Healthy Pregnancy

The relaxation response is a key element on the fertility journey. Circle and Bloom has created a series of mind body programs with the intention of helping women to gain control of their health, by reducing cortisol levels and balancing the internal system. Their first programs help women to enhance their fertility through the effects of meditative relaxation and they plan to continue with more general topics like the energy for empowerment series.

As I write this blog, I have just completed my second session of Circle + Bloom’s Energy for Empowerment guided visualization. Calm and more centered, I am convinced that guided meditations are not only a wonderful way to start the day but a key to creating a healthy mind body connection in everyday life.

Research shows that our bodies cannot tell the difference between what we are visualizing and what we are actually experiencing. The implications of these findings are incredible, implying that we can actually retrain our bodies to the perfect state of health by working with mind body meditations that deliver positive messages and relaxation.

If you are looking to enhance fertility consider the following Circle + Bloom meditations:

Natural Cycle: 28 days of guided meditations that lead you through each day and happening of a fertile month.

IVF and IUI: helps to prepare your body for a medicated cycle

While there is some different thoughts about starting babies on solid foods ranging from beginning at four months to waiting until one year, the average age seems to be six months. When my baby reached six months I gathered some of the best books I could find including: Super Baby Food, Into the Mouth of Babes, The Baby and Toddler Cookbook. And of course I am lucky to have a pediatrician who is most interested in nutrition so I love to talk with him about how to make the most of solid foods for babies.

A couple hints I came across that my little one was ready to eat included: being able to sit with support and lean forward for more or back off when he was finished, he no longer exhibited the reflux response when being introduced to a spoon, he was bringing things directly to his mouth (in fact everything was going towards his mouth), he was showing great interest in what we were eating (with an especial fondness to green vegetables which made me especially happy!). Some also recommend that the baby be at least 4 months, twice their birth weight and at least 13-15 pounds.

The first foods were somewhat of a debate. I wanted to do avocado. My mom suggested that I should choose something sweet like sweet potato or banana that the baby would actually like. And the nurse said rice cereal to help him sleep. Armed with my baby cook and determined to encourage his love of green foods I settled on avocado. Introducing each one of the other suggestions every 3 days to ensure no allergic reactions.

We developed a ritual that works for us inspired by one of my favorite books: The Family Dinner. I bring little guy down and put him in his playpen while I make his breakfast. Then we go out to the porch, I put him in his high chair, light a candle and bless his food. Then we proceed to enjoy the meal. One thing I didn’t realize early on is that it’s important to Never force feed a baby. Not that I was shoving food into his mouth but it was more a case of he’d be laughing and I would sneak that extra bite of avocado into his mouth. Not any more. When he is done he lets me know by closing his mouth and turning away. If food lingers in his mouth for too long I realize that the meal is stressful for him and do my best to reduce any unnecessary stimulation.

Even though I love to eat salad, I’m always feeling like I could use more greens in my diet. Greens are, in fact, way easier for us digest when we chew extremely well (which Paul Pitchford told me is at least 30 chews per bite) or in my new favorite form: the green smoothie. My doctor was kind enough to share the work of a local Ashland Oregon author Victoria Boutenko who wrote Green Smoothie Revolution. This book has really changed the way I eat. Victoria herself is mostly a raw foodist, which is something I am not. I believe that lightly cooked foods can be a lot easier to digest and it’s generally what I recommend to my fertility clients. That said, the Green Smoothie Revolution has bridged the two worlds of raw and cooked foods for me. By using a powerful vitamix or comparable blender, the green are liquefied making them highly digestible and I would argue absolutely delicious.

Beyond being a fabulous source of chlorophyll, a lot of the research in the green smoothie revolution is based on the fact that human beings are most compartable to chimapnazees. In fact we share about 99% in dna structure. While we do a lot of testing on these animals about various human conditions, not enough consideration has been given to their diet and what makes them healthy. What Victoria concluded is that it is there above average intake of greens. Also the way they break down the cellular wall structure to access the nutrients present in the cellular walls. With this level of nutrition, hydrochloric acid is increased in the gut which contributes to many healthy benefits including: improved digestion, increase in dietary fiber, increase in chlorophyll rich blood building properties, decrease in inflammation, gentle detoxification and more energy. I would highly recommend reading Victoria’s book to hear about all the incredible benefits derived from drinking one quart of green smoothie per day.

Every day I fill the blender with variations of the following ingredients:

2 cups filtered water
a bunch of kale
a bunch of spinach
½ a peach
½ a banana
a handful of blueberries

Kathryn Flynn is the author of Cooking for Fertility: Foods to Nourish Your Fertile Soul. Kathryn supports men and women worldwide in achieving a healthy pregnancy through nutrition and lifestyle changes in her individual fertility nutrition consultations. For additional information, please feel free to email Kathryn.

On my birthday I wondered what my mother was thinking before she went into labor?

Had she taken any childbirth classes? (No.)
Was she informed on what was going to happen with her body? (No.)
Was she scared? (Yes!)
Was my Dad going to be with her during labor and birth? (No.)
Was she allowed to make her wishes known to her OB? (No.)
Was she put under for the birth? (Yes.)
Did she have help at home after the birth? (Yes, her mom.)
Was she planning to breastfeed? (Yes.)

These questions are as common as mosquitos in the woods. They were common when I was born and still are today. The answers above were the norm in my mom’s day. How lucky we are that today’s answers are different .
Today we have professional people such as doctors, midwives, hospital staff, and doulas who will listen to the needs and wants of the birthing moms. There are options!

There are options for inducing labor, options for pain relief, options for pushing, options for feeding your baby, whether it’s breastfeeding or bottle, placenta encapsulation or not, immunization options and the list goes on & on.

Comparing the answers to my moms birthing experience and todays birthing moms I want to think that today all of the “no” answers would be “yes.”

These are things that I see or read every day: From my clients, from professionals and websites focusing on newborn issues. Each one of these statements could be an entire post. As time goes on, I hope to link each myth with a thorough explanation as to why it’s a myth. But for now, read these and remember they are MYTHS!

Breastfeeding is painful for the first few weeks.

Engorgement is normal and is a sign that everything is going well.

There is not enough milk during the first few days after the birth, so most babies need some formula until the milk “comes in.”

Many women do not produce enough milk.

A baby should be on the breast for a certain amount of time.

A mother should wash her nipples with soap before feeding the baby.

Pumping is a good way of knowing how much milk you have.

If a mother is planning to breastfeed, she should buy a pump.

Infant formulas are almost the same as breast milk.

Doctors know a lot about breastfeeding.

Some babies are lactose intolerant.

Nipples need to “toughen up” in order to breastfeed.

If you give a baby a bottle, he will not like the breast any more.

If you breastfeed you will sleep less than if you bottle feed.

You can’t eat your favorite foods if you breastfeed.

Breastfeeding makes your breasts sag.

If you breastfeed, everyone can see your breasts.

After 6 months, breast milk provides no more benefit to the baby.

If you have twins or more, you will definitely need to use formula.

Your baby will sleep longer at night if you give her a bottle of formula.

If your baby doesn’t breastfeed in the first week, he probably never will.

If you have flat nipples, your baby won’t be able to breastfeed.

Have you encountered any myths about breastfeeding? Have you heard some things that just don’t sound right? Please, post them here in the comments box. I would love to hear from you!

Written by Renee Beebe, M.Ed., IBCLC. Renee is a lactation consultant in private practice in Seattle, Washington. She is available for home/hospital visits and phone consultations. Renee can be reached at www.second9months.com

You already know that alcohol consumption during pregnancy can harm the developing fetus. Even moderate drinking can cause devastating brain damage. But what about breastfeeding? Does that glass of wine you enjoyed with dinner pass into your breast milk?

The short answer is, “yes.” The alcohol you consume enters your bloodstream almost immediately and, therefore, is in your milk rather quickly. Even though the alcohol does transfer to your milk, the amount of alcohol your baby experiences is much less than the amount you drink. Unlike the placenta, the breast provides some protection from most toxins in your bloodstream. According to Dr. Thomas Hale, the dose of alcohol in milk is less than 16% of the mother’s milk.

The amount of alcohol in your milk will peak 30 to 60 minutes after you enjoy your drink. After that time, the alcohol level decreases rapidly as long as you don’t have another drink. Alcohol is not stored in your milk. It quickly dissipates as your blood-alcohol level decreases.

There is no need to “pump and dump” if you enjoy an alcoholic beverage. But it is a good idea to time your drink for just after a breastfeeding session. That way most of the alcohol will be out of your bloodstream by the time your baby wants to eat again.

What about alcohol and milk supply? Many mothers are told to drink a beer so their milk will “come in” faster. Perhaps your mother advised you that beer would increase your supply. On the contrary, we now know that alcohol inhibits oxytocin release. Since oxytocin is responsible for your milk-ejection reflex or let down, alcohol consumption actually decreases the amount of milk released from the breast during a feeding.

Drinking during breastfeeding is a personal choice—one of many decisions that you will make as a mother. The bottom line is that alcohol in moderation, keeping in mind the timing of your drink, is probably not harmful. The American Academy of Pediatrics lists alcohol as “usually compatible” with breastfeeding. Excessive drinking can, however, lead to developmental delays.

Your milk is the best thing for your baby. Planning your alcohol consumption is advised over using formula to replace milk that may contain a small amount of alcohol.

Written by Renee Beebe, M.Ed., IBCLC. Renee is a lactation consultant in private practice in Seattle, Washington. She is available for home/hospital visits and phone consultations. Renee can be reached at www.second9months.com

Both my husband and I were surprised to become a cosleeping family when our newborn arrived.  We had heard about the “family bed” concept and it’s pros and cons from more experienced friends.  It happened right from the get go when the nurse handed me my baby along with a handout about safety considerations for cosleeping.  In the “olden days” my mother in law told me they’d take the baby to the nursery to give the new mother a good nights rest.  Not in our case!  As it was, the nurses seemed to know what I would soon learn: there would not be much sleep for anyone but rather a lot of feasting and staring through the night for many nights to come.

More and more research is revealing that cosleeping, when practiced safely, has many benefits including:

Higher Self Esteem and Independance

While one might assume that cosleeping might lead to higher dependencies, studies reveal that children who share sleep with their parents are more confident, less fearful and have less tantrums.  Boys who coslept between birth and five years of age, reported “higher self-esteem [and] experienced less guilt and anxiety.”  Girls in the same age group also had higher self esteem and a 1998 study by Lewis and Janda concluded that “cosleeping appears to promote confidence, self-esteem, and intimacy, possibly by reflecting an attitude of parental acceptance.”  Dr. Sears notes that the babies in his practice seem to “thrive more”: intelectually, physically and emotionally when they share sleep with their parents, possibly due to the extra touch or increased feedings (cosleeping babies appear to breastfeed more often).

Increased Attachment for Mom, Dad and Baby

In many cultures, cosleeping is accepted as the norm and anthropological evidence suggests the custom of sleep sharing has existed through the ages.   In fact, according to a 1998 study by Young in Midwifery Digest “cosleeping is the cultural norm for approximately 90% of the world’s population.”   The closeness between the mother and the baby creates a sense of security, bolstered by skin to skin contact during the night.  In general the entire family often experiences better sleep since the babies needs are easily, limiting the disturbances from fully waking and crying out for a parent in another room.

Preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Medical anthropologist, James McKenna has conducted studies on infant cosleeping, where mother and child sleep close enough to each other to “access, respond to or exchange sensory stimuli such as sound, movement, touch, vision, gas, olfactory stimuli, CO2, and/or temperature”.  McKenna’s studies reveal that cosleeping may be protective against SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)  due to the synchronicity of mother and child sleep and arousal patterns causing a protective effect on the infant’s respiratory patterns, central nervous system, and cardiovascular systems.

Resources:

Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory

The Natural Child Project

Ask Dr. Sears: Safe Cosleeping

In this Mother’s Day season I want to congratulate all the mothers in the world. In the past few months I have realized how amazing and resilient we all are by having some incredible “aha” moments.

Whenever I come into an unusual situation or new challenge I think of my birthing moms, you are amazing!

Here’s an example. In Cabo, for my son’s wedding, I had the opportunity to go zip lining.  I did a few runs that were okay and then there was the ultimate, 1,800’ run above a canyon. There was also a “chicken run” for those who are faint of heart. I started in the chicken line, talked to another “chicken” who told me she had hurt her leg and was also scared. I mentioned that I was a doula and it made me think of how brave my clients are.

On that thought I switched lines! If my birthing mom’s can give everything they have, I could do the ultimate zip!

My other aha moment was trying to restart my lawn mower.  I was cutting the grass very nicely when it stopped. So I cleaned out the grass clippings, put the choke on and tried to start it. After five tries I paused and tried again. By this time I am sweating.  Again I thought, my birthing moms’ can do  it, so can I!

After three more times, voila it started.

During this Mother’s Day season, realize how important and how amazing you are and enjoy your “special day!”

Feel free to write me (jan@janmartinka.com) with any (non-medical)birth or postpartum questions to get a doula’s perspective. To find out about my services, please visit my website at www.janmartinka.com.

Recently, a number of nutrition clients have been reporting that they have the MTHFR gene.  MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofoloate reductase) is an enzyme/ protein that is used to activate folic acid, a crucial B vitamin for pregnancy.  In certain cases, the MTHFR gene does not activate the folic acid to it’s full capacity: heterozygous MTHFR carriers activate folate at 60-70%; homozygous carriers only activate folate at 10%.  When testing for MTHFR, doctors use a blood test to look for two genes: MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C.  It is a fact that MTHFR is quite common (present in as much as 30% of the population) and by simply adding additional methylfolate a number of medical conditions including infertility and pregnancy can be supported.  Additional folic acid in cases of MTHFR can help:

• reduce miscarriage frequency
• avoid neural tube defects
• treat depression and anxiety
• heal ADD and autism
• reduce dementia
• support uric acid metabolism and resolve gout
• facilitate detoxification
• lower homocysteine levels
• encourage DNA repair which decreases cancer risk

Folic acid consumption is particularly important in fertility and pregnancy to maintain a healthy pregnancy and prevent birth defects.  If a blood test reveals that you have MTHFR, your doctor may suggest taking a higher dose of  folic acid in a methylated form that helps bypass the enzyme.  It’s important to include the other B vitamins (B6 and B12)  in your regimen as well as eating a diet rich in folate.

Folate rich foods include:  beans and lentils, peas (black-eyed peas, chickpeas, green peas), juices (orange, tomato, grapefruit, pineapple), fruits (oranges, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, avocado, papaya, raspberries), soymilk, vegetables (green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, and Chinese cabbage; broccoli; Brussels sprouts; asparagus; artichokes; okra; corn; cauliflower; potato; beets; green onions; sweet red peppers), nuts and sunflower seeds.  If you are folic acid deficient, avoid green tea which can limit the absorption of folate.

Source:

Delgado Family Care

Stone Medical Center

Kathryn Flynn is the author of Cooking for Fertility: Foods to Nourish Your Fertile Soul. Kathryn supports men and women worldwide in achieving a healthy pregnancy through nutrition and lifestyle changes in her individual fertility nutrition consultations. For additional information, please feel free to email Kathryn.