Timing matters!!

Small differences in birth timing article Tired of being pregnant? This article talks about how some of the small differences those last few weeks make comparing 37 weeks to 41 weeks even! Those last few miserable weeks really make a difference for your baby in the long run!

Working exercise into your daily routine

When you are the mother of little ones, it can be hard to fit exercise in!!! Often it feels like you never stop moving, but sometimes that is really not enough! It seems like sometimes that children never stop moving! If they do, that is often the cue for you to stop moving. There are so many things to get done in the house, it seems counterproductive to take time off to exercise.

Daily exercise can not only help you in pregnancy, it can help you postpartum (when your care provider gives you permission to participate safely) to prevent PPD and to firm up some of those loose muscles.

A couple of tips:

- Remember to bring water and even a light snack for you and the children. It keeps everyone happier.

- Have a goal in mind for the exercise. This could be as simple as that you walk to the library and they get to pick a new book for the week or as complex as keeping track of miles and giving a prize when you reach a miles goal.

-Exercise has to be deliberate, but that doesn't mean it can't be fun! Invite friends to go along with you to the park, a short hike...swimming. Plan ways to put exercise into your daily activities. You will find the children sleep better and are less grouchy as well as you!

Hot, sticky and tired?

When summer heat starts to get to you, it is difficult enough, but top it with pregnancy, it can be downright miserable!

#1) Stay Hydrated- This seems like it should be a no-brainer, but women can end up getting more contractions, feel ill, and get overheated often without realizing it from simple dehydration. Water is the best drink to consume, but try some iced water with slices of lemon in it. The lemon can be great for your liver and kidneys!!

#2) Soak your feet- A simple foot soak in a bucket or dishpan can really refresh you and ease swollen or puffy feet. Use a simple homemade foot scrub to make your feet feel refreshed and revitalized. I know at the end of pregnancy it can be really hard to reach your feet, so ask your husband or friend to help you out!

Lemon foot scrub- 1 c. sea salt 1/2 c. oil (any kind, but healthier oils are nicer) 3-5 drops essential oil...I like Lemon Store in tight container.

#3) Spend time at the pool- Swimming is one of the best exercises while pregnant as it is a low impact exercise, that can exercise the entire body. This will refresh you and at the same time get those ligaments and joints ready for labor and delivery. If you can swim 2-3 times weekly while pregnant, you will feel better for labor and it will help you stay cool! If you don't swim, just spending time chasing your kids and standing in the kiddy pool will help you!

#4- Don't cook heavy meals, but make sure to keep the protein up. Sometimes it is hard in the summer to feel like eating or cooking. Big green salads with cooked Rotisserie chicken, grated cheese, sunflower seeds, avocado and other vegetables can be a great way to fill up, get some protein and stay cool! Watermelon, smoothies with protein powder added to them, cheese sticks, vegetables and dip, bowls of cut up fruit like strawberries, mangos, bananas, apples and pears are great served with hard cheeses, and lunch meat that you have heated to prevent any contamination. Make sure to stay away from soft cheeses like Brie etc. This might be a time to look at some easier meals that can be cooked in the microwave and in your crock pot as well.

#5 Stay cool and comfortable!!! Wear loose fitting clothing that breaths. Shorts sometimes are not the coolest clothing to wear, a loose fitting cotton top with a flowy skirt can help you get some air flow and stay cool and comfortable! Comfortable shoes are a need! This is not the time to be wearing high heel sandals, but comfortable shoes that support your feet and are not too tight.

Full term babies....

can do better on test scores! http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/nm/small-differences-in-birth-timing-tied-to-test-scores

I love being a doula!

There is so much satisfaction in knowing that you are helping to promote women to make their own educated choices about their care when they are pregnant and giving birth. I love the feeling of knowing you are promoting thinking for themselves and not just following what they are told to do. Women have come far in many ways, but one of the ways that women struggle is to be able to choose the way they give birth. In many cases when women give birth, they are told how to dress, when they can use the restroom, bathing or not bathing, eating or not eating, even what position they are lying in. In some cases, this direction is needed, other times it is not. Education can help a women to be empowered to ask questions about the why behind the demands. It can give them the choice to realize if they believe it is important to follow the request they are being given, or to ask if there is another option they could possibly choose. Our bodies and our babies, do not always care about lawsuits, but we do care about the safety of ourselves and our babies. The decisions you make as a mother, choosing a care provider, a facility to give birth in or whether you choose to give birth outside a facility can not only effect the here and now, but also your future. Give yourself a pat on the back if you are educating yourself as far as what is the best option for you and your family. Research your options and make wise choices about giving birth. The wrong care provider for you may not be the wrong one for a friend, evaluate for yourself personally. Listen to advice from friends and family, but ultimately remember that it is you that is going to be going through this experience. It is very important that you, as the laboring mom, feel safe and secure where you are giving birth, trust your care providers and have a good support team. I know many families who feel that money ends up deciding whom they choose as a care provider or support person, and I would love to encourage to work hard to get a provider that you are very comfortable with and the support you need, even if it means you work extra hard to trade that extra work or find other means of paying them. It can make a difference in the mental well being of your family.

Breastfeeding and Lactation Cookies

We are so excited once the baby has arrived! The hard work is over! Pregnancy ungainliness, ill-fitting clothing, and aches are all over with! I think many of us prep, think and wonder about the pregnancy, try to avoid thinking about labor and forget all about thinking about how we might cope with breastfeeding. If this is your first baby, this is especially true! I loved this post on some healthy snacks to have prepared for breastfeeding hunger pangs... Also, over at Life as a Mom, she speaks of the real life joys and sorrows of breastfeeding, while all the while rejoicing that she did it. I think that those last few months of preparing before your baby is born, it is a good idea to help prep the fridge, freezer and pantry a bit too. The first 6-8 weeks when you have a new baby, you may be cooking one handed. There will be times you may be starving to death, and just need a quick snack. It is actually more important with breastfeeding to be eating enough calories, and maintaining a healthy diet for your milk supply. A not so unwelcome treat that can actually help your milk supply would be these oatmeal cookies. Don't overdo it, but a couple will help that oatmeal and flax seed go down smooth with a glass of milk or a cup of Mother's Milk tea. These cookies freeze well and are tasty for anyone, not just breastfeeding moms. Last weekend, we served them at a Early Childhood fair and I heard nothing, but compliments on them!

Lactation Cookies From the Kitchen of Martha Artyomenko Serves 50

Ingredients: 2 c. oil 4 eggs

2 c. brown sugar 3 ¼ c. flour (I used whole wheat flour)

1 c. white sugar ¼ c. flax seeds

2 t. vanilla 6 ¼ c. oats (quick cooking)

2 t. baking soda 2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt 2 T. brewers yeast

Directions: Mix oil, sugars, vanilla together. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in all other ingredients. Mix well.

Add craisins, chocolate chips, or M&M’s if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes

This makes a very large batch, but you can freeze them well.

In going along with the last post...

http://www.thehumbledhomemaker.com/

You can read a story of a first labor and delivery with an induction and epidural and a second labor with naturally. They are interesting to read, although not everyone will have a similar experience.