Interview

I was recently interviewed about being a doula by Jennifer for her blog, Regular Everyday People. Her blog is one of inspiration. The entire concept of her blog is captured perfectly in her tag line "Finding magic in ordinary life, because that's where it is." You should take a bit of time, grab yourself a cup of coffee and dig in to the richness of the everyday people she interviews. It's worth it, I promise. At least read my interview:) Enjoy!

Who Doesn't Love Fresh Juice?

My daughter and I are both fighting colds at the moment so it has been juice mania around here. Juicing is a great way to pack your body full of the vitamins and nutrients it needs, especially when trying to overcome illness. Juicing separates the juice from the fiber of the fruits and veggies which allows your body to easily absorb their nutrients. Releasing the vitamin filled liquid from the fiber before ingesting it means that your body doesn't have to work as hard to digest it, allowing that energy be used for other things like fighting off colds.

Juicing has saved my sanity lately as my daughter has decided to go on a vegetable strike. I have been amazed at the lengths she will go to avoid consuming the vegetables I put in her food. She has mastered the art of separating the foods in her mouth and spitting the vegetables back onto her plate. She has not always been this way and I know it is just a stage, but it makes me feel better knowing she is getting most of the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables through their tasty juices. Making juice has become a daily event that my daughter gets excited about. She pulls a chair up to the counter and clambers up to help as soon as I mention juice time. She loves to help in the kitchen so once I get everything prepped I let her put it all into the feed tube of the juicer. We have definitely had some spills to clean up but letting her be a part of her own healthy food preparation is worth all the beet juice pooling on the counter top and running down our white cabinets.

I wish I had hopped on the juice train much earlier, especially when I was pregnant. One of the hardest things I encountered through my pregnancy was my inability to eat lots of fresh veggies. Just like most pregnant women, I experienced the most painful bloating and gas whenever I would eat uncooked vegetables. It was awful! I hear this complaint a lot from my clients too. Pregnancy can be such a catch-22; the very foods that contain so many vital nutrients for growing a baby can be so unforgiving to your digestive system while trying to do just that. Pregnancy changes everything in your body including hormones and the way your major systems function. One of these major changes is the speed at which your digestive system moves. Since your body is trying to capture every morsel of nutrient for that growing baby, your digestive system slows to a near halt. This is why so many pregnant women complain of bloating, gas and for some, the feeling of constantly being full. Although fiber in your diet is essential to avoiding constipation, a consumption of too much fiber can contribute to even slower digestion causing more gas and discomfort. So, the question is, if we are supposed to eat so many of these fresh fruits and vegetables to maintain a health pregnancy, but these foods put us in a state of constant discomfort, what is there to do? One solution would be to JUICE! Juicing would cut down on your intake of fiber without cutting out all those important nutrients that both you and your wee baby need. Remember though, fiber IS important to proper digestive functions so DON'T cut it out completely.

Have a happy healthy day!     

"The concept of a 'due' date is something that is very abstract in many cultures. If, like in Uganda, you count a pregnancy by the moons, you end up having a 'due month' and baby comes when she is perfectly ripe without causing mama lots of anxiety."

"The very talented artist who created this beautiful illustration is Itaiana Battoni - Desenho Artístico."

I saw this on the Mother Health International Facebook page today and think it is such a great message. We are not supposed to be the ones deciding when it is time for baby to be born. Our society needs to re-learn patience and realize that the baby will begin the process of birth when they are ready. It is so incredibly rare that this natural process will not happen on it's own, and it breaks my heart every time I see or hear about unnecessary interventions that try to force a woman's body into labour. 

Here's to patience! You're going to need it as a parent anyways...you might as well practice it before you become one.

One Powerful Mama

A while back I attended the birth of a friend of mine who was having her second baby. It was an amazing experience for me. I felt so completely honoured to be present during this beautiful and fast birth. It was a home birth, a first for me. It was such a wonderful and relaxed setting. Surrounded by all the people she wanted, in the place she felt most warm, secure and comfortable, Heather laboured like a champ! It was fast, very fast. I was there less than an hour before she birthed her beautiful baby girl. But a crazy hour it was! Everything happened so fast. I new her first was a fairly quick labour and that this was going to be even faster, but I was even shocked at how quickly things were moving. The way Heather laboured was completely inspiring! She is so incredibly powerful and makes it look so easy.

Heather's photographer was not able to make it in time for the birth so I tried my best to fill both roles: the doula and the photographer. I am by NO accounts a professional photographer but I tried to capture this amazing event as best I could. It was a challenge to go from taking pictures to massaging to pictures to climbing over furniture to providing counter pressure to pictures to assisting getting in and out of the tub to pictures and all over again, but such a FUN challenge! You can read Heather's birth story here and see some of the pictures I took during her labour (she created a very nice slideshow at the end of the post). While your at it, check out the rest of this mama's great blog, careful tho, you might just lose a few hours of your day getting lost in all its inspiring glory.

Since Heather's birth I have had the great honour of being a doula for another wonderful friend of mine. Having these experiences has been too amazing to put into words. I have been witness to the birth of two children who will grow alongside my own daughter, who will pay together, learn together and journey through life together. I will know these souls from birth until forever and that fills me with such joy.   

Happy Tuesday to you all!

What Some Clients Had to Say

"As a first time Mom, I had so many questions. And when I found out I was having twins, I had double the questions! Bree-Ann was there to offer support, education and advice. She helped us solidify our birth wish list and while in the hospital she helped make sure our every wish was met. When changes from our original plan occurred she always made sure we knew why the changes were happening, what the changes meant, and that we were okay with what was happening. She was a solid support system for both my husband and myself and was there for anything we needed. She went above and beyond what I could have ever imagined a Doula doing and will forever hold a special place in our hearts."
— Lisa

"Being a Dad holds a lot of responsibility during the birthing process. Bree-Ann played a critical role during our labour allowing me to give my full attention to my wife. She was always able to answer any questions I had, explained procedures step-by-step and I always felt that I had someone who I could count on. I would easily recommend Bree-Ann to any Dad who wants to have a great support system during child birth."
— Mike