Sunshine, Natural Immunity & Real Food

You may have noticed that the baby widget is gone, because my little baby is now out in the big wide world & he’s already passed the one month mark - time flies.
So, it’s been a little while since I’ve written anything on here.

It took me a week after Daniel was born before I even opened up my computer to check my emails - I just had no desire to know what was happening in my cyber world - very strange considering before Daniel, checking my email was close to the first thing I did every morning.

Over the last month I’ve learnt how to type short emails with one hand while I’m feeding my baby - as for longer emails or writing on my blog, that’s been a little out of my reach. Even now, Warren is asleep on the couch with baby Daniel & it was a toss up for me between going to bed myself, or finally getting back in to writing. Over the last month I’ve been successful only on about 3 occasions to actually get a little solitary sleep time - usually as soon as I lie down, Daniel would wake up ready for his next feed.
I’m learning flexibility although it is a little frustrating when I do try to follow the common advice of sleeping when the baby sleeps. I tried it 3 times today - I’d feed him, he’d fall asleep in my arms, I’d gently lie down on the sofa with him in the crook of my arm (I have a big sofa) & five minutes later he is fussing and awake - as I said, I’m learning flexibility. I wish I could have some way of knowing which of his sleeps are going to be long (2-4 hours) and which ones will be short (don’t even bother trying to lie down and sleep as well).

Now that I’m back into the writing, I think this blog is going to change direction a little, now that my gorgeous little boy is my main focus. I think the title “Sunshine, Natural Immunity and Real Food” will still fit, but it will be in the context of mums and babies and their health - something I’ve been passionate about, but didn’t quite feel like it was time for me to speak too much about it. Well that has changed now & I’ll be sharing my opinions a little more strongly from here on.

Helena

Read the rest of Life changes when a baby arrives

Here’s an interesting snippet for you from my latest “Babycenter” email (it tells me how many weeks pregnant I am - like I really need a reminder )

Medical intervention to induce labor is on the rise. Over 20 percent of U.S. births are induced - more than double the level in 1989.

So what is happening here - why are more women holding back (almost as if trying to avoid the birth)?

Perhaps the orthodox medical system perpetuates this fear in women by insisting that pregnancy is a “medical condition” rather than a natural, life-promoting process. Or the excessive focus on pharmaceutical pain relief - giving women the impression that the pain of the birth process is beyond their capabilities.

Rhea Dempsey, a highly sought after birth attendant and educator says that statistically, women in labour who are supported by an experienced birth attendant have shorter labours, use less pain-relief medication and have fewer forceps, vacuum or caesarean deliveries.

On the home page of her website, Rhea has the following passage:

Pregnancy and birth involve profound changes. Your body alters. Relationships develop in unexpected ways. Your attitude to the world around you undergoes a deep shift. Confusing and ambivalent feelings can surface, filling you with joyous expectations but also confronting you with fears about life and death, and your ability to face the challenges of birthing and mothering.

In many cultures and across time the challenging journey of pregnancy and birth was celebrated and honoured as a transformational process, a ‘rite of passage’. Women were supported in this journey and enabled to find the inner resources they would need to become powerful mothers. Often in our current ‘labour-bypass’ era, a woman’s need to consciously experience this transformational process is not fully recognised or adequately supported. Birthing Wisdom offers support to women who wish to honour this inner process.

By exploring the emotional and psychological aspects of the birthing journey as well as developing physical resources, Birthing Wisdom allows space to create a meaningful birth experience for you, and a safe and loving welcome for your baby.

So again, as with all health issues, it pays to be informed and to have support in your informed decisions.

And be brave enough to step outside the boundaries of current orthodox or mainstream thinking.

Helena

Read the rest of Statistics on induced labour

I’m definitely at the business end of my pregnancy now - 35 weeks this week - officially only 5 weeks to go.

Today we had the Birth Planning meeting with our midwives - something I don’t recall having with my first pregnancy with an obstetrician - but then everything is different with this pregnancy than it was with the first.

I’m not quite sure what to expect this time. The first time round I had all drugs available - pethidine injection, gas and an epidural (or spinal) because I was given the artificial oxytocin to bring on the contractions - I don’t recall being told that the contractions would come on so quickly (and so painfully) when given the drip.

My intention for this labour is no drip, no drugs at all - plenty of women have done it this way and have come out the other side stronger and more self assured, and, this allows for greater bonding between mother and baby (when there is no drug haze) - something I really want.

It’s a shame that it has become so commonplace now to have so many interventions during a natural process (labour and birth) that in the majority of circumstances are unnecessary.

At this stage, all I do feel is that this birth, the way I’m choosing to do it, will be a major turning point for the better in my life and will provide an amazing start for my baby.

Helena

Read the rest of Planning for birth

Over the last month or so, I’ve been researching the benefits of unpasteurised, organic Apple Cider Vinegar. It seems to be the only thing I can take to improve my digestion while I’m pregnant and it works a treat - decreases bloating and heartburn, which makes life a whole lot more comfortable for me, considering the baby is getting bigger & my insides are being pushed aside to make room

Given the amazing properties of apple cider vinegar, it’s not surprising that even the humble apple itself is so fantastic, as I discovered in this article from the website Natural News - “Apple peels contain twelve anti-cancer compounds called “triterpenoids”“. Click on the link to read the full article.

And just to let you now - new season apples are now coming into your local organic grocers. At the supermarket, you may only get old season apples that have been sitting in cold storage for months on end.

Why choose organic? As you’ll read at the end of the article, apples rank only second to peaches in terms of highest concentration of pesticides in non-organically grown produce; even washing doesn’t completely remove this residue. So reduce the toxic burden on your body & choose organic.

Helena

Read the rest of An apple a day……..

Thanks to my very clever husband Warren (my in-house tech support), I now have a little “Baby” widget in my sidebar showing the baby’s progress. So now even our baby has a spot in cyberspace & it’s not even born yet.

(As would be expected, Warren has a blog too - you can visit it here and if you need help with your website, then visit our Web Design page.)

Helena

Read the rest of The Baby has a widget thanks to it’s Dad