You can probably guess what I am going to say even before I say it.  With a title like that one from the everythingbirth blog, you have to know what the greatest gift of all is.  That’s right, it is your baby(s).  (I have to add the s there being a mother of twins and all.)  But seriously, there is nothing more wonderful than that little being that started when two cells met inside mama and  magically became a person.  Multiplying and growing and thriving.  To think what your baby had to do to be able to be in your arms today.  It is truly an amazing gift.

Being a parent is the hardest job you will ever love.  For me it is the unknown, and surprise occurrences that throw me off.  The challenges that come along with having children never really go away they constantly evolve.  I personally have reached a point where I try to embrace the hard times, because life without challenge would be boring.  All of the trials we lived through in the first years of life all seem to melt away and I only remember the wonderful gifts I was given.

My children have made me who I am.  I am going to be cliche here and say that my children complete me. As I sit here on Christmas Eve I can only be filled with gratitude to have been chosen as their guide.  To be the person to hold them and satisfy them with my milk.  To be given the chance to experience childhood wonders all over again.  To be the constant in their lives when so much changes so quickly.  I have been so blessed.

I wish all of you the best of holidays this year, and when you need to fill up on the fuel of love, just go sit and watch your baby or babies sleeping and listen to the peaceful sound of them breathing.  Take a deep breath yourself and be thankful for the offering of their presence in your life.

Bless

I wish that someone told me how difficult breastfeeding was going to be at the beginning.  I don’t think I would have been so discouraged with the whole process if I had better understanding of it before I started.  Maybe it was because I had never really seen what breastfeeding looked like until I was in the throws of it myself.  I knew it was something I was going to do and  that it was best for my babies.  But I was the youngest child, so I didn’t get to watch my mother nurse a baby.  And there are not many images of nursing mothers in the media.  Until recently, nursing in public was not socially accepted so I didn’t see it out and about.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but the only qualifications I had to be a breast feeder, was the fact that I had breasts and babies in my belly.

I just thought that because I am a woman, the act of nursing was just going to come naturally.  But I had never seen up close and personal what breastfeeding looked like.  I had never actually watched a baby latch on, or drink from a breast up close.  How was I supposed to know how to do this?  I researched everything about babies and birthing, I didn’t realize I would actually have to learn how to nurse my baby.

Since my first born were twins, I soon realized that I was in way over my head.  I had sore nipples. I was completely obsessed with the amount of milk they were each getting.  And to top it all off, I had no idea what a proper  latch looked like.  Luckily, I had the help of my midwives, a lactation consultant from the hospital, and I also contacted the Le Leche League.  We learned quickly how to work as a team, and within a few weeks we were a feeding machine.  My girls nursed exclusively without supplementation until they started solids.  However, it was hard getting to that point.  My daughters continued to nurse until they were two.

The Newman Breastfeeding Clinic and Institute has a wonderful group of videos that demonstrate productive and non-productive nursing, latching on, and many different styles of nursing.  I wish I had seen these videos back when I needed help getting started with breastfeeding.  These videos would have helped me a lot.

If you are having troubles nursing, don’t give up.  I know first hand how hard it can be, but you can do it.  If anyone tells you to supplement, get a second opinion.  And keep trying.  Nursing is not easy at first for everyone.  It does and will get better and better.

Recently I was discussing with a good friend the differences in our birth stories.  She willingly accepted interventions, and I chose to refuse all intervention except for the last minuet necessary cesarean birth of my twin daughters.  What struck me as most interesting was my friend’s statement “I just don’t do pain.”  So there it is.  Fear of pain.

Fear is one of many commonalities women share about pregnancy and childbirth. Fear of the unknown, pain, change, loss of control, etc.   All our fears are different and very real.  Getting past your fears can help in overcoming some of the pain you might encounter when your baby comes out from within. Childbirth Without Fear by Grantly Dick-Read is a wonderful book that can be used as a tool to help you subdue your fears.

So you may be wondering how all this talk about fear can relate to your birth story.  Well,  you cannot chose your birth story, your birth story will choose you.  You need to just let go and have faith that your body and baby will know what to do.  Your mind will not stand in the way of the birthday.  And many years from now when you are telling the story of the day your baby was born, the pain you felt will all melt away.  The few hours of active labour should not be missed because you are scared of pain.  Those sensations will bring forth your child.  And what an amazing story you will have to tell.

It’s important in any discussion of painless birth to keep in mind that birth does not have to be sensationless to be painless, or even extremely pleasurable. In my personal experience many things that are worth experiencing are not sensationless nor easy. Intercourse for instance, can be a mixture of extreme pleasure, hard work, and sometimes even true pain, but it is all worthwhile to me and integral to the experience. I wouldn’t want any of my birth sensations dulled any more than I would want to have my sexual sensations dulled. The opening and thinning of the cervix, the strong and rhythmic contractions of the uterine muscle, the stretching of the vaginal wall and pelvic ligaments, the tension at the perineum, and the final climax of a beautiful, wet new life sliding into your hands — these sensations are AWESOME and not to be missed!-Laurie Morgan Compleatmother.com

For all you baby lovers out there, this movie is for you.  I can’t wait until it opens.  Crystal and I will be first in line.  Enjoy.

Low iron runs in my family.  Pregnancy induced anemia was something I struggled with through both pregnancies.  I quickly learned that getting iron from food sources rather than iron pills was a better way to bring up my hematocrit level.  When my iron was up I felt more energetic, sane, and healthy.  I chose to use Floradix and iron rich foods to bring up and keep up my iron levels.  So if your midwife or health care provider tell you that your iron is low, just know that you can take control and increase your hematocrit by choosing healthy iron rich foods.  And just remember that Vitamin C has a vital role in your body absorbing all that iron you are giving it.

Cravings are a large part of pregnancy for some women.  My cravings were different with each pregnancy.  My body was craving the foods that were high in the nutrients my body needed.  Watermelon, Steak, Spinach, Kozy Shack tapioca pudding.  The first three are all high in iron.  The pudding, well that is not very nutritious, but I justified it because it does have calcium and protein.

Staying healthy during your childbearing year will not only help you produce a healthy baby,

Infant massage is stimulating, relaxing, bonding and relief for your baby.  You don’t really need much to get started.  All you need is a comfortable location, possibly on the floor with a blanket, or on your bed.  Some nice all natural baby oil. It can’t hurt to have a really good book about Infant Massage.   And of course, you and your baby.

One of the first senses to kick in for an infant is touch.  Infant massage will help your baby make connections that will trigger brain function and will promote a sense of security.   The benefit’s of this healing, nurturing art will last a lifetime.

Benefits of Infant Massage for Baby from Infant Massage USA

Relaxes child and helps to decrease stress for you and your baby.

Babywearing

I am always amazed to see new mothers carrying their babies in the infant car seat.  Not only are those car seats extremely cumbersome to carry,  your baby does not benefit from being carried this way at all.  If you wear your baby, he/she will cry less, be more content, and grow up to be more secure.  When you carry your baby in a sling from the very beginning you will grow stronger as your baby gets bigger.  With so many ways to carry your baby, you don’t need to look very hard to find the right baby carrier for you.

Do you need further convincing?  Read this article titled: Increased Carrying Reduces Infant Crying: A Randomized Controlled Trial by  Urs A. Hunziker, MD, and Ronald G. Barr, MDCM, FRCP(C)

Excerpt: The results of the present study demonstrate that increased parental carrying was associated with a substantial reduction in crying and fussing behavior in these first-born, breast-feeding infants during the first 3 months of life. This behavioral change was particularly apparent in relation to two of the characteristics of crying of normal infants noted in our control group and in previous studies namely, elimination of the peak at 6 weeks of age and diminution of the crying and fussing that clusters during the evening. This reduction appeared to be replaced by increased awake contentment rather than changes in sleeping or feeding duration. The difference was most marked by 6 weeks of age when an increase in carrying time of two hours was associated with an overall reduction of one hour (43%) in crying and fussing behavior.

Take the Birth Survey. With your help we can bring normalcy to the birthing process.

BRINGING TRANSPARENCY
TO MATERNITY CARE

In the US, it is nearly impossible to access information about the quality of an individual health care provider or institution.The 2001 Institute of Medicine report, Crossing the Quality Chasm, underscores transparency as one of ten key steps necessary to overall health care system improvement. As national quality improvement initiatives continue to grow, maternity care must be included in this movement. The US spends more on maternity services than any other country in the world, yet we have the highest rates of infant death of all developed nations .1 The US also has one of the lowest vaginal birth rates in the world even though cesarean section carries greater risks to mother and baby. Despite emphasis on evidence-based medicine, cost-containment, and patient safety, the overuse of medical technology continues to rise without concomitant improvements in maternal or infant outcomes. Indeed, studies show that the inappropriate imposition of procedures, drugs, tests, and restrictions increase maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. Although institutes, universities, and foundations are engaging in research or developing projects to increase health care transparency, currently, no significant consumer-led national effort is underway to share health care or maternity care information. A mechanism to share, systematically track, and retrieve up-to-date information about the quality of care received would equip consumers with the information necessary to make informed decisions and enable individuals to play a larger role in determining their care.

VISION

We are dedicated to improving maternity care for all women. We will do this by 1) creating a higher level of transparency in maternity care so that women will be better able to make informed decisions about where and with whom to birth and 2) providing practitioners and hospitals with information that will aid in evaluating and improving quality of care.

- The Birth Survey

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.

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