Category Archives: Prevention

Happy Mother’s Day

Before I was a Mom
Author: Unknown

Before I was a Mom –
I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.
Before I was a Mom –
I cleaned my house each day. I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom –
I had never been puked on – Pooped on – Spit on – Chewed on, or Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and My thoughts. I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom –
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests…or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom –
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn’t want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn’t stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life
so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom –
I didn’t know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn’t know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn’t know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn’t know that something so small could make me feel so important.
Before I was a Mom –
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known The warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn’t know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Especially to my Mom and my Mother-in-law who are the two best moms any girl or boy could EVER imagine.

Prevention

Vitamin d3

Holly 3 Comments

I took my two year old to my most recent prenatal doctor visit. He was very interested to watch her weigh me, take my blood pressure, and listen to the baby’s heartbeat.

Since we aren’t finding out the sex of our baby until he or she is born, my doctor asked my son if he knew if he was having a brother or a sister. “A sister. It’s a girl and her name is Goldilocks.” He very positively responded.

She turned to me and said, “well, he might know!” and recounted a story about a patient of hers. She was very pregnant and playing with her three year old daughter when the daughter suddenly turned to her and said, “Mommy, the baby is all done growing.” She immediately went into labor and had the baby later that evening.

Another very cool thing my doctor told us that day was that we should get some sun! This is the very reason I go to a holistic ob/gyn…a doctor telling me to catch some rays! I love it.

Of course the reason behind her recommendation is for the vitamin d3 that we all need more of, since so many people avoid the sun and slather on sunscreen.

Vitamin d3 is not actually a vitamin but a hormone that our bodies manufacture when sunlight touches our skin. It is now known to protect us from cancer, reduce inflammation, protect the body from microbial invaders, regulate proper mineral balance in the bloodstream, etc. etc. etc.

It is especially important during pregnancy for the formation of healthy bones and teeth, and for the immune system, and also because breastmilk is naturally low in vitamin d. So the baby stores up what it can from the mother during the last months of pregnancy and depends on this store (and sun exposure) until solid foods are introduced.

Well, I had to take my doctor’s advice. I’ve spent 4 of the last 5 afternoons lounging by the pool with my son!

Nutrition, Prevention, Products, Recommendations

Raspberry Leaf Tea

Holly 3 Comments

Red Raspberry Leaf is present in almost every pregnancy tea out there, and every midwife and natural remedy book I have consulted has recommended it for each stage of pregnancy.

In the first trimester is is said to reduce morning sickness. Drinking it in the second and third trimesters will relieve constipation and heartburn. It is also full of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C and calcium and enriches breastmilk for your newborn.

The main reason I drink it is because it tones the uterus, improves contractions and strengthens the pelvic and uterine muscles and is thought to shorten the second (aka harder) stage of labor. I’m a believer because I drank red raspberry leaf tea every day during the last trimester of my last pregnancy, and my baby was born three hours after I got to the hospital after a very quick transition and only 15 minutes of pushing.

I know there are many factors that contribute to all the aspects of labor and delivery, but I will do anything I can to make it as safe and quick as possible. I recently came across an entry in the Rodale’s Encyclopedia of Natural Home Remedies: Hundreds of Simple Healing Techniques for Everyday Illness and Emergencies that really intrigued me.

“My mother was born and raised in Scotland, coming to America at the age of 26. Whenever a member of her family became ill or had a health problem, her mother had consulted an herbalist or herb doctor. As a result of this, I was treated with herbs as a child.
“Mother had always told me that red raspberry leaf tea would prevent miscarriage and was excellent for pregnancy and childbirth. When I became pregnant, I immediately sent for some raspberry leaf tea and began taking one cup of it each day, made from one teaspoon of dried leaves added to one cup of boiling water and steeped for 15 minutes. I had a very normal pregnancy. Then I went into labor, I truly expected to have an easy labor and delivery because I had faithfully taken the tea. While it is true that I did not have a complicated or extremely difficult time, it was not by any means easy. The tea had not lived up to my expectations.

“It was not until sometimes after the birth of my daughter that I read a book my mother had brought with her from Scotland entitled Dragged to Light by W.H. Box of Plymouth, England. In it I found the secret of just how to take the tea so it would truly work wonders during labor and delivery. Box said, ‘On one ounce of raspberry leaves pour one pint of boiling water, cover and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain, and when the time for delivery is approaching drink the whole as hot as possible.’

“There were a number of testimonials in the book written by women who had used this herb. Several took the strong solution over a period of time before going into labor. They were instructed in that case to take a wine glass full three times a day. They had ‘only two stiff pains and it was all over’ or ‘no after pains and very slight before.’ They never made it out of the house. Box’s instructions were, ‘But those who take the tea considerably before the time should not leave the house when the time is approaching as many mothers are delivered almost suddenly when at their work, to the great vexation of doctors and nurses.’

“When I became pregnant again I was determined to try it that way. I still took a cup a day as I had before. but this time when I went into labor I made a strong solution of it as I had read in the book. I put it in a container and took it to the hospital with me. I wasn’t sure how quickly it would work and I didn’t want to have the baby in the car. I didn’t think they’d allow me to drink it in the hospital so I drank half of it in the parking lot. I was afraid to drink all of it as it was so strong and I didn’t personally know anyone who had taken it this strong before. I had been having strong contractions but by the time I registered and was taken up to the labor room the contractions were so mild I hardly felt them. Upon examination they said I was ready to deliver and would not even give me an enema. In the delivery room I was quite comfortable and hardly felt anything. One hour after entering the hospital my son was born.”

Sounds good to me! I definitely plan to do this when I feel labor progressing. I will let you know how it worked!

Here’s a tea I love: Organic Third Trimester Tea (16 tea bags / box)

If this has worked for any of you, please leave a comment and tell me about it!

Prevention

The Power of Positive Thinking (to help me fall asleep!)

Holly 1 Comment

Last night I had a horrible dream- I won’t recount the details, but I think it had something to do with this article I just read in Parents magazine about Parents Who Change the World.

While I know it’s important to be aware of the multitude of dangers that lurk around every corner while we are raising our children, I really don’t think it should affect me to the point of waking me up in the middle of the night. After all, who of us, by worrying, can add a single hour to our lives?

After I woke and was completely relieved to find my sweet son sleeping soundly, I had the hardest time falling back to sleep because the dream rattled me so much. In that moment I decided to change my thought pattern and began reflecting on anything positive I could.

I found myself thinking about all of the things I have learned since my baby turned into a toddler…random things that no one could have predicted, but all things that bring little joys throughout my day. Here are some of my favorites:

How fast my reflexes are! I’ve saved many a carpet from spilled drinks and food, stopped flying objects from hitting me in the face, and rerouted heads that were on a crash course with a table corner.

How much I love spotting construction vehicles on the street. Whether it’s a cement truck, excavator, bulldozer, grader, forklift, crane or bobcat-all words I didn’t even know a couple of years ago- I love them. after all, we love what who we love loves (say that three times fast) and my son LOVES him some road work!

Bugs and their little worlds are really fascinating and I can spend hours with my son studying their comings and goings.

Bees really aren’t that scary

How fun public transportation is

That I really need to learn everything about everything because “Why Mommy?” Is his favorite question, and I hear it about 400 times per day.

Taking my mind off of the things I can’t control and reflecting on things that make me happy was exactly what I needed to sleep like a baby.

What are some of your favorite things you’ve learned since becoming a mother?

Babies, Nutrition, Prevention

Strawberries Help Fight Cancer

Holly Leave a comment

We all know how important it is to feed our children and ourselves fresh fruits and vegetables on a regular basis. We also know how hard that can be in our fast paced lives and with our sometimes picky children.

There are many baby and toddler food companies who sell freeze dried strawberries, bananas, and apples, and there are always lots of options for freeze dried veggies in the local natural food store. This seems much more convenient, however I was under the impression that once the “fresh” component of the food was removed, so were the vital nutrients.

When I’ve looked at the nutrition labels of some of these toddler snacks, almost every vitamin and mineral with the exception of Vitamin C has a 0% next to it.

But I just read an article in the Wall Street Journal showing the potential strawberries have to cure cancer, and they used freeze-dried strawberries in the study. In fact, the doctor who conducted the research said, “the freeze-dried substance [that fights cancer] is about 10 times as concentrated as fresh strawberries.”

How exciting! Now I can feed freeze-dried fruits and veggies to my son when I’m in need of a quick snack and don’t have anything fresh on hand, and I can feel really good about it.

Since he’s too young to eat popcorn (due to the choking risk) I recently bought him this dried corn from The Savory Spice Shop in Austin, TX, and he loved it!