This month, when you purchase The Everyday Oils enrollment kit from the Verte boutique, $15 will be donated to V-Day and UNICEF’s City of Joy Project. The two non-profits, in partnership with the Panzi Foundation, are currently building a special facility for the survivors of sexual violence in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The City of Joy will support women to heal and provide them with opportunities to develop their leadership through programming in: group therapy; storytelling; dance; theater; self-defense; comprehensive sexuality education (covering HIV/AIDS, family planning); ecology and horticulture; and economic empowerment.

Just a few dollars have far-reaching impact and can provide much needed supplies that will make the City of Joy a comfortable, caring, and healthy place for women survivors of sexual violence to learn, lead, and inspire.

For example, $30 provides one woman with seeds for the City of Joy’s horticulture program for one year or $400 provides the salary of a local registered nurse.

On your behalf, Verte (The Green Doula’s Parent Biz) will donate $15 to one of the City of Joy’s registry category items which include:

Skills Training
Healing
Living
Education
Working
Nourishing
Or a Custom Donation

How Are You Able to Enhance Your Life While Helping to Build the City of Joy?

By incorporating “nature’s living energy” into your everyday lifestyle, you are bound to enhance your everyday life. How do you hone such energy? Well, you don’t have to for Young Living Essential Oils have already done it for you. It is Young Living’ mission to promote the ancient healing art of essential oil therapy. Offering a collection of over 140 therapeutic-grade single essential oils and unique essential oil blends, they are the world’s largest community dedicated to achieving wellness via nature’s purest, most potent gift, essential oils.

When used aromatically, applied topically, or taken internally, essential oils can calm, energize, balance, purify, and rejuvenate the mind and body. As well, such oils can be incorporated into your everyday (including pregnancy and childcare)lifestyle in areas such as:

air purification
aromatherapy + fragrance
cleaning
cooking
first aid
pet care

Your Everyday Oils enrollment kit will include the following oils and more for only $150; ideal to introduce you to the benefits and ease of incorporating essential oils into your life, receive discounts & rewards, and should you chose, the opportunity to generate extra income:

Everyday Oils includes:
(
1)- 5 ml Frankincense
(
1)- 5 ml Lemon

(
1)- 5 ml Lavender

(
1)- 5 ml Peppermint

(
1)- 5 ml Purification
 Blend
(
1)- 5 ml Panaway
 Blend
(
1)- 5 ml Peace & Calming®
 Blend
(
1)- 5 ml Thieves®
 Blend
(
1)- 5 ml Valor® Blend
As well

You can purchase the enrollment kit at any time through Verte, though the fundraiser for the City of Joy ends on February 28th. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me and db@vertenyc.com.

Keep an eye out all this month for a variety of recipes incorporating essential oils that you can incorporate into your pregnancy and infant care regime. If you are not interested in purchasing therapeutic-grade oils, but still want to contribute to the City of Joy, please make your donation here

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?

I have been thinking about various ways to help my mothers’ partners feel a bit more at ease and aware about their partner’s pregnancy and the road to parenthood ahead. While it is quite easy and more common to find resources for women, it is not necessarily the case the other way around. The other day while taking a quick peek at my local thrift shop, I came across a book called ‘The Expectant Father’ Facts, Tips, and advice for Dads-to-be. In regard to its content, it is similar to the respected guide book by Penny Simkin, The Birth Partner, but it is simplified and orchestrated for the male audience.

Coming across the book got me thinking. I would like to further explore not only the questions & concerns that father’s to be may have, but learn in what formats they feel would further allow them to digest the information. I have noticed that some father-to-be books write from the sports and humor perspective while some have quite amusing sketches and drawings. I would love to hear feedback from both my male and female readers. What has been your experience with father books and resources to help prepare for childbirth and parenting? Do you have particular favorites, opinions on what informational delivery method would work best for you, etc?

Above are a few books that I have either read or will be reading soon that may be of interests to fathers-to-be.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of sitting down with the team at Renew Physical Therapy. Located in mid-town Manhattan , Renew specializes in orthopedics and women’s health issues. Using state of the art technology as well as having a passionate and talented staff, Renew-PT empowers, strengthens, and heals amazing women who are experiencing sciatica, low back pain, abdominal diastasis-recti, c-section or episiotomy scar pain, painful sex and more . Just check out the video testimonials on their website and you’ll hear & fell the enthusiasm for their services.

What I really admire about Renew-PT is the center’s unique approach to women’s wellbeing. You come first. The private treatment rooms have spa-like atmospheres and incorporate custom pregnancy tables to accommodate your beautiful growing belly. The treatment sessions are up to 1 hour long and when applicable incorporate innovative biofeedback technology or the magical power of the hands using Arvigo Mayan Abdominal Massage. The team works with your doctor by providing them a written note within 24 Hours of your evaluation, detailing their findings so that your doctor can make well-timed changes to your medical care if necessary.

You can also get one-on-one training at Renew-PT to strengthen your core and pelvic wall in your pre and post natal state among other services. Isa Herrera, Clinical Director of Renew, also has a book out entitled, The Pregnant Couple’s Guide to Working Out Together. It is filled with many techniques and tips for you and your partner staying in shape and preparing for childbirth.

Renew Physical Therapy truly is an empowering and healing oasis. In a world and culture that does not necessarily allow women to have a safe and comfortable platform to discuss our health issues and concerns, it truly is inspiring to know that such a center exists for women. We are all entitled to the power to reclaim our health, live a pain free life, and be embraced and supported. Renew-PT helps to bring you to that realization. They do accept insurance (certain rules may apply) and offer flexible payment plans. Do check out and explore their website for further information.
**(they also provide physical therapy services for men to support pelvic and bladder health).

Former First Lady, Barbra Bush, was among the many to dedicate the new East Tower at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine. This 190,000 sq ft state of the art facility will be open to patients September 16th. It has an incredible list of amenities for its mother and is a gem of a present for the New England community. The new wing will feature a Birthing Center (with birthing pools), Family Lounge , Operating Suite, Labor and Delivery Rooms, Continuing Care Nursery, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Family Center , Newborn Nursery ,Triage Suite, Antenatal Services for High-Risk Mothers, Meditation Room and Education rooms.