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Down Home Mama

Down Home Mama

Orange County Doula, Prenatal & Postpartum guidance!

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By: mrsbasom January 5, 2018January 5, 2018

Allison Basom

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Posted by:mrsbasom

Hi, I’m Allison! Mama to two beautiful babies (a girl and baby boy). I love period-piece movies and series, sushi dates, and helping other mamas! Thanks for stopping by! Please feel free to browse through my blog posts at www.downhomemama.com

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☀️G I V E A W A Y☀️ I have teamed up with @sprigslife for this awesome giveaway! One lucky winner will score Sprig’s super luxurious Belly Balm and a 5ml bottle of Young Living Sleepyize!- ••• ✨To enter, ✨ 1️⃣ Like this photo 2️⃣ Follow @downhomemama and @sprigslife 3️⃣ Tag two (or more) friends! More tags=extra entries. ‼️Giveaway will close Sunday evening (3/22) at 9:00pm PST. Winner to be announced Monday morning! United States only.- ••• Belly Balm: This lotion is perfect for any growing (or shrinking) belly! It contains: Rose Petals, Myrhh Gum, Frankincense Resin, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Distilled Water, Aloe Vera Gel, Cocoa Butter, Beeswax, Wheat Germ Oil, Lavendar Essential Oil, Geranium Essential Oil, Rosemary Essential Oil, and Vitamin E Oil. It’s Non-GMO, Vegetarian, gluten free, and Vegan. You do not need to be pregnant or postpartum to enjoy this luscious balm! It’s perfect for all skin! ••• Sleepyize: I swore by this when my kiddos were lil babes (and I still occasionally use it)! The Kid Scents line from Young Living is specifically formulated with little ones in mind. This line is pre-diluted for children 2 years and older, but is easily diluted further for younger ones. I applied this little bottle of magic on my kiddos’ feet and chest every night before bed. It is formulated to help calm little minds and help keep them asleep once they’ve drifted off to dreamland. Ingredients: caprylic glycerides (Cartier oil), lavender, geranium, Roman chamomile, tangerine, bergamot, sacred frankincense, valerian, ruta.- ••• This giveaway is not in any way associated with Instagram.
Love at first sight 🥰 When I first met with Joana and Andrew, I just had this feeling that this birth would be extremely healing and rewarding for the both of them. After a traumatic hospital experience with their first, Joana was very vocal about her needs for this new baby. Rather than continue to dwell in a place of fear, Joana used the duration of her pregnancy to really dig deep inside, face her own fears, release the things she couldn’t control, and embrace her untamable power and strength. When the day came, she let me know she had started to feel some waves, but they weren’t anything she couldn’t handle (see that strength I’m talking about 😊). Later that evening, still, she was just moving along, changing positions, getting in and out of the tub, and just listening to her body. Finally around 12:45am I got the message from Andrew: it’s time for you to come! I threw on my clothes, packed my bag up, and headed their way. @barefootmidwife had beat me there, so I jumped right in and started proving support to Joana while they finished setting up everything we need for lil babe’s arrival. Joana looked up at me and I knew just from looking at her, she was ready for me. The next wave came, I massaged up and down her back and applied counter pressure on her lower lumbar. Then, POP. Her membranes ruptured. “You did it, you broke my waters.” I must say, this isn’t the first time this has happened to me, but no I didn’t do it. I 100% believe that in that moment, once I have arrived, her midwife was there, her husband still extremely present, and her lil daughter asleep on the couch next to us, she was ready to release. In those next few waves, we saw immense change in Joana. This babe was coming. Joana worked through the pressure, the discomfort, and the burning (yes, you will get some burning as your baby comes down and stretches your tissues). Then, baby finally emerged. Her first words: “oh my gosh, I love you so much!” We all stood in silence, allowing them to enjoy these first few moments with their new baby. There was no hysteria, no vigorous rubbing, no need to interfere with what was naturally occurring. Just pure love.
We are living in a wonderful time in which females are claiming their power and right to choose what is right for them and their babies. And, with this need for superior care and options, we are seeing a great availability of choices. So, what are your options for birthing places, and what if any, are the safety measures surrounding them? First up: Home Birth- ••• ✳️HOME BIRTH: Believe it or not, home birth is still a very widely used option throughout the world (and there are a lot of cultural, monetary, and patriarchal reasons why American society moved away from home birth which is really just appalling - but that is for another post). And, with a resurgence of demand for quality care, many women are choosing to birth their babies in the comfort and safety of their own homes. And with a renewed interest in home birth, we’re seeing more studies coming out supporting their safety. With low-risk women especially, we are seeing that home birth (regardless of if it’s their first or fifth) is safer than hospital birth (in regard to medical interventions - cesareans, instrumental birth, episiotomies, 3-4 degree tears, blood transfusions, etc.). Another study found that the rate of perinatal death is also lower for home birth. “What if I’m high-risk?” Well, every woman and pregnancy is different. Your best bet is to speak with midwives that specialize in high-risk (diabetes, twins, VBAC, etc.). At home you have the option to birth however and wherever your body tells you to. You will still be monitored by your midwife (unless you are free birthing) via Doppler of fetoscope, but will not be burdened with cords and tubes.- ••• ✳️ BIRTH CENTER: A birth center can be either free-standing or connected to a hospital. Many find that this is a happy go-between for home birth and hospital birth. If you aren’t quite ready for home birth, but want to avoid the intervention pitfalls of a traditional maternity unit, this may be the option for you! ⬇️Cont’d in Comments⬇️
🌾Thieves Roll On🌾 If you haven’t used Thieves yet, you are surely missing out! I use Thieves every single day. My soap is based from Thieves, my house cleaner, I have the straight up essential oil (or like 5) and this little roller gem.- ••• This blend is steeped in historical legend where groups of graverobbers would douse themselves in various botanicals before pilfering the graves of the recently deceased. What was it they were protecting themselves from? Why, the Black Plague of course. When captured, these men revealed their secret to avoid contracting the disease. In modern times these botanicals were studied for their medicinal properties and were found to be highly potent and effective as protective and preventative agents. And, you guessed it... these elements have now been formulated in Young Livings most highly celebrated concoction: Thieves.- ••• While I do usually make my own roller bottles, and/or just apply drops with a carrier oil, this pre-diluted roller is ready and raring to go whenever I need it, am on the go, or just don’t have the time to get out my individual oils. Apply this guy up and down your spine and soles of feet (the gateway to all your vital organs, glands, nerves, etc.)
It’s been a while since I introduced myself. Hi 👋, I’m Allison. This is me, and my family... the whole reason why I found myself doing this work. It’s interesting, you know... you go through life imagining what it is you’ll be when you grow up. Being a birth worker is never something I had imagined. I was never interested in science or anatomy as a child. I thought I’d be some big time advertising exec working in some big city somewhere. So, I went to school, got a degree for advertising. As luck would have it, I graduated college in the height of the recession - when virtually every single company had already slashed their marketing budgets. So, without a job, I went BACK to school. I graduated with honors and a MS in Education. Well, again as luck would have it, halfway through my program I realized my heart wasn’t in teaching (especially after my overseas fellowship fell through). So here I was, a highly educated woman with no employment prospects, and honestly just completely lost as to what I wanted to do with my life. So, I did what I had been doing for basically my whole life (worked for the family insurance business). Fast forward a few years, I got married to my soulmate and fell pregnant with our first child. So, I did what virtually every woman does: I hired my gynecologist to be my OB - with no questions about her statistics, views on birth, types of birth she’s attended, etc. Every appointment we waited at least an hour to see her. Every appointment we received an ultrasound (without reason). I had been researching natural childbirth (thanks to some gals in my prenatal yoga class that turned me onto it). At our 24w Appt I mentioned to her that I wanted an unmedicated birth: no IV (port was ok), limited fetal monitoring, and absolutely no medications unless they were medically necessary. I was met with a quizzical look and a response of “okay....” If all the things I already mentioned weren’t red flags, this definitely was. Here was this doctor that assumed she knew my body better than me, and CLEARLY doubted my ability to have a spontaneous vaginal delivery. So, I called her office and told her I had decided to hire a midwife. ⬇️Contd⬇️
✨VBAC✨ Vaginal Birth after Cesarean (but I like to call them VBABB - Vaginal Birth after Belly Birth 🤗). The political nature of childbirth is changing and that is due to all of the strong adamant mamas exercising their right to birth their babies how they want. With the cesarean rate so high (in the 30-35%) in most Californian hospitals, it is no wonder that many woman are working toward a vaginal delivery for their next baby. But, the industry has not caught up with this need. So, what are the bigger issues here that prevent women from achieving a vaginal delivery after belly birth? Let’s take a look, shall we?- ••• ✳️ A recent survey found that 44%of hospitals in the United States will not allow women to birth vaginally after a cesarean, even though upwards of 75% of women who attempt vaginal delivery after belly birth will be successful. If that’s not infuriating I don’t know what is. As little as 11% of births are VBACs and that Is due to many reasons, one of which is liability. Many doctors will not even fathom the idea of attending a VBAC due to litigation issues. Additionally, hospitals have not changed their policies regarding having necessary support team available for VBACs per the 1990s ACOG recommendations (which have since changed in favor of VBACs). What’s even more sad is that only 22% of physicians will refer their patients to a VBAC-friendly doctor - instead many of them won’t even offer an alternate solution and push an additional cesarean.- ✳️ Health Risk: Many physicians cite risks regarding uterine rupture as a main reason to avoid a VBAC. What they may not ALSO tell you is that uterine rupture can happen to women who have not had a cesarean as well (and induction medications also carry risk of causing rupture). These risks are framed in a way to deter women from choosing a VBAC - for instance “1 in 200 may rupture” sounds a lot scarier than “your risk of rupture is 0.5% or 99.5% don’t rupture). Risks are not shown in a way that is comparable to possible risks that surround ALL births. Additionally, they are not thoroughly informed of the risks associated with additional cesareans! Cesarean risks increase with repeat cesareans. ⬇️Cont ⬇️
💜 Valor 💜 This blend is probably one of my favorites. I use this the most out of the 5 or 6 oils I carry with me in my doula bag. This tiny little bottle sure does pack a punch and is rightfully known as “Courage in a Bottle”. I personally use this oil every single day (applying to my wrists, neck, and over my heart) to help balance energies and promote confidence and self esteem. But, this blend is also wonderful for - you guessed it - labor! 🎉 I often use Valor for my clients that are experiencing back labor. A few drops of this with some carrier oil and some deep massage and counter pressure can help the body self-correct and promote balance and alignment plus reduce stress and anxiety (which let’s face it, that’s monumentally important. See my post on Oxytocin to find out why). And, what is it we are trying to accomplish during labor (beyond the end game of actually birthing a baby)? We are trying to optimize fetal alignment which in turn is greatly dependent upon your own bodily alignment and balance and reduce stress and tension. Pair this gem with some Spinning Babies movements and you’ve got a wonderful combination for relief and progress.- ••• Single Ingredients: 🌱 Black Spruce: Anti-inflammatory, cortisone-like. Releases emotional blocks and promotes grounding and balance 🌱 Rosewood: Empowering and emotionally stabilizing. Improves skin elasticity 🌱 Blue Tansy: Relaxant, Amit-inflammatory ams reduces anxiety 🌱 Frankincense: Literally used to treat every conceivable ill. Uplifts spirits, improves attitude, promotes mediations, and acts as muscle relaxer
A lot of people ask me why I wanted to have my babies without any medications. Why would I want to put myself through that? Well, for me personally, I didn’t look at birth as an inconvenience. I looked at it with eagerness and excitement. I was so so excited to see what my body could do - what millions of women before me have done. I knew it would be challenging - hell, my second pushed me to a limit I never thought I would be able to get through. But, I did. And you know what happened afterwards? My body immediately released a euphoric cocktail of happy hormones. ONE of the benefits of unmedicated childbirth is that your body has the ability to help you recover, help you bond, and help you produce milk (among other reasons). It has been scientific proven that medications administered at during labor and after birth can diminish the body’s ability to function properly in regard to these things. Medications, while they may give you some pain relief or help with contractions, they also cause hormone imbalance. It is to your benefit to consider all aspects of your birth and the side effects of various decisions. While me may not all be able to achieve our ideal birth, we can in the very least be educated on what possible effects may arise out of choices we must make; thus we are better prepared to deal with possible outcomes. So, how do you achieve an unmedicated childbirth? ⬇️ ••• 1. Get educated (including your partner) 2. Hire a doula 3. Hire a midwife (most OBs have never even attended an unmedicated birth) or freebirth 4. Allow labor to begin spontaneously (take your due date with a grain of salt - it’s an ESTIMATE) 5. Labor at home as long as possible (or birth at home)

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☀️G I V E A W A Y☀️ I have teamed up with @sprigslife for this awesome giveaway! One lucky winner will score Sprig’s super luxurious Belly Balm and a 5ml bottle of Young Living Sleepyize!- ••• ✨To enter, ✨ 1️⃣ Like this photo 2️⃣ Follow @downhomemama and @sprigslife 3️⃣ Tag two (or more) friends! More tags=extra entries. ‼️Giveaway will close Sunday evening (3/22) at 9:00pm PST. Winner to be announced Monday morning! United States only.- ••• Belly Balm: This lotion is perfect for any growing (or shrinking) belly! It contains: Rose Petals, Myrhh Gum, Frankincense Resin, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Distilled Water, Aloe Vera Gel, Cocoa Butter, Beeswax, Wheat Germ Oil, Lavendar Essential Oil, Geranium Essential Oil, Rosemary Essential Oil, and Vitamin E Oil. It’s Non-GMO, Vegetarian, gluten free, and Vegan. You do not need to be pregnant or postpartum to enjoy this luscious balm! It’s perfect for all skin! ••• Sleepyize: I swore by this when my kiddos were lil babes (and I still occasionally use it)! The Kid Scents line from Young Living is specifically formulated with little ones in mind. This line is pre-diluted for children 2 years and older, but is easily diluted further for younger ones. I applied this little bottle of magic on my kiddos’ feet and chest every night before bed. It is formulated to help calm little minds and help keep them asleep once they’ve drifted off to dreamland. Ingredients: caprylic glycerides (Cartier oil), lavender, geranium, Roman chamomile, tangerine, bergamot, sacred frankincense, valerian, ruta.- ••• This giveaway is not in any way associated with Instagram.
Love at first sight 🥰 When I first met with Joana and Andrew, I just had this feeling that this birth would be extremely healing and rewarding for the both of them. After a traumatic hospital experience with their first, Joana was very vocal about her needs for this new baby. Rather than continue to dwell in a place of fear, Joana used the duration of her pregnancy to really dig deep inside, face her own fears, release the things she couldn’t control, and embrace her untamable power and strength. When the day came, she let me know she had started to feel some waves, but they weren’t anything she couldn’t handle (see that strength I’m talking about 😊). Later that evening, still, she was just moving along, changing positions, getting in and out of the tub, and just listening to her body. Finally around 12:45am I got the message from Andrew: it’s time for you to come! I threw on my clothes, packed my bag up, and headed their way. @barefootmidwife had beat me there, so I jumped right in and started proving support to Joana while they finished setting up everything we need for lil babe’s arrival. Joana looked up at me and I knew just from looking at her, she was ready for me. The next wave came, I massaged up and down her back and applied counter pressure on her lower lumbar. Then, POP. Her membranes ruptured. “You did it, you broke my waters.” I must say, this isn’t the first time this has happened to me, but no I didn’t do it. I 100% believe that in that moment, once I have arrived, her midwife was there, her husband still extremely present, and her lil daughter asleep on the couch next to us, she was ready to release. In those next few waves, we saw immense change in Joana. This babe was coming. Joana worked through the pressure, the discomfort, and the burning (yes, you will get some burning as your baby comes down and stretches your tissues). Then, baby finally emerged. Her first words: “oh my gosh, I love you so much!” We all stood in silence, allowing them to enjoy these first few moments with their new baby. There was no hysteria, no vigorous rubbing, no need to interfere with what was naturally occurring. Just pure love.
We are living in a wonderful time in which females are claiming their power and right to choose what is right for them and their babies. And, with this need for superior care and options, we are seeing a great availability of choices. So, what are your options for birthing places, and what if any, are the safety measures surrounding them? First up: Home Birth- ••• ✳️HOME BIRTH: Believe it or not, home birth is still a very widely used option throughout the world (and there are a lot of cultural, monetary, and patriarchal reasons why American society moved away from home birth which is really just appalling - but that is for another post). And, with a resurgence of demand for quality care, many women are choosing to birth their babies in the comfort and safety of their own homes. And with a renewed interest in home birth, we’re seeing more studies coming out supporting their safety. With low-risk women especially, we are seeing that home birth (regardless of if it’s their first or fifth) is safer than hospital birth (in regard to medical interventions - cesareans, instrumental birth, episiotomies, 3-4 degree tears, blood transfusions, etc.). Another study found that the rate of perinatal death is also lower for home birth. “What if I’m high-risk?” Well, every woman and pregnancy is different. Your best bet is to speak with midwives that specialize in high-risk (diabetes, twins, VBAC, etc.). At home you have the option to birth however and wherever your body tells you to. You will still be monitored by your midwife (unless you are free birthing) via Doppler of fetoscope, but will not be burdened with cords and tubes.- ••• ✳️ BIRTH CENTER: A birth center can be either free-standing or connected to a hospital. Many find that this is a happy go-between for home birth and hospital birth. If you aren’t quite ready for home birth, but want to avoid the intervention pitfalls of a traditional maternity unit, this may be the option for you! ⬇️Cont’d in Comments⬇️
🌾Thieves Roll On🌾 If you haven’t used Thieves yet, you are surely missing out! I use Thieves every single day. My soap is based from Thieves, my house cleaner, I have the straight up essential oil (or like 5) and this little roller gem.- ••• This blend is steeped in historical legend where groups of graverobbers would douse themselves in various botanicals before pilfering the graves of the recently deceased. What was it they were protecting themselves from? Why, the Black Plague of course. When captured, these men revealed their secret to avoid contracting the disease. In modern times these botanicals were studied for their medicinal properties and were found to be highly potent and effective as protective and preventative agents. And, you guessed it... these elements have now been formulated in Young Livings most highly celebrated concoction: Thieves.- ••• While I do usually make my own roller bottles, and/or just apply drops with a carrier oil, this pre-diluted roller is ready and raring to go whenever I need it, am on the go, or just don’t have the time to get out my individual oils. Apply this guy up and down your spine and soles of feet (the gateway to all your vital organs, glands, nerves, etc.)
It’s been a while since I introduced myself. Hi 👋, I’m Allison. This is me, and my family... the whole reason why I found myself doing this work. It’s interesting, you know... you go through life imagining what it is you’ll be when you grow up. Being a birth worker is never something I had imagined. I was never interested in science or anatomy as a child. I thought I’d be some big time advertising exec working in some big city somewhere. So, I went to school, got a degree for advertising. As luck would have it, I graduated college in the height of the recession - when virtually every single company had already slashed their marketing budgets. So, without a job, I went BACK to school. I graduated with honors and a MS in Education. Well, again as luck would have it, halfway through my program I realized my heart wasn’t in teaching (especially after my overseas fellowship fell through). So here I was, a highly educated woman with no employment prospects, and honestly just completely lost as to what I wanted to do with my life. So, I did what I had been doing for basically my whole life (worked for the family insurance business). Fast forward a few years, I got married to my soulmate and fell pregnant with our first child. So, I did what virtually every woman does: I hired my gynecologist to be my OB - with no questions about her statistics, views on birth, types of birth she’s attended, etc. Every appointment we waited at least an hour to see her. Every appointment we received an ultrasound (without reason). I had been researching natural childbirth (thanks to some gals in my prenatal yoga class that turned me onto it). At our 24w Appt I mentioned to her that I wanted an unmedicated birth: no IV (port was ok), limited fetal monitoring, and absolutely no medications unless they were medically necessary. I was met with a quizzical look and a response of “okay....” If all the things I already mentioned weren’t red flags, this definitely was. Here was this doctor that assumed she knew my body better than me, and CLEARLY doubted my ability to have a spontaneous vaginal delivery. So, I called her office and told her I had decided to hire a midwife. ⬇️Contd⬇️
✨VBAC✨ Vaginal Birth after Cesarean (but I like to call them VBABB - Vaginal Birth after Belly Birth 🤗). The political nature of childbirth is changing and that is due to all of the strong adamant mamas exercising their right to birth their babies how they want. With the cesarean rate so high (in the 30-35%) in most Californian hospitals, it is no wonder that many woman are working toward a vaginal delivery for their next baby. But, the industry has not caught up with this need. So, what are the bigger issues here that prevent women from achieving a vaginal delivery after belly birth? Let’s take a look, shall we?- ••• ✳️ A recent survey found that 44%of hospitals in the United States will not allow women to birth vaginally after a cesarean, even though upwards of 75% of women who attempt vaginal delivery after belly birth will be successful. If that’s not infuriating I don’t know what is. As little as 11% of births are VBACs and that Is due to many reasons, one of which is liability. Many doctors will not even fathom the idea of attending a VBAC due to litigation issues. Additionally, hospitals have not changed their policies regarding having necessary support team available for VBACs per the 1990s ACOG recommendations (which have since changed in favor of VBACs). What’s even more sad is that only 22% of physicians will refer their patients to a VBAC-friendly doctor - instead many of them won’t even offer an alternate solution and push an additional cesarean.- ✳️ Health Risk: Many physicians cite risks regarding uterine rupture as a main reason to avoid a VBAC. What they may not ALSO tell you is that uterine rupture can happen to women who have not had a cesarean as well (and induction medications also carry risk of causing rupture). These risks are framed in a way to deter women from choosing a VBAC - for instance “1 in 200 may rupture” sounds a lot scarier than “your risk of rupture is 0.5% or 99.5% don’t rupture). Risks are not shown in a way that is comparable to possible risks that surround ALL births. Additionally, they are not thoroughly informed of the risks associated with additional cesareans! Cesarean risks increase with repeat cesareans. ⬇️Cont ⬇️
💜 Valor 💜 This blend is probably one of my favorites. I use this the most out of the 5 or 6 oils I carry with me in my doula bag. This tiny little bottle sure does pack a punch and is rightfully known as “Courage in a Bottle”. I personally use this oil every single day (applying to my wrists, neck, and over my heart) to help balance energies and promote confidence and self esteem. But, this blend is also wonderful for - you guessed it - labor! 🎉 I often use Valor for my clients that are experiencing back labor. A few drops of this with some carrier oil and some deep massage and counter pressure can help the body self-correct and promote balance and alignment plus reduce stress and anxiety (which let’s face it, that’s monumentally important. See my post on Oxytocin to find out why). And, what is it we are trying to accomplish during labor (beyond the end game of actually birthing a baby)? We are trying to optimize fetal alignment which in turn is greatly dependent upon your own bodily alignment and balance and reduce stress and tension. Pair this gem with some Spinning Babies movements and you’ve got a wonderful combination for relief and progress.- ••• Single Ingredients: 🌱 Black Spruce: Anti-inflammatory, cortisone-like. Releases emotional blocks and promotes grounding and balance 🌱 Rosewood: Empowering and emotionally stabilizing. Improves skin elasticity 🌱 Blue Tansy: Relaxant, Amit-inflammatory ams reduces anxiety 🌱 Frankincense: Literally used to treat every conceivable ill. Uplifts spirits, improves attitude, promotes mediations, and acts as muscle relaxer
A lot of people ask me why I wanted to have my babies without any medications. Why would I want to put myself through that? Well, for me personally, I didn’t look at birth as an inconvenience. I looked at it with eagerness and excitement. I was so so excited to see what my body could do - what millions of women before me have done. I knew it would be challenging - hell, my second pushed me to a limit I never thought I would be able to get through. But, I did. And you know what happened afterwards? My body immediately released a euphoric cocktail of happy hormones. ONE of the benefits of unmedicated childbirth is that your body has the ability to help you recover, help you bond, and help you produce milk (among other reasons). It has been scientific proven that medications administered at during labor and after birth can diminish the body’s ability to function properly in regard to these things. Medications, while they may give you some pain relief or help with contractions, they also cause hormone imbalance. It is to your benefit to consider all aspects of your birth and the side effects of various decisions. While me may not all be able to achieve our ideal birth, we can in the very least be educated on what possible effects may arise out of choices we must make; thus we are better prepared to deal with possible outcomes. So, how do you achieve an unmedicated childbirth? ⬇️ ••• 1. Get educated (including your partner) 2. Hire a doula 3. Hire a midwife (most OBs have never even attended an unmedicated birth) or freebirth 4. Allow labor to begin spontaneously (take your due date with a grain of salt - it’s an ESTIMATE) 5. Labor at home as long as possible (or birth at home)
✂️ Circumcision✂️ I have been wanting to post something on this for a while. As it is such a sensitive topic, and discussing our sex organs is still seen as taboo in society, it can be hard to understand why we have certain societal norms, how we arrived here, and if these norms are actually the best practice. Well, as most of you are probably aware by now, I’m not too afraid to talk about uncomfortable things. Some of you may have intact sons/husbands/friends/etc. and some of you may have never seen an intact penis before. And, typically what we don’t know can scare us or make us label it as “not normal.” I typically approach these sensitive topics in as an unbiased demeanor as I can. This however, you may find my opinion shine through on one side more than the other. This is not for shame, purely for fact. Wherever you are on the journey of deciding or having had decided on circumcision for your children, we can still continue to learn. Because, ALL MEDICAL PROCEDURES HAVE RISK, and standard procedure does not equal necessary procedure. Also, the following is really just the tip of the iceberg. Before circumcision, please do extensive research.- ••• Circumcision became popular in the US during WWI, when troops were in trenched in muck and mire for months on end, unable to bathe or clean themselves. Many had to have circumcision due to complications stemming from these conditions. And when these men returned home and had sons of their own, they then started the trend of infant circumcision. Before that, there was also a widespread belief from physicians that circumcision would prevent masterbation and lustful desires in little boys (Victorian era). So, what are the benefits and risks?- ••• Risks/Complications of Infant Circumcision: Hemorrhage, infection, excessive foreskin removed, adhesions, skin bridges, inclusion cysts, abnormal healing, meatitis, meatal stenosis, urinary retention, chordee, hypospadias, epispadias, urethrocutaneous fistula, necrosis of the penis, amputation of glans/penis, death Possible Benefits: Decreased chance of UTIs, decreased risk of penile cancer (risk is 0.9/100,000), decrease in risk of some STDs- ••• ⬇️Cont’d in Comments ⬇️

Blog Categories

  • DIY
  • Environmental
  • Essential Oils
  • Family Life
  • Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Beyond
  • Recipes
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