel out all the "parts" as she pressed on my tummy. She showed Avery how to feel the head versus the butt. There were even different beats for the heart, placenta and cord. This was all so fascinating! I was learning so much about pregnancy & birth and wondered would you ever get this kind of attention and information from an OB?

One of the great things about my job as an aerobics instructor is I get to wear "stretchy" clothes and sneakers - probably the most comfortable clothes for a pregnant woman. Yoga pants, bike shorts and big tee-shirts! I really did not have to buy alot of clothes; a pair of jeans, shorts, a swim suit and some larger tees. I borrowed some clothes from friends, which worked out well. I did not want to spend alot of money on something I would be out of in a few months.

Another thing we indulged in was pregnancy photos with a professional photographer (many of which are on this blog). Julia did an awesome job! I highly recommend every pregnant woman to get these photos done. It is such a beautiful time in a couple's life to capture on film. I will always remember exactly how I felt when I look at these photos.

Then, around 32 weeks (about 6 weeks from our due-date) our midwife felt the baby's head back up. It had been head-down for quite some time now...when did it flip???

Food for toddlers

As Nolan gets more and more teeth (and wants to eat our food!), I have to become a little more creative in what I give him. I always follow the protocol "natural, healthy and mostly raw" when it comes to selecting his food. He likes to feed himself and although he only has about 7 teeth - all in the front - he does pretty good with gumming in the back. He will eat a whole apple, pear or peach all by himself. He just holds it and chomps away at it! When I open the refrigerator door, he comes running! Peas, blueberries, raspberries and peeled grapes are great for toddlers. They feel a sense of independence that they can pick up the food and actually feed themselves. Other veggies to try are asparagus stalks, zucchini and squash cubes, broccoli tops and bell pepper slivers. I also just a made a great dessert - quinoa pudding instead of rice pudding. Just boil in a pot with almond or coconut milk, adding cinnamon as needed. Really good and no need for sugar!

Starting solid foods...how

I have already mentioned the “when” and “what” on baby food, so here is the “how”. When you first start feeding baby, it will be an experiment on what they like, how often they like to eat and if there are any allergies. Once you know that they like the food and there are no problems, you can start making the food in bulk. I started out with apples, peaches, pears, carrots, sweet potatoes, and green beans. You can combine the foods or make them separate. I suggest investing in a high-quality blender. We have a BlendTec - and love it!! - and the Vitamix is just as good. These commercial-grade blenders will last a lifetime and are perfect for making baby food, smoothies, sorbet, almond butter, marinades, salsas, etc. You can literally use them for everything! Although they are expensive, I feel that the benefits outweigh the cost and you will be saving a fortune on making your own food.


As an example, I will start with apples. With the commercial blenders, you can put the whole apple in there – skin, seeds and all. Most of the nutrients are contained in the seeds, and this blender will pulverize them, so baby is getting the most out of the apple. You can add water to change the consistency. (NOTE: If you decide to use a food processor or regular blender, remember to read the instruction and remove seeds, pits, stems if necessary. These machines do not always break down the hard parts like the commercial blenders do. You might also need to add more water or steam food for a bit to get the consistency you desire since they do not blend as smoothly.)

Now depending on how much apple you make will depend on how you decide to store it. If you did not make that much you can keep it in the refrigerator, and it will last for a few days. Or you can put it in little jars and freeze it, pulling it out as you need and letting them defrost in the refrig. (This takes about a day to defrost). Or, what I do most the time is use a silicone mini-muffin trey as an icecube trey, pour the apple “smoothie” into the trey and freeze it. Then I have little “ice-cubes” that I store in jars in the freezer and pull out and defrost individual ice-cubes as needed. I have a jar for apple, one for pear, one for carrot, etc. Then I have a variety of food that will last a week or so and just remake as needed.

Another option for babies to get a great variety of food in one meal is to make smoothes. Just make sure that the baby is not allergic or sensitive to any ingredients. Add to your blender a handful of greens (spinach, kale, etc.), some fruit like bananas, apples, pears, pineapple, etc., water, almond milk or coconut milk for consistency and blend. Pour in a cup to drink for now and freeze some for later.

I know some parents are concerned about time. The jarred baby food seems so convenient. This way is also very convenient, but you do have to plan ahead. I usually make my food on the weekends. I start with a few individual pureed fruits and veggies and then make some mixed ones. Then I pour them into the icecube treys or small jars and freeze them. In a few hours, the icecubes are frozen, so I pop them out, and put them in their own containers. I make the quinoa ahead of time and keep it in a container in the refrigerator. It lasts about 3-4 days. You can also make hard-boiled eggs ahead of time and boiled chicken (after its cooked, puree in blender or food processor, adding water as needed). They will last in the refrig for about 5 days. Now we are ready for any meal, any time!! Just add your blended fruits and veggies to chicken, quinoa, eggs, potatoes, bananas, etc. and you have a quick and easy meal.

Remember…when you are heating up food, never microwave in a plastic container! When the plastic is heated, it begins to break down and release poisonous gasses into the food. Microwaving is not good to do anyways, but if you have to, please do it with glass containers only!

Recipes: Apple and pear go great together. Banana added to spinach and kale makes it sweeter. Some veggies can be bitter when raw, like carrots, so I add apples in. If they are not allergic to strawberries, a berry-blend smoothie is a great breakfast. Squash, zucchini and green beans. Beets, apples and carrots. However, I do steam white and sweet potatoes and then blend. Adding water, almond milk or coconut milk to any bowl can change the consistency. Sprinkling cinnamon, pepper, curry powder and other spices will start to introduce baby to different flavors. Fresh basil, cilantro and mint are great too. As baby gets older, they can eat chunkier food and will probably start to eat right off your plate! Just take your cues from baby – if they don’t like something, don’t force it - try again another day.

Raw is the best way for baby (and EVERYONE for that matter) to eat and get the most nutrients out of their food. In commercial baby food, the fruits and veggies are cooked for so long that they are depleted of their vital nutrients. Then they are diluted with water, and preservatives are added. Not a very nutritious meal for a growing baby. Eating fresh, raw fruits and veggies keeps us all healthier – therefore, less sick days, and less cost on medications and doctor visits…

As a side note, if you ever have tried commercial jarred baby food, it is disgusting! I feel so bad for babies that eat it! I tried a chicken and sweet potato one once and almost threw-up! Home-made baby food tastes great – just like we adults eat, but blended up. I try Nolan’s food all the time, so I know it is yummy!

    

The Petit Appetit Cookbook: Easy, Organic Recipes to Nurture Your Baby and Toddler

Natural Baby Food Cookbook 

My Birth Story - Part 2

So, here I was at approx. 8 weeks pregnant. We had been trying for a few months, but figured it would happen when it was meant to be. I was nauseous on and off for a few days when I decided to take a home-pregnancy test - it was positive! Avery and I were ecstatic! We spent the next few days alone to celebrate and let it all sink in. At the clinic, after seeing the first ultrasound with the heart beat, it became even more a reality. We were about to embark on the journey of a life-time...and looking back at all now, we had NO IDEA what we were in for!                       approx. 20 weeks

At this point in my pregnancy, I was feeling fine and continued to teach my classes. A little ginger and some herbs in the morning kept my stomach calm. The exercise and fresh air outside actually helped the nausea. A few weeks later, the morning sickness stopped as suddenly as it had come on. I felt a surge of renewed energy within.

I had settled on a midwife at a birthing center, Heart2Heart. www.heart2heartbirthcenter.com. My midwife, Michelle, had been in practice for several years and was extremely reputable and               professional. Her "safety first" philosophy was important to me, so I compromised a home-birth for the Heart2Heart Birth Center. Michelle could not travel to me (we were about 45 minutes away), but the local midwife's philosophy did not sit well with us. I felt at ease with Michelle immediately. I liked that she allowed me to be in charge of my body and my pregnancy. She taught me how to weigh myself and check my urine sample and I was responsible for those tasks at our appointments. Our thoughts on pregnancy and childbirth were aligned, and I loved learning from her and hearing her thoughts. The birth center was an old Victorian house and I was excited to see that they had comfortable furniture and a large birthing tub. They had a special way of making you feel like you were at home.

Advise to mothers - before meeting with a midwife or OB, it is a good idea to know what you want and what you don't want for your birth. This could be a deciding factor. You don't have to have your whole birth plan finalized, but a few general things will help you determined the best place for you. For me, I wanted the freedom to move around as I pleased and birthed the way I felt most comfortable. I wanted "quiet guidance" - meaning I wanted the midwife to gently and quietly guide me through the birth if it seemed I needed it or asked for it. No shouting out to "push now" or "move over here". I wanted to be at home, and the birth center was a "home away from home".

Now, some women are scared of this because they do not know what to do. That is the problem with today's society. Young girls do not see births or breastfeeding openly as they did in the past, so they do not know what to expect when the time comes for them. In other cultures, all the women in a family would gather together to help a laboring woman birth her child. The older women would give advise and guidance and the young girls would assist and learn.  My advise - watch as many birthing videos as you can. And no - most women are not screaming their heads off like they show on TV!!

The other deciding factor for me to choose a home birth/birth center, over a hospital was the interference of nurses. A mother needs her space and freedom to do as she pleases, whether that is laboring or taking care of her newly-born baby. The last thing I wanted was for me or my baby to be poked and prodded.  I did not want my baby to be taken away from me  - not even for a minute! I am all it needs, to hold it close and breastfeed it. It can be cleaned off later; it can be measured and weighed later. That all seems to challenge the nurse's schedule in the hospital. Again, that is why a home birth/birth center appealed to me. I did not have to adhere to anyone's schedule but my own. And, I wanted to be the one to clean him off first and weight him. This was my baby, not theirs!

We women have been birthing for a very, very long time. Somewhere in the last century, we have forgotten how to trust our instincts. Our bodies know how to birth a baby! It is in us! Too many times, horror stories and statistics get in the way and cloud our minds. Yes, sometimes emergencies do happen, and if they do, thank God we have emergency care. We should always be prepared for it.

Approximately 90% of pregnancies are normal and healthy. If a woman takes care of her body during pregnancy, and is well-informed and prepared...then why not want to birth your baby the way nature intended it?

The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth (Sears Parenting Library)
Your Best Birth: Know All Your Options, Discover the Natural Choices, and Take Back the Birth Experience
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation
Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care

My Birth Story - Part 1

My son, Nolan, just turned one - and it seems like finally the appropriate time to start the "Birth Story" part of my blog. I have so much to share on this subject, so it will be divided up into several parts.

 Pre-Pregnancy: Avery and I started talking about having a baby right after our honeymoon. Some would say that we rushed into having a baby, but remember, we have been together for over 10 years, had bought a house and were living together for about 2 years. We were ready! After our Hawaiian Honeymoon in June 2008, we started trying. From this time on, I focused all of my free time into studying about pregnancy and childbirth. My sister, Sarah, is a Nurse Practitioner and had landed a job with my hero, Dr. Denise Punger. Sarah gave me Dr. Punger's book, Permission to Mother: Going Beyond the Standard-of-Care to Nurture Our Children. I read it and it totally open my eyes. I had never understood the benefits to mother and baby of a natural childbirth, nor did I consider the negative effects of a hospital birth. At school, Avery was learning about the same thing. Through his pediatric professor, we we exposed to the harsh reality of hospital births and the the "business" of it all. Two other eye-opening movies are: The Business of Being Born and Pregnant in America. I highly recommend every parent watch these movies before deciding where to give birth. It did not take me long to realize that I wanted a natural childbirth at home with a midwife. I wanted to be in charge of my birth and let my child be born when and how they wanted - the way Nature intended it! I continued to read everything on the subject and talk with mothers who had gone through the same experience.

On October 20, 2008, I found out I was about 8 weeks pregnant!

Thank you to my friends...

As all of you know, I love to share my experiences. I feel that the more information you have, the better decisions you can make for you and your family. I have told some friends that I am looking into becoming a lactation consultant...(hopefully IBCLC will let me with my little medical background!) I would like to thank two friends, Deanna and Stacy, who recently called me with breastfeeding questions. My heart jumped with excitement when I got their calls...here was my chance to give back, to help a "mama in need"! They knew that I had been successful at breastfeeding my son, and had nursed him several times in front of them.

My first call was from Deanna. I packed a bag of helpful books (with pages already tagged), herbs and IBCLC/LLL phone numbers as I headed over. The ideas and tips that I wanted to offer her were swirling around in my head, but I had to keep reminding myself to listen first, and then make suggestions. We spent some time talking, and I left her with Dr. Jack Newman's "The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers". The thank you note from her will always be treasured as she thanked me for my advise and said that she will be giving that book to every pregnant friend she knows!

Stacy called one night with questions about latching on. She had already borrowed most of my books and we had been discussing pregnancy, birthing and nursing from before she was pregnant! I talked with her for awhile on the phone and then visited a few days later. She nursed her baby in front of me and I thought they were both doing great. We talked about different feeding positions and tips.

Thank you ladies for the opportunity to share my experiences.

Breastfeeding as Medicine

I dedicate this post to one of my heroes - Dr. Denise Punger. I have read her book "Permission to Mother" probably about 20 or so times! I highly recommend ALL mothers (with children of all ages) and mothers-to-be to read her book. Her Family Practice focuses on "Breastfeeding Medicine" and our family has benefited from her knowledge. Nolan latched on minutes after he was born and we were fortunate not to have any breastfeeding problems. He is almost a year now and is still attached! Not only is it the perfect food for babies, but it can help with a variety of aliments. Many breastfeeding mothers are told to leave some expressed milk on their nipples to help with cracking. Why? Because there are healing properties in breast milk and you can use it the same way for almost any "boo-boo" on you or baby. Here are a few examples of how we have used breastfeeding as medicine:

1. Whenever Nolan has a runny nose, or the pollen is really bad, I will wipe a Q-Tip soaked with breast milk inside his nose to keep allergies at bay.

2. I have used breast milk on a diaper rash.

3. Nolan was born with a skin tag on his chest that we had removed when he was around 3 months old. He drank breast milk during the procedure to keep him calm and comfortable - and distracted! Later that day, we applied expressed milk to the area to help it heal faster.

4. When Nolan was about 8 months old, he surpassed our expectations one night by climbing up on the bottom ledge of an end table, grabbed a cup of hot tea and spilled it all over himself. I quickly scooped him up and jumped in the bathtub with him, clothes and all. I immediately lifted my shirt and tried to breastfeed him while running cool - not cold - water over his body. Although he was screaming at first, he started to suckle between screams and eventually calmed down a bit. I was then able to remove his clothes. Fortunately, I remembered that I had a bottle of expressed breast milk in the refrigerator. Avery got it and I gently poured the milk over the burned areas. At this point he had stopped crying and was just red, no blistering or peeling skin. We called the pediatrician, and he suggested we go the hospital just in case. By the time the ER doctor saw us, Nolan's skin was not even red anymore. I had continued to breastfeed him throughout the ER visit to keep him calm and comfortable.

5. Our most recent ER visit was due to a "croupy" cough that came on suddenly after a few days away from home. Nolan was in good spirits when he went to bed, but about one hour later woke up with a bad cough that sounded as if he could not catch his breath. I breastfed him and he fell asleep. But about an hour later he woke up again, crying and coughing. We decided not to take any chances and headed over to the ER. They x-rayed his chest and determined that his trachea was narrowed due to inflammation and that was why he had a hard time breathing. They gave him some medicine to reduce the inflammation and open up the airway. In the meantime, Avery gave him a gentle chiropractic adjustment and I continued to breastfeed him. In less then an hour, Nolan was back to his happy, normal self.  The doctors said that this was probably brought on by a virus, which he could have picked up anywhere. They were actually surprised that he did not have any other symptoms or fever. Avery and I were not surprised - Nolan is rarely sick, and when he does not feel good, it is short-lived. The cough scared both of us enough to go to the ER, but other than that, he was perfectly fine. I feel that his good health is due to being exclusively breastfed and now on a very healthy diet, and getting regular chiropractic adjustments to keep his nervous system in check.

Mothers, be aware of "authority figures" that might prevent you from breastfeeding your child. In the ER, the nurses - of all people! - did not want me to breastfeed him in front of them. I tried explaining to them that it is the only way to calm him down; he does not have a pacifier or bottle. Good luck trying to listen to a screaming baby's lungs! And, our pediatrician is not against breastfeeding - but he sure doesn't encourage it either! Just remember, mother knows best for her baby. And breastfeeding your child IS medicine!