Breastfeeding Awareness

posted by april @ 7:10 PM
January 12, 2011

Check this out. Why aren’t we promoting breastfeeding this way here in the states?

Australian Breastfeeding Awareness Ad

Eating Seasonally- Rough Recipes Included

posted by april @ 1:34 PM
November 18, 2010

Well, the weather is finally cooling a bit and I have been loving to cook richer and heartier fare. Over the past week I’ve made Tempeh Chili, Chicken Noodle Soup, and cannot seem to get enough dark green leafies- Kale is at all the farmer’s markets these days. Not only are soups easy, they are also a great way to use any veggies that are a little past their prime, which is great for me, as I always seem to have a few stragglers at the end of the week from my local produce basket. Another thing I absolutely LOVE about making a huge pot of soup is that I can freeze various size portions for later. This makes those crazy 12 hour days much easier- and I know my family is still getting healthy food. So, I’ll include the recipes for the Chili and the Chicken Noodle Soup.

Tempeh Chili- which is loaded with protein, by the way!!

1 large can stewed tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

1 block tempeh (cut into small cubes)

1-2 bell pepper chopped

1 medium onion

5 garlic cloves

1 1/2 cups mixed dry beans (I usually use black, pinto, and navy or garbanzo)

1-2 zucchini or squash sliced

1 carrot

1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 can chipotle peppers in adobo (blended)

however many marginal tomatoes I have kicking around (chopped)

1 tbsp cumin

1-2tbsp chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

* I rinsed the beans and prepared the veggies, then threw everything into the Crock Pot ( yes, the Crock Pot) turned it on to cook for 8 hours- when I came home from work I had delicious Chili- Woo hoo!!

Chicken Noodle Soup

3 chicken breasts, skin on

8 cloves garlic

4 carrots

2 ribs celery

1 large onion

1 bag frozen peas

4 bay leaves

fresh rosemary(chopped finely)

thyme

1 handful marginal tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped green beans

3/4 bag whole wheat pasta

1/2 cup chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1 box low sodium chicken broth

* to start- rinse the chicken breast and throw into a large soup pot- add 2 chopped carrots, 1 rib celery, 1 onion and 4-5 garlic cloves- leave very coarsely chopped. Cover the chicken and veggies with water ( we are making chicken stock- so be liberal with the water). Turn the stove on Med high and cook for up to 2 hours. After 1 1/2 -2 hrs take the chicken out, de-skin and debone, then strain the broth into a clean pot- leaving the large veggies for the compost.

* now it is time to add the chicken(torn into small pieces), the broth we made, the box of chicken broth and the remaining veggies and herbs to the new pot. cook until the veggies are tender, Add the noodles about 15-20 minutes before you are ready to serve.

* serve with a fresh salad and a hearty loaf of whole grain bread

Caring for yourself during pregnancy: tips

posted by april @ 3:26 PM
October 11, 2010

So much of my time as a midwife is spent counseling women on making healthful choices to ensure that they create an optimal environment for their babies to grow. Here are my Top 10 Tips:

1. Eat whole foods- this means foods that are unrefined and in their purest form, find your local farmer’s markets for foods as close to the source as possible.

2. Eat 80 grams of protein per day. It is possible to get this much protein without eating animal products as well. Brown rice, whole wheat bread and whole wheat pasta all have protein- who would’ve thought? Kale and broccoli have 5 grams of protein per serving.

3. Get 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise every day- this need not be strenuous, but movement is essential. Walk around the block, jog in the pool, swim

4. Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water every day.

5. Eliminate caffeine and alcohol from your diet. These substances really do go to your baby.

6. Eat a salad a day. In a hurry? Don’t have time to prepare a salad? Grab a box of organic salad greens and throw some on a plate. EASY!

7. Do as much yoga as you can. The breathwork in yoga is similar to the type of breathing you want to do in labor. Buy a yoga pass or look for free yoga.

8. Stop reading pregnancy blogs on the internet. so many people post their “horror” stories. The mind can only hold so much information and it isn’t beneficial for your sanity to fill your mind with scary stories. Instead fill your mind with positive, gently birthing stories.

9. Choose your birth attendants and guests wisely.

10. Connect with like minded Mamas before the birth of your baby.

For other tips, or if you have specific questions- respond to this post or shoot me an email at april@birthwisetx.com

The Holistic 1st Aid Kit

posted by april @ 12:15 AM
May 5, 2010

I am so excited to teach the Holistic 1st Aid Kit again. It has been my most popular class yet. I really wish that I had this information when my oldest son was a baby nearly 15 years ago. I had to read through book after book to find alternative remedies and treatments for any illness or ailment that came up. I’m so happy to be able to offer families a comprehensive yet easily understandable class to help them through fevers, bumps, bruises, stomach upsets and so much more. Our next class will be held on Wed May 19th from 12pm-1:15pm with Free Childcare offered. I look forward to seeing you all!!

HypnoBirthing Childbirth Educator Training

posted by april @ 4:40 PM
April 28, 2010

A couple of weekends ago I attended a very informative and transformative 4 day intensive training to become a HypnoBirthing Childbirth Educator. What that means in layman’s terms is that I can now teach the HypnoBirthing childbirth preparation method to expecting families- WOOHOO!! For the past 14+ years I believe that I have been unknowingly facilitating Hypno Births by holding the space prenatally for women and families to express their concerns, learn about the physiology of childbirth, and recondition their minds to embrace childbirth as opposed to fearing it. When a woman feels truly supported and does not carry the heavy burden of fear that is commonly associated with childbirth in today’s media driven world she is able to connect with her inner strength to allow her baby and her body to do the work needed to give birth. When a woman is able to connect with herself and her baby and take responsibility for her birth choices she is able to better transition into the role of motherhood. I absolutely love watching a woman’s eyes light up as she holds her baby for the first time, knowing that she was responsible for her birth. After taking the HBCE course I was reminded again of why I do what I do, and that we can make a huge difference in the births and ultimately lives of so many families when we look at birth simply and without fear.