Empowering Women Means Educating Women

No pregnant woman should be scared into making decisions and every pregnant woman should be educated and empowered to make healthy decisions for her and her family!

As new mom I have read hundreds of books, articles and studies on pregnancy, birth, natural baby care, and childhood. I have heard doctors opinions, midwife opinions, natural and non-natural paths- and most of them left me SCARED! I don't know about you but it seems that every time I read a pregnancy fact or birthing option, to vaccinate or not to vaccinate- in the end the child dies!! I have read information on all sides and believe that this is the best way to come to a good understanding of the options that are offered to new families.  Knowing what my options are as a parent not only makes me more confident, but it also makes me calm, thus giving that excess energy back to my family in a positive way! Scaring women doesn't empower them!

I have had many smart, beautiful women tell me that they would just rather not know all the scary stuff that can happen. They would rather trust whatever their doctor tells them to do. Unfortunately this is not as simple as it sounds, it would be awesome if there were completely trustworthy sources of information, but information is subjective. One must be very careful how and where they get information. I have found in talking with many women that there were parts of their birth that they look back on and wish they were better informed on the situation.


 One of the major confusions between these two camps is that the location that women choose to have their babies makes a huge difference on how the event is viewed. A family was in a car accident, badly injured and needing medical attention, they are sent to the hospital. A woman in early labor starting to have contractions has an OB that delivers at a specific hospital and off they go. Both cases go to the same location, but have very different needs. And while they are going to be on different floors, the mindset is usually the same. Pain is bad and needs medical attention. However, birth is such a different experience. It isn't like getting your arm cut off, or fighting for your life, like in a car accident.

TV shows, and mainstream media want to portray birth as this extremely scary and risky experience, one in which both mom and baby would die if it weren't for the hospital staff. In some cases this can be true, but in most healthy, low risk pregnancies this is just not the case.  No pregnant woman should be scared into making decisions and every pregnant woman should be educated and empowered to make healthy decisions for her and her family!

While I am thankful for medical staff, we definitely needed it with Bree, in most scenarios and cases, medical intervention is very unnecessary.  Too many women are uninformed and walking into the hospital trusting that they will make it a safe delivery. However, the stats show that the more medical interventions the less safe the birth. The only reason that it can be viewed as "safe" is that an OB is a trained surgeon, that's their specialty. It is my passion that we change this for the health of mom's, babies and families all across America! Most mom's want a safe, healthy delivery and that means that mom's should be empowered to be educated.

In my personal experience I was shocked to find out that the doctor, and nurse that were in our delivery room  had never seen a natural birth--- they literally had no idea what this would be like for me! What they did know is medication- the only option that was given to me. If I hadn't read about epidurals and side effects I would have no idea- the doctors and nurses never once informed me on what an epidural actually is.

Here are some great questions to ask if you are having a hospital birth... before 'it's time'

1. What is the c-section rate at that particular hospital? These stats are also online!

2. What is the c-section rate of your O.B/ what is the epidural rate as well?

3. Is there a birthing center? Labor/delivery floor? (the two are very different!)

4. How many natural births has your OB been present for?

5. What are the most common interventions given by that hospital/your OB?

6. Postpartum procedure: delayed cord cutting/immediate skin to skin/breastfeeding etc.

As I am in the process of my doula/birth education certification I am asking all you mamas out there to please tell me what infomation you were given at your birth, either with your OB or through a class. Did you take a class? Would you take a class? And what would you want to be covered if you were to go back in time. Feel free to comment below or message me on face book/ email! Thanks and lots of love to all you mamas out there!


 It is my passion to educate, empower, and strengthen women for the birth that they want- but in order for that to happen the mom must be informed! Join me on this journey of empowering women through education and tell me what your journey was/is.

My Tiger Stripes

Pregnancy is a journey that not only changes your life forever, but your body as well. Like most women I was not looking forward to that part with Bree. I saw the models on TV with their perfect figures back in only a few weeks, no stretch marks and looking very put together. I also had women tell me that image was unrealistic, that you have large stretch marks, saggy boobs, and you never look put together until your children leave for college! Both are exaggerations and not entirely true- some of these things on both sides may happen, but either way have grace for yourself.

 Housing a human being for almost a year is hard work, and your body will change! My theory is that God allows this so that we can get our focus off of ourselves, and look to him more. The world doesn't revolve around my hair, my stretch marks, or my abs. While I firmly believe that we need to treat our bodies with great respect--- it is humbling to be imprinted with imperfections. So, I embrace my stretch marks, or as Nate and I lovingly call them my Tiger stripes. They are a badge of honor of the hard work that my body went through, a sign that I gave in a way that I have never done before.

However, there are lots of things that one can do to ease pregnancy complaints, and start enjoying this new chapter. Here are some of the things that I did and helped a great deal!

1. Exercise, Exercise, Exercise

6 months pregnant on the top of cathedral rock in Sedona!

I hated getting going, but I always loved the way I felt afterwards. I loved walking, lifting light weights, and yoga! These were my life savers! Any time I started to feel that achy uncomfortable pregnancy feeling, I would get up and get stretching. A little yoga, a walk or some weights, and before long I felt great! There are too many wonderful benefits to mention here, I will definitely be doing a post on this in the future!



2. Hydrate
It is suggested that a woman in her first trimester drink 2 liters of water a day, in her second 3 liters a day and in her third trimester 4 liters a day! I did well drinking the first and second trimesters, but 4 liters a day... was a lot! The point, isn't necessarily to keep a rigid count, but any time that you feel tired, sluggish, hungry or anything really--- start with 16oz of water!!! It makes all the difference, and helps with the pregnancy weight gain as well. Water has proven to reduce pregnancy swelling, a common problem in the third trimester. So, if you have some swelling, drink up!!

3. Eat for Two
Food is so critical when you are pregnant! I often joked before pregnancy that I couldn't wait to wear maternity jeans and eat for two, but I quickly learned the importance of smart eating. Pregnancy is a time to treasure yourself and take the best care of your body that you can. That means, eating good fats for you and all of those baby brains that you're making, eat all the protein that you can and lots of fruits and veggies. Meal plans helped me make smarter choices so that I wasn't always running to the freezer for ice cream. Oh and don't forget to have treats every now and then, just don't go overboard.

4. Vitamin B6
I had morning sickness all the way until my water broke, and it was not fun. This was an area that I could have done a lot more about, and would hate to see someone make the same mistakes that I did. So, start with vitamin B6 first thing in the morning with some crackers, this helped me some, but not entirely. But it may be just the ticket for you. Other solutions I have heard of are peppermint and eucalyptus essential oil blend, ginger, and fennel seed.

5. Bed Time Routine
The hardest time of the day for me, was always bed time. I either couldn't fall asleep, or stay asleep. I would try and find the most comfortable position, but in a few minutes time I would be uncomfortable again. My bedtime routine helped save me on this one. I began using my birthing ball every night for about 15 minutes doing different yoga stretches. I would have my essential oils diffusing, soft music, and light stretches... always did the trick.  I would put on my homemade stretch mark oil and set up my pillows and sleep a lot better! Read about my experience with stretch marks and the natural oil that I used. Natural Stretch Mark Oil





Well, good luck to you mamas, and if you have any questions, or want to share your own natural pregnancy tricks leave a comment!

Natural Stretch Mark Oil

Pregnancy with Bree made me want to do things as naturally as possible! I knew that I didn't want stretch marks, but was unsure on where to start. Over the counter stretch mark oils and creams are filled with toxins, that despite what they claim, are not good for you or baby. Check out the link to read more about why natural solutions are best: The Truth About Bio Oil.  So, I began my own research, and created an oil that worked great! Below is the oil that I made, and used morning and night.
Disclaimer: Please be advised to continue using oil postpartum, I didn't and had stretch marks only after I delivered.

Ingredients: 

1. High grade essential oils: lavender, mandarin, tangerine, or neroli. I personally liked mandarin and tangerine best since the citrus oils do better bringing elasticity to your skin.  Using a high grade essential oil is crucial, as you don't want any other chemicals in your natural product. doTERRA is a great and reputable brand that is safe for you and baby. http://www.doterra.com/.

2. Carrier oil:  I loved using almond oil, it was a light and sweet smell, but you can even use olive oil from your kitchen (as long as it is natural and 100% olive oil).

3. I used a 4oz bottle and filled it with almond oil, and then put about 10 drops of tangerine and chamomile. It's easy and great for you and baby!! Rub on tummy, breasts, thighs and anywhere else that may be stretching!

4. Take a deep breath and relax for a few minutes during your routine!

*****For postpartum, I still use the oil, but have found that emu oil is much more effective in helping my existing stretch marks to vanish!

More Information on Naturally Avoiding Stretch Marks

Mama Natural belly butter

Essential Oils During Pregnancy





And if you don't want to make your own, this is a reputable company with natural ingredients! https://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/pregnancy/natural-stretch-oil.html

Birth Plan Necessary or Nuisance?

 "What's the point, it never goes as you plan anyway?" Just ask any mom who has more than one kid, no two births are the same, and rarely perfect. Some have quick labor, some have long, some have traumatic, some have c-sections. Birth is an experience that brings life through a wonderful kind of suffering- a unique kind of suffering for each individual. When my water broke eight weeks early with Bree, doctors warned me that I would either be induced, or have a c-section. In most cases, premature babies are born by c-section. I had to grieve, this, because it wasn't part of my " natural birth plan." This news quickly changed my view and perspective about birth plans, and Nate and I began drafting up multiple birth plans for if were in an emergency situation for c-section and/ or if I had to be induced. We knew that no matter if we had a c-section, induction or natural- it wasn't going to be the way we planned. Five days later I went into natural labor.

 The day I went into labor, Nate and I used the beginning of my early labor to review our Bradley Method book: Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way. We practiced breathing, positioning, and the stages of labor. You can read our birth story here: An Unexpected Arrival. It wasn't until I was moved to labor and delivery that I truly understood the importance of a birth plan.

Being moved to Labor and Delivery we knew that this was not going to be the natural birth plan that we had hoped for, but we were prepared for what it was going to be like... or so we thought.Our original plan was to be free of monitors during labor- however, this was not going to be possible for our situation. This made it much harder for me, all I wanted to do was walk around, get in the fetal position and take a shower. I didn't plan on having an epidural, however, they hooked me up to an IV just in case. I felt strapped down, and tied down, not ideal for a woman in labor! We began adjusting our plan as we went. This was key for success. Nate and I had talked ahead of time about what we wanted in our birth situation, so it was easier to adapt, because we could make adjustments as needed.  I moved onto all fours on the bed hooked up and everything. I breathed slowly and calmly through each contraction bringing our sweet one into the world. 

So, all this to say, that it was foolish to have a birth plan right?  After delivering  Bree, the NICU staff were amazed that Bree was breathing on her own, everyone warned me that her lungs weren't mature enough yet. But she came screaming her little heart out! I was later told that if I had the epidural that Bree most likely would not have come out breathing, and her heart rate most likely would have dropped to the point where I would have to have a c-section.

 After our experience, I learned some really valuable lessons that I hope encourage you if you are curious or skeptical about birth plans.

1. Have grace for yourself if it doesn't all turn out just how you imagined it. Have grace even if you have to have an epidural, induction or c-section. Have patience with the outcome. You may have a story like mine that isn't perfect, and needs some grieving and healing- that's ok. Birth is such an emotional and spiritual experience, allow yourself to go through the motions. 

2.Get educated as much as possible before your big day! I didn't have as much time as I thought I did, and put off a lot of this- it was like cramming for  the ultimate final for me and Nate. I was pulling out all the pages I had bookmarked but didn't look at. I was now reading up on preemie birth stats and so on. Try and research what you can about all issues. You never know if you're going to need a C-section, and you'll want to be semi prepared if you need one. 

2. Have a plan for once your babe is born. Skin to skin vs. bath? Who can take my baby and why? Breastfeeding, when and how? When does the cord get cut? These are crucial! And most hospitals have their standards and procedures, but you can ask for an alternative!  Make these decisions ahead of time and have hubby help enforce them if this is possible. There are many procedures that happen to newborns that aren't necessarily beneficial or needed. Research what happens post birth, and what you want to see happen. 

3. Plan for the unexpected. Some women need pitocin to get things going. Are you ready for that? Do you and hubby know what pitocin is, and what its uses are for. How much can the doctor give you? Yes, you can tell the doctor how much to give you! 

4. The one thing that you can't be prepared for is how amazing it is going to be!!!! Despite circumstances way out of my plan, I was so blessed to experience child birth.   It's an amazing experience that no one can prepare for!

***Comment below if you had a birth plan, why or why not! :-) 

If you're interested in creating a birth plan below is a link to a great one. This is so important for you and hubby to talk about and plan for all scenarios. Even if you are planning on having an epidural or c-section it's still crucial to understanding the scenario and having some input in the situation! 

http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/free-birth-plan

This is a great place to start getting some information on childbirth! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DgLf8hHMgo