Mothers Are Smarter Than They Think!

Mommybrain?  Have you ever heard this excuse for things? 

Well, according to new research, that mommybrain of yours makes you smarter than your counterparts without children.

"In particular, the mothers who most enthusiastically rated their babies as special, beautiful, ideal, perfect and so on were significantly more likely to develop bigger mid-brains than the less awestruck mothers in key areas linked to maternal motivation, rewards and the regulation of emotions. The mothers averaged just over 33 years in age and 18 years of school. All were breastfeeding, nearly half had other children"

So go ahead and gush over your baby, and love him up!  It makes you and your baby smarter!

For more news on the benefits of motherhood, visit Birthologie.com

Why in the World are you so SWOLLEN?

I got a desperate call from my pregnant niece today,

“My feet are huge!  And my lower back aches all the time.  HELP!”

You know, everything you can find about swelling during pregnancy really….does not go far enough or take it seriously enough.  It took me until my 5th pregnancy to really figure out the cause and real life effective treatment!  Meanwhile, during my other 4 pregnancies my feet were like overstuffed sausages and it was incredibly painful to stand for more than 3 minutes at a time. And if you do have bad lower back pain, that is your kidneys as well!

 I want to give you GREAT suggestions to eliminate swelling during pregnancy.

Why You Swell?

Because your kidneys aren’t functioning optimally.  They aren’t removing waste products efficiently.  This goes for any type of swelling, pregnant or not, including the puffiness under and around your eyes.

How Do You Fix That?

Besides all the standard “put your feet up and wear compression hose” suggestions, let’s get to the root of the problem.

FIX YOUR KIDNEYS!

1.  Eating about a 5 lb watermelon everyday will completely flush your kidneys, and reduce or eliminate the swelling. Other foods that works well is parsley, onion, celery, fish oil ( LOVE Barlean’s Lemon Swirl), garlic and peppermint.

2.  Take kidney supporting herbs.  I like Happy Backs from Herbalogie.com, but anything with uva ursi or gravelroot is great.  Also, many herbal preparations have parsley in them, it’s a great addition.

3.  Lemon, Rosemary, Peppermint or Cypress essential oils, rubbed on the lower back region and on the feet work really well to nourish your kidneys and get them working well.  You can use them neat (aka put them straight on) or put a few drops in carrier oil like olive oil or apricot oil and massage it in.  Again, Herbalogie.com is a great resource as well as ButterflyExpress.com

4.  Drink a lot of water or tea, such as pregnancy tea or uva ursi tea.

By the way, toxemia and pre eclampsia, which are very serious conditions, are both kidney problems.  While not all women that swell end up with these ailments, it’s a good idea to incorporate these suggestion to help stave them off.

Visit Birthologie.com or Go here for more information on pregnancy discomforts.

Yes, Babies Do Cry in the Womb

When I was pregnant with my fourth baby, I swore I heard a faint crying sound coming from my belly.  When I mentioned this to my midwife, she said that she herself had experienced the same thing while she was pregnant. This fascinating video clearly shows a fetus crying in the womb.  Will this discovery change pregnant women's behavior toward their unborn babies?  One would hope.  Babies clearly have feelings and responses before they are born, and can communicate their needs even before they are born.

For more information on staying healthy during pregnancy and other birth information, please visit Birthologie.com

Breastfeeding Can Protect Your Baby From Developing Allergies

Did you know that babies who are fed a formula based on cow's milk or soy tend to have more allergic reactions than breastfed babies?

Scientists think that immune factors such as secretory IgA (only available in breast milk) help prevent allergic reactions to food by providing a layer of protection to a baby's intestinal tract. Without this protection, inflammation can develop and the wall of the intestine can become "leaky." This allows undigested proteins to cross the gut where they can cause an allergic reaction and other health problems.

Babies who are fed formula rather than breast milk don't get this layer of protection, so they're more vulnerable to inflammation, allergies, and other eventual health issues.

Visit Birthologie.com for the latest study on the long-term benefits of breastfeeding.

The Case For Childbirth Classes

A quick excerpt from my latest article out on EzineArticles.com:

"Studies show that a positive, healthy birth is not measured by how much pain a woman experiences, but by how well informed she felt, how in control of the decision making she was, and the quality of her labor support. In order to achieve a high level knowledge, informed decision making, and skilled labor support, education is essential."

"The way to attain the highest quality childbirth education in the limited time that pregnancy offers is to seek out experienced, well-informed childbirth education classes."

You can view the full article here:

The Case For Childbirth Classes

Want to Raise a Strong Boy? Breastfeed!

"The phrase “you are what you eat” really is true, according to a new study published in the online journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers have determined that baby boys who are breastfed during the first six months of their lives–who also gain the most weight during this crucial developmental period–grow up to be stronger and more masculine than men who are undernourished.

According to Christopher Kuzawa, a biological anthropologist at Northwestern University and author of the study, the first six months of a boy’s life is “when testosterone is at roughly adult levels”. This means that getting proper nutrition during this time is absolutely crucial if boys are to develop into healthy maturity.

“Men who as babies gained weight rapidly during the period of this testosterone surge matured earlier, were taller, had more muscle, were stronger and had higher testosterone levels,” explained Kuzawa. “The slow growers are undernourished and nutrition-stressed.”

For more tips and tricks on breastfeeding, see this post and others at Birthologie.com

Gambia Cracking Down on Opponents of Female Genital Mutilation

Sadly, we still have a long way to go in protecting women's rights...

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Gambia Detains Head Of Anti Female Genital Mutilation Campaigners!

Authorities in The Gambia have begun cracking down on women rights campaigners against Female Genital Mutilation. The Executive Director of The Gambia Committee Against Traditional Practices (GAMCOTRAP) Dr. Isatou Touray, and her Assistant Amie Bojang Sissoho were arrested on Monday by police for unexplained reasons, the Freedom Newspaper can report.  Both Dr. Touray and Madam Sissoho are currently detained at the police head quarters in the capital city Banjul.

Before close of business Monday, news reached the press community here that the detainees were to be escorted by police to the regional court in Kanifing, but only to be told that the case would be heard on Tuesday.  Dr. Touray and Mrs. Sissoho  are expected to reappear in court on Tuesday for plea taking.

Sources said the detainees were alleged to  have been charged with theft, but would not elaborate further on the main substance of the case.  But prior to their arrest, Dr. Touray, who is known as a prominent anti FGM activist said she was being pursued by the state with people reporting her to the President.  She said some people were "out to get her" with false accusations, but would not elaborate on the nature of the  said accusations. She told delegates at a recent workshop that she was privy to the scheme that was hatched to get her arrested.

Click below for full content:
http://www.freedomnewspaper.com/Homepage/tabid/36/mid/367/newsid367/5657/Breaking-News-Gambia-Gambia-Detains-Head-Of-Anti-Female-Genital-Mutilation-Campaigners/Default.aspx

The Top 3 Things Labor Nurses Say You Should Do

Birthologie.com can fulfill 2 out of those three things, and help you find the third!

The three things they want you to have?

1.  Childbirth Education.
A whooping 94% of nurses surveyed said women should take childbirth classes.
“Usually the more prepared women are the better the experience. The fear factor decreases and with it so does the pain,” wrote one of the nurses surveyed.
Another had this to say, “women think that watching The Baby Story and similar shows on TLC, etc., is preparation for childbirth, and is realistic. This is not the typical birth experience.”

2.  A Birth Plan.
“Developing a birth plan takes conscious thought and may assist (especially first time) mothers with being more informed about options.”
Another nurse writes, “I’ve noticed a lot of people use pre-made birth plans from the Internet, which doesn’t really help them to be more knowledgeable about the process of labor of delivery.  I’m not convinced simply having a birth plan will help patient’s to be more knowledgeable or prepared about the process.”  So true. I love these nurses! 

3.  A Doula.
“A doula can be a great support if a woman is trying to have an unmedicated delivery. A woman really needs one-to-one care when she is laboring without any pain meds.”
"Continual labor support from a confident and knowledgeable support person makes a huge difference in outcomes.”

See the full article here.

For more tips and tricks on the childbearing year, including online childbirth education classes, visit Birthologie.com

Natural Childbirth: Expectations vs Reality

"Natural childbirth" is a concept which gained popularity as long ago as the 1950s, when Dr Grantly Dick-Read advocated a series of deep relaxation and breathing exercises, similar to contemporary hypnosis techniques. More recently, the term has evolved to mean a labour which starts, progresses and is completed without medical intervention, and one which empowers the mother to make choices about the way her labour is managed. It is, therefore, essentially a physiological labour, but contemporary moves to empower women have largely been a revolt against medical interference in childbirth, which started in the 1970s when women were increasingly encouraged to labour in hospital rather than at home, because the medical profession, unlike midwives, views birth as "only normal in retrospect". This led doctors to set parameters for what they considered to be 'normal' labour, a trend which has continued almost unabated ever since. Maternal dissatisfaction has resulted, over the years, in a series of maternity service reports including the Maternity Care in Action reports (1982,1984)[1] and the Changing Childbirth document (1993) which advocated "choice, control and continuity" within antenatal and intrapartum care, yet in many respects little has changed. 

Original Post: http://208.112.12.235/article-view.php?articleid=2867&PHPSESSID=e33272f7190775ce3585bcc3ec5ad718

For more information, resources, and childbirth classes, visit us at Birthologie.com.

Those Who Vaccinate Less Educated and Sickly?

Contrary to conventional thought, and according to a recent study, those we choose not to vaccinate have on average more formal education under their belt, a higher income, and less hospital visits.

This study confirms the growing skepticism towards vaccination.  If you've ever felt uneasy about one or more vaccinations, you are not alone.

If, when you ask your caregiver sincere questions about the risks and benefits of vaccination and they don't address your questions respectfully, choose a new caregiver!

Many more parents are choosing their own vaccination schedule or opting out all together.

See the full study here

For more information on this topic and more, including online childbirth education classes, visit Birthologie.com

The Non Stress Test....Risks?

Most doctors lead you to believe that doing a biophysical profile at teh end of pregnancy to asses your baby's wellbeing is completely risk free.  But is it?

In this article, the author explores the impact of going in for that "non stress test" or biophysical profile".

No intervention, including one that is non invasive, is risk free. 

For more tips and tricks, including online childbirth classes, visit Birthologie.com