I don’t know if I would drink this juice right after giving birth… but once you are back on your feet and certainly while you are pregnant, I think you just can’t get enough green in your life. I am reading a great book by Victoria Boutenko called, Green for Life, which actually spells out some pretty tasty ways to introduce more greens into your life. By the way, I have not found my child is…

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I love the Sears family (Willian Sears M.D. and Marth Sears R.N.). They make you feel OK about what you are doing, they have tons of family experience plus a healthy approach to medicine. The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two (Revised and Updated Edition) or as they like to call it, the “Baby Bible” is a mine of information. All of their books are….

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Sometimes I feel like I have been talking about when I am going to stop breastfeeding before I even got started. I don’t think that attitude is very good or healthy for anyone. So why fight something so natural that actually is biochemically designed to be pleasurable? Why would I want to stop hormones such as oxytocin and prolactin that are supped to keep me mellow and feel more nurturing towards my baby? Why wouldn’t I want to carry on breastfeeding if it is meant to help…

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This organization is doing really important work. The National Milk Bank (NMB) is a nationwide organization that collects donated human milk, ensures milk safety and quality and makes it available for infants in need. They exist to provide premature and critically-ill babies with the best possible nutrition for survival and healthy development. Here’s what you need to do to donate your milk.

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I was introduced to Nature’s Sunshine supplemental products by a medical intuitive and have since used them during various times of need… everything from a cleanse to their olive leaf extract. Their prices are a little higher than some but you can become a member and their quality is unprecedented.

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I know we talk about the recovery period as the first six weeks postpartum but in my opinion, as long as you are breastfeeding, changing diapers and getting up in the middle of the night, you are still in postpartum mode. Sometimes it feels relentless. Night after night of bad sleep followed by 6AM wake-up calls. If you are feeling exhausted, then you might want to check out Eleuthero,  previously marketed in the United States as Siberian Ginseng, as it has similar herbal properties.

Eleuthero is an…

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Postpartum Support International (PSI) is a worldwide organization providing support to women experiencing symptoms of prenatal or postpartum mood or anxiety disorder. They have PSI Coordinators who help women who might be feeling one or more of the following: depressed, irritable, exhausted, unlike yourself, sadness, anger, guilt, worry, feelings of inadequacy.

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I fell upon this really wonderful book, Energetic Pregnancy: A Guide to Achieving Balance, Vitality, & Wellbeing from Conception to Birth & Beyond, by Elizabeth Davis. She is a renowned expert on women’s issues and also the author of Women’s Intuition (a subject that needs so much more attention) and the classic Heart & Hands: a Midwife’s Guide to Pregnancy and Birth. She describes labor vividly and accurately and then helps you figure out your personality profile (physical, mental or…

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I found this interesting outline in Elizabeth Davis’ book, Energetic Pregnancy, which I have just reviewed in the book section. It is adapted from an old nursing text — the author is unknown.

Phase One - Taking In (Day 1 - Day 3)

The new mother:

- Is passive-dependent overall; she is a receiver

- Wants plenty of rest and sleep

- Is very hungry, if in the hospital will find meals to be inadequate (friends/family should bring extra)

- Needs to review details of the birth with attendants in order to…

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I found this recent article in the NY Times about antidepressants during pregnancy. It seems the New England Journal of Medicine supports “doctors’ assurances that antidepressants are not a major cause of serious physical problems in newborns.” While this is obviously good news for people who are on antidepressants the article then goes on to talk about possible rare side-effects from taking medication such as the “use of Paxil which was associated with an increased risk of a rare heart defect.” This is clearly a difficult subject to…

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