I’ll be honest, for the most part, when I heard the name Jaime Oliver in the not so recent past, I thought of the charismatic “Naked Chef” on the Food Network. Now I hear his name and I think of a courageous and passionate man/father with the drive to change the health and well-being of this country. Coming March 26th on ABC, Jaime will be kicking of his new show Jaime Oliver’s Food Revolution, a new series shedding light on our country’s epidemic of obesity and declining children’s health. While listening to Jaime speak on TED, I could not help but think I must share this with parents and future parents. It’s an eye opening, motivating clip for everyone to watch or listen to.

His message is very clear and true. We need to re-educate ourselves and most especially our children ( yours, our nieces,nephews, god children, all of them) on food, how to prepare it, where it comes from, quality-vs- additives and its effects on our health. These are essentials survival skills which are lacking. As new parents start fresh and instill these lessons within your children from the beginning.

Join his revolution!

I often check out the many innovative and inspiring videos over on TED. Today I saw this amazing project and innovation created by Jane Chen. Her invention can keep millions of infants warm as the heal from premature birth — a design that’s safe, portable, low-cost ($25) and life-saving.

(photos for from Getty)

I sometimes believe that if Einstein were to have developed a scientific equation that revealed the connection between the birth of a baby and the relativity of time, he would have correlated that the gift of a new born child accelerates our perception of time. I awoke up this morning and realized that the little adorable princess that came into this world, it seems like just yesterday, is one month old today. Usually, after I attend births, it takes me a few days to fall out from under the magical joyous spell of wonder and amazement a birth can cast on you. With this last birth I attended on November 13th, I was so moved, touched and inspired, that it has taken me a month to really begin to grasp its positive impact.

Up until last month, I had been given a series of invaluable gifts, the introduction to several amazing women I had never known until I became their doula. Now, I forever am blessed with the gift of knowing their strength and grace as mothers, their families and adorable sons. Ironically enough, all of the births I had attended in my doulahood were for the births of adorable awesome little boys till last month. On November 13th 2009, I experienced the emotionally powered gift of attending the birth of a most cherished friend’s second daughter.
What you may not know is that the birth of this amazing mother goddess’s first daughter was the inspiration behind me finally beginning my doula path. I had been exploring the possibility of starting the path prior but was telling myself, “Oh maybe 5 years from now.” Then, one day during her 37th week, I was taking pictures of the soon to be 1st time mom with daughter still inside her womb in central park for memory sake. 4 hours later, her water broke. The next day I rushed to the hospital to meet the sparkling gem and see her inspiring mother. I had brought prints of the photos I took to the hospital and as we looked through them, we realized that I had captured her daughter descending down from the beginning of the photo session to the end. Though I was not there to attend her birth (I was not yet a doula), I wanted to be.

It was the first time that I had seen a close friend through the stages of her pregnancy and as a new mother. It introduced me to a new aspect of love and care. It inspired be to not delay and begin my doula path. So fast forward nearly three years later and here I am still moved by this woman and her now two daughters. Not only was it an empowering gentle birth experience, but it was my 1st time I watched a girl be born. It is not that I do not greatly appreciate my experiences witnessing the birth of boy angels, but as for me personally being so driven to understand and explore the various aspects of womanhood from being a girl to a wise elder, this was a significant benchmark in my life.

Even though I do not have children yet, I now have a closer sense of the feeling that parents and immediate family feel when they welcome a new member to their world. Babies teach us what love is all about. Pre-existing love through friendship makes the already wondrous emotional experience of childbirth even more intoxicating (even more magnified for the parent/s I am sure). It fuels more oxytocin in the room (Oxytocin is WONDERFUL). For any women reading this post, reconnect to the roots of sisterhood. If you have the opportunity to accompany a cherished friend or relative in childbirth, do so. It is one of the most rewarding gifts for both you and the mother will ever receive.

Happy one month old day Princess Ophir
Pink & Glitter By Tori Amos

Acclaimed retired midwife of over 28 years and author Valerie El Halta has been quoted to say,

‘Women today not only possess genetic memory of birth from a thousand generations of women, but they are also assailed from every direction by information and misinformation about birth.” Valerie El Halta.

I have always been fascinated to hear many women share their “secret” thoughts & dreams about the ocean, dolphins, mermaids & other aquatic references during pregnancy, birth and the ebbs of their menses. Often when they share these lucid journeys, their body language retracts into a state of uncertainty, as if their dreams are juvenile or thoughts to be mocked. Some share such dreams and thoughts in such an descriptive way, it is as if they were rendering a familiar ballet in your mind. If only women owned these thoughts as genetic, sacred memories are shared such thought with other women more often. What types of connections would be re-established between the mind, body, and community of women. Could guided mediation inspired by the ocean help more women during their labor?

Before the hospitals and before the concept of water pollution, many women in the past have birthed in the oceans and pools of waters. There are many stories of such hidden in the chapters of history. Researchers have found in Minoan ruins, Art frescos with depictions of dolphins and their unique connections with water and humans. I discovered one of my favorite water birth stories in Gentle Birth Choices by Barbara Harper, R.N. Here is an expert:

“ The Chumash Indians of the Central California Coast tell stories about their women laboring in tide pools and shallow inlets along the beach while men of the tribe drummed and chanted…..Dolphins would appear nearby in the water, staying close to the woman until the baby was born.”

Russian male midwife, Igor Charkovsky, is known for helping pregnant women give birth underwater in the Black Sea ‘aided’ by dolphins. In Peru, in 2005, a study was conducted on prenatal dolphin therapy. It is referenced quite often that many women find it helpful to visualize their contractions as ebbs and flows just like the tides of the ocean or listens to aquatic sounds during labor. Women report that birthing in a birth pool or even just standing in the shower during labor soothes and alleviates the various sensations and pressures in their bodies.

There are several videos and books that capture the water births in a beautiful light if you would like to learn more. If you your self have a wonderful water story to share that relates to this topic, please do so.

Kelley Cox/Post Independent

What are the odds that a mother and her daughter would birth healthy baby boys on the same day? Apparently these two residents of the Glenwood Springs area in Colorado are amongst this rare group. Cara Pittman was scheduled for an induced labor on March 28th, but then the doctors moved up the induction date to March 19th (for undisclosed reasons). As her daughter, Cheyenne Rodriguez and her mother arrived for the birth, Rodriguez began to have contractions. Rodriguez’s due date was not originally for another 4 days and typically first borns are delivered about a week or two after their expected delivery date.

It is said that babies should be given their right to choose their own birth day. It appears to be that Rodriguez’s son was determined to be born on the same day as his uncle. It makes you wander would he have been like most first borns, around 2 weeks late if his Uncle’s orginal induction date of March 28th was kept ?

Talk about a unique bonding experience 4 fold.

Because of the generosity of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Illinois, the Provena United Samaritans Medical Center in Chicago now has the Bilisoft LED Phototheraphy system. This innovative medical invention by GE is the only product of its kind which supports and promotes developmental care, enables infant-parent bonding such as breastfeeding and provides healing light for babies as they heal from severe cases of jaundice. The traditional units which treat such infants prevents parents from holding, touching, and unfortunately breastfeeding during treatment. (Mothers can still express their milk and have it feed to the baby through tubes).

Click here to learn more about this incredible technology.

According to the March of Dimes, nearly 60% of all newborns develop jaundice after birth. Jaundice is the yellow discoloration of baby’s skin and the whites of his or hers eyes. Usually, the discoloration arrives on the 2nd or so day after birth and then naturally goes away around day 8. The common form does not cause any discomfort for your infant or harm. There are some cases where a baby’s bilirubin levels (the cause of Jaundice) can peak to a severe rate and as a result pose a risk of brain damage to a baby. It is for this reason that your baby’s bilirubin level should be checked both before you leave the hospital/birthing center or if you are having a home birth, by your midwife and then 3 to 5 days after birth.

The exact cause(s) for these spiked levels still are being researched though there are some schools of thoughts that believe bilirubin levels are altered due to the clamping of the umbilical cord during birth. In 1996, the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed delaying the clamping of the cord, though for some reason, this is still a standard protocol in most American hospitals. Judith Mercer, a CNM published in the Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health, concluded her study in 2001 and derived, “Early clamping of the umbilical cord at birth, a practice developed without adequate evidence, causes neonatal blood volume to vary 25-40%. Such massive change occurs at no other time in one’s life without serious consequences, even death. Early cord clamping may impede a successful transition and contribute to hypovolemic and hypoxic damage in vulnerable newborns.”

After learning about this research and that some midwives report seeing fewer cases of jaundice in babies born at home, I do wonder if the early clamping of the chord has a direct effect on the amount of bilirubin released into the baby’s system. For those cases where babies who were born at home and then developed jaundice, I wonder if in those cases the umbilical cord was wrapped around the neck of the baby. If anyone can comment on that, it would be interesting to hear your feed back.

To learn more about jaundice, click here.

So I do not know about you, but I have found that the last two days have been a little off kilter. One of my clients whose due date is a month from now actually had to go to the hospital for she was cramping, spotting and began to have contractions. Once I heard that she was back home safe and sound (the bundle of joy still tucked in its oven) my high alert radar began to fade. I looked out side of my window and saw the beautiful full moon and then began to think. I typed in Full Moon and Pregnancy and found this article that captured what I was just thinking. Apparently some maternity units actually have more staff available during periods of full moon. The reason is because quite often, expectant mothers experience false signs of labor (Braxton Hicks) during the full moon. The moon’s gravitational pull affects the amniotic fluid in much the same way as it affects the ocean and the rivers. I just saw on Yahoo that today’s full moon will appear to be the largest full moon of the year because it is at its closest point to earth. The moon’s gravitational pull is an interesting phenomenon.

This summer I attended a screening for ‘Orgasmic Birth’. This fascinating documentary was created by internationally respected childbirth expert, Debra Pascali-Bonaro. The film sheds light on the beauty and “other” side of childbirth, the side that has not been discussed in the out and open. Babies are created using all of the same sex organs and hormones that are used to deliver the baby. Now this statement I am about to make may come off a little blunt and graphic, but I feel that it gets the point across. If a woman is being forced against her will to have sex, then it hurts tremendously. The fear, the violation and all of the other emotions make her sexual mechanisms resist. The result is pain, uncontrollable breathing and so forth. Now when a women feels safe, is connected to the act for which she is performing, and for the most part, in a private setting for which she feels is her own space, then she is able to relax and reach an orgasm. So to tie this together to my point and the message behind Orgasmic Birth, if a women is allowed the respected space to labor at her own pace, surrounded by supportive birth partners and medical team, then she is more inclined to feel safe, let down her inhibitions and open to and surrender herself to the miracle of birth. And yes, pleasure and ecstasy are possible during labor.

For far too long there has been this projected notion that childbirth is nothing but a scary, intolerable act (This is so not the case). For the most part, the common visuals one has of childbirth are those from mainstream TV and movies (definitely, not the best examples) those clips show the typical cliché of a women screaming at the medical staff & partner, confound to the bed and not happy at all. Then you have the media’s grid lock focus on statements made by celebrities whose fears becomes instilled and influence the general public (by no fault of their own for there are definitely stories that can be told about hospital births in the US).

Thankfully, ABC’s 20/20 is taking a bold step in a great direction to shed light on the “other” side of the story of childbirth Friday, January 2nd. The show will be featuring a segment on ‘Orgasmic Birth’. Though I am excited that such a topic will be discussed on such a popular show, I am going to wait and make my rave or rant after it airs. After being excited to watch the doula segment air on the Today show a few weeks back, I was disappointed with the overall tone of the segment. (Every women deserves the right to have continous support through out labor. That is not a luxury. And while yes doulas can range between $500-1500+ for childbirth, the benefits are so much worth it. That segment failed to mention the astonishing cost of hospital birth, epidurals, and c-sections. Doula have a major impact in reducing the need for epidurals and c-sections)

So check out Orgasmic Birth’s website and watch the segment on 20/20 and share your feedback.