Skinship

Homeopathy for babies and children

Many of my friends are using homeopathic remedies and after hearing about their great experience we started using homeopathy two years ago. It works perfectly for us so I though some of you might benefit from reading more about the method.

Summing up from the Society of Homeopaths...

Homeopathy is a gentle, holistic system of healing. It focuses on you as an individual, concentrating on treating specific physical and emotional symptoms. The therapy is based on the theory of treating “like with like”, which means that if homepathic medicine is given to a healthy person, it would produce the symptoms the medicine is prescribed for. Homeopathic remedies are a unique, potentised energy medicine, drawn from the plant, mineral and animal worlds. They work by gently boosting the natural energy of the body, and are very safe, even for pregnant and sensitive patients. Homeopaths take into account the range of physical, emotional and lifestyle factors in order to prescribe the right medicine(s).  Homeopathy has a wide application, from acute fevers, sore throats and toothache, to chronic illnesses such as arthritis, eczema, asthma, anxiety, mild depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. There has been some very good research evidence to support this. You can find more facts and figures about homeopathy here.

Here are some quotes about homeopathy for babies and children (from Society of Homeopaths web page):

»Homeopathy is ideal for babies and children as it is a gentle yet highly effective system of medicine. The mildly sweet pills, powders or liquids are easy to dispense and are more palatable than many conventional medicines. The highly diluted natural substances that form homeopathic remedies mean that they are safe to use in the very young, including newborn babies. More than that, homeopathy can raise the immunity of your children to help deal with illness throughout their childhood. homeopathy not only helps when your child is ill. It can also help prevent illness and give support through difficult periods of their life.«

 

»Homeopathy works fast with children because they are usually full of vitality. Acute conditions such as ear infections, tonsillitis and flu, can be resolved rapidly using the right remedies, often avoiding the need for conventional medicines. Babies also tend to respond quickly to homeopathic treatment – there are remedies for colic, teething and nappy rash, for example.«

You can also safely use it during pregnancy and chilbirth. More infor can be found here.

I will post more about our experience, where to buy homeopathic remedies and which books are worth reading in my next posts.

Activities for parents with babies and toddlers

Many of you are asking about workshops and other activities for pregnant women, where to find  childbirth preparation workshops, where to learn baby massage or baby signing, how to keep your toddler busy and much more. I have collected some of the contacts for those of you who live in Slovenia...you will be surprised how many things are going on. I have limited the list to the activities that support natural and attachment parenting and have been tested by our family or a trusted group of friends. I will be happy to read about your experience and please feel free to add your links as well.

Pilates center offers pregnancy pilates classes and great playgroups for mommies with babies (up to 8 months) as well as birth preparation with acupuncture therapy and pregnancy massage

Mojca Kurent offers baby massage lessons, natural family living consulting, pregnancy and post-partum massage, organic nutrition workshops and fantastic cooking classes  (without eggs, sugar and milk) for baby and adult food

Mamazofa (Naravni zacetki) organises workshops for pregnant women and expectant parents, cildbirth preparation classes, support groups and playgroups

Taktuka ofers workshops like babysiging, theatre, dance, playgroups and support groups for new mothers

Tamala  organises workshops for pregnant women and expectant parents, childbirth preparation classes, pregnancy exercise classes, parenting support groups and playgroups

Infant organises baby massage classes, baby handling workshops and pregnancy exercises

Storklja offers workshops for pregnant women and expectant parents, cildbirth preparation classes, dancing classes, nutrition workshops, support groups and playgroups

Fit Mami organises pregnancy and post partum excercise classes, great workshops for babies and toddlers including Bamberbam (music and dancing from 6 months) and Packo(painting from 2,5 years)

Vila Cira Cara (Pionirski dom)  playgroups and language lessons for toddlers

Terme Dobrna  offers acupuncture therapies during pregnancy and acupuncture as birth preparation

Ondina  organises natural birth preparation workshops

Vitacenter offers pregnancy therapies for body and soul and several nutrition and natural living workshops

Swimming for pregnant women and swimming for babies (from 4 months) and toddlers are organised at several locations all around the country

Devi center organises pregnancy yoga classes

G-rega organises sport activities for toddlers, young children and their parents. Activities include swimming, skiing, rollerblading, ABC movement for toddlers (on Slo and Eng), aqua fit and many others. Recently they have opened a brand new gym for children. Threy also organise holliday activities, birthday celebrations and much more.

 

Preparing for birth- the reading list

Here are three books that I usually recommend to my pregnant friends:

Ina May Gaskin: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth

Janet Balaskas: Active Birth

Penny Simkin: The Birth Partner

In the womb

A fantastic documentary by National Geographic "In the Womb" shows the way from a single cell into a byby girl in just 38 weeks. By using 3D and 4D ultrasound scanning we can see the most dramatic period of human development inside the womb.

"From a single cell to a complex, self-sustaining organism. With ground-breaking photography, computer graphics, and 4-D imaging, "In the Womb" reveals this amazing process as the first heart cells begin to beat, the nerve cells flicker to life, and the senses develop."

I watched this movie when I was just couple of weeks pregnant and I kept watching it for the rest of the pregnancy...it really helps us understand the complexity of human life. I highly recommend it to all pregnant women.

You can watch a video preview here.

Recently two other videos were added: "In the womb: Multiples" and "In the womb: Animals".

Skinship groups

Dear readers,

I would like to invite you to join us at Mother's click. I've created two goups for parents who believe in attachment parenting, want to share their ideas, ask for advice or just have a chat with similarly minded parents.

First group is called Skinship and can be found here. It is open for all English speaking readers who share passion for connected and respectful parenting, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, babywearing, cloth diapers or elimination communication and much more.

Since many of Skinship readers come from Slovenia and feel more comfortable communicating in Slovenian I've created a Slovene group called "Moja Mami". You can join us at MojaMami web page.

To join any of the groups you have to register here. You can also upload your picture. The web platform used at Mother's click enables us to use several services from posting notes, activities, managing group calendar, posting photos, posting reviews, and much more.

I wish you a great fun using the service and hope to meet you online soon.

Anja

Transforming Fears During Pregnancy

Written by Anna Stewart, published with author's permission.

“When a baby is still inside you, before you give birth, you have many thoughts. You think,” The day I give birth, will I be courageous? Will I be afraid? Will I live? The day I feel the pains, will my heart be strong enough to withstand it?””

- Nisa, a !Kung Woman

Having a positive attitude towards pregnancy and birth is deliberately ritualized in many traditions. The Navajo people firmly believe in positive thinking. They show it through song and prayer as well as in physical ways, such as loosening a woman’s hair or making sure there are no obstacles in her way as she walks through contractions.

In the Italian Renaissance, pregnant women would meditate upon a special plate that bore the image of a cherubic St John holding a cross and heralding a banner. The intention was to use the image, complete with ripe figs and bursting pomegranates, to encourage a healthy pregnancy and to hope for a boy, also a symbol of strong fertility.

Chinese mothers-to-be take time out daily to meditate with their babies as a way to calm their minds and to start bonding with their babies. Thai people believe that their unborn children are affected by their mother’s mental state, which has been proven by scientists to be true. A Thai mother makes sure her internal and external environments are happy and healthy.

Still, every woman has fears. For women like Nisa, who lives in a culture where women, especially first-timers, do die in childbirth, it’s understandable that a woman would be scared. But the culture also understands that a positive approach is way to take action against fears.

Most Western woman can control their fears and anxieties by changing the language and framework of beliefs.

The two biggest fears pregnant women have are 1) is the baby healthy? and 2) can I handle the pain of birth? Fathers have a different fear- they fear losing their wife. It’s important to recognize this difference. Women also have fears about being in the hospital, having to have an IV or a Cesarean section birth, hemorrhaging, or other complications.  Every pregnant woman has worried for at least a minute about whether or not her baby is ok. It’s a universal fear. Since birth does ride the edge between life and death, it’s very natural that a woman would have to face her fears as she waddles on the edge. Begin by considering what fears or anxieties you are ready to reframe into positive affirmations.

- Are you afraid of the pain of birth? Try saying that you welcome the contractions that herald your baby’s arrival.

- Are you comfortable being pregnant? Could you say how grateful you are to have a strong, beautiful body that is doing so well at providing for your child?

- Are you concerned about the changes of becoming a mother? Reframe your fears by telling yourself that you are already a good mother, look how well your baby is doing.

Next, write a sentence on a post-it or small piece of paper about what you want your pregnancy to be like and post it in your car, on your bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator or anywhere else you will see it daily. Use one of these or write one of your own.

- I am beautiful, calm, aware and relaxed

- I birth easily and effortlessly

- I feel strong, capable and comfortable

- I am supported by the people who love me and my baby

Another strategy is to say or sing your affirmations. Saying them to yourself while looking in a mirror is a powerful way to teach yourself new ways of thinking. The more you squirm at the idea of talking to yourself in the mirror, the more it will help you. Throughout my first pregnancy, I listened to a tape of ocean sounds and talked to myself. I would breathe deeply, noticing all the sensations in my body, my squished bladder, my baby’s heel poking me in the ribs, and I would tell myself to surrender to the process. I talked to my baby about how excited I was he was coming soon and how much I trusted him to be birthed easily and effortlessly. When the day finally came and my contractions were coming fast, I paused for the minute I had between them to look at myself in the bathroom mirror. Out loud I said, “OK Baby, this is it. We’re going to birth you now. You tell me if there’s anything I need to know. We’ll do this together. Gently. Easily. I love you so much. I can’t wait to meet you and hold you in my arms.” Without thinking, since I had practiced it so often, I told myself” surrender” as I moved into transition, the most chaotic part of birth. My son’s head started to emerge. Just when I though I couldn’t do it anymore, I told myself again, “surrender” and the fear that was making me tight, lost it’s hold, and my sweet son slipped into the world.

Another suggestion is to make an affirmation tape. You will need a blank audiocassette and tape recorder. The twelve-minute answering machine tapes work great, especially if you want hear it over and over without having to rewind it. Use a separate microphone if possible. You can write out the script before you record it or just do it spontaneously. Play it at night while you are sleeping and watch how you change. Be sure to make yourself comfortable by lying on your side and supporting your legs and back with extra pillows.

To figure out what to say in your tape, choose the fear that you most want to avoid. If you don’t, chances are good that it will find its way into your pregnancy or birth and sabotage your efforts. Free your mind and the rest will follow.  Choose one fear or issue. The mind does best at relearning when it is a clearly stated goal that is repeated many times.

Write and speak your affirmations into the audiocassette using the word “I”, a present-tense verb. Affirmations always are in present tense. It may not feel genuine at first, but it will. It’s a little like smiling even when you don’t really feel like it. Just the act makes a difference on your emotional state. Smile right now- you’ll feel what I mean. It may be difficult to say the words the first time, especially if it’s a deep fear or an old wound that you are reframing.

By understanding your fears and finding a way to turn them into affirmations, you will be better prepared not only for your birth but also for the challenges of motherhood.

About the author:

Anna Stewart, mother, mentor and author, has published over 300 articles. Her book, Mother Blessings: Honoring Women Becoming Mothers, is an artful guide for creating ceremonies for pregnant women or families adopting. Order it at www.wovenword.com or call 1-888-773-7738. She also serves as an instructor for coaching pregnant women through the Academy for Coaching Parents (www.acpi.biz). Go to her website, www.motherhands.com for more information.

Alarming rise in Caesereans

We were in London the last couple of days.This morning  I was trying to get some fresh juice and bakery for breakfast. While waiting to pay I briefly checked the headlines in the morning press. It was mostly about the Oskars but Evening Standard had another big title on their cover page "Alarming Rise in Caesareans". The article by Rebecca Smith instantly caught my attention, so I kept reading.

According to the article one in four babies in UK is born by surgery.  In the article she refers to a report by Office of Health Economics (authored by Emma Hawe) which states that out of 722.500 births in UK in 2005 more than 180.000 were delivered by surgery. This represents a dramatic rise of 50 per cent in only 12 years.

According to the report the increase is not being attributed to mothers who are "too posh to push" but mainly due to obstetricians who are afraid of being sued if anything goes wrong during the natural birth. Among other reasons are also increasing number of multiple births due to IVF, growing number of older women giving birth and sometimes even increase in obese women who are known to experience more difficult labors.

The 25% rate of C-sections in UK is one of the highest in Europe and the numbers reveal the rate even above 26% in the US. According to World Health Organisation guidelines suggest that there is no justification for a Caeasian rate higher than 15%.

Those numbers should definitely make us think. How can the rates be so high if there are numerous scientific studies proving the benefits of natural labor for mother and the baby?

There are definitely the cases when C-section is the only way, but it seem that decision (by doctors or by mothers) is often made without thoroughly considering what C-Section really means for mother and the baby, what are the risks, long-term consequences and also how it emotionally effects the mother.

Breath Walk for Pregnancy

Written by Anna Stewart. Published with author's permission.

Pregnant women all over the world walk throughout their pregnancies. Most of the time it’s to get from here to there but occasionally, a woman slows her pace and slows her mind and walks with her breath, which she shares with her baby.

A breath walk is a walking mediation, much like monks practice. It can be done anywhere but I suggest choosing a quiet place to minimize distraction. Do not carry anything in your hands – they need to swing freely. Wear a backpack on both shoulders if you need to carry water or a sweater. This walk will not make you sweat so dress appropriately.

To begin, stand with your feet about should-width apart. Let your weight spread evenly across your heel and ball of your foot. Relax your jaw and shoulders. Close your eyes and take several deep breaths, in a four-part rhythm:
1.    Inhale slowly for a count of four
2.    Hold your breath for a count of four
3.    Slowly release your breath for a count of four
4.    Pause again for a count of four
5.    Repeat four times.
On the fifth inhale, step forward, pause, step forward with the other foot on the exhale and pause again. Do that four times.

If you like the slow pace, keep walking this way (though do open your eyes). If you feel impatient, increase the speed by breathing normally and walking in rhythm to your breath. Try both of these paces:
1.    Take one step with each foot for each inhale and one step on each foot for each exhale.
2.    Take four steps (two each foot) for each inhale.
Play with changing the length of your step. Let your arms hang and swing in reaction to your body movements. Moving mediations require a different way of being in your body. By practicing how to keep your upper body and jaw relaxed while you focus your awareness is on your breath and walk in rhythm, you are practicing for labor and taking care of an infant.

Most women can talk and move comfortably through their early contractions. Do a breath walk with your partner around the block. You could also use your breath to move to music (your own inner choir or a piece you’ve practiced dancing to already).

By learning how to stay present to your breath while doing something else, you are learning to mindfully multi-task, a skill that will serve you well as you learn to care for a newborns’ needs.
Enjoy the walk.

Anna Stewart, mother, mentor and author, has published over 300 articles. This is an excerpt from her book, Mother Blessings: Honoring Women Becoming Mothers, an artful guide for creating ceremonies for pregnant women or families adopting. Order it at www.wovenword.com. She also serves as an instructor for coaching pregnant women through the Academy for Coaching Parents. Go to her website www.motherhands.com for more information.

Mothering Magazine

I've finally got it...a subscription to the Mothering magazine. The Magazine recently celebrated it's 30th anniversary and for all those years it has been an amazing source of information on natural family living for (expectant) parents. They advocate breastfeeding, co-sleeping, babywearing, cloth diapers and other natural parenting choices. But what is best about Mothering is that they do not pose guilt on those who (from whichever reason) chose alternatives. They believe in informed parenting decisions that incorporate specific family situation. They provide parents with all necessary information, offer advice and gentle guidance through the challenging path of parenting.

You can watch a video about Mothering here:

I especially like the section called Quiet Place by Peggy O'Mara which can also be read on line. On their web page you can also join their community where you can discuss with similarly minded parents.

I really recommend this magazine to all parents who practice attachment parenting as well as those who feel in their heart that "mainstream" parenting is not the right thing but need more information before converting from conventional parenting practices to more natural approaches.

Baby massage after birth

Written by Mojca Kurent and published with author's permission (Translated by Anja Cotic Svetina)

 
After birth, which itself is quite a traumatic experience for a baby, it is important to provide an environment which to a great extent resembles the womb-like environment. In the first minutes and hours after birth newborns are extremely sensitive. As parents we can greatly contribute that their first impression of the outside world be as gentle as possible.

We can do that by:

• cutting the cord after it becomes pale and stops beating

• immediately continue with skinship (skin-to-skin contact)

• gently and carefully clean the nose and breathing canals

• provide quiet and dark environment

• leave the natural newborn's protection by not washing vernix layer off the skin.

Immediately after birth when your baby is peacefully lying on your body, you can start with a very sensitive and gentle massage. You take some organic fruit or vegetable oil and warm it in your palms, than you slowly caress your baby from neck to toes. After the first massage, which only lasts for couple of minutes you wrap your baby with a warm blanket or towel. This first gentle and relaxing touch helps baby to relax after birth and get positive impression of the life outside the womb.

 

In the following days you can continue to build skinship by patting our baby with warm and oily hands. The best is side-lying position after nursing. You put your bare-skinned baby next to you and caress her from shoulders down her hands, continue down her chest, hips and legs. After that you can use circle clock-wise moves on baby's back. You repeat those moves on the other side of baby's body by simply placing yourself on the other side of baby.

 
The other way of this first massage is to place your baby tummy-to-tummy on your bare chest. Than pat her by crossing her back from one shoulder from the opposite hip. Than repeat it from the opposite shoulder.

 

In those first days you can massage your baby twice a day for 5-8 minutes. When the baby accepts this routine you can continue with more sophisticated massage technique that using firmer and more effective moves. You can learn baby massage in classes held by certified instructors.

About the author:

Mojca Kurent is a nurse who dedicated her life to babies and young toddlers. She is constantly deepening her knowledge and skills as massage therapist, nutritionist and parenting consultant. Through her work she encourages parents to communicate with their children and parent them with patience and love. Her goal is to inspire the parents to provide their babies with health, creativity, inner peace, pride and compassion. She consults young parents in the areas of healthy lifestyle, baby massage, and nutrition. She strongly believes in what she calls »parenting from the heart«. You can get more information of her work at her site or visit her »mama and baby« exercise classes every week in Pilates center.