Earth Mama Angel Baby Giveaway

"Organic Baby Products 101" Blog is having an Earth Mama Angel Baby product giveaway! These are amazing, sustainable, organic products for mommy and baby. I love all of their products and recommend them to my clients. Winner will be selected in August 2nd, so hurry and enter. Click here for contest details.

Here is what you are eligible to win:

Happy Mama Spray

The Angel Baby Kit

The Angel Baby Kit includes:

Angel Baby Bath Blossoms, 42 g.(1.5 oz.), Angel Baby Bottom Balm, 30 ml.(1 oz.), Angel Baby Lotion, 60 ml.(2 oz.), Angel Baby Oil, 30 ml.(1 oz.), Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash, 50 ml (1.67 fl. oz.), Angel Baby Sleep CD

Sneak "Peak" on Fertility

Remember my post on Birth Control and Pregnancy Achievement? If you are trying to conceive (or not), it is nice to be aware of your most fertile or "peak" day of fertility. If you already chart your cycles, you are aware of how this works. If not, the following information may be very helpful.

Charting the Most Fertile Day of Your Cycle

Your peak day, as the name suggests, is the day that your fertility peaks and the best time to get pregnant. If you are charting you can determine your peak day by checking your cervical mucous. After you have ovulated your cervical mucous will begin to dry up. This is one way to confirm that you have ovulated. Your peak day is the last day of fertile cervical mucous. You won’t be able to identify your peak day until after it occurs, when you notice your cervical mucous has become dry. Mark your peak day on your chart with a P.

Charting your Peak Day

You will want to look for your peak day when you are charting. You will know it is your peak day by the days that follow it. Once you see the shift from wet fertile cervical mucous to dry cervical mucous you will know that your peak day has occurred. Mark your chart with a P on the last day you see fertile cervical mucous. Then mark the following four days of dry cervical mucous with 1, 2, 3, 4. Once you have seen four dry days you can assume you are no longer fertile.

Peak Day and avoiding pregnancy

If you are trying to avoid pregnancy, do not have intercourse until four days after your peak day. Your peak day usually occurs the day before ovulation or the day of ovulation. Since your egg can survive for about 24 hours you will not want to have sex until around four days after your peak day to avoid pregnancy.

Peak Day and trying to conceive

If you are trying to conceive you will want to start having intercourse before your peak day. After your period ends you will notice an increase in cervical mucous. The typical pattern is tacky cervical mucous, that turns to creamy, that changes to clear stretchy egg white looking cervical mucous. While it is true that you are looking for egg white slippery cervical mucous to indicate ovulation, it is a good idea to start having intercourse before you see this. The reason behind this is that sperm can last up to five days and your egg can only last 24 hours. If you wait until the day you see slippery egg white mucous, you only give yourself a one day opportunity to get pregnant. If you have sex prior to ovulating as well you will increase your chances of getting pregnant.

Kickin' It

My bad habit that is.

Caffeine

I have had a hunch that is been affecting my fertility. When we conceived last summer, I was not drinking caffeine. But, because of my work schedule these days, I have been drinking more coffee in the past several months. I would say that I drink an average of 12 oz. per day. That isn't a lot compared to the intake of many, but it is more that I feel I should be having.

After about seven months of trying to conceive with no positive outcome, I have decided to take a good look at my diet. Caffeine is the first to go and here is why. Some studies have shown the link of caffeine consumption and the ability to conceive. For example, one study showed that women who have an intake or 300mg of caffeine per day have a 27 percent less chance of conceiving compared to those who do not have caffeine. So now it will be herbal tea for me.

What will be the next nutritional change? I am not sure. Stay tuned.

Blog Facelift

Ok, I know it is a little hard to read, but I am trying out my new skills with "paint". A program that I have decided I do not like. So, enjoy for now and I will pretty it up later!

A Conversation on Birth Choices

It's inevitable. You get a group of women together and childbirth will most likely come up. Especially if anyone of them is pregnant. It seems like this topic has come up a lot lately in discussions I have been a part of. There are so many different ideas out there on caregivers, childbirth classes, where to have your baby, breastfeeding, and the list goes on an on.

I must begin by saying that I have not had the experience of any of this yet, so I am the bystander on many of these conversations. Of course, as a doula, natural birth advocate, and breastfeeding supporter, I do often find myself wanting to advocate more than I should. I also know that natural childbirth advocates can often times get categorized as "radicals", not willing to hear any other side.

But, it makes me really think after these gatherings and such discussions with these women. I am glad to be a part of such a diverse group of friends who have different ideas and opinions. By now, you all know that I do, however, feel that it is important to be educated and informed on all aspects of childbirth if you are a mother (or father) or plan on becoming one soon.

I understand that when you are pregnant that you get all kinds of advice, solicited or not. But, if you say to me "I am not brave enough to have a natural birth" or "I need the epidural before I even go into labor", then you are going to get a few probing questions from me. I would ask you, "What makes you feel that way?" "Do you know you have a 1 in 2 chance of having a cesarean section if you birth in a hospital?" "Do you understand the repercussions of an induction?" Sometimes just talking it out with them helps bring the topic into a whole new light. Maybe they have heard horror stories about other births and feel the hospital and drugs are the safest route for them. Maybe they aren't fully educated on how the drugs may effect the mother and baby during and after birth. Maybe they want the process to be easier for their husband/support person so he/she doesn't have to "worry" about her as much or get too tired while she is in labor (a doula would help, but that is for another post).

Many people have gotten their view of childbirth from television and movies. You know, the shows that all depict childbirth as an "emergency situation". The media has truly misrepresented the intimate, calming, loving nature of birth. They have created birth to be a fearful, stressful situation that it does not have to be. Besides the media, I often wonder what really makes women feel fearful of childbirth. Is it the pain? Is it the "what if" factor? It is all the unknowns? Does she feel unprepared?

As women, we have the right to choose whatever kind of birth we want to have. It is, after all, our body and our birth. So, whether you choose to have a natural (unmedicated) birth or a medicated birth, please understand why you made that choice. That choice could affect you and your baby for the rest of your lives.

Breast is Best

Breastfeeding Facts

Breastmilk is the best food for infants and small children:

• Reduces the risk of allergic reations and asthma
• Provides babies with the most easily digested food
• Promotes healthy growth and development
• Studies indicate a higher I.Q. among breastfed babies
• Protects against cancer and diabetes
• Transmits mother's immunities
• Leads to fewer ear and respiratory infections
• May protect against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Yields health benefits that last a lifetime
• Reduces crying and colic
• Reduces cause of abuse and abandonment
• Allows mom time to cuddle and nurture her baby
• Mother's milk changes throughout the duration of nursing to meet the baby's specific needs at a given time
• Diapers have less offensive odor
• Mother's milk is the safest food for infants in any emergency

Breastfeeding is best for mothers:

• Releases prolactin: the calming, "mothering" hormone
• May delay ovulation and menstruation
• Protects against breast and ovulation cancer
• Helps uterus get back to pre-pregnancy size and shape
• Allows mothers to miss fewer work or school days because baby is sick less often
• Creates a special time for mother-baby bonding
• Less time preparing bottles
• Permits mothers to get more sleep at night (if baby shares bed)

Breastfeeding is best for families:

• Saves money in formula and health care costs
• Leads to healthier baby and mother
• Allows mother to spend more time with entire family
• Can offer a special bonding tie for siblings and fathers, too
• Makes for easier traveling
• Makes comforting baby easier - less crying

Breastfeeding is best for the world:

• Uses a natural resource
• Protects the environment: no packaging, no plastics, no waste
• Yields healthier work force for the future
• Requires no storage
• Saves tax dollars by decreasing health care costs

Information provided by: 2007 Department of State Health Services

Organic Product Suggestions?

I am looking for more suggestions on great, organic mommy and baby items or products. Anyone have anything they recommend...can't live without?