Sleep Baby Sleep.

How many of you have been asked “Is your baby sleeping through the night yet?”  I am going to conservatively guess that if you are a parent, then all of you.  What is it about our society that so much pressure is put on new parents to have their babies sleeping all night?  I do not have an answer to that question, but I am here to tell you that there is no normal for every baby.  We all come out different and we all sleep differently.  Rest assured, whether it is sooner or later, your child will sleep.  We all sleep at some point.

The baby sleep topic used to drum up so much emotion in me.  I guess it still does.  My twins are 6 years old and they still need “someone big to lay with so I can fall asleep”.  Sometimes I get frustrated that I am not able to get my “after the kids go to bed” things done.   And other times I just tell myself that there will be a day when they won’t need or want me so just enjoy this quiet, peaceful drift off to sleep time.  Live it up, this will all be a distant memory.  My baby sleep issues are already in the past.  I can honestly say that for the first two years I did not get more than 3 hours of sleep at one time.  Ever.  Luckily when my son came along he had the sleep thing down.  It was like he was one month old when he came out.  Any sleep that I get now is cherished.  We are now experiencing the nighttime migration from their own beds into the family bed.   But at least we are all sleeping.

We are tried and true attachment parenting survivors.  I use the word survivor, because at times we feel so defeated on so many levels.  There are so many ways to parent, it is hard, almost impossible to know if you are doing right by your child all the time.  We choose to attachment parent, because it just makes the most sense to us.  Hold your kids close while they are young so they may be stronger and more self confident when they become independent.

A huge part of this style of parenting is nighttime parenting.  As hard as it may be, and as cranky as I get when I am woken up at 3 am.  I am still the mama and I still need to be present at night.   My only focus is getting everyone back to sleep so that I may get some too.  I can’t even count how many bottles of Hylands Calms Forte 4 Kids we have been through.  So many.  Too many.

I am bringing this issue up because if you are a new parent and you are feeling alone in your quest for just one night of uninterrupted sleep, you are not alone.  My only advice about babies and sleep is to sleep when your baby is sleeping.  Eventually, you too will get some longer stretches of sleep.  Those bags under your eyes will not last forever.   And yes, someday the sleepless nights will all be a distant memory.

Choose Bamboo for your Baby

Bamboo diapers are the best new product for your baby’s bottom.  This fabric is so soft, absorbent, and environmentally friendly. We have sourced out and started producing our own line of bamboo contours and doublers. Our contours and doublers are soft bamboo velour on outside and two layers of bamboo/organic cotton terry the inside.  The more you wash them the more absorbent they become.  And if there are not enough good things to say about bamboo diapers, they do not hold oder.  We love them, so we know you will too.

Here is just a tidbit of statistical information about the environmental qualities of bamboo vs. cotton.

Cotton is one of the most intensely sprayed crops in the world, and cotton pesticides are the greatest crop contributor to volatile organic compounds in the environment. Cotton requires wide spacing to grow, allowing bare soil to oxidize in the sun, releasing carbon into the atmosphere, allowing rain to wash soil and chemicals into stream, and decreasing soil fertility. Cotton fabrics, including those made from organic cotton raw material and labeled “organic,” commonly go through a series of finishing processes involving synthetic resins, amylase enzyme, Kier boiling, detergents and alkaline solutions, and that’s not including bleaches and brighteners used to alter color and caustic soda used in mercerization. Bamboo, on the other hand, takes in five times the volume of greenhouse gasses as an equivalent stand of timber trees and releases 35% more oxygen. It needs no replanting, pesticides or fertilizers, and its roots retain water in the watershed, sustaining riverbanks and reducing water pollution.-Bamboo Fabric store

Herbs for the Childbearing Year

I became intrigued with herbal remedies shortly after I finished college.  A friend of mine gave me a very old book titled “The Herbalist”.  The first copyright for this book was in 1918.  There was something about the way it was written that I could tell this form of medicine had been passed down for a very long time.  I learned how to make tinctures, infusions, and how to mix dry herbs to make simple remedy teas.  For about two months I was making lip balm, scented candles, and tea.  After some time, my interest turned in other directions until I became pregnant.

When you think of all the human experiences, giving birth and being born has been around since the beginning of time.  What did the primitive women have to help them through long and tiring labour?  Herbs.   At some point along the way we realized that the plants around us could help with relaxation (chamomile), breastmilk production (fenugreek), soothing perineium(calendula), strong uterus(raspberry leaf). Just to name a few.

I was so thankful to be blessed with a midwife who had knowledge in the art of herbal remedy.  My body craved raspberry leaf tea as soon as I introduced it into my diet.  I was drinking about a 1/2 gallon a day I think.  Summer pregnancy.  I wonder now if that is the reason my body held twins for 37 weeks without even knowing I was having two babies.  Hum.

Nowadays we have so many wonderful, ready to use herbal products for pregnancy, labor and birth.  Don’t forget that herbs are one of the gentlest products to use on your baby too.

Tea is one of my favorite ways to enjoy herbal remedy.  Pregnancy Tea is a wonderful drink.  It calms you, tones you uterus, and it is delicious.  I could not have nursed twins for two years without the support of Weleda Nursing Tea.  It’s a delicious beverage that supports your lactation and your baby’s digestion.

Every woman who has had a baby come through the birth canal knows there will be some soreness in your perineum.  Herbal Sitz bath is a luxury after giving birth.  Really.  Just try it and you will see.

These are only a few of the many herbs and remedies that will help you throughout your childbearing year.  We need only to follow in the footsteps of our ancestors to realize the true benefits of herbs.  Be well.

Wellness for Childbirth Starts with Education

Everything Birth is dedicated to encouraging women to trust that our bodies are built for the birthing process.  We believe in educating yourself about childbirth and in doing so you will be empowered.  There is so much information out on the interweb.  Sifting through all of this information can be difficult for first time mothers and mothers that may have had a difficult first birthing experience such as an unexpected cesarean birth.  If you are looking to find mother positive model of care information take some time to look around at The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services. The Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative is just one of the many partnerships this website has to offer.

Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative.

Mission

The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) is a coalition of individuals and national organizations with concern for the care and wellbeing of mothers, babies, and families. Our mission is to promote a wellness model of maternity care that will improve birth outcomes and substantially reduce costs. This evidence-based mother-, baby-, and family-friendly model focuses on prevention and wellness as the alternatives to high-cost screening, diagnosis, and treatment programs.

Take action against Disposable Diapers.

So here is the deal folks: Our planet can no longer absorb all the disposable diapers we are using.  Choosing cloth diapers is no longer a choice it is an obligation.  You may think I am saying this because Everything Birth offers a wide range of cloth diapering supplies.  But, that is not the case at all.  Actually, our choice to sell cloth diapers stems from our deep rooted conviction to rid the planet of as many disposable diapers as possible.   So if for some reason you are one of the families that does not use cloth diapers, just give it a try.  Just one cloth diaper used after your child poops can easily save over 200 pounds of disposables from ending up in a landfill.  Once you see how easy it is, add some more and more cloth until you have phased out the nasty disposables.

There really is no excuse.  There should be no argument at all.  Get over your reluctance because using cloth diapers is something you can do to clean up the mess our throwaway society is generating. Disposables take 250-500 years to decompose and they make up 50% of a households rubbish.  Do not wait.  Switch to cloth today.

Disposable diapers are Bad for Health:

Read this informative article:Acute respiratory effects of diaper emissions. results demonstrate that some types of disposable diapers emit mixtures of chemicals that are toxic to the respiratory tract. Disposable diapers should be considered as one of the factors that might cause or exacerbate asthmatic conditions.

Disposable Diapers are Bad for our Environment:

The time it takes for the plastics in disposable diapers to decompose can take 6 lifetimes or more. The Chlorinated byproducts of this decompsition can find its way into the soil and public water supplies. Average babies in America will use approximately 6,000-10,000 diapers from birth to underwear years. An average cloth diapered baby will need no more than 2-3 dozen cloth diapers. This dramatic decrease in volume alone proves that cloth diapers are better for our environment. The fact that Americans spend billions each year on disposable diapers, despite the environmental risks, is why so many special interest groups and corporations are against cloth reuseable. (Diapers: Cloth VS Disposable. Is There Really An Environmental Reason To Switch?)

The instructions on a disposable diaper package advice that all fecal matter should be deposited in the toilet before discarding, yet less than one half of one percent of all waste from single-use diapers goes into the sewage system.^{4 (Real Diaper Association)}

Change the world. Choose a Midwife.

Health Care Reform is happening. Yea!  Now it is more important than ever to show support for out of hospital birth practices.  It is up to you to let your beliefs and convictions be known.  Spread the word.

Watch this video of Dr. David Anderson’s speech on the economics of out of hospital birth practices.

Contact your elected officials and press this topic. Again and again and again……..

Sign up here for news and action alerts from the good folks at  The Midwives and Mothers in Action (MAMA) Campaign.

Choose Certified Professional Midwives .  CPM’s have the power to turn around the current norms of how babies are welcomed into our world.  Healthier mothers, less birth interventions, and peaceful beginnings for our babies.   

Birthing Naturally

Affirmations can be so empowering.

My body knows how to birth my baby.
My baby knows how to be born.
I relax and fully turn my birthing over to nature.
I am safe even though I may be scared.
I put all fear aside and welcome my baby with happiness and joy.

A woman’s body was designed to give birth. Our incredible womb and cervix have super powers to perform a seemingly impossible task. Thousands of babies are born every day without the use of interventions. And this has been going on since the beginning of time. If I could share only one bit of advice to a mother to be, it would be to trust your body.
Trust that when you are in labor your body will know what to do. Just know that if you are healthy and supported with love, nature will be your auto pilot. Set your fears aside.

I trust my body to know what it is to do.                                                                                                                                                                     I am a wonderful mother.

One of my midwives wrote these affirmations down for me when I was expecting my third child. I was preparing for a VBAC at home and I too needed to be reminded of what we as women were made to accomplish. We create life.

Midwives support birthing naturally. If you are pregnant and would like to know more about choosing a midwife, here is a link for you.  http://mana.org/memberlist.html

Supportive Postnatal Products.

So many people these days will tell you all of the things you need to be prepared to have a baby. The breast pump and bottles, a crib, a changing table, the list goes on and on. To some, the necessity of these items are debatable, to others they would be lost with out them. But in reality all your baby needs is you and your breast. And all you need is to be as relaxed and open as possible.

I was a little lost preparing for my first birth.  I was lucky enough to have a midwife who was anti consumer and the only thing she encouraged us to get was a king sized family bed.  So many family members, co-workers, friends, even strangers felt it was their duty to enlighten me to the necessities for having a baby.  Being a first time mother I found it hard to tune it all out.  They were just trying to help.  I was so young and had no idea what was going to happen next.

Here is a list of five low cost items that were not suggested to me, but were certainly the most helpful items I had after the birth of my babies.
1. Nipple cream and plain tea bags.
No one told me how much my nipples would hurt when I started breast feeding. I am not saying this to scare any of you, the pain goes away quickly. But your nipples can get very dry and cracked. Soak the tea bags in water as warm as you can take. Soak your nipples with the tea bags and then pat dry.  The tannins in the tea and the heat are healing.  Apply a good all natural nipple cream such as Lansinoh lanolin.  That will sooth the sensitive skin, and it will be safe for your baby to nurse.
2.A Sitz bath and sitz bath herbs.
These items were essential after my son was born naturally. It felt so good to sit and sooth my soreness and bottom. I also used the sitz bath herb water in my peri bottle for quick relief.
3.Reusable underpad.
This is kind of a funny one, but having a baby can be messy. This pad was useful for me to move around the house wherever I wanted to sit postpartum. Instead of a changing table, use the underpad.  It is great for throwing down wherever you need to change a diaper. It also protected the family bed through roto virus with twin 10 month olds. And we are still using the underpad to get my son through sleeping all night without a diaper. This is a most useful item.
4.Perineal Cold Compress
The name says it all. You will heal quicker if you use these. And use them often. They come in both instant and reusable. I still use the reusable compress for the inevitable bumps and bruises my kids get.
5.Nursing tea and Loose Leaf Chamomile tea.
The nursing tea was invaluable during those growth spurts when baby just can’t get enough and you feel like you just can’t produce enough to satisfy your little one. A nice strong cup of chamomile tea is so wonderful to help you and your baby relax when nothing else seems to work.

Bless

Surprise twins and VBAC at home.

Above picture is me Jessica Teesdale with my husband Jeff and three children Josephine, Eliza and Hutch.

When Crystal asked me to take over the blog for Everything Birth my first thought was “What would I have to say?” The more I thought about it, and the more I work at Everything Birth, the more I realized how much the products we sell resonate with my life.

From the moment I realized I was pregnant I knew I would seek the guidance of a midwife. My midwives gave me the confidence to trust my body and intuition as a woman. I refused most prenatal testing and sailed through a healthy normal pregnancy. At 37 weeks we went to our first weekly visit.  My midwife Laura laid her hands on me and said “Either your baby has two heads, or you are going to have twins.”  SURPRISE!!!  At that moment I chose to have an ultrasound and it revealed that one was breech and one was vertex. The breech twin had cord wrapped around her neck.  After two weeks of no labor and about 6 midwives planning to attend the home birth, we were risked out and sent down the path of cesarean birth. I was never induced and never actually went into labor.  At 39.5 weeks I was prepped for surgery and within 3 hours I had two healthy 6 pound baby girls.  It was one of the happiest days of my life.

My girls nursed until they were two. We used cloth diapers and I cooked all of their baby food. I learned a lot about mothering in those years, but I still felt like I would not be complete until I experienced natural childbirth. In March 2006 we found out we were pregnant again.

Preparing for a VBAC at home was not as easy as my first pregnancy. I experienced many more emotions and I had two incredibly active toddlers to chase around. With the help from Laura again, my goal was clear, stay healthy and conquer my fears about birth. In November 2006 after a 29 hour labor, my son was born via water birth in the comfort of our home.

After twins the first time around, nursing, cloth diapers, and the food mill were a no brainer.  Now the prefolds and Bummies are in a box, and everyone eats solids, but every birth kit I pack brings me right back to the excitement and anticipation I felt preparing for my homebirths.  And every diaper we ship to you is packed by a mama who has changed and laundered thousands of nappies.

My son will be three in November and my daughters started kindergarden this fall. We strive to live a simple, low impact lifestyle. We make an effort to teach our children to love the planet, love others, and love themselves.  My goal in writing this blog is to share with you what Everything Birth means to me.  I will be drawing on my experiences of of birthing, as a mama, and a natural products aficionado.  I hope you all enjoy what I have to share with you.

Bless,

Jessica Teesdale

Choosing Homeopathy for your Child.

There are so many choices to make when you become a new parent. When your child becomes ill those choices get even more complicated. With all of the news of airborne illnesses these days, it is getting harder and harder to know what to do. Homeopathic Remedies offer another tool in your parenting toolbox so you can rest assured that your choices are safe, nontoxic, and all natural.
Deciding to use homeopathic remedies for my children was easy. First of all the tablets dissolve instantly in your mouth, they have a slightly sweet flavor, and they provided me with quick and noticeable changes in whatever symptoms my child is having. Irritability from teething, fever, vomiting, you name it and there is a remedy for it.  Secondly, there are few interactions with other conventional medicines. And lastly, it is comforting to know that homeopathy has been around for over a century.  Your great grandmother had access to some of these remedies.  In the year 1903 Homeopathy was the standard medical practice in the United States.
Here is an informative article to read if you need further convincing.
http://www.nesh.com/main/nhc/choosing.html

Right now at Everything Birth, inc. we are having 15-40% off all homeopathic remedies and remedy kits.
I would say that the Hyland’s Kids Kit is a must have for every new or parent to be. If you really want to cover all your bases, the Remedy Chest is the way to go. “Hyland’s pharmacists have carefully chosen a set of 29 unique homeopathic medicines (plus an extra bottle of Arnica Montana) that apply to the widest range of everyday ailments, from coughs and colds to headaches and nervous tension.” (www.hylands.com). If you just want to get started you should try Calms Forté 4 Kids™, Hyland’s Teething Tablets, Hyland’s C-Plus Cold Tablets, and Hyland’s Bumps ‘n Bruises™