Want to Know How to Get Rid of Morning Sickness?

The nausea and general misery associated with morning sickness is without a doubt one of the most challenging parts of pregnancy.

But while many have been led to believe that this is just one of those unavoidable factors that go hand-in-hand with being pregnant, the reality is that there are quite a few things within your control that can either reduce or completely eliminate the symptoms of morning sickness.

First, you have to understand WHY you are sick in the first place.  Go here to learn about that.

Second, avoiding nausea is much more than just making sure to nibble throughout the day.  See all my tips and tricks here.

To learn more about feeling good prenatally, please visit Birthologie.com

Want More Energy and Brain Power During Pregnancy? Who Doesn't!

Forget coffee, Monster drinks, Red Bull, or 5 Hour Energy.

Mother Nature has this in her back pocket......

Many women have come to think of having low energy and foggy thinking as an unfortunate but unavoidable side effect of pregnancy.

Luckily, this could not be further from the truth.

Go here to see my cheap and easy remedy that will give you energy and so much more!

When You Birth in the Hospital, Do You Expect Your Nurse to do This?

I think most, if not all, expectant mothers assume that they will be encouraged, shown how, and helped with breastfeeding after the baby is born by their nurse.

Not so, according to this new report issued by the CDC

What is really going on across the country?

Just over 3% of the country's hospitals fully support breast-feeding

80% of hospitals give healthy breast-fed babies formula at some point

Only 1/3 of hospitals have "rooming in" policies, which has been shown to increase breastfeeding rates

75% of hospitals do not provide adequate support for mothers once they leave, including follow-up visits and phone calls

"We're a very long way from where we need to be," CDC Director Thomas Frieden told reporters on Tuesday.

Failure to promote breast-feeding costs the U.S. healthcare system $2.2 billion annually, Frieden said, not to mention - and most importantly - babies lives.

So, new moms, your basically on your own and in fact, you should assume that the hospital staff will work against your breastfeeding efforts. 

What can you do to ensure your breastfeeding relationship starts off strong?

Studies have shown that the follow practices increase your odds of breastfeeding:

1.  Educate yourself and birth partner before delivery.  My breastfeeding module pretty much sums up everything you need to know!

2.  Hire a doula.  Studies show that doulas increase your odds of establishing a good breastfeeding relationship.

3.  Be healthy during pregnancy and afterward.  A well nourished mom provides ample and quality milk for her baby.  Birthologie's module 1 is all about nutrition!

4.  Have an unmedicated birth.  Even IV fluids can decrease your odds of breastfeeding, and studies have shown that pitocin (even pitocin used directly after delivery) and epidural use definitely decrease your odds of a good start. Of course Birthologie's online course will give you all the tools you need!

5.  Scout out your local and online resources before you deliver.  Attend La Leche League and other breastfeeding support groups, find some great online breastfeeding sites, and connect with other like minded moms that will support breastfeeding.

6.  Choose your caregiver and birthplace wisely.  Research your hospitals' policies regarding breastfeeding, ask if they have a lactation consultant on staff 24 hours a day, or have a birth center or homebirth.

Ah, So THAT'S How Druggies Have Halfway Healthy Babies...

Something has always fascinated me....how do women who have atrocious diets and are even heavy drug users have seemingly healthy babies?  I mean, of course a few of them have babies that sadly suffer birth defects and are sickly, but how do some of them get away with having 7-9 lb babies that don't appear to have problems at birth? 

Because the body is amazing, that's why.

As this new research will tell you, the body does everything it can to protect that growing baby. 

When the placenta is deprived of nutrients and attacked by toxins, it

responded by breaking down its own tissues, recycling proteins inside its cells to provide a steady supply of nutrients to the developing hypothalamus despite the mother's interrupted food intake.

Does that mean that it's okay for a woman to starve herself or take in noxious substances during pregnancy?  Of course not!  It has been well established that the healthier your diet is, the the more likely it is your baby is health not only at birth, but throughout the rest of the child's life.  But, should you be forced to go without food for a period of time, just know that your body is doing all it can to help tide you over.  Your body is amazing.

To learn more about nutrition in pregnancy, please visit Birthologie.com

Would You Feed Your Child Wood Pulp? You Already Are If You Eat These Foods....

There's a great magnet that will soon by on my refrigerator that says:

'Try Organic Food...Or As Your Grandparents Called it, "Food"'

It's true, our food supply isn't what it once was, and isn't what God intended.

There are many ingredients on our food, processed and even in our produce, that our bodies can't process!

Case in point, wood pulp.  Cellulose, or wood pulp, is used by many companies to pad their pockets and is in many processed foods like crackers and pudding and even ground meat.

As affirmed in this article, we humans lack the proper enzymes to break down wood pulp, also known as cellulose gum, powdered cellulose, and microcrystalline cellulose.  What a surprise.  We weren't meant to eat wood?  Shocker.

So what does cellulose do to food and our body and why does the FDA allow it?

What it does to food is that it extends it.  It makes more of it, in other words  (=more $ for the manufacturer's).  And it makes it more stable, in other words less fragile (=more $ for the manufacturer's).  Lastly, it extends the shelf life (=more $ for the manufacturer's) and it can allow a manufacturer to advertise that their product is lower in fat, since wood pulp mimics fat in that it absorbs water (=more $ for the manufacturer's).

Indeed, food producers save as much as 30% in ingredient costs by opting for cellulose as a filler or binder in processed foods, according to a source close to the processed food industry who spoke with TheStreet on the condition of anonymity.... he’s been able to remove as much as 50% of the fat from some cookies, biscuits, cakes and brownies by replacing it with powdered cellulose – but still end up with a very similar product in terms of taste and appearance.  “We’re only limited by our own imagination,” Inman told TheStreet. “I would never have dreamed I could successfully put 18% fiber in a loaf of bread two years ago.”

Below is a list (courtesy of TheStree.com) of some popular foods containing wood pulp (cellulose), but in no way is it complete.  Be sure to read your labels.

Dole Food

Peaches & Crème Parfait
Apples & Crème Parfait

General Mills

Fiber One Ready-To-Eat Muffins – Used in:

Grilled Chicken Salad, Chicken Club Salad with Crispy Chicken, Meaty Breakfast Burrito, Hearty Breakfast Bowl

Cheese, Pepper Jack, Shredded – Used in:

Chicken Fajita Pita, Southwest Chicken Salad with Grilled Chicken, Meaty Breakfast Burrito

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Ice Cream Shake Mix
Log Cabin Syrup
Mini Funnel Cake
Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (also in Sampler Trio)
Smoothie Base: (Mango, Strawberry, Strawberry Banana)
Tortilla, Flour – Used in:

Chorizo Sausage Burrito, Steak & Egg Burrito, Meaty Breakfast Burrito

White Cheese Sauce – Used in Breakfast Bowl

Kellogg

MorningStar Farms Chik’n Nuggets
MorningStar Farms Chik Patties Original
MorningStar Farms Buffalo Wings Veggie Wings
Eggo Nutri-Grain Blueberry waffles
Eggo Strawberry Waffles
Eggo Blueberry Waffles
Cinnabon Pancakes Original
Cinnabon Pancakes Caramel
Cinnabon Snack Bars Original
Cinnabon Snack Bars Baked Cinnamon Apple

KFC (Yum! Brands)

KFC Cornbread Muffin
Apple Turnover
Honey Mustard BBQ Sauce
Lil’ Bucket Strawberry Short Cake Parfait
Lil’ Bucket Lemon Crème Parfait
Lil’ Bucket Chocolate Crème Parfait
Oreo Cookies and Crème Pie Slice
Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie Slice
Popcorn Chicken
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie Slice

Kraft Foods

Wheat Thins Fiber Selects
Frozen Bagel-Fuls
Macaroni & Cheese Thick ‘n Creamy
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Three Cheese W/mini-shell Pasta

McDonald’s

Fish Filet Patty
McRib
Premium Caesar Salad
Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap
Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken
Southern Style Chicken Biscuit
Strawberry Sundae
Natural Swiss Cheese – Used in:

McRib, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Angus Mushroom & Swiss, Premium Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich, Premium Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich, Angus Mushroom & Swiss Snack Wrap

Shredded Cheddar/Jack Cheese – Used in:

Ranch Snack Wrap (Crispy and Grilled), Honey Mustard Snack Wrap (Crispy and Grilled), Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap (Crispy and Grilled), Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken, Premium Southwest Salad with/without Crispy/Grilled Chicken, Premium Bacon Ranch Salad with/without Crispy/Grilled Chicken, McSkillet Burrito with Sausage

Barbeque Sauce
Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce
Shredded Parmesan Cheese – Used in:

Premium Caesar Salad with/without Crispy/Grilled Chicken

Biscuit – Used to make:

Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit, Sausage Biscuit with Egg, Sausage Biscuit, Southern Style Chicken Biscuit, Big Breakfast with/without Hotcakes

Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream – Used in:

Strawberry Sundae, Hot Caramel Sundae, Hot Fudge Sundae, McFlurry with M&M’S Candies, McFlurry with OREO Cookies, Chocolate Triple Thick Shake, Strawberry Triple Thick Shake, Vanilla Triple Thick Shake

Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup, used in: Premium Roast Coffee, Espresso

Nestle

Hot Cocoa Mixes: Mini Marshmallows, Rich Milk Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Caramel

Pepsi

Aunt Jemima Frozen Blueberry Pancakes
Aunt Jemima Original Syrup
Aunt Jemima Lite Syrup

Pizza Hut (Yum! Brands)

Parmesan Romano Cheese
Taco Bean Sauce
Shredded Cheddar (for Taco Pizza)
Breadstick Seasoning – Used to make Cheese Breadsticks)
WingStreet Bone-In (in the batter)
Meatballs (for pasta products, sandwiches)
White Pasta Sauce – Used for:

PastaBakes Marinara, PastaBakes Meatball Marinara, PastaBakes Primavera, PastaBakes Chicken Primavera

Alfredo Sauce – Used for:

PastaBakes Marinara, PastaBakes Meatball Marinara, PastaBakes Primavera, PastaBakes Chicken Primavera

Fat Free Ranch Dressing

Sara Lee

Jimmy Dean Frozen Breakfast Bowl (Sausage & Gravy)
Jimmy Dean D-lights Turkey Sausage Breakfast Bowl
Jimmy Dean D-lights Turkey Sausage Croissant
Jimmy Dean Breakfast Entrée – Used in:

(Scrambled Eggs with Bacon/Sausage and Cheese Diced Apples & Seasoned Hash)

Sonic

Ice Cream
Sonic Blast
Banana Split
Ice Cream Cone

Taco Bell (Yum! Brands)

Southwest Chicken
Caramel Apple Empanada
Corn Tortilla
Enchilada Rice
Nacho Chips
Red Strips
Strawberry Topping
Zesty Dressing

Weight Watchers International

Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich
English Toffee Crunch Ice Cream Bar
Giant Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Bar

Wendy’s Arby’s

Asiago Cheese – Used in:

Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad, Asiago Ranch Chicken Club, Caesar Side Salad

Fat Free French Dressing – Used for:

Apple Pecan Chicken Salad, Baja Salad, Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad, BLT Cobb Salad

Blue Cheese Crumbles – Used in: Apple Pecan Chicken Salad, BLT Cobb Salad
Cheddar Pepper Jack Cheese Blend, Shredded
Chocolate Sauce
Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty (Chocolate, Vanilla)
Frosty (Chocolate and Vanilla)
Frosty Shake (Frosty-cino, Chocolate Fudge, Strawberry, Vanilla Bean)
Milk, 1% Low Fat Chocolate Milk

Is Your OB Appointment Like this Woman's?

Many times when a woman hasn't experienced care from different providers who practice from differing philosophies, that don't understand just how different their care can be prenatally, during the birth and postnatally.

The woman who produced the following short video chronicled her experience between two different providers who espouse two different birth philosophies.  Of course, this isn't going to be everyone's experience and in some cases I've actually seen the roles reverse, but overall and in being a birth junkie since 1997, I've got to say, this is pretty right on.

What do you think?

To learn more about your choices in care providers, please visit Birthologie.com

Too Little of This Mineral Spells Disaster for Your Baby in Utero

In all likelihood, your caregiver has told you to reduce or eliminate the consumption of one very important mineral.

Salt.

Why?  Why would this recommendation even exist?  It's based on the misguided assumption that salt in pregnancy causes water retention and bloating and could contribute to high blood pressure.  And these recommendations started becoming standard about the time when salt was being heavily refined and many chemicals were added to salt, so maybe there was something to that assumption, BUT.....

You need salt when you are pregnant.  For many reasons.  Without it your kidneys will not function normally and it could contribute to pre eclampsia and toxemia, a potentially life threatening condition.

Now, new research shows that not having enough salt in your diet can alter your offspring's kidney functioning.  It can contribute to hypertension and renal (eye) failure in children. 

It is important to note that not all salt is created equal.  You want to get unrefined, pure salt for your diet in order to ensure proper assimilation.  Did you know that regular table salt has MSG in it?  So, avoid it completely.  Instead I highly recommend full-spectrum sea and mineral salts like Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt that are loaded with beneficial trace minerals and actually have been shown to prevent hypertension and high blood pressure.

To learn more about how your kidneys impact your pregnancy, please visit Birthologie.com

Why a Blessingway is Way Better Than a Baby Shower

Everyone I talk to doesn't mind going to baby showers, but it never fails....there is always a complaint.

"If I have to try to guess a melted candy bar in a diaper one more time I think I will throw up."

"I really hope I don't have to taste any unlabeled baby food jars again."

"I never know what to get the baby, it all seems too impersonal."

All pregnant women crave the same thing for their baby showers....a feeling of support and connection.  You'd have to be pretty shallow to just be in it for the gifts.

Traditional baby showers try their best to provide this support and connection, and to some extent they do.

But why not make your celebration as meaningful as possible?

Why not throw a Blessingway instead of a baby shower?

Just what is a Blessingway?

I've put together a nice pictorial of my niece, Julene's blessingway.

Enjoy....

To learn more about making your birth meaningful, please visit Birthologie.com

A Rare Hospital Indeed.....

Oregon Health and Science University Hospital is doing something unheard of in this country.....

They are developing evidenced based policies.

Vaginal Breech Births and VBAC after 2 cesareans.

While I applaud them for moving ahead and practicing according to what is safe rather than what is obstetrically trendy, I have to question their motives for doing so.

Says the article:

In 2008, 2 percent of home births in Oregon involved breech deliveries, Cheyney said.

"Part of the reason we decided to start this program is we felt it would be safer for those expectant mothers to have a hospital option and there wasn't one," Pereira said. "Some of these women would like to deliver in a hospital, but there wasn't a hospital to take care of them.

"We are just worrying about patients doing higher-risk type deliveries at home," he said. "We want to be able to offer them a safer option."

Oregon is a state that sees a high number of homebirths.  And apparently, the competition got to them.  They aren't offering these options because they think they are safe and support them, but are doing them to save those poor, helpless mothers and babies making ignorant choices and having their babies at home and oh yeah, they were losing business because of their backwards policies. 

As I wrote in one of my VBAC articles:

If I’ve learned one thing as a doula and childbirth educator, it’s that you have to be willing to walk away and say no in order to get adequate care sometimes.  I’ve also learned that the obstetric community doesn’t change until a certain threshold number of women will walk away from them.

In Other Words, OB’s Eventually Do What We Tell Them To. Period.

Now, this is not to vilify OB’s or pit you against your OB, but you do not have the luxury of time.  You cannot afford to wait until your OB’s ‘gets it’.  But let me suggest this.  If you aren’t willing to research, work and question your OB…if you aren’t willing to walk away and go somewhere else, if it is true that OB’s eventually do what we tell them to do (and I personally testify that that is the case), then may I suggest that the problem is not your OB, it is YOU.

I am glad that women have one more choice of how and where to birth, I just wish the motives were more authentic.

To learn more about VBAC and your birth options, please visit Birthologie.com

Women are Choosing this Option In Birth 20% More...Should You, Too?

There are a lot of trends when it comes to childbirth.  A LOT.

In the early 1900's it was Scopolamine

Starting in the 1930's, it was routine forceps

The 1940's-60's were big on the use of Twilight sleep (no, no vampires were involved)

In the 1980's, continuous electronic fetal monitoring and epidurals became the norm

And in the 1990's to today, induction is a big issue

All these interventions have or will eventually be just a part of history.  Sooner or later something 'better' and 'safer' comes along.  But one thing that has always been around since the beginning of time, and always will be around for childbearing women is......

Homebirth.

And from 2004 to 2008 (when this study ended), homebirth rose a whopping 20%.

Why such a large leap all of the sudden?

From the 1920's to the 1980's, access to homebirth was all but obliterated due to political and socio economic factors, but since the early 1980's homebirth has been slowly but steadily growing and it seems as though women in the 21st century have finally gotten the message that they not only have choices, but that they have viable, safe choices and that birth can actually be enjoyable!

This article is a great synopsis (and my good friend Sherry is also interviewed) on why women are looking at out of hospital births as a viable option.

To learn more about the History of Childbirth, please visit www.Birthologie.com

Doing This While Bottle Feeding Can Really Mess Your Baby Up

Can you bottle feed incorrectly?  It's easy right?

Fix up a bottle
Put it in the baby's mouth
Done

Most people think that it's as simple as that, right?

How your baby bottle feeds can determine just how healthy your baby is.  And finally, a lactation consultant has spelled it out for you.

So, if you are planning on using a bottle - whether it's breastmilk or formula - there are some simple guidelines you can follow to minimize colic, gas, indigestion, and increase the odds of your baby being smarter and sleeping better.

Thank you to Best For Babes for this great article!

In regards to bottle feeding after a feeding at the breast:

I often hear from moms who are afraid that they aren’t producing enough milk because their baby will gulp down a bottle after breastfeeding. It’s important for parents to understand that with traditional bottle feeding methods, babies have no choice but to gulp down everything in their bottle in order to protect their airway. If you hold a bottle upside down (even one with a slow flow nipple), it drips. When a baby being given a bottle swallows, the negative pressure created draws more milk into the baby’s mouth, meaning the baby has to swallow again to avoid choking. This is stressful for the baby, and babies will often display stress cues such as splayed fingers or toes, milk running out of the corner of the baby’s mouth, trying to turn their head away, or trying to push the bottle away. The picture above is a good example of this.

Other tips for healthy bottlefeeding:

1. Hold your baby sitting upright, and start by placing the nipple of the bottle against your baby’s top lip. Wait for your baby to open up before putting the bottle in his mouth. Never force a bottle into a baby’s mouth.

2. Your baby should be sitting up enough that the bottle is horizontal (parallel to the floor). Tip the bottle just enough to keep the tip of the nipple filled with milk (as the bottle empties, you will have to tip the bottle up more). It’s fine if there is an air bubble at the base of the nipple as long as the tip is filled with milk. This works much better with a straight bottle rather than an angled one.

3. If you are supplementing a breastfed baby, or pumping and bottle feeding in the hopes of getting baby back to nursing, it is beneficial to let your baby suck on the nipple for a minute or two without getting anything, and then tip the bottle so your baby is getting milk. When breastfeeding, babies have to wait a minute or so for mom’s milk to let down, and they have to suck to trigger that let down. Babies who have been bottle fed sometimes get used to the immediate reward from the bottle and then are impatient at the breast and don’t want to wait for let down. By letting baby suck for a short while without getting anything from the bottle, you are mimicking the process at the breast, and it can help with the transition. There is no need to worry about your baby taking in air, one end or the other it will come back out!

4. Watch your baby’s cues. All babies, whether breast or bottle fed should be fed whenever they show signs of being hungry, and not according to any kind of schedule. During feeding, if your baby starts to show any signs of stress (splayed fingers and toes, milk spilling out of mouth, turning head away, pushing bottle away – see picture above) then your baby needs a break. Keep the bottle in your baby’s mouth, but tip the bottle so that the nipple is pointing towards the roof of the baby’s mouth. By doing this, your baby knows that the bottle is still there and will start sucking again when ready. At that point you can tip the bottle back up so that baby is again getting milk. It is frustrating for your baby if you take the bottle out of his mouth to give him a break because he doesn’t know where it has gone or if it’s coming back. If your baby is showing signs that he is done (turning head, trying to push bottle away etc), then respect those cues and end the feeding.

5. Alternate sides part way through the feeding to mimic breastfeeding and allow stimulation to both eyes and both sides of the body. This also helps to prevent the development of a side preference when feeding.

6. Find a nipple that works well for your baby. There are no black and white answers as to which bottle nipple is “best” for a breastfed baby, because all babies are different. For young babies, make sure you are using a slow flow nipple. Even with older babies a slow flow nipple may be best if your baby is struggling with the flow of milk. Don’t worry about the recommended ages on the bottle nipple packaging, watch your baby to determine what works best for them. Unfortunately, “slow flow” is not something that is standardized, and some “slow flow” nipples actually flow quite quickly, so again, watch your baby. I do not recommend the “Nuk” or orthodontic type nipples because mom’s nipples don’t look like that! (If mom’s nipples are pinched or flattened after baby feeds, it’s a sign that baby isn’t latched on properly, or some other issue is causing baby to compress the nipple). Your baby should be able to “latch” onto the base of whichever nipple you use. Some bottle nipples that are advertised as having a wide base and being “more like mom’s breast”, are so wide that baby ends up being just on the nipple, which is something to be avoided. There are some good pictures of how your baby should look when latched onto a bottle nipple on this Best for Babes post, titled How to Bottle-feed as You’d Breastfeed, and more information at the website www.breastandbottlefeeding.com.

Things to avoid:
1. Never prop a bottle. It’s a dangerous practice that is stressful for your baby.

2. Don’t bottle feed your baby while he’s swaddled. You need to be able to see your baby’s hands to watch for stress signs, and your baby needs to have his hands free to participate in feeding.

3. Don’t feed your baby with him facing away from you. Feeding is an important time for the development of social interaction in babies. Make eye contact with your baby, talk to him and enjoy the feeding as a fun interaction with your baby rather than another task to get through as quickly as possible.

4. Don’t force your baby to finish a bottle by twisting it or moving it around in baby’s mouth. Let your baby decide when he’s done. Overfeeding can lead to an uncomfortable and unhappy baby!

To learn more about healthy babies, please visit Birthologie.com

If This Doesn't Move You....

If this doesn't move you, you are made of stone.  Concrete.  Wood.  You should just cry, that's all I'm sayin'.

Just How Many Kids Does the U.S. Government Admit Were Killed or Injured by Vaccines in 2010? Became Autistic?

Of the 13,797 families petitioning the U.S. Government in 2010, through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, for compenstation for injuries or deaths resulting from vaccines, 2,699 have so far been awarded to the tune of $110 mil tax dollars.

101 of those families were compensated for vaccine related autism.  In the past 23 years, the Program has recognized that 2,561 autism cases have been caused by vaccination.

What?  Hasn't that been dis proven?  Not according the government.

And these studies:

Marking the sixth major study in recent months to condemn the use of mercury in medicine, the new study reveals that mercury causes serious brain damage, and is linked to autism and other developmental diseases in children and Alzheimer's disease in adults.

Mercury, which is still in flu shots given to babies and pregnant women, is not the only culprit when it comes to the vaccine-autism link.  Other heavy metals, like aluminum, are also suspect as well as neurotoxions like MSG that vaccines contain.  Not to mention that the virus' and bacteria crossing the blood brain barrier and causing brain inflammation and gut disorders, which toxins leak into the bloodstream and affect the brain. 

The most dangerous vaccine according the the NVICP?

The most dangerous of the vaccines is the DTP (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis), which was the subject of 3,979 claims, including 696 deaths.

And this, moms and dads, is why the vaccine questions will not go away - because they shouldn't.  Despite the AAP's, the government's and your doctor's protests, by their own admissions vaccines kill or injure just as many - if not more - than they are claimed to 'save'.

To learn more about vaccines, please visit Birthologie.com

Vaccinate or Leave? Why Pediatricians HATE Discussing Vaccines With Parents

A new survey among pediatricians and family doctors reports that:

nearly 80% of doctors have at least one vaccine refusal a month. And 89% reported at least one request a month to spread out the administration of recommended immunizations rather than giving them all during the same visit.

About one in two doctors reported spending up to 19 minutes on the topic with parents who have substantial immunization concerns.

Is this a problem for them?  Apparently it is:

About one in three physicians said discussing the issue during office visits is affecting his or her job negatively.

"Everyone expects parents to have questions about vaccines. But what used to be a discussion that would last several minutes is now, for some parents, lasting a great deal of time," said Dr. Kempe, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora and director of the Children's Outcomes Research Program at The Children's Hospital in Aurora.

She said such conversations often prevent physicians from addressing additional health issues and can make doctors late to see other patients.

"Primary care physicians are already really taxed in terms of the short time they have to deliver a great deal of medical care. ... This is another additional burden," Dr. Kempe said.

Burden?  Doing their job is a burden. 

But should the doctors really be directing their frustration to the parents? 

Honestly, it's the vaccine manufacturers and the government who they should be frustrated with.  For many decades they have been overstated the benefits, while downplaying or ignoring the risks altogether, meanwhile demanding that every single child get multiple shots or suffer the consequences of not being allowed into school or other places.  Now that parents have gotten wise to the facts - that vaccines aren't a magic bullet to avoiding illness and that they can do some permanent harm or cause death, we are asking questions.  

Enter in the pediatrician - they are the middle men in all this and while it's understandable that they feel like parents are 'killing the messenger', the point is if they are going to choose to be that messenger, they've got to accept some responsibility and take more time to educate and answer hard questions.  

Many pediatricians are telling patients to leave their practice is they don't vaccinate.  Each pediatrician I suppose have their own reasons for this position.  Some may be just tired of patients who dare question them, and others may be in actual fear for their patient's health, but either way, is it ethical to deny and essentially bully parents into doing something they feel unsure of doing?  Are they violating their Hippocratic oath?

Yes, they are.  To force vaccines on us, not fully inform us and then deny us care or compensation when those vaccines harm us is insane and shows just how little they stand behind their product.  If they truly believed in their product, they would have no problem disclosing everything about it and being liable for when it is defective.

To learn more about vaccines, please visit Birthologie.com

Cesarean Rates: Where Does Your State Rank?

Let's call a spade a spade...

The 33% U.S. c section rate is abysmal, criminal, and cannot be defended.
Birth research suggests that cesarean surgery is only truly needed in about 3% of all cases of human birth, and should never surpass 10%, or we find that women's and babies' health suffers across the board as a result.
What are your odds when you step into that hospital?

Thank you to the Unnecessarean for compiling these numbers

Percent of babies born by cesarean delivery, each state: preliminary 2009

1	Louisiana	39.6
2t	New Jersey	39.4
2t	New York	39.4
4	Florida	38.1
5	Mississippi	37.8
6	West Virginia	36.0
7	Kentucky	35.9
8	Delaware	35.7
9t	Alabama	35.6
9t	Connecticut	35.6
11t	South Carolina	35.3
11t	Texas	35.3
13t	Arkansas	34.6
13t	Oklahoma	34.6
15	Virginia	34.3
16t	Nevada	33.8
16t	Tennessee	33.8
18	Georgia	33.6
19	Maryland	33.5
20	Massachusetts	33.4
21	California	33.0
22	Rhode Island	32.8
23	Michigan	32.1
24	Pennsylvania	31.8
25t	Missouri	31.7
25t	Nebraska	31.7
27	Illinois	31.5
18	North Carolina	31.2
19	Ohio	31.1
30	New Hampshire	30.8
31	Indiana	30.5
32	Iowa	30.3
33	Kansas	30.1
34t	Maine	29.6
34t	Montana	29.6
36	Oregon	29.4
37	North Dakota	29.3
38	Washington	29.2
39	Wyoming	28.1
40	Vermont	27.9
41t	Arizona	27.4
41t	Minnesota	27.4
43	Hawaii	27.0
44	Colorado	26.4
45	South Dakota	26.3
46	Wisconsin	25.8
47	Idaho	24.5
48	Alaska	23.8
49	Utah	22.9
50	New Mexico	22.8
United States		32.9

SOURCE:  National Vital Statistics System

 

From Births: Preliminary Data for 2009 (pdf):

The cesarean delivery rate rose to 32.9 percent in 2009, an increase of 2 percent and another record U.S. high.  The percentage of births delivered by cesarean has been rising steadily for over a decade, and is up nearly 60% since 1996.  

Between 2008 and 2009 cesarean delivery rates rose among women of all age groups 20 years and older, and all race and ethnicity groups.  The largest increase was among  non-Hispanic black women (up 3 percent); rates rose 1-2 percent among non-Hispanic white, Hispanic, AIAN and API women. In 2009, women 40 years and  older were as likely to have a cesarean as a vaginal delivery, that is, ½ of all births to women in this age group were in a cesarean delivery (data not tabulated).

To learn more about cesareans, please visit Birthologie.com

What's In This Anyway? New Vaccine Ingredient Calculator

Whenever my family sits down to dinner (which is practically every night - I'm a stickler for homemade family dinner time), it's almost without fail someone asks, "What's in this?"

Can't say as I blame them, I think it's my fault they do that because before I eat or take anything internally I always ask that same question.

It was no different when the question of vaccination first landed in my lap.  What is in this shot anyway?

Now you have a great new tool to help you know....

The Vaccine Ingredient Calculator

Find out which vaccines were harvested on aborted fetus', pigs blood, or monkey brain.

Which vaccines have MSG, aluminum, or still have mercury.

As far as what side effects are associated with each vaccine?  I wish there was a calculator for that.  But one insightful blogger Shawn Seigel wrote:

What a Vaccine TV Ad Might Sound Like
You seen the ads for pharmaceuticals....they all end with a pretty disturbing warning about possible side effects.  What if vaccines followed suit?  What would their warning look like?

"Some people experience nausea immediately following vaccination, or within a few hours.

The aluminum adjuvant in the vaccine, used to stimulate the immune system, may leave a hard lump at the injection site, which may be hot to the touch – this will typically dissipate in a few days, but has been known to effect muscle pain and chronic fatigue, and, though rare, may trigger development of autoimmune disease, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease); consult with your doctor at the first sign of any such reaction.

The vaccine recipient may issue a high-pitched shriek sometime within the twenty-four hours following vaccination, which may indicate brain inflammation, and may be followed by a lengthy period of regression – consult with your doctor.

The DTaP may cause bulging fontanelle in infants – this typically subsides after a few days, but may indicate brain damage; be alert for unusual behaviors, and call your doctor should you detect any.

Also in infants, reports associate SIDS with the vaccine; for a period of about three weeks following vaccination, do not place your infant face-down.

And, you may experience any combination of the following reported reactions, some of which may require hospitalization: abdominal pain, anaphylactic shock, apnoea, autism, bacterial/viral infections, convulsions, disintegrative disorder, coma, abnormal EEG, blood disorders, diabetes, eye movement disorder, hearing loss, trouble walking, narcolepsy, paralysis, pneumonia, impairment of psychomotor skills, screaming, and speech disorders.

This vaccine has not been evaluated for carcinogenic or mutagenic potential, or for impairment of fertility. Please; educate before you vaccinate. Check with your doctor – the vaccine is contraindicated in some circumstances; for instance, if you’ve had a prior adverse reaction to the DTaP vaccine, or are immunocompromised."

To learn more about vaccines, please visit Birthologie.com

May 5 is More Than Cinco De Mayo....

May is Midwifery Month, but May 5 is the Virtual Day of the Midwife!

To celebrate you can:

1.  Interview a midwife!  For an article, blog post, school project or as a potential caregiver.
2.  Send a midwife a thank you card or gift.
3.  Participate in this online conference.
4.  Read this great 1970's interview with the Modern Mother of Midwifery, Ina May Gaskin
5.  Help sponsor to train and Afghan Midwife here

Even if you haven't hired a midwife, supporting midwifery in your community is an important step to keeping childbirth safe overall.  Please do your part to support midwifery!

Check out this cool video:

To learn more about midwifery, please visit Birthologie.com

Why You Can, and Must, Identify With this Supermodel's Story

50.

The U.S. ranks 50th in Maternal Mortality.

I respect celebrities who do something meaningful with their resources and fame.  Supermodel Christy Turlington Burns has done something meaningful.

Any maternal death, no matter what country is a tragedy.  An avoidable maternal death is an outrage.

Watch Christy's moving interview here

Christy days, “Far too many women are not yet in a powerful enough position within their societies to claim their basic human reproductive rights to a safe pregnancy.”

 
Sad that this is true in the U.S. as well and we can - we must - do better.  You personally are required to seek it out.  The resources are right at your fingertips...grab them today!

To learn more about safe childbirth, please visit Birthologie.com

FDA says Using These OTC Teething Gels Can End in Death - What to Use Instead

The FDA has been receiving reports of deaths and near-deaths from use of products containing benzocaine.

Mercola.com reports:

"Methemoglobinemia has been reported with all strengths of benzocaine gels and liquids, and cases occurred mainly in children aged two years or younger who were treated with benzocaine gel for teething."

 Methemoglobinemia, a condition in which the amount of oxygen carried through the blood stream is greatly reduced, will at the very least kill brain cells and in severe cases, methemoglobinemia can result in death.

What teething gels are guilty?

• Baby Anbesol
• Orajel
• Orabase
• Num-zit

Other products containing benzocaine are listed here .  What is on that list may surprise you.

So what is a hurting baby and desperate parents to do instead?

Few parents realize that there are many natural treatments that are very effective and have no side effects.  They include:

• Homeopathic teething gels and tablets
• Clove essential oil, diluted slightly in a carrier oil such as olive or coconut oil (rubbed on the gums)
• Increasing calcium (either in the breastfeeding mom's diet or a liquid trace mineral supplement for baby)
• Sucking on a frozen washcloth

To learn more about infant health, please visit Birthologie.com

When I Think Victoria's Secret, I Think....Breastfeeding?!

Once again, model Miranda Kerr - wife of actor Orlando Bloom - gets a tip of the hat for breastfeeding backstage at the Victoria's Secret show!

A while ago I reported on the natural birth of their almost 10 lb baby boy and the breastfeeding relationship is obviously still going strong, providing a wonderful example for women around the world.

Kudos Miranda, Orlando and Flynn!

To learn more about Breastfeeding, please visit Birthologie.com

Set Your DVR's for Christy Turlington's "No Woman, No Cry" on May 7

The maternal mortality numbers, or the number of women dying in the days surrounding childbirth, are inexcusably high these days.

Especially in the United States.

Did you know that you have a greater chance of dying from childbirth complications in California than you do in Bosnia?! 

The past few years, the maternal death rates have been climbing instead of reducing...why? 

Did you know that most of these deaths are completely avoidable?

For being one of the wealthiest, and most technologically advanced countries in the world, we sure do approach birth backwards, don't we?

Christy Turlington, former supermodel and mother, has decided to do something about the abysmal maternal mortality rates - not only in the U.S., but worldwide.

And she's made it easy for you to do something, too.

On May 7, you can host a viewing party for Christy's film, "No Woman, No Cry" premiering on the OWN network. 

You can also share your birth story, sponsor a midwife training, our buy the awesome soundtrack at Starbucks or online.

This mother's day, make sure that Every Mother Counts, and do your part to protect yourself during pregnancy and birth, and spread the word to help other women protect themselves.

An easy way to do this is to take part in watching this important film.

To learn more about mortality, please visit Birthologie.com

Do OB's and Nurse's Even Care About Your Birth Plan?

Birth plans...they are an interesting topic, and one I have morphed my position on over the years.

With my first birth, I had a 5 page birth plan with a lot of "no's" and "do not's" dotting the pages.

Paranoid?  I will admit....yes.

What I am grateful for is the great nurses who didn't bat an eye at it, say one negative thing, and CNM's who were completely on board with me.

I had a great birth experience.

I quickly came to learn, though, that my experience was the exception

This blog post put it pretty accurately:

I have a sneaking suspicion that the current acceptance (in some places) of birth plans is either lip service only or a clever marketing tool to get women to feel more comfortable when they should be running for the hills.

I wish I could disagree, but I've seen it more than once.  Lots of "yes, sure we can do that" in a prenatal visit, but when push came to shove (good pun, eh?), there was a lot of "no way, we never do that" or "you're the exception" in the birth room.
MamaBirth said it right on when she stated:

A birth plan IS:

-A way for you to figure out what you really want, what is most important to you and to organize your thoughts.

-It can help you visualize your "ideal" birth and then find out if your care provider/birth place is on board with your desires.

-It can help you communicate in an organized way your desires and needs without forgetting something during your visit.

-A birth plan can help you and your partner talk about things, realize where you agree and differ and really discover the many many choices that pop up once you have conceived a child.

A birth plan is NOT:

- A guarantee that your provider will do anything that you have in it. (Yes, this is true even if they nod and smile, even if they give it lip service and even if they sign it.)

-It is not a non-combative, "I'm afraid of you and your white coat and I don't really want to question your authority" way to communicate with your care provider and magically get all your deepest desires fulfilled.

-It is not a force field surrounding you from typical, routine, and stupid hospital interventions.

-It it is also not a way to somehow control the birth experience.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you make and execute a birth plan.

So, should you have a birth plan?  Yes, I completely advocate for them ONLY IF you understand its limitations and purpose. 

To learn more about birth planning, please visit Birthologie.com

Briana...on Birth and Being a Midwife

Last weekend, my community lost a midwife in a roll over car accident.
 
She was only 28.

I wish I knew her better.  Having done a few births with her, had some meaningful conversations, and referred many women her way it was very personal to me.

Like most midwives, she felt her role as a midwife was a calling and treated each woman and birth with tenderness and humility.

Please take the time to learn from this wise sage femme.  Her insights, especially towards the middle and end of the video, are invaluable.

<p>Briana's Words, Briana's Wisdom from Kate and Neil on Vimeo.</p>

Sisters, let's regain the wisdom, the depth, the love and the safety that women like Briana dedicated their lives to.  Birth is so much more than getting a baby from point A to point B.  Embracing and living that fact will strengthen and sustain us for the rest of our lives.

<p>Briana Blackwelder (at my son's birth) from David Perry on Vimeo.</p>

To learn more about midwifery care, please visit Birthologie.com

What Celebrities Have Had Homebirths?

No doubt that within your family circle or circle of friends, birth experiences range from planned c section's to homebirths. 

Hollywood is no different.

Many people are surprised that everyone from famous models to singers have ditched the hospital routine for the security of their home for birth.

Thank you to Squidoo for compiling the list!

Meryl Streep

Demi Moore

Cindy Crawford

Nellie Furtado

Laura Dern

Joann Whalley

Carrie Ann Moss

Mare Winningham

Ricki Lake

Melora Hardin

Felicity Huffman

Thandie Newton

Julianne Moore

Kelly Preston

Lucy Lawless

Maria Bello

Pamela Anderson

Stella Tennant

Mayim Bialik

Charlotte Church

Patricia Arquette

Joely Fischer

Gisele Bundchen

Carole King

Lindsay Wagner

Celebrity Dads Whose Babies Were Born at Home 

Kiefer Sutherland

Owen Wilson

Woody Harrelson

Bruce Willis

Lenny Kravitz

Richard Thomas

Kenny Loggins

John Leguizamo

Val Kilmer

John Schneider

John McGinley

Noah Wylie

To learn more about birth, please visit Birthologie.com

Preemie Babies = Profits for Hospitals

...infants born at 37 weeks are nearly 23 times more likely to suffer severe respiratory distress than those born between 39 and 41 weeks.

Yes, inducing even at 37 weeks, what most OB's consider "full term", can have very real risks.  So, why are inductions on a steep rise in this country?

According to some experts

1. Obstetricians deliver but don’t care for newborns. They move quickly from birth to birth, and lack a complete understanding of the complications associated with early deliveries.
2. Natural deliveries are difficult to anticipate. Nature can be fickle and tends to ignore the schedules of busy physicians. Patients may simply agree because they see little harm in early deliveries.

As I recently reported, there may be one more incentive at play.  More money.  NICU's and pre term births are big money at hospitals.  No one is accusing hospital's and staff of seeing dollar signs when they schedule inductions and putting money before health, but in the end, until recently, I'm sure seeing the extra revenue wasn't something that the hospital business heads were sad about.

The average cost of caring for a premature baby is $41,610 versus just $2,830 for a full term baby. A clear line can be drawn between more early term births and more days spent (and dollars generated) in the NICU. Increasing the numbers of preterm births creates a perceived need for additional NICU beds, thereby increasing the need to fill those beds. A self perpetuating cycle quickly emerges. 

One hospital system has brought their induction rates down to 2%.  2%!!!!  That is unheard of.  How did they do it?  And considering they were theoretically losing money with this move, WHY did they do it?
 

Such a cycle can be broken, as illustrated by Intermountain Healthcare. This Utah and Idaho-based health system reported a 30% rate of early induced labor in 2001 before introducing a protocol that explicitly urged doctors to avoid performing early inductions unless medically necessary. At first, some obstetricians didn’t see a problem. Convincing them required bridging the‚ “information gap,” between what doctors thought they knew and the evidence-based reality. 

By 2004, Intermountain’s rate of early elective deliveries had plummeted to 5%. They have since brought this rate even lower to 2%.

Maybe it’s time to start thinking about babies first and changing the way we pay for births. Simply put, as hospitals reduce their early elective deliveries, they’ll see reduced NICU profits. Intermountain is a capitated health system, so there is little incentive to provide unnecessary care. TEarly elective deliveries involve more care at a very great cost – a baby’s health.

How?  They did something simple, they urged their doctors to stop and educated them as to the harm they were inflicting.
Why?  They  weren't getting more money for more NICU babies, and they cared about having healthy outcomes, rather than profitable ones.

IHC is a leader in this care, and considering that some hospitals in this country have a 100% induction rate, other hospital's can take a cue from IHC.  Put the moms and babies first, and your bottom line last.

To learn more about pre term labor, please visit Birthologie.com

Want to Avoid an Unnecessary C Section? Avoid a For-Profit Hospital

A new study has shown that California for-profit hospitals dropping the knife on laboring moms more quickly and giving more cesareans, even in low-risk pregnancies.

A database  compiled from state birthing records revealed that, all factors considered, women are at least 17 percent more likely to have a cesarean section at a for-profit hospital than at one that operates as a non-profit. A surgical birth can bring in twice the revenue of a vaginal delivery.

::Sigh::.  Yes, a long time suspicion is now confirmed.  Some doctors look for reasons to do a c section because they get paid more.  Another confirmed suspicion that came from this study is that vaginal birth, and especially natural births, are not efficient for the staff and frankly are too inconvenient for them. 

"There are factors that are attractive to hospitals in terms of training and staff and facilities,” he said. “It’s a lot easier if you can do all your births between seven and 10 in the morning and know exactly how many operating rooms and beds you need.” Vaginal births are unpredictable, creating inefficiencies that can hurt the bottom line.

 
There is a lot you can do to reduce the likelihood of having an unnecessary cesarean, but the biggest factor in avoiding one is hiring a caregiver with a low cesarean rate, and delivering somewhere that also has a low cesarean rate. 

<p>Cesarean vs. VBAC:  A Dramatic Difference from Alexandra Orchard on Vimeo.</p>

To learn more about cesareans, please visit Birthologie.com

Have You Heard?! Breastfeeding is Erotic and Only For Idiots

Backwards thinking.....it's hard to combat it because it's so illogical that oftentimes you are left speechless.

It all started with this doll.  Then the debate ensued, that I got caught up in on a local radio show.  Little girls modeling healthy behavior quickly turned into a discussion on eroticising our little girls.  Breastfeeding=perversion?  What?!  The radio host wouldn't stop defending her point, and in the process revealed her bias that she didn't like the sight of breastfeeding from anyone.

That's what you get when you live in a culture with such abysmal breastfeeding rates, I suppose.   

What people don't understand is that if our children learn from an early age the appropriate use of breasts, they will use them more appropriately as teens and adults and we will have less sexual dysfunction in our society.

Add on to that, three separate studies that report that people (men and women) view breastfeeding women as, in a word, dumb. 

Smith and her colleagues suggest that health professionals should “teach pregnant women about the sexism they might encounter” when they choose to breastfeed. In terms of society as a whole, they argue the only way this bias will diminish is for more women to breastfeed openly.

You 'hear' that?  If women want to be treated with more respect and autonomy, they better start breastfeeding in public en masse. 

“More visible breastfeeding mothers should prompt people to wrestle with and debate the issues,” they write. “With time, greater numbers of women who breastfeed translates to less prejudice.”

To learn more about breastfeeding, please visit Birthologie.com

 

Breastfeeding Your Toddler = a Bigger Brain

One of the foundational wishes any parent has for her child is that the child grows and develops normally, and is as smart as possible. 

It isn't a secret...breastfeeding=increased intelligence potential.

But by how much?  And how much breastfeeding equates to how much increased intelligence?

A new study has just shed some light on the issue, and studied babies breastfed up to three years old

A three-year study of 128 mammal species, including humans, found that longer pregnancies and longer suckling times produce bigger brains in babies - possibly leading to a higher IQ.... 'And we have discovered that brain growth in babies is linked to the amount of time and energy mothers invest in their child.  'There is a strong relationship between specific issues in the way a mother invests in producing her offspring and a link between growth of the foetus and length of gestation.

Pediatricians will often tell you that breastfeeding past 6 months or 1 year no longer benefits the child, despite recommendations from the AAP and the WHO encouraging an extended breastfeeding relationship beyond 1 year.  But those pediatricians are wrong.  Nursing into toddlerhood has many benefits, adn know we know that it gives your child an advantage intellectually!

To learn more about breastfeeding, please visit Birthologie.com

Why This FREE Intervention is Better Than Progesterone Cream at Preventing Pre Term Births

A few weeks back, the birth world was all a buzz at the price gouging the K-V Pharmaceutical Company implemented when it locked in the right to exclusively manufacture progesterone for use in preventing pre term labor. 

Prior to this move, pregnant women could buy progesterone from a componding pharmacy for $300. 

It's now $29,000.  You read right. 

Too bad that locking in these rights is going to prove and utter waste of time and money for this company.

According to Henci Goer on Science and Sensibility:

....In that trial, progesterone did not reduce the rate of preterm birth. The rate remained what it had been in similar women before the trial began. Instead, the rate in the control group was much higher than before, and that’s what created the difference between groups. Moreover, the rationale for progesterone is quieting the uterus, but it didn’t do that either. Just as many women in the progesterone group as the placebo group needed treatment for bouts of preterm contractions. Furthermore, another, bigger trial reported no difference in preterm birth rates. So much for “effective.” As I also pointed out in the earlier post, we have no data on the long-term effect of exposing fetuses to weeks of excessive levels of a sex hormone.

What does work at preventing preterm labor?

GROUP PRENATAL CARE!

What?  What does that mean? 

A randomized controlled trial of group prenatal care by midwives was published in 2007 in Obstetrics and Gynecology—in other words, hardly buried in an obscure journal....The preterm birth rate was 14% in the standard care group versus 10% in the group prenatal care group, a one-third risk reduction after controlling for factors that increase risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. In African-American women, the reduction was even more striking: 16% versus 10%. Nothing, nothing anyone ever has tried has reduced preterm birth by a third in a general population.

Wow.  A simple, free solution (in addition to more sunlight as I've previously reported) in preventing preterm labor.  But, why would this work?

preterm delivery is strongly associated with chronic maternal stress. Group prenatal care builds community and helps women feel more competent and confident, as shown by the trial’s other positive outcomes: women in group sessions were less likely to have suboptimal prenatal care, knew more about pregnancy, felt better prepared for labor, were more likely to initiate breastfeeding, and were more satisfied with their prenatal care. With social interventions, everyone wins, not just women spared a preterm birth.

To learn more about preventing pre term labor, please visit Birthologie.com

If Your Dentist Wants to Put 'Silver' Fillings in Your Child's Mouth, Tell Him 'No'

U.S. Government Calls for the Phase-out of Dental Mercury Amalgam

"In an extraordinary development that will change the global debate about amalgam, the United States government has announced that it supports a “phase down, with the goal of eventual phase out by all Parties, of mercury amalgam.”  This statement – a radical reversal of its former position that “any change toward the use of dental amalgam is likely to result in positive public health outcomes” –  is part of the U.S. government’s submission for the upcoming third round of negotiations for the world mercury treaty."

As someone who was a victim of dental mercury amalgam poisoning (and has since recovered) I am happy this is FINALLY happening.  It took way too long to accomplish, though.  This is an example of buyer beware.  just because your doctor and the government say it's safe, doesn't mean it is.  You MUST do your own research and trust your gut!

To learn more about childhood health, please visit Birthologie.com

Yeast Overgrowth is Making You and Your Baby Sick and Tired (and Colicky)

One Problem, 101 Symptoms

What if I told you that your baby’s colic, cradle cap, ear infections, diaper rashes, allergies and sleep sensitivities were all one problem?

What if I told you that your mastitis, eczema, hives, pms, cramps, and gas were all one problem?

What if I told you that your baby acquired her problems from you?  And that this problem contributed to things like arthritis, ADD, autism, lupus, infertility, endometriosis, and gluten sensitivity?

What if I told you you could solve these problems easily?

Would you do it?  Who wouldn’t?

Taming the Yeastie Beasties

Yeast Overgrowth.

It’s the most underdiagnosed problem in the world, and is at the root of an endless list of ailments.

What is Yeast?

Internal yeast, or Candida Albicans, is part of the ‘zoo’ in our bodies and we need a certain level of it in order to be healthy.  Yeast is responsible for eating our bodies away when we die.  But when we have an overgrowth in our bodies, it can literally eat us alive.

How is it managed?

While the liver is responsible for the management of yeast, yeast can overgrow in every part of our body.  The overgrowth (known as Candidiasis) usually starts in the digestive system and gradually spreads to other parts of the body. It is also a type of parasite that is strong, invasive and usually attaches itself to the intestinal wall and becomes a permanent resident of the internal organs.

Candidiasis has the ability to produce  75 toxic substances that can poison the human body.

Candidiasis is so invasive that it enters the gastrointestinal wall in the form of fungus where it develops very long, root like structures that penetrates the wall breaking down the protective barrier between the intestinal tract and the bloodstream. This breakdown allows the entrance of foreign as well as toxic substances to the bloodstream where they can harm various body systems.

http://www.birthologie.com/parenting/taming-the-yeastie-beasties-part-2-the-symptoms-and-stages/

To find out what all the symptoms are, and effective treatment, please visit Birthologie.com

Is the Vaccine-Autism Link a Closed Case? Not According to this Scientist

A lot of people assumed that the vaccine-autism link was completely debunked a few months ago when there was a concerted effort to drag Andrew Wakefield through the mud and completely destroy his career over his mere suggestion in one small 1996 study that there may be a link.

The hoopla, the media hype, and frankly...the psuedo science.  It was clearly a PR campaign lead by a man, Brian Deer, who had very obvious financial ties to the vaccine manufacturers who were indirectly writing his checks.

The autism-vaccine link case is still wide open and being discussed by parents and scientists alike.

Enter in Helen Ratajczak, surprisingly herself a former senior scientist at a pharmaceutical firm.

She has conducted a review of the body of published science since autism was first described in 1943. Every theory ever pro ported - that of thimerosol, measles, and now a new shocking theory has emerged.

Did you know that human tissue is currently used in 23 vaccines?  Human tissue from aborted fetus's. 

Ethical arguments aside, what does that have to do with autism?

"She discusses the increase in autism incidence corresponding with the introduction of human DNA to MMR vaccine, and suggests the two could be linked. Ratajczak also says an additional increased spike in autism occurred in 1995 when chicken pox vaccine was grown in human fetal tissue.

Why could human DNA potentially cause brain damage? The way Ratajczak explained it to me: "Because it's human DNA and recipients are humans, there's homologous recombinaltion tiniker. That DNA is incorporated into the host DNA. Now it's changed, altered self and body kills it. Where is this most expressed? The neurons of the brain. Now you have body killing the brain cells and it's an ongoing inflammation. It doesn't stop, it continues through the life of that individual."

Another interesting passage from this CBS article is this:

A number of independent scientists have said they've been subjected to orchestrated campaigns to discredit them when their research exposed vaccine safety issues, especially if it veered into the topic of autism. We asked Ratajczak how she came to research the controversial topic. She told us that for years while working in the pharmaceutical industry, she was restricted as to what she was allowed to publish. "I'm retired now," she told CBS News. "I can write what I want." 

That's quite a black eye for the pharmaceutical industry.  When you want people to trust you, you don't go around silencing everyone who questions you.

To learn more about vaccines, please visit Birthologie.com

Birth in the U.S.: A Look at the Numbers

<br />Via: Ultrasound Technician

The Greater Good: A Movie You HAVE to See

Despite the maker's best efforts, the controversies surrounding vaccines just aren't going away.

There's a good reason.

There are a lot of gray areas when it comes to vaccines, and parents easily get overwhelmed with information, and oftentimes pressured into making a decision they don't feel completely confident about.

Luckily, the decision of whether or not, or how to vaccinate is about to get easier.

Put the film, The Greater Good, on your must-see or must-buy list.   You'll be glad you did.

To find out more about vaccines, visit Birthologie.com

The Hidden Risks of Using a Crib

When talking about infant sleep and making it as safe as possible, few people think about what may be traps in their baby's crib.  Yeah, they used to be painted with lead paint.  And the slats used to be placed too far apart so the baby's head could get trapped.  And there used to be a discrepancy between the mattress size and the crib frame so there was a gap that a baby could get stuck in.  But all that has been fixed right?  Just make sure you get the right bedding and you're good to go.

Not so fast.

–There is an average of 9,561 crib, playpen, and bassinet injuries a year in American children under two.

–More than 9 million cribs have been recalled by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission since 2007 because of safety issues.

–An average of 113 children died a year from crib-related deaths.

The study authors suggest because of lack of reporting the number of crib-related deaths actually might be much higher. 

This according to a new study, which was just published in the March issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.  To listen to the AAP and JPMA, you'd think that the biggest factor in death and injury during infant sleep was from bed sharing, but according to this study, it looks as if parents need to step back and asses risk through a different lens.

To learn more about infant sleep, please visit Birthologie.com