tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23227571284956932682011-07-28T15:54:26.184-07:00Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.comBlogger391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-2507103403314567692010-05-09T09:50:00.000-07:002010-05-09T09:55:04.017-07:00

The Bellies and Babies Blog is hosting many wonderful giveaways for celebrating doulas and their work in supporting birthing women. Giveaway #8 is a gift certificate for $100 off a waterbirth tub rental.I can't wait to see what other goods and services people are donating for the giveaways. There are some very unique offerings! Go check it out.

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-88453565451765310052009-10-19T21:29:00.000-07:002009-10-30T14:21:04.825-07:00

Locally available corporate supermarkets Whole Foods and Earth Fare have stacks and stacks of "organic truffles" for sale. Let's check out the two brands' ingredients:Whole Foods: Organic Cocoa Mass, Organic Expeller-Pressed Coconut Oil, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Cocoa Powder, Soy Lecithin.Earth Fare: Organic Cocoa Mass, Organic Vegetable Oil (Copra), Organic Cane Sugar,

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-1199349650242499572009-07-16T18:35:00.000-07:002009-07-16T19:22:03.502-07:00

Yesterday the ACNM published a letter to Congress in which the organization recommends NOT recognizing the CPM credential as a valid midwifery standard. The letter is crafted with the most heinous doublespeak: it acknowledges the CPM as an accredited credential with a "psychometrically sound exam" at the same time as it attempts to dismiss it outright. We need MORE midwives, not fewer. Why does

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-81563375384384769952009-06-21T23:52:00.000-07:002010-01-09T10:38:33.438-08:00

I started thinking about this several years ago after attending an Earth Day festival and deciding that midwives should be represented. My original notes are scribbled on the inside cover of the fabulous Birthsong Midwifery Workbook! Your home is populated by your family's normal flora. Other birth sites may breed 'superbugs' such as MRSA or C. difficile.Home birth is less wasteful:you use

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-18315759034635297442009-06-17T12:54:00.000-07:002009-06-17T13:03:23.652-07:00

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada just released this little nugget:breech presentation is not an indication for automatic cesarean section birth.Do you think this will change medical school curricula in Canada? In the USA? Might it affect current doctors' practice protocols? Will Health Insurance companies scoff at this recommendation?

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-55672246765395539202009-06-09T08:02:00.000-07:002009-06-09T08:25:20.608-07:00

So now we can all go buy a baby gender predictor kit. Yes folks, that's right, for only 35 of your hard-earned American Dollars, you can pee in a cup and determine with 78 to 80% accuracy whether to buy frilly pink or sporty blue baby gear.Call me old-fashioned, call me romantic, but there is something rather special about finding out who your baby is right after (s)he emerges. But this test

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-71935047359113367472009-06-04T16:27:00.000-07:002009-06-04T17:46:36.384-07:00

Last year I wrote about a natural food store's "house" ice cream. Today I learned it is truly rBGH-free. Glad I questioned, glad to learn it is legit, and glad to set the record straight.

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-26148339852787235762009-06-02T20:18:00.000-07:002009-06-18T01:52:56.548-07:00

from my night at ye olde corporate healthe foode store:1.Very annoying lady with whom I have spent the last 20 minutes approaches me for "one last question". The kind of customer who asks me to read to her how many tablets are in each bottle, which colloidal silver is strongest, how many ounces are in each bottle and which is a better buy per ounce, and which book on Acid-Alkaline Theory I

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-7669482451379083782009-05-30T11:06:00.000-07:002009-06-04T17:46:17.010-07:00

So on this lovely morning I find myself driving to a birth. Cruising through a main street of town, I think "I am going to make great time." Then I get behind 2 cars, the front of which is driving 25 in a 35 mph zone. Really?!The car turns at the next major intersection, and I briefly rejoice by stepping on the accelerator, until a posse of bike dudes decked out in serious bike gear crosses

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-33850417256678082472009-03-23T20:44:00.000-07:002009-03-23T21:06:48.270-07:00

what happened to the revolution?I really want a doula at my birth, but...I really want a natural birth, but...I really want a VBAC, but...I really want a homebirth, but...Someone once said "There is no 'but' that is not followed by an excuse." Really wish people would say what they feel, and do what they want. And take some responsibility for their choices. Like this:I want to have an epidural

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-34361549742441906422009-02-28T09:46:00.000-08:002009-06-18T02:01:09.553-07:00

Placentas are appearing in the Urbana, Illinois sewer system. From the article:"The unprecedented finds have officials wondering if a midwife or veterinarian, stressed by economic woes, has been avoiding the expense of paying for a medical waste disposal service."Right, because they couldn't possibly be from a doctor's practice or hospital. Or from--gasp--unassisted births.One of the

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-25983064453122820872009-02-15T06:55:00.000-08:002009-02-18T14:14:08.623-08:00

The tale of my last night at Hospital Lorena is on its way, I promise. Currently getting reacquainted with typing on my "anglo" keyboard, driving a car, speaking only one language, making transactions in US currency, and talking on my cell phone. Feeling infinitely grateful for the everyday privileges of a hot shower, toilets with seats, and a comfortable mattress! Hard to believe a mere week

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-50927861507193323482009-02-08T09:58:00.000-08:002009-06-04T17:47:19.444-07:00

Hospital shifts and classes are over! Yesterday we celebrated with a 12-hour Changing Woman ceremony at a gorgeous retreat center in the hills above the city. I am finally caught up on sleep and that means my brain is quasi-functional to blog once more. These births actually occurred 2 weeks ago: the posterior presentation birth on Saturday and the breech birth on Sunday night. Taken together

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-23531551026338035922009-01-30T06:53:00.000-08:002009-02-08T09:58:19.520-08:00

I'm fairly perplexed that experienced Obstetra interns in Peru (and OB nurses in the States) have no ability to assess a woman's labor pattern via observation. Even some of the matriarchal Technicas (kind of a cross between a nurse and an orderly) haven't a clue. A woman having her first baby got up out of bed to urinate. She was contracting every 4-5 minutes and very much still "here"; i.e.

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-12405061719660842292009-01-26T14:08:00.000-08:002009-06-18T01:48:13.230-07:00

I'm halfway through my Peru trip.I have received 7 babies, completed 6 postpartum visits & 6 newborn examinations.I'm feeling like I am in pretty good shape and will be able to complete all of my state's "numbers" requirements (combined with prior experience).I'm also realizing that shift work is so not for me. In a strange way I am looking forward to the return of my on-call lifestyle. One or

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-64152972308719420612009-01-24T12:49:00.000-08:002009-01-24T13:02:53.589-08:00

on Thursday night's shift, 9 babies entered the world. two girls came first, almost at the same time. their mothers rested on gurneys in the recovery room, adjacent to the Sala de Parto, while two more mothers birthed, this time to two boys.12:30 am: both gurneys and both delivery room tables are full of women, and in walks Elizabeth in hard, active labor. She is fully clothed. There is

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-44388982387786957272009-01-23T14:26:00.000-08:002009-01-23T15:37:07.510-08:00

Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, several hours after Luisa's birth (below)...Virginiana arrived at the hospital at 3:35 am, in active labor with her third child. Pregnant women are first seen and admitted through the gynecology section of the emergency room. So this mama didn't appear in the Sala de Dilatacion until close to 4 am.She paced around, one hand affixed to her back, puffing through her

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-91052031866602421452009-01-21T19:37:00.000-08:002009-01-21T20:14:12.062-08:00

before reading this, please scroll down and read the previous post which sets the scene.Luisa is a 25 year old mother of 2. I attended her second child´s birth earlier this morning. She was admitted to the hospital around 9:30 am yesterday, unusual because her cervix was only dilated 3 cm. She spent the day laboring in the maternidad room, and around midnight came to the dilatation room. Her

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-78382813050763075402009-01-20T13:53:00.000-08:002009-06-18T01:29:47.754-07:00

Sala de partoposing in the sala de dilatacionsala de dilatacion(notice the bigass oxygen tank with no wheels)Sat in birth circle this afternoon, where we share our clinical experiences and ground them in different paradigms. Lots of tears and self-righteous indignation and outrage at what we are seeing and feeling. Whapio popped in at the end and dropped a little mind-blowing tidbit: "Your work

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-28130594422286316052009-01-14T14:09:00.000-08:002009-01-15T19:21:52.396-08:00

my heart is filled from encountering so many green friends here in the bellybutton of the world.in our courtyard: comfrey, dandelions, plantain, roses, shepherd´s purse (true casa de las matronas, no?), nasturtiums, rosemary, geraniums & parsley.around town: muña (a mint like poléo mint, somewhat of a cross between pennyroyal and spearmint), calendula, nettles, hollyhocks, sweet lil´malva

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-20992615054553993512009-01-13T09:44:00.000-08:002009-01-13T09:52:48.851-08:00

yesterday morning I hiked up behind our casa to some ruins which overlook the city. at the top I could see the entire valley, encircling hills, and behind me sheep grazing on plains and the next mountain ridge. bonita! I sat for a while, catching my breath, eating some plums, and reveling in gratitude (and endorphins).last night, coming down some stairs outside a cafe, I slipped and fell flat

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-55286548692081115872009-01-11T08:42:00.000-08:002009-01-11T09:04:27.932-08:00

travel was smooth & uneventful, though tiring...trying to nap under the bright lights at the Lima airport was made slightly less challenging due to the navy polyester blanket Delta gifted me. next trip, an eye pillow/mask is a definite must!the glorious sunset on the Atlanta-Lima flight faded away so slowly, an amazing sight. and yes, Joshua, the toilets at the airport are automatic. (he likes to

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-18795370871031312232009-01-01T20:54:00.001-08:002009-01-01T21:48:18.391-08:00

I'm on call for an imminent birth and I'm leaving in 5 days. Am I sleeping? No. Packing? No. Watching my Spanish DVD? A little. What I'm really doing is eating chocolate, browsing and blogging.Thanks to Citizens for Midwifery I've learned that Sheri Menelli's book Journey Into Motherhood is a free e-book now. Every pregnant woman would be wise to turn off "A Baby Story" and read this

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-70656094733228575062008-12-17T11:50:00.000-08:002008-12-17T12:56:45.511-08:00

sad story about a woman who suffered needlessly during the birth of her fifth child.the doctor, who was not her regular OB:-belittled, intimidated and verbally abused everyone around him: residents, nurses, colleagues on the phone, and the patient and her husband.-chatted loudly on his cell phone about abortions and a woman who "has no business being pregnant", while in his laboring patient's

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-40839193210847899962008-12-15T00:11:00.000-08:002008-12-15T00:29:07.068-08:00

been up late web-browsing & indulging my X-files-loving aspect, reading all about Nazca Lines, Ica stones, cosmology, mythology, hidden archaeology, and well, this just blew my mind.

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-55135679488617541232008-12-12T20:30:00.000-08:002009-01-21T14:33:23.522-08:00

tonight I wax cynical.a cautious thumbs up to this bit of research stating it is perfectly normal for the active phase of first-stage labor to "stall". Often the stall is viewed as abnormal, a reason to hasten surgical delivery. I'd prefer the authors use the more positive term "plateau" in lieu of "stall". Semantics aside, defining a "stall" or "plateau" is predicated on the near-universal

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-73881928215447574372008-12-07T09:13:00.000-08:002008-12-07T16:04:29.273-08:00

while browsing through a pregnancy magazine for "older moms" at ye olde corporate booke store, wondering if they might be interested in some holistic-minded articles, I flipped back to the index:M, m, m, let's see....magnesium sulfate, massage, mastitis, meconium, medications, membranes, methergine, milia, milk, miscarriage, molding, morning sickness.midwife, where is midwife?not one entry for

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-22375897472604818632008-12-02T10:36:00.000-08:002008-12-02T10:45:38.043-08:00

when you are flying with a 4-year-old and you have read every book and magazine at your disposal, barf bags and pens make awesome hand puppets.

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-37712595909812165742008-11-30T09:03:00.000-08:002008-12-07T09:34:25.573-08:00

Exciting news: in January I will be catching babies in Cuzco, Peru, and attending midwifery classes with one of my favorite teachers. I plan to blog my adventures, so stay tuned.And for any Matrona detractors out there, I leave you with the wisdom of ol' Robert Zimmerman:Come mothers and fathersThroughout the landAnd don't criticizeWhat you can't understandYour sons and your daughtersAre beyond

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-74053229046255986042008-11-30T08:59:00.000-08:002009-06-04T17:50:41.652-07:00

1. My sister, the educator, pointed out a misspelled word on this here blog. Duly noted, and corrected. Thank you.2. Months ago I questioned the meaning of "natural" on a natural food store's in-house line of ice cream. This small chain is advertising its dairy to be rGBH-free. Yet the ingredients of Vanilla Ice Cream are Milk, Sugar, Cream, and "natural vanilla flavor". Ingredients of

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-64513737000699381652008-08-09T09:02:00.000-07:002008-12-07T09:34:00.220-08:00

McConaughey to plant son's placenta in orchardThe fact that this is considered newsworthy makes me chuckle. Maybe it will normalize placentas for more people. Ya think?

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-67261714164406740632008-06-18T20:03:00.000-07:002008-12-10T07:12:51.113-08:00

(this actually happened 2 weeks ago)We were driving home and little J pointed out the window:"Mom! I see the moon! It's a present-shaped moon."

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-25021466041507541512008-06-18T18:25:00.000-07:002009-06-04T17:43:12.244-07:00

In a bid to become competitive with other grocery stores, a certain healthfood store chain has begun to sell its own line of foods, including canned beans, pasta, olive oil, and "natural" ice cream. The ice cream ingredients are on par with haagen-dazs or breyer's: milk, cream, sugar, maybe some carrageenan. Because there are no additives or colorings or artificial flavors, it gets to call itself

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-43487994412361818582008-04-09T17:07:00.001-07:002008-12-07T09:46:59.752-08:00

My son and I enjoyed some lawn-wildcrafted violets this evening. How my heart does backflips when his wee voice says "thank you violets!" When I joined him outside I noticed he had something green in his mouth. "What are you eating?" "Chickweed!"I always envisioned sharing my love of herbs with a child. But I couldn't fully imagine the joy. And violets are especially yummy in mint

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-69959227291958138372008-04-07T11:46:00.000-07:002008-12-10T07:12:51.320-08:00

We are among a select few species of mammals that don't practice placentophagy. Some cultures revere it as a potent and powerful medicine. The Japanese company making these products removes "all traces of blood, hormones, toxins and disease agents." If you remove the hormones, then what is the point of ingesting placenta? And if the placentas are in need of such extensive screening, that

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-40770279727149936702008-03-23T16:03:00.000-07:002008-11-30T09:18:19.468-08:00

my mom said "Oh I read something in the paper today about Agave."love it when this happens!

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-18967480040130474032008-03-23T09:16:00.001-07:002009-03-08T10:59:41.530-07:00

Health foodies and diabetics beware! The short version: Agave Syrup/Nectar is NOT a health food item and is NOT good for people with impaired insulin & glucose metabolism.Here's the longer version:Agave syrup/nectar is 90% fructose and 10% glucose. (For some companies it's 97% fructose.) High fructose corn syrup contains anywhere from 55-90% fructose. Table sugar, or sucrose, is a dimeric

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-81466135614783344962008-03-22T07:09:00.000-07:002008-03-22T08:36:38.772-07:00

Huge epiphany while vacuuming last night: I don't need to look at another birth plan. Even if I were to land in the midst of a couple's birth with no prior knowledge of them, their provider, or their fervent hopes & dreams, I could be a fabulous doula for them.Birth plans are most useful for a mom and dad-to-be in honing their options and communicating their wishes BEFORE THE BIRTH. They can

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322757128495693268.post-31967559777001519292008-03-21T12:51:00.000-07:002008-04-08T14:04:15.819-07:00

Local healthfood store (that term gets looser & looser all the time) now carries a certain nutrition bar designed for pregnant/ postpartum women. They claim to be "natural" and are even endorsed on the Today Show by a nutritionist and a celebrity "chef" (again applying the term loosely to a lovely woman who cooks with store-bought tomato sauce. So do I, 99% of the time, but I don't purport to be

Abundant B'earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10587080230094191030noreply@blogger.com2