Natural Birth

I am trying to make my birth natural in every way and an easy transition for baby from womb to world.

~A few of the things I am doing are:

Lotus Birth - not cutting or clamping the cord, cord and placenta will fall off in a few days.

Water Labor/Birth - depending on my mood at the time

No Hep B - however your child will need this vaccination at some point in their life if they ever want to go into the medical field. Getting it in the first day of life is not necessary *as long as the mother has been recently tested*

No eye drops

Vitamin K - should be given but it doesn't have to be given in a shot, the shot itself can be given orally but I think you need double the amount because it doesn't get immediately absorbed or something? I don't remember exactly

No bath with soap

Kangaroo Care - skin to skin

Breastfeeding



~For Relaxation I am using:

Birth Ball

Lower Back Massage

Clitoral Massage - Woo! Orgasmic Birth...Look it up it sounds fantastic!

Aromatherapy - in the water and in the form of a spritzer for my face



~Prepping for birth I am doing:

Perineum massage starting from 6 weeks prior to my due date

Visualization of my birth

**These are all my opinions and should not be considered as medical advice. **

My Not-So- Home Birth

So there has been a huge swing in my birth plan because of the GD. I had to transfter care from my midwife to an ob. Which means my homebirth might have to be cancelled. However I am working on fighting for it. First thing, the College of Midwives has to be in agreement, then all the midwives at my practice need to be ok with it (there's 6, and none have ever done this before), and finally I need to find an ob who would be ok with it. My midwife is working on the college and the other midwives and is all for me having a homebirth despite the risks involved. The last one is proving the most tricky as I live in a very conservative city. We have 4 obs, 3 of which are very much in agreement with c-sectioning.

Sigh, which leaves the last one, Dr. Sutter. I had a very unpleasant experience with her and my first miscarriage which she was convinced I needed some sort of medical intervention for. Either something to speed it up or a D and C to clean me out. I declined and miscarried naturally the next day. However, my midwife says that she works the best with the midwives and is very much for vaginal births. Though she does perform abortions which I am very much against. And her people skills could use some work. But apparently she's brilliant, so we'll see.

I just really want to go to my first appointment with her prepared to present my case for everything, especially my homebirth in a very well layed out fashion. Meaning documented records, testimonies, medical information and such. This means alot of extra work for me, but this is something I am really willing to fight for. Most of all I don't want to go to the hospital in labor and have all these things thrown at me when I have said specifically I don't want them, I don't want to go in preparing for a fight. I don't trust doctors to ask before they do anything.

Home and BC Pictures

Toby and Brandy pile on top of mommy's lap!




My belly at 14 weeks and Toby posing in the background


Me and Anthony, me owning him up at Guitar Hero. He thought he was so sweet...



Anthony, Mom, Me and Sean about to play mini golf in Abbotsford BC. It was the coolest mini golf I've ever been on.




My brothers in BC I went and visited the first week of February.

Sylvia's Ribs

*From me

For the original recipe please go here:

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/sylvias-ribs/Detail.aspx

1 pkg pork side ribs
1 1/2 c ketchup
1/2 c bbq sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
6 drops Stevia
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Soya sauce
1 garlic clove minced

Boil ribs in stockpot for 50 min. Mix together sauce. Preheat oven to 350. Cut ribs apart between the bone and toss in casserole dish. Smother in sauce and bake for 20 min.

Mexican Ceviche with Texturized Soya

Ok if you have stumble upon this recipe you have no choice. You have to make it. If you've ever had fish ceviche you would eat it the same way, on top of big nachos with hot sauce and mayo.
This recipe if from my Mexican neighbor Julia (hoo-lia).

Boil soya for 30 min. Let cool. Sprinkle lime and salt. Stir. Leave for 10-15 min. Stir in chopped tomato, onion, avacado, cucumber. Add clamato juice and chicken bouillon to taste.

Texturized Soya gets huge when it's cooked so dont use too much. I think I normally use 1-2 cups.

Enjoy!

Spinach Dip

1 package cream cheese
1/2 package chopped frozen spinach
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 c grated mozza cheese

Preheat oven to 350.
Soften cream cheese. Cream together w everything except mozza cheese. Pour into greased serving dish or into Little Dipper. Top with mozza cheese. Bake 25 min or until top is browned. In Little Dipper just until heated through.

Serve with toasted bread or nachos!

Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp

Filling

2 c blueberries
1 c rhubarb
(thawed and drained if using frozen)


Topping

1/2 c old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 c flour
3 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 drops stevia

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix filling and dump in 9 x 9 pan.
Mix topping and sprinkle over top.
I also threw some blueberry juice in the topping to wet it a bit more.

Bake 30 min.


Note: When you double the topping it turns out smoother

I just made a crisp with 5 c rhubarb and 1 apple used double the topping recipe but would use more stevia with that much rhubarb next time, it was a little sour.