What I Brought to the Birth Center for Lukas' Delivery

This is a long overdue post. When I was pregnant, a lot of people asked me what I was bringing with me to the birth center. I would say about a month before Lukas' delivery I started preparing my bag. Below I will go through what you see in the picture and why I brought it with me. Incidentally, I started this blog after shortly after having Lukas, but was unable to finish it due to adjusting to life with a baby again along with everything else. I'm so thrilled to be blogging again. I really missed it.

Diapers 

While we planned to cloth diaper, I didn't want to jump into something unfamiliar until we'd at least had our sweet one home for several days. A family member of ours always waited until the cord fell off to start cloth with her babies, that made sense to me, so I opted to try Earth's Best chlorine and fragrance-free diapers. I have to be honest, these did not really work well for us. I know some diapers do better on girls versus boys. I think this may have been the case. I swapped them out for Seventh Generation and I like them much better. (Update: We did cloth for 6 months and went back to disposables. At that point, we chose Honest diapers and when Thrive Market came out with their own brand of diapers we switched again, and have stuck with them. They are a great price and compare well to Honest in being safe and toxin free.)

Wipes

In the picture, you'll see BabyGanics wipes. I've since switched baby wipe brands as well to Young Living's Seedling's Baby Wipes. Young Living has a whole baby line now. It's really great. I'm obsessed with the wipes, they smell so good. I love them for hands on the go and to take makeup off too. They are truly the best wipes I've ever tried.

Essential Oils & Diffuser

I do not go anywhere without my essential oils. In addition to my go-to have to have with me everywhere case that is always in my bag, displayed above were the oils I blogged about here. I created a perineum skin regimen using the book Gentle Babies as a resource. I wanted to continue the regimen there in addition to using a few more oils for other needs to make our experience exceptional. They make our quality of life so much better emotionally and physically. I would never go back to not using them.

Due to the highest quality and standards, our family only uses Young Living Essential Oils. Did you know that Young Living tests their essential oils with a minimum of 11 tests 3 times at the begin of the process and 3 times at the end of the process? Did you know that Young Living does not use the land until it's been cleared of herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides for a minimum of 50 years? USDA organic standards are only 7 years clear. Did you know organic standards permit pesticide use, they are just "organic" pesticides, said to be much less toxic than conventional ones? Young Living doesn't use any pesticides. Did you know that you can visit many of the Young Living farms and distilleries? Did you know that as wholesale members you can even take part in the harvesting process? It all blows me away. There's nothing else like them.

Maxi-Pads

You really want to bring your own due to the same synthetic chemical problems with baby diapers. Conventional pads are loaded with toxins that can contribute to heavier bleeding and hormone disruption. I opted for the Seventh Generation brand since that's what Thrive Market carried. During the end of my pregnancy, I really appreciated anything that could be sent to my door. My belly was so big that it became difficult to drive.

Homeopathics

I am a huge fan of homeopathy. If you are not familiar with this wonderful form of medicine, then get acquainted. On a very basic level, it operates from the perspective of like to like. Treatments are extremely specific and they are lovely because they do not interact with anything. Although it is recommended by some practitioners to space out homeopathic treatments from essential oil usage. I used arnica pellets to support my body in pain and bruising reduction.

Water Bottle

I purchased a new water bottle due to the recommendation of my midwife. She advised me to use one with a straw so that I could easily sip the water instead of having to worry about tilting it during labor. I opted for the LifeFactory glass bottle with a straw. I love this bottle and still use it today. It is my favorite water bottle. I didn't want to sip my water from a plastic container. The birth center had a cold water filtration unit, so it was easy for my husband to fill for me.

Snacks 

At my natural birthing center, I was allowed to eat whenever I wanted. While I wound up not wanting to eat during labor, I was very hungry afterward. I packed a few organic Lara Bars and fresh fruit with me from home. I think fresh fruit is one of the most amazing gifts that you can give a new

Homemade Favorites

I love to make balms, butters, and herbal salves for the skin with essential oils and other natural, safe ingredients. In the picture you can see my Baby & Mama Salve, peppermint lipbalm, and my Belly Butter.

Where did you deliver your baby...at a hospital, birth center, or homebirth?

Helping you to be a good steward of your health,

Marie Brock, HHC

Tips for Fighting Illness this Season You Might Forget

So over time we form lots of habits. Research has shown it takes 2 weeks to form a bad habit, yet it takes months to form a good habit that sticks for life. That's why I offer a 6 month holistic health counseling option. 

Instead of running to the doctor for constant colds, the flu, stomach issues, and more wouldn't it be great if you had some tried and true practices in place to avoid a lot of that illness?!!! I mean I'm not promising you that you'll never get sick. In fact a short cold once a year or so can strengthen your immune system. 

What I'd like to offer you in this post are a few tips I share with clients so they they can be healthier, more productive, happier human beings, as well as their family members. 

I have friends who sadly it seems every time I turn around that they or their family members are sick. I ask you, WHO HAS TIME FOR THAT? Wouldn't you rather spend your time feeling healthy meanwhile doing some prep work here and there to stay that way. I think you're worth it, and that's the better option...what about you?

Things We Think Save Time

I just want to touch on two practices in our culture that keep our illness rates high.

The Fast Food Drive Thru

I know, I'm a mom, I've been there done that...picked up the kids from school or from homeschool co-op, ran to the store quickly afterwards, then you hear it, "MOOOOM, I'm hungry" 50 thousand times! You look at the clock and you know you forgot to put the chicken in the crock pot this morning, you're doing times tables practice in the car, AND  in 30 minutes is karate! That fast food drive thru looks oh so inviting. It's fast, you don't even have to get out of the car, and it will quiet the noise for at least the remainder of the ride.

Is it really a time saver though? So maybe you're fortunate enough to zip thru at dinner time, but what are you really paying for in that bag or box handed to you thru the window? Look, you're an intelligent person, I know you know the food in that box or bag is not really food. Let me reiterate to you though...it's not really food. It is conventionally grown, GMO, chemical filled junk! There is absolutely, positively no nutrition in that meal you just tried to be ever so conspicuous about shoving down your throat at the red light.

I know $12 doesn't seem like a lot to feed a family, and you know what, you're absolutely correct. It should bother you that they just cooked your meal in under 120 seconds, and charged you so little. If they are a business, and managing to make a profit off of that small amount they charged you, then doesn't it make you wonder why real, whole, healthy foods at the farmer's market cost more? Ok, I'm not trying to beat you up. I do want you to see that you are throwing your dollars away though. 

So if there isn't any nutrition in what you just fed your child, is it any wonder they just asked for food 30 minutes later? Yes, our children are growing, but when they don't eat a balanced meal, with lots of plant foods (it's healthy fiber that fills you up by the way), good clean protein for the brain and muscles to work properly, and lots of healthy fats (especially for boys) their bodies cry for more.To compound that lack of nutrition also come a door wide open for illness. When we don't eat well with healthy, clean foods full of nutrition that we need to function and operate well, we tear down our immunity. So there we are plopped down in middle of the doctor's office sharing germs with infants there getting a check up...oh joy, or picking up worse infections from other children...lovely. 

Also when we create a habit of eating foods out it teaches our children to live their own lives that way. Cooking, sadly, has become a lost art. There's not too many things more satisfying than providing our families a really delicious. healthy, balanced meal. I am a single mom, so believe me, I know this may not happen everyday, but let's try to form a habit of making this the status quo. It's a life skill that everyone should have. Eating out all the time is also very expensive. If you saved that money, and put it into healthier food choices, and you learn how to shop for healthy foods the smart way, then you reap a beautiful harvest.

Okay so what if you're like, Marie, I hate to cook. It takes too much time, nothing I make turns out right, yada yada. I'm reminded of a friend as I write this sentence :) First ask yourself, why? Yes, why do you hate to cook. Is it simply because you don't know how? Is it not that you don't like to cook, but the underlying reason is you don't like to grocery shop? Is it because of all of the ungrateful small or sometimes big people walking around the house that when you spent time preparing a meal they turned up their noses? 

I want you to try again, please, do this for yourself, and your family. I have some fussy ones in my house too. I have decided that I am not a short order cook, and neither are you. Obviously, it's much easier the younger they are to make changes. I feel like if I make a somewhat tasty, healthy meal, and it's on their plate, or ready for the taking, and they don't want it, then they are not that hungry. If you're married, and your hubbs falls in that group, well I'd say compromise, and make sure at least one thing he loves or likes somewhat is ready to go. Oh and if you have older children, this includes boys, get their tails into the kitchen. there is no reason why those teens and in some cases pre-teens can't be making dinner 2-4 nights a week. Get them involved in the meal planning, and find healthier solutions for their favorite foods.

The Microwave

Here is another American standard in the US. I used to use my microwave everyday! I think I removed the microwave about 5 years ago.  You know what happened when I took it out, I actually started to cook as well as eat a ton more of raw foods! Things have never been the same.

This I realize may cause a feud in your home, so I'm certainly not advocating starting a war. Do a test, perhaps make it a game or a contest in your family. So here's a challenge for you and your kids. For 30 days I want you to unplug the microwave, maybe even, I know it's scary, but move it into your garage, or into a closet. Show everyone where the pots, pans, skillets, blender, a good knife, cutting board, and toaster oven is in the kitchen. Make it a competition. Come up with a really good prize (that doesn't involve food) for the whole family to enjoy for participating. If someone cracks, then they don't get to participate in the prize.

Print out some really simple, healthy recipes, say from my blog, or other food sites/blogs. Tape them onto the front of your kitchen cabinets, or put them in a binder that's easily accessible for all cooking. Just see what happens. Yeah, you might get complaints for about a week or two, but I bet at that 2 week point everyone will start to adjust. At the 30 day point you will have begun to establish a cooking routine. It will start to become doable.

I challenge you to unplug the microwave for several reasons. I understand your time is limited, so is mine. It concerns me however that something that normally takes over a hour to cook in the oven takes 60 seconds in the microwave. That heat level and radiation is totally transforming your food into an unidentified object. Read here what Dr. Joseph Mercola has to say. Also what I'd like you to do is consider what food really smells like, and then what it smells like after coming out of the microwave. If you use it often enough you may not even realize the grand difference. When I walk by newly microwaved foods they make me nauseous due to the smell. Maybe you won't become that sensitive to the smell, but who knows?

Eat, Cook, Live, Grow

My hope regardless for you and for those in your family, if you are married, or have children, is that you will grow closer by learning or re-learning new skills that will improve your health and wellness as well as relationships. If you are single, all still applies. Take time to reconnect around the dinner table while you eat. Connect by discussing the new recipes or kitchen tools you are trying, as well as other topics. Live well by eating wholesome real foods. Grow as you learn what is good for you as well as tastes fabulous, and what is not good. This is called engaging both primary foods (our relationships: personal, work, and spiritual), and secondary foods (what we eat) to create balance then equaling good health.

Be healthy and blessed! Helping you to be a good steward with your health!~Marie A. Ligorria, HHC