I first heard about placenta encapsulation during the second trimester of my second pregnancy. One of my close friends had just had her third baby and she decided to have her placenta encapsulated for the first time. My friend testified to the immense health and recovery benefits received. My initial reaction was part disgust and part inquisitiveness. Consuming one’s placenta seemed a bit strange but it has numerous benefits to the post-partum mother. I began my own research on the subject and soon discovered for myself the healthful benefits behind placentophagy. My research told me that the placenta provides a … Continue reading →

I am a type A personality. I like organization, structure, and well thought out plans. When I set a goal, I do everything in my power (within reason) to reach that goal. Before my husband and I began trying to achieve our first pregnancy, I began extensive research on pregnancy. I researched all the possible birthing options in my area. What I discovered from my research was the tools to have the best possible outcome for pregnancy and birth. While both of my pregnancy and birth experience were different, my goal for a low risk and (mostly) complication free (the … Continue reading →

It finally happened. After coming in contact with countless sick family, friends, and random people, my pregnant body had enough. Now I have a cold. Although I am not sure how or from whom I contracted the virus, I do know that being sick while pregnant is not fun at all. In the midst of holiday get-togethers and the consumption of holiday related sugary treats, my immune system became susceptible to the various cold viruses on the prowl this winter season. After a twenty four hour runny nose, I thought I had beat the bug. Alas, after several unsuccessful attacks, … Continue reading →

I always thought that I ate pretty healthy for the most part. My mom has always been fairly health conscious and most of our summer time produce came from our garden. My mom never bought pre-made processed foods (with the exception of sandwich bread). We made almost all our baked goods from scratch. The only frozen foods we ate were peas and occasionally ice cream. The only time we ever had soda was on our summer camping trip. We ate pretty healthy growing up and extremely healthy in comparison to some of our childhood friends (who had things like frozen … Continue reading →

Recently I found myself enthralled with season fifteen of America’s Next Top Model. I found it fascinating to watch the group of skinning and not necessarily very pretty model wannabes undergoing transformation after transformation. I found my self coveting some of the girls’ long hair made even longer with extensions. After cutting my hair short time and time again over the past two and half years, I am trying to grow it out again. As tempting as extensions would be, they are not for me and as awesome as it would be to lose the extra belly fat to resume … Continue reading →

We live in a time that pretty much demands various and numerous insurance policies. We have health insurance, car insurance, home owners/renters insurance, life insurance, etc. the list goes on and on. While my midwife employs what she calls her “Insurance Policy” it doesn’t involve a premium or a deductible. Rather it embraces and demands healthy living. The cost of this insurance policy isn’t necessarily monetary (and it certainly isn’t as expensive as the various insurance premiums), it does require thought, education, daily effort, and persistent commitment. As I mention in Part I, this insurance policy has three parts: nutrition, … Continue reading →

One doesn’t have to look very hard (especially with the Internet) to understand that pregnant women (and breastfeeding too) need to take prenatal vitamins. With the onset of the industrial revolution and the invention of chemical pesticides, our food just isn’t as nutrient dense as it used to be. This means that we are not getting all the nutrients that we need to be healthy. While being healthy should be an important goal for everyone, it is paramount for pregnant women. We know that a balance of nutrients are essential for expecting mothers. We also know that conventional foods cannot … Continue reading →

Morning sickness only lasted ten weeks for me. In retrospect, that doesn’t seem so bad, but at the time, it seemed like forever. I think my morning sickness days were pretty unvaried, but I recall one day during my first trimester that was very different. One of the most exciting or rather scary morning sickness moments occurred one cold Saturday morning. I was taking a shower. I remember there was lots of steam and that I was going through my routine of vomiting and dry heaving. All of a sudden my pupils dilated and everything got really bright. I sat … Continue reading →

One of the worst parts of being pregnant is when YOU get sick. Knowing which medicines to take can be confusing! One thing I hate even more is when you are trying to conceive and get sick. You aren’t sure if you are pregnant or not in the first week or two, and you think, “Should I? or Shouldn’t I?” I always err on the side of caution. I don’t want to risk anything!! But, once you know you are pregnant, why does it have to be so confusing? Some doctors are more conservative than others on advising you on … Continue reading →