Repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel are a part of our technology laden society. Since most of us who are faced with the repetitive work that stresses our wrists cannot simply stop doing the work for a prolonged period of time, the best way to reduce the effect of repetitive actions are to reduce the length of time it is done continuously, ensure the best ergonomics and posture possible for the work environment and take regular breaks to move the joints through a healthy range of motion. The following aikido wrist stretches take about 5 minutes to do if you hold each stretch between 20 to 30 seconds and move the wrists through a healthy range of motion.

This web site provides a clear description of the stretches performed in the video: http://www.livestrong.com/article/371145-aikido-wrist-stretches/

Set your computer clock or phone to signal a stretch break every hour or two. The five minutes an hour should help prevent or reduce pain and allow you greater comfort and efficiency.

Prevention truly is the best medicine. In addition to stretching, acupuncture and nutritional therapy provide additional relief and get to the root cause of the imbalance.

Real food, is real medicine and miso is an ancient food that is a prime example of food as medicine. Eaten regularly, it can promote health and prevent disease. Used therapeutically, it can help overcome a cold or flu and help convalesce from mild to severe illness.

South River Miso is my miso of choice, it is made in the united states, it is stored in glass or ceramic containers and has the greatest variety (including gluten and soy free)  and taste that I have ever come across. I am planning on placing an order for miso from South River miso by the end of March. If you would like to join in the order to save on shipping and possibly get a price break, let me know what you would like.

The following is from the South River Miso web-site, please go to the site to find out more about the healing powers of miso and the variety that South River miso supplies.

Miso (pronounced mee-so) is a delicious all purpose, high-protein seasoning which has played a major role in Japanese culture and cuisine for centuries. It is most often made from a combination of soybeans, cultured grain, and sea salt by a unique, double fermentation process, which was elevated to a state of fine craftsmanship in traditional Japan.

In Physical Constitution and Food, Dr. Shinichiro Akizuki, director of St. Francis Hospital, Nagasaki, writes:

I have found that, with very few exceptions, families, which make a practice of serving miso soup daily, are almost never sick…. I believe that miso belongs to the highest class of medicines, those which help prevent disease and strengthen the body through continued usage…Some people speak of miso as a condiment, but miso brings out the flavor and nutritional value in all foods and helps the body to digest and assimilate whatever we eat….

This a recipe, my associate Connie Christie shared with us during our Solstice open house:

Miso Soup with Scallions – A cure for the common cold
By: Diane Joswick, L.Ac., MSOM

Did you know that Miso Soup with Scallions is actually an ancient Chinese herbal remedy for colds?

In 300 AD famous herbalist, Ge Hong, writes about Miso Soup with Scallions in a book called, Bei ji zhou hou fang or Emergency Formulas to Keep Up One’s Sleeve.

The soup is indicated for the onset of a cold when a person is just beginning to feel a headache, stuffy nose and a slight fever.

So, the next time you feel a cold coming on, be sure to have your miso!

Miso Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 6 cups water
• 3-4 Tablespoons Aka Miso or red soy bean paste (usually sold in the refrigerated section)
• 3-5 green onions stalks, chopped

Directions:

• Dissolve the miso in a little bit of boiling water (about 2 tsp.)
• Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add the miso & scallions.
• Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
• Remove from heat top with green onions and serve.

Variations: you can add various other ingredients to make a more substantial soup, such as tofu, fresh mushrooms, cooked shrimp, snow pea sprouts, cooked rice noodles, or paper-thin slices of fresh ginger.

As a health care provider, a woman and mother: Bone health is near and dear to my sternum.

I have a number of patients who are on Fosamax or who have been on Fosamax and either stay on it for lack of trustworthy or affordable alternatives, or go off of it to avoid its very real negative side affects and just worry about whether they are doing enough to protect their bone health. There are safe alternatives. They just have to be applied to be effective.

I have come across a number of non-pharmaceutical nutritional products that claim to maximize bone health. They range in price from $50 to $200 for a month”s supply and some of them have some great research behind them. However, the following article about the prune diet, is not only well researched, it is almost completely food based except the 500 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D a day. In addition, the therapeutic dose of prunes, may well help cure another common ailment of many women I know.

If you or someone you know is worried about bone health, read the following article, implement its recommendations (12 prunes, at least 500 mg calcium supplementation and 400 IU Vitamin D a day) and and ask me about other options for supporting bone health.

The ‘Prune Diet’ reverses osteoporosis
Jacob Schor ND FABNO
www.DenverNaturopathic.com
November 13, 2011

A study published in last September’s British Journal of Nutrition has moved the “Prune Diet” from something we thought might work into the category of something that looks like it does work.

Hooshmand et al describe the results of a clinical trial began in 2007 by Bahram Arjmandi. A group of 160 postmenopausal women were split into two groups. One groups ate dried plums each day while a second group ate dried apples each day and acted as the control. All the women took calcium (500 mg/day) and vitamin D (400 IU/day).

Bone mineral density was measured at the start of the study and at 3, 6 and 12 months.

Those women who ate dried plums had significantly increased bone mineral density of ulna and spine in comparison with those who ate dried apples. Those eating the dried plums also had significantly decreased serum levels of bone turnover markers including bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (this is a good thing to see). [1]

The idea that prunes could be used to treat osteoporosis isn’t new. This study just confirms what earlier studies had already been telling us,
that consumption of dried plums improved bone mineral density (BMD) by suppressing rate of bone turnover. Daily consumption of prunes should now be considered a valid strategy for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

Many women we see are quite hesitant to take the bisphosphonate drugs prescribed for osteoporosis. There are good reasons that they do. The big story is the growing evidence that links these drugs with osteonecrosis of the jaw, what is commonly called ‘dead jaw syndrome.’ Then there are the more recent indications that long term use actually increases risk of femur fractures.

[NOTE: Dried plums are the same thing as prunes. The dried plum term might be considered a euphemism employed to rebrand this long time staple food in order to increase sales. The official name change happened in 2000, so now under Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules prunes are officially ‘dried plums.’]

Bahram Arjmandi who is listed as a coauthor on the September’s paper, has been investigating dried plums for over a decade; his first paper was published in 2001. [3]

In fact the current report is almost identical to a pilot study Arjmandi published in 2002. Arjmandi had previously shown that dried plums were, “ … highly effective in modulating bone mass in an ovarian hormone-deficient rat model of osteoporosis…..” So, Arjmandi conducted a study, “…to examine whether the addition of dried plums to the diets of postmenopausal women positively influences markers of bone turnover.” Fifty-eight post-menopausal women were randomly assigned to eat either 100 grams of dried plums or 75 grams of dried apples every day. The prunes but not the apples, “…significantly increased serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP) activity.”

High levels of both of these chemicals are associated with faster bone formation. Serum and urinary markers of bone resorption, however, were not affected. The drugs typically used to treat osteoporosis focus on the other side of the equation; they slow bone resorption.

Since then Arjmandi has written a string of papers using animal models of osteoporosis in order to better understand the action dried plums have on bone. In a 2005 paper using ovariectomized rats, he reported that, “Dried plum, ….[restored] femoral and tibial bone density…. increased lumbar bone density as well, ….. improved bone quality …. [and] improve[d] trabecular microarchitectural properties in comparison with ovariectomized controls.”

Arjmandi pointed out the unique action dried plums had on bone:

“Loss of bone volume accompanied by loss of trabecular connectivity is generally believed to be an irreversible process, but our observations suggest that dried plum improves trabecular microstructure of tibia after losses have already occurred.” [4]

Similar benefits were obtained using castrated male rats and reported in 2006: “…. dried plum completely prevented the … [castration induced] decrease in whole body, femur, and lumbar vertebra bone mineral density (BMD).” The bone resorption biomarker deoxypyridinoline (DPD) rose by 36% in the castrated rats but dropped 57% in those rats consuming dried plums. [5]

In 2007, another rat study found that while dried plums were effective, parathyroid hormone was even more effective at restoring bone mass. [6]

Arjjmandi began this clinical trial under review when he moved Florida State University in 2007.

Several additional papers of interest have been published while this trial was underway. A 2008 paper explained that, “Dried plum polyphenols inhibit osteoclastogenesis by downregulating NFATc1 and inflammatory mediators.” [7]
A 2009 publication tells us that the polyphenols in dried plums “…..attenuate the detrimental effects of TNF-alpha on osteoblast function…” [8]

Of particular interest is a 2010 paper reporting that a combining dried plum and fructo-oligo-saccharide (FOS) supplements increased both of their bone restoring effects. In fact this combination had a greater effect at increasing bone density than any other functional foods yet tested. [9] Also of note, there is an additional mouse study published in 2010, showing that dried plum supplements could restore lost bone mass in aged mice. [10]

Although this current study leaves little doubt that eating dried plums preserves bone, the question then is whether patients can actually be eat enough of these things? The daily dose of dried plums used in this experiment was 100 grams, that’s equivalent to about a dozen prunes. For a lot of people that many prunes will have a laxative effect. Knowing what to do and doing it may prove to be two different matters. One way to approach this is to simply take prunes, “to bowel tolerance.” That means eat as many as you can comfortably. Over time you can increase the dose as your body learns to tolerate move over time.

Another option is to combine the prunes with other things or foods that have the opposite effect on bowel transit times (BTT), things that tend to be constipating. Calcium certainly does this to many people. So do ground poppy seeds and carob powder. It is perhaps noteworthy that both ground poppy seed and prune paste have been traditionally consumed in close proximity in certain cultures. Keep this in mind if your prune tolerance is low.

Fortuitously, a fair percentage of patients who are in the age that they may benefit from “prune therapy” also have relatively slow BTT (that’s the fancy way to say they are constipated) and this prune prescription may provide relief.

Following is another family’s experience with chickenpox. They attended a pox playtime at our house within the first three days of our children’s outbreak. Names have been changed to protect identity.

Nancy D. a mother of 4-year-old Claudia and 11-month-old Cullen (who is still nursing) writes:

“Overall, our chicken pox experience was manageable.  Claudia got the worst of it, with 200 or so spots.  She had about 30 on her scalp!  But, she did not scratch or pick at them.  She had one really rough night, because they were so itchy.  She had four oatmeal baths between 7:00 p.m. Tuesday and 4:00 p.m. Wednesday.  It looks like she will come out scar-free.  Most of her scabs are gone at this point, and she will be re-joining Preschool this afternoon.

Cullen, on the other hand, didn’t have any pox appear until Thursday (four days after Claudia).  His case was very mild, with 50 or 60 spots total.  He seemed completely unaffected by it and didn’t seem to be itching.  His worst day was Sunday, and it really wasn’t too bad.   He was just kind of tired and whiny.  The last of his chicken pox scabbed over yesterday, so he will not be contagious tomorrow.  Yeah!  We are so proud of our kids’ immune systems!  If you ask Claudia, she will tell you a lot about white blood cells.”

Chickenpox Naturally
As the mother of four children under the age of 10, and a busy holistic health care practice, sick children are not a reality I have the time to deal with or desire to promote. Of course, nobody wants to promote illness in their children. Yet, childhood illness has an important place in the development of a healthy immune system.
In fact, avoiding illness or the symptoms of illness, by heavily vaccinating, washing with antibacterial soaps, and regular use of antibiotics, steroids, NSAIDS, acetaminophen, and other pharmaceuticals that mask symptoms may have a problematic affects on our children’s long-term health.
A strong healthy immune system-with good nutrition, adequate rest and activity, good hygiene practices, and lots of love and healthy physical contact- is the best defense against illness.
There is a time and place for pharmaceuticals, including vaccinations. I invite everyone to make informed choices about the substances she or he puts on and into her or his body and her or his children’s bodies. Integrative healthcare is healthy health care.
My life is busy. I certainly don’t have time for my kids to be out of school, and I don’t want to make them miserable intentionally. However, when I heard that one of my friend’s children had chickenpox, we packed all four of our children over and let them play together. They hugged and played alongside each other. They also played bingo, and everyone blew on a shared whistle or harmonica every time they had a match. The older kids knew we were trying to expose them to chickenpox. They saw their friend who was itchy and pock-marked and uncomfortable. They empathized with him and wondered how they would feel when they had chickenpox.
Exactly two weeks after exposure, all three big kids had full-fledged chickenpox outbreaks.
Havivah, my 9-year-old, really wanted to get chickenpox in order to have complete immunity and hopefully less of a chance to developing shingles. Once she got them, she was uncomfortable and whiny for the first three days and then she was fine. Her symptoms started out looking like a stomach bug; she was head-achy and nauseous and did vomit. She had one spot by her eye that I did not suspect to be chickenpox until two days later when the pox popped out all over her body.
My 4- and 5- year-old sons fared well too. They were lethargic and itchy and whiny for the first three days, but we had natural comfort tools that kept it more than bearable for all of us.

Regular soaking baths (oatmeal, raw apple cider vinegar or baking soda), calendula salve, homeopathic remedies, immune supporting herbs, and good nutrition allowed my family to sail through the pox. We had some great family cuddle time and played with lots of friends who hoped to share this very manageable childhood illness.
As with many life challenges there were many tools we used that supported us through this minor illness.
First we trimmed everyone’s nails to limit damage that scratching may cause. Then we sought out tools to limit the itching and discomfort naturally.

I  consulted with my midwife Cathy Weston (www.birthjourneymidwife.com/), our in-house Naturopathic Physician, Laura Flanagan, N.D. (spokanenaturopathic.com), and Monica German, M.D. (www.medicine-naturally.com).

Both Cathy Weston and Dr. German recommended homeopathic remedies for the symptoms (www.homeopathic.org). These remedies included: Rhus toxicodendron for the itchy lesions, Chamomilla for fussiness, especially if one cheek is redder than the other, Belladonna for fever and irritability.
Dr. Flanagan recommends “Increas(ing) Vitamin A and Elderberry. Vitamin E is good topically to decrease scarring and help skin healing – once they get to the scab stage… Oatmeal baths are a staple too…[Dr. Flanagan] recommends that the oatmeal goes into a old nylon stocking or thin sock. Let the water run over the sock, squeeze it a few times to get the stuff out and then use the sock to rub over your kiddos’ bodies if they feel itchy.”

The following are Dr. German’s recommendations for managing viral infections:

• Increase the dose of Vitamin D3 for the first three days to ‘boost’ the immune system. The daily winter dose is usually 1000-2000 IU per day, but it depends on your child’s age and his or her Vitamin D status.
• Other immune boosters that I like to use are Probiotics, Omega 3’s and Elderberry syrup .
• Other herbs that have been used as immuno-stimulants in adults are olive leaf, Astragalus and Lysine. (Lysine has been shown to help with the herpes virus, which is, as mentioned above, related to the chickenpox virus.)

Adequate water intake is very important. This is in addition to any smoothies or fresh juices that are consumed. The daily target of water intake (in fluid ounces) can be calculated by dividing your child’s weight by two. (For example, the goal for a 30 lb. child would be 15 oz). This amount needs to be increased if fever is present.

Diet considerations:
• A diet rich in whole foods, with plenty of vegetables and fruits in a variety of colors. This “rainbow diet” has been shown to provide the phytonutrients needed to strengthen the immune system.
• Juices rich in vitamin A and C, such as fresh carrot juice or fresh-squeezed lemon juice with water and honey.
• Chicken soup (chicken should be organic or at least antibiotic- and hormone-free).
• Vegetable broth with shiitake mushrooms.
• Smoothies with kale, cabbage, beet, broccoli.
• Acerola cherries.
• Blackberries.
• Elderberries.
• For painful mouth and throat ulcers, a soft diet should be used. Infants should receive fluids by cup, spoon, or syringe rather than bottle because the nipple can cause increased pain.
• Limit sugar and processed foods. No corn syrup. No sodas. Limit dairy, especially if mouth sores are present. Fermented dairy is OK (yogurt or kefir).

Fever Treatment:
• Hydrotherapy and “warming socks”.
• Do not treat a mild fever with medications if it is below 101.5 and your child is feeling relatively OK. Studies have shown that children do better overall when some fever is allowed to continue during this illness. If medication is necessary because your child is bothered by the fever or the fever is high, then use acetaminophen (for example, Tylenol).
• Never use aspirin because of the risk of Reye’s syndrome.
• Ibuprofen is also not recommended because it might increase the risk of severe streptococcal skin infections.
• How do you know your child is well hydrated when fever is present? He or she should be voiding at least five times per day and the urine should not be too dark in color.

Topical remedies that you can use to soothe the rash:
• Calendula cream.
• Cool/lukewarm baths in which you can add two ounces (60 ml) of baking soda per tub.
• Calamine lotion: Apply lotion to the chickenpox that itch the most or massage them with an ice cube for 10 minutes. • Other options: tea tree oil, oatmeal baths, aloe vera gel.

Chickenpox is typically a benign, self-limited disease, but serious complications can arise, including shingles and secondary bacterial infections (most often with strep or staph bacteria) like impetigo or cellulitis. The risk of complications is highest in people with compromised immune systems, newborns, and adults. Although rare, serious complications in children include pneumonia, deep tissue infection, joint infections, and encephalitis.

We are grateful that we had tools to weather this childhood illness and now I can count on the immunity my children have against chickenpox.

For more information about immunizations:  www.greatergoodmovie.org, www.drtenpenny.com, http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/vaccines

If you are reading this you are likely breathing.
However how much of your lungs are you really using? Are you nourishing every cell with your inhalation and really expelling the old stale air with your exhalation? Or are you breathing shallowly, you diaphragm barely budging, your breath filling only a small portion of your lungs?

So many of us are starving. Our breath is shallow and our diet is suboptimal. It is a marvel we have energy to do anything, much less move beyond the basics.

I invite you this week to nourish yourself more completely. Through food, breath and movement.

If we want to move beyond survival we must hold fast to the basics:

Drink half your weight in ounces of purified water daily.

Aim for at least 80% of your food to be a close to nature as possible (the farmers markets are in full swing and a great resource for local food).

Breath deeply and completely, as if your life depended on it.(Since it does.)

Following is a breathing technique from a lovely birthing resource:

Though this book is geared toward a laboring mother. It is remarkable for anyone. This is from page 68-69 of Labyrinth of Birth by Pam England. I am modifying the language to make it more inclusive.:
Step One:
This works best with a straight spine, so sit up, stand or walk tall.
In breath: Imagine, as you breath in, you are pulling life giving energy from your root chakra downward and backward along (the inside) of your perineum, and up your spine to the crown of your head. It is important to imagine your breath moving upward following the curves inside your spine. Attention on upward-moving inhalation is uplifting and refreshing.

At the end of your inhalation, in the brief pause before exhalation begins, focus your attention on the crown of your head or on your forehead between your eyes.

More and more of my clients are receiving confirmation that their systems are more likely to thrive, when they markedly reduce or eliminate glutinous grains from their diet. They note reduced swelling and pain, clearer skin, improved memory and mood after eliminating glutinous grains. Some notice the improvement within days and for others it takes a few weeks to months to really realize how healthy feels.

Many of them love how good they feel, but struggle to find easy, nutritious meals that meet their dietary needs.

Fortunately their are many wonderful sources for gluten free cooking. Some of my favorite web sites are: www.glutenfreeda.com/, glutenfreegirl.com/ , www.glutenfreemama.com, www.elanaspantry.com.

I prefer the recipes that call for almond flour, coconut flour and bean flours, because these flours are less likely to disrupt blood sugar and are greater sources of fiber.

I have enjoyed making a delicious gluten free quiche . The beauty of Quiche is that it is delicious for any meal, hot, warm or cool. It can be varied based on taste and ingredients on hand and is a great way to get veggies in.

The following recipe is from

Savory Pie Crust

1.5 cups blanched almond flour (I made it with un-blanched almond meal as well, for a richer nuttier flavor)

.5 tsp sea salt

.5 tsp baking soda

1 TBS minced scallions (white and green parts), I also used leeks

.25 cups grapeseed oil

1 TBS water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the ingredients in a large bowl. Press into a 9.5 inch pie pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely before filling.

Savory Vegetable Quiche:

2 Tbs grapeseed oil

1 medium onion

2 cups (1 head) of broccoli slided into small spears

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

.25 cups dry packed sun dried tomatoes

3 large eggs, whisked (I end up adding at least twice the eggs)

4 oz goat cheese (optional)

.5 tsp sea salt

1 Savory pie crust prebaked.

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

Heat the grapeseed oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions for 10-12 minutes. Steam the broccoli separately, then add the seamed broccoli, garlic, mushrooms and tomatoes to the onion saute for 15-20 minutes until the broccoli softens. Combine the eggs, cheese and salt in a large bowl, stir in the sauted vegetables, then pout the mixture in the crust and bake 30-35 minutes until browned around the edge and cooked through.

One of the things I love about East Asian Medicine is that it has so very much to offer women: From menarche to menopause, and quiet a bit around the childbearing years.

Once pregnancy and labor and delivery have occurred, the next big potential obstacle is breastfeeding. Baby’s are born to breastfeed and the breastfed infant is the healthy norm. Though breastfeeding is a natural progression from pregnancy it is not always easy. Having accurate information and expectations are essential for success and sanity during the transition from pregnancy to mothering a newborn.

It is best to get informed well before you new baby is nestling in your arms ready to nurse. Going to a local La Leche League meeting or attending a Spokane Mindful Mamas meeting can be a useful introduction to newborn nursing expectations.

There are many good on-line and local resources for breastfeeding information. Including, but not limited to: llli.org, biologicalnurturing.com,  Alicia Burgett resources page if full of great resources. Bloomspokane.com lists a number of local lactation support services.

Good information and putting baby successfully to breast as frequently as baby needs (watch the baby and not the clock) is essential for success. Most healthy newborns will need to feed every 1-4 hours in the early weeks.  Check out the variety of resources for information on a good latch, as a general rule the baby’s mouth should be wide open, with lips flanged out, chin pressed into the breast and tongue cupping a portion of the areola as well as the nipple. Though it may be somewhat tender and a strong sensation, it should not be toe curling painful and nipples should not be damaged after a good latch.

Remember the first few days until the milk “comes in” the baby is getting colostrum which is full of immune protection for baby and primes baby’s GI to thrive and promotes passage of meconium. The early nursing also helps mom’s uterus  return closer to pre-pregnancy size and can lessen uterine bleeding. The early nursing not only give baby the precious teaspoons of colostrum, it also primes the breasts to make enough milk to completely nourish the infant for six months or more and continue to nourish baby well into toddlerhood provided it is mutually desirable for mom and child.

Good breastfeeding management is essential. If there are problems, or if there is a history of breastfeeding supply issues from previous pregnancies; acupuncture and nutritional support can be essential for breastfeeding success.

If there is a history insufficient milk supply, treatment during pregnancy has helped support proper breast development and eliminated or lessened milk supply issues. Once baby is out, if milk is not flowing or has not come in within 3 days, acupuncture and nutritional therapy can promote flow and milk production as well as sooth the nerves of a new mother. As an Acupuncturist , Clinical Nutritionist and La Leche League leader, I have information and tools to help most mothers and baby’s successfully breastfeed.

I had expected her to come close to or after her due date  of December 26.

I had work left to do: I had clients to see, money to earn and save, more household order to create, baby clothes, diapers and blankets to find and clean, important discussions to have, fears to express and destroy, sleep to catch up with, big issues to resolve.

Early Labor:

I had two nights of just a twinge more than Braxton Hicks, a few hours of interrupted sleep. I was scheduled to work through the 23rd and should have planned to stop sooner, but I had patients’ needs to consider, and income to earn. I did not want to be waiting, watching my belly, waiting, waiting, and waiting.

I worked Thursday the 16th; thankfully it was a short day. I was contracting off and on, able to work but not always able talk through the contractions. Maybe I had just been too busy and not drinking enough water or eating enough protein. (Yes, I strive to do what I advise, and very humanly fall short.)

So after consulting with my midwife, Cathy Weston, I ate a good dinner and drank lots of water. I went home and directed my household to complete undone nesting in order to create the birth-space I needed. I took a bath to stop the contractions or relax into them; whichever needed to happen.

They let up a bit. We got the children to sleep. I rested and slept, awoke every twenty minutes with achy moany contractions. I got up and discovered that I had lost my mucus plug. Clear signs baby was coming sooner rather than later.

Active Labor

I filled the bath tub. I called Cathy, texted, and then called some of my birth support team. I still wasn’t completely convinced I was in labor and felt a bit guilty waking people in the middle of the night; especially if it wasn’t really happening…

But it was. While in the tub, I moaned through my surges and swayed my hips in a figure eight or spiral and invited my body to open. The surges rolled in, irregularly and intensely. I asked my friend Johanna to get the birth tub set up while I relaxed in the bath tub a bit more. The surges flowed on, I moaned and swayed, then got out to help facilitate the birth tub filling. I had never given birth on dry land and preferred the heavy labor in the water.

The tub was filling and too hot for me to get into. Cathy had arrived, she arranged her supplies strategically, checked the water, and checked my blood pressure.

I labored in the kitchen bracing myself between our island and counter, moaning, swaying, opening… praying. I labored draped over the couch holding my husband’s hand or chatting between contractions. I drank labour aid, I pottied as needed, I wanted the birth tub to be full I wanted the warmth, the buoyancy and comfort…the midwife’s epidural was calling to me… we filled it more it was at safe temperature. I immersed myself and surrendered to the surges that kept coming irregularly with immensity. As surges rolled in, my throat opened, a birth song bellowed out my hips swayed, my body opened and my baby continued her journey out.

I stuck in a few spirit calming needles, in myself and some of my birth team. Daniella used the OHM forks to soothe us and move us through the intensity and beauty of this time.

In my previous births, my water would break right before I began to push. Pushing was a primal urge that embraced my core as I provided passage for my baby out. This time was no different, after a longer lull in surges…I knew my water would break with the upcoming surge. I became a freight train, my horn rang out, my water broke, I pushed and the baby’s head soared down to my opening. I felt her head, a lot of it, I felt the burn that often summoned Johnny Cash and chugged through the end of the freight train surge.

Havivah woke with my sounds, just in time to assist Cathy with perineum support and new baby head guiding. Anthony held my hand; we declared that we can raise our family with the love and compassion that we aspire. We have room in our life for this new baby. We will do the work we need to be a strong family and a joyful couple.

The next surge was an avalanche, I roared and pushed and her head completely emerged with no time to sing a Burning Ring of Fire and no need. Her head was almost completely out. I guided my flesh around her head, to smooth out the last of our journey. In my third push, her head was fully delivered. With the next push, she rushed out into the water; I reached down to her and saw her hands, her head, her raven hair and blue green eyes. I kept her in the water for a bit to marvel at her beauty before her first breath.

Out of the water, her sweet pink tongue tasted her first breath. I held her in my arms and drank her in and fell in love again.

After the Birth

So often we mothers focus on the birth as being the feat to overcome. Forgetting that the minutes, hours, days, and weeks following birth are extreme.

There she was in my arms at 3:33 Friday morning, December 17th, 2010, our Shulamit Devorah, whom we had waited for so long.

Solomon woke up at some point and couldn’t take his eyes off his newly birthed sister. She gazed at me; she turned her head toward her dad and her siblings’ voices. She opened her mouth and nestled me, a baby bird needing to feed.

Many babies are ready to feed minutes after birth. Early feeding helps minimize uterine bleeding, can facilitate delivery of the placenta, and soothe and nourish the newly born. I put Miss Shulamit to my breast, her cord was short (12 inches) and still attached to the placenta and still attached to me. Her position on my nipple was not ideal and it hurt…but I was so euphoric and in love I let her plug through. (I would pay for this later with a very sore cracked nipple.)

The placenta finally released and I delivered it: Achy and oogy.

The cord no longer pulsating, Cathy clamped it and Havivah helped cut it.

We moved from the birth tub to the bath tub. Cathy had filled the tub with some soothing herbs. I rested in the tub for a bit while Anthony and Havivah and Solomon held Shulamit and bonded with her. When she came to me Cathy told me to support her by her jaw and let her float and unwind in the tub. She stretched out and moved and swayed. I could see the movements I had felt for months; they made so much more sense to see them on the outside. We looked at each other in awe.

From the tub there were more feedings, more sibling cuddling and finally sleep.

The first waking after birthing is surreal. What had been one are two. There is a baby bobbing on my chest looking for food. I feed her, it is tender: Her tiny mouth does not quite match my anatomy. Though I can’t see it, I trust she is getting colostrum and keep alert for her first eliminations.

We feed when she is awake or cueing in her sleep. When it hurts through the suckling, I readjust her to minimize nipple trauma. That first feeding injured my most challenging side.

After pains:

They say that every subsequent birth the after pains are worse. I vaguely remembered them with my three previous births. I think we are primed to forget them.

These after pains roar in with a vengeance. They are worse than the labor pains and I cannot stay in the water with them. They come on strongest with nursing and the nipple pain at initiation is toe curling, then the after pains surge in. I must stay in the moment and get through it. I know it won’t last forever. It may be days before this passes, so I get through each feeding, each after pain one at a time.

Cathy tells me to take one teaspoon of Calcium and Magnesium every two hours. Maybe it helps. The she brings me a Black Haw and Cramp Bark tincture to take every 5 minutes if needed. I take it before and during nursing and it helps some. I also take Motherwort tincture to help with the emotional challenges. I also take Rescue Remedy in my water and sprinkle it on my kids and husband.

After a day and a half of after pains, that continue to make me moan to get through, I remembered to use my OHM forks. Oh, bliss. The forks directly over my uterus mellowed the roar to a hum. I would also use them on other points and I was able to move through after pains with more grace and less distress. I also began taking a Postpartum Chinese formula to help with the after pains and rebuild my Qi and Blood. The heated health stone in a moxa-infused pouch helps comfort my belly and back, and helps rebuild my strength.

After three or four days the after pains are done. The nipples are healing.

Breastfeeding:

Baby is nursing beautifully every 2 hours or so, with some help. The initial nipple damage from her first nursing is still healing and historically it has been my hardest breast to feed on due to the flatness of the nipple.

Alecia Burgett, a local independent IBCLC, referred me to biologicalnurturing.com. Following the recommendations of reclining and nursing and resting made a world of difference. Also trusting that as my baby grows as long as I teach her how to latch on properly with a wide open mouth and lips flanged out we will get by and thrive. It takes at least six weeks to really get breastfeeding established and then it becomes second nature.

I am in baby bliss: Living in baby time. The demands of work and schedules are merely a whisper. I will stay here as long as I can.

Then I will create the balance of family and work.

It is hard, but it is worth it.

Knowledge, support and self care allow us to weather these storms and soar.

We are blessed and we keep breathing.

There was a study done in the 1970s that indicated that single pregnant women were less likely to suffer from pregnancy related back pain than married pregnant women.

What a bizarre correlation!

Yet it makes sense. The study indicated that unmarried pregnant women, in attempts to minimize and possibly hide their pregnancy, would engage their abdominal muscles more to reduce the size of their baby bump.

When I became pregnant with my first, I was quite overweight. Once I started to “show” I reveled in my belly. It was the first time I was proud of my body and belly: I was growing a baby that bump had a baby behind the mound of flesh.

By the end of my first pregnancy and for many months after, I was plagued with sciatica that often stopped me in my tracks. Acupuncture helped a little but it would come back within a few days. During my second and third pregnancies, I continued to be plagued by low back pain and sciatica. At times it was disabling.

Just weeks into my fourth and current pregnancy, I began getting tinges of sciatica again. Knowing the responsibility I have for my practice and my family, I decided to I would   not let sciatica and the baby belly get the best of me.

I had already overhauled my physical and emotional health and weighed 100 pounds less than I did when I became pregnant with my first baby. Yet, clearly, the new pregnancy hormones were letting me know that my pelvis was not very stable and would scream at me with sciatica if I did not stabilize it.

Fortunately I came across pilatesrehab.org.  Elizabeth Jones is  a Master Pilates Teacher and Movement Educator, she has trained a number of the exceptional pilates instructors in Spokane. Her experience with pilates enabled her to have four healthy pregnancies and natural births, in spite of M.D.s telling her she would never be able to endure pregnancy and childbirth following two back surgeries.

She has written a book and companion DVD Exercise for Pregnancy and Beyond. It is a pilates based approach to supporting women throughout all stages of pregnancy and postpartum.

The work I have done directly with Elizabeth and through reviewing and following her book and DVD have helped make this one of my most comfortable and vital pregnancies so far. In addition to improving physical comfort during pregnancy, these exercises can help improve and shorten labor and delivery and postpartum recovery.

There are many facets of life that are challenging. Pregnancy, childbirth and early postpartum are certainly some of them. Yet when we avail ourselves to holistic resources and rely on our mind-body-spirit’s innate wisdom, even the most daunting tasks become opportunities for growth and inspiration.

I am grateful to have added Elizabeth’s wisdom and expertise to my box of self help and healing tools.

As a general guideline: Healthful posture involves ears over shoulders, shoulders over hips and hips over knees and ankles. Weight should be evenly distributed over the balls of the feet and heel with an imaginary magnet between the ankles so that feet are not splayed out or too far in. The pelvic floor and core muscles should be engaged. Good posture is essential for all stages of life. (In fact the ear, shoulder, hip alignment of baby is a key for successful breastfeeding.)

I find my posture is best earlier in the day and then it may digress as the day proceeds and my energy wanes. Yet maintaining a mindful posture throughout the day helps keep my energy stable and certainly keeps my back and hips happier.

The following pictures were taken today. In the first photo am mindful of my alignment and my floor and core are engaged. My baby is nicely cradled. In the second photo my floor and core are limp, which throws everything out of balance and it looks like baby could fall out, not good for mama or baby.