tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82382955671904765542024-03-19T07:21:59.746-05:00Baby Be BornKelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-66471602117183688782015-06-29T08:42:00.003-05:002015-06-29T08:42:36.399-05:00Baby Be Born Baby is 1 Year old!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow, has this past year flown by it seems! Briggs has been such an easy going baby, happy, never gets too worked up about anything...which made having 2 under 2 yrs actually a lot better than I thought it was going to be! I was seriously scared about not being able to handle it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Being my second baby, (and my last) I have reveled in his babyness...soaking it all in, moment to moment.... Totally eating it up, and ultimately making it harder to <i>let it go. </i></span></div>
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(Frozen Break)</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I didn't do this with my first, Callan, I was so excited to see his progression and what new things he had in store for us. Its all still very exciting, as they are starting to play and interact with each other more and more....I am truly blessed....and truly exhausted, and truly done having kids. I have thought about surrogacy, and helping out another family, but that will be a decision in the future. Right now my hands are full....but so is my heart! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ya'll take care.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Love, Kellie</span></div>
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<br />Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-26390089718250398282015-01-28T09:09:00.000-06:002015-01-28T09:37:22.147-06:00To the friend of a pregnant woman...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Normally I write to the preggies themselves, </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>but today I wanted to talk to YOU, the friend of a preggie!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The topic I want to shed some light on is "Due Dates".</span><br />
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_l3ytWge-Gf2uK59J17XXn46j64WNK2U6bPv1UFxiIrDueHAHB8d6qwou9L7yIWSCMAzEdGFeONthK7O890bMteqqKI33Ib_Oifq1LauZHSsAk69NP_DJKm4RQSFY_YXYCn6fZNWd2xu/s1600/parrot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_l3ytWge-Gf2uK59J17XXn46j64WNK2U6bPv1UFxiIrDueHAHB8d6qwou9L7yIWSCMAzEdGFeONthK7O890bMteqqKI33Ib_Oifq1LauZHSsAk69NP_DJKm4RQSFY_YXYCn6fZNWd2xu/s1600/parrot.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The #1 question a woman is asked <i>for the entirety </i>of 9 months is "When are you due?"...multiple times a day...from friends, loved ones, neighbors, every 3rd person they see at a grocery store, the bank teller, someone's pet parrot--></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then those <u>same people</u> ask AGAIN, towards the end of the pregnancy - they cant seem to remember, which is understandable...they aren't the one having the baby....but the pregnant woman remembers...and in her head she's saying "Really? I have to tell you AGAIN! UGHHH"</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>After a while a due date can start to feel like a deadline.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Deadlines = pressure</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pressure = unhappy/stressed preggie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the friend of a pregnant woman who has chosen to trust Gods timing, and has decided not to induce (unless medically necessary), this post is even more important for you to read. Waiting is </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">not necessarily an easy task in this day and age.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She is relying on you to support her, lift her up and encourage her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>2 ways you can help her & encourage her:</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Literally tell her you are proud of her and that she can do it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Don't make too big a deal of the due date....<br />ESPECIALLY TOWARDS THE END OF HER PREGNANCY....<br />Its only an estimate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are so many factors, it can be off by weeks even!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a sweet little 6 month old now, but I remember very vividly that physically and</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">mentally those last few weeks of pregnancy are brutal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last thing a pregnant woman needs is constant check ups, via text, social media or through relatives..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"No baby yet?"</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"when are you going to induce?"</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Don't be that person.<br /> (I dont care how good of friends you are)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />As the March of Dimes says "Healthy Babies are worth the wait!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />The brain, heart, lungs, and immune system all mature at different rates — and some may need a little more time than others.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of March of Dimes</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>So be a good friend to the Mama to be..</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And Mama's, it is very hard to do at the end, but sit tight <br />and know your baby will come will its ready! YOU CAN DO IT!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">****If you start to worry, there are options to make sure your baby is fine. Talk to your Doctor or Midwife, I know some suggest an ultrasound to make sure all is well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Mama's feel free to comment on how you feel about this,<br /> and if I've left off anything!</span></div>
<br />Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-7862650186691726862014-12-12T07:03:00.001-06:002014-12-12T07:03:21.981-06:0010 things from 100 Births<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>From Kellie: I came across this and I was fascinated! Her website has all kinds of great info and an AWESOME month to month reading guide!!!!Check it out!</b></span><br />
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"Ten Things I've Learned From 100 Births" by Jill Christianson</h3>
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<span style="color: #282828; font-size: 13px;">I attended my 100th birth in May. I have learned something at every birth, but here are the big lessons I've come away with so far:</span><br /><ol style="color: #282828; font-size: 13px;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Women are strong. There's "36-hour (or 72-hour) natural childbirth" strong; "coming to terms with getting an epidural even though you really, really didn't want one" strong; "recovering from a c-section while caring for a newborn" strong; "hanging on through a fast and furious labor that squeezed all of the intensity of a 12-hour birth into 2 hours" strong; and "experiencing the loss of your baby and surviving" strong. I come away from every birth with a new appreciation for mothers' strength, determination, and love for their babies.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">First labors are long, second labors are short, and third labors are unpredictable.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">A good care provider is worth her weight in gold.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Because of hospital protocols, I've seen........<span style="line-height: 1.4;"> </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;">Read the rest on her blog</span> <a href="http://fargodoula.blogspot.com/2014/10/ten-things-ive-learned-from-100-births.html" style="color: #282828;" target="_blank">here</a></span></div>
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Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-77978633104177552892014-11-06T08:27:00.004-06:002014-11-06T08:27:54.028-06:00How to have a quick birthMy second baby I gave birth in an hour and a half, which still seems crazy to me....<br />
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I dont know if the things I did to prepare for the birth of my baby actually directly affected the length of labor or not but I thought I'd share it with you...just in case, lol...never hurts, right?<br />
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<span style="color: purple;">1. </span>I had <b><u><span style="color: purple;">already had a baby</span></u></b>.... <i>a 9.8 lb baby (which I didnt really do anything to prepare my body and had a 24 hour labor)</i><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">2.</span> I did prenatal <b><u><span style="color: purple;">Yoga</span> </u></b>once, sometimes twice a week. I noticed that it helped me with the aches of pregnancy and provided a little mental clarity and calmness (for a little while at least). I could notice a big difference if I skipped a week.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;">3.</span> I had regular <b><u><span style="color: purple;">chiropractic</span> </u></b>adjustments, which keeps your pelvis in line, helps with sciatic pain, and is just an all over feel-good treatment for your body.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;">4.</span> I ate salad every single day for lunch, and had plenty of<span style="color: purple;"> <b><u>avocado</u></b></span> in it, which I think the fats help to make your skin stretchy, maybe it helps you to dilate easier?? I know its good to eat for your <i>down-there</i> area to help prevent tearing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENSEQVqQJ0uoBHW8VJ710mYolCmq6DS31mRd77otDTnTApkVax32JkLSdmulHp0LTqHtjjbN_B23Wf3ylK6gWFD5pIuwfsy71Ee2lw9S5GcmpDXWWMDp5DvM2t-vFqw-wZ3SUSLsFnW-f/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENSEQVqQJ0uoBHW8VJ710mYolCmq6DS31mRd77otDTnTApkVax32JkLSdmulHp0LTqHtjjbN_B23Wf3ylK6gWFD5pIuwfsy71Ee2lw9S5GcmpDXWWMDp5DvM2t-vFqw-wZ3SUSLsFnW-f/s1600/photo.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a><span style="color: purple;">5.</span> I <b><u><span style="color: purple;">sat in a squat</span></u></b> to play with my kid and watch TV...for as long as my pregnant body allowed me to comfortably. The further along you are, the more frequent you should do it. Here's how I did it: I sat normally on the couch and then just kinda inched forward and slid down to where my back was leaning up against the bottom of the couch..and just hung out...<br />
and then I would sit down and stretch my legs out and my son would look to see if the baby was coming out yet......(um, just so you know, I <i>am</i> wearing shorts in this pic, lol though it might not look like it at first glance)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXNxiqKKVZ7MeDf-kn8M3NY0qF-SzJ4RAaY1KzF6WY56BoqVojRM-huxA5FZ2fUxdvSzEL8yxfhfe5H2PP6NKNeKEsZs2Agb78K7p8En-oLIrbjc0-d1Qc1AOWqkwtW42BgTr3ORnuh8V/s1600/186-6094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXNxiqKKVZ7MeDf-kn8M3NY0qF-SzJ4RAaY1KzF6WY56BoqVojRM-huxA5FZ2fUxdvSzEL8yxfhfe5H2PP6NKNeKEsZs2Agb78K7p8En-oLIrbjc0-d1Qc1AOWqkwtW42BgTr3ORnuh8V/s1600/186-6094.jpg" /></a><span style="color: purple;">6.</span> I took <b><u><span style="color: purple;">Dr. Christopher's Birth Prep</span></u></b> the last 6 weeks, which my Mid-wife recommended, She has seen a lot of success in it (with shortening labors). Um, I'd say so!<br />
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<span style="color: purple;">7</span>. <b><u><span style="color: purple;">I prayed </span></u></b>for God to show me His favor with the birth of my little Briggs, and he has over and over again!<br />
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<br />Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-86608951748220622132014-10-30T08:40:00.002-05:002014-10-30T08:42:27.622-05:00Failure to progress<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The #1 cause of C-sections is <a href="http://evidencebasedbirth.com/friedmans-curve-and-failure-to-progress-a-leading-cause-of-unplanned-c-sections/" target="_blank">failure to progress..</a>...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here's a simple, yet perfect demonstration on why that can happen in a hospital.....</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">so I encourage you to expect it will likely happen to you, and have a plan ready.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What can you do? <a href="http://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/8-natural-effective-tips-for-stalled-labour" target="_blank">Here's some suggestions</a></span></div>
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<br />Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-75124438989114593432014-09-23T09:45:00.000-05:002014-09-24T07:13:08.494-05:00Guest Post: Tantrums 101, by Callan <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnN0sCRiZGzikpIGVscwWJRVhQTs3EhOVQeIbHUPHrEeuf3vaVaSy2PvOc4kovCDSC1CqXp2eAzLy-PH3VzHe0zHYakvpMyPuijNOdkxmZoMSoac54XpbufjKJ0bHsuNWV5QzWU71CJjcd/s1600/photo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnN0sCRiZGzikpIGVscwWJRVhQTs3EhOVQeIbHUPHrEeuf3vaVaSy2PvOc4kovCDSC1CqXp2eAzLy-PH3VzHe0zHYakvpMyPuijNOdkxmZoMSoac54XpbufjKJ0bHsuNWV5QzWU71CJjcd/s1600/photo2.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>Sup, I'm Kellie's oldest son, Callan....<br />
<span style="text-align: center;">Now that I am a big brother and 1 & 3/4<span style="font-size: x-small;">ths</span> years old I have decided to dip my toe in the art of tantrums and throwing myself on the floor....</span><br />
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First things first...<u>Reasons</u> to pout, throw a tantrum, and /or throw yourself on the floor: ANY...yep, any reason will do.<br />
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If your Mom tries to take anything away from you...ever...<br />
here's what you need to do:<br />
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<li>Scream your face-off- make sure to follow her around the house while doing this. Now, any rookie can do this but if you can recruit your little brother or sis and have them join in then bonus points...you've really made an effort.</li>
<li>Look at her in anger and hit something, anything...but not too hard as you might hurt yourself. She'll say "no hitting, be sweet" but dont let that sway you....do it again playa.</li>
<li>Take something and throw it, anything will do really...but if you really want a reaction I recommend either going for her cell phone or a drink within reach....but be careful on this one because if there's something called "wine" ?sp? in it then you are in really big trouble! Now I haven't done this one yet, I'm saving it for when I really want to do a little "character building" on Mom---> throw her phone IN her drink!!!! Oh man....</li>
<li>Now here's an optional mind game you can use on her.....Just stop crying and laugh...just for a second though. **Dont over use this one...as you will prob get "evaluated" and put on meds.</li>
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<b>How to throw yourself on the floor properly..</b></div>
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Its very basic...hover very low and close to the floor and gently fall on your stomach, arms spread.</div>
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The other day I made kind of a rookie move though...I was outside and Mom and Dad were taking me to the fair, Dad had to go back inside and get the keys to his truck....so I had to teach them a lesson....If you say we are going BYE, BYE...then we need to go BYE, BYE! I screamed and was about to throw myself on the ground when I noticed it was gravel and dirt, so I had to change locations mid-tantrum. So I kept on NOT-keeping-my-cool and hovered as low to the ground as possible as I searched for a more suitable place to fall, the rug at the backdoor fit the bill, so bam. This made Mom laugh...rookie move, I know but once I started, I had to commit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMzo7EZQ6pC0Yf-m97jIhQ8LpFTbgNHXXfoKP1uoWDaO_cYDINdK01tdRP1vzgBFNzVBXhpNBubzYFAt_ZR-IMVpYB3S6NfP182Sz3hmzTGNaA9LWbrCc4Vl9IOMucJuS_1EBM71MoxBx/s1600/photo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMzo7EZQ6pC0Yf-m97jIhQ8LpFTbgNHXXfoKP1uoWDaO_cYDINdK01tdRP1vzgBFNzVBXhpNBubzYFAt_ZR-IMVpYB3S6NfP182Sz3hmzTGNaA9LWbrCc4Vl9IOMucJuS_1EBM71MoxBx/s1600/photo1.jpg" height="248" width="320" /></a>Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-2907295719997273922014-09-03T07:48:00.000-05:002014-09-03T08:28:50.640-05:00Perfect New Mommy Gift<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If I were to arrange a gift basket for a new mom, here are some things I would put in it....and it would be the best, most useful gift she ever received! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">..... and then I would be her superhero and she would feel forever in my debt......or not</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAbUIVSQgSwLC3AYWJenzCoWu1cS_FXGS-spf9OIx0EIPEXbU_JJEI1Ush-7T0RcmJHjcl-Y01VziUy-8cG33eDLrLbvzMqaeIZgbJpIsn4laAD7-fnFipnwXSuojUJb1Xd8Y623i5T7H/s1600/Product-Page-GW-box_RETOUCH-285x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAbUIVSQgSwLC3AYWJenzCoWu1cS_FXGS-spf9OIx0EIPEXbU_JJEI1Ush-7T0RcmJHjcl-Y01VziUy-8cG33eDLrLbvzMqaeIZgbJpIsn4laAD7-fnFipnwXSuojUJb1Xd8Y623i5T7H/s1600/Product-Page-GW-box_RETOUCH-285x300.jpg" height="200" width="190" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b><u><a href="http://www.mommysbliss.com/store/products/gripe-water/" target="_blank">gripe water-</a></u></b></span> it seems like the first 3 months or so are a gassy time for little baby, oh they squirm and struggle to get those cute little toots out, it can make them very uncomfortable and really fussy. Gripe Water works within minutes of giving to my little guy, and he belches and farts like a grown man, I mean stank bombs ya'll! So add air-freshener to this list as well, lol. After he gets rid of all that gas he is much more content and usually takes himself a nice nap. Seriously though 9 times out of 8 if your baby is not sleepy, hungry or has a dirty diaper and is still fussy- its probably gas....<a href="http://www.mommysbliss.com/store/products/gripe-water/" target="_blank">this </a>is the brand I like cause you dont have to refrigerate it</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYHEPc_DlqWzr0uUYqfd9E5ywO7DGXsZixE-2YS0EBfAyS4MlrbaWH23bqUZIuRPSsWZn7PmgOsSq86wdH6NiBWTFodZgODK2W4S8Zu5TyysQULpdEnEaQAq-UQE1vK2l_jWFjaCXoLjX/s1600/v.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYHEPc_DlqWzr0uUYqfd9E5ywO7DGXsZixE-2YS0EBfAyS4MlrbaWH23bqUZIuRPSsWZn7PmgOsSq86wdH6NiBWTFodZgODK2W4S8Zu5TyysQULpdEnEaQAq-UQE1vK2l_jWFjaCXoLjX/s1600/v.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYHEPc_DlqWzr0uUYqfd9E5ywO7DGXsZixE-2YS0EBfAyS4MlrbaWH23bqUZIuRPSsWZn7PmgOsSq86wdH6NiBWTFodZgODK2W4S8Zu5TyysQULpdEnEaQAq-UQE1vK2l_jWFjaCXoLjX/s1600/v.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYHEPc_DlqWzr0uUYqfd9E5ywO7DGXsZixE-2YS0EBfAyS4MlrbaWH23bqUZIuRPSsWZn7PmgOsSq86wdH6NiBWTFodZgODK2W4S8Zu5TyysQULpdEnEaQAq-UQE1vK2l_jWFjaCXoLjX/s1600/v.jpg" height="200" width="192" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><u></u></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><u>vacuum cleaner- </u></b></span>There will come a moment (or <i>moments</i>) when nothing you do will make your baby quit crying.....this will be your saving grace, yes the vacuum. The loud hum will calm your baby and even more importantly calm YOU. It makes them babies conk-out!....park that bad boy in your living room and use it, trust me!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6L1z_N5hqBIykaAkDUL5LyLLtvqZZUDRKtucE0Qd2IS9AaNy6WT5Eqe8c4_R8MRsq0g4L41pj6_Aw4Ljps0MoUz1rReWZQLyTnNCLlXtJRqYohh7d3sRNCCcxtu_44oRCJUCqca7RDYT/s1600/nf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6L1z_N5hqBIykaAkDUL5LyLLtvqZZUDRKtucE0Qd2IS9AaNy6WT5Eqe8c4_R8MRsq0g4L41pj6_Aw4Ljps0MoUz1rReWZQLyTnNCLlXtJRqYohh7d3sRNCCcxtu_44oRCJUCqca7RDYT/s1600/nf.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u>Nose Frida-</u></span></b> this is the ultimate snot sucker! Who are they kidding with those bulb syringes??? This is the real-deal-holyfield. It seems gross, at first, when you think about your mouth at one end and a snotty nose at the other. But this thing gets it all out and has as much sucking power as you can muster, and yes there is a filter so you will not ingest any of the grossness....its impossible. I have a napkin next to the baby's head and after inhale all that stuff into the tube I exhale it all on the napkin. It works like a charm to get your baby breathing freely again. <a href="http://www.fridababy.com/shop/nosefrida/" target="_blank">Here's the link.</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ljfd8AvYOuJWyHiyclXvtGA2009SXh7iOtc5iSvWXBQCDer4vWL5YZ8JfbeCmLXNagoWPIUk5HYONpJpJCfc9mqfez9tKzE7297pdZdLVnN3lKhJy74i-KnOjbPikIz-nJBJqqKxiE2Y/s1600/warn-bath-with-epsom-salt-300x207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ljfd8AvYOuJWyHiyclXvtGA2009SXh7iOtc5iSvWXBQCDer4vWL5YZ8JfbeCmLXNagoWPIUk5HYONpJpJCfc9mqfez9tKzE7297pdZdLVnN3lKhJy74i-KnOjbPikIz-nJBJqqKxiE2Y/s1600/warn-bath-with-epsom-salt-300x207.jpg" height="138" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.epsomsaltsbath.com/10-benefits-epsom-salt/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u>epsom salt-</u></span></b> </a>as a new mom your body has endured A LOT recently . And now with holding your new baby all the time, and nursing or bottle feeding...your body will be achy from hunching over. If your are co-sleeping or side-lying nursing to catch some more zzz's you'll find yourself in some wonky sleep positions which might not feel so great in the morning.....here's what you do: feed the baby, then hand that baby off to daddy, park him next to the vacuum, and go take yourself a hot bath!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXs91wj4hqsuHOZrVPD7D7L1lOLVUdXS0osL8YTt6LkAznyOLW0JToPYlTbrBDotFVlEi8OyApV7Nqx4Lx1J5RtMMjk-d7SQ2EbgQu1y1mO8e1dw9BZ1HT4ZaC6EMIY_qI0u-ZVhWzdaJ/s1600/wb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXs91wj4hqsuHOZrVPD7D7L1lOLVUdXS0osL8YTt6LkAznyOLW0JToPYlTbrBDotFVlEi8OyApV7Nqx4Lx1J5RtMMjk-d7SQ2EbgQu1y1mO8e1dw9BZ1HT4ZaC6EMIY_qI0u-ZVhWzdaJ/s1600/wb.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><u><a href="http://www.buygreen.com/" target="_blank">water bottle you can carry with 1 finger</a></u></b></span>- a friend of mine got one for me and it was used a lot! Something you dont even think about...but is very useful because you will have your hands full quite a bit!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7U8SvUNbJrJmSYYyOWZWgvFWjKkkWPWQy06UQe-T-XF9AzROQphiA0LB2Vc7Eek5GP_qBJHLtV8ZXc_cj7Ij-9DWQgic_6kFmOa_8lSk3649tfqH1f9N8WN0l5v68QE4k0gd3oYgb85MW/s1600/ds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7U8SvUNbJrJmSYYyOWZWgvFWjKkkWPWQy06UQe-T-XF9AzROQphiA0LB2Vc7Eek5GP_qBJHLtV8ZXc_cj7Ij-9DWQgic_6kFmOa_8lSk3649tfqH1f9N8WN0l5v68QE4k0gd3oYgb85MW/s1600/ds.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><a href="http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/advice/g1417/best-dry-shampoo/" target="_blank">dry shampoo- </a></u></b></span> because showers <i>tend to take a backseat </i>and you'll have guests coming to see that sweet new bundle of joy!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AJQm9bpwzUFQFLVZWHB8pnEwU4FuAuoHPXUKL5LgYe7Vf54uY6sQ13uz5m-FIVRzu4il3id-Kf9CBqP8HasQznIgwh6zolVDa1RIVSjpigGh2yXgSNKA4p1olosmdAcLonNF2qklJHip/s1600/sc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AJQm9bpwzUFQFLVZWHB8pnEwU4FuAuoHPXUKL5LgYe7Vf54uY6sQ13uz5m-FIVRzu4il3id-Kf9CBqP8HasQznIgwh6zolVDa1RIVSjpigGh2yXgSNKA4p1olosmdAcLonNF2qklJHip/s1600/sc.jpg" height="200" width="199" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><u>scrunchie</u></b></span> (yes, like from the 90's)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">-styling your hair </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">tends to take a back seat</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"> and you'll want that hair out of your face...I wore my hair in a rubber-band day and night and with the breakage I got I could recreate the wings I had in this pic</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGxa97N0Taq8KjfgesNC2dWy9vLhreTxiP9YBEKxOdIoBAJEm6RLW0zle8b8izbEwz1HL23KXVDUIYGcs7AWO2Ohn4KCx2-wNRNoGy5RkUitbM8jqE5VG6fbJ3oAeLHai2sQzGhavV5Gf/s1600/ko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGxa97N0Taq8KjfgesNC2dWy9vLhreTxiP9YBEKxOdIoBAJEm6RLW0zle8b8izbEwz1HL23KXVDUIYGcs7AWO2Ohn4KCx2-wNRNoGy5RkUitbM8jqE5VG6fbJ3oAeLHai2sQzGhavV5Gf/s1600/ko.jpg" height="200" width="155" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">I found a cloth scrunchie and have been using it ever since, it saves my hair and is more comfortable for long term wearing, plus it looks really super rad...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Other helpful items....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><u>mints/ gum- </u></b></span>brushing your teeth <i>tends to take a back seat</i>, lol...I mean you'll eventually get to it sometime during the day but until then....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><u>snack bars, muffins-</u></b></span> sitting down to warm meals <i>tend to take a back seat</i>....mainly during the day. I find its easier to eat on the go and these items are easy to eat with one hand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><u>chap stick</u></b></span>- dry lips suck</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="color: blue;">Visine & eye cream</span></u></b>- needs no explanation</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="color: blue;">A love note/ or a pep talk-</span></u></b> tell her to read it when she uses the vacuum cleaner method of baby calming, or when she feels overwhelmed. Personalize the letter, but make sure to include some key elements....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- she is doing a great job, she rocks at being a mom!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- an offer of some baby holding so she may shower or whatever she needs to do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- this phase is only temporary- **although this seemed to piss me off when I heard it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- to not judge your skills as a mother by how many times you use the vacuum or how much your baby cries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>My experience....</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember very clearly being overwhelmed as a first time mom.....Calling my mom or husband and saying..."tell me I'm a good mom and I can do this...." ( while crying...and looking for the corkscrew)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After I went back to work (my hours were 5a-1pm) I would relieve my mom at 1pm. By 3pm I would show up at her house </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in tears </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">with the baby (</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">at least</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> once a week) , just exhausted and needing a nap...the first 6 months Callan would wake every 2 hours and sometimes 1 hour to nurse and </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">it killed me.</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">....finally after my husband gave me a talking-to we had to let him cry it out...no sleep for me was affecting every aspect of my life....CIO was painful for me, but not really as bad as I thought it would be...www.troublesometots.com has some great CIO articles and info on baby sleep in general.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It really does take a village to raise a child and new moms USE your loved ones to make this stressful time easier for you...it will make you a happier & better mommy. When people offer help TAKE IT! Communicate with your husband and tell him how to help. Reach out to other moms for advice, d</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">o not think you have to do this alone.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All that being said, the second kid is so. much. easier. It helps that he's a good sleeper at the moment....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">****MOMMY RULE #1- never get too comfortable with your current situation...just when you think you have it figured out, your baby changes the game...thats rule#1</span><br />
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Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-32082348453476044162014-08-28T07:01:00.003-05:002014-08-29T07:13:54.670-05:00Is it safe<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1602915984270018389" itemprop="description articleBody" style="line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 528px;">
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I wrote this awhile back, and as I am rearranging my blog I decided to use it as a post rather than delete it....</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Is it Safe???? YES! (Until its not)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used to be quite the pill popper....I mean, how easy is it? There is a buffet of pills you can take for any condition! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BUT THERE ARE SIDE EFFECTS!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But you can always take a pill for those as well...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you seen this ad for a lawsuit on TV?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;">“There are boys who grew breasts as large as ‘D’ cups. There’s a major design defect here, which the judge was going to allow us to pursue, not just the fact that labeling understated risks.” Full article <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/edsilverman/2012/09/11/jj-sees-male-breasts-and-quickly-settles-risperdal-suit/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What does this have to do with <b>babies and pregnancy</b>?? EVERYTHING! You cant always trust the pill manufacturer to disclose (or even know) all the side effects...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is that the info the Doctor uses to tell you its safe for you to use?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;">"the antipsychotic was not approved for use in children <br />in the US at the time. "</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">But Doctors prescribed it to them! <br />And told the trusting Mother that it was safe!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Sometimes the benefits of a drug outweigh the risks, but you should be able to make that decision with <br />full disclosure of the risks.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">AND NOW THIS...</span></span></span></div>
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Study Finds Adverse Effects of Pitocin in Newborns....</h1>
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<span style="font-size: 18px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">At the Annual Clinical Meeting of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Researchers say this is </span><span style="color: red;">the first study of its kind </span><span style="color: #666666;">to present data on the adverse effects of Pitocin use on newborns. </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: proxima-nova, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">Though this was a relatively small, retrospective study, the results did reveal that women who were given Pitocin to induce or augment their labors did have an increased risk of having a baby with lower Apgar scores or who required admission to the NICU. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/study-pitocin-harm-babies/story?id=19148043" target="_blank">Read more</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="text-align: start;">May I ask, </span><span style="color: red; text-align: start;">WHY</span><span style="text-align: start;"> is this the "first study of its kind" on how pitocin affects OUR BABIES??!!</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; text-align: start;">Pitocin is so commonly used in hospitals...I just... I cant....this just truly infuriates me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/24/acetaminophen-in-pregnancy-linked-to-adhd-like-behaviors/" rel="bookmark" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Permanent Link:Acetaminophen in pregnancy linked to 'ADHD-like behaviors'">Acetaminophen in pregnancy linked to <br />'ADHD-like behaviors'</a></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wait, isnt that whats deemed safe in pregnancy? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Read the article <a href="http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/24/acetaminophen-in-pregnancy-linked-to-adhd-like-behaviors/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That article is very confusing...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My point is always be conscientious about what you put in your body especially when you have a little human being in there relying on you. An even if its "safe" right now doesnt mean it will be in the future....I mean, hell, in the 1950's Doctors advised pregnant women to smoke cigarettes for relaxation! </span></div>
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Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-34337158648891867562014-08-27T07:42:00.001-05:002014-08-28T08:10:49.169-05:00What day is it?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello friends! I have so much I want to blog about since I've become a mother of 2....but I am so exhausted I cant seem to remember any of my brilliant observations. I write a post in my head nearly every day....in the most inopportune times....mainly when I'm trying to go to sleep,lol. Every time I decide to open my laptop a kid hears it and wakes up....so I gave up trying to write at home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am back at work now, which I have mixed feelings about...I enjoy having some time outside the house and its nice to be able to use both of my arms for a few hours a day....Briggs will not let me put him down, anyone else holds him and they can put him down with no fuss...not Momma though! Dont get me wrong, I l-o-v-e, love holding and kissing my kids but some times a sista needs to eat...put on deodorant...brush her teeth ...pick her nose...you get the idea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I plan on re-working the blog a little bit...so expect that around the year 2020...I just did the math and realized thats only 6 years away...man, 2020 sounds like there should be flying cars...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anywho, its really tough to make this brain work right now so blogging is gonna take a back seat. I just dont have it in me right now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It really is true when you hear people say that being a parent is the hardest and most awesome thing you can ever do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out Mr. Briggs...he sure is changing! He's started smiling a lot and even rolled over a few times...He will be 2 months old tomorrow!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~Kellie</span>Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-66938026415483927842014-08-06T11:00:00.000-05:002014-08-28T08:11:03.775-05:00Natalie's Birth Story of SladeHey all! Yes I am surviving, 2 under 2 isn't the 24/7 chaos I expected, but that's only because of my awesome Mother and Mother in Law....seriously...it takes a village....but that's another post for another day. <br />
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I want you to check out my friend Natalie's' birth story of Slade. Natalie and I were due 5 days apart and we bonded over both being big ol' preggers and mothers of 2 boys. She ended up giving birth the day after my due date and I gave birth the day after hers....funny how things work out, lol.<br />
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Please check out her story and her awesome blog!<br />
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<a href="http://www.theshadyacre.com/">http://www.theshadyacre.com/</a><br />
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Toodles, <br />
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KellieKelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-6549661247515262252014-07-29T08:14:00.000-05:002014-08-28T08:11:15.890-05:00Guest Post: Cheryl's Miscarriage<br />
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4 Things I Learned from my Miscarriage</div>
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**I want to start by saying, this was <em>my </em>experience with a miscarriage. Your experience may have been different or what you learned or needed during your grieving process may have been different and that's ok. We can learn from each other and comfort each other and that is the purpose of this post.**</div>
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I woke my husband up early that morning with a kiss and an excited “it's positive!” I was thrilled to be pregnant with my fifth baby. Soon enough, I had all the good, healthy pregnancy signs that put me in bed feeling like death. Life was good. My first prenatal appointment with my midwife was perfect. Baby sounded good, I didn't pass out when she took my blood, I managed to pee in the cup without a mess, all good stuff. Then I went back for my second prenatal and we couldn't find a heartbeat. At first I didn't really worry. I'm sure baby was there just in a funky place that the doppler couldn't pick up. She told me she could try again the next day or I could go get an ultrasound to just check on things. We tried again the next day, still nothing so I made the appointment with the ultrasound tech that confirmed we lost the baby. It was the hardest moment of my life. That was almost two years ago. I have since had another baby but am still part of this club that isn't talked about much. There are four things I learned having gone through a miscarriage.</div>
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<em><strong>The loss of a pregnancy (no matter how early) can be devastating, take time to grieve.</strong></em></div>
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I was surprised by the amount of grief I experienced. I couldn't believe the amount of tears I cried for this little person I never got to truly meet. I loved him and my heart ached to hold him and carry him in my belly once again. I was allowed to cry, yell, sleep, be alone, talk, whatever I needed to get through this tough time. I was loved on. I thought that I would be expected to just get on with life but I knew that was impossible and I wondered if I would ever be able to move on. It took time but as the weeks passed, I cried less. Even today, I miss my baby and look forward to the day I get to hold him and kiss him. So, mamas, take your time. There's no rush in grieving.</div>
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<em><strong>Find a friend and talk about it if that helps you.</strong></em></div>
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I wanted to talk about what happened. It helped me process it. I talked through my story with several trusted friends but one friend in particular, who had several miscarriages herself , spent many hours crying, praying, talking, and sitting in silence with me. Find this friend, if possible. I was actually surprised by how many women whispered “me, too” when I told them I had a miscarriage. We are in this together, friends, find a mama who relate and let them cry with you, talk with you, hug you, and pray for you. You need it. You don't have to suffer alone. Let the people close to you know what you need. Don't be afraid to ask for help. It doesn't mean you're weak, it means you are a grieving mama and you deserve help and to be loved on.</div>
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<em><strong>Getting pregnant again doesn't replace the baby you lost or “cure” your grief.</strong></em></div>
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When I got pregnant again five months after my miscarriage I expected to be healed. I was surprised when I found myself still crying or just still sad for my baby in heaven. This new baby whom I love dearly, my rainbow baby, does not replace the one I lost. I think I will always mourn his loss, mourn the baby that I never got to mother and that's ok.</div>
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<em><strong>People don't know what to say, forgive them.</strong></em></div>
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I was actually fairly lucky in this respect. I've heard some of the well meaning but hurtful lines said to mothers mourning a loss. Likely this is said by someone who has never had a miscarriage or lost a baby, so forgive them. I cringe to think I was among those well meaning people before my loss, I pray I have the right words now. For me, the most hurtful thing was my baby not being acknowledged. We had a family holiday about a month after the miscarriage and I so badly wanted someone to come to me and acknowledge his life, death, and my broken heart. I know they felt awkward and didn't want to hurt me, I understand that and I forgive them.</div>
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Mamas, if you are reading this after a loss of your own, I'm so very sorry. I know how your heart aches and whole body yearns to hold that sweet little baby. I pray for hope and healing for you. You are not alone in this. It's not a club I wanted to be in but I hope I am now able comfort a grieving mother. Much love and hugs to you, sweet mama. Your baby is waiting for you and you'll be together again.</div>
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There is a website that I wish I had known about after my miscarriage that may help you during your journey. <a href="http://www.stillbirthday.com/">www.stillbirthday.com</a> I hope you are able to find the information and/or comfort your are looking for and needing.</div>
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Many blessings to you,</div>
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Cheryl</div>
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- See more at: <a href="http://www.darlingbirth.com/blog">http://www.darlingbirth.com/blog</a>Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-55058926003614795092014-07-21T07:13:00.000-05:002014-08-28T08:11:35.268-05:00Dear Husbands<span style="color: purple;">At one point (or more) in your pregnancy there might be tension between you and your spouse. I found that to be true at the very end of the pregnancy as we were patiently(Lol) waiting for our baby to be born...... we were both getting more and more frustrated with each other until I wrote this.....feel free to give it to your husbands, it really helped me and my husband get back on track. ~Kellie</span><br />
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Dear Husbands, <br />
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Pregnancy is not easy on anyone is it? The woman you knew as your wife is now a ball of hormones, wearing your ring. Its hard to know the right thing to say or do, you don't feel appreciated for the extra duties you've taken on around the house and with the other kid(s), and sometimes its hard to feel the love. Unfortunately for you, when dealing with a ball of hormones you've got to be bigger and stronger. What ever you do...don't feed the beast! As your role of the supportive Husband, you need to lift her up and show her love...even when it might be incredibly difficult. One minute she is smiling and the next she is in tears and biting your head off...choose to forgive her and show her love.... give her a kiss, and a hug and simply tell her you love her. Remember that she is not herself right now and try to remember what she is enduring as well- Her world has completely changed, she is the protector of this little being you created together and that's a lot of pressure. Her body has completely changed and will continue to do so, making everyday tasks uncomfortable and difficult which can be very frustrating. She is not getting much sleep at night. You, as the Husband, cant possibly understand what she is going through and that might make her feel isolated and alone...your presence, support and affection is still very much needed even though you might not feel like it is. <br />
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I understand it must be frustrating to come home and there she is, again, laying on the couch....must be nice. But what she's really doing is trying to ease her back pain and avoid taking any pills that could harm your baby, so maybe cut her some slack. And know the closer she gets to having your baby, the more important it is for you to be forgiving, supportive, loving and her source of strength. The end of a pregnancy can be a very emotional, frustrating, and lonely time for a woman, and as the Husband you can choose to make it easier or harder for you both. Please remember 2 things, 1- This is only temporary. 2- When you don't know what to do: kiss her, hug her and tell her you love her...that's it.<br />
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Love, <br />
Your pregnant Wife<br />
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<br />Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-41088367452156892512014-07-16T09:24:00.000-05:002014-08-28T08:11:45.251-05:00Guest Post: Kimberly Hill IBCLC<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the first decisions new parents make is how to feed their babies. For those who choose </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">breastfeeding, it’s not uncommon to run into some sort of frustration. While breastfeeding is a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">natural process, we have lost a lot of breastfeeding knowledge in our culture due to a severe drop in </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">breastfeeding rates in the recent past. Many of us have never seen a baby nurse before we watch </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">our own baby, and basic guidelines of what to expect (in regards to lactation) after you deliver are often mysteries to new parents. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking for breastfeeding help can cause even more frustrations. Well meaning grandparents may be </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">passing on outdated information. Friends may share what worked for them while your body and your </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">baby might require a different approach. The “breastfeeding nurse” may have no specific education in </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">breastfeeding at all, or could be a fabulous resource, but how do you know the difference? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Certified childbirth educators, doulas, lactation educators and La Leche League leaders generally have a good basic education in breastfeeding. They will probably cover what a typical nursing relationship looks like in classes and can answer the common questions like, “why does my baby’s poop look like it has seeds in it?” (That’s the casein—the curds in “curds and whey”—that your baby isn’t processing just yet, and it’s totally normal to see it in the early weeks). These birth professionals generally know their limits and will refer out anything that is beyond their scope of practice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you’ve determined you are having a more serious problem though, who do you see? The gold </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">standard is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). An IBCLC acquires several years of education specifically in human lactation. They are required to have a background in health sciences, including biology, anatomy, infant and child development, counseling skills and other related topics; complete at least 90 hours of continuing education in lactation; and complete many hours of supervised clinical practice before they can apply to sit for the board exam. After passing through this application process and passing the exam, they become an IBCLC. Many people spend 3-4 years on this process in addition to any college degrees they might have. IBCLCs are required to recertify every 5 years by continuing education or by exam. In short, a person who holds an IBCLC can be expected to have extensive lactation experience. If you are not sure whether or not you are working with an IBCLC, you can check the registry </span><a href="http://iblce.org/resources/iblce-registry/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you hire an IBCLC, you may be wondering what to expect in an appointment. This will vary a bit depending on your situation, but it is important to remember that both mom and baby are patients </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">when working with an IBCLC and sometimes the root of the problem may be caused by something </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">seemingly unrelated. Your appointment should include reviewing what your primary concerns are and what your breastfeeding goals are. There should be a fairly thorough medical history taken on both you and the baby. Some of these questions will be obviously necessary, like the weight history of the baby. Some may seem more intrusive, like asking for a full list of medications you take, and discussing your menstrual history or any difficulties conceiving. These things seem unrelated but can often yield clues to solving things like low milk supply. Depending on the situation, the IBCLC will also examine your breasts and the baby’s mouth. She should ask permission before touching you or your baby. She may offer or ask to hold the baby and talk to him or her a bit. During this time she is looking for clues and red flags in how the baby holds his or her body and moves around that may be affecting latch or ability to transfer milk well. An oral exam will include assessing for tongue and lip ties and palate abnormalities along with tongue mobility and then discussing these issues with you. While some IBCLCs feel these evaluations should be done on every baby, I feel like it is important to keep my fingers out of baby’s mouth unless there is cause for concern, but I am always keeping a close eye on how baby is moving his or her tongue while we “talk” and during rooting and latching.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If mother is in pain or baby’s weight gain is below normal limits, the IBCLC should observe a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">breastfeeding session.There are a few ways to approach this task. I choose to have mothers do what </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">they have already been doing and we adjust from there. I strive for a hands off approach, where I talk </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">mom through adjustments rather than physically moving her or the baby. Since I will not be in the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">home all the time, I think it’s important for parents to learn how to adjust the latch on their own. When latch looks good to me, I ask mom how it feels to her. A latch that “looks good” is not good if mom is hurting. When mom and baby are both comfortable and baby is transferring milk well (while I discuss the signs, I am looking to assess this), I will often bring in dad or grandma or aunt to see what I’m seeing so they can help mom remember what to look for when I am not around. We will try nursing on the second side and I encourage mom and her support person to fix the latch on their own this time before I offer more pointers. A good IBCLC will be encouraging you towards self-confidence and self-reliance. While I am available to my clients for months after I first see them, it is important to me that they build confidence in their own abilities, not reliance on me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other topics discussed in an appointment can vary greatly, but will probably include information </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">about how to tell your baby is getting enough milk, the safety of medications while breastfeeding, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">normal newborn behavior, and general information about transitioning to life with a new baby. The </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">IBCLC will help develop a plan of action that will help you along toward your goals. This may include a specific set of directions to follow each day, suggestions for blood work to request, regular weight checks, and/or just a general guideline to follow. This action plan should be evidence based and the IBCLC should be clear if any of her suggestions are more anecdotally based. She should also be sure you understand why each suggestion is being made. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The IBCLC will probably give you some tips about working through certain milestones many babies go through on a predictable schedule. She should make sure the plan of action is doable for mom’s specific situation. This involves reading a mom’s emotional state, listening empathetically to what her challenges are and discussing point blank if mom feels the plan is feasible or not. Be honest with your IBCLC. If you are already completely overwhelmed, do not let someone tell you that you have to nurse 12 times a day, pump 12 times a day and supplement in order to be successful. It is rare that there is only one solution to a problem and a good IBCLC should be able to adjust your plan to fit your family. A summary of your visit and the plan that was agreed on should be provided in writing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the appointment, there should also be follow-up. I generally stay in touch with my clients </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">primarily by email. This gives them a written record of our conversation that they can refer back to at </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">anytime. I choose to include follow-up in the initial fee I charge because I feel it encourages moms to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">contact me early if things aren’t going well. It is always easier to intervene earlier on. In general, I will contact my clients 2-3 days after I see them to check in and see how they are doing and make sure the plan we agreed on is working for them, or make adjustments where necessary. I continue following up on this schedule until things settle down and mom is feeling confident. If mom has requested it, I will provide a written report of our visit(s) and conversations that she can provide to her or the baby’s doctor. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An IBCLC can be a key member of your healthcare team. They are the specialists in lactation that can help address a wide range of breastfeeding issues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~Kimberly Hill, IBCLC</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can reach her at:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://momsmilkbcs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">momsmilkbcs.blogspot.com</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> or facebook page </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/MomsMilkBcs" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>MomsMilkBcs</span></a></div>
Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-44972902675882936352014-07-15T07:54:00.002-05:002014-08-28T08:12:03.292-05:00Guest Post from Briggs' Birth TeamWhen Kellie asked me to write something about her birth this time my response was that it will be short and sweet. That was because she didn’t do much labor time and I wasn’t there but about 26 minutes before Mr. Briggs made his grand appearance. So I thought since Kellie has done such a great job educating you folks about pregnancy, labor and birth I should take some time to go back and make a little history leading up to Briggs birth. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBa5hyphenhyphenzO6twXZrOtoxEN3hm_9SoK1WbNoLqB-aVR78IswnuF4QoF_ME9UXrpXsCWe3KWwoan7FSlSNpyl6PDSRWeOJR1_RldhdD63nI5X2RViIliCQGaB4ZVZYVNWG17T36p5Us6e9t6-J/s1600/ToniGinaBoys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBa5hyphenhyphenzO6twXZrOtoxEN3hm_9SoK1WbNoLqB-aVR78IswnuF4QoF_ME9UXrpXsCWe3KWwoan7FSlSNpyl6PDSRWeOJR1_RldhdD63nI5X2RViIliCQGaB4ZVZYVNWG17T36p5Us6e9t6-J/s1600/ToniGinaBoys.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gina, Midwife in training<br />
Toni, Midwife<br />
Callan & Briggs</td></tr>
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For Kellie’s first pregnancy, she decided to use me as her midwife and have a homebirth. She had a healthy good pregnancy, took classes and did everything right. She carried the baby to 41 weeks and 6 days. Then the great day came with a SROM, spontaneous rupture of membranes at 12:30 AM. Contractions started soon after. She labored at home with just Beau for about seven hours and then called me to come. Amazingly this awesome first time mom was 8 cm at 8:00 AM! Whoohoo! We should be having a baby soon! Right! Well from there it was a slow go. Five hours later, she was still at 9 cm and was starting to tire out and contractions were spacing and loosing there ump. We tried, honey, labor tinctures, resting, position changes. Finally got complete about 4:30 PM and started pushing. Tried all positions, toilet, stool, bed, toilet, stool, more tincture ....... About 8:00 PM after 3 1⁄2 hours of pushing and not a real sign that we would be pushing the baby out soon we decided a hospital transport was the best decision. After we transferred to the hospital, took a little rest, got some pitocin, got some good contractions going again and with a little help with the vacuum extraction, the cutest little chunky baby made his appearance and we were all so happy to see this cute little man. Mr. Callan weighed in at 9 lb 8 oz. and was a handsome baby boy! Kellie was so totally amazing to go through this long drawn out end of labor phase that just seem to last forever! But she was brave and strong and hung in there and pushed out her big boy! <br />
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I always like to tell my first time mommas that “you never have to have a first baby but once!” So, nine months later ..... next pregnancy. Kellie was so strong and brave again to decide that she was up to the challenge to do this again. She rocked this pregnancy, being so much wiser and ahead of the game this time around. She gained less weight, had little swelling this time and made great plans for the coming birth! She planned for a photographer, massage therapist, her mother, midwife and birth assistant to all be there for her beautiful water birth! Then as nature would have it she went into labor at 40 weeks and 6 days. She started labor at 7:00 AM with the SROM again, but this time without contractions so she took some castor oil about 8:00 AM. Kellie took a nap and woke to contractions about 10:20 AM. Her text was funny, 10:40 AM – “Getting stronger contractions. Seem to be 5 min apart.” <br />
I replied, “ Are you ready for me to come?” <br />
Kellie, “Not yet”.<br />
Me, “ Ok, I just need to change”.<br />
Kellie, “ Maybe u should come and see”.<br />
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I arrived at 11:17 AM and no one was coming to the door. I decided I better let myself in and as I opened the door, Beau was coming. He was busy with setting up the pool. I went to check on Kellie. She was having a really hard contraction. Once it was over I got vital signs and listened to the baby. Then another strong contraction and as I listened I said, “are you pushing with those?” I don’t think she had realized that yes, she was pushing.<br />
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At that point I had to move quickly to get things brought in and set up for the birth. No, I didn’t get things set up. I was looking for pads, gloves, etc..... the plastic wasn’t on the bed. I called to Beau to ditch the pool idea; there would be no time for a water birth. Cheryl the birth assistant walked in as Kellie was pushing again. Baby was coming. No time for set up. No time for a water birth. I think at some point, I don’t remember if it was before Briggs made his grand appearance or just after that I noticed Kellie’s mom and the massage therapist had gotten there. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0M1-sKMp77nZ6eT5cZRrxQn2-JkmO5AVj73kDusKU3_G_9kQ8_1K94SbP-DBzLVign0-H-OaGYGPwDeF4Y6scn4XttcXspNa3k9rRsnWLA8kBUOGKXBcNqIxUxX-gdp7Bh8I42TzxexO/s1600/Toni+and+B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0M1-sKMp77nZ6eT5cZRrxQn2-JkmO5AVj73kDusKU3_G_9kQ8_1K94SbP-DBzLVign0-H-OaGYGPwDeF4Y6scn4XttcXspNa3k9rRsnWLA8kBUOGKXBcNqIxUxX-gdp7Bh8I42TzxexO/s1600/Toni+and+B.jpg" height="320" width="270" /></a>After arriving at 11:17 baby was born at 11:43 AM! 26 minutes and he was born. Kellie was so amazing and strong to be so far into her labor and just an hour before be telling me she wasn’t ready for me to come! She was amazing!<br />
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Briggs came in weighing 10 pounds even! My first look at him I saw Callan’s same little face! These boys could be twins! I know they will change and take on their own looks but no denying they are brothers!It was a great honor to help Kellie and Beau bring these precious boys into the world! I love this work and seeing families grow!<br />
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~Toni Kimpel, Midwife<br />
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Dear Briggs,</div>
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Your birth was incredible. Your mama is amazing. I was so excited when your mom announced her pregnancy and home birth plans with you. You see, your mom and dad were in my Bradley classes when they were pregnant with your big brother and I got to know them pretty well. I was at your house for a long time when she was in labor with Callan. I was so proud of her strength and determination during his birth. I knew she had big plans with you and was proud again of her determination and further educating herself on birth and her options. She started a blog to help other moms learn more about birth and share stories and experiences. She wrote a lot about you. She was pretty smitten by you from the very beginning. Then after much anticipation and excitement, the day that we all were waiting for (mostly your mommy!) finally arrived...</div>
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I woke up <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1025797637" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">Saturday</span></span> morning, June 28<sup>th</sup>, to a text message from Mrs. Kimpel and your mom telling me that her water had broken and you were going to make your appearance! So I got ready, set up my babysitting and waited around for updates. Your mom text me and said she was going to take a nap. I thought that was a great idea! Laboring is hard work so a nap would give her lots of energy to be able to bring you into the world. An hour and a half later Mrs. Kimpel sends me another text telling me to head to your house. I got all my kiddos all packed up and just about ready to send to the babysitters when I get another message telling me she's pushing! You are headed out! So I very quickly scoot my people out the door (luckily they were just going across the street!) and hop in the car. I didn't even have my shoes on and forgot my watch that I bought just to wear for your birth! I high-tail it to your house. It is about a 10 minute drive for me. I park, and run into the house. I make it to your room just in time to see your mom in the middle of pushing. I quickly gathered up your blankets, try to get your heart beat but you were already on your way out! You were born about 5 minutes after I walked in the door. You guys work fast! You and your mama made a perfect team. Once you were up on her chest, you cried right away and I cried, too! I had no doubts your mom would have a beautiful home birth. She totally rocked it! You looked just like your brother and quite a chunky little monkey, too!</div>
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We took some time to let you nurse and take care of your mom, you met your daddy, and your grandma came to meet you, too. We weighed you and couldn't believe you were a whopping 10 pounds of sweet perfection! When she was ready, we got a bath ready for her and the two of you took an herbal bath, complete with flowers. You mom's friend, Whitney, was there photographing all of the special moments. It was beautiful! You got to meet your brother and take more pictures with your grandparents. You were passed around and loved on by everyone!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbScMP_T6yW86Uvnv9WEVOSr0wBScFTXSVZPxs0yyws5uVfnTRczFmSbBouoQksQsMwzr2epXSq_MXY5e0m3x2D4b_D0I4OnALOEDpGfe7fVDRNBf1HXhscp3k-Ow0HBlIdvPDCEOAxXcf/s1600/MOM+MIA+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbScMP_T6yW86Uvnv9WEVOSr0wBScFTXSVZPxs0yyws5uVfnTRczFmSbBouoQksQsMwzr2epXSq_MXY5e0m3x2D4b_D0I4OnALOEDpGfe7fVDRNBf1HXhscp3k-Ow0HBlIdvPDCEOAxXcf/s1600/MOM+MIA+1.JPG" height="200" width="155" /></a>You are part of such a sweet family. You will forever have a special place in my heart, little man. Your mom and dad are just so in love with you. You had a gentle, sweet start in life and I wish you many blessings and a long and happy life. </div>
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Much, much love,</div>
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Cheryl</div>
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Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-39679364011871876042014-07-10T12:41:00.000-05:002014-08-28T08:14:35.776-05:00The Birth of My little Briggs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1aCHTJD2d_Cx57UiWWIpF1gD337aPWHnlkL74vEV3MjuKWSjBKNVqm2GcPBVkmRzdo6kBsONrWLhOhDLyhdIGGNgcYTEJwi7E4n-bOR9up0XILT2Totj1FC66ZKDtCdLJLEAdnXj7-qkG/s1600/BBS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1aCHTJD2d_Cx57UiWWIpF1gD337aPWHnlkL74vEV3MjuKWSjBKNVqm2GcPBVkmRzdo6kBsONrWLhOhDLyhdIGGNgcYTEJwi7E4n-bOR9up0XILT2Totj1FC66ZKDtCdLJLEAdnXj7-qkG/s1600/BBS.jpg" height="211" width="640" /></a></div>
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6-28-14</div>
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Once upon a time a 41 week pregnant woman was about to go to bed, she was exhausted and her back was aching terribly. She left the dishes in the sink, the toys all over the living room floor and went to bed leaving her house in total disarray...something she hadn't done in awhile, since she was planning a home birth and wanted to be ready for company (the birth team) at a moments notice.</div>
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SO we all know where this is going....yep, the next morning I woke up about 7am and noticed my amniotic fluid was leaking....my water had broke! I texted Toni my Midwife & the rest of the team just to inform them and let them know that today was the day! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzgS6vUWyHxoLpeRMF6ycyhq_a8kQnUZtAsdgDRA2PNqufwpokcCmrm3DszVpMHXWXQGWzFT5BqP_imWgPK2RsvMWIL5j-G92M41vMlk14FAfygwJVtER4NBTFsrauajSlawrqB7dMTwI/s1600/photo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzgS6vUWyHxoLpeRMF6ycyhq_a8kQnUZtAsdgDRA2PNqufwpokcCmrm3DszVpMHXWXQGWzFT5BqP_imWgPK2RsvMWIL5j-G92M41vMlk14FAfygwJVtER4NBTFsrauajSlawrqB7dMTwI/s1600/photo1.jpg" height="320" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last moments as a only child</td></tr>
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Since I wasn't having any contractions I thought I would put on some make up and have a nice breakfast. Beau was picking up the house...I called my mom and told her the news so she came to pick up our son. Beau inflated the pool I wanted to birth in and then we both decided to take a nap... it took 24 hours last time to get that first baby out so we wanted to be ready for the long haul again if need be.<br />
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I woke up at 10:20 with a pretty strong contraction, so I went in the living room and sat on my birth ball while timing my contractions but they weren't consistent, ranging from 3-5 min apart. Beau asked me a question and I realized I couldn't focus on him and answer him during a contraction...I knew things were getting serious but I still didn't think we were close to "go time" since I just starting having contractions. I texted Toni at 10:40 and told her what was going on, she asked if I wanted her to head over...I said no, not yet....and then after another really strong contraction I texted her again saying "well, maybe you should come and see". I tried to stand up to move to the bedroom and my belly looked like it was at my knees it was so low...Beau had to help me get back there. <br />
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Once in the bedroom I tried to get in the zone, like I did for Callans birth, but it just wasn't happening. I couldn't relax. I started sweating and got real hot, I asked Beau for a cold compress....to which my college-degree-holding, corporate-accountant-intelligent husband could not figure out what the hell a cold compress was.....seriously...he looked at me baffled, he walked out of the room and then right back in and said "whats a cold compress?" and all I could do was try my best to give him a "are you really asking me that right now?" look on my face as I was having a killer contraction....he managed to use some context clues and a few moments I had my cold compress. <br />
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Toni arrived at 11:10am, she took a look at me and realized we were closer than I had thought. After that things started happening really fast. Beau was trying to fill up the birth pool and Toni said don't bother...lol, we don't have time. I was laboring on my side and I remember trying so hard to relax, but my toes were curling and my lips were pursed, and I kept telling Beau, "I cant relax". He was trying to coach me but it all felt very erratic. I even said at one point " I don't think I can do this". All I knew was I couldnt last 20 hours like this....<br />
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I kept hearing from Beau, Toni and Cheryl about how great I was doing...and I remember looking at them all wide-eyed and crazy-like...at least that's how I visualize it in my head, lol...Toni wanted me to roll on my back to check me to see how far dilated I was...and when I did I immediately had a strong urge to push...so I did. I remember everyone scrambling to get whatever it was they needed, because this baby was coming out!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBEpY6CdFtmfaIUByeJNZCw3hDnzoR1H3IhFFX4EYirZ193Jf4NEBSa6JxHe0vGW6nGrdGUDFQaIH0oe__WYGafS0wg4wLzfTtXih9P3tK11lPoDpRuEeKdRKzmX5RZbQev-MgnS1LSLa/s1600/army+crawl.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBEpY6CdFtmfaIUByeJNZCw3hDnzoR1H3IhFFX4EYirZ193Jf4NEBSa6JxHe0vGW6nGrdGUDFQaIH0oe__WYGafS0wg4wLzfTtXih9P3tK11lPoDpRuEeKdRKzmX5RZbQev-MgnS1LSLa/s1600/army+crawl.png" height="133" width="200" /></a><br />
At one point I felt the baby moving and I remember the image that popped in my head was like a soldier doing an army crawl. Briggs was certainly working with me! Another thing that got my attention in all this chaos was my babybelly...while I would have a contraction to push, my belly would basically stand straight up...it was the weirdest thing I had ever seen! It reminded me of a skyscraper...<br />
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So back to the story....<br />
So there I was a-pushin' and Beau was at my side, holding my hand cheering me on...I remember saying "It stings, it stings" , lol and then Toni said for me to push on the next contraction to get his head out...to which I replied "no", to which she replied "Don't tell me no!"....a few pushes later he was born! They immediately placed him on my chest and I think we all took a moment to catch our breath. He was born at 11:43am, a little over an hour after I had my first contraction! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHztUcBohmIAITIlL8kSWxRxaUylnP6kXW_8DzzRLBC1X_uzw1fnP9gKfZVXQsdFXbkj6DzPfXD6XLq3uGV9itUR6qOIjsuKcKWEI0tdp4YrwlBQm0ZkALDI-aCo-yv5CxMmPa2mLtgzt/s1600/briggs4days.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHztUcBohmIAITIlL8kSWxRxaUylnP6kXW_8DzzRLBC1X_uzw1fnP9gKfZVXQsdFXbkj6DzPfXD6XLq3uGV9itUR6qOIjsuKcKWEI0tdp4YrwlBQm0ZkALDI-aCo-yv5CxMmPa2mLtgzt/s1600/briggs4days.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a></div>
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I think my Mom, Alisa the massage therapist, and Whitney the photographer, arrived just moments after he was born. Its funny because earlier that week I had highlighted a quote from a book I was reading, it said "stay committed to your decisions, but flexible in your approach."- Tony Robbins. I thought this would be good to remember because as much as you can plan something, you really can never know how it will actually turn out. I always knew, in all these blog posts I did about planning the birth, that it would happen how it was gonna happen and I really didn't have control of that....but it was fun fantasizing, visualizing and planning it out anyway. <br />
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So there you have it.... Briggs Kyle Hinze, 10lbs, 21.5 inches....Born in the comfort of our home, and it was a quick, but great experience!
<a href="http://www.faskephotography.com/Photo-Gallery/Births-1/Briggs-Home-Birth/i-kjhkqhg/A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://www.faskephotography.com/Photo-Gallery/Births-1/Briggs-Home-Birth/i-kjhkqhg/0/M/DM1B5120BW-M.jpg" title="" /></a>
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Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-31346299328614095162014-07-09T08:32:00.001-05:002014-08-28T08:15:43.217-05:00Guest Post Lindsey: Natural Necessities<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> 1.</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">RedRaspberry Leaf Tea--</b> You should drink red raspberry leaf throughout your
pregnancy after the first trimester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
tones the uterus and helps with a faster labor, and who doesn’t want
that?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can buy the teabags at a health
food store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would brew 5 at a time
and make a pitcher to drink everyday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You can also drink it after delivery for a few weeks to help shrink the
uterus and stop bleeding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I personally
swear by this stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first child was
born in 6 hours, from very first contraction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My second was face –up, which makes for a more difficult labor, and it
was 4 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My third was also face-up
and born 1.5 hrs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And those times are
from very first contraction to finish!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There’s tons of research out there that show labor is greatly shortened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can also drink a very concentrated form
during labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Kellie took a capsule form of it during her pregnancy. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Golden
Seal</b>—you need this post- delivery for your baby’s cord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It comes in a capsule form, so you open the
capsule and sprinkle it on and around your baby’s cord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will dry it up in no time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alcohol can burn really bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Golden seal is great for no pain, rapid
drying, and prevention of infection of your baby's cord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Chiropractic
care--</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a HUGE believer in
chiropractic care! It does wonders for a pregnant body, and also for a newborn
baby and child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of it this
way:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the spinal cord innervates every
single organ and tissue in the body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
when the spine is out of whack, whatever that particular region is innervating,
will also be out of whack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chiropractic
care can do wonders for a colicky baby, gas problems, sleep problems etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do some research and ask around and find a
chiropractor that specializes in pregnancy and small children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took my babies the same day or next after
birth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those little bodies go through a
little “shock” coming out the canal!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An
adjustment on a newborn is very subtle—they use the first two fingers and
barely move along the back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a 6<sup>th</sup>
month old, it looks like they are simply picking the child up, and as they are
“holding” them, they are adjusting them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The baby doesn’t even know it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And the coolest thing is how the baby will be all smiles right
after!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their bowel movements will be
better and they will sleep better!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being
in a carrier or car seat often is not good for the baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A weekly adjustment will do him/her
good!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, after an adjustment, the
immune system<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is instantly boosted some 400%!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Statistics show and I have personally experienced that children who get frequent adjustments are far less sick, i.e. fewer ear infections etc, than children not. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Essential
Oils—</b>I use Young Living Essential Oils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are therapeutic grade, pure, certified, and most are edible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is an oil that can help with any
ailment you or your baby/child may have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Headaches, fever, coughing, runny nose, fungus, diaper rash, insect bites…..the list goes on and on. </span>You can diffuse them, inhale them, rub them on your body (specifically
on the soles of the feet since there are more pores there than any other place
on the body) or inject them, depending on the oil .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a great resource with
lots of info, click<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><a href="http://www.oilyourselves.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white;">here.</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Raw milk—</b>If
you have never had raw, unpasteurized milk, you have no idea what you are
missing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Raw milk is full of
antioxidants, antibacterial/antiviral enzymes, all of which are killed off
during the pasteurization process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Contrary
to popular belief, raw milk dairies undergo much stricter inspections that are
much more frequent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pasteurized milk,
even if organic, is basically dead white liquid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s essentially no nutritive value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if you saw the cows the milk on the store
shelves came from, you would know why it HAS to be pasteurized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cows are sick and diseased, the utters
usually oozing pus and blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Visit a
commercial dairy and you would never drink milk again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Raw milk, on the other hand, has LOADS of
benefits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the cows it comes from are
healthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No hormones, no antibiotics,
allowed to freely roam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AND IT IS
DELICIOUS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most dairies have whole, 1%
and 2%, as well as heavy cream, which is great for making your own butter or
ice cream!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
For a list of resources, click<a href="http://search.mercola.com/results.aspx?q=raw%20milk" target="_blank"> <span style="color: blue;">here:</span></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
There are several local raw milk farms in
Texas: around the Brenham area, there's one in <a href="http://www.texascheese.com/" target="_blank">Schulenburg</a> and one in <a href="http://www.texasjersey.com/" target="_blank">La Grange </a>, both with
websites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several co-ops make delivery
easily accessible, no matter where you may live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Raw milk is good for about 10 days, and the
colder your fridge, the better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
cream will separate at the top, just shake and pour! When your baby turns a
year and can have cow’s milk, go for the raw!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">6.
Making your own baby food--<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>It may
sound overwhelming, but trust me, it’s not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Take one night and make up a big batch, pour into ice trays, and voila, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you have several meals for your bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, you can use organic , fresh
foods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s cheaper and much
healthier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A wonderful book with lots of
info is <a href="http://www.annabelkarmel.com/" target="_blank">“Top 100 Baby Purees </a>“ by Annabel Karmel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She explains why you should use cinnamon and
butter, and why even organic foods that have been pasteurized in order to have
a shelf life are devoid of crucial nutrients (similar to milk).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And remember, when you microwave something,
you are killing every nutrient in that food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Reheating on a stove is the way to go hands down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Save the store bought squeeze pouches for
when you are on the go!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<i>What are some things you believe should be
added to the list?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please, post your
comments! And remember our disclaimer, this is NOT intended as medical advice!-- Lindsay</i><o:p></o:p></div>
Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-70243834668716989162014-07-07T08:02:00.000-05:002014-08-28T08:19:35.001-05:00Guest Post Lindsay: Circumcision-- What you MUST know <div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was in medical school on my pediatric rotation, I was
horrified by the way circumcisions were done.
Frankly, it was barbaric. There
are some things every mother of a boy needs to know:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oftentimes, babies are taken out of the room to go to the
procedure, but unbeknownst to the parents, that baby may lay naked, strapped to
a board, for 30-45 minutes before the doctor comes to the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These little ones are left crying and
unattended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they are cold!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You also need to know that a circumcision is
not just a quick snip and you are done, but rather about a 20 minute
procedure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And most horrifying to me,
some doctors choose not to numb the skin before starting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A shot of lidocaine numbs the skin in about 5
minutes so that the procedure can be done comfortably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But to my utter shock, believe it or not,
there are doctors out there who are in such a hurry (never mind the baby waited
on them for half an hour) that they don’t want to take the extra time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I can tell you that 2 hours after the
circumcision, those little babies have elevated heart rates and blood pressure
from pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I almost flunked my rotation because I was so upset after
seeing that done (imagine getting stitched up for 20 minutes, or having a mole
cut off, several layers deep without any anesthetic)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that I questioned my attending physician about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told me that it wasn’t necessary to give
babies numbing medicine because they can’t remember the pain, to which I
replied, “Oh I see, then why give our Alzheimer’s patients pain meds or
anesthetics, I mean, after all, they certainly won’t remember.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, that did not go over well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what a freaking contradiction!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And how sick that we are rationalizing
abating pain because a newborn won’t remember??!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really??!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So moms and dads, PLEASE make sure you attend the
circumcision with your baby. Don’t just let a nurse take your baby from
you. You need to be privy to what goes on behind the scenes. Second, always make sure they give
the lidocaine shot. Additionally, if you
breastfeed your baby while they give the lidocaine shot, your baby most likely
will not even cry. <i>“</i><span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><i>Breastfeeding is a powerful
pain reliever, because it combines cuddling, skin-to-skin contact, sucking, and
a sweet taste – a soothing antidote to the shock and pain of the needle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“ </i>(Laurel Schultz, pediatrician)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I breastfed all of my children
anytime they had something done, i.e., the heel sticks to test for PKU,
basically anytime they were being “messed with.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> NOTE: </span>If your pediatrician is not OK with you
breastfeeding during a shot, that’s a red flag and you need to find another
doc!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I
gave birth to two of my children at a birthing center in The Woodlands, TX,
called <a href="http://www.nativiti.com/" target="_blank">Nativiti </a>(my third was born at home in Oklahoma).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The midwives there recommend you wait to
circumcise your boy until he is 8 days old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Interestingly, it’s biblical, and you can find the reference in Genesis
17:12<i>:"</i></span><i><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></b>For the generations to come every male among you who is eight
days old must be circumcised…”</i><b> But why 8 days??<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></b>Because that’s when the clotting factors within the body are fully
developed. So the risk of excess
bleeding and complication is much less. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So,
Moms, the take home message from me is this:
wait until your baby is 8 days old and go to your pediatrician’s office
to have the circumcision done if you choose to circumcise at all. Don’t
do it in the hospital!! <span style="background-color: white;"> ****<u>I am
going to digress a bit, so stay with me</u></span>……<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Listen, I can tell you it was because
of the things I saw done in a hospital that was ranked 5<sup>th</sup> in the
nation as one of the top teaching hospitals in the U.S. that I chose NOT to
have my babies in a hospital. Our
healthcare system is in crises right now.
Nurses are so inundated with paperwork to meet new federal standards
that “nursing” and caring for the patient has all but gone out the
window!! Please don't take this that I am dogging on nurses, my mom is a wonderful nurse of 30 years. But hospitals are a business and
are concerned with being profitable, not doing what is necessarily the best for
the patient. I saw many times that the nurse
to patient ratio was way too high because the hospital was cutting costs, and patients
did not get the attention they needed.
Nurses are overworked and make mistakes, some of them medication
mistakes that can be costly. I saw a
nurse drop an intubation tube on the floor, pick it up and intubate a baby in
ICU! (Yes, I turned her in!). If you have a surgery, the knee or hip or
screw or pacemaker is not necessarily the best on the market or best for you, it’s
the cheapest one negotiated on a contract between that particular company and the
hospital. Did you know that most of the time, it isn't even the doctor that determines what will be used in the surgery? It's the CEO with the business degree, not the 8 years or more of med school, making the decisions. They will use products that have the higher reimbursement from an insurance company! And don't think that big hospital systems aren't in cahoots with insurance companies! Question EVERYTHING! Don’t just take what your doctor says as god
speak. Medical students take one
semester of pharmacology their first year in med school and never take it
again!! And it’s typically a course taught
by a PhD during research for the university that’s taught the same outdated information
the last decade. So physicians rely on
pharm reps to keep them “in the know,” but do ya’ll realize how strong the
pharmaceutical and vaccine industry is in the U.S.?! Money is the motivator, not good
health!! Question everything! Think for yourself. Doctors don’t know it all, trust me!! There are many extraneous factors playing against you when it comes to Western medicine!!****</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<u> </u><u>OK, back to the topic at hand</u>……do the circumcision
with your pediatrician at their office. Ask
if you can breastfeed during the lidocaine shot. And sit with your baby the whole time it is
being done. Part of loving your baby is
being an advocate for him. Motherhood
begins in the womb<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">disclaimer: These opinions expressed are just that….MY OPINIONS based on my personal experience, and are not intended as medical advice or to replace your healthcare professional. You should consult with your healthcare professional to determine the best course of treatment for you. </span></i></div>
Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-88185767217129218832014-07-04T15:38:00.000-05:002014-07-04T15:38:35.706-05:00Pics of My Lil Nugget!Hi! I'm still here!<br />
<br />
I have so many things to post about and no time to do it...lol. Mama is tired and needs some naps! Breastfeeding is going well but I tell you the first week is a killer....labor and birth aint NOTHING compared to the pain of getting acclimated to breastfeeding. Epidural? No, Momma needs a nipedural! Briggs is a sweet baby and we are absolutely loving our new bundle, he is pure joy!<br />
<br />
I am trying to find time to write the birth story and all my brilliant insight, lol....but until that happens here's some pics.....<br />
~Kellie<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4deeN5aDwFX-RMv_kjMkCgfFUSweerNvQtUCkPjwZaMJPDILuKghbQEuTYPwxtlj15ivhjMkB9QR1YxTZTt84HMwA42SN2S0trBkNAKWL1faCxpRWUKhvQBvYC7ojFpJKrhFLbdeDWnOc/s1600/briggs6days.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4deeN5aDwFX-RMv_kjMkCgfFUSweerNvQtUCkPjwZaMJPDILuKghbQEuTYPwxtlj15ivhjMkB9QR1YxTZTt84HMwA42SN2S0trBkNAKWL1faCxpRWUKhvQBvYC7ojFpJKrhFLbdeDWnOc/s1600/briggs6days.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Briggs 6 days old</td></tr>
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Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-45795048070127803452014-07-03T11:05:00.003-05:002014-08-28T07:15:26.062-05:00Guest Post Angie: "Outside of the box" Breastfeeding SuccessHello Kellie-Blogger fans! As you all know, Kellie had her baby!! So, I am going to help her for a while keep the blog posts rolling. Today is a post from Angie on breastfeeding. Stay tuned Monday for a post I am writing on circumcision-- there's some things you to know! Everyone have a safe and Happy 4th!<br />
-- Lindsay <br />
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Disclaimer: Please consult your physician on this, we are not giving medical advice in any way on this post.<br />
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I am a working mom; I knew I had 3 months with my baby before I had to go back to work. Being that I'm a nurse on a crazy cardiac floor, I knew my chances of maintaining my milk after I went back to work were slim-to-none... Between the stress, strenuous activity of a 13 hour shift, and little time to relax & pump, I was prepared for the "drying up" that was soon to ensue (granted I gave it a helluva' fight). <br />
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So with the help of a good friend who happened to be a lactation consultant & her great ideas, I was 75% successful, and gave my girls a good head start. <br />
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1. My hubs got me a deep freeze & breast pump (off Craig's List for cheap; I bought new personal parts).<br />
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2. I started pumping colostrum 3 weeks BEFORE I delivered. No, it didn't send me into labor. In theory, it could send someone else to labor. According to my Lactation Consultant, you'll only go into labor if you're ready. I'm no expert though... <br />
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***I saved the Antibody-rich goods for sick days later. You can squirt up baby's nose for head colds; it kills virus instantly. Or squirt in ears to soothe ear infections... A million uses fur that Liquid Gold!!
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3. Because I was already pumping, milk came few hours after I delivered. No waiting around with a hungry baby. And it came in 4-fold, My boobs went from B-cup to basketballs with in a day... (Ok, maybe not that fast... But it felt like it). And my nipples were already "broke in", so it was painful, but not as bad as it could be. I fed my baby and pumped the rest and froze it. I could've fed the Russian Army if need be ... Point being, I filled that deep freeze in a month.
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4. I went back to work... Then dried up in a month. I gave it a good go, my coworkers were supportive. But when you need to relax for let down, it was damn near impossible... BUT, my deep freeze supply held us over till 1year!! We didn't have to buy much formula and my girls are better for it. We saved A LOT of money too.
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Good Luck! Power to ya'!! Breast feeding is a wonderfully powerful & nutritious thing. The benefits to mom & baby are endless. Give it a go, as much as you can do is better than nothing.<br />
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~Angie<br />
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Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-44588921285619224112014-06-28T19:00:00.001-05:002015-04-08T09:16:48.960-05:00Baby has been BORN!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Welcome to the world Briggs !!!</strong></span><br />
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6-28-14</div>
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10lbs even, 21.5 inches!</div>
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A quick recap of this mornings events:</div>
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7am- I noticed my amniotic fluid was leaking so I texted my team, had breakfast and starting picking up around the house.</div>
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9:30am- Decided to try to take a nap, not having any contractions</div>
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10:20am- woke up to a pretty strong contraction, started timing them and texted my midwife, she asked if I was ready for her to come over I said no.</div>
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10.40am I texted her again and said </div>
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"well maybe you should come"</div>
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Baby Briggs was born an hour later! 11:43am</div>
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It was an intense hour and I was thinking there was no way I could survive several hours of these type of contractions! I will admit I questioned my ability...But the urge to push came quick, and after about 8 (give or take) pushes my chunker was out! I think my recovery will be speedy, as there was no damage...amazing to say for pushing out a 10 pounder!</div>
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Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-66991761820695823572014-06-25T12:44:00.000-05:002014-08-28T07:13:36.466-05:00Primal InstinctsPregnancy and birth are so primal to me, instincts lead the way. And while a lot of people blame the hormones for "crazy behavior"....I kinda tend to think they could be a protective measure, lol....do you really want to try to "out-crazy" the crazy pregnant woman? No, you probably want to leave her alone and move on...if you are smart. <br />
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What I don't get is the people who disregard the pregnant woman's feelings and state of mind as normal....same as when she is not pregnant. When she's feeling emotional, unrested, disheartened and weary...one would hope that the people closest to her would want to provide emotional support and lift her up, not bring her down- sadly this is not always the case. <br />
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I had heard this before and I was reading a book just last night that touched on it....factors that can stall or prevent a woman from going into labor....<br />
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- Stress<br />
- not feeling safe<br />
- emotional turmoil<br />
- sudden change in her surroundings<br />
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Its quite funny because I also read that at the end of pregnancy a woman tends to exclude herself from the world, avoiding public outings, gatherings and such...which is exactly what I've been doing and all this time I just thought I was being unsociable and turns out I'm just following my instincts! Its kinda like that dog or cat that goes missing and then later you find her in a dark corner somewhere with her litter.<br />
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Ok, well I'm gonna go walk in circles around the house again....check ya laterKelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-54628892468375570582014-06-24T13:38:00.002-05:002014-08-28T07:14:14.067-05:00Always the Bridesmaid, Never the BrideWell at least when it comes to having this baby...lol.<br />
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Everyone I know that was due in June has had their baby.....everyone but me.<br />
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My good friend who was due 5 days <em>after</em> me...yep she had her baby last night. I am genuinely excited for her and only a teensy jealous...we wagered a margarita on who would domino first.....looks like she's buying!<br />
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I'm only 2 days past my due date....which due dates are totally a scam to make you feel like you are inadequate and broken and a failure....for some reason I had it in my head I was going to have him before my due date (I'm sure 99% of all women think the same thing). What's funny is I even wrote a post awhile back talking about how I was gonna throw my due date out the window, and have peace and patience for this baby to come, I had a plan to be earth mother buddha goddess and not let having this baby affect me ...well that was then and this is now, and my know-it-all 2nd trimester blog posts can make like a baby and suck it...<br />
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I am so uncomfortable, I cant hardly sleep, I'm emotional, my stretch marks feel like they are burning in some places on my belly, I really could go on and on, but I'll spare you....<br />
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The only thing that has helped me is every morning I get up and tell myself "Today is the last day you will be pregnant..." and for some reason that helps me appreciate it a little more and gets me through the day....and then at night before I go to bed...<em>still pregnant and NOT in labor</em>...I pray for God to grant me His peace, and faith in His plan for me and baby.<br />
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So that's whats up. I will say I am very appreciative to not be receiving a lot of texts and messages with the "no baby yet?" theme... that has spared me some of my sanity.<br />
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<br />Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-48098870654707547022014-06-20T11:14:00.000-05:002014-08-28T07:14:31.337-05:00Go forth and be confidentI just read a blog post on how this woman is annoyed with the "Cult of Natural Childbirth". She goes on about how we try to make other mothers feel guilty for choosing an epidural, how we make child birth and our birth stories too big of a spectacle...medicine is progress...natural is ancient...blah blah. I get really annoyed by posts like this..... <br />
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Why? Cause I'm so pro-natural I cant see straight? NO, because I cant imagine why ME choosing to have a natural home birth would make YOU feel guilty in any way...Yes, I like to talk about it and I personally think what I'm doing is super cool...duh, that's why I'm doing it....because its what <em>I</em> want to do...and it if for some reason makes another woman feel guilty or less of a woman in any way...well I tend to think there are some underlying confidence issues there....<br />
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Go forth and be confident in your birth decisions!<br />
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If your not confident then read up on it, talk to people who've had different experiences than each other and see which one you identify with- then aim that direction and don't let anyone else deter you!<br />
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If my blog annoys you, its easy- don't read it. If you don't like the way I'm choosing to birth my son- don't ask about it. I don't care what you think and you shouldn't care what I think!<br />
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See if you can follow me here:<br />
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Did you know my kitchen walls are a beautiful turquoise blue? My husband and I love it, it makes me happy to look at it and I just love the pop of color with our wood cabinets. Turquoise is a pretty daring color, its not for everyone. Am I proud of the color of my kitchen? yes! Do I think you should paint your kitchen this color? Sure, If you want, and I will help you!<br />
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The color turquoise helps to open the lines of communication between the heart and the spoken word. It presents as a friendly and happy color enjoying life. In color psychology, turquoise controls and heals the emotions creating emotional balance and stability. Cool, huh? A little info there for ya!<br />
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Should you feel guilty or less of a person because your kitchen is not turquoise? NO. Do I annoy you because I go on and on about the color of my kitchen and why I painted it that way? Am I a member of a cult because I like bold colors and love to talk about it? No No NO!</div>
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Of course I think birth is a bigger deal than the color of my kitchen, but the message is the same... None of us are alike, and that's ok...I just want to offer support to those who are similar to my way of thinking....its easy to get support for a normal hospital birth with an epidural...its the norm. So sue me if I want to help out a mom that wants to go a different route than that.Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-3822483065185262312014-06-18T11:01:00.001-05:002014-08-28T07:18:04.233-05:00Forced C-Sect in the News<br />
Since I am now at home on Maternity leave, getting ready to have this baby, my schedule is all out of sorts....so posting here has been on the back burner. My midwife "checked" me on Monday and said that I was dilated to a 4, which is good news, but that still doesn't tell me how long I will stay at a 4 and doesn't give any indication on when I will have this baby. I can tell you that yes, I am ready....and being at home just waiting is a "catch 22". Thank God for my helpers, the Hubs, Mother and Mother in Law....its very difficult being 9 months pregnant with an 18 month old....and I don't expect it to be significantly easier with a newborn or anything...I just want my body back, I'm tired of feeling like an achy tugboat.<br />
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I was watching CBS Morning News and they did a story on a woman who is suing a Hospital in New York for forcing her to have a C-Section......see people...this is what I'm worried about. This is not acceptable. You can see the video of her interview <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mother-sues-hospital-claiming-forced-c-section/" target="_blank">here</a> or read below...<br />
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"A woman is suing a New York hospital, claiming she was given a cesarean section against her will, reports CBS News contributor Dr. Holly Phillips.<br />
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Rinat Dray, 35, is the mother of three boys. Her first two were delivered by C-section and resulted in difficult recoveries. So in 2011, she was determined to have her next baby naturally, through a procedure called "vaginal birth after cesarean," or VBAC. It carries risk but can be performed successfully. <br />
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After several hours of labor, Dray's doctor pushed back. <span style="color: cyan;"><span style="background-color: cyan; color: black;">"He said, 'It doesn't matter if you're making good progress. I don't think it's going to be natural. I don't have all day for you,"' Dray said. </span></span><br />
She said she felt he was being impatient as he continued to pressure her to have a C-section right away, warning her that her uterus would rupture and her baby was at risk.<br />
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"They pushed me into the operation. I was begging all the way, 'Don't do it, my baby is fine! Don't do it!"' Dray said. "His answer was just, 'Don't speak."'<br />
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Ultimately, Dray said she never gave consent when she was going into her C-section procedure.<br />
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Dray is suing the hospital and doctors, claiming negligence, malpractice and lack of informed consent. <br />
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Michael Bast, Dray's attorney, provided the doctor's handwritten note from her medical file, spelling out his concerns. <br />
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"The fetus is at risk for serious harm without the C-section, and for the mother, 'benefits ...outweigh risks,"' said a note in which a senior hospital staff signed off on the procedure. <br />
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Dray's attorney said the smoking gun for her case is also in the notes.<br />
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"I have decided to override her refusal to have a C-section," the doctor wrote. <br />
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"The mother has the right. It is morally wrong, it is medically wrong, it is always wrong to take a knife and stick it into a woman when she says no," Bast said.<br />
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Dray said she would like to grow her family of three boys, but she said giving birth scares her now. <br />
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"They forced me like that. It was very painful to be treated all this way," she said, adding that she felt like her rights were being taken away from her.<br />
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"I was treated less than an animal," Dray said. <br />
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Dray also said her bladder was damaged in the C-section delivery and she is seeking unspecified damages for that, as well."</blockquote>
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What a horrible experience. Instead of providing a specific list of risks for this particular case, the Doctor uses a blanket excuse/ possible scare tactic of "The fetus is at risk for serious harm without the C-section, and for the mother, 'benefits ...outweigh risks,"'.....and I'm hungry and late for my lunch date. My instinct sides with the Mom on this one...why? Because I think, like the majority of us, she is a good Mom who would not want to do anything to harm her child....Because she has 2 other children she has cared for and raised...she didn't appear to be a reckless parent.<br />
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According to the Mother the Doctor was being impatient, and hopefully she can prove that in court...I think Hospitals and Doctors will take notice and be more patient any Momma friendly...that's all we want anyway...Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8238295567190476554.post-14788074285732780462014-06-13T06:56:00.000-05:002014-08-28T07:19:08.499-05:00Dear Friend, Birth Doesn’t Have to Suck<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish I had the <i>cojones </i>to send this to all my newly pregnant friends with their first baby...but I dont...cause I dont want to be annoying...and be <i>that</i> friend...so I will put it on my blog and hope they will read it...</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I copied this post from <a href="http://improvingbirth.org/">improvingbirth.org</a></b></span><br />
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Dear Friend, Birth Doesn’t Have to Suck</h2>
<span class="postinfo" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #b6b6b6; display: block; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="line" style="background: url(http://www.improvingbirth.org/wp-content/themes/SimplePress/images/line.png) 50% 100% repeat-x; border: 0px; display: block; height: 2px; margin: 5px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>Posted by <a href="http://www.improvingbirth.org/author/cristen/" rel="author" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #686868; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Posts by Cristen Pascucci">Cristen Pascucci</a> on Jun 4, 2014 in <a href="http://www.improvingbirth.org/category/articles/" rel="category tag" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #686868; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="View all posts in Articles">Articles</a> | <a href="http://www.improvingbirth.org/2014/06/dear-friend/#comments" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #686868; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Comment on Dear Friend, Birth Doesn’t Have to Suck">37 comments</a><span class="line" style="background: url(http://www.improvingbirth.org/wp-content/themes/SimplePress/images/line.png) 50% 100% repeat-x; border: 0px; display: block; height: 2px; margin: 5px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
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Dear Friend,</div>
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If you’re reading this, it’s because I care about you, and I want you to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CevxZvSJLk8" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">rock your birth</a>. I believe you deserve the best. If “rocking your birth” sounds like something other people do, and you just want to “get through it” with <a href="http://www.improvingbirth.org/2013/02/a-healthy-baby-isnt-enough/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="A Healthy Baby Isn’t All That Matters">a healthy baby</a>—<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">girl, raise your expectations.</strong> You’re both too valuable to whiff on this one. If this is your first baby, it’s even more important, because it will set the tone for your future births and may<a href="http://www.gumroad.com/l/birthmonopoly" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> determine your options</a> for the rest of your life.</div>
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Please don’t feel judged that I’m sending this to you, or like I’m trying to tell you how to do things. In fact, I<a href="http://www.improvingbirth.org/2012/12/i-dont-care-how-you-give-birth-2/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="I Don’t Care How You Give Birth"> don’t care how you give birth</a>–that’s your business. But because I care about you and this incredible journey you are on, you have to know you’re facing a system where great maternity care is a gamble for most women. <a href="http://evidencebasedbirth.com/updated-table-on-the-state-of-maternity-care-in-the-u-s/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="State of Maternity Care"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nine in ten women </em>lose that gamble</a>.</div>
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I’m not trying to scare you—I’m trying to power you up. I want you to learn from my experience, and from what I’ve picked up from other women who have gone through this—good, bad, and ugly. I don’t ever, ever want you to say, “If only I’d known….!” about your pregnancy and birth.</div>
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I’m going to lay it out for you here, so get ready.</div>
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#1 You are in Charge</h3>
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Now is <a href="http://www.fitpregnancy.com/pregnancy/labor-delivery/heres-why-winging-it-doesnt-work-birth" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">not the time to “wing it”</a> or let anyone else take over–including your care provider. This is Step #1 to becoming a mother, when you will be making all kinds of decisions and will be asked to do all kinds of things that are outside your comfort zone and that you may feel completely unprepared or unqualified for. That’s okay. <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Put on your Game Face</strong>, because this is <em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">one of life’s all-time best learning and growing opportunities.</em></div>
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When I switched care providers at 41 weeks, 6 days pregnant, I believe that’s when <a href="http://www.improvingbirth.org/2012/12/one-year-ago-today/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="One Year Ago Today">I became a mother</a>. Until then, I’d been floating along, doing my best to advocate for myself while also getting along with my care provider, who I actually really liked. When I decided to switch from her to someone else, I was choosing my baby over everyone else: over that provider, who had been so sweet and nice to me; over my family, who would surely call me “high maintenance” behind my back; and over my friends, who already thought I was crazy for wanting a natural birth. But I didn’t feel 100% safe with her, and I knew that’s what my baby and I deserved.</div>
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I can’t say this enough: <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">this is your show</strong>. It’s your body. <a href="http://www.improvingbirth.org/2012/11/take-back-your-birth/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Take Back Your Birth">It’s your baby</a>. You are responsible for the decisions you make, and you will bear the consequences–good or bad–for any decisions made about your care. There are a few ways this can go: it can be traumatic and life-changing in a bad way; you can “get through it” just to get to the other side with some minor complications; or you can grab the bull by the horns and do everything possible to make it the safest, most positive, most life-affirming experience you’ve ever had, and something that will make you love and respect your own body in a profound new way.</div>
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Childbirth is unpredictable, but that is all the more reason to prepare for it and embrace it. <em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You will never have another chance to give birth to this child.</em></div>
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<span style="color: #02849e; font-family: 'Josefin Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.3em; text-align: center;">#2 Education</span></div>
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“Unlearning” about birth is almost as important as learning about it. There’s so much inaccurate, outdated information and so many negative messages out there, you kind of have to start from scratch. Accept that <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a lot of what you think you know is simply not true</strong>. We live in a country where 1 out of 3 births is by surgery, and many of those surgeries are “emergency,” even though optimal care says that the majority of women could give birth safely without medical interventions and without complications. We create a lot of emergencies in the U.S. (How many of your friends have had unplanned C-sections?)</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Do not</strong> waste your time on <em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What to Expect </em>and websites like BabyCenter.com. Don’t even think about taking the “childbirth class” at the hospital.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Do</strong> start with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sarah+blight+birth+book" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Birth Book</em> by Steve and Sarah Blight</a>. It’s easy to read and high quality.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Do</strong> get over and watch <a href="https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=QvCIxm1juho&utm_source=HA_Desktop_US&utm_medium=SEM&utm_campaign=ActionAds&pcampaignid=MKTAD0610MO1DAM" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Business of Being Born</em></a>. Today. Right now. (It’s on Netflix, too.)</div>
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<a href="http://www.improvingbirth.org/resources-info/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Here is a list </a>of great, evidence-based, websites and other resources.</div>
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Finally, get in a good, reputable childbirth class <em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">outside</em> of a hospital. This is an amazing process and the more you know, the less there is to fear. Education is power.</div>
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#3 The Thing About Routine Birth</h3>
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I’m going to skip you ahead a few steps here. When you start researching and really learning how awesome birth can be–and not some emergency horror show like you see in the movies–and when you start formulating a plan for how to make birth the safest it can be, you’re going to find that what most places provide for care doesn’t match up to what your research shows as most beneficial and least risky for you and your baby.</div>
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Here’s a (really long) example:</div>
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> Evidence-based care for you means freedom of movement, freedom to eat and drink as you like, intermittent auscultation to monitor your baby’s heart rate during labor, one-to-one continuous support by someone who is educated in childbirth, water immersion for pain management, privacy so you can focus, no vaginal exams during labor unless there is a specific reason for it or <em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">you</em> want to know your dilation, and freedom to push in whatever position feels comfortable to you. It includes interventions <em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">when medically necessary </em>and not before, and, if medical interventions are recommended, full and accurate information on their risks, benefits, and alternatives, and support of whatever decision you make. It also means that labor and pushing go as long as you feel comfortable and you and baby are doing fine.</div>
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> BUT Routine hospital care usually looks more like: strapped into bed with belts for continuous monitoring of your baby (this kind of monitoring has an over 99% false positive rate), no food or drink allowed (they might give you ice chips), no one-to-one support, maybe a tub for water immersion, but you can’t get in if you’re on monitoring belts, an automatic IV into your hand that hurts and makes it hard to move, lots of interruptions by people wanting to give you vaginal exams (that serve absolutely no medical purpose, but increase your odds of infection down there), and constant pressure to “hurry things along” with medication or “give you a break” with an epidural. It’s unlikely that anyone will tell you the significant risks of medications that speed things up (Pitocin causes fetal distress, which is a #2 cause of C-sections) or the downsides of an epidural (primarily, that you won’t be able to move around to get baby positioned better, which makes it much harder for him or her to descend through the birth canal and can result in a need for episiotomy/forceps or vacuum or even surgery!).</div>
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You are free to choose any of these things! There is no judgment here. The thing is that most women don’t <em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">choose</em> these things–they’re just done to them–or they “consent” without all the information about what’s being done. I don’t want that to happen to you.</div>
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So what’s a girl to do?</div>
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#4 Get a Damn Doula</h3>
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Have you ever cut your hair yourself? It might turn out okay, but then you get it done at the salon with the hypnotizing head massage and the mysterious, magical products and the blow-out-you-can-never-replicate and you realize, yeah, that was better with professionals. That’s kind of what doulas are to birth.</div>
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Doulas are trained to support women in continuous, one-to-one support throughout pregnancy and childbirth, and <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">their use is strongly supported by science</strong>, including <a href="http://www.acog.org/Resources_And_Publications/Obstetric_Care_Consensus_Series/Safe_Prevention_of_the_Primary_Cesarean_Delivery" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">new guidelines</a> from the nation’s obstetricians that call doulas “one of the most effective tools to improve labor and delivery outcomes.” They will answer your questions if you’re having heartburn at 28 weeks or refer you to a great chiropractor if your hips hurt, and help you create a birth plan; during labor, they will gently help you get in different positions, encourage you, inform you about what is going on, bring you snacks, and let your partner have bathroom breaks so he can stay comfortably by your side when you want him. If you or your partner is wondering what a doula does,<a href="http://www.myrubygirl.com/2013/03/04/doula-whats-a-doula/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">read this</a>.</div>
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But they are so much more than just a luxury. They really, truly, are a safety measure. Look at these stats! Look at the decrease in the risk of C-section!</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ImprovingBirth/photos/pb.255657527841076.-2207520000.1401861832./608371639236328/?type=3&theater" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="More at: http://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/" class="size-medium wp-image-6617" src="http://www.improvingbirth.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Doulas-300x300.png" height="300" style="background: transparent; border: 0px none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;" width="300" /></a><br />
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More at: http://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/</div>
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Doulas can also help you with #5 “Best Provider Ever” because they work together with many different providers and see how they practice! They know if Dr. A tends to be more patient with first-time moms, or Dr. B’s bedside manner sucks during birth even after being so laid-back during pregnancy, or that the nurses at Hospital C are exceptional. Hospital cultures are VERY different, and doulas can help you figure out where you’ll have the best shot at the safest, best birth possible.</div>
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#5 Best Provider Ever</h3>
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Every provider is different, and research shows that the #1 determinant of whether or not you end up with a C-section isn’t you–it’s your provider! That’s saying something.</div>
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Know that your options include obstetricians, family doctors, and midwives. This is significant, because the U.S. is unusual in that we send low-risk, uncomplicated pregnancies to surgeons rather than <a href="http://mana.org/IAAM/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">normal childbirth experts: midwives</a>. Midwives specialize in <em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">preventing complications</em>, including surgery<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. </em>Speaking of, don’t be shy about vetting your provider. What is his or her rate for Cesarean section? What about episiotomy and other common but usually unnecessary interventions? This is your vagina we’re talking about. You have a right to know.</div>
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Know that <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">whomever you pick owes you the best</strong>. If you’ve done your research, you have an idea of what to look for. If you hear things like, “You’re not allowed” or “We can’t let you,”–<a href="http://www.improvingbirth.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/RedFlags.pdf" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Red Flags">if you are getting any of these “red flags”</a>–please, take your business elsewhere, to someone who will treat you like a competent adult.</div>
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#6 You don’t have to go to a hospital</h3>
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If you’re a healthy, low-risk woman, birth centers are a stellar option: comfortable, high-quality, family-centered care with a Cesarean rate of approximately 6% and a less-than-2% urgent transfer rate (for either mother or baby) with no adverse health consequences compared to hospitals. <a href="http://www.birthcenters.org/research" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">More here</a>.</div>
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Home birth is another option that more and more women are taking advantage of, as they recognize the benefits of truly supportive one-to-one, individualized care and avoiding the routine risks of a hospital. The acceptance of home birth as a legitimate health choice makes it more safe in some places than others. If you’re open to this possibility, do some homework and see if it’s a fit!</div>
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#7 Know Your Rights</h3>
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Most women are totally unaware about what their rights are or why they’d ever need to know them. <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pregnant women have the same rights as everyone else, </strong>but women are very often treated as if they’re in a special category because they’re pregnant. Legally, you are entitled to <a href="http://www.improvingbirth.org/2013/07/informed-consent-in-childbirth/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Informed Consent in Childbirth: Making Rights into Reality">informed consent and refusal:</a> a full discussion with your care provider about the risks and potential benefits of anything they are suggesting, and about your alternatives, with the right to say “no” to anything. You’ve got to know your rights if you’re going to use them!</div>
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Once again…</h3>
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Birth doesn’t have to suck. Keep your expectations high and do the work to have those expectations met. <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Don’t let anybody convince you that you need to step aside for your baby. You need to step <em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">up</em> for your baby. </strong><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></strong></div>
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I’m rooting for you in this once-in-a-lifetime process. I know you can <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CevxZvSJLk8" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">rock this thing</a>.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Share this article with a friend: <span id="sample-permalink" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" tabindex="-1">http://www.improvingbirth.org/2014/06/<span id="editable-post-name" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Temporary permalink. Click to edit this part.">dear-friend</span>/<br />More articles by Cristen about rocking it out: http://www.improvingbirth.org/author/cristen/</span></strong></div>
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.birthmonopoly.com/about" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Henry and Mom 22_2-L" class="alignleft wp-image-6628" src="http://www.improvingbirth.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Henry-and-Mom-22_2-L-e1401892660434-136x150.jpg" height="143" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;" width="130" /></a>Author Cristen Pascucci is vice president of Improving Birth and founder of <a href="http://www.birthmonopoly.com/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="BMP">Birth Monopoly</a> (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/birthmonopoly" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">BMP on Facebook</a>). She is co-founder of a soon-to-launch U.S. legal network created to support women in their rights in childbirth, and speaks to parents and birth workers around the country with <a href="http://birthmonopoly.com/events/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="BMP Events">Stand on Your Rights: Demystifying Legal Rights in Childbirth & How to Use Them</a> (this June, in <a href="http://www.standsyracuse.eventbrite.com/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Syracuse</a>, <a href="http://www.standalbany.eventbrite.com/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Albany</a>, <a href="http://www.standmanhattan.eventbrite.com/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Manhattan</a> and <a href="http://www.standnj.eventbrite.com/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">New Jersey</a>)</em>.</div>
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Have you seen <a href="http://www.improvingbirth.org/2014/04/plan/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Improving Birth Strategic Plan 2014-2016">what Improving Birth is up to</a>? We’re supporting women all over the country, as well as working with mothers, providers, and policy makers to lead change in various communities. We need your support today! Please <a href="http://www.improvingbirth.org/donate-money/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Donate">give here</a> and plan to <a href="http://rallytoimprovebirth.com/find-a-rally-near-you/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">attend</a> or <a href="http://rallytoimprovebirth.com/become-a-rally-coordinator/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">organize</a> a gathering for the 2014 <a href="http://www.rallytoimprovebirth.com/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #9966ff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Rally to Improve Birth">Rally to Improve Birth this Labor Day, September 1</a>–the only national event of its kind, where consumers come together to raise awareness about the maternity care crisis and demand change. We’ll see you there!</h4>
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Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01749852689229591611noreply@blogger.com0