Photo from F*** Yeah The Universe (sorry for the cursing...but gotta give credit where credit is due).
NOTE FROM THE UNIVERSE
The truth not only sets you free, Andrea, it slays all dragons, banishes all fears, connects all dots, and casts a brand new spell over those who’ve yet to see you as I do.
And you already had the world spinning in the palm of your hand…
Careful now,
The Universe
P.S. Dwell in truth, Andrea, and you will literally start to glow.
I have been receiving a Note from the Universe like this in my inbox every weekday for about four years now. They are definitely in that quantum physics/new age spirituality/one love realm, and I adore them for that. The notes are personalized with your name, and when you sign up for the {free!} notes you also enter your own “top secret goals” into these fill-in-the-blanks: “I now have my own _____,” and “I will soon _____.” The other day it occurred to me that the Notes from the Universe could be very inspirational for mamas preparing for birth. I thought that by making the second secret goal something along the lines of “I will soon have an amazing, powerful, courageous birth” the notes could turn into wonderful birth affirmations. If this is not your cup of tea{leaves}, no worries. If, however, you’ve got a bit of an earthy birthy side like I do, I think you might enjoy these little cyber fortune cookies!
A big thank you to Mike Dooley, the man behind Notes from the Universe. The notes have brightened many a day for not only me, but also for a ton of my friends and family members. Thank you for the fairy dust Mike!
Probably not! Even if your due date is fast approaching, you can likely still hire a labor doula to support you every step of the way.
When I took my doula training course we were told that most people hire doulas in their 7th or 8th month. Here in New York City I’ve seen that most of my clients reach out to me much sooner than that. That said, I also hear about a lot of mamas who only became wise to the whole “doula thing” toward the very end of their pregnancies. Assuming it’s too late, many of these mamas figure labor doula support is just something they’ll do next time around.
Because of the way doula work works, many of us do have last minute availability. For instance, one of my mamas who was due in September delivered in August, opening up a spot for another mama-to-be. And if you’re worried that you wouldn’t have enough time to really connect with a doula who you hired within weeks of your birth, you can probably let that go. Aubrey, one of my clients who shared a birth story on this blog, and I only met a few days before her birth. Her original doula had a death in the family and I stepped in. We clicked immediately, and continue to stay in touch. In the realm of birth, life-long connections are made at warp speed. I had another client who I actually met when she was in labor. That client went into premature labor at 34 weeks before hiring a doula. Her amazing sister set about calling around to see if she could find a doula available at a moments notice, and found me. When I went to meet the mama-to-be she was already laboring in the hospital so I literally didn’t speak to her (aside from “breathe, breathe…” and “you’re doing great!”) until after she pushed her baby out, and it was nonetheless a wonderful experience all the way around.
So if you’re close to your due date, but want a doula at your side, know that in most cases that is still not only possible, but a wonderful idea. You can learn more about my doula services here, or by sending an email to hello@holisticdoulanyc.com. Here’s to your beautiful birth!
You can enter a customized birth intention if you like. Click the pic to go to the Do As One website and get your breathe on. In just a couple of minutes you will feel relaxed and refreshed. It's so great!
Do As One is my favorite internet discovery of late. It is inspired brilliance! What you do here is enter into various “rooms” –a breathing room, an om room, a laughter room–where you are guided in a personalized breathing (or om-ing, or laughing) meditation. You customize your experience in a variety of ways, from choosing what chakra colors you want to see, to writing a custom intention, like I did in the photo above. In the laughter room you can even choose what kind of laugh you want to hear! Intention and breath are both so powerful, and something that each of my clients has harnessed in her own way during birth. This site is a super fun and easy way to practice calm, centered, intention-holding before the big day. I plan on visiting here often, and can’t wait to share this with my mamas-to-be! Happy breathing!
More custom birth affirmations I entered into Do As One.
This video features my amazing clients Karen and Regis. The three of us got to know each other really well as they not only hired me to be their doula, but also for private childbirth education classes. From our first meeting, I loved these two, and they just keep inspiring me! Karen was an amazing force of nature as she labored and, as predicted, Gavin was a phenomenal support.
Karen, Regis and Lily, kudos to all three of you on your breastfeeding success story!
When it came to breastfeeding brand new baby Lily, Karen felt she needed a little help. I recommended she call “the breast whisperer,” lactation counsultant Freda Rosenfeld. They were the second couple in my practice who had been told their little one was tongue tied, and who were able to have a successful breastfeeding session moments after having their little one’s tongue untied, so to speak. I think that it’s wonderful that Karen and Regis have shared their story for other new parents facing the same issue. Seeing this pair on TV made me feel like a proud mama. Way to go Karen, Regis and little Lily!
“As midwives we are experts at normal. And we understand that normal is a continuum….Seeing a woman take charge of her pregnancy and give birth in the way that she wants to, for me that’s the most rewarding part of my job.”
Lisa Uncles, Certified Nurse Midwife
Read more about Lisa Uncles on NPR by clicking here.
Most prenatal vitamins have only 200 – 400 IUs of vitamin D, though new research is showing that more vitamin D can have very important benefits. In a recent study, 500 women who were 12 or more weeks pregnant took either 400, 2,000 or 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily. In the group of women taking 4,000 IU there was a decreased incidence of early labor, premature birth, and infection. I’ve written about the link between infection, premature labor, and vitamin D previously, in Tips for a Holistic Pregnancy and Birth:
The latest research on Vitamin D tells us that this essential nutrient is protective of just about everything. Seriously. Everything. Unfortunately, we’re almost all deficient in this wonder vitamin, a deficiency that may begin in utero. Prenatal vitamin D deficiency may play a role in increased rates of cesarean delivery, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and bacterial vaginitis. Risks to the child long-term relate to brain and immune system function. I talked to Dr. Zina Kroner, Medical Director of New York City’s Advanced Medicine of New York, about vitamin D in pregnancy….Dr. Kroner believes that “checking a prenatal patient’s vitamin D levels is imperative.” When I asked her about cost, she said “insurance will cover the cost if the right diagnostic code is provided. Even if the patient lacks insurance, the cost is approximately $150 at a private lab and labs will usually give a 50% discount if they know that a patient does not have any insurance.” Dr. Kroner believes that “knowing what the level is allows a nutritionally oriented physician to prescribe a more exact dose of vitamin D and decrease the likelihood of undershooting.”
Bruce Hollis, Ph.D., director of pediatric nutritional sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston, was one of the authors of the study comparing different doses of vitamin D in pregnancy. In terms of a generalized dosage recommendation he believes “Pregnant women need to take 4,000 IU of vitamin D a day,” and that “we didn’t see a single adverse effect. It was absolutely safe, and we saw a lot of improved outcomes. The risk of preterm labor was vastly decreased and so was the risk of other complications of pregnancy.” [as reported by Denise Mann for Health.com] One hypothesis about how vitamin D can contribute to a healthy birth is that premature labor is often a consequence of a sub-clinical (meaning you don’t know you have it) infection. Studies have shown that the incidence of an infection called bacterial vaginosis–the number one cause of preterm labor–increases along with vitamin D deficiency.
Click the pic to check out the book behind this nausea breaking food list.
While researching my latest post about morning sickness I came across what I found to be a super clever resource. Miriam Erick, a perinatal dietician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, created a list to help her clients identify what foods did sound good to them in the midst of an attack of morning sickness. Being familiar with that “nothing sounds good” feeling, I find this cheat sheet both simple and ingenious. Erick believes that whatever jumps out from the list above, is you personal “nausea breaking food.” So if you’re suffering from frequent morning sickness, you may want to print out a copy of Erick’s food words, stick it on your fridge, and see if it helps you plot your path out of yuckville. For more tips, check out Seven Tips for Quieting the Morning Sickness Demons. Good luck mama…this too shall pass!
Mint tea, hot or iced, and lemonade are both good morning sickness remedies.
For the second time in just a few weeks I’ve been approached by a colleague who is battling the morning sickness demons. Since morning sickness affects 50 – 80% of all pregnancies, I figured that it was time to put my fingers to the keyboard and share my favorite morning sickness cures here.
Seven Tips for Quieting the Morning Sickness Demons
1. Eat, drink, and do whatever you can manage…and then try not to stress about it
For almost everyone, morning sickness truly is just a phase, easing up around week 14. The first trimester is just about getting through it, resting well, and trusting your body (and baby) to do their thing. Eat and drink what sounds good and plan to get back to your healthier diet as soon as this passes. Balancing fats (to the degree you can tolerate them), protein, and carbs can be helpful, as can eating small meals frequently. (Check out the end of this post for some info on why fats in particular can be a bit tricky.)
Ginger Chews or other crystalized ginger products can be found at most health food stores and Whole Foods. You can also order them online. Click the pic for Amazon.com's Ginger Chews.
2. Get yourself some ginger
Ginger has been well researched for its anti-nausea affects and can be taken in myriad ways. You can slice up raw ginger and pour hot water over it for instant ginger tea. You can add a bit of the root to any fresh-pressed juice, or you can grate a little into a smoothie. Ginger Chews are a popular and easy ginger delivery system as well. I will say, I’ve also met people (and I’m kind of one of them) who find that ginger brings on stomach upset. If you’re like me, skip ahead to tip number four for a better tea recommendation.
End of pregnancy patience is important for providers and mamas-to-be, as inductions of labor double the likelihood of caesarean birth.
In yesterday’s New York Times, Denise Grady reported on a recent study published by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In the article, A Majority of Caesareans Are Done Before Labor, Ms. Grady highlights the latest research about why the caesarean rate continues to rise, despite no evidence of increased maternal or newborn well-being. The three main reasons identified in this study were:
1) Increased inductions of labor (44% of the study participants were induced) which are twice as likely to result in caesarean deliveries
2) Obstetric decision to proceed to a caesarean vs waiting for labor to take its course
3) Elective repeat caesarean deliveries
I agree that all of these factors contribute to the incidence of caesarean section, and have written about what a holistic mama-to-be can do to positively influence these and other road bumps that can get in the way of a healthy, empowered vaginal delivery. Here are three posts I recommend if you are looking for a smooth ride into motherhood:
I have written a few times about induction of labor and believe that elective induction of labor is not worth the risk to mama or baby. This is my most popular post on the topic, and includes links to other posts on the issue as well.
Need cleaning? Feng shui? The clutter cure? Ms. Green-Clean does all of that...and green-ly!
One of my doula clients is having Ms. Green-Clean come over tomorrow to make her house green, clean, and sparkling before her September 14th due date. When my client mentioned this, I was reminded of an interview I gave Ms. Green Clean a couple of months back, and it occurred to me that I never shared that interview here, so without further delay, here is my Ms. Green-Clean interview:
MS. GREEN-CLEAN INTERVIEWS NYC HOLISTIC DOULA & RN, ANDREA CROSSMAN
by Cori Morenberg, aka Ms. Green-Clean
One of the things I love about my job is that I get to meet many exceptionally talented and interesting people with fascinating careers. I’m also grateful that I never have to convince clients of my eco-friendly methods or that the products I’m using to clean their homes are as effective as their more noxious relatives. By the time someone becomes a Ms. Green-Clean client they’re already cognizant of the benefits of living a healthier lifestyle. In fact, I often learn green and healthy tips from them.
Andrea Crossman, a Ms. Green-Clean client, is one of those people I’ve learned a lot from. She is the founder of Holistic Doula NYC, is a holistic RN, doula, and childbirth educator. She works with women to support three important milestones: preparation for pregnancy, pregnancy, and birth. Andrea hosts a group called Holistic Mamas NYC and writes the HDNYC blog where she shares holistic pregnancy and birth tips. She is also the co-founder of Lovemore (www.chooselovemore.com), a love-infused green business with a line of message tees, hoodies, onesies, vegan belts, bags, and water bottles.
I had the opportunity recently to interview her:
Andrea at a postpartum visit admiring the baby.
For people who don’t know, what is a labor doula?
A labor doula provides continuous emotional, physical, and informational support to a laboring mother. My labor doula support typically begins at the woman’s home where–for women who choose a hospital birth–she labors until deciding it’s time to transfer to the hospital. I stay with her all the way through labor and until she and her new little one have their first breastfeeding experience. What this means is that from the moment I arrive at the laboring woman’s side, I stay there; my time in attendance at a birth typically begins sooner than the midwife or obstetrician, and lasts longer.
During that time, my job is to remind my clients that their bodies instinctively know how to give birth, to reassure them that what they are experiencing is normal, and to suggest options as needed that may help them cope better, like new positions or other techniques to work through each contraction. I also offer active comfort by way of healing modalities like massage, breathing techniques, Reiki, aromatherapy, and others specially tailored to each mother’s preferences.
ABOUT HOLISTIC DOULA NYC
Holistic Doula NYC was founded by holistic RN, doula, and former labor and delivery nurse Andrea Crossman. HDNYC offers holistic health care consultations, labor doula support, and childbirth education classes for holistic mamas-to-be and mama-wanna-bes.
No material on this blog is intended to suggest that you should not seek professional health care in addition to increasing your own knowledge. The information on Holistic Doula NYC is not a substitute for professional healthcare advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified health care provider based on your unique situation. Never delay or disregard seeking professional health care advice from a qualified healthcare provider because of something you have read on Holistic Doula NYC. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your provider or dial 911 immediately.
The information in this blog is offered as-is, for informational purposes only. The user of this information assumes all risks for its use or misuse. While every attempt has been made to ensure the information on this site is accurate, it is not guaranteed to be free from typographical errors, incorrect statements, or errors in reporting or research.
