Hello everyone!!

How I have missed sharing posts with you. Life definitely rolls in ebbs and flows. The last 6 months have been a whirlwind but within these last months, several great events and experiences were had! On July 24/25, 2009, I attended my first homebirth. It was an incredible experience to watch a fierce woman, full of grace and focus, gently welcome her adorable son into the world with her loving support husband.  I will definitely share elements about my experience later.

Among several branding and design projects, I have been also been working on a very dear project under Verte the last several months, Be the Light Be the One. BTLBTO is an online emporium where you can find tools and resources for conscious change. It is the brand’s hope is to be a source of reflection and inspiration as we build community, support meaningful connections and create new possibilities for ourselves and the world. BLBTO also carries a collection of “Products with Purpose” for all ages and backgrounds.  Check out these adorable 100%  organic onezees. They come from fair-trade sources, have nickel-free snaps and are made with a non-toxic dying process.  Short sleeved onezees are $25 and long sleeved are $30. Check out the matching adult and youth tee’s as well.

 If you are also in need of a resource to purchase any of these birthing documentary gems, you can find them as well at the Be the Light Be the One website.

Again, I am glad to be back. Many new wonderful things are around the corner as I wait for the phone call for my next birth. Any day now!!!

Many blessings and joy to all you amazing parents and viewers.

Denise Spatafora, creator of the BornClear childbirth preparation course, has just released a wonderful book entitled Better Birth: The Ultimate Guide to Childbirth from Home Births to Hospitals.

The book is based on her Born Clear method which is structured around the intuitive mind-body connection of expectant parents. The BornClear method aims to dispel the fears and mystery around birth.

This book educates the reader as to how the mind affects the body and how our thoughts can release “the medicines/pain relievers” during labor. She goes over several relaxation techniques and visualizations which help women tap into their own hormonal toolbox to aide them throughout labor.

THIS IS TRULY A REMARKABLE MUST READ for expectant parents. There are definitely plenty of linear text-books written books out there about pregnancy, but I have not come across many that dive into the depths of the mind-body connection, sacredness and the humanity essence aspect of pregnancy and birth as this book does.

Here is a segment that features Spatafora on the Today show speaking to her BornClear method.

And another clip honoring the book:

It’s that time of year again, barbeques, beaches and outdoor social gatherings! This time around though may be different for you. If you are either pregnant or breastfeeding, you are refraining from those summer cocktails, spritzers and cold brews. What’s a woman to do when it’s hot outside, she’s pregnant or breastfeeding and she wants to still enjoy a refreshing lively drink outdoors?

Well, Earth Mama Angel Baby has the solution! Not only is this wonderful company the only one to have a complete line of 100% natural, herbal, toxin-free skin and body care products to help ease the common discomforts of the entire process of birth, but they also have a collection of 100% organic teas to support both women in their pre-natal , breastfeeding and postpartum stages. Of course these yummy teas can be used traditionally, served hot, but the team over at Earth Mama Angel Baby has some wonderful recipes that can also be chilled as Iced-Tea. Try these refreshing recipes at your next barbeque, baby shower or on those weekend beach get-aways:

PRENATAL RECIPE:

BREASTFEEDING RECIPE:

POSTPARTUM RECIPE:

Make sure to check out all of their different teas!

Global brand Huggies has just released its new Pure & Natural Diaper line. The diapers come in 5 stages starting at infancy. They are hypoallergenic, latex and fragrance free and feature a breathable outer cover that includes organic cotton. Robert Thibault, president of Kimberly-Clark’s North American Infant, Baby & Child Care business (parents of Huggies) was quoted:

“This innovative Huggies brand diaper offers delicate protection for baby, along with the increased use of renewable materials, ushering into the category a new disposable diaper that delivers the utmost in performance and care along with steps toward environmental improvements”.

The diapers are not compostable or made from fast degrading natural resources like Nature Babycare or G-Diapers, but at least this release is a big push towards the fight to provide more eco-friendly accessible parenting options. It sure is a step in a positive direction as opposed to the traditional petroleum based main-stream diaper. Franklin Associates and the American Petroleum Institute report that 3.5 billion gallons of oil are used to produce the 18 million throwaway diapers that end up in landfills each year. I think its better to have a piece of natural cotton in a landfill to break down verses oil. Plus, cotton allows for your baby’s skin to breathe.

I have yet to speak with mothers who have used the diapers, but I notice that the website is giving away free samples. So head on over to the site and sign up to receive your sample today. Or, just keep an eye out for them at your local retail outlet. Make sure to send your comments and experiences back to the Green Doula. Your testimonials help other parents.

Let’s face it. Babies are champions of dispelling urine, poo, vomit and more. It comes with the territory of babyhood & Parenthood. Parents are frequently daunted with the task of trying to figure out a safe yet effective way to clean up the after math in the war zone. Many over the counter cleaning agents contain harsh chemicals and allergens and residues that can cause skin and respiratory irritations. Here are 3 amazing eco-friendly agents/techniques that take down the competition in performance, economics and sustainability. They can be used on blankets, clothing, cloth diapers, bedding and more.

On the Shelves
Charlie’s Soap Laundry

This 3 lb bag of laundry powder can do up to 80 full wash loads. That’s only 1 TABLESPOON per large wash load. Charlies’ Soap is one of the very few brands that have a high performing detergent in a concentrate earth & people friendly solution. Made from a unique blend of biodegradable coconut-based detergents and high-grade, completely soluble, Green River washing soda, this product is available on the shelves of several green stores in your area such as the Green Depot.

$12.95-$15.49

On-line
Nature Bright® Laundry Booster and Stain Remover

This powerful chlorine-free, laundry booster is an effective alternative to chlorine bleach. The natural enzymes and active oxygen within the all natural stain remover re-brightens laundry, de-stains upholstery, and way more. Nature Bright is an excellent laundry pretreatment on organic stains like juice stains, blood, grass, poo, vomit and more. It outperformed Oxiclean® Versatile by 50% on grass stains in third-party performance tests*, performs in all temperatures, even cold water, is biodegradable, contains no phosphates and is safe for septic tanks and graywater.

Available from your Shaklee distributor at Member’s Price $ 9.30 Non-Member Price $10.95

Natural DIY Solution

The most common stains generated by babies are protein-based stains. Difficult protein stains can be removed by pre-soaking and then rubbing the stain in cold water before washing. NEVER use hot water; it will only embed the stain in the fibers of the fabric making the stain hard to remove. Put one cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle to remove uric acids and other traces of stain makers. After you have rinsed the stained textile, spray with diluted lemon juice and then dry the textile in direct sunlight. The sunlight will naturally brighten up the fibers and your stain will be gone.

The same dynamic duo who presented America with the must-see documentary, The Business of Being Born, has just released a wonderful book entitled Your Best Birth. Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein have compiled a collection of wonderful birth stories shared by familiar faces such as Cindy Crawford and Laila Ali, distinctions of the commonalities of child birth and more.

The book is introduced with a foreword by Jacques Moritz, OB-GYN, Director of Gynecology at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital and Assistant Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Columbia University. It is then divided into 4 sections, Know Your Options, Putting Your Dream Team Together, Interventions: The Slippery Slope and Take your Birth Back. I commend the duo for also including a chapter on Birth and the Sexual Abuse Survivor.

This book stands out from the crowded world of the pregnancy book shelves. It is not intimidating in its size and it is filled with quality substance that is easily digestible. Whether or not, you have seen Lake’s and Epstien’s The Business of Being Born, this is a wonderful book for women to read if they are pregnant or are planning to be pregnant very soon.

Make sure to join the sister website of the book, Mybestbirth.com , to share your stories, participate in forums, and become a part of a supportive community.

Prince Lionheart just unveiled the release of their new Warmies® Wipe Warmer. It is the first and ONLY baby wipes warmer available on the market created for use with eco-friendly reusable baby wipes. The warmer can accommodate all standard baby wipes, but it was designed in mind with the company’s line of 100% reusable bamboo cloths, Warmies®. In addition to being washable and reusable, the wipes are naturally anti-bacterial, un-dyed and unbleached.

“At Prince Lionheart we listen to the concerns and wants of parents and create innovative new products to fulfill these needs,” said Kelly Griffiths, President and CEO of Prince Lionheart. “Our new eco-friendly baby Warmies Wipe Warmer was created as a response to discerning parents who want environmentally friendly products that their babies love.”

Here are a few of the Warmies® Wipe Warmer’s features:

• Advanced heating and insulation keeps Warmies® just the right temperature
• Molded with an EPA approved antimicrobial additive to inhibit the growth of micro-organisms and bacteria
• Nightlight for nighttime diaper changes
• Includes 4 Warmies®, reusable wipes made from 100% bamboo

“Many new parents can testify to the fussiness that is created by using cold wipes when changing their infant’s diaper,” said Griffiths. “Babies love the warmed, gentle wipes and parents love the fact that our Warmies are reusable, safe for the health of their baby, and good for the environment.”

getty images

This morning on Good Morning America, they featured a company called 23 and Me. The company sells DNA testing kits and offers a service where both women and men can test their salvia to generate an individualized DNA report. The way that the segment was introduced and the emphasis of the conversation was based on the idea that this kit can help parents discover potential ailments and hereditary diseases that their child may inherit.

I am curious to hear your feedback regarding this and all of the many preventive/genetic testing out there. Do you agree that eventually one will arrive at the point where too much information is just that, too much? I hear many alarming stories of couples being persuaded to test for everything disease under the sun and watch their stress levels surge at all of the possibilities. Is all of this worrying before birth really necessary? Do you think that all of these tests and kits take away from parents’ ability to fully enjoy and embrace their pregnancy or enable parents to do so?