2014 #nYn Recap

As I look back at 2014 a lot has happened at nurturing YOU naturally.

For starters, we welcomed two new doulas, Maritza & Rachael. By growing our team we were able to assist more families than ever! I am so thankful to be working with these ladies. They are fantastic at what they do and are such an encouragement to the moms & dads they work with.

In March, Rachael and I were able to attend the Empowering Fearless Birth TN Conference. It was a great opportunity to learn and to network with other birth professionals. I can't wait for the conference in 2015! Why you ask? I'm one of the coordinators and it's already shaping up to be another top-notch event for moms & dads of Middle TN.

Finally, I was able to travel to Uganda this summer and share some nYn love with expectant mothers through educational seminars & prenatal exams. We also provided 150 nYn lip balms to missionaries serving in and around the areas of Kampala & Jinja.

As I look back at this year I was also curious to see what information you found most helpful on our website. Here's a quick look back at the top posts for 2014.

5.  Declining Travel Vaccines 

4.  Five Natural Products For Cold & Flu Season 

3.  Free Gifts For Mom & Baby 

2.  Five Ways Your Doula Loves & Cares For You 

1.  nYn is Going to Uganda 

I have a few new ideas for 2015 and I can't wait to get this year underway. It's going to be great!

Happy New Year to you from all of us at #nYn.

Reading Roundup 9/3 (Homebirth & Doulas)

Homebirth Rate by State

STUDY: Homebirth in the United States, 1990-2009 - "After a decline from 1990 to 2004, the percentage of U.S. births that occurred at home increased by 29%"

Home Birth - Why It's Necessary - "Simply put, when there is no home birth in a society... essential knowledge of women’s capacities in birth is lost to the people of that society—to professional caregivers, as well as to the women of childbearing age themselves."

What is Home Birth? - Great article covering the basics of home birth including the following topics. What is it? Who does it? Why? Is it right for everyone? What's it like? How much does it cost?

What is the Evidence for Doulas? - EXCELLENT article explaining the roles of a doula and evidence for how they help women in labor. "Overall, women who received continuous support were more likely to have spontaneous vaginal birthsand less likely to have epidurals, any pain medication, negative feelings about childbirth, vacuum or forceps-assisted births, and Cesarean births. In addition, their labors were shorter by about 1 hour and their babies were less likely to have low Apgar scores at birth."

A Doula Does NOT... (Tips for Doulas) - This post clarifies some common misconceptions about the role of a doula.

Top 8 Reasons Why You Need a Doula During Birth and After - A doula still has so much to offer even after delivery. Page 2 of this article gives you some great reasons to hire a postpartum doula.

Why a Doula is Your BFF (BreastFeeding Friend) - "Mother's who had doulas were less likely to experience a delay in their milk coming in. 68% of women receiving doula care and 54% of women receiving standard care were breastfeeding at 6 weeks."

Listening to Mothers II Survey - This is a popular study that is referred to often when it comes to analyzing the experience that women have in childbirth. The report includes not just "what" happened in their birth but how they "feel" about what happened. This report is very telling.

STUDY: Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth - Author's Conclusions: "Continuous support during labour has clinically meaningful benefits for women and infants and no known harm. All women should have support throughout labour and birth."

Reading Roundup 8/9 (Cesarean & VBAC edition)

Tennessee Cesarean Rates by Hospital, 2010 - This is the most up-to-date information we have in my state. Unfortunately all hospitals are not required to release this information. One big hospital in Nashville, Centennial Women's Center, is missing from this report. Makes me wonder how high theirs is. For my area, Vanderbilt seems to have the lowest (31.5%) rate.

Cesarean Section Rates in the United States - This is from the AGOG website and shows rates from 1970 until 2006. Interestingly, this chart also shows the VBAC rate. I found it fascinating that only 10% of women were getting to VBAC in 2006, when it has been as high as 28% just a decade earlier.

The Evidence for Skin-To-Skin Care After a Cesarean - "The benefits of skin-to-skin care are so clear that the World Health Organization recommends ALL newborns receive skin-to-skin care, no matter the baby’s weight, gestational age, birth setting, or clinical condition."

Cesareans More Dangerous Than Previously Thought: 1 in 10 women develop infections - "Post-surgical infection can seriously affect a woman’s quality of life at a critical time when she is recovering from an operation and has a new born baby to look after. More needs to be done to look into this and address ways of reducing infection."

Professor Declerqc Discusses Rising Cesarean Rates - Interesting video that ultimately led me to the site below.

Birth by the Numbers - This man knows his numbers and breaks down years of stats and research into a nifty little video. You can also download the powerpoint slides.

ObGyns Issue Less Restrictive VBAC Guidelines - Straight from the mouth of the governing body for obstetricians. "The current cesarean rate is undeniably high and absolutely concerns us as ob-gyns. These VBAC guidelines emphasize the need for thorough counseling of benefits and risks, shared patient-doctor decision making, and the importance of patient autonomy. Moving forward, we need to work collaboratively with our patients and our colleagues, hospitals, and insurers to swing the pendulum back to fewer cesareans and a more reasonable VBAC rate." - Richard N. Waldman, MD, president of The College

Should There Be a Limit on Cesareans? - "But now the WHO states that "there is no empirical evidence for an optimum percentage" and stresses that "what matters most is that all women who need Caesarean sections receive them"." <---- While I disagree with this new position, this article raises some very interesting points about women's choice as well as what factors may be contributing to a higher C-section rate.

Trial of Labor is a new documentary coming out and I am very anxious to see it. It follows 4 women who had a primary C-section and are pursing a VBAC. The trailer is below. If you would like to suppor the film, click here.

Reading Roundup 8/3 (World Breastfeeding Week Edition)

From the World Health Organization - "World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 August in more than 170 countries to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. Breastfeeding is the best way to provide newborns with the nutrients they need. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding until a baby is six months old, and continued breastfeeding with the addition of nutritious complementary foods for up to two years or beyond."

Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Chose To Breastfeed Your Baby - Lots of information here on how breastfeeding can benefit both baby AND mom.

Breastfeeding 101: Mastitis - Lots of helpful info to combat a mastitis infection. Cabbage is your friend!

Adult Stem Cells in Breast Milk Work Like Embryonic Cells - I don't call this stuff liquid gold for nothing! Read for yourself.

More Adoptive Moms Learn to Breastfeed Their Babies - Adoption is near and dear to my hear and I think it's fantastic that so many moms are inducing lactation to help them facilitate the bond with their child along with the added health benefits.

Newman-Goldfarb Protocols for Induced Lactation - Here are some tips for inducing lactation. This is possible for moms who have never nursed a baby before. Fascinating!

These are some breastfeeding articles that I have posted previously but they are certainly worth reading again.

• Benefits of Breastfeeding
• Myths of Breastfeeding
• Breastfeeding and Reduced Risk of SIDS
• Tips for Boosting Milk Supply
• Top 10 Nursing Must Haves
• Science You Can Use: Why do my baby's hands always get in the way?

Here are some of my favorite breastfeeding websites.

• Breastfeeding Inc.
• Breastfeeding Online
• Kelly Mom

Reading Roundup 7/3 (Sleep, Fevers, Fertility, Hep B, Newborn Care, and so much MORE!)

I finally cleaned out Google Reader so this is a mass dump of really neat articles. Hope you find something you like.

Midwife Mania? More Babies than Ever Are Delivered by Midwives - "New Mexico has the county’s highest rate, at 24% for all births. Not surprisingly, they also have one of the lowest C-section rates in the country."

The Miles Circuit - Series of easy maneuvers to help regulate or speed up a stalled labor. It is also helpful to relieve back pain for mom and turn a malpositioned baby.

My Mama Cloth Adventures and Review of Four Sources - I love the idea of cloth diapers and this is just another spin on that but for us moms and the infamous Aunt Flo.

Maizy's Beautiful Hypobabies Birth - I came across this birth story today. I'm still in awe of how mother-baby friendly this hospital was. The have a birthing tub, were open to Hypnobabies, did intermittent monitoring in the water, allowed mom to push in a position of her choice, allowed her to to push even though an OB or midwife were not available, delayed the full newborn exam, and allowed baby to nurse right away. *jealous* Wish they could all be similar to this.

Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy Increases Risk of Hypertension - VERY interesting. "Antidepressant use during pregnancy was associated with a 53% increased risk for pregnancy-induced hypertension."

This post also goes on to show that depression can be caused by low vitamin D levels, which has also been linked to PIH.

Frank Talk About the Hep B Vaccine for Newborns - You know I love a good chart. This compares the decline of Hep B (has a vaccine) vs. Hep C (does not have a vaccine). Pay close attention to the orange line (age 0-19). I still cannot fathom why we inject babies within their first few hours of life. For this.

How Fever Can Cure Cancer - "Fever is not a symptom that we must eliminate with toxic pharmaceuticals as prescribed by mainstream medicine. Fever is nature's way of healing and eliminating pathogens. "

All About CoQ10 - I'm just learning about the awesome antioxidant properties of this vitamin. I love this part... "CoQ10 in natural medicine has been found to be beneficial for those suffering from Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's.It plays an important role in fighting premature aging.

10 Decisions for Parents of Newborns (Part 1 & Part 2) - Very good information presented in a non-biased way with lots of options. Great read for all parents.

Informed Consent - Gives the key questions to ask your provider before making any decision. I am a firm believer that patients should always have informed consent. This post even links to the AMA definition.

Science You Can Use: Why do my baby's hands always get in the way? "Ever notice that, just when you're getting your baby latched on, his hands always seem to get in the way?... What if those hand movements had a purpose?"

Losing Sleep? All Natural Ways to Fall Asleep and Get More Sleep - There are some great tips at the end of this article but I found these 3 things important to note.

1. The Journal of Occupation and Environmental Medicine recently found that women working the night shift had 400% higher risk of cancer.
2. If you sleep less than 7/hrs per night your changes of getting sick triples.
3. Sleep is one of the most important factors in your health.

Natural Fertility and Zinc - Zinc is actually one of the most studied nutrients when it comes to fertility. Much of the reason behind that statement most likely stem from the fact that zinc is an essential component of genetic material. This means that a deficiency in zinc can cause chromosomal changes.

Effect of timing of umbilical cord clamping of term infants on maternal and neonatal outcomes (Review) - This is a study from 2009, which analyzes 11 trials. The author's noted that delayed cord clamping (2-3 minutes) showed no increased postpartum hemorrhage risks to mother and there were long-term improvement of baby's iron levels up to six months post birth.

Reading Roundup 6/26 (vernix, marijuana, borax, vaccine history, VBAC facts)

Here's a look at a few interesting things I've read this week.

A Young Mother's Birth Story Told With Photos - This mother is 18 years old and shares the journey of her natural, homebirth through pictures. It's beautiful! If she can do it, anyone can. Very inspiring!

Wait! Don't Wash That Newborn - Routine baths are given rather quickly in hospital settings despite the fact that research has shown vernix to have anti-bacterial and temperature regulating qualities.

Newborns Testing Positive for Marijuana Because of Their Baby Soaps?!?! - Two well-known baby washes by Johnson & Johnson and Aveeno contain THC. No joke. And there is a scientific study to prove it.

22 Favorite Birth Quotes and Affirmations - My fave from this list is... "‎If I don’t know my options, I don’t have any.” ~ Diana Korte

VBAC Quick Facts - Helpful post and informative website for VBAC info.

Boron: Major Cause and Cure for Arthritis - I'll admit. I've never been a fan of Borax. In fact, I have intentionally left it out of my homemade laundry detergent recipe. But, after reading this (because my hubby has arthritis of the knees), I may be changing my tune.

Vaccines (Part II): Hygiene, Sanitation, Immunization, and Pestilential Diseases - This article shares the history of many diseases but I find the visual aid to be the most helpful. Basically, it shows that the diseases were already on the sharp decline (mainly due to better hygiene and sanitation) before the vaccines were ever introduced.

Reading Roundup 6/10 {Something for Everyone}

I've got tons of things bookmarked that I've read over the past month. Just now having chance to catch up and post them. There's a lot here. I'm sure everyone can find at least one topic below, if not more, that interests them.

Benefits of Breastfeeding - All in a handy dandy, easy to read, PDF format.

EWG 2012 Sunscreen Guide - They test almost every sunscreen on the market and give them a rating. Check this list to see where your sunscreen ranks. This study was enough to make me finally switch sunscreen brands last year. Let's be honest, if the sunscreen that is supposed to be protecting you from skin cancer can actually give you cancer, what's the point?

Top 10 Procedures to Reject When You're Expecting - From Consumer Reports. "...infants and mothers fare worse in the U.S. than in many other industrialized nations... Why are we doing so badly?" This may be one of my new favorite articles. it's very thorough and even goes on to explain the 10 things you should do during pregnancy including hiring a doula.

Shingles and Chicken Pox Vaccinations, Oh My - This author does a great job of explaining what I have said all alone. By requiring the chicken pox vaccination, which is not exactly effective, we are essentially causing more cases of shingles, which is more dangerous and painful. Getting the chicken pox as a child, while inconvenient, will actually give you life-long immunity to shingles.

Breast Milk Should Be Drunk At The Same Time Of Day It Is Expressed - Fascinating! You have to read it. They can explain it so much better than I can. Once again, the intelligence of breast milk never ceases to amaze me.

Why Every Mom Should Have Homeopathic Arnica in Her Purse - I'm definitely getting some of this. "...the most miraculous demonstrations of arnica’s ability happen when we give arnica withing about ten minutes of the initial injury."

Top 10 Nursing Must Haves - Mom of 7 describes the tips and tricks and gadgets that worked for her.

9 Non-Medicinal Remedies for Your Headache - These tips can be especially helpful for pregnant moms who are avoiding OTC medicines.

Peanut Balls and Epidurals - This device is similar to a yoga ball and is getting rave reviews from initial studies. It has been shown to decrease the 1st and 2nd stage of labor and C-section rates. I think I'm gonna have to get one of these.

Diaper Change Roll Technique to Reduce Colic - I'm a big fan of chiropractic and after seeing this demonstration it totally makes sense.

Primary Herbs to Avoid During Pregnancy - It's always helpful to know what to avoid and this post also explains why.

Is There a Vitamin D and Uterine Fibroid Connection - Interesting study that suggests vitamin D as a potential treatment for uterine fibroids.

Sh*t Crunch Dads Say (hilarious followup to Sh*t Crunchy Moms Say)

Reading Roundup 2/25 (oxytocin, sleep habits, dairy, birth video)

Below you will find some of my favorite articles, posts and videos that I came across this week. Enjoy!

Oozing Oxytocin - This article shows that oxytocin can be sensed and smelled by the body often causing a domino effect for others (male & female) to produce oxytocin. "Singing, particularly singing with other people, causes the brain to produce unusually high levels of oxytocin." Ever get that "feeling" when you are in church service and the whole congregation is singing together. I think oxytocin might be at play here. :)

Dairy Causes Acne - This was an interesting read for me this week mainly because I love Purity chocolate milk. I've actually been trying to cut back on my obsession and this article may have just sealed the deal for me.

• AcneMilk.com - The research behind the above article.

8 Infant Sleep Facts Every Parent Should Know - This article has some good information about nightwaking. As the mom of a nonsleeper, I found it interesting that babies who don't get into deep sleep are getting more blood flow to their brain. It was even suggested that these babies may be smarter. Hmmm....

• 31 Ways to Get Your Baby to Sleep and Stay Asleep - Follow up article by Dr. Sears regarding sleep habits of babies. I think the key to both of these articles is that babies must be taught to sleep and given a proper environment to sleep. They don't automatically know how to do this on their own.

MORE Business of Being Born - This week I had the opportunity to watch the first installment of More Business of being Born named Down on the Farm. They visit legendary midwife, Ina May Gaskin, and have a lovely sit-down interview with her and tour of The Farm in Summertown, Tennessee. My first doula client will be delivering at the The Farm so I was so excited to be able to see this in advance. I'm totally star struck by Ina May too. :) The trailer for the series is below.

The following video is my new favorite birth video. It starts out a little slow but stick with it. The cinematography towards the end is so amazing as it documents a family absolutely falling in love with their newborn baby. I wish every couple had the opportunity to get to know their baby this way. Home birth is SO beautiful! Watch and you'll see why.

documentary birth film | OTPC from One Tree Photography on Vimeo.

That's it for this week. Did you read anything interesting? If so, please share a link in the comments.

Reading Roundup (active management, swaddling. coconut oil, epidurals, doulas)

Here are my favorite articles, posts, and pictures that I came across this week. Enjoy!

What is Normal? - Fantastic article on "active management" of labor and how it has changed (ahem, sped up) over the years.

Fish Can't See Water - Related article on the "medicalization" of labor and birth.

Rethinking Swaddling - Interesting article that weighs the pros and cons of swaddling. I am a fan of swaddling to help settle baby and also to help baby sleep better. However, I wholeheartedly agree that being next to mom, especially in the early days, is absolutely best for baby.

160 Uses For Coconut Oil - If there is one thing I can't live without, it's coconut oil. I seriously use it on a daily basis for SOMEthing. It's actually a running joke around here. No matter what the problem is, I'm usually going to suggest coconut oil to solve it.

Epidurals: risks and concerns for mother and baby - Fantastic article that discusses how epidurals interfere with labor hormones and the labor process. It also lists potential side effects for both mother and baby. "In a UK survey of 1,000 women, those who had used epidurals reported the highest levels of pain relief but the lowest levels of satisfaction with the birth, probably because of the high rates of intervention. "

Why Do American Women Do Nothing to Recovery from Pregnancy? - Amen! I'm the first to admit that I didn't take care of myself after I had my first child. I didn't realize I needed to do anything different. "In American culture, the postpartum recovery of the mother has never been given much attention and is largely not seen as important." And we wonder why our postpartum depression rate is so high... huh, imagine that?!

I LOVE this picture meme below. Photos like this are popping up everywhere, but this is a perfect display of what others think we do and what really happens.

Photo Credit: Holly Helps

Reading Roundup

My favorite posts, articles, videos and more from this week. Enjoy!

C-sections aren't always best for preterm babies - "the researchers found that babies born via C-section were 30 percent more likely to develop respiratory distress syndrome. And this may have long term fallout for the babies..."

Big study: Vaccinated Kids 2-5 More Diseases Than Unvaccinated - My first thought when I saw this study was "I wonder how many of the nonvaxed kids were also breastfed or in families who make other "alternative" health choices. I do think the study could have been more controlled. Regardless, it still shows that "something" is at play here that is making a difference. However, not to discount the study, I feel that not vaccinating can quite easily be the key. By not vaxing, we never trick the immune system to start with. Therefore, the body learns to defend on it's own.

[Not surprisingly, this article got a lot of flack on Facebook from pro-vax individuals. Just so we are clear on my position, I don't have anything against parents who choose to vax. I would certainly prefer that they do it on a delayed schedule but that's obviously not my call. I have counseled many friends as they embarked upon this choice. Ultimately, their final decision doesn't matter to me. It matters that they took the time to ask questions, research it, and decide what route is best for their family. An educated decision, no matter what it is, always wins in my book.]

Birth Center Featured at Obama Administration's Announcement of the Strong Start Funding Initiative - "The recognition of he work of midwifery model birth centers and reducing the numbers of pre term births, low birth weight infants, and cesarean sections..."

• New inititive targets preterm births/elective deliveries - "it will also kick off a national campaign to educate hospitals, doctors and mothers that early elective deliveries [before 39 weeks] can lead to a number of health related problems bor both the mother and the child."

Facebook Nurse-In: 60 Breastfeeding Moms Protest at Facebook Headquarters - Facebook has become notorious for suspending users and banning breastfeeding photos. These nurse-ins took place around the world at various FB HQ locations. This resulted in Facebook issuing a new statement regarding their position on the photos. While a nurse-in might seem extreme, they are certainly making a point to help normalize breastfeeding in public, which is protected by law in all states.

Reading Roundup

Here are some of my favorite posts, videos, articles, and information that I have come across this week.

DIY - Siblings at Birth Class - Wonderful information if you are considering having your child present at the birth of their sibling.

Learning Things the Hard Way - "Just because information is not widely accepted, doesn’t mean it’s not true."

Milk Sharing: A Toddler Breastfed by Others - Even if you are unable to breastfeed, there are other options out there for giving your baby breastmilk. The end of this post has some great links and resources.

Homebirths in U.S. rise by 29 percent after lower costs and 'Hollywood Influence' - "With the recent decline in home risks, additional reasons for the recent increase in home births may be the desire for a 'low-intervention' birth, the mother having specifically desired surroundings, a so-called Hollywood motivation, and even lower costs."

3 Reasons to use Cloth Diapers - "..it takes 250-500 years for those diapers to breakdown! The very first disposable diaper created in the 1950’s is still in the landfill."

The following video may be my new favorite home birth video. It shows just how this senario can be a normal, natural, calm, and positive experience for everyone. FYI - I totally got choked up when they put baby skin-to-skin with Dad. So sweet!

Stacey & Cody's Homebirth 09/02/11 from Story-Frames on Vimeo.

Labor of Love - This video is 45 minutes long. However, it follows two families and their homebirth experience. If you are considering a midwife or a homebirth, you might find it beneficial to see the care they received.