Well as you guys know as being a nurse and midwife student all aspects of birth are just amazing to me. The strength and just complete growth of a family throughout the whole process. How it changes all the lives it touches in such an extraordinary way. How the empowerment of that tiny little miracle being brought forth into this big world 🌎 can make such an impact on so many lives involved. I feel this will be a chance to help families in a deeper way. This will be an opportunity to further and grow deeper in my calling as a midwife. 

 I love to learn, grow and to expand my knowledge.  This growth can be used to help others on their life’s journey. I look forward to learning as much as I can through out this journey. This will enable me to help even more people. So that when this journey is complete it really will never end. I would love to help and be apart as support in my local community. To also help promote and encourage awareness of surrogacy in my local area. To be able to provide support and encouragement for the more western areas of Texas.

Originally my surrogacy journey with Family Source Surragacy started out in Mississippi back in September of 2018. We attempted a few matches but nothing worked out. I feel this was because everything happens all in the right timing.  My husband works in the oilfield industry. In October of 2018 his job provided us an opportunity to relocate to Carlsbad, NM. 

So, like I said earlier I am a nurse and a midwife student. So you have to understand when around the first of December 2018 I had the opportunity to apprentice at a birth center in San Angelo, I jumped on this amazing opportunity.  My kids and I moved to San Angelo to begin this wild new adventure all with the hopes of now getting settled and finally having the chance to continue with surragacy.

I figured now that we have a permanent address all settled and ready to move forward I got in contact with a midwife friend of mine that worked in the program at the time. On April 17, 2019 I informed her we were ready to start this amazing journey again.

So she started the process of matching with the IPs we are currently matched with. Later she made the transition back to focusing mainly on her midwifery work and my case was passed to another great lady, Kaylee. She was amazing as well. 

We had our match meeting on May 21, 2019. It went great and we moved forward. Since then we have scheduled my initial physical in Idaho for the middle of June. Megan worked on booking flight/hotel. She let me know on June 7th my flight and travel details. So now I’m just kinda waiting and stressing about this physical. 😳😜🥴

My midwife that I apprentice under is absolutely amazing. She will be taking care of me through this exciting time here at the birth center after the transfer of care from the fertility clinic in Boise Idaho. I’m so excited to be able to help these great guys grow their family and do it in such a calm, natural environment. That will be beneficial to the baby as well as a great experience for all involved in this wonder new adventure.

Next stop 🛑 ✋ Boise, Idaho for the initial physical assessment…  More updates to come… stay tuned 

 

✌🏻 Peace,  ❤️ Love, and 🍼 baby dust …

Sizzling 🔥 Summer 💦 Slam ⚾️

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What Does A Doula REALLY Do?

If you’ve been researching doulas and what they can offer during childbirth, you’ve probably read something like the following on a so many different  websites:

“Doulas offer resources and education during prenatal and postpartum visits,  provide emotional and physical support as comfort measures during birth,and advocate for your birth choices”

But what does a doula do during the actual birth process? What does doula support really look like on the big day or days of birthing?

1) A doula will help you track your birthing sensations and help you decide when to call your midwife or head to the hospital:

… when you’re in the birth process, it can be really helpful to just do your thing and not get caught up in clock-watching. A watched-pot and all that. Whether you are having a home birth or a hospital birth, a doula can support you before your midwife arrives or before you go to the hospital by helping you be as comfortable as possible, reassuring you that everything is normal, and helping you keep an eye on the pattern of sensations so you can focus on birthing!

2) A doula will get your birthing pool set up…

(if you’re having a home water-birth):

…if you are planning a home water birth, a birth pool is an amazing thing to have on hand.

A doula will help you get settled in at the hospital

(if you are having a hospital birth):

…if you are having a hospital birth, a doula can help you on the move from home to hospital. It is ideal to stay home for as long as possible, and a doula can make this easier to accomplish by helping you feel more comfortable and supported at home, supporting you in the car ride, and making sure you know where to go and what to do upon arriving at the hospital. 

A doula will work with your partner to help you get comfortable:

…doulas and partners make really good teams. While your partner provided lots of love and a sense of familiar safety.  Partners and Doula take turns refilling the birthing person’s water glass and getting her cool cloths. Them and doulas are usually very good friends by the end of a birth… your partner will text or call during early birthing to keep your doula posted and get tips for how to best support you, and they will work together to help you feel relaxed and comfortable.

A doula will wipe your brow & remind you to breathe

…often the things clients appreciate the most about doula support are the little things. A cool cloth appearing on your forehead at just the right moment. A calm smile and someone who will simply breathe with you. Passing your partner a glass of water to hold up to your lips between sensations. Sitting with a lot of different birthing people during birth allows your doula to pick up on what you want without you needing to come out of “labour-land” to ask for it, often before you even realize you want it.

They squeeze your hips or not (depending on position of the baby and your midwifes approval…) trust me, it feels GOOD!

… I keep talking about the hip-squeeze. Birthing people REALLY seem to like it. Your doula can also show your partner how to do it, so they can take credit for giving you some awesome comfort, and so the everyone’s biceps get a break (it’s harder to sustain than it looks!)

They help your partner feel confident:

…feeling at ease in the birth room is often much easier for dads if there is a doula present.

Your doula will tidy up post-home-birth…

You’ll never know you birthed in your living room if you have a home birth.  We can even whisk away your placenta and encapsulate it if you like.

…after a home birth, I will try to toss in a load of laundry (birth takes a lot of towels!), load the dishwasher, and just do a general tidy-up so you and your partner can focus on your new baby. Most doulas will disassemble the birth pool if you were using one.

A doula supports you with words of encouragement (and her arms and shoulders):

…sometimes, all you need is someone to whisper “just like that”, “the sensations are only as strong as you are”, or guide you through relaxing your body between sensations. Other times, what you’ll want is someone to support your leg or a shoulder to prop your foot up on. Sometimes, you want all three at once while your partner holds your hand.

They guide you through your first round of chest-feeding:

… the first moments of chest feeding are bonding time for you and baby. A little nuzzle at your chest gets your baby a few drops of colostrum and stimulates oxytocin and milk production. Your doula can help you feel confident and comfortable as you play with breastfeeding for the first time.

They will share in your emotion:

In addition to what is listed here, doulas do a so much more. They do a lot of behind-the-scenes work, like making sure everyone is fed and hydrated, giving the partner a well-deserved rest periodically, getting medical staff copies of your birth plan and reminding staff of your priorities.

If circumstances change during the birth and new options are presented to you, your doula will help you ask important informed consent questions to make sure you feel like you understand your choices and can make informed decisions.

What’s the moral of the story?

Get a doula. Add a birth photographer. Have a gentle and informed birth, and remember it with photos you will always treasure.

Explore further details about my doula services, or call 601-341-5835 to set up a free initial interview. Make sure to ask about adding a birth photographer to your team, as well!

Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed. Whole foods typically do not contain added ingredients, such as sugar, salt, or fat.

Step 1: What Are Whole Foods?

The biggest hurdle with starting a whole foods diet is not trying to figure out the ratios of proteins to carbohydrates to fats, or counting calories. It is a matter of understanding the difference between whole foods and processed foods. In fact, there is a timeless rule of holistic nutrition: the farther it is from the source or the more steps of processing a food has gone through, the less of a “real” food it is. Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed. Whole foods typically do not contain added ingredients, such as sugar, salt, or fat.

Examples of Whole Foods vs. Processed Food Potatoes vs. Potato Chips Tomatoes vs. Ketchup Pork Chops vs. Vienna sausages Un-pasteurized milk vs. Whey protein powder Orange Orange vs. juice concentrate Wheat berries vs.White flour Organic chicken breast vs. Chicken nuggets Edamame vs. Hydrolyzed vegetable protein Steel-cut oats vs. Instant oatmeal

Step 2: Know Your Food

Knowing where and how our food is produced, and eating more locally, are key to making food healthier for people and the planet. Natural and organic foods provide the best options for quality nutrients, but it is also true that we need a wide variety of different foods in order to get a good balance of nutrients.

Science presently estimates that there are over 30,000 plant based nutrients in our food chain, and generous consumption of all 30,000 reduces the risks for degenerative diseases. It just makes sense to step out of the comfort zones of ‘tried and true’ to experiment with some new food choices.

Step 3: Prepare simple, wholesome meals at home.

The best way to become more familiar with what you are buying in stores and restaurants is to understand how your favorite dishes are prepared. Although this technique is not going to educate you on the many tricks in the food industry, it will give you a head-start on what to expect in a meal. This is also a great opportunity to pull out Grandmother’s recipes and reconnect with your own family’s food tradition.

Starting a whole foods diet is simpler than you imagine. Think back to basics and you will reap the rewards of eatingfor better nutrition.

The EWG has released the new 2014 Dirty Dozen & Clean 15 Fruits and Vegetable List. (Click here for the list.)

Produce is expensive. Period. And I find this handy guide/list helps you know where to invest in organic and where it is okay to buy conventional produce.

The produce items on the Dirty Dozen tend to have the highest level of pesticide residue (regardless of the produce being washed or peeled). In a nutshell, these items are the ones you should focus on buying “organic”.

The items on the Clean 15 list have the least amount of pesticide residue, and while you can choose to purchase organic, it is considered safe to buy conventional.

2014 Dirty Dozen Fruits & Vegetables

• Apples
• Strawberries
• Grapes
• Celery
• Peaches
• Spinach
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Nectarines (imported)
• Cucumbers
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Snap Peas (imported)
• Potatoes

Other items to purchase organic as often as possible include hot peppers and kale and collared greens.

2014 Clean 15 Fruits and Vegetable List

• Avocados
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapple
• Cabbage
• Sweet Peas (Frozen)
• Onions
• Asparagus
• Mangoes
• Papayas
• Kiwi
• Eggplant
• Grapefruit
• Cantaloupe
• Cauliflower
• Sweet Potatoes

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I have used many different types and brand of diapers but these diapers seem to be just what we were looking for.

• Eco-friendly
• No unwanted chemicals
• Convenient
• Soft against baby skin
• Affordable

Not only that but They seem to be so durable. They have lasted though two kids no problem with more wear in them for a few more. They grow with them so makes them a great deal price wise. They are just all around great!

 

When we have a head ache or our children get a scratched knee we may run to the medicine cabinet and pull out a fix for our problem. Tell me have you ever actually looked at the ingredients of what you are putting in and on you and your families’ bodies. Most ingredients with words you can’t even pronounce. These can not be good for us. They may actually at times cause more harm then good and more harm than we know.

So next time you have a pain or need something to take care of an issue you or one of your family member may be having check out these sites for a natural remedy.

http://www.natural-homeremedies.org/

http://www.natural-homeremedies.com/

http://www.doterra.com/us/essentialUses.php

Foods to eat on a whole food diet will depend on your definition of whole food. For some people this means eating foods in their natural form, uncooked–which is known as a raw food diet. For others whole foods are interpreted to mean foods in their natural form plus foods that have not been overly processed and still contain natural nutrients and fiber. In the case of the second group, it’s important to learn how to read labels.

Stocking Your Pantry With Whole Food Staples

No matter which approach you take to eating whole foods, it will require a restocking of your pantry. For this article, we’ll focus on the whole food approach that includes cooked food.

When preparing to move to a diet including whole foods, it’s a good idea to stock your shelves. It not only saves unplanned trips to the store, but also encourages you to stay on your healthy diet plan. Besides things like unrefined sea salt, pepper and other spices you’ll use to flavor your food, other items to have on hand include:

• Almonds
• Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (Cold Pressed with the mother in it)
• Braggs Liquid Amino (Cold Pressed) – Makes a great salt substitute
• Brown rice
• Coconut Oil (Cold Pressed Virgin) – Used in cooking
• Dates
• Flaxseeds
• Flax seed oil (Cold Pressed)
• Garlic (fresh)
• Lemons (fresh)
• Olive oil (Pure Virgin Cold-pressed) – Used for to make salad dressing.
• Raisins
• Rice milk (or other milks such as almond milk or soy milk)
• Seeds to sprout
• Tahini (Raw)
• Unrefined honey
• Walnuts
• Whole Grain Cereal 
• Whole grain pasta

Keeping these whole food ingredients on hand will make cooking and eating whole foods easier and the transition to your whole food diet tastier, too.

Benefits of Choosing a Whole Foods

In our culture today, most people don’t begin to realize how much nutrition has been stripped away in foods that have been over-processed. For an example, look at white rice in comparison to brown rice:

Brown Rice Vs. White Rice

Brown rice and white rice actually start out from the same grain which has several layers. The outer layer, known as the hull, is removed leaving the edible portion-and what is known as brown rice. This process leaves the most nutritional value, and because the rest of the layers remain, it is a whole food. White rice takes this same grain and processes it further. The bran and germ layer are removed through milling, and then the grain in polished to give it the white look we’ve come to recognize as white rice. This polishing process removed the grain layer which houses the essential fats found in brown rice. This is done to extend the shelf life of the product. This refining process actually strips away:

• 67 percent of vitamin B3
• 80 percent of vitamin B1
• 90 percent of vitamin B6
• 60 percent of the iron
• 50 percent of manganese
• 50 percent of the phosphorous
• Dietary fiber
• Essential fatty acids

Reading Labels on a Whole Food Diet

Reading food labels is important when trying to include only whole foods in your diet. The simpler the ingredient list, the more likely it is a whole or less-refined food. Whole foods are foods kept close to their original form. Good rules of thumb to follow, if you can’t pronounce it, or have never heard of it, steer clear of the product. Also a good rule of thumb eat food with no more than 5 ingredients. To help identify whether or not to include foods in your pantry, avoid buying packaged foods with the following types of ingredients:

Ingredients to Avoid When Choosing Whole Foods acesulfame potassium caprocaprylobehenin octa-esters of sucrose propyl gallate ammonium chloride certified color hydrogenated fats propylparaben artificial colors cyclamates disodium inosinate saccharin artificial flavor cysteine irradiated food sodum aluminum phosphate aspartame DATEM lactylated esters of mono-and diglyceride sodium aluminum sulfate azodicarbonamide dimethylpolysiloxan methyl silicon sodium benzoate benzoates dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate methylparabe sodium bisulfit benzoyl peroxid disodium calcium microparticularizedwhey protein sodium diacetate BHA disodium dihydrogen monosodium glutamate sodium glutamate BHT disodium guanylate natamyacin sodium nitrate/nitrite bleached flour disodium inosinate nitrates/nitrites sodium propionate bromated flour ethyl vanillin partially hydrogenated oil sodium sulfite brominated vegetable oil ethylene oxide polydextrose sorbic acid calcium bromate ethyoxyquin potassium benzoate sucralose calcium disodium FD & C colors potassium bisulfite sucroglycerides calcium peroxide foie gras potassium bromate sucrose polyester calcium propionate disodium guanylate potassium metabisulfite sulfites calcium saccharin hexa-esters of sucrose potassium sorbate tetrasodium EDTA calcium sorbat hepta-esters of sucrose propionatee vanillin

 

 

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Food dyes are one of the most widely used and dangerous additives. While the European Union has recently placed regulations on labeling food dyes to inform consumers of the health risks, the United States has no such requirement.

Here are some of the most common food dyes used today, according to the Food Freedom Network:

• Blue #1 (Brilliant Blue)An unpublished study suggested the possibility that Blue 1 caused kidney tumors in mice. What it’s in: Baked goods, beverages, desert powders, candies, cereal, drugs, and other products.

 

• Blue #2 (Indigo Carmine)Causes a statistically significant incidence of tumors, particularly brain gliomas, in male rats. What it’s in: Colored beverages, candies, pet food, & other food and drugs.

 

• Citrus Red #2 It’s toxic to rodents at modest levels and caused tumors of the urinary bladder and possibly other organs. What it’s in: Skins of Florida oranges.

 

• Green #3 (Fast Green) Caused significant increases in bladder and testes tumors in male rats. What it’s in: Drugs, personal care products, cosmetic products except in eye area, candies, beverages, ice cream, sorbet; ingested drugs, lipsticks, and externally applied cosmetics.

 

• Red #3 (Erythrosine)Recognized in 1990 by the FDA as a thyroid carcinogen in animals and is banned in cosmetics and externally applied drugs. What it’s in: Sausage casings, oral medication, maraschino cherries, baked goods, candies.

 

• Red #40 (Allura Red)This is the most-widely used and consumed dye. It may accelerate the appearance of immune-system tumors in mice. It also causes hypersensitivity (allergy-like) reactions in some consumers and might trigger hyperactivity in children. What it’s in: Beverages, bakery goods, dessert powders, candies, cereals, foods, drugs, and cosmetics.

 

• Yellow #5 (Tartrazine)Yellow 5 causes sometimes-severe hypersensitivity reactions and might trigger hyperactivity and other behavioral effects in children. What it’s in: Pet foods, numerous bakery goods, beverages, dessert powders, candies, cereals, gelatin desserts, and many other foods, as well as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

 

• Yellow #6 (Sunset Yellow)Caused adrenal tumors in animals and occasionally causes severe hypersensitivity reactions. What it’s in: Color bakery goods, cereals, beverages, dessert powders, candies, gelatin deserts, sausage, cosmetics and drugs.

Every year, food manufacturers pour 15 million pounds of artificial food dyes into U.S. foods — and that amount only factors in eight different varieties, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

These dyes are so common in U.S. foods — especially kids’ foods — that parents don’t think twice about giving their children rainbow-colored cereal or fluorescent blue “juice,” and adults don’t consider bright orange cheese puffs out of the ordinary, either.

But you might do a double take if these food packages contained warnings detailing what these artificial food colorings may really be doing to your health, and that of your children.

Well, in the European Union at least, they do. As of July 2010, most foods in the EU that contain artificial food dyes were labled with warning labels stating the food “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.” The British government also asked that food manufacturers remove most artificial colors from foods back in 2009.

In the United States, however, consumers are still snatching up artificially colored foods with fervor, as most are completely unaware of the risks involved … and let me just say, hyperactivity in children is only the tip of the iceberg.

If you need further incentive to ditch artificially colored foods from your diet, remember the reason they’re added to processed foods in the first place: to make a food that would otherwise be an off-colored mess look appealing.

When foods are processed not only are valuable nutrients lost and fibers removed, but the texture, natural variation and flavors are lost also. After processing, what’s actually left behind is a bland, uninteresting “pseudo-food” that most people would find entirely unappetizing.

So at this point, food manufacturers must add back in the nutrients, flavor, color and texture in order to make them desirable, and this is why they become loaded with food additives.

Most commonly, additives are included to:

• Slow spoilage
• Prevent fats and oils from becoming rancid or developing an off-flavor
• Prevent cut fruits from turning brown
• Fortify or enrich the food with synthetic vitamins and minerals (which are lost during processing)
• Improve taste, texture and appearance

In the case of kids’ foods, bright colors are also added to attract kids’ attention and make the foods appear “fun.”  But in most cases, if a food comes in an outrageous color that is not found in nature, consuming it is not a good idea.

Take one carefully designed, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the journal The Lancet. It concluded that a variety of common food dyes, and the preservative sodium benzoate — found in many soft drinks, fruit juices and salad dressings — do in fact cause some children to become measurably more hyperactive and distractible.

The study also found that the E-numbered food dyes do as much damage to children’s brains as lead in gasoline, resulting in a significant reduction in IQ.

Stick to Naturally Colored Foods for Your Health

Let me make it clear that your diet should include a range of vibrantly colored foods … but these foods should be the ones that are naturally rich in color. Red bell peppers, purple eggplant, green spinach, blueberries and rainbow chard are all examples of healthy foods whose bright colors are signs of the important nutrients they contain.

These are the food colors you need in your diet … not the man-made varieties found in most processed foods. The good news is avoiding artificial food dyes is incredibly easy — just stick to whole fresh foods and avoid the processed ones.