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Birth Balance Blog

A series of topics related to preconception, pregnancy, labor, birth, bonding, and post partum issues. Feel free to make suggestions for future topics.

HeartKeepersâ„¢

April 12th, 2011

HeartKeepersâ„¢

by Judith Elaine Halek and Sondra Wynne Fields

(Copyright 2010 Virtual Syncon Development Team & the Foundation for Conscious Evolution)

 

One-heartedness occurs when every single life form lives in harmony and balance with every other life form. It’s our true nature…encoded in our DNA. – John Kimmey (Last Carrier of the Hopi Prophesy, founder of The Sustainable Native Agriculture Center in New Mexico and author of Light On The Return Path.)

Introduction

The archetypal Wise Old Woman can be seen as the ultimate Heart Keeper as she is the mid-wife of both birth and death. She issues the beating heart of each Being into the world and when the time of the beating heart has ceased, she assists each Being on its evolving journey.

Prior to ten years ago, there was a group of Balinese men called ‘tukang kandung’ which translates as a ‘womb worker’. They assisted hundreds of babies using massage techniques and traditional herbs. These men received information about the traditions of this work from their fathers on their deathbeds. So generation after generation, only the male lineage would receive this sacred and privileged information.

These men could be seen as co-creating with the wise old woman as heart keeper by tapping into this most ancient of feminine archetypes.

Delving into the mystery and intrigue of the heart, take the word earth, put the ‘h’ at the beginning of earth and the new word is heart. Earth and heart are one.

The first peoples of Turtle Island, also known as the United States, honor the beating heart at all ceremonies. For them the beating of the drum represents the heartbeat of mother earth; the heartbeat of the people. For many indigenous people at the center of mother earth and her drum resides the hearth, (earth and heart combined) the center of nourishment brought forth by grandfather fire.

The Virtual SynCon must have a hearth that warms the heart and sustains it’s bright burning fire.

Labor Support Doulas assist women and their partners during labor and birth as Heart Keepers. They ‘hold the space’ for semblance and symmetry. This is done when someone on the birth team, (doctors, midwives, nurses, anesthesiologists, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, friends) becomes out of resonance with the core couple (mom/partner and baby). It is up to the Doula to help bring back the energy through communication, compromise and breath. Doulas help the couple to look at their options and ultimately encourage them to make the final decisions. A Doula, Heart Keeper, requires an inordinate amount of patience, ability to release ego, keep calm and quietly redirect the mother and/or partner into their bodies, breath and connection to their baby. ‘Doula’ is a Greek word meaning, “woman slave.” In Zulu, the word, ‘Dula’ means “To Be.

Doulas and Heart Keepers are ‘Be-ers’ in the group.

Definition and Duties

The Heart Keeper, female or male, attuned to the this ancient feminine energy, welcomes each beating heart into the group heart and stands available to assist each individual as they come forth to contribute and share their gifts. In this way the heart beat of the group is sustained and nourished. Likewise, if a heart no longer is willing or able to beat with the whole, it is the Heart Keeper who helps with the transition out of the group.

The heart is the first organ to develop in the fetus. It begins beating at 3 weeks and one day from fertilization and a group of organs called the circulatory system is the first body system to reach a functioning synergistic state. There are three basic components to the circulatory system. The heart serves as the pump, blood vessels carry the blood throughout the body and the lungs and the heart supplies oxygen.

Like the heart in the physical body, the Heart Keepers become the primary force within the body of the group. They pump support toward the life energy of each of it’s members by reminding everyone to ‘breathe’ when the supply of oxygen has become depleted. Oxygen depletion is indicated through a lack of individual or group resonance. How the Heart Keeper might implement is mentioned below.

In labor and birth when a woman chooses not to cut the umbilical cord and allow the natural uninterrupted detachment from the baby to it’s cord, it’s called a ‘lotus birth.’ The lotus bud blossoms on a flower and offers it’s pure beauty. The ‘lotus mudra’ in yoga represents the awakened heart initiated by Divine Grace. The Heart Keeper is like this lotus blossom. They quietly and succinctly like the flower, respond to the energetic exchanges of sound, breath, air and quiet.

What has been referred to as the Vagus Nerve Breath is a helpful breathing technique for increasing the flow of oxygen and relaxation into the body. This is a recommended tool for Heart Keepers to use and teach other group members:

Take a deep, deep breath into your belly

Let the breath out with an enjoyable, audible sigh…ahhhhh.

You will automatically smile

Your being will begin to open and relax

Breathing in this way activates the vagus nerve, a part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which releases the “cuddle hormone” oxytocin. This breathing technique could be utilized at the beginning of the meeting lead by the Heart Keeper and/or implemented throughout the meeting when the Heart Keeper deems it necessary.

Look at the core word in both heart and earth; ear. It has been said that “the eyes are the window to the soul yet, it is through the voice that we touch the soul.”

One of the duties of a Heart Keeper is being attuned to the individual voices within the group.The Heart Keeper listens to the underlying messages found between the words and underneath the expressions as guides to understanding

When a voice(s) is out of resonance a Heart Keeper will gently and lovingly bring that voice back into resonance if she/he feels this is a disruption to the group resonance.

The heart is the core, the center, the beating pulse. The Heart Keeper could begin and/or end a meeting with a beautiful drum beat after the resonance has been established reminding us all of the importance of keeping the heart of our group in its rhythmic beat.

The Heart Keeper is one who ‘holds the resonant heart space’ for the group to express individually and collectively. To accomplish this the Heart Keeper must be attuned to the heart pulse of the group using their highly sensitized antennae.

How to Sensitize The Heart Keeper Antennae

http://www.heartmath.com/Personal-Growth/Quick-Coherence-Technique.html

The Quick Coherence® Technique helps you create a coherent state, offering access to your heart’s intelligence. It uses the power of your heart to balance thoughts and emotions, helping you to achieve a neutral, poised state for clear thinking. It is a powerful technique that connects you with your energetic heart zone to help you release stress, balance your emotions and feel better fast.”

The Quick Coherence Technique takes–One Minute.

1. Step 1: Heart Focus–Focus your attention on the area around your heart, the area in the center of your chest.

2. Step 2: Heart Breathing–Breathe deeply but normally and feel as if your breath is coming in and out through your heart area.

3. Step 3: Heart Feeling– As you maintain your heart focus and heart breathing activate a positive feeling. Recall a positive feeling, a time when you felt good inside and try to re-experience the feeling. One of the easiest ways to generate a positive, heart based feeling is to remember a special place you’ve been to or the love you feel for a close friend, family member or treasured pet. This is the most important step.

Suggested Methods for Reestablishing Resonance

• First, use breath techniques, your own or those presented here, to bring yourself into coherent resonance and connection with the Divine Source within.

• Through the heartbeat of the drum — in the beginning, middle or end of the meeting — tune into Divine Source, the heart center of each in the group and establish energetic connection.

• Sound the drum for 30 seconds, pause in silence for 30 seconds and take the group through Quick Coherence Technique at the beginning of the meeting. This technique could also be used throughout the meeting requested by the group facilitator or initiated by the Heart Keeper.

• The Heart Keeper communicates with the group with gentle comments or questions to help empower people to speak their truth.

• Observe and witness the group as children in their fascination, curiosity and joyful discoveries.

• Recognize coherent and incoherent feelings in your body at the beginning, during and after the group gathering.

This will help to:

• Create a safe and secure environment for all individuals to speak and be heard.

• Generate a sense of belonging and connectedness.

• Set the tone for honoring each person’s place in the group.

Purpose

The Heart Keeper is here to sustain the group field of energy. The following is a story of how an indigenous culture in Mexico keeps their community in a healthy state by allowing the ebb and flow of life to unfold naturally.

The Huichol Indians of Mexico have access to a kind of genetic memory called the Iyari that connects them with all that has ever been and always will be. Traditionally, “Huichol people remembered this memory and acknowledged it daily.” The Iyari is described by some as being like a cord of light or energy that emanates from a person’s heart connecting one to this ancient memory, not unlike the core of the evolutionary spiral of which Barbara Marx Hubbard speaks. One can “know” or “remember” when the heart is open.

Huichol men still following the traditional way of life have soft feminine faces. Their “feminine side,” psychologists in this country would say, is well integrated; they find great joy in their children, are gentle, firm

Preparation (Before)

The Heart Keeper prepares him/herself by creating an intention to be keeper of heart communication. Space is made conducive to ‘attentive listening’ by closing the door, turning off disruptive rings, knocks or interruptions to create a quiet uninterrupted place.

Helpful Skills for a Heart Keeper to Cultivate

When there is peace within the heart, there is resonance. The Peace Keeper and Heart Keeper share the common goal of creating a peaceful harmony that nurtures creative growth. The following skills were inspired by the teachings of peace keeper, James O’Dea.

Preparation (Before)

The Heart Keeper prepares him/herself by creating an intention to be keeper of heart communication. Space is made conducive to ‘attentive listening’ by closing the door, turning off disruptive rings, knocks or interruptions to create a quiet uninterrupted place.

Elemental Concepts and Skills to Remember:

1. Everything is frequency–vibrating resonance. Everything is pulsing.

2. These frequencies synchronize with the universe in both qualities and quantities. It is helpful to strive to become a precise interpreter of energy.

3. With energy and consciousness patterns are created.

out and help to find resolution regarding the suggestion or conflict.

1. A non-judgmental mind allows one to see the pattern.

2. Lead from your center, your ground of being.

3. Negative energy is transformed when you speak from your core to the core of another.

4. Use Spiritual Akido. Go around the dissonance by going to the heart or soul of another. Using Spiritual Akido you act to transform the problem, to awake a solution.

5. Find common ground. Breath in new energy.

Energy does not go away: it waits to be transformed. When out of sync energy is present, a Heart Keeper can either step into it in a way that disarms the discordant aspect or step away from it, breathe and become the observer. Either approach will potentially place you in the center of the vortex where stillness and clarity abound.

Procedure (During)

At the beginning of each meeting the Heart Keeper requests everyone to set an intention to proceed with open hearts. While intentions are being initiated, a soft drumming could be sounded for 1 minute, followed by 1 minute of silence, broken by the sound of one drum beat.

SyncCon Pub

As stated in the introduction, every SynCon must have a hearth, (earth and heart) where people can come to kindle and rekindle the warmth of the group heart. That heart center is the SynCon Pub as illustrated in the story below.

In a little mountain town there was once a pub that came to be known as the “town womb.” Much like the pubs in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic, The Lord of the Rings, this pub was a place where folks came to meet, share good food, drink and laugh together. In this little pub, in this little mountain town much heartfelt news was shared over the years. They celebrated births, graduations, promotions, mourned deaths, supported each other through crisis and generally made it possible for all to remain in this rather rough and sometime difficult climate. Rich, poor, town officials and day labors, educated and uneducated, religious/nonreligious, it didn’t matter; all were accepted for who they were.

At this time in the history of this mountain community there were those who swore that the heart of the town kept beating because of this all inclusive meeting place. Spats and disagreements somehow got worked out and the town maintained it’s integrity. Things were down home, out in the open (it’s hard to hide in a small town) and real.

In a virtual SynCon community, it is paramount as proceedings unfold to openly voice and reinforce the understanding that differences are not just allowed; they are welcomed and embraced. No one need fear being the “odd man out” or the proverbial “rotten apple” disrupting the resonant field of the group. The intention is not to seek out conflicting thoughts, but to allow, accept, appreciate and make room for valued truth and honesty that is inherent in feeling free to voice differences. Differing ideas are welcomed. Questions about orchestration or implementation of group happenings are considered a vibrant and vital element of healthy community building.

SynCon Pub Follow Through

If a situation is too complex or involved to go into depth at any particular meeting, then the SynCon, Heart Keeper Pub is the next step, the safe place for the person(s) to go to express themselves. So often groups shy away from discord because they don’t know how to handle disagreement in a productive manner. They don’t have a pub to go to or a heart keeper to listen.

The Heart Keeper Pub is a virtual forum open 24/7 where members can go to safely have their voice heard if they felt not heard, start a dialogue regarding a disagreement or make suggestions to enhance certain procedures. With permission from an individual, the Heart Keeper can share with the group in the next meeting, what came up and out and help to find resolution regarding the suggestion or conflict.

Malcom Gladwell wrote the book, “Outliers”. Outliers is noun with the definitions: 1: Something that is situated away from or classed differently from a main or related body, 2: a statistical observation that is markedly different in value from the others of the sample.

In the introduction to “Outliers,” Gladwell writes about a community of people, migrating from Roseto Valfortore, one hundred miles southeast of Rome in the Italian province of Foggia. In January of 1882, a group of Rosetans, ten men and one boy, migrated to New York. They relocated to ninety miles west of New York City to the town of Bangor, Pennsylvania. In 1883, fifteen Rosetanas left Italy and joined the original eleven. In 1894, twelve hundred Rosetans migrated to Pennsylvania and left their old village abandoned.

In the 1950’s, studies were conducted by physicians and sociologists on the Rosetan’s and the results were as follows: there was no suicide, no alcoholism, no drug addiction and very little crime. No one was on welfare, no peptic

If a situation is too complex or involved to go into depth at any particular meeting, then the SynCon, Heart Keeper Pub is the next step, the safe place for the person(s) to go to express themselves. So often groups shy away from discord because they don’t know how to handle disagreement in a productive manner. They don’t have a pub to go to or a heart keeper to listen.

The Heart Keeper Pub is a virtual forum open 24/7 where members can go to safely have their voice heard if they felt not heard, start a dialogue regarding a disagreement or make suggestions to enhance certain procedures. With permission from an individual, the Heart Keeper can share with the group in the next meeting, what came up and ulcers or heart attacks before 65 years. People were dying of old age. So why were these people, this community considered outliers? And what initiated or supported these kinds of statistics? Was it diet, exercise, genetics, water or location?

After much investigation it was reported the single most crucial element for the health and well being of these people was the fact they lived, related and functioned as a community. People of all walks and economic status ate together, socialized together, and helped each other

There were no divisions or separations. It did not matter if there was someone acting as a Heart Keeper. They were Heart Keeper’s to each other. This community is a key example of how Heart Keeper Resonance is infiltrated within a large group of people where the health of the individuals and the community is influenced.

We can postulate what keeps a community healthy and vital is a strong shared purpose or desire. The Huichol People were bonded together by the spiritual path they walked. The Mountain People were bonded together by their love for the mountains and the environment in which they lived. The Rosetan People shared a deep cultural bond that literally migrated them as a whole community to a new country that offered a potential their country didn’t. Barbara Marx Hubbard, with her visionary eyes of an evolving humanity is the cohesive factor in attracting and holding together like hearted people that compose the SynCon.

“Harness the energies of love, and so for the second time in the history of humanity discover fire.”- Teilhard de Chardin

Closure

• Records any notes needed for further reminders and situations of attention.

• Closes the space energetically.

• Creates a gratitude prayer.

• Is available if an individual is needing a compassionate listener after the program is concluded.

Multi Media Presentation

1. http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=21409

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eFn8Cgcx8g

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WHERE TO HAVE A BABY: HOME / HOSPITAL / BIRTHCENTER

April 6th, 2011


Photos and Articles Birth Balance copyright 2011

When making a decision of where to have your baby there are a score of questions to consider:

1.   Measure of Risk vs. Control.

2.  Pain Management vs. Natural Coping Tools (How do you personally view medicine: do you trust or mistrust the medical model medicine or would prefer the alternative coping tools?)

3.  Baby-Centered ASPECT:  considering what’s important to you:

a. Separation of the baby at birth.

b.  Potential Medications going into your Baby. (These could be allopathic or alternative medicines.)

4.  Where do you feel SAFE / SUPPORTED? Most important question to ask yourself.

5.   What are your greatest FEARS with birth?

6.  Why are you choosing the place to have your baby?

7.  Have you ever SEEN a birth? TV, internet, film, live?

8.   What was YOUR BIRTH like?  What about your siblings?  Grandmothers?

9.   Were you breastfed? How long?

10.  What is an image of an IDEAL BIRTH?

11.  AUTHORITY, what does that mean to you?  You may need to let someone else make decisions for you and your baby. If this is your preference,  labor doulas/assistants,  will give you information regarding personal choices and you will either assume that power or give the power away be it to a medical caregiver, doula, childbirth educator, sister, friend, or a mother.

Homebirth and Hospital environments are at one end of the spectrum and a Birth Center is a happy medium whether it is located in hospital or free standing out of hospital.

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When I interviewed a mother of two, planning a Home Birth, the following were MOST important to her:

1.  EMPOWERMENT:  Feeling like she had some sort of say/power/control/connection with what was happening during her pregnancy, labor and birth.  Surrounding herself with a TEAM of women to support  HER NEEDS, not their agenda’s.

2. READING: two favorite books:

a. Nurturing Your Unborn Child, By Thomas Verny, Pam Weintraub

b. Continuum Concept, Jean Liedloff

3.  MEDICAL PERSON:  Visits with the MIDWIFE, even though the midwife was not warm and fuzzy, she was supportive to the mother’s wishes and did not ‘yes’ her at the prenatals.

a.  She had a NUTRITIONIST on staff who had the mother write down one week’s diet. The nutritionist went over it with her to make sure she was getting all the appropriate nutrients included in her diet.

This mother, who’d not eaten yogur,t was told by a friend, “EAT YOGURT…you need yogurt.”  The midwife asked her if she even liked  yogurt and the mother said NO…so the suggestion was to bone up on other protein and calcium foods  she DID eat and like. She didn’t do something because someone told her to do it.

4.  DOULA: Having another set of hands, a friend, a doula, someone who could communicate with her without even speaking…knowing exactly where to massage, or bring her something to drink or eat was invaluable!  Chemistry was very important!!.

(THE PARENTS MAY BE INTERVIEWING THE DOULA and THE DOULA IS INTERVIEWING THE PARENTS.)

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When I interviewed a mother of three, pregnant with her fourth child, planning on a Hospital Birth, the following were MOST important to her:

1. EXERCISE: Helped labor go more smoothly, body felt more toned, strong during pregnancy and labor.  Recovery was faster, more in touch with her body, and found exercising everyday was really important.

a.  With one baby, she exercised more often than with the others. As a result of this, she feels her baby girl is much stronger in her body than her other children because of that.

2. MASSAGE: Towards the end of the pregnancy and even earlier stages she was having regular massage. (once a week.) It helps to release the pain in her body, the back, etc. and helped her to feel more comfortable, particularly in the last few months.  It was a time for bonding with her baby and her doula.  It’s important the doula bond with the baby as well.

3. DOULA: Incredible, ultimate support to have someone there with the knowledge, experience and insights as to what might happen next, or what to do when things were happening.  Doula’s know what to ask and how to make her more comfortable.

4. READING: 10 books at my bedside…can’t really remember…all.

a.  Week to Week book on Development: her favorite:

b.   Pregnancy Week-by-Week [Spiral-Bound] Jane McDougall

c.  Was reading some book on a special breathing technique from Switzerland…never really helped me…second birth pushing stage was really important what she did that time..blow instead of push hard!!.

5. OBSTETRICIAN: She chose an OB instead of a midwife.  The bad thing about it was it was a group practice instead of a private practice and it was random who she would get for the birth.  She felt they were all good doctors, but didn’t like the randomness.

6. HOSPITAL SETTING:  She had expectations of what it would be like. Checking in was annoying, but she dealt with that.  She was pleased with the nurses and staff overall and  felt most safe to have her babies there.

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When I interviewed a mother with her first pregnancy, planning on a Birth Center, the following were MOST important to her:

1.  CONVENIENT FOR INSURANCE: because they decided not to have a home birth, this was the best of both worlds.

2.  CHOICE REASON: The husband was not comfortable to do the home birth, perfect balance in his mind.  RISK FREE:  to him meant being IN a birth center, close to the facilities that could help out, “just in case”.

There was no luxuriating in the Birth Center.  They wanted her out within 12 hours postpartum. She wanted to be out because the nurses were mad at her she wouldn’t get out of the tub when she was pushing so in turn, they were less gentle with her baby.

3. DOULA: was key to her birth because her doula was a ‘water specialist.’  This was the most important factor for her…more than her medical caregiver who knew nothing about water birth. Her 1st birth was on the obstetrical floor and the 1st underwater birth at that hospital. Her 2nd child, was at the same hospital in the birth center this time, underwater.

4. PREPARATION FOR BIRTHS:  Because of the desire to have a waterbirth this mother read a number of waterbirth books, articles and watched one video out at that time.  This was 1993 & 1996.  The father’s comments were, “laboring and birthing in water is more like making love.” The childbirth education was mandatory for them to be in the birth center but they did not find it particularly valuable.

5. BIRTH PLAN: The obstetrician suggested and encouraged the mother to have a BIRTH PLAN and to hang it in the birth room on the wall so the nurses and other staff people could see her wishes.  The DOULA also supported the idea.  It was more important in the preparation of doing it because it helped her be clear about what she wanted and not wanted.

6. BEFORE PG – COLONICS: With the first pregnancy, she did a lot of them  in order to get ready for the pregnancy which helped her feel more balanced and clean.  At 36 years old, she conceived her child on the first try.  With the second child almost 3 years later, she didn’t do any colonics and it took 3 months to conceive.

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When I interviewed a father of three, pregnant with their fourth child, planning on a Hospital Birth, the following were MOST important to him:

1.  WHY CHOSE A HOSPITAL BIRTH: He didn’t really draw a line with their decision to go to a hospital as a major decision.  He realize he’d never been at a home birth and had nothing  to compareit to other than, several couples he know who’d completely gone the other way and had no doctors visits with the following results:

1.  delivered a stillborn at home with a midwife,

2. child almost died because the cord was tangled around its neck,

3.  delivered at 27 weeks, had a C section and the baby is still in the NICU (had she not gotten there asap, it would have been disastrous).

For him, understanding  the protocol in the hospital was essential not because he had to obey it, but because being in the hospital environment offered him options in case something went wrong. Options that might not be available quick enough when doing a home birth.  Although these kinds of complications are a small possibility in childbirth, his understanding is there is little time after a complication occurs to make decisions.

2. DOULA: -Was helpful as being well educated and conveying, not everything he hospital requires HAS to be done when the hospital wants it done.

3.  WIFE CARE: It was very important to this father to make sure his partner is able to feel calm and  she was in good hands to focus on her “delivery.”  This was achieved by the combination of having the right food, water, doctor and level of support from everyone in a relaxed manner.

4.  COMMUNICATIONS WITH Obstetrician: His prior experiences with an obstetrician in a hospital was the understanding there might be times in the process when the parents are questioned. If that happens not to take it personally. This was a tough one because the parents have to have enough self-confidence to stay centered in that situation.

5.  SUMMARY: He thinks the most important thing is to understand that being well prepared requires good education, That’s where I think a doula or birth assistant invaluable!

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From MY perspective, the MOST important  key elements at any birth:

BREATH / BODY / BABY

1. Stay connected to your BREATH, which is your heart coherence center.

2. Stay present by being IN your BODY as opposed to leaving or numbing your body.

3. Always keep the lines of communication and connection open with your BABY.

TRUTH AS I KNOW IT:

As a birth caregiver, I can get the word out there but ultimately, it is up to the mother and baby to integrate, assimilate and implement the information or suggestions to the best of their ability.  There are no failures, there is only experience and from that experience is the potential for learning, growth and finding  peace with whatever unfolds.

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HeartKeepersâ„¢: Birth Caregivers for the 21st Century

April 5th, 2011

HeartKeepers™:  Birth Caregivers for the 21st Century

If the 20th Century has been considered the ‘Century of Brain Studies,’

I believe the 21st Century will be the ‘Century of Heart Studies.’

Over the last 27 years I have been reading about heart focused healing, studying the heart coherence sciences through Institute of HeartMath: http://www.heartmath.org/, reading numerous books, articles, websites, watching films and participating in teleconferences on the topic.

I realized after my first introductory course with the HeartMath, l birth caregivers are, ‘HeartKeepersâ„¢’.  We hold the space for every member of the team to express themselves as well as advocate for the parents and baby.

As a result of this, on March 27, 2011, presented a 3 hour teleconference sharing the latest heart field research, clarify the difference between Quantum and Neutonian physics and explain how the energy fields around our bodies affect the dynamics of  people  around as well as a global affect.

If you are interested in learning more you may purchase the mp3 time sensitive, hyperlink and PDF’s to this teleconference by clicking here: http://www.birthbalance.com/courses/heart.asp

For your benefit, I’ve added the objectives, pdf’s and course outline below.

OBJECTIVES:

•  You will be able to define what a meme is, give examples of birth meme’s and develop your own meme as it applies to your personal and professional life.

•  You will be able to define the difference and understand the significance of the difference between Newtonian Physics and Quantum Physics.

•  You will be able to understand from an individual and global perspective what a Field of Energy is, as well as give examples of each.

•  You will be able to list and explain 5 recognizable responses of physiological coherence.

•  You will be able to recall 3 revolutionary discoveries about the heart and it’s intrinsic nervous system.

•  You will be able to list 5 scientific discoveries about the heart sciences.

•  You will be introduced to and experience as well as understand how to apply 3 DreamBirth Imagery™ exercises to your personal and professional life.

PDF’S

-        Extensive Bibliography of books, films, websites which include heart coherence studies and conscious fertility/pregnancy and birth.

-        3 DreamBirth Imagery™ Exercises:

  • 1. Blue Vase – energizing and detoxification exercise for you and your clients.
  • 2. Solar Plexus – build self confidence, enhances personal power and bringing in clients and work.
  • 3. Duality – taking two opposing perceptions and dissolving the illusion of separation into oneness

(The PDF’s will be MAILED to you AFTER the teleconference.)

COURSE OUTLINE

1. Introductions

2. Logistics:

•  Recommended supplies: paper (for notes), colored pens/pencils, 2 Q-TIP’S

•  FOOD/DRINK:  We will be together for 3 hours and you need to hydrate and                       nourish yourself for an optimal heart and brain connection.

3. Memes

•  Definition

•  Birth Memes

•  Your own Meme

•  Q&A

4. The Field of Energy

•  Definition and origin of the “UNIVERSAL FIELD”

•  Difference between Newtonian and Quantum Physics

• Dr. Bruce Lipton  • Lynn McTaggart  • Gregg Braden • Dr. Emoto  •  Abraham Hicks

•  Heart Math Institute Studies (Intro)

• Q&A

5.   Heart Sciences (vs. Brain Science)

•  History

•  Research and Science behind Heart Studies

•  Coherency vs. incoherent

•  Discuss Bibliography –refer to books, authors, films

•  Continuation of Studies:  Heart Math Institute™

•  Q&A

6. Dream Birth Imageryâ„¢

•  Background

• Exercises + Discussion:

-Blue Vase

-Solar Plexus

-Duality

•  Q&A

 

A  Tomato has four chambers and is red. The  heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes  are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart  and blood food.

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Welcoming New Life Through The Heart

April 5th, 2011

Article and Photography – Birth Balance Copyright 2011

There is no, more honorable work than assisting a newborn onto the planet.  Since 1987 I’ve had the fortune of sharing my talents and skills as a professional Labor Assistant (doula) with parents as they birth their babies. We are ‘Heart Keepers’ as we ‘hold the space’ for semblance and symmetry. When someone in the birth team, (doctors, midwives, nurses, anesthesiologists, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, friends) become out of resonance with the core couple (mom/partner and baby), it’s up to the doula to help bring back the energy through communication, compromise and breath. I help the couple to look at their options and encourage them, to make the final decisions. As a Heart Keeper doula, I am required to be patient, release my ego, calmly and quietly redirect the mother and/or partner into their bodies, breath and connection to their baby. ‘Doula’ is a Greek word meaning, “woman assistant.” In Zulu, the word, ‘Dula’ means “To Be.

And now, in the Spring of 2011, I experience many individuals sharing their gifts and talents as the global heart awakens to a new potential human, like the newborn, reflecting the possibility of their greatest good.  The planet is in a chrysalis state, moving out of the old paradigm of the caterpillar to the ultimate expression of the butterfly.

As a baby begins with the union of seed from father and egg from mother, new life emerges and forms in the aquatic chrysalis within the mother’s womb.  The heart, the first organ to develop in the fetus, begins beating at 3 weeks and one day from fertilization. Here’s a cryptic play on the word EARTH:  take the H and place it in front of the E and the new word is HEART.  We are born onto a ‘heart planet’.

The latest Heart Coherence studies are discovering the heart has it’s own nervous system more powerful than the brain/spine nervous system.  Scientists have measured and proven we have an emotional response before a thought.  The emotions are indicators as to what we think, good or bad. Further studies show when a subject is looking at a series of images flashed before their eyes, there is an anticipated, precognitive feeling of the next image within seconds before it is flashed in front of them.

Is this science fiction or the ability to measure that, which has always been within us?  These are exciting times we live in.  How do you share through the heart?

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Aromatherapy During Pregnancy

May 16th, 2010

I have been doing Bodywork for the pre/post natal woman since 1987. In my work, I combine a number of modalities which result in the sessions becoming uniquely tailored to each individual. Based on what the woman or partner is going through, I will work accordingly with the aromatherapy essences.

Enjoy the touch, smell, sense of well being the aromas bring to you, your baby, or partner you are working with. Let the room become infused with the essence of healing!

The following is a list of essences to assist and/or avoid during the time of pregnancy.

BASIL

General tonic can relieve nervous tension, flatulence and nausea and aids digestion.

BENZOIN

Helpful in all “cold” conditions, such as flue, colds, coughs and bronchitis and for the relief of gout and rheumatoid arthritis. Beneficial in times of sadness and loneliness as combined with neroli or rose.

BERGAMOT

Safe throughout pregnancy. Effective in helping treat the irritation, stinging and tenderness caused by urinary tract infections which may develop during pregnancy. Uplifting, light and refreshing, helping relieve depression and anxiety.Used as a treatment for loss of appetite, colic and intestinal infection.Caution: phototoxic and can cause a skin reaction when exposed to UV light, from either sunlamp or sunlight.

BLACK PAPER

Stimulating oil, its principle areas of action being on the respiratory, digestive and urinary system. Blends well with the fortifying benefits of frankincense and sandalwood and can restore tonus to lax, smooth muscles. Gives relief from stiff muscles and with its pronounced stimulating action on digestive tract, can help with constipation, flatulence, loss of appetite and with atonic dyspepsia. Caution: only small amount is ever needed.

CEDARWOOD

Should NOT be used during pregnancy.

CHAMOMILE

Safe ONLY after 16 weeks. Effective for relieving muscle spasm experienced as back ache, or discomfort due to infection within the urinary tract.

CYPRESS

Safe throughout pregnancy /Avoid during the pregnancy (conflict). A powerful astringent and circulatory tonic that is useful as a treatment for varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Also helps relieve excessive foot perspiration commonly experienced during the pregnancy.

FRANKINCENSE

Safe Throughout pregnancy.One of the most useful oil for use during pregnancy. Effective in helping the user cope with extremely stressful situations, inducing a state of concentration. The fortifying action gives tonus to loose skin and can help with engorged breasts.

GERANIUM

Safe throughout pregnancy, Good for poor circulation, edema, breast engorgement, stress and anxiety. Helps to restore hormonal equilibrium. (Contradiction) Should be avoided during the first trimester of pregnancy, and only used in low dilution for the remaining time, unless under the guidance of a professional Aromatherapist.

JASMINE

Safe only after 16 weeks. Calming and relaxing, encouraging optimism and confidence.

JUNIPER

In homeopathy, under the name of threatened miscarriage and metrorrhagia, however AVOID the use of juniper during the pregnancy, this primary due to its action on the kidneys.

LAVENDER

Safe throughout pregnancy.

Has a wide range of therapeutic qualities:

·Analgesic

·Encourages the healing of damaged tissue

·Prevents excess scar tissue developing

·Relieves headaches

·Settle the stomach

·Stimulate the immune system, helping protect the user from infection

·Useful in helping treat constipation

·Has a smoothing and gentle presence for helping reduce high blood pressure

Frequently used to enhance the action of many other essential oils. In case of morning sickness, place a drop of the oil on a handkerchief and inhale.

LEMON

Safe throughout pregnancy. Helps tone the circulation and reduce tissue congestion. Stimulate the immune system, improving the use’s resistance to infection. Caution: Phototoxic, may cause irritation.

LEMONGRASS

The effectiveness in stimulating stress related weakness has been shown to help in encouraging milk production and digestion.

MANDARIN

Safe throughout pregnancy. Helps soothe and settle the nervous system and digestive tract, encourages optimism. Caution: possibly phototoxic.

MARJORAM

A powerful sedative, an aphrodisiac and can lower blood pressure. It is therefore NOT recommended for use during pregnancy.

MELISSA

Can promote relaxation and good sleep and it is a very gentle oil, is safe to use over a long period of time or with delicate or frail people.

MYRRH

Should NOT be used at all during pregnancy due to its use as an emmenagogue to promote menstruation.

NEROLI

Safe throughout pregnancy. Acts as a sedative for the nervous system, relieving stress and state of depression. Also good for nourishing the growing layer of the skin in treatments for stretch marks.

ORANGE

Safe throughout pregnancy. Helps tone and stimulate the digestive tract, and is useful for digestive upsets. Bright and energizing. Caution: phototoxic.

PARSELY

Should NOT be used during pregnancy or on children.

PATCHOULI

Safe throughout pregnancy. Good for treating inflamed skin and preventing the development of infection. Also works well as a nerve tonic and is useful in helping overcome anxiety. However, rather like ginseng, a lot depends upon the state of mind of the individual.

PEPPERMINT

Safe only after 16 weeks / has to be avoided during pregnancy (contradiction). Valuable for helping treat all digestive problems, nausea and headaches. Also relieves breast engorgement by reducing the circulation to breast tissue. May used in footbaths to refresh and deodorize tired and aching feet. Caution: skin irritant in concentration. In case of morning sickness, place a drop of the oil on a handkerchief and inhale.

ROSE

Avoid using rose during pregnancy unless under the provision of a professional Aromatherapist.Relaxing and soothing when experiencing anger or intense emotions. The profound positive effect on the emotions, it can be related to its influence on the female productive organs.Also helps regulate hormone balance following childbirth.

ROSEMARY

Safe only late pregnancy / Avoid during pregnancy (contradiction). Avoid in cases of high blood pressure. Good for encouraging the circulation needed for the production and flow of breast milk. Also useful for states of tiredness and fatigue.

ROSEWOOD

Has a gentle yet positive effect and is of particular benefit during pregnancy.

SAGE

Can be a very useful oil for pregnancy and childbirth, yet it can be toxic in certain circumstances and should be strictly avoided unless the treatment of a fully qualified Aromatherapist. It is not for home use.

SANDALWOOD

Safe throughout pregnancy.Recommended for impotence, physical tonic, especially for the reproductive organs.Useful when treating urinary tract infections. Relaxing and supportive.

TEA-TREE

Safe throughout pregnancy. Aid the damaged tissue while helping prevent the development of infection.Its antiseptic and antifungal effect is good for treatment for female problems, such as fungal conditions, urinary or sinus infections.

THYME

Toxic in certain circumstances and should not be used during pregnancy.

YLANG YLANG

Safe throughout pregnancy. Good for high blood pressure, stress, anxiety. Anti-depressant. Because of its “heady” aroma, it is not recommended to use on those prone to headaches. Effective against introversion, emotional coldness, anger and frustration and is recommended for frigidity and impotence or for those with sexual debility.

Essential oils to be completely avoided during pregnancy:

·AngelicaAniseed·Armoise·Arnica (not to be confused with homeopathic remedy)· Basil Birch Black Pepper Boldo Leaf Buchi Caluamus Camphor·Caraway· Cassia Cedarwood Chamomile Cinnamon· Clary Sage Clove·Cedar wood· Elecampane Fennel· Fir Ginger Horseradish Hyssop·Marjoram· Melissa Mugwort· Mustard Myrrh· Nightshade Nutmeg· Oregano Origanum· Parsley Seed Pennyroyal· Peppermeint Pine Rose Rosemary Rue Sage· Sassafras Savin Savory· Southernwood Stinging Nettle Tansy·Tarragon·Thuja·Thyme (both Red and Linalol)·Wintergreen Wormseed Wromwood.

Essential oils that must be used with caution during pregnancy:

·Chamomile·Clary Sage·Peppermint·Rose·Rosemary

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Lotus Birth: Trend or Risk

December 17th, 2009

This is an interesting article about not cutting the cord after the baby’s birth. This is called, a ‘lotus birth’. When I broach the topic to some people they are disgusted. Others are fascinated and still others ask many questions. Read on and enjoy the information.

LOTUS BIRTHING: TREND OR RISK

BY MONICA ORBE/ MEDILL
 DEC 03, 2009

(http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=151179)

Named for the lotus flower, lotus birthing is becoming a trend in home birthing circles where parents opt to keep the baby attached to the placenta.

It raises questions about the practice of cord clamping right after birth and raises eyebrows in the medical community where many doctors contend this birthing practice poses unnecessary risks of infection.

Lotus birthing means the baby’s cord is not immediately clamped or cut. The parents and their midwife instead opt to have the placenta remain attached to nourish the baby and let it fall off naturally.

During this period before it does fall off, parents clean, salt and  wrap the placenta, usually in a cloth diaper. This option is not  offered in hospitals and some hospitals don’t even allow the  parents to take the placenta home.

People who have chosen lotus birthing said they believe that the placenta is providing the baby with nutrients and oxygen even after it separates from the uterus.

At the very least, they contend the clamping and cutting of the cord should only be done after the cord stops pulsating.

The immediate clamping and cutting of the cord as soon as the baby is delivered, the standard at hospitals, may deprive the baby of the ability to transition from a liquid-based environment to an oxygen-based environment, according to supporters of delayed clamping.

American obstetrician Dr. George M. Morley is considered a champion of delayed cord clamping. Morley’s argument for the delay is that cutting before the umbilical cord has stopped pulsating could mean that the baby is being deprived of oxygen and nutrients. If a child becomes hypoxic (it lacks oxygen) and ischemic (lacks blood flow), Morley believed the child could be placed at greater risk of brain damage.

The argument for delayed cord clamping is often used as a springboard for those who believe in lotusbirthing, a more extreme version of delayed cord clamping.

Some doctors are becoming more accepting of delayed cord clamping, but they criticize the idea of lotus birthing methods.

High risk obstetrician Dr. Mara Dinsmoor questions the safety of both delayed cord clamping and lotus birthing. “The concerns are that, because there is quite a bit of blood in the placenta, you may end up with a baby whose blood count is too high from doing that,” she said.

She said that too much blood in the baby’s system due to the delayed clamping has been known to cause blood clots and sludging in the baby’s organs, which could result in damage to those organs. She also said that carrying the placenta around could be a “potential infectious risk.”

Dinsmoor also said that she believes lotus birthing may not really be of any use. “Fairly soon after the baby is born those umbilical vessels…basically are obliterated. So you are not getting anything really good from the placenta through those umbilical vessels,” she said.

But, lotus birthing is gaining popularity because women choosing to take more control of their pregnancy are asking questions and turning to the Internet for answers.

Chicago attorney Leonard Hudson and his wife Gayle  Hudson, a stay-at-home-mother, said they discovered lotus  birthing on a Web site.

Gayle Hudson said she had only one priority: “What is going  to give [my baby] the best start in her life? And I thought –  the least amount of drugs, the least amount of stress.”

Hudson’s said her fear of having a birth in an environment  where she felt doctors and nurses see birth as surgery,  made her choose home birth. After making this decision,  her mind turned to more alternative birthing methods and  she found and researched lotus birthing.

After about three days of carrying around their baby with the placenta attached, the Hudson’s decided it was time to cut the cord. Gayle Hudson said the placenta had become unwieldy and the couple feared their child would get tangled up in it.

The Hudson’s urge other parents to take control of their birthing experience by educating themselves.

“Part of the organizing principle of our birth plan was the timing of it should be set by Gayle and the child,” letting nature take its course, said Leonard Hudson. “So having the lotus birth was sort of a continuation of that.”

To see video of LOTUS BIRTHS: THE DEBATE By Monica Orbe with Medill Reports to to:

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=151179

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©2001 – 2009 Medill Reports – Chicago, Northwestern University.  A publication of the Medill School.

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Lotus Birth in Turin

December 17th, 2009

Living on the east coast of the United States, NYC precisely, one will not find so many women opting for leaving the umbilical cord attached until it falls off the baby naturally.  I find it fascinating, and there are parts of the U.S. as well as around the world where it is a natural custom or personal choice.  Here is a story of a progressive Hospital that is ‘waking up’ to the idea that MAYBE it might actually be a good thing.

PREGNANCY – PART – Paediatrics    21/4/2009

pixel.gifLotus Birth: born naturally. In Turin

In Turin, the first major hospital that gave birth to a baby … with the placenta. The opinion of the expert and the testimony of mothers

LUIGI WORLD OF THE PRINCE AND STEFANIA

Birth in water, painless childbirth, epidural anesthesia are all terms that expectant mothers feel appoint at least once. Instead of a period which speak little or no thirst and “second nature.” And it is likely that almost none has ever been asked how it wishes to happen, the second, or the final phase of childbirth, which consists in the expulsion of the placenta.

But there’s something new and, although not yet become a routine practice, many parents are already experiencing the second natural birth or the placenta or the “Lotus birth.

According to experts, is the most gentle and less traumatic to bring to light a child.

The method is very simple and is to leave the placenta attached to the baby for a few days (on average 3 or 4) until natural detachment. This gradual separation could provide the child, even a small amount of placental blood useful for the formation of the immune system.

“We know that the placenta is formed from the division of the same cells that form the fetus, then baby and placenta have the same DNA. Lotus Birth is the birth that deeply respects the importance of this union’s biological child with her placenta, “explains Susanna Swapana Hinnawi, Breathworker and Counselor ICC (Inner Child Codependency). Referee for Italy’s birth Lotus Birth.

“In the Lotus Birth, in fact, the umbilical cord is cut, but expects that detaches itself from the navel when the child is ready for separation.” Susanna Hinnawi Continue “on average, the wait is three to four days . When the cord comes off spontaneously, the umbilicus does not need medication or special care, it is tightly closed and healed, in times less than when severed the umbilical cord. ”

What are the benefits of this mode of delivery? We ask Susanna

“It’s hard to have to summarize in a few words … Speaking from a physiological point of view, the connection to the placenta causes the baby receives all the rich oxygenated blood, important for the proper development of organs still immature at this delicate stage of adjustment. When the cord is cut in the opening minutes, the placenta remains to be third to 50% of the blood that should go to the baby! Another aspect to consider is that of breathing, being under the pulmonary system a perfect autonomy, continues to be from two sources in parallel: the placenta and lungs. Then, if the cord is cut, we avoid separating the child from his birth mother, a union which must absolutely be preserved! But what struck me most is the emotional and psychological. Training for staff believe that birth is the cornerstone on which to build their lives. Born without trauma, in a respectful and friendly is definitely a good start on which is easier to develop aspects of character of completeness and integrity. Keeping together the biological unit formed by the baby and placenta, avoiding any kind of injury, both physical and emotional. If we are not “wounded,” we are at peace. There are no scientific studies demonstrating the benefits of Lotus Birth, but from what I started to notice, children born without cutting the cord, show generally a strong immune system, a pronounced tendency to socialization and autonomy . Someone called them “beings complete. Moreover there are many studies showing how important it is to delay cutting the cord until the end of the pulse, well, the Lotus Birth is merely an extension of this delay that is safe, but, rather, brings additional benefits.

So the Lothus Birth should not be seen as a particular technique to be used during  childbirth, but a conscious and responsible choice that guarantees health and  wealth to the unborn.

“I would point out that this mode must be understood as a piece in the mosaic that  makes up a responsible choice of birth ‘points Suanna Hinnawi” A birth in which the  woman picks up herself, is in contact with your body, with its emotions and fears,  has chosen to be with his child, the only protagonist. An event that should not be  delegated to anyone except her ability to procreate mammal: so from spectator to player, from lamb to lioness! After this introduction, the Lotus Birth may also occur after a cesarean section, in all those conditions in which the placenta is healthy and there are no other impediments. Indeed, after a caesarean, as well as a premature baby, it would be more desirable because it provides an excellent support to the respiratory system that in both cases is greater compromise. ”

We understand that in Italy is a technique almost unknown, there are other countries where it is practiced more often?

“In Italy the Lotus Birth was introduced in 2004, when it was translated and published the book in Australia” Lotus Birth: the integral, born with the placenta. ” In recent years, our association has been working to publicize this way of coming into the world maybe a little ‘unusual, but certainly natural, and above all no contraindications. Children are born in our homes, maternity homes and even in those hospitals where doctors “enlightened” or maybe even just curious, have allowed to happen. In Australia and Canada is a very common mode since the end of the ’70s.

Lotus Birth may be required in an Italian hospital?

“The hospitals have their protocol from which hardly differ. However, as I said above, some doctors areparticularly sensitive, especially in structures of the province, have accepted the Lotus Birth, into the protocol in a hospital official.

The paradox is that although there are no scientific studies that demonstrate the need to cut the umbilical cord, the failure to cut it often needs to be proven scientifically! I welcome the availability of wanting to start a search, unfortunately, are funds that fall outside our capabilities. ”

It is true that one of the first hospitals to test the technique Lotus Birth was the Sant’Anna di Torino?

“Not really. The Sant’Anna di Torino was perhaps the largest hospital in which both happened. Moreover, thanks to a very tenacious and determined mother, the first Lotus Birth was in 2006 in a hospital in the province of Mantua. Despite initial resistance imaginable, now this is one of the public in which it can take birth.

To make us even more aware of what is the Lotus Birth. We ask those who have experienced directly and that Eusebius Prabhat and Monica Farinella, parents of small Deva was born December 16, 2008 right in the Sant’Anna di Torino.

Before you try this new experience, you had a little ‘fear or any doubt?

“The first time we heard about the Lotus Birth was during the course of our pre-  natal eldest Munay, midwives have referred to this technique, namely the ability to  not sever the umbilical cord and leaving the child attached to the placenta, until  natural detachment. For us it was immediately clear that the party had done with  this mode, bought and read the book I had no doubt or fear in wanting to run the  integral part. ”

What sensations did you feel with the Lotus Birth?

“Around the baby in those days is a feeling of sacredness, all emotions are amplified, the strongest feeling is to assist the mystery of creation in a way that reflects and respects the time of life and nature, since in last 100 years, the event of birth was completely “industrialized” to the paradox of planned caesarean. The two cases are differentiated by Lotus in the duration of the days when the cord is still attached to the placenta, Munay let go of her placenta between the 6th and 7th days, Deva between the 3rd and 4th. ”

And the Sant’Anna hospital staff? There was skepticism on the part of doctors?

“Rather than skepticism, we would say ostracism. The new, if it is not known scares. Our civilization isfounded on dogmas at all levels, suffice it to say that the hospital protocol the placenta is considered a refusal and not an organ, where there is not sold (but that’s another story). The amazing thing is that the medical director of a company as the S. Anna, talking in terms of ownership of the placenta, to my question, but you can not deny the biological origin of the placenta, as a result of insemination sperm / ovum has not been able to answer, the answer is that the logic can shatter any dogma, then we realize the opening of minds and accept new truths.

Eventually, after more than two hours of discussion, we came out tonight with Girls and placenta, and a historic declaration by a hospital, a certificate stating that a health worker can not sever the umbilical cord without parental consent, statement written that actually opens a new way to natural childbirth. Thanks S. Anna.

The birth occurred even without the aid of oxytocin, monitoring, epidural, episiotomy, antibiotics, the delivery room couch, pushed manuals, etc.. because a choice like this?

“The party, as for the first child has been without outside intervention. The woman does not feel and no longer knows his body, or rather, knows only through the models of media, lifting and correction in a meaningless race against time. For generations, childbirth is seen as an agonizing suffering, when the best thing would be to be able to experience together with operators who know the rhythms of nature, women are able to help a pregnant woman to be aware that childbirth is not a ‘ operation, and that all women, with a working knowledge about themselves, and a proper preparation (mental and physical) can have a natural birth without medical intervention. Should allow time to the woman and the child to feel and communicate with each other, and having close of discreet … the rest takes place naturally. ”

After your experience, is there anything you feel to inform readers of “LaStampa.it?”

“What our experience is told in a free book download from www.bambininuovi.com. The greatest contribution we can make to humanity and the best gift we can do for our children is closer to the pregnancy with a deep sense of respect for the mystery that is, knowing that only our ability to inform and to choose the path fewer artifacts, and our courage, can make a difference. What we as humanity is the result of what we have tried so far, let’s try something new and waiting … waiting for the results read, informiamoci, seeking new ways to be born and to live accordingly. ”

For more information:

Websites:

http://www.lotusbirth.it/

http://www.partonaturale.org/parto/lotusbirth.php

www.bambininuovi.com

Events

“Laboratory of birth – meetings and stories”

1 to 3 May 2009, at Officinale, in the park of Castle Belgioioso (Pavia), on the topic of birth with the experts.

Every story of birth is unique and special and teaches us something. For this association CHILDBIRTH, Lotus Birth Italy along with the National Association of midwives for childbirth at home and BambiGioi organized three days to deepen various topical issues in the world of birth.

Books

“Lothus Birth: the integral, born with the placenta” – by Shivam Rachana – Amrita Editions

E-book: http://www.bambininuovi.com/nascita_armoniosa.pdf

Videos

Breast-feeding to the Breast but… also INTEGRAL BIRTH, with the Placenta – “LOTUS BIRTH” – Part 6  ( In Italian)

(Allattamento al Seno ma… anche NASCITA INTEGRALE, con la Placenta – “LOTUS BIRTH” – Parte 6)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkCjpyNhx6U&feature=player_embedded

PHOTOS Lotus Birth: born naturally (7 Photographs)

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Delayed Cord Clamping

December 17th, 2009

I have always believed the delayed cord clamping would be beneficial for the baby as well as the mother. The paper below presents control studies indicating the BENEFITS of delayed cord clamping for the baby.  IF you are going to proceed with cord blood storage, you will NEED to cut the cord IMMEDIATELY in order to preserve the precious stem cells into the vial for potential future use.  It is ONLY as a result of this preservation that the cord be cut immediately.  We have YET to see controlled studies about the benefits for the mother as well. Enjoy!

Academic OB/GYN December 3, 2009      Nicholas Fogelson

Delayed Cord Clamping Should Be Standard Practice in Obstetrics

There are times in our medical careers where we see a shift in thought that leads to a completely different way of doing things.   This happened with episiotomy in the last few decades.  Most recently trained physicians cannot imagine doing routine episiotomy with every delivery, yet it was not so long ago that this was common practice.

Episiotomy was supported in Medline indexed publications as early as the 1920s(1), and many publications followed in support of this procedure.  But by as early as the 1940s, publications began to appear that argued that episiotomy was not such a good thing(2).  Over the years the mix of publications changed, now the vast majority of recent publications on episiotomy focus on the problems with the procedure, and lament why older physicians are still doing them (3) (4).  And over all this time, practice began to change.

It took a long time for this change to occur, and a lot of data had to accumulate and be absorbed by young inquisitive minds before we got to where we are today, with the majority of recently trained OBs and midwives now reserving episiotomy only for rare indicated situations.

Though this change in episiotomy seems behind us, there are many changes that are ahead of us.   One of these changes, I believe, is in the way obstetricians handle the timing of cord clamping.

For the majority of my career, I routinely clamped and cut the umbilical cord as soon as it was reasonable.   Occasionally a patient would want me to wait to clamp and cut for some arbitrary amount of time, and I would wait, but in my mind this was just humoring the patient and keeping good relations.  After all, I had seen all my attendings and upper level residents clamp and cut right away, so it must be the right thing, right?

Later in my career I was exposed to enough other-thinking minds to consider that maybe this practice was not right.   And after some research I found that there was some pretty compelling evidence that indeed, early clamping is harmful for the baby.  So much evidence in fact, that I am a bit surprised that as a community, OBs in the US have not developed a culture of delayed routine cord clamping for neonatal benefit.

I think that this is a part of our culture that should change.  This evidence is compelling enough that I feel like a real effort should be made in this regard.   So to do my part in this, I am blogging about it.

As this is Academic OB/GYN, of course I am going to lay out this evidence I speak of.  But before I do that, I want to present some logical ideas under which this evidence ought to be considered.

Prior to the advent of medical delivery, and for all time in animals, it has been the natural way of things for a baby to stay on the umbilical cord for a significant period of time after delivery.  Depending on culture and situation, the delay in cord separation could be a few minutes or even a few hours.  In some cultures the placenta is left on for days, which of course I find excessive and gross (5).  But whatever the culture and time on cord, the absence of immediate cord clamping allows fetal blood that was previously in the placenta to transfuse back into the baby.  Studies have demonstrated that a delay of as little as thirty seconds between delivery and cord clamping can result in 20-40 ml*kg-1 of blood entering the fetus from the placenta (6).

Considering this data, I have to think about evolution and  function.  I am a strong believer in evolution, but even  under creationist thinking I have to believe that if the  system meant for babies to have been phlebotomized of  50-100 cc of blood at birth, we would have been born with  higher hemoglobins.  Clearly the natural way of things is for  this not to happen.

So does this mean that early cord clamping is necessarily  harmful?  Absolutely not.   But what it means is that the  burden of proof is on us to prove that early cord clamping,  which amounts to planned fetal phlebotomy, is a beneficial  thing.  Otherwise, all things being equal we ought to give the tykes a few minutes to soak up what blood they can from the placenta before we cut’em off.

Check out this video by Dr. Stuart Fischbein: Delayed Cord Clamping:  http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-WWCOzkSe85M/dr_stuart_fischbein_delayed_cord_clamping/

So the question is whether or not there is strong data either way.

It is easy to imagine a randomized study of immediate vs. delayed cord clamping, with quantitative analysis of fetal lab values and clinical outcomes.  So easy in fact, that it has been done many times – and in just about every study, there is a clear benefit to delaying cord clamping, even if it is just for 30 seconds after delivery.  These benefits include important outcomes such as decreased rates of intraventricular hemorrhage and necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm neonates.  Furthermore, aside from some intermittent reports of clinically insignificant polycythemia and hyperbilirubinemia in term infants, there appears to be no harm that can be linked to delayed cord clamping. It feels like being a doctor 10-15 years ago looking to see if there is any data about episiotomy, and finding that there’s a lot, and it says we’ve been doing it wrong for awhile now.

So here’s the data:

Delayed cord clamping in very preterm infants reduces the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage and late-onset sepsis: a randomized, controlled trial(7)

Randomized 72 VLBW infants (< 1500 grams) to immediate or delayed cord clamping (5-10 vs. 30-45 seconds).  Delayed cord clamp infants had significantly less IVH (5/36 in delayed group vs. 13/36 in immediate group, p = 0.03) and less late onset sepsis (1/36 vs. 8/36, p = 0.03).

The Influence of the Timing of Cord Clamping on Postnatal Cerebral Oxygenation in Preterm Neonates: A Randomized, Controlled Trial (8)

Randomized 39 preterm infants to immediate clamping vs. 60-90 second delay, and examined fetal brain blood flow and tissue oxygenation.  Results showed similar blood flow between groups, but increased tissue oxygenation in the delayed group and 4 and 24 hours after birth.

Effect of timing of umbilical cord clamping on iron status in Mexican infants: a randomized controlled trial(9)

Randomized 476 infants to immediate or 2 minute delayed clamping and followed them for 6 months.  Delayed clamped babies had higher MCVs (81 vs. 79.5), higher ferritins (50.7 vs. 34.4), and higher total body iron.  Effects were greater in infants born to iron deficient mothers.  Delayed clamping increased total iron stores by 27-47mg.  A follow up study showed that lead exposed infants with delayed clamping also had lower serum lead levels than immediate clamped infants, likely due to iron mediates changes in lead absorption.

A randomized clinical trial comparing immediate versus delayed clamping of the umbilical cord in preterm infants: short-term clinical and laboratory endpoints(10)

Infants delivering at 30 to 36 weeks gestation randomized to immediate vs. 1 minute delay.  Delayed group had higher RBC volumes (p = 0.04) and hematocrits (p < 0.005), though there was no difference in RBC transfusions.  There was a small increase in babies requiring phototherapy in the delayed group (p = 0.03) but no difference in bilirubin levels between groups.

Immediate versus delayed umbilical cord clamping in premature neonates born < 35 weeks: a prospective, randomized, controlled study (11)

Randomized 60 infants to clamping at 5-10 seconds vs. 30-45 seconds.  Delayed clamping infants had higher BPs and hematocrits.  Infants < 1500 grams with delayed clamping needed less mechanical ventilation and surfactant.  Trend towards more polycythemia in delayed group, but not statistically significant.

And that’s just some of it.  I’ll be happy to send you an Endnote file with a pile more of you’d like it.  If the burden of proof is on us to prove that immediate clamping is good, that burden is clearly not met.  And furthermore, there is strong evidence that delaying clamping as little as 30 seconds has measurable benefits for the infant, especially in premature babies and babies born to iron deficient mothers.

So basically, we should be doing this.  I’m going to try to effect some change in my department, but there are a lot of things that need to happen for us to change as a general culture.  It can’t just be the OBs.  L and D nurses and pediatricians need to buy in as well.

Some people will argue that premature babies need to be brought to the warmer right away for resucitation.  I don’t know the answer to this, but it’s worth study.  One might think that it is important to intubate a very premature baby right away, but I have to wonder if that intact cord will be better at delivering oxygen to the baby for 30-60 seconds than the premature lungs.  Particularly in cases of fetal respiratory acidosis, there is strong logical argument that a baby might be better resuscitated by unwrapping the cord and letting it flow a bit than trying to oxygenate it through its lungs.  Until that placenta is detached, you have a natural ECMO system.  Why not use it?  Certainly there are exceptions to this logical argument, abruption being the biggest one, and perhaps even severe pre-eclampsia and other poor feto-maternal circulation states.

I wonder at times why delayed cord clamping has not become the standard already; why by and large we have not heeded the literature.  It is sad to say that I believe it is because the champions of this practice have not been doctors, but midwives, and sometimes we are influenced by prejudice.  Clearly, midwives and doctors tend to have some different ideas about how labor should be managed, but in the end data is data.  We championed evidence based medicine, but tend to ignore evidence when it comes from the wrong source, which is unfair.  It is fair to critique the research and the methods used to write it, but it shouldn’t matter who the author is.  In this case, Mercer and other midwives have done the world a favor by scientifically addressing this issue, and their data deserves serious consideration.

To quote Levy et al (12) “Although a tailored approach is  required in the case of cord clamping, the balance of  available data suggests that delayed cord clamping should  be the method of choice.”  We ought to heed this advice  better.   Like episiotomy, this change in practice may take  awhile, but we should get it started.   I’m going to work on  it myself.  How about you?

1.            Martin DL. The Protection of the Perineum by Episiotomy in Delivery at Term. Cal State J Med 1921 Jun;19(6):229-31.

2.            Barrett CW. Errors and evils of episiotomy. Am J Surg 1948 Sep;76(3):284.

3.            Rodriguez A, Arenas EA, Osorio AL, Mendez O, Zuleta JJ. Selective vs routine midline episiotomy for the prevention of third- or fourth-degree lacerations in nulliparous women. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2008 Mar;198(3):285 e1-4.

4.            Gossett DR, Su RD. Episiotomy practice in a community hospital setting. J Reprod Med 2008 Oct;53(10):803-8.

5.            Westfall R. An ethnographic account of lotus birth. Midwifery Today Int Midwife 2003 Summer(66):34-6.

6.            Weeks A. Umbilical cord clamping after birth. Bmj 2007 Aug 18;335(7615):312-3.

7.            Mercer JS, Vohr BR, McGrath MM, Padbury JF, Wallach M, Oh W. Delayed cord clamping in very preterm infants reduces the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage and late-onset sepsis: a randomized, controlled trial. Pediatrics 2006 Apr;117(4):1235-42.

8.            Baenziger O, Stolkin F, Keel M, von Siebenthal K, Fauchere JC, Das Kundu S, et al. The influence of the timing of cord clamping on postnatal cerebral oxygenation in preterm neonates: a randomized, controlled trial. Pediatrics 2007 Mar;119(3):455-9.

9.            Chaparro CM, Neufeld LM, Tena Alavez G, Eguia-Liz Cedillo R, Dewey KG. Effect of timing of umbilical cord clamping on iron status in Mexican infants: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2006 Jun 17;367(9527):1997-2004.

10.            Strauss RG, Mock DM, Johnson KJ, Cress GA, Burmeister LF, Zimmerman MB, et al. A randomized clinical trial comparing immediate versus delayed clamping of the umbilical cord in preterm infants: short-term clinical and laboratory endpoints. Transfusion 2008 Apr;48(4):658-65.

11.            Kugelman A, Borenstein-Levin L, Riskin A, Chistyakov I, Ohel G, Gonen R, et al. Immediate versus delayed umbilical cord clamping in premature neonates born < 35 weeks: a prospective, randomized, controlled study. Am J Perinatol 2007 May;24(5):307-15.

12.            Levy T, Blickstein I. Timing of cord clamping revisited. J Perinat Med 2006;34(4):293-7.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

Grassroots Network: Delayed Cord Clamping


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Requesting a Break – Part IV

October 20th, 2009

I hobble and stand on the curb outside the clinic, awaiting the arrival of my chariot and driver, Mary. There is a young man nervously pacing off to my left, looking both directions for something or someone that either exits or is a figment of his imagination. I’ve recognized him from the waiting area in the clinic. He reminds me of the ‘methadone’ population on the Upper West Side in New York City.

I’m quietly wallow in my pain, looking down saying, “Please don’t come and talk to me, please don’t come and talk to me…” and all of a sudden I look up and there he is in my face, off to the left.

“Do you know what time it is?” He impatiently queries.

“Ahhhhhhh… “ I look at my watch remembering, I TOO am on a time schedule. “…2:10,” I report quickly and curtly in my New York fashion.

“Huh, thanks,” as he continues to ponder my answer while desperately gazing at me.

I look off to the right, my eyes widen and I bite the bottom of my lip. I shout to myself, “Sheez, I hope he doesn’t think we are going to offer him a ride, somewhere, someplace, that either does or doesn’t exist.”

Before I turned 50, I would have been sucked into his field of ‘neediness’ and fell prey to helping him out, even at the expense of compromising my integrity. After 50, there’s a chemical produced in people’s brain- body called, “I don’t care.” It comes up at the most opportune times. If someone says, “I like your hair.” I say, “Thank you, I don’t care.” If someone says, “What in the world did you do with your hair?? Yuck!” I say, “Thank you very much, I don’t care.” It’s the ‘unattached hormone.’ Well, it kicked in here…in fact, with a little extra pain in the body to get the point across.

“Where is Mary with that car!!!” I  scream in my mind. “Ah, here she comes.” As I see the arrival of the familiar silver van.

As Mary drives up, the stranger to the left seems to have wandered off toward the main road. I stumble into the van and feel the welcome relief of sitting down. We strap in and off we go.

Being that everything in Cedar Rapids is fairly close together, the  ride to the airport is complete within a matter of minutes.

Mary drops me off at the curb, runs around to get the  suitcases. A young man comes over when he spots the crutches and asks if he can help.

I respond quickly, “Absolutely.”

Mary leans into me and says, “He’s going to expect a tip!”

“Why should this be any different than New York,” I say to Mary.

I wave my hand, roll my eyes and respond, “Whatever!”

Mary jumps back into the van and rides off to find a parking spot.

Off I go, hip pity-hop through the electronic doors as they part the way for my entrance to the check-in counter. Thank GOD, there isn’t a line of people. I crutch my way past the few waiting in line and ask what the procedure is for someone in my condition? Within minutes there is a wheel chair at my side and the ‘man who expects a tip’ is prompt with my luggage.

Mary has joined us and is helping out with the check in. I slip the man a $10 bill and off Mary and I go with my purse, crutches, and bulky, heavy, computer bag on my lap. She steers the operation as I painstakingly keep everything on my lap, ON my lap. The crutches keep falling off either dragging on the floor or poking people as we go by.

“Sorry, excuse me, oops!” Seem to be my mantras.

Mary, who is type A personality and the mother of all ‘controllers’, seems the perfect candidate for assisting me on this escapade. We efficiently weave in and out of stragglers, waiting for their families, friends or flights. When we get to the scanning area, I wonder how this is going to work. Even though Mary doesn’t have a boarding ticket, she is allowed to proceed through and wheel me to the boarding gate.

After I place all my bags, the computer, my shoes and  jacket in  the  plastic containers on the scanning platform, I’m wheeled to a  very  public area off to the side of the machines. A female airport  officer  is assigned to ‘check me out’.

I see Mary about 15 feet away, already through the line, collecting and organizing our things. She stands patiently watching out of ear shot while I go participate in the ritual of ‘padding down the crippled traveler’ and micro scanning the wheel chair. (Why are they are so interested in the chair? It’s airport property.)

The woman seems very official and stiff. She begins to tell me what she is going to do. She adds, “If you would prefer me to do this in a more ‘private place’ I can arrange for that to be done.”

I jokingly respond, “Listen, you can do what you like, but if you are going to do a vaginal exam, I probably would like to go to someplace more private.”

She looks at me shockingly, I laugh out loud, Mary wonders what’s going on. I wave and smile at Mary letting her know nonverbally all is well. Of course she know better.

The woman lightens up and realizes it was a joke. We clumsily begin the routine of her probing and patting my body.

She starts at my head, and I ponder, “How do they think, something could be hidden in my hair?” Oh, well, down the body she goes. At one point she is patting the front and back of my chest. Before she gets to the front, I comment, “Ah, I have a padded bra on, so, ah…”

“Oh, honey, we all do what we have to do!” She comes right back at me with a smile.

We start laughing and yucking it up and I see Mary out of the corner of my eye shaking her head and smiling.

The female officer needs to check my hips and butt. She asks me if I would like to stand. With athletic fortitude, I press off the arms of the wheelchair with my hands with my upper body strength leaving my derriere and legs suspended in air, awaiting her search.

“Oh, OK then…that works I guess,” she acts surprised with this alternative position.

She’s patting away, systematically and rhythmically until she comes to the left area under my thigh. She keeps patting this area with a confused look on her face. “Oh great…” I am wondering what in the world she thinks she is feeling. I’m wearing a light summer dress with tight leggings underneath.

I blurt out, “Oh that’s just my extra pocket of cellulite on that side!”

She bursts out laughing, has to stop the exam, and cover her mouth. My upper body strength gives out as I begin to giggle. The guards and general public are staring at us. Mary of course now realizes it’s beyond all hope. I pass the screening.

“That was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had in a long time!” the officer shares as she finishes.

I’m wheeled past all the inquiring looks and Mary, embarrassingly receives the wheel chair and me in it. We pile on all the luggage and off we go to the next experience. I have been having such a grand time I have lost all track of time. I look at my watch and it is, 2:30 pm, 10 full minutes before the plane boards. PLENTY of time to spare, but then, I don’t know how far the boarding gate is from the scanning gate. Ah yes, this is Iowa, not very far.

Mary gets me to the boarding gate area. As I approach the tall, over powering reception desk at the gate entrance, my body as a surreal viseral response. How do people who have been handicapped all their lives adapt to a world where not everything is so handicapped friendly? My new-found empathy will be tested many times over the next number of weeks.

“Hello, Hello, anybody there?” I pleadingly call from my wheel chair.

A poised steward, leans over the desk, peering through his glasses, “Yes?”

“I just broke my ankle, about 3 and a half hours ago, and well, I’m not really sure what I’m suppose to be doing here. Can you give me a clue?”

I’m instructed I will board first so I am to stay close to the doorway. I will not be able to bring the wheelchair onto the plane, so I will need to use the crutches and an attendant will carry my luggage to the seat. When I arrive at the next City, I will be asked to exit the plane last and there will be an attendant present with another wheel chair to transport me to my connecting flight. This is great!  First class service without the extra fee, except the extra PAIN!

It’s almost time to board the plane. From my trusty, temporary,  wheelchair, I give my sister Mary a big hug and kiss. I know from  my heart of hearts, if this had to happen in the scheme of life’s  unfolding, I was blessed to have such a wonderful guardian angel  be here helping me. Love you girl, more than you will ever know.

More to come in Part V…

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Flu-Free Pregnancy With Alternative Preventative Measures + Flu and Breastfeeding

October 7th, 2009


Whether you are pregnant, a birth medical or non medical caregiver, post partum doula, baby nurse or teacher, during the winter months, immune systems are compromised and there are concerns with flu pandemics. Pregnant women are more vulnerable because their immune systems are suppressed during thepregnancy so that their bodies don’t reject the baby.

The following piece is from Midwife: Gloria Lemay with her research on the H1N1 vaccine as well as preventative suggestions:

The publicity for the H1N1 vaccine is pervasive.  Pregnant women are being focused on as a group  that should be first in line to receive the vaccine.  The fact that the vaccine is highly experimental and  contains mercury (thimerosol preservative) has not escaped pregnant women and childbirth workers. (I, Judith, coordinator of this blog, have read on some sites one can request to have the vaccine WITHOUT the thimerosol preservatve in it.  They may not have it at your clinic or doctor’s office.)

When the public is polled about who will take the H1N1 vaccine, almost half the population say they  will refuse it.  Thanks to the internet and other people-centered media, the experts who disagree with  this mass population vaccine program have gotten the message out that the vaccine is far more dangerous than the disease.

What can a pregnant woman do to protect herself from H1N1 if she refuses the vaccine program?

Again, the media suggestions of sneezing into your sleeve and washing your hands with toxic sanitizers don’t get to the heart of the issue.  We all need to take charge of having the best immune response possible so these suggestions, although directed at pregnant women in the fall of 2009, are good lifestyle advice for everyone.

1. Go to bed at 10 p.m.  or earlier in a very dark room.  Healthy sleep is important.  Get rid of lighting in the bedroom (nightlights, electronic clocks, etc.)

2. Change your bedding and towels once a week.

3. Eat foods high in Vitamin C.  Grapefruit, oranges, kiwi fruit and red peppers.  Get used to these fruits as dessert.

4. Eliminate white sugar and flour from your diet.

5. Eliminate caffeine (coffee, tea, colas, chocolate).

6. Buy a wool scarf and mittens and be sure to bundle up warmly when you go out into the cold.  Scarves help maintain your body heat and can be unwrapped and stuffed into your pocket when you go into a store or office building to adjust your warmth level.

7. If you feel the first tickle of a cold or sore throat, cancel everything and go straight to bed with hot herbal tea and a bag of grapefruit.  Nip it in the bud with rest, Vitamin C and inner warmth.

8. Here’s a link to herbs that are safe in pregnancy.  Learn to love your herb teas.

9. Slow down and enjoy your pregnancy.  This is a special time in your life.  Say “no” to overbooking yourself and consider quitting work earlier than you planned.

10. Keep your partner healthy, too.

Your baby will thank you for adopting these measures and you’ll have more energy, too.  The first 3 days are the hardest and, then, you’ll love this routine.  I’m sure the comments will have lots more tips, too, read on.                                                                                                ____________________________

One woman who works alot with twins says this, “I work with a lot of twins who are usually preemies and so the parents tend to be extremely concerned about germs and have had the vaccine pushed on them by their doctors. I have had a bad vaccine reaction in the past as an adult and so don’t get vaccinations but what I do is to take the homeopathic version of the vaccine which is called Influenzinum. It changes every year according to the new strain of the virus and this year also includes the homeopathic version of the H1N1 vaccine. I take it once a week october through june and am rarely sick even though I do not get good sleep. (I work mostly nights.) To get it just call your local homeopath (you won’t need a consultation) or you can order it online at http://drfeder.com/index.php?page=shop&action=viewProduct&itemID=124 which is where I get mine from. When I tell my clients I am doing this they have all been fine with it. I think they just want to know I am being proactive about my and therefore their children’s health.”

Influenzium: Winter Tonic is a homeopathic combination of flu types from 1918 to  the present. The combination of flu types is then combined with ingredients that  help strengthen the immune system during the cold and flu season.  Winter Tonic  (4 pellets) can be taken once a week during the cold and flu season.  For children a  and adults.  Contains: Influenzinum; Otitis; Sinusitisitum; Grippe;  (All 6C)  4 dram  bottle, 400 pellets  Produced by NHP

Check out Dr Feder’s website at: www.dr.feder.com in general for his information on alternative immune booster suggestions.  He also has an interesting article on H1N1 (Swine)  Flu:  http://drfeder.com/index.php?page=articles&action=viewArticle&articleID=295

Three things that can’t hurt and may well help: Vitamin D-*3*, up to 10,000 IUs a day if the flu is coming on. Otherwise, 2,000 – 4,000 daily as a preventative. Vitamin D is not given in milligrams, but in IUs, which is a much smaller dosage. 250mcg or micrograms is equal to 50 IUs or international units. A microgram is 1/1000 of a milligram. The normal dosage of Vitamin D is about 2000 IUs.

Vitamin C, which most people are already taking in their prenatal vitamins, but maybe a  larger dose of 2,000-5,000 mgs. per day.  Vitamin C is water soluable so you will pee  out whatever is too much for the system.  Also, if you are taking too much your body  will let you know through loose stools.  Do not take anymore that day if this happens.  Or, give your body a break and take some later during the day or night.

Resveratrol (that’s the good stuff in red wine) at about 250 a day.

THere is also another vital vitamin to take a look at and integrate into your supplements this season: Vitamin D Theory  (Taken from www.foodconsumer.org)

“…Cannell has reported on Sept 16 in his newsletter that two physicians, one in Wisconsin and the other in Georgia, suggested that vitamin D supplementation can be the key to H1N1 flu prevention.

“Norris Glick, M.D. of Central Wisconsin Center in Madison told Cannell in his email that 274 residents at his health care facility took vitamin D supplements and were monitored regularly for their plasma vitamin D levels; as a result, only two residents developed influenza-like illness and had positive tests for H1N1 during a period of observation. This compares to 103 of 800 staff members during the same period who were not required for the supplementation. This huge difference may be due likely to use of vitamin D
supplements.

“Dr. Ellie Campbell, who also responded to Cannell’s vitamin D theory, told Dr. Cannell in an email of a similar observation.   She said she told her patients to take 2,000 to 5,000 IU of vitamin D regularly and monitored their serum levels to make sure her patients had sufficient Vitamin D in their blood.  Campbell shared office with another physician. Her office mate did not do the same thing to his patients.  When H1N1 hit George, none of her patients came to see her for H1N1 virus infection while the other physician was seeing one to 10 cases per week of influenza-like illness.”

Not to be too obsessive about this, there’s also hand sanitizer, which is a really good idea. A little bottle in your purse, and then use it whenever you’ve been out anywhere. Most drug stores have the little bottles right by the check-out counter.

Another thing to do that can help to keep you healthy is nasal gavage.  Use a Neti Pot  once  a day – every day.  If you are around someone ill  go home and use it.  Many  doctor’s  particularly ENT’s for eye, ear, nose surgery comment, if all their patients  used this  every day they would be out of business.  It helps to rinse all the allergens  and germs  out of your nasal passage. Learn about it at a local health food store or here online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8sDIbRAXlg or  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8KOsNtpV8w. It works great!  But one caution – you need to use 1/4 t. of sea salt and 1/4 t. baking soda.  If you don’t use the baking soda it burns like crazy – the baking soda acts as a buffer. Clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.  Other ‘nasal washes’ you might look into are:  NeiMed Sinus Rinse which one of my pregnant woman says is inexpensive and she uses it in the shower.  Get it at a local drug store or online at:    http://www.amazon.com/NeilMed-Sinus-Rinse-Regular-Bottle/dp/B000RJGB5C/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1256842484&sr=8-3-fkmr0.
Another, more sophisticated way to keep one’s nasal passages irrigated:  Naväge Nasal Hygiene System,  the world’s only nasal rinser using controlled light suction to gently wash the nasal passages.  Devices like the neti pot and squeeze bottle push saline through the nose. Doctor recommended Naväge makes the innovative leap to light, powered suction and gently pulls saline through
the nasal cavity. The result is an elegant new way to keep your nose clean. It’s easy to use, convenient, comfortable and safe.  And it doesn’t make a mess!  Please join us on the road to better nasal health starting today, and begin to enjoyimmediate sinus relief along with the lifelong benefits of superior nasal hygiene.

Other suggestions to help prevent the spread of infection:
  • Wash your hands frequently.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue if you sneeze or cough.
  • If you eat pork, cook your it thoroughly
  • Avoid travel. If you have any symptoms, stay home.
  • If your symptoms are severe, immediately contact your healthcare  professional.
  • The following is a piece on You Tube entitled:  “Doctor Admits Vaccine Is More Deadly Than Swine Flue Itself and Will Not Give It To His Kids”:
This is another email to read for futher research on the subject, extensively backed up by studies and research:  “The Deadly Flu! The Vaccination Game!  A Users Guide”  October 2009:   http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs028/1101543244270/archive/1102738308154.html
This is a link to Dr. Oz and his feedback on the flu vaccine, “The Dr. Oz Bait for Vaccines: Why Did He Do It,” Posted by: Dr. Mercola October 13, 2009:  2009. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/13/Dr-Oz-Helps-Shill-the-Flu-Vaccine.aspx#
“Woman Says Flue Shot Triggered Rare Disorder,”  (WUSA9.com):
“The H1N1 Primer for Pregnant Women”    by Maryl Smith
© 2009 Midwifery Today, Inc. All rights reserved.
_____________________________________________________________
Advice regarding breastfeeding for mothers with possible H1N1 infection

Ruth A. Lawrence, M.D., FAAP and John S. Bradley, M.D., FAAP  Published on October 13, 2009 AAP News 2009, doi:aapnews.20091012-1 © 2009 American Academy of Pediatrics  http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/content/long/aapnews.20091012-1v1

Neonates and infants younger than 6 months of age are at risk for complications from seasonal influenza and presumably 2009 H1N1 influenza (swine flu), although the morbidity and mortality from this new virus have not yet been described.

While the advantages of breastfeeding are well-known, this close interaction of mother and newborn also can facilitate transmission of influenza virus. The benefits and the risks of close contact must be considered carefully.

To protect the infant from possible serious infection while allowing essential and encouraged mother-infant bonding to occur, a compromise is required until more data are available. The following precautions are suggested to minimize the risk of infection to the infant, particularly while still in the hospital and while the mother is symptomatic with fever and coryza:

•  Pay careful attention to handwashing prior to any contact.

•  Prior to breastfeeding, wash the breast with mild soap and water; rinse well

•  The mother should wear a surgical mask to prevent nasal secretions and the spontaneous cough or sneeze from inoculating the infant.

•  Use clean blankets and burp cloths for each contact.

•  Monitor the maternal-infant interaction on perinatal floors for compliance with the above precautions.

•  Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

•  Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

These precautions are designed to minimize the risk of transmission until mother’s immune response to H1N1 influenza is established, and increased, specific immune protection may be provided by breast milk. Note that influenza virus does not pass through breast milk.

Although the most effective way to prevent influenza transmission is complete separation from her infant when a mother is receiving antiviral treatment, separation may create more long-term problems inbreastfeeding success and mother-infant bonding than any potential benefit achieved from avoiding infection in the newborn infant.

For any mother with H1N1 influenza infection who presents in labor to a health care institution, testing and empirically starting therapy for influenza with an antiviral is suggested. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza) will hasten resolution of symptoms and infectivity, particularly if treatment is started within 48 hours of onset of illness. Neonatal exposure to oseltamivir (Tamiflu) excreted in breast milk is extremely low.

Immediately following delivery, the precautions listed above should be instituted as the newborn infant is first placed into mother’s arms. These precautions should be followed until mother’s illness is resolved, i.e., no fever, as measured without antipyretics, for 24 hours.

While no data exist to support these suggestions, it is believed that these represent an appropriate balance between the benefits of mother-infant interaction and the risks of serious neonatal infection. Institutions may wish to modify of these suggestions to address their needs and medical practices.

Dr. Lawrence is chair of the AAP Section on Breastfeeding executive committee. Dr. Bradley is a member of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases.

__________________________________________________________________

It is very important that you do your OWN research.  Don’t let anyone tell you what to do.  This is your body, your life, your children and it is important what ever you choose to do, not to judge someone else for their choice.  We are here to learn to agree to disagree.  Everyone’s level of development, fear, trust and preventative abilities is different.  Don’t just do something bacause someone says it’s the best thing to do. Assume your power by gathering knowledge, going inside and making an informed choice.
___________________________________________________________________

Know the Difference between Cold and H1N1 Flu Symptoms

Symptom

Cold

H1N1 Flu

Fever

Fever is rare with a cold.

Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu.

Coughing

A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold.

A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough).

Aches

Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.

Severe aches and pains are common with the flu.

Stuffy Nose

Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.

Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu.

Chills

Chills are uncommon with a cold.

60% of people who have the flu experience chills.

Tiredness

Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.

Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu.

Sneezing

Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.

Sneezing is not common with the flu.

Sudden Symptoms

Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days.

The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.

Headache

A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.

A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases.

Sore Throat

Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.

Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu.

Chest Discomfort

Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.

Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu.

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