Beat The Cheat - Holiday Eating Tips From A Picky Doula

I'm picky and particular and choosy, oh hell, I'm tough as nails sometimes.  And my clients respect me for this. When I bring someone to them for another modality related to birth such as Chiropractic or Acupuncture, they know that practitioner is terrific. Why? Because I'm PICKY! Haven't you been reading?

Things I look for in a complementary practitioner for myself as well as my clients are good character, trustworthiness, RELIABILITY, RELIABILITY RELIABILITY and their ability to listen and hear, as well as their competency in their modality.


Eating during the holidays is a tricky thing even for the non-pregnant crew. Lots of cakes and cookies and other tempting food calling out to you "eat me mommy, eat me, just one!"

 A mother of a four-year old who I had the unexpected privilege to catch at at a wonderful home-birth. She is an amazing mix of crunch and reality. Don't expect to see her (or me) with a hippy skirt on, long braids, and eating hemp. Not that there's anything wrong with that. ;)

Without further adieu today's guest post and sound advice from Eulix [YOU LICKS - totally true and pun intended. Get it? Food, nutrition, and YOU LICKS, you know you licks the foods. never mind. read on already, hurry up!]


"Healthy Holiday Eating Strategies to Stay Fit–and Still Have Fun"

Good, healthy holiday eating can make the difference between an enjoyable holiday season and a miserable one. The trick is to enjoy treats without overdoing them. Make a healthy holiday eating strategy and plan to enjoy the holiday celebrations without feeling bad the next day.

Pregnancy and Weight Gain

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has issues an OPINION piece, called a Committee Opinion, this month on physical activity during pregnancy. This opinion replaces an earlier opinion published in 2002.

Their recommendations are that all healthy women with healthy fetus' have at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day, every day, from the earliest onset of their known pregnancy throughout the entire pregnancy until the birth of their child.

"Women with uncomplicated pregnancies should be encouraged to engage in aerobic and strength-conditioning exercises before, during, and after pregnancy."

As a Childbirth Educator and a Certified Doula I have always taught that it is important for pregnant women seeking a better birth, to have aerobic activity every day. I always suggest a brisk walk for one hour, every day of the week.  The proper diet and caloric intake coupled with a one-hour brisk walk will not only help maintain proper weight gain for the full 40-42 weeks of pregnancy, but it will strengthen a mother's endurance, her muscles and make her healthier over all.

The added benefits to this regimen is that it "reduces the risk of gestational diabetes in obese women, and enhances psychologic well-being", according to ACOG.

ACOG concludes there is no evidence of harm to mother or baby when not contraindicated (see chart) and observational studies of women who exercise during pregnancy have shown benefits such as decreased cesarean and operative vaginal delivery (vacuum and forceps), and postpartum recovery time.

To learn more about nutrition during pregnancy and other important topics for a better pregnancy and childbirth it is recommended that you take a childbirth education class between week 12-15 for optimal results. Although taking an education class at any point in your pregnancy is important, I highly recommend the sooner you take your classes the better. The earlier you begin learning the important information, the more time you will have to apply the topics to your life and receive the most benefits.

BLOG BLOG BLOG

Well, apparently blogging is the trendy thing to do. And while I started this blog years and years ago, well before the height of Facebook and Twitter, I focused on actually being a Doula and working with my clients and really let my blog just sit.

Now, I'm told (wink wink) that google has decided that if we are to get decent rankings so that you can find our businesses, we have to blog. It's set in their algorithms. Sigh.

I'm kind of a straight-forward gal. Any of my clients already know this about me, and love me for it. And I kind of resent that a glorified yellow pages has decided that in order to gain relevancy status for you to see my services, I must spend my time typing away to provide them content. Does a Professor post their entire content of their class and then get students to pay to sit in his or her class? No they do not. You're probably laughing right now, or at least I hope you are. Because the idea of it is beyond laughable. But that is what we are being driven to do. And you can't fight city hall or google. So I'm back!

I just want to be a Doula, Your Doula!

Birth In Nature: Natural Birth

This video is about 22 minutes long. If you want to see the actual birth you can forward to around 15 minutes. But this video is worth the watch.

This type of scenario may not be for everyone. Many people, no matter what is presented will never be comfortable with a birth outside of a hospital. And this site owner respects those views and decisions 100%.

This video is being shown for the purpose of demonstrating how calm and relaxed a birthing mother can be, as well as how the baby can be. There are far too many slanted television shows, that for dramatic purposes, show only scared screaming women, fearful doctors and over-used interventions, leading the public to believe that their representation IS birth. IT IS NOT!

Birth can be calm, uneventful, peaceful and empowering. And this site owner has been witness to that very type of birth in hospitals with her clients.

Why IS The C-Section Rate So High?

“Those are not small lawsuits,” he said. “I personally have not been sued, but if I get sued for $10 million, I know I’m out of business, because my insurance willl be so high that I won’t be able to continue practicing.” -Obstetrician/gynocologyst Dr. John Neeld of the Willamette Valley Medical Center, "the combination of a doctor worried about possible lawsuits if his interpretation turns out wrong, and a patient afraid for her baby, and determined to take any action necessary to ensure its safety, often leads to a C-section that, in hindsight, was probably not necessary," he said.

Dear Mommas: This is why you and your partners must advocate for yourselves. Please understand that many of the decisions that your OBs are telling you you must have are stemming from this very place.

To read more of the article that Dr. John Neeld is quoted in please visit here.

If you are pregnant and planning to birth in NYC or Long Island our educated and experienced Doulas can guide you through the experience and help you bring your child into the world peacefully.

NJ VBAC Birth Story In Video. YOU GO GIRL!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Movie Screening in American Fork, UT

Birth Movie Screening Event

This a major event including the screening of three amazing childbirth films: Orgasmic Birth, The Business of Being Born, and Pregnant in America, and the producer of Orgasmic Birth will be at the screening as well!

Date: June 13, 2009
Location: Towne Cinema Theaters in American Fork, UT
Cost: $25
What: Screening of Orgasmic Birth, Pregnant in America, The Business of Being Born, Special Guest Speaker, Debra Pascali-Bonaro
Email: moviescreening@rawmelissa.com if you have questions

For more information or to order your ticket you can send an email to the email address listed above.