Essentials Every Crunchy Mama Needs In Her Hospital Bag

Birth is an exciting time and you may be overwhelmed with all of the excitement and forget about your essentials.  If you are planning on having a hospital birth, packing for you is important so you can have the things you need.

• Cloth Pads and freezer pads
• An extra copy of your birth plan
• Diffuser
• Essential Oils
• Nursing pads
• Comfortable clothes - yoga pants, soft socks, your own bathrobe, a nursing shirt, etc.
• Calming music
• Rice or bean socks
• Back massager
• Mother's Milk Tea
• Cut up raw and fresh vegetables and fruits to snack on.  This option is so much better than hospital food.
• Filtered water in your own glass bottle

Enjoy your birthing experience as well as after birth.

Delaying Your Newborn's Bath

When I was in the hospital with Lenora they put a big bright sign over her crib that said, "BABY HAS NOT BEEN BATHED" like she was some type of diseased alien or something. Every time anyone came in to check her vitals they would remind each other to wear gloves because she was not bathed.  I understand them wanting to wear gloves, and it protects my baby anyways, but I think they certainly went overboard.  She came out pretty cheesy and I kept a close eye on my midwife to make sure she didn't wipe her down at all.  I personally waited three weeks before I gave my daughter her first bath, but even just waiting two days after birth is the best.

When a baby is born, they are covered in a white cheesy type coating.  This is called the vernix.  The vernix does a few wonderful things.  It acts as a natural antibacterial cream that is amazing at preventing a bacteria infection.  These are skin cells your baby has made when they were in your womb and it is awesome for their skin.  It not only provides them with gorgeous skin, but it boosts their immune system as well.

There are some hospitals that ask to bathe the baby before they even go to the parents.  To me, this is absurd! Why would you want the first person to be the nurse that gets to hold your baby during the first few minutes of birth?  Babies need their moms and that bonding time is very important.  It is also linked to improved breastfeeding success and of course you won't need any chemical lotions on your baby since the vernix acts as a natural lotion.

It is best to delay baths at the hospital altogether.

Why I Ate My Placenta and Why You Should Too

It is pretty amazing that a human body can grow a whole entire organ in 9 months while pregnant.  There are many benefits to eating your placenta.  While some women eat their placenta raw, others prefer to encapsulate it.  Some people make art with their placenta and others will bury their placenta in their garden on the baby's first birthday to celebrate life.  

The placenta makes sure your baby is getting enough oxygen and nutrients during your pregnancy.  After pregnancy you will delivery our placenta and you may do as you wish with it as your body does not need it anymore.  Although your body doesn't need it internally, it can be a big help to consume it for many reasons.

-Increases milk supply.  Ingesting the placenta is known to increase the milk supply in a mother's breast milk.

-Increase red blood cells.  During birth we lose a lot of blood.  Ingesting our placenta will replace what we have lost so we don't become anemic.

-Increases energy levels.  Being a new mom, you may feel fatigued and have low energy.  Consuming your placenta will increase your energy levels so you can feel like a normal person again.

-Gets rid of postpartum depression.  Many new mothers will struggle with postpartum depression after they give birth.  The placenta will help this struggle.

It's strange to me that there aren't more people who don't ingest their placenta.  We are the only mammals on earth that don't regularly ingest our placentas.  I will be posting step by step instructions on how to properly prepare a placenta if you don't plan on eating it raw.

Birth Plan

It is important to have a birth plan in place whether you are delivering at a hospital or a birthing center.  A birth plan will let your midwife or doctor know what you want in regards to delivering your bundle of joy.  This is an example of my birth plan.  Feel free to copy it and/or change it up to better suit your desires.  I am happy to report my midwife had no problems with my birth plan and followed it to a T.

No pitocin

If C-section is necessary I’d like to make sure all other options have been exhausted.  My husband is to remain with me the entire time and for him to hold the baby as soon as possible, and I’d like to breastfeed in the recovery room.

I’d like to deliver the placenta without assistance from midwife when ready.  Do not rush delivery.

I’d like to keep the placenta after removal.  Please store in bags provided.

I'd like to hold my baby skin-to-skin immediately after delivery.

I’d like for my baby to stay in the same room with me, no nursery time.

I'd like to wait until the umbilical cord stops pulsating before it's clamped and cut and I’d like my husband to cut the cord.

If my baby must be taken from me to receive medical treatment, I'd like my husband to go with him or her.

I wish to birth in different positions as I see fit.

I plan to exclusively breastfeed my baby while in the hospital.

If my baby's a boy, I do not want him to be circumcised.

Pediatrician must examine baby in my room.

No bathing

No hat

No Vitamin K

No eye ointments

No hepatitis B vaccine

NO VACCINES PERIOD

Choosing a Midwife Over a Doctor

A week ago, I had a baby.  Her name is Lenora.  We had a tough time deciding on a name, but we were finally able to.  We wanted to keep with the J's and L's and finally came to an agreement on Lenora.  She is so sweet and sleeps all day long.  

The delivery was very unexpected.  I went in last Friday for a regular check up and they wanted to induce me early because of my high blood pressure.  After weighing out the pros and cons with my midwife we decided to go along with the induction.  My appointment was at 11:30 and the whole process started at 2:00 in the afternoon.  After I got to 7 cm dilated I opted for the epidural and started pushing at about 10:00 p.m.  I had my little girl at 12:13 a.m.  

The actual birth went along really nice.  With my midwife and a nurse being the only medical staff in the room, the dimmed lights and a peanut ball I was able to birth on my side instead of the traditional way on your back.  I really wanted to stand up, but it wasn't possible with my epidural.

Deciding between a midwife and a doctor is a big decision.  There are many benefits to hiring a midwife.

-Remember they work for you, not the other way around.  Doctors seem to want to push you into doing things you may not want to do.  With a midwife they are okay with you denying any tests you don't want to do as well as going along with your birth plan.  Midwives are much more laid back than doctors.  I decided not to drink the glucola drink to check my blood sugar levels, since that alone can give you gestational diabetes.  I also refused the pap smear and pelvic exam, like I always have.  My midwife was perfectly fine with that as it can lead to infections and rupture cancer cells which can ultimately lead to cervical cancer.

-Midwives use a more natural approach.  They will first try to diagnose any issues you have and cure them with natural remedies.  After all of the natural ways have been exhausted, they will then give you a prescription if you choose to go that route.

-Midwives can deliver at home or in the hospital.  You choose the setting you want and the midwife will help deliver the baby where you want them to.

-In America only about 3% of the population uses a midwife.  That means 97% of patients use a doctor for the birth of their children.  America has the highest still birth death rate.  Many countries that uses strictly midwives have very little still births.

-C section rates are much higher with regular doctors.

-Midwives rarely induce.  Unless you have a medical issues like I did, midwives will rarely induce labor.  They believe in the mom's ability to go into labor naturally.  You wouldn't believe all the stories I have heard of doctors inducing patients early just because they are heading on vacation or want to have their baby on a certain date.  Inductions definitely increase the chances of a C-section.

Here is a picture of my baby :) I just did her newborn pictures a few days ago.  I'm anxious to post them!