It seems intuitive, but many parents unintentionally miss this about their babies: babies, being tiny and new to the world, have an immature and still-developing digestive system. Gut health is so pinnacle to overarching health. With babies, we have a prime opportunity to set them up for strong digestive and immune health from the very beginning of their lives – firstly, via breastmilk, and secondly, through the first foods other than breastmilk that we decide to introduce into their gut.

When my first daughter was born and I began looking into how to start her on solid foods, I came across so many different methods. It was honestly very overwhelming! I even saw one mother writing about how she gave her baby 100 different foods for 100 days. That absolutely did not resonate with me at all and, knowing what I know now, I would never choose or recommend this method. Feeding a baby any food that is not breastmilk for the first time is such a big deal and deserves to be given careful thought and intention. Babies are not fragile, by any means, but they are sensitive to transitions.

I ended up landing on some variation of “baby-led weaning,” as a method that resonated with me most, but didn’t really follow any strict method in introducing solids to my first daughter. However, I was vegan at the time (and so was she), so that influenced which foods I chose. We started off with avocado as her first food – not a terrible choice, but was not very well received by her. We shifted to other soft foods, like banana, and sometimes even smoothies. I now know that these choices negatively impacted her gut health, but this experience is also part of what led me to discover her candida overgrowth issues and inspired much of the knowledge I’ve gained and work I’ve done ever since.

How do I know when is the right time to start my baby on solid foods?

There are so many questions for new and seasoned moms alike on how to best start baby on solids foods – or rather, how to introduce nourishment other than breastmilk, as baby’s nutritional needs increase.

At what age?

How do I know when they’re ready?

What foods do I start with? Etc…

And with so many differing opinions and options out there, it is understandable why mothers may be utterly at a loss as to how to begin this very important transition in their baby’s life.

Contrary to what the term “solids” implies, it’s actually best to start baby on nutrient-dense liquid foods – preferably ones that simultaneously bolster the gut microbiome. I’ll be discussing more about what types of foods these would be later on in this article.

Baby should at least have very strong neck control and be able to sit up on their own in a highchair and will likely show you signs they are ready for a bit more than just breastmilk – showing interest in foods (reaching for or grabbing at plates and foods at mealtimes; drooling, following food with eyes), increased waking/nursing sessions throughout the night suddenly (growth spurt), increased hunger. Some approaches (like Nourishing Traditions¹) recommend as early as 4 months, even for exclusively breastfed babies. Other approaches (like Baby GAPS Diet²) recommend around 6 months for exclusively breastfed babies and 4 months for formula-fed babies, or as early as 4 months for exclusively breastfed babies if they are expressing great interest in food and seem very hungry despite being given ample breastmilk.

Ultimately, deciding when to start your baby on solids is a very personal choice and is up to each mother to decide what is best for her own child. This, like all of motherhood, is an opportunity to listen closely to your maternal intuition and also your baby’s communication with you (via body language and etc, not necessarily words, obviously), and to trust that the choice you are making is what is best for you and your baby. And of course, always play close attention to how your baby responds and take it slowly when introducing any new foods. [Disclaimer: If you have any doubts, please consult your chosen healthcare professional before introducing solids to your baby. I am not recommending any one way of introducing solids, but am simply sharing my experience and what worked for our family in this article.]

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We started our infant on solids at 4 months old

With my second baby, I have taken a wildly different approach than with my first. I never thought I would start my baby on solids as early as 4 months old! But by the time she reached 3 months, she was already showing great interest in food, and had been chomping and drooling already for weeks (also was already rolling over from front to back and vice versa). It was clear to us that she was advancing rapidly and could benefit from added nutrition.

She is now 5.5 months old and still no teeth (thank goodness, because I just LOVE her gummy smile so much!), but chewing hard and massaging those gums every chance she gets. At mealtimes as early as 3 months old, here’s how it would go: she’d protest sitting in her high chair (which she already was strong and sturdy enough to sit up in on her own, without even being buckled) until we’d put her on our laps so she could watch us eat more closely, then she would stand up (!) on our laps, hover over our food wide-eyed and drooling, and grab for our plates/bowls/whatever she could. She already had such strong grip and could grab a plate and drag it closer. Naturally, we began to strongly consider introducing solids at an “early” age – 4 months old.

A member of my In Birth & In Health Telegram community shared this article with me from the Nourishing Traditions blog about timelines for introducing solids (even exclusively breastfed babies, not just formula-fed). If you’re not familiar with the Nourishing Traditions books by Sallon Fallon Morell and Dr. Tom Cowan, they are influenced by the Weston A. Price Foundation principles of nutrition – nutrient-dense whole foods and animal fats, based on Price’s studies of non-industrialized cultures’ diets and their dental health. Learn more about that here⁴.

In the article, two studies are mentioned which survey over 100 non-industrialized cultures/populations each – and in both surveys, it was found that in addition to exclusive breastfeeding, in 2/3 of these populations, babies began consuming “solids” anywhere from 0-6 months of age! This quote from the article really struck me:

“Contrary to the expectation of a prolonged period of breast-milk as the sole source of infant nutrition, solid foods were introduced before one month of age in one-third of the cultures, at between one and six months in another third, and was postponed more than six months for only one-third.”³

Reading this article really helped shift my mindset around when to start babies on solids foods. As the years have gone on, in so many aspects of life I’ve discovered that what we have been taught and told is completely reversed from the truth.

As Sally mentions in the above quoted article, “food before one is just for fun” is the old adage most of us have heard and are likely to believe or use as a guide when it comes to starting our babies on solid foods. However, this is not a true statement, as babies are in their most rapid period of development in their first year of life, and this is actually the most crucial time to ensure their nutritional needs are met. Something Sally discusses more in depth in The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby and Child Care is that iron and other mineral levels in breastmilk begin to decline after birth and babies’ need for iron and other minerals begin to rise between 4-6 months of age – hence why she recommends introducing solids, like gently heated (still liquid) egg yolk, at 4 months, alongside continued on-demand breastfeeding.

I totally understand the apprehension most mothers or parents have when it comes to feeding baby first foods – and that is a totally valid feeling – which I believe actually stems from the intuition of mothers that this is not an event to be taken lightly. That is precisely why it is so important to be extremely intentional when starting to feed your baby any foods others than breastmilk (or formula – and I would argue that if your baby is being formula-fed, you have even more reason to consider beginning them on real, nourishing foods even sooner). We should of course not be careless or random in the choice of first foods for a baby.

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So how did we introduce solids this time around?

It has only been about 6 weeks since we started our daughter on solids, right when she turned 4 months old, and we have been going very slowly with it. Partially out of mindfulness, and partially because it is – to be perfectly honest – a lot of work to prepare the extra foods for her and incorporate feeding her into our mealtimes. So far, we have been shooting for one “meal” a day for her (sometimes one serving split into two times a day), and she eats her food when we eat ours. I then “top off” with breastmilk after we eat. I can report that so far, the process has gone extremely well and our daughter is thoroughly enjoying her “meals”!

We have been using the method of Baby GAPS Diet. The GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) Diet and protocol was created by Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride after her clinical work with hundreds of children presenting with issues ranging from autism, learning disorders like ADD/ADHD and dyslexia, to allergies, eczema, asthma, and more. She developed this diet as a method for healing the gut microbiome (and sealing leaky gut), which is where most dis-ease stems from, and supporting the body’s innate detox functions.

I was attracted to Dr. Natasha’s work because these are the two overarching themes that have also been front and center in my own findings and work in healing my first daughter’s health imbalances. If you are interested in learning more about GAPS diet, Dr. Natasha’s work, or the Baby GAPS Diet, I would highly recommend that you read her books (more info here). She also has many courses available, including this Baby GAPS Course. NOTE: I am not sponsored by Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride, I just really believe in her work!

My husband and I are both super DIY-ers and we already make our own chicken stock, homemade greek yogurt, and cultured grass-fed butter that we have regularly stocked in our house. This being said, the Baby GAPS method was perfect for us. Introducing natural, food-based probiotics via the whey from homemade yogurt is part of the method, and when I read that, this was additional confirmation that this method would be perfect for us as we always have SO much whey from our greek yogurt on hand (we make and sell it as well as the butter in our town). You can also use the liquid from homemade sauerkraut or other fermented veggies as well, if making yogurt isn’t in your repertoire.

I discovered the Baby GAPS method of starting baby on solids from Marissa Tolsma of Bumblebee Apothecary, whose tutorials I have used to learn how to render my own tallow and make all of the soap I make for our family’s needs. You can read her blog article here⁵ where she outlines the 10-week guide for starting baby on solids the GAPS way. She used to have a playlist with all of her YouTube videos on the topic, but has since deleted the playlist, so I made my own featuring all of her Baby GAPS videos (playlist here⁶).

As the instructions for how to prepare these foods for baby are already detailed in all of the above shared resources: Dr. Natasha’s books and Marissa’s blog article and YouTube videos, I will not be detailing that here. However, to illustrate the process of what we have been doing I will share a brief description:

I have been making chicken “meat stock” (meat and bones from half or whole chicken, simmered for 2-3 hours), non-starchy vegetable “soup” purée with the meat stock, and also a meat purée with the chicken meat, grisly bits, and meat stock. So far, these are what we have fed our baby girl over the last 6 weeks. Meat stock was the first thing we fed to her and we stuck with that for a couple weeks before adding in the veggie purée, and then waited another couple weeks before adding in the meat purée. We did try avocado one time, but it was a bit too thick for her. If I were to try it again, I would mix it with the meat stock until it is a thinner consistency.

In order to make it easier on us, I batch prep all of these for her in one go. I make the meat stock and then I make the two purées, and then freeze all of these into cubes using a silicone mini muffin tray (you could also use any standard ice cube trays), and then store all of the cubes in a silicone zipper bag in our freezer. Whenever it is mealtime for baby girl, I will melt a cube in a small saucepan on the stovetop (I barely even heat it up, just enough to melt it down), add in any fat (our homemade butter, coconut oil, tallow, etc), and the whey (using a dropper). This is how we’ve done it so far. Soon, likely in the next month or so once our new hens begin laying eggs, I will also introduce raw egg yolk, which is recommended in both the Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby and Child Care and the Baby GAPS Diet.

One other thing to note is that I completely agree with Marissa of Bumblebee Apothecary and will not be introducing fruit to my baby until she is one year old. I’m also avoiding the carrot juice recommendation from the Baby GAPS Diet for now, as carrots are very high in sugar. The idea behind this is for the baby to develop a healthy taste for savory foods before introducing higher-sugar foods, and also the fiber in certain fruits may be irritating to their still-developing guts.

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The intentionality piece: the sensitivity test, taking it slowly, observing carefully

Another aspect of the Baby GAPS method that is super important and I feel is missing from all other methods of introducing solids to babies, is the “sensitivity test.” What this consists of is testing a dab of any new food on your baby’s wrist before bedtime, and observing for any red, itchy, or inflamed patch where the food was applied on the skin the next morning. It is crucial that you do this before introducing any new food! If the skin reacts, this indicates that the baby’s system is not yet ready for the introduction of that food/food combo. You should wait and try the test again at a later date.

As with any new thing, take it slowly! Introduce only one new food at a time. Try that for as long as you feel comfortable before introducing the next new food. Always observe your baby’s reactions carefully! If he or she pushes the spoon away with her tongue, maybe she isn’t ready to try food yet. Observe her body’s reactions. Does she seem more fussy than usual? Spit up more? Spit up less? Seem more satiated? Did her bowel movements change in frequency or consistency (some change is normal)? These are some things to pay attention to – so you can gain clues on whether or not you are headed in the right direction!

What if my baby and I are vegan?

As a former vegan of an entire decade – spanning over the pregnancy, birth, and first year and few months of my first daughter’s life – this is an interesting question for me to address. I have not yet shared articles on why I stopped being vegan and the detrimental effects it had on the health of my daughter and myself – but I plan to soon. In short, being vegan was slowly depleting the both of us and was negatively impacting my fertility.

While I would honestly not recommend it, if you and your baby are both vegan, I would still recommend attempting some version of the methods I’ve mentioned in this article. You can always make a nutrient-dense, homemade vegetable stock and try that for your baby’s first food, with sauerkraut juice as the probiotic liquid. My only other advice would be to really tune in to your body and listen to it’s communication with you. If you truly feel being vegan is benefiting your health and that you are not being depleted (as the childbearing years require a high level of minerals and nutrients), all the more power to you!

Enjoy the transition

This is a special time that only happens in your baby’s life once, so enjoy it! Your baby will match your energy, so the more relaxed you are throughout the process, your baby will be too.

If you’re anything like me and enjoy making things from scratch for your family, I believe you will find it very rewarding if you decide to take an approach like the ones I’ve discussed in this article. I hope you’ve found it helpful!

Wishing you and your baby thriving health!

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What was your baby’s first food? How was your experience starting your baby on solids? I’d love to hear!

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References, Further Reading & More Resources:

¹ Fallon Morell, S., & Cowan, T. S. (2013) The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care. New Trends Publishing, Inc.

² Campbell-McBride, N. (2010) Gut and Psychology Syndrome. Medinform Publishing.

³ https://nourishingtraditions.com/bringing-baby-part-1/

⁴ https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/nutrition-greats/weston-a-price-dds/#gsc.tab=0

⁵ https://bumblebeeapothecary.com/introduce-solids-baby-gaps-diet/

⁶ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvn-AvC4uSa2OpHkNRJ9QaPgPDC2CZ-Gn&si=EQvB0W6xnuUBtRDI

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Interested in Detoxing Safely in Your Childbearing Years?

Check out my Detox Methods for Moms Mini Course!

This is a must-have toolkit for all mothers ready to take their health into their own hands. I designed it to be concise, so that it doesn’t become another purchase you never make use of.

You’ll get instant access to:

• My one hour video lesson — short, sweet, and to the point (so you can spend more time with your family!)

• PDF file of the Detox Methods for Moms slideshow

• Detox Tools for Moms eBook

• Detox Recipes for Moms eBook

• PAINT Maternal Intuition eBook

• Fulvic Minerals: Get Started Guide

Purchase the DMM Mini Course

Within this course, I explain the detox pathways of a woman’s body — specifically, in a breastfeeding woman’s body.

The methods discussed within this course are simple, natural, and effective. I also cover when to not detox while breastfeeding and ways that are not safe.

You will walk away from this course with a better understanding of what detox actually is, why it is important, and how to confidently add gentle detox into your daily routine so that you (and your children) can thrive!

Purchase the DMM Mini Course

I remember in 2020 after I had quit Acupuncture school because it had gone virtual, seeing a video of Tabitha Brown’s on Instagram (this was before IG Reels were a thing) that really struck a chord with me.

“I don’t know who this video is for, but somebody out there needs to hear this,” she began – that somebody was definitely me.

She went on to explain that she didn’t get to where she was by going to cooking school, or professional speaking school, or by getting any sort of training – other than from the school of Life. Simply being her authentic self and living her life was experience enough to catapult her to the “success” she was experiencing in that moment.

As someone who is a born truth-seeker (Sagittarius sun), loves to dig in to research, and feel it out with my intuition (Pisces moon) & base knowledge/experience, Tabitha’s message resonated with me deeply.

Hearing her words in that moment confirmed what I already knew: that I didn’t need a string of fancy letters at the end of my name in order to prove my worth – to myself, or to anyone else. I pride myself on being self-trained, though I do hold some credentials, such as a BA in Psychology, Level III Reiki Master Practitioner, and RYT 200 Yoga Teacher.

So, let me pose a question: as a woman who has given birth, do I need to be “licensed” or have gone through some “training” in order to be considered qualified to speak on the topic of birth - am I allowed to claim the title of “birth educator”?

Let’s dig in to this question a little more deeply.

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“Licensure” and “training” are a lie sold to society by The System.

Let me preface with a disclaimer: I would never advise that someone who doesn’t know what they are talking about offer advice or wisdom to others – especially with an event as monumental as birth. Offering services in the realm of birth is NOT something to be taken lightly, for many obvious reasons.

However, just because someone is credentialed, also does not automatically make them trustworthy (as evidenced by the >30% cesarean section birth rate in the US (and >50% in Mexico and other countries).

Let’s explore what getting a license really means…

Gaining a “license” in most regards typically entails (1) paying a fee to a licensing body (2) proving knowledge around a given topic via a test (3) proceeding within the bounds of said licensure and (4) paying recurring fees and/or passing tests to maintain licensure. Once all of these requirements are met, said person is then granted permission by the licensing body to practice, legally.

Trainings, like doula or lactation consulting, follow similar requirements as licensure. A regulating body (IBCLC, DONA, etc) charges a fee for a curriculum and then the professional receives the backing of a known regulatory agency’s title.

To draw a parallel, many people are beginning to catch on that “USDA Organic” is simply an expensive label and doesn’t necessarily mean that product is better or healthier. Conversely, just because something does not have a USDA Organic label on it doesn’t necessarily mean that the product is worse (it may even be truly ‘organic’, like a wildcrafted herb for example).

Somehow, we have been conned by societal conditioning into believing the myth that only these regulatory bodies are the ones who hold this coveted, illusive, secret knowledge – and we must pay money to access it – and only those who have said titles are the ones “qualified” enough to work, get paid, or educate in these arenas.

This, of course, is a lie. Knowledge is not something that can only be gained by paying for it. Knowledge is not something that can be locked up and hidden away, or only accessible for a few hundred or thousand dollars.

If you want it enough, you will seek it and you will find it. And, for that matter, experience has a role to play in this too. Which brings me to my next point...

A woman’s purpose is to bear life and give birth.

A woman’s body was created with the sole (and soul) purpose of sustaining, growing, birthing, and nurturing new life.

On a spiritual level, a woman is the vessel for a new soul incarnating on this planet – a monumental divine task! Some things in life are more felt, intuited, embodied experiences, and the entirety of which being a mother entails – conception, pregnancy, birth, and motherhood – is exactly that.

This knowledge is cellular, it’s ancestral, in our soul blueprint, and it is accessible to 100% of women if they choose it and allow for it to thrive.

My own pregnancy with and birth of my first daughter was a hugely transformational, awakening experience for me. I know on a soul level that my daughter chose me in order to catalyze my transformation in this way. I fully realized my soul purpose through this experience, which was not only to fulfill my role as a mother, but to fulfill my role as a woman, as well as to fulfill my role spiritually. It was an all encompassing awakening which is difficult to fully put into words. If you are a mother and you are reading this right now, you likely understand what I am attempting to describe. Once I became a mother, I became fully aligned with my divine feminine and my soul purpose.

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Can knowledge only be gained through a training program?

I spent much time before even becoming pregnant doing my own research around all things birth. At the time, I also already had a decade of learning around holistic health under my belt. I co-consciously conceived my pregnancy with my husband, and continued my research on until... well, it never stopped! I still spend much of my time gaining knowledge around birth and holistic health.

There truly is so much learning to be had, and I’m not convinced it ever ends. I could continue learning over lifetimes and never reach the end of knowledge to be gained. And as I always say, I could give birth 100 times and still learn more about myself, the process, and life itself, each and every time.

This is precisely why we have been sold the lie that only certain individuals who have paid a hefty fee to some governing body should be granted permission to “practice” or “speak” on a certain topic.

The issue of trust

How do I know that a governing body has mine or anyone else’s best interests in mind? How do I trust that the information they are providing me is accurate? This is some food for thought for you if you are a trained or licensed practitioner in any realm.

I am not stating or insinuating that that ALL trainings are bad or unnecessary or that all trained people are untrustworthy. Certainly, many trainings provide ample value. My own trainings in Yoga and Reiki, for example, are tremendously valuable to me. And many practitioners who are trained honor their own judgement and morals over their license. That said, many practitioners also honor their licensure over their own instincts, better judgment, or morals – for fear of losing it and their ability to practice within it’s scope.

You may be asking yourself the question, how can I trust a professional if they are not trained? My response to this – as it is to every issue in life – is that you must cultivate trust in your own intuition in order to choose which professionals you hire, for your birth or otherwise, and regardless of any credentials.

But most importantly, you must learn to trust your own self over anyone else and take responsibility for your own birth and life by sourcing inwards rather than outside of yourself for any choice you make.

The benefit of being uncredentialed

Uncredentialed, unlicensed people (like myself) are able to speak freely & uncensored, without the threats from any governing bodies being held over their heads.

Some of my greatest, most highly respected mentors have forgone their license in order to gain back their freedom of speech.

Final Thoughts

The very notion that something as natural, normal, and ancient as giving birth can be taught or regulated is ridiculous.

If you are licensed and you don’t like what I have to say on this topic, that is okay too. I understand the value in trainings and licensure, but I also know they are not necessary to prove knowledge or trustworthiness.

Thoughts? I’d love to hear them!

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Why In Birth & In Health?

The publication title, In Birth & In Health, is a play-on-words referencing the phrase “in sickness and in health” from typical wedding vows.

From my perspective, birth and health are intrinsically connected and intertwined. You cannot have one without the other (and motherhood, too). This is not to imply that birth or childbearing are “conditions” or need to be treated medically – quite the contrary. I truly believe that childbearing (conception, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and mothering) fulfill a woman’s purpose. Our female bodies were literally brilliantly & intricately designed and created to do these things. Birth is in no way a medical event in my eyes.

I write on topics some may not have even considered when it comes to birth and health and how they intersect – things like the root cause of cradle cap, my decision to decline the rhogam shot as an Rh-negative mother, and having a lotus birth. I’ve also written about how my family detoxed from toxic mold in our home, the importance of heavy metal detox during the childbearing years, and reasons why some mothers may be interested in detoxing while breastfeeding.

These topics may all seem controversial, but that’s not why I write about them. I have a different perspective on these topics than what the mainstream has to say about them. I’ve applied critical thinking (one of my best skills!), discernment, and my intuition.

And I encourage you to do the same if you are a mother. Don’t just take my word for it – tap into your own Maternal Intuition and see how what I have to say sits with you, then do your own research and apply your own discernment when doing so.

After all, birth and health are two areas of life in which we ought to vow to dedicate ourselves to wholly as mothers, not be passive passengers to.

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The journey that led me here

In the summer of 2022, I gave birth to my first daughter at home – a profoundly transformative experience that deeply moved both my husband and I. We were so inspired by the birth of our daughter that we co-created and hosted an event in Austin, TX the following year – Sacred Birth Symposium – where we brought together the community to educate parents on fertility, home birth, postpartum and more with the help of 11 experts from the birth field.

SBS was the start of my online platform where I began to share many resources for parents on all things holistic for the childbearing years. My passion for holistic health was always infused into my content, having studied various holistic healing modalities (yoga, reiki, and herbalism to name a few) and having been on my own holistic healing journey for over a decade.

Simultaneous to planning our event, my daughter was experiencing multiple yeast-related issues, so I applied my knowledge and experience with detox to our situation. Having previously spent years helping my husband detox from vaccine injury and having studied herbalism and more, I was able to craft a unique protocol that I knew would be safe for breastfeeding. I understood that the protocol I took would be delivered in a microdose through my breastmilk – in the perfect amount for my breastfeeding daughter – and help us to both heal simultaneously, thanks to the symbiotic nature of the breastfeeding motherbaby dyad.

When my daughter’s health and my own both improved and her yeast issues disappeared, I knew I had discovered something amazing – the gift of Detox While Breastfeeding.

It wasn’t until after this experience that I began noticing the sheer number of breastfeeding moms in online groups repeatedly asking the question, “Is it safe to detox while breastfeeding?” Over and over again, I witnessed moms parroting mainstream myths about Detox While Breastfeeding, like that it will “dump toxins into your breastmilk,” and other half-truths. The problem was, these women weren’t being supported in how to detox properly while breastfeeding. I quickly realized that there was no accurate or helpful information being shared on this topic anywhere, and that I needed to share the knowledge I had gained about Detox While Breastfeeding with fellow breastfeeding moms everywhere.

Shortly after our event, we moved our little family to permanently reside in Mexico. Right around our one year anniversary of moving, we discovered toxic black mold in our house, and that it had been the cause of our mysterious health issues resurfacing (including my then 2 year old who reacted most intensely to the mold). This experience led me to discover fulvic acid and it’s amazing benefits for women in their childbearing years, especially when it comes to gentle detoxing that is safe for pregnancy, breastfeeding, and even young children 1+ (and also excellent for replenishing vital mineral stores that get so depleted during the childbearing years).

Knowing what a trendy thing fulvic acid was in the health realm, I did my due diligence in selecting a brand that was up to my (very high) standards. That is how I landed on Zilara’s (formerly Heart & Body Naturals) Fulvic Acid Mineral Powder. As one of my most cherished values is to remain as close to nature as possible in our modern world, this fulvic acid mineral powder – coming straight from an untouched soil deposit in Southwestern USA, think ancient compost – fit the bill. After having used it now for over a year and a half (and also my toddler daughter!), even throughout my entire second pregnancy, it is my #1 recommendation to women in their childbearing years!

Learn more about Fulvic Acid here

I am so grateful that I took the above mentioned Fulvic Acid Mineral Powder for 6 months before conceiving of my second daughter, so that I could detox the mold, heavy metals, and other toxins from my body before getting pregnant, as well as replenish my mineral stores which were definitely depleted after having been vegan for 10 years (no longer) and breastfeeding my daughter until she was 3.5 years old.

In 2025, we made the decision to shut down our website for SBS, and In Birth & In Health was born in it’s place. Now I am a home birth mom of TWO beautiful daughters! And my inspiration has been re-invigorated, having gone through the full spectrum of childbearing a second time.

I am also honored to be a part of a special new publication, Uplifting Birth Stories, a growing collection of empowering, positive birth stories found here on Substack. This project so reminds me of my previous work with the Sacred Birth Symposium event, during which we hosted a Birth Stories session that went WAY over time, as everyone wanted to share their stories! You can check out our new publication here:

Uplifting birth stories

for mamas and mamas-to-be: immerse yourself in uplifting and empowering birth stories to explore before you birth.

By yen the leafy apprentice

Coming Soon

Throughout my years with SBS, I created so much valuable content that now has nowhere to live and isn’t being seen by anyone. So, I recently decided that I will soon launch my paid subscription tier, and in it will live a Premium Content Library:

• Sacred Birth Symposium 2023 Event Replay Videos + eBook

• 7 Steps to Birthing Outside the System (In-Person Workshop Replay + eBook)

• Detox While Breastfeeding Myths & Truths (Webinar)

• Detox Methods for Moms (Mini Course)

A Gift for You

As a thank you to my subscribers (or anyone reading this – I hope you will stick around if you’re not already subscribed!), I am giving you a free gift today. The PAINT eBook is all about cultivating your Maternal Intuition, and a simple technique to help you do so. You can download the ebook here (no email opt-in required).

Paint Maternal Intuition eBook

6.65MB ∙ PDF file

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A simple tool for harnessing your maternal superpower!

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Thank you for reading! Thank you for subscribing and supporting my work! Keep an eye out for my Paid Subscription tier announcement coming soon, and in the meantime, enjoy reading my (sometimes controversial) posts on everything birth, motherhood, and health!

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Once I became pregnant for the first time, I began looking into all things “cord” – I learned about delayed cord clamping, cord burning ceremonies, and lotus birth. Suddenly, my deep inner knowing surfaced that the placenta and umbilical cord are sacred organs that the body so intelligently grows alongside baby, and that they are baby’s lifeline, nourishment, and comfort in the womb. Truly, the placenta and cord are the baby’s, and are not to be given away frivolously, but must be used very intentionally – if used at all.

[Although donating or storing cord blood was NEVER something I was interested in doing, I continued to do some digging around this intriguing topic that is seemingly not discussed in-depth frequently enough. I found this post that was extremely informative and aligned with my views on the topic.]

Most likely, you have heard of the benefits of delayed cord clamping. My belief is that it is imperative to at least delay cord clamping for 30 minutes to 1 hour after birth – and that is a bare minimum. Even with some midwives and a home birth, you may have to really set a clear boundary about this before the birth.

But have you heard of a lotus birth? Lotus birth is the practice of leaving the umbilical cord and placenta intact, attached to the baby until it dries up and detaches naturally, without interference. Mainstream media and medical professionals will tell you that this is an unsafe practice. This is not true. In fact, this practice has been around since the dawn of time, as long as women have been birthing – and across many cultures. The benefits of leaving the cord intact are vast – and extend beyond just the physical, into the spiritual realm as well. We will be getting into all of this, so read on to learn more.

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Cutting the umbilical cord after birth is an invention of the obstetrics industry.

And apparently only men ever wrote about the benefits or drawbacks of whether or not the umbilical cord should be clamped or cut and when… Strange, isn’t it?

Some may argue that cutting of the cord has been a practice since before what we now know as the modern day medical industrial complex, long since before the days of the Rockefeller’s takeover in the early 1900’s. Some may even mention Ezekiel 16:4 in the Old Testament of the Bible, claiming it has been a practice since 600 B.C.

And to this, my response would be that that history as we know it may all be completely contrived. The Bible has been revised, translated, and re-written several times over. Like a game of telephone, how can we know that it’s words and meanings have not been modified?

As parents, we must learn to use our own intuition and discernment in deciding what is best for our baby and ourselves.

My path to having a lotus birth

When I became pregnant with my first baby, it wasn’t even a question that I’d be having a home birth. It was 2021 and a handful of my friends had had babies in the previous year during the 2020 plandemic shenanigans. They’d all had hospital births and had to deal with things like going to their prenatal appointments solo, wearing masks, and their husbands not being allowed even into their birthing rooms with them. One thing 2020 was good for was awakening my ass FULLY awake. Yet, I understood why all my friends went the hospital birth route – it was all any of us ever knew. When you and everyone you know were all born in a hospital, that’s where you go to give birth, without really thinking more deeply about it. After my friends who gave birth in 2020 all shared their hospital birth experiences with me, I noticed the common thread was trauma. And not only for the mothers, but also the babies. This was something I sought to minimize as much as possible.

I’d already been on my holistic healing and natural living journey for nearly a decade at this point, and we’d very consciously conceived of our first baby, so I immediately knew I’d be giving birth at home. I even discovered free birth during this first pregnancy, and I considered it for a bit, but ultimately decided on hiring a very aligned, like-minded herbalist midwife who shared many of our same values. I dove headfirst into research on all things holistic birth, as many first-time-pregnant moms do. While things like lotus birth and elimination communication were on my radar, I was very focused on mental birth prep and failed to look more deeply into them, and decided on placenta encapsulation (and cloth diapering alongside very delayed EC) instead.

My first birth was deeply inspiring for my husband and I, and we ended up co-creating and hosting a 2-day event in Austin, TX 8 months later all about home birth (with the help of 11 birth professionals as our speakers) – Sacred Birth Symposium. Our goal with SBS was to educate and empower more women to birth on their own terms in a more sovereign way. We covered so many topics, including fertility, home birth, free birth, circumcision, postpartum, and more. SBS evolved into my personal platform for sharing all things holistic childbearing (and has been reborn as In Birth & In Health).

In short, I became very passionate about all things birth and learned so much more in the 3.5 years between my two births. All of this led to the decision to do a lotus birth with our second baby. In between pregnancies, I discovered two tremendously powerful books that I highly recommend: Lotus Birth: Leaving the Umbilical Cord Intact, by Shivam Rachana, and Placenta: The Forgotten Chakra, by Robin Lim (I even serendipitously bumped into Robin Lim’s granddaughter in Austin in the days leading up to SBS!)

The violence I felt when we cut our first baby’s cord

When my first daughter was born, we waited until the cord was finished pulsing and then our midwife clamped the cord and my husband cut it, just over an hour after the birth. For some reason, the cutting of her cord is not a clear memory in my mind. We had hired a birth photographer, so we have photos of this happening and I feel that whatever memories I have of this moment are “falsified memories” from simply viewing the photos. In hindsight – and I’m truly only realizing this now as I’m writing and processing – perhaps I was a somewhat detached (dissociated seems a bit extreme, but could be accurate) or even blocked the memory out afterwards. Because as I’ll elaborate on a bit later on in this article, the placenta and umbilical cord are so sacred – and I’m quite certain that I, as most of us likely do, have lingering trauma from my own umbilical cord being cut, likely quite soon after I was born (I should ask my mother, but I’m sure she won’t even remember this detail).

At some point in my first year postpartum with my daughter, I took a relaxing bath with the intention of having some “me time.” I remember that during this bath, I went into a meditative state of sorts and felt pain around my belly button. I allowed myself to feel the pain, and then I gave myself Reiki over my belly button, with the hopes of healing the trauma of my umbilical cord having been severed.

Whenever I look back at the photos from my first birth and see my husband cutting my daughter’s cord, I viscerally feel a pain and literally cringe. It feels so violent, looking back. I can even see the concern in my face in the photos (and my baby crying) – like I knew we shouldn’t be doing it. It honestly breaks my heart when I look back at these photos.

The spiritual reasons for leaving the umbilical cord intact

Once I started looking more deeply into lotus births, it was as if everything I had learned since my spiritual awakening and holistic healing journey began was speaking exactly to leaving the umbilical cord intact. My first pregnancy and birth awakened me so intensely to the spiritual nature of childbearing. Connecting with the little soul growing inside my womb and the realization that her spirit had been with me since the day before I met her father (or possibly even longer) was such a profoundly intimate and sacred experience. Bringing her earthside with the sheer power of my very being was an experience that transformed me in ways I cannot even describe in words. I so wish I had decided to do a lotus birth with her, so I decided long before I even conceived of my second that I was committed to doing a lotus birth.

The yogic concept of ahimsa – nonviolence towards all living beings – comes to mind. Harming a tiny brand new little human who is in it’s most vulnerable state is the last thing I would ever want to do. While it may be argued that the baby cannot feel the umbilical cord being cut, truly it is the baby’s umbilical cord and placenta – not mine. Who am I to decide to detach it from that which has sustained it for it’s entire inception in human form thus far in it’s short life?

In Lotus Birth – Leaving the Umbilical Cord Intact, Shivam Rachana explains that even after cord blood is finished pumping, life force is still being transferred to the baby via the placenta & umbilical cord. Life Force, Reiki, Qi, Prana – this concept is interwoven into so many ancient traditions. I learned about it when I did my yoga teacher training (prana) and when I became a Reiki Master Practitioner (rei-ki) in 2013, and again when I studied Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine (qi) in 2020 for a brief time. So while it cannot be proven in a study, I know this to be true.

Rachana also describes that the placenta has it’s own very powerful aura and helps the baby to form & seal it’s own auric field, separate of the mother. The cord then separates from the infant’s navel on it’s own once this process is complete.⁴ The modern day practice of lotus birth resurfaced (as I’m quite certain our late ancestors did not sever the umbilical cords of their newborns) originated when a clairvoyant named Clair Lotus Day, who had the ability to see auras, could see the cord trauma damage in people’s auras.⁴ When she gave birth to her son, she left his umbilical cord intact, and thus Lotus Birth, was born.

The health benefits of leaving the umbilical cord intact

In Lotus Birth – Leaving the Umbilical Cord Intact, Rachana posits that the baby’s immune system is fortified when the umbilical cord is left intact and allowed to detach in it’s own timeframe. In stories shared in the book, it is described how lotus birth babies didn’t lose weight in their first week of life as is the typical expectation, but rather steadily continued to gain weight from the time of their births. It has also been discussed that anemia, jaundice, and blood mixing that may contribute to (supposed) Rh-sensitization are all decreased when the umbilical cord is left intact.⁵

As far as mental and emotional health are concerned, lotus birth babies have evaded a trauma that is now so commonplace, it is accepted as the norm and largely goes unseen. Babies whose umbilical cords were allowed to detach on their own rather than being severed may develop to become children and adults whose attachment style is naturally more secure, who are observed to be more even tempered and grounded, and who “things seem to come to more easily.”⁴

The propaganda against lotus births

In the mainstream media, on the internet, or if you speak to OB/GYNs or even midwives about lotus birth, you may hear that they are dangerous, that there is a risk of infection or even that the baby could die. In my opinion, this is all propaganda against a practice as old as time that is only beneficial for the baby.

As with most aspects of birth and life, the truth is often inverted – and we are told the exact opposite of what is truly best for us.

Ultimately, it is up to every mother to decide for herself and her baby what it the right decision to make in regards to severing the baby’s umbilical cord or not.

How we did it and how it went

Towards the end of my pregnancy with my second, in full nesting mode, I began to prepare for our Lotus Birth. We bought a dedicated stainless steel bowl for the placenta to go into. I bagged up some sea salt especially for curing the placenta. I rummaged around in my massive plastic tote filled with dried herbs that we brought with us when we moved down to Mexico. I was planning to mix several dried and powdered herbs especially for the lotus birth, but I ended up stumbling upon an old herb mix we had made for our first business together, Mohenjo, from an herbal bath tea we used to make and had leftover. It was a blend we named “The Awakening,” and it was comprised of green tea, peppermint, and rosemary. The scent is so refreshing and uplifting, and I felt it would be perfect for sprinkling over the placenta (and indeed, it was).

Part of my prep for my postpartum involved buying a basket that would live next to my bedside with all the things I’d need handy in those immediate postpartum days: cloth diapers, wipes, homemade diaper wipe spray, and top hat potty; muslin blankets and burp cloth; the e-reader and my journal and pen; my homemade motherwort tincture; and the stainless steel bowl, sea salt, and herbs for our Lotus Birth. (By the way, I got the basket idea from this video by Dana of Wild We Roam – check it out for some great postpartum tips!)

I also read Lotus Birth: Leaving the Umbilical Cord Intact in it’s entirety as my birth approached. I so cherish the experience of reading this book at the end of my pregnancy. It is an amazing book, and if you are considering doing a Lotus Birth, I highly recommend that you read it! It is full of tremendously valuable information and many, many Lotus Birth stories.

This is how it looked: After the placenta was birthed, we placed the placenta in a colander that we already had (next time I would buy one specifically for the lotus birth) for draining the placenta for the first 24 hours. We kept the colander propped atop a 5 gallon bucket. After this, we transferred the placenta into the stainless steel bowl atop a bed of sea salt. We then sprinkled more sea salt and the herb mix over the placenta. The placenta in the stainless steel bowl remained on my bedside table until the umbilical cord detached on it’s own, after 3.5 days. Occasionally, I moved the bowl onto the bed with me so I could do EC or diapering with our tiny baby.

My baby was born in the afternoon, and by the time I woke up the next day, the cord had dried out – it was hard, as if made from the same material as a human nail. I have heard that you can dampen and soften the cord near the belly button with a bit of water to make maneuvering with the baby easier. I didn’t opt to do this. I will say that skin-to-skin after the first day, for the second and third days before the cord detached, was a bit more difficult than with a cord detached. However, I do not feel that those two days with less skin-to-skin contact were detrimental in any way. In fact, I was very impressed that my newborn was okay to lay right next to me (still touching me) versus on top of my chest. We are a bedsharing family, so our babies still both sleep with us in our king-sized bed to this day. When my first daughter was born, she wouldn’t sleep unless she was laying on either mine or my husband’s chest for the entire first 3 months of her life! My second daughter was able to start laying beside me and I began side-lying breastfeeding with her after just one month. This helped all of us get SO much more sleep! And just a couple weeks later, when she was 6 weeks old, she began holding her pee all night long, thanks to us starting elimination communication from day 1 of her life (I’ll share more about this in a subsequent post!)

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I will also say that my lotus birth baby did not lose any weight in her first week of life and did steadily gain from her birth weight. It is possible that because I did not wean my toddler from breastfeeding until a month before I gave birth, my milk supply was already high, and this could be a contributing factor. But I do think that doing a lotus birth also contributed to her steady weight gain. She also did not have a lick of jaundice when she was born, unlike my first who had minor jaundice.

Would we do it again?

As I’m sure you can guess, I will absolutely be doing a lotus birth for all of my future births! I feel that I could never go back to cutting, or even burning, an umbilical cord, now that I have done a lotus birth.

It was such a beautiful and healing experience for our whole family. I explained the whole process to my oldest daughter before the birth and she loved to be involved in the experience. I also apologized her for cutting her cord and asked her for her forgiveness, which she freely gave. I think that witnessing her baby sister’s lotus birth was a profoundly healing experience for her, as it was for myself and for my husband as well.

10/10 would recommend.

Did you find this article helpful? Have you done a lotus birth before? Are you inspired to do a lotus birth or are you already planning one yourself? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.

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References & Resources:

¹https://www.givingbirthnaturally.com/storing-cord-blood.html

²https://sampatt.com/notes/historical-origins-and-rationale-of-early-umbilical-cord-clamping

³https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jpc.13494_94

⁴Rachana, S. (2011) Lotus Birth – Leaving the Umbilical Cord Intact, Second edition. Good Creation Publications.

⁵Lim, R. (2010) Placenta – the Forgotten Chakra. Half Angel Press.

⁶https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=KKz9xyOb1GPu10vc&v=nW1f1fYTFvA&feature=youtu.be

I have gone back and forth on whether or not to share this post, as I know it may be considered highly controversial. However, I feel it is very important that I share my experience. If it helps even one mother and one baby, then it was all worth it.

All that to say, your health choices are yours to make, and yours alone. If you are a pregnant Rh- mother struggling with the decision on whether or not to take Rhogam, first and foremost, I encourage you to listen closely to what your intuition and your body are communicating to you. And secondly, I encourage you to gather information that feels appropriate, and once again rely on your intuition to guide you. I truly believe you can never go wrong when you follow your intuition – and especially, as a mother, when you follow your Maternal Intuition.

This article is not intended to be an educational piece on the Rhogam shot. Rather, this is more of a philosophical and critical thinking essay including my personal opinions and experience as an Rh- mother. I pose questions that your OB/GYN and even your midwife are not likely to ask you – but that you should most certainly ask yourself before making the decision of whether or not to accept the Rhogam shot into your body.

I firmly believe in informed consent when it comes to health decisions – the informed part of which is rarely given; the consent part of which is often in the form of subtle coercion or not-so-subtle fear mongering – as I feel is generally the case regarding the Rhogam shot (less likely if you have a holistic-minded or sovereign-oriented midwife as your chosen “practitioner,” more likely if you have hired an OB/GYN or more medicalized midwife).

This being said, at the end of this article, you will find additional recommended reading to support you in further educating yourself on this issue.

Before you read any further, trigger warning: brief mentions of infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, and vaccine injury.

What is Rhogam?

Rhogam is a manufactured blood pharmaceutical product (injection) that is strongly recommended to ALL Rh- pregnant women, across the board.

Yes, you read that correctly. When you accept Rhogam into your body, you are having human blood (specifically the plasma, from a pool of any number of donors)¹ injected directly into your body. This injection is routinely recommended both during and after pregnancy to Rh- women. Not one injection, but two.

Additionally, the Rhogam shot is not just human blood plasma from any number (could be hundreds) of donors… it also contains inactive ingredients and preservatives. Interestingly enough, it was extremely difficult to find a product insert ingredient list for Rhogam. Even the Rhogam website itself didn’t contain this information.

Shouldn’t the ingredients list be easy to find and widely available?

I finally was able to find an ingredient list on the NIH website² (mind you, it was the LAST section on this page – I would think it should be the first), including the “inactive ingredients” list: Sodium Chloride, Glycine, and Polysorbate 80. I don’t know about you, but any ingredient with a number in it is an automatic hard NO for me. Besides that, Polysorbate 80 is widely known to be toxic. It has even been found to cause infertility in rats³ ⁴. So why would we want to inject that ingredient into a pregnant woman’s body? I am certain that if I were to ever have this ingredient injected into my body, I’d have an allergic reaction at the very least. [FYI, Rhophylac, a newer brand of Rho(D) Immune Globulin, supposedly contains no polysorbate 80.]

Furthermore, Rhogam historically has contained thimerisol (a fancy trade name for mercury – a known neurotoxin), and although it is claimed to no longer contain this adjuvant, independent testing has shown that it did still contain not only mercury, but also aluminum (another known neurotoxin)⁵ ⁶.

Why also, would Rhogam be recommended across the board to Rh- women?

Even when the father of the gestating baby is Rh- as well (in which case, by their own logic, Rhogam should not be needed)? Well, follow the money, as they say… because after all, Rhogam is a product and it is being sold to you, the mother. Which brings me to my next point:

The propaganda of the Rhogam website

I remember in fifth grade, my teacher gave us a lesson on propaganda. This lesson really stuck with me. After that, every TV commercial, every magazine I saw in the grocery store, I was analyzing. Determining which type of propaganda they were using to sell whatever it was they were selling. Were they tugging on my emotions in that Hallmark card commercial? Were they using sex on that magazine cover? I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Fast forward to my adulthood, and I remembered that lesson and how it stuck with me. It was an important piece of the puzzle in my awakening journey.

So, let’s do an exercise together. Let’s analyze the propaganda on the Rhogam website. Here’s the first thing you see:

We see a baby, front and center, overlaid atop various old-looking photos and some text: “The RhoGAM story never gets old” and text claiming: “The original Rh- negative breakthrough that has protected generations of babies.” and “RhoGAM: The REMARKABLE TRUE STORY”

Here are my comments on all of that. Firstly, this is a major play on emotions. Showing imagery that feels familiar, warm, like family; paired with text about how they have supposedly protected generations of babies with their medical breakthrough. Secondly, they actually made a huge grammatical error here: “Rh- negative” – this is a double negative. Intentional? I’m not sure. (Upon analyzing the site, I recognize they are using the dash in between “Rh” and “negative,” however I still find it strange.) Lastly, it feels very phony and concocted that they wrote it is a “remarkable true story.”

Here we go again, they are reiterating that this is a true story. I’m sorry, but how many times do you have to keep trying to convince me that your “medical breakthrough” is a true story? This just makes me feel even more like the whole thing is made up. The website goes on to claim that before the 1960’s, this supposed incompatibility was a terribly complex problem which the medical (read: pharmaceutical) industry needed to solve.

Let’s stop and think about this for a minute. Many of you reading this likely have parents born before the 1960s, like mine. Typically, my grandparents’ generation had many kids – and their parents’ (my great-grandparents) generation had even more! So was blood type incompatibility truly a problem they were all facing? Sure, maybe one out of ten of our great-grandparents’ babies died due to birth complications, but this seems totally normal to me. For example, when a dog gives birth to a litter of puppies, it is not unheard of that one of the puppies dies or is the runt of the litter. This is just nature, in my opinion. Survival of the fittest, if you will. Besides, there are so many factors to take into consideration when a baby doesn’t make it – including the often completely dismissed spiritual/soul contract aspect, which I fully believe in.

Okay, moving along. “A story of heroism and triumph. Of brilliant science and generous empathy.” Keywords here that are tugging on the emotional heartstrings of readers: heroism, triumph, brilliant (science), generous, empathy. That’s basically every word they used in these two sentences – all charged with emotion! They also reiterate that Rhogam has “given hope to Rh-negative mothers by protecting generations of Rh-positive babies for 5 generations,” this reinforcing the idea that the medical industry has saved us all (humankind) from ourselves, literally. Of course, with imagery of I guess, what is supposed to be the scientists who worked on researching for this “breakthrough” – and of course, including a woman (so women will be convinced of this miraculous breakthrough even more).

Lastly, WOW, they even created a free book for you to read all about the “Heroes behind Rhogam” – how lovely! Truly, the marketing effort to sell you on this pharmaceutical product is quite elaborate.

Did it work?

My experience as an Rh- Mother

I have been pregnant twice, and I have given birth twice. I am Rh- and my husband, the father of my two children, is Rh+. Both of my pregnancies were very healthy, and both of my births were natural and at home with midwives and minimal to no interventions (read the birth story of my second daughter here).

Before my first pregnancy, I had already stopped engaging with all aspects of the medical industrial complex – I’d stopped going to a doctor for anything, stopped going to an OB/GYN, stopped using all pharmaceuticals, and only went to a holistic dentist to have my metal amalgam fillings removed.

As you may know if you’ve read any of my previous articles, I veer away from medical tests, technology, and interventions (read about my wild pregnancy here). That being said, we have not tested our children’s blood types. While we do have one Eldoncard kit, I’m not inclined to use it to find out my baby’s blood type for several reasons. 1) I do not want to needlessly inflict pain on my baby 2) I do not need to know my children’s blood types just to prove a point about Rhogam or for any other reason 3) Eldoncard kits can be inaccurate. If we ever needed to, of course we would find out our children’s blood types, but at the moment it feels unnecessary.

So, as you learned in the title of this piece, I have never once taken the Rhogam shot — and I never will. I am but one of many Rh- women with Rh+ partners who have refused Rhogam and have gone on to have multiple healthy pregnancies, births, and babies (which I do not take for granted for one second).

Anecdotal evidence speaks louder than “the science” ever could

Personally, I believe in anecdotal evidence far more than I believe or trust studies. Yolande Norris-Clark is one such woman who is Rh- with an Rh+ partner who has refused Rhogam, and she has gone on to have ELEVEN healthy pregnancies and births (into her 40’s, at that!). I also personally know a midwife who told me she is Rh- and has had 4 beautiful daughters – and never accepted Rhogam either.

Conversely, a woman in a parent’s group I am in shared that she experienced adverse reactions from the Rhogam shot. I’m sure there are many others. And who knows how many babies in utero have been injured (or even miscarried or stillborn) by the Rhogam shot, as well. This, of course, is a distinct possibility.

God did not create mothers and babies to be “incompatible”

The information surrounding Rhogam tells women that our bodies will basically attack our babies due to an “incompatibility” of blood types. That if we do not take the Rhogam shot, our babies will suffer, or worse, die.

Humans, biologically, are designed to reproduce. If this weren’t true, humankind would not have persisted for as long as it has. This is the exact reason why I trust in my body to the utmost degree, so much so that I would never even consider giving birth in a hospital, nor plan for a hospital birth as my “backup plan.” Because I know to my core and with every fiber of my being, that my body was intricately and brilliantly designed to carry life and give birth. Yes, of course it carries risk, as everything in life does. And I am willing to accept that. As long as I take proper care of my body and nourish it well, my body will function just exactly as it should.

If you subscribe to the theory of evolution (I do not), wouldn’t this blood type incompatibility have been evolutionarily phased out?

Tell me please, how and why would the Higher Power that designed humans create us to be incompatible in such a detrimental way?

And before the terribly triggered chime in – no, this supposed incompatibility was not built into humans as a means of “natural birth control” (birth control being a completely modern concept since the inception of Planned Parenthood – but that’s a talk for another time). That is, IF this blood type incompatibility even does exist (I lean towards that the entire thing is contrived by the pharmaceutical industry).

I will never, ever accept that humans “need” pharmaceuticals in order to have a healthy pregnancy or birth – in order to exist and persist! What a ridiculous notion.

Do you have an experience with Rhogam you’d like to share? Whether you also refused the shot or not, I would love to hear about it either way:

Leave a comment

References, Resources & Further Reading:

¹https://www.rhogam.com/

²https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=d87e4d0b-2442-4135-b3f9-5c4f74845b87

³https://thegoodhuman.com/what-is-polysorbate-80/

⁴https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8473002/

⁵https://novax.org/?p=5474

⁵http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/rhogam-vaccine-big-pharma-profit-ploy/ (original article by Sarah Pope MGA, replicated on novax.org link above)

⁶https://web.archive.org/web/20150403154121/http://whale.to/a/mercury7.html

https://justtheinserts.com/rhogam/

https://www.sarawickham.com/anti-d/

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I am not a medical professional. I am simply a stay-at-home mother of two who is deeply passionate about holistic health and living as close to nature as I possibly can in this modern world – and I have supported many other mothers in their own holistic health pursuits. Everything I share is with the intent to inform and educate. I share what I have learned through lived experience, my own research and studies, and my inner knowing.

References are not included, as I am sharing my personal experience and observations and do not intend to write a research paper about them. If you are seeking further “proof,” I invite you to do your own research and exercise your own discernment when doing so.

It is your duty to take responsibility for your own health and the health of your children and the choices you make regarding your health and the health of your children. Please do your own research, tune into your own intuition, and make choices accordingly.

There are affiliate links in this article. I only recommend the highest quality products that I use personally and have found to be tremendously helpful. I would never stand behind a product I don’t believe in 100% and use with my own family.

My experience with my first daughter & cradle cap

When I was pregnant with my first, I was vegan. While I was sure to eat as nutrient-dense of a diet as I possibly could, having been vegan for 8 years at that point in time (I haven’t been vegan for over 2 years now), I did drink lots of very high-sugar, banana-based protein powder smoothies to help meet the protein requirements my body needed for the pregnancy. I also did attempt to eat the recommended 75g of dates a day “for a quicker labor,” (read my take on that here), and thus was consuming a very high amount of sugar daily towards the end.

When my first daughter was born, she developed cradle cap that ended up persisting for many months – mild enough that it was hidden under her hair, but there nonetheless. She also ended up developing some pretty gnarly yeast diaper rashes – very red and painful for her. Once she began eating solids, a few things happened – she began having very infrequent poops, she experienced her first cold with lots of snot, and she also began developing skin rashes that were fungal in appearance. My midwife for our first birth had mentioned to me that the cradle cap could have been caused by yeast, but it wasn’t until she was around 6 months old and the totality of the symptoms had appeared that I finally put all the clues together and realized what was going on.

The hidden root cause of cradle cap

What my midwife for my first birth (also an herbalist, check out her Substack here) said about the cradle cap being caused by yeast was 100% correct. As I came to discover through my experiences and research, candida overgrowth — a gut microbiome imbalance — is the hidden and little discussed root cause of cradle cap in babies and toddlers.

Candida is a yeast that is present in all human bodies and gut microbiomes, but it has a tendency to become pathogenic in nature – it is opportunistic, parasitic, even. This is because candida (of which there are many different strains) is a type of yeast, and yeast feeds off of sugar. Have you ever had sourdough starter and seen how it doubles in size when you feed it? Imagine this is the candida in your gut, and every time you feed it sugar by eating sugary foods (including most fruits), it doubles in size! I’m not actually saying that the candida in your gut doubles in volume every time you eat sugar, but I am trying to illustrate how it is possible that candida can become so easily overgrown in our guts.

It is my personal theory that at least 90% of the global population likely has candida overgrowth, especially with the high amounts of processed and nutrient-deficient foods most people are eating, as compared to our ancestors from hundreds of years ago. There are other factors as well of course, for example, if you have ever taken antibiotics, you’ve made yourself more susceptible to candida overgrowth.

Candida overgrowth is a complex issue, and sugar is not the only thing that it thrives on – it also uses heavy metals in conjunction with sugar in order to create a biofilm which it uses to hide from your immune system, making it difficult to get back into check.

How in the world could a baby be born with candida overgrowth, you might ask? Well, because most mothers also have candida overgrowth (and heavy metal toxicity to some extent). When a woman is pregnant, her gestating baby’s entire microbiome is imprinted from his or her mother’s microbiome. This includes, but is not limited to, the gut microbiome (mental/emotional, spiritual, and nervous system are all imprinted from mother as well). So when a pregnant woman has candida overgrowth, it is likely that her baby will be born with candida overgrowth. Most pregnant women also consume sugar throughout their pregnancies – even the most well-intentioned mothers with the most nutrient-dense diets will typically succumb to consuming some sugar throughout their pregnancy.

Additionally, the gut microbiome of an infant (and even a toddler) is very immature — it is still developing and strengthening — thus, it is far more susceptible to such imbalances.

I learned all of this and more throughout my experience with my first daughter. I ended up applying my holistic health knowledge and creating a breastfeeding-safe candida cleanse protocol. While breastfeeding my 6 month old daughter, I carried out the candida cleanse protocol that I crafted, and sure enough, her yeast-related issues disappeared.

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My second baby helped to further prove my theory

During my second pregnancy, I had goals to limit sugar greatly in order to prevent the same issues from occurring again. However, with the stress of having a still-nursing toddler (who I ended up weaning a mere month before giving birth) who was very attached to me, I ended up totally throwing this goal out the window. I’d been taking fulvic acid mineral powder daily throughout my entire pregnancy (and for 6 months prior to conception), and although I knew it wasn’t a “magic bullet,” I hoped it would prevent any candida issues from arising.

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Ten days after the birth, my mother-in-law arrived from abroad to help us out for the next 5 weeks. Once I went out of the house with her, my husband, toddler, and new babe, we definitely indulged in treats (MX where I live is sweet-treat central!) For the last two weeks of her stay, my father-in-law also joined us. While being completely well-meaning, my FIL has a bit of an addiction to baking and making sweet treats. Even though I knew deep down this was going to be a problem and with all of my past experiences with candida overgrowth, and I absolutely knew I should not be eating all of those delicious pies and cookies, I caved. I mean, the transition from 1 to 2 was very, very smooth for us, but my postpartum still came with a good dose of mom anxiety and a sprinkle of pp depression that I thought I’d never experience EVER (will share about this in another post soon), so I totally caved to all of the comforting sweet treats.

I observed that my second daughter began developing cradle cap in her first few weeks of life, and it was pretty thick and scaly, too. It continued to spread over her first 6 weeks of life – on her scalp, forehead, eyebrows, and ears. I had made an organic lavender & chamomile infused olive oil out of a very high quality EVOO prior to her birth for baby massage, so I had been applying this to her cradle cap. It worked wonders at helping it dry up and flake off (without any special comb), but I knew this was just treating a symptom and not the root cause.

As soon as my in-laws left, I began greatly decreasing my sugar intake, but was still indulging in treats from time to time as the addiction persisted (and the candida begged to be fed). I continued to observe my daughter and I noticed she was beginning to develop some candida skin rashes as well, all too familiar to us. So about a month ago, when she was 2.5 months old, I decided to cut sugar out of my diet completely. Upon doing so, both her skin rashes and her remaining cradle cap, very quickly, completely disappeared.

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The solution is simpler than you think (though not necessarily easy)

While there are many “quick fix,” even holistic, recommendations out there for how to remedy cradle cap – like using oil and a special comb, apple cider vinegar rinses, etc – none of these address the root cause of the cradle cap – which is to get the internal terrain back into balance.

As a great starting point, I recommend to any breastfeeding mom dealing with cradle cap or any type of skin rashes in their babies/toddlers to remove ALL added sugar from their diets, including fruit. If the baby is consuming solid foods, this applies to them as well as the mother if she is breastfeeding. What we consume as breastfeeding mothers does influence the quality of our milk, and a small percentage of what we consume does pass into breastmilk (this is exactly why my breastfeeding-safe candida cleansing protocol worked).

Once symptoms improve, you can slowly add back in lower-sugar fruits, like granny smith apples and blueberries (these are the two lowest sugar fruits). Once you do this, be sure to observe and monitor for any return of candida-related symptoms.

Cutting out sugar is not a complete fix for candida overgrowth, and depending on the severity, it might not be enough to get rid of cradle cap or skin rashes 100%. However, it is a starting point, and a good way to observe and assess if the issues you are experiencing may be related to candida overgrowth or not, based on how they respond to being starved of sugar.

I also do highly recommend greatly limiting sugar intake while pregnant to prevent these sort of complications from arising (yes, this includes dates… try addressing your conscious and subconscious fears around birth as a more potent preparation for labor instead — read more on that here).

Taking a high quality, food grade fulvic acid mineral powder like this one will also help tremendously with breaking down candida biofilms, making it much easier to get back into balance. I know that my continuing to take this daily throughout my postpartum contributed to my baby’s cradle cap and candida rashes disappearing so quickly once giving up sugar.

Have you struggled with cradle cap or skin rashes in your baby or toddler? You are not alone! This is all too common. I know firsthand how stressful and anxiety-provoking it can be to watch your child suffer. I’d love to hear about your experience if you’re willing to share:

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Within this course, I explain the detox pathways of a woman’s body — specifically, in a breastfeeding woman’s body.

The methods discussed within this course are simple, natural, and effective. I also cover when to not detox while breastfeeding and ways that are not safe.

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Well, I’m for sure a rebel, and regarding what music to play in motherhood is no exception!

Mine and my husband’s worlds used to quite literally revolve around music. For as long as I can remember, music has been something so special to me. When I met my husband and found out he made electronic music, this was one of many clues from the Universe signaling to me that he was to be my husband. In the early days of our relationship we shared many special moments revolving around music.

Then we became parents, moved our little family to another country, got busy building our beautiful life together, and… music mostly all but faded into the background. Literally.

Personally, I’ve never thought that children should be downgraded to listening to “children’s music” only. It feels almost demeaning. Why should children be condemned to only listening to juvenile tunes as if they aren’t capable of appreciating anything more than these?

So, here are my top 6 albums that are in rotation in our house – music we can all enjoy, that is still kosher enough for children’s ears:

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1. Trevor Hall – IN AND THROUGH THE BODY (DELUXE EDITION)

This album is particularly special to me. I became obsessed with it when my husband and I were engaged and planning our wedding, so naturally it was a part of our wedding. Many of the songs from the album were playing for our guests before our ceremony, including “blue sky mind” (extended Johnny Cosmic remix), “more than love”, and “my own”.

My missed cycle was on our wedding day, and the next day I was sure I was pregnant with our first daughter – and indeed, I was! I listened to this album throughout my pregnancy with her and again throughout my recent pregnancy with our second. I also made a point to listen to it during my recent birth.

You can listen to the whole album on YouTube for free, and bonus – Trevor made it a playlist without ads, no interruptions. I highly recommend it as a birth playlist!

Here’s a snippet of some lyrics from the album:

“I got darkness, I got light, I got everything in between
Don’t deny any side
And don’t cut branches off my tree

Great storm clouds holding rain
It’s part of nature to hold a bit of pain
All in all, that rain falls, and then we watch a new thing grow”

It’s a wholesome album rooted in spirituality and deep love. IN AND THROUGH THE BODY is truly a work of art.

Oh, and my almost 4 year old daughter loves it too. Enjoy.

2. Jason Mraz – Look For The Good

I used to love Jason Mraz when he first hit the scene, back when I was in high school, and then I lost touch with him for awhile.

After our wedding in 2021, my good friend Jenny (who I did go to a Jason Mraz concert with in 2012) told me that our wedding reminded her of a song off of this album titled “Wise Woman”

I listened to the song, and then the entire album after that – and I must say, this is as “feel good” of an album as it gets! The lyrics are uplifting and the tunes are so fun and upbeat, with a reggae vibe in some tracks. This was another album I listened to throughout my entire first pregnancy.

I think your kids will love listening to it, and all of the mamas out there will love “Wise Woman,” too!

3. Coldplay – Parachutes

An early 2000’s classic album that my hubs and I both enjoyed in our youth.

“Yellow” and “Everything’s Not Lost,” anyone?

It’s a great album to have playing in the background while doing chores, cooking, or on a rainy day while the kids play around the house.

4. Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head

The next consecutive album of Coldplay’s, another timeless album with beautiful melodies and lyrics.

“Green Eyes” is a special track to me. When my husband and I were courting, he played this song on his guitar and serenaded me (I have green eyes). He explained to me how this was the first song he learned to play on his guitar when he was taking lessons in high school, and how in the moment he was playing it for me and singing it to me, he knew that I was the reason why. We ended up using this song for our “first dance” at our wedding.

I also really enjoy the title track, “A Rush of Blood to the Head” – and this is their album with hit singles “In My Place,” “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face,” “Clocks,” and “The Scientist”

5. RÜFÜS DU SOL – Bloom

We get back in touch with our electronic roots with this album.

For when you’re in the mood for something a little more upbeat and fun that the whole family can dance to!

I think this is the highest vibe album by RÜFÜS. Give it a listen and let me know if your kids had fun dancing to it!

6. Michelle Branch – The Spirit Room

Another early 2000’s classic.

We happened upon this one sort of by accident. It was in my husband’s CD case of CDs he had burned in high school and kept all these years. We have a CD player in our truck so it was in the cycle.

Once my daughter was old enough to start appreciating the music we were listening to, this one quickly became her favorite. It wasn’t long before she had nearly every song memorized and officially became a Michelle Branch fan girl. I’m not mad about it. 😝

I hope this post has inspired some mom out there to not feel guilty playing music that isn’t children’s music in their home or vehicle. Children deserve to listen to wholesome, thought-provoking, and eclectic music too. I promise, it’s just as good for their developing brains – if not better.

Tell me, what albums does your family listen to that aren’t kid’s music? Let me know what I’m missing in the comments!

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Happy listening!

If you are a woman preparing to give birth for the first time, birth boundaries might be a totally new concept for you.

And if you have given birth before and are preparing for a subsequent birth, you may have already come to the realization that perhaps you need to identify more specifically what exactly your boundaries are when giving birth this time around.

We hear a lot of talk about visualizing your perfect birth in the hopes of manifesting it – and one thing is for certain, you will always have the birth that you are destined to have – but birth boundaries are something different entirely.

Birth boundaries are not just desires you have for your birth – like where you’d like to be, the ambiance of the setting, what time of day, etc – birth boundaries are hard limits.

In order to establish your birth boundaries, you must:
1. Be strong in your own personal values and
2. Be somewhat educated on how a birth will play out and what sort of scenarios you may encounter

We’re going to dig in to both of these, and I will provide you with some tangible and practical ways of actually making sure you stand firm in your boundaries while you are in your most vulnerable state: giving birth.

The Importance of Birth Boundaries

I think majority of women probably never even consciously think about what their boundaries are before giving birth, and unfortunately, majority of women are swept up by recommendations from their OB/GYN or doctor, or even their midwife – and in doing so, are completely giving away their autonomy and are carried away on a wave of decisions dictated to them, usually resulting in the infamous cascade of interventions.

Many other women may have already experienced a traumatic birth and have now realized that perhaps they allowed the ones they hired to cross some boundaries that they didn’t even know they had.

And a smaller percentage of women, yet still a great number of them, may have had the “home birth of their dreams,” and come to realize in the following months or even years as they process the experience or learn more about birth, that even still, they compromised on some of their boundaries or didn’t establish boundaries where they should have.

I was one of these women. My first daughter was born at home, with the assistance of an amazing midwife whom I greatly respect and have no regrets around choosing whatsoever. Yet, I sacrificed on my boundaries early on while working with her – going from not wanting to use doppler or ultrasound at all, to using doppler at every single appointment (to hear baby’s heartbeat) and caving in all together and getting one very quick ultrasound at 31 weeks when she thought I may have been carrying twins.

Additionally, during the birth, I was having trouble birthing my placenta, and after around 45 minutes, I allowed my midwife to forcibly remove it with a gentle tug, which led to further bleeding and a feeling that I missed out on an important part of giving birth. This was something I had not even thought about before the birth – whether my placenta should birth naturally or not.

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The Cascade of Interventions

When women are uneducated about physiological birth or don’t stand firm in their boundaries, usually a cascade of interventions ensues.

A woman’s body is brilliantly designed to give birth and there is a very intricate set of events that occurs during a natural, undisturbed birth. Once an intervention takes place and the natural progression of birth is interrupted, this creates a domino effect of further interventions “needing” to be introduced – hence referred to as the cascade of interventions.

This could happen on a smaller scale, like it did with my first birth, where I acquiesced to using a doppler, which led to an ultrasound, which led to my regret when my baby flailed her 4 limbs like crazy during the ultrasound…

OR, it could happen in a far more detrimental way, for example…

A woman has the goal to have a natural birth in the hospital, without any drugs, but succumbs to the pitocin (synthetic oxytocin) under the pressure of hospital staff in order to move things along. The pitocin causes her contractions to be even more intense and painful, unbearable even, so she opts for the epidural. Once administered the epidural, she cannot feel or connect with her own body, and she is unable to push – the body’s natural fetal ejection reflex is also disturbed – and she becomes fatigued. An emergency cesarean section is ordered. At this point, the woman is under immense pressure while in her most vulnerable state, she feels confused and scared, and despite a c-section being the last thing she would ever want, she accepts…

This all too common birth scenario illustrates exactly why determining birth boundaries AND standing unrelentingly firm in them is so important.

Birth is Sacred

Birth is the most sacred event in life and it deserves – needs – to be protected. Not only the mother, but also the father, must do work to protect the space and the experience.

From a spiritual perspective, a soul is incarnating and making it’s entry into this plane of existence, and the woman giving birth is the vessel for that soul to embody it’s physical form.

Even if this idea does not resonate with you, it is evident that birth trauma has profound effects on not only the birthing woman, but the baby, and even the father as well.

Many women experience postpartum depression, breastfeeding difficulties, trouble connecting with or caring for their baby, and more as a result of a traumatic birth experience.

Leaving the comfort of their mother’s womb, the only existence they’ve ever known, is already a jarring experience for babies. Then, to be whisked away from their mother in the first moments of their life, be poked and prodded, or worse – circumcised – these are all extremely traumatic experiences for babies. It is my belief that the trauma women and babies experience during birth are carried subconsciously throughout their lives, and much of the pain we see in the world is a result of birth trauma.

Fathers, too, have reported feeling they failed to protect their wife/partner and children following traumatic birth experiences.

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How Your Personal Values Help Define Your Birth Boundaries

Personal values typically evolve and change over time with life experiences. Each person’s values will be as unique as the totality of our experiences are.

The strength you hold in your own unique set of values will dictate how firmly you stand in the boundaries you set (in all of life, but for the purpose of this conversation, in pregnancy and birth). If you are wish-washy about your values, you will likely be wish-washy about your boundaries when the time comes during your birth. Conversely, if your values intertwine into every fiber of your being, you will likely be unshakably firm in your boundaries, even in your most vulnerable moments.

This is why identifying your personal values and spending some time defining and connecting with them will allow you to more easily determine what exactly your birth boundaries are.

I’ll share what some of my core personal values are and how these influenced my birth boundaries:

Trust in my body – I know that my body was brilliantly designed by a higher power in every way. I especially know that as a woman, my body was designed perfectly to conceive, grow new life, and give birth – a brilliant design so intricate that I cannot even fully comprehend it. I trust in my body to do what it is meant to do, and I know that it can do so best when it is least interfered with.

Living as close to nature as possible – This core value of mine informed so many of my decisions around birth. That I would give birth at home and not in a hospital, that I would use minimal to zero Doppler/ultrasound during my pregnancy & birth (first and second pregnancies/births, respectively), that herbalism should play a role vs pharmaceuticals, and more...

Bodily Sovereignty – This value is of utmost importance to me, so much so that I stopped engaging with obstetrics many years ago. This value made it a no-brainer for me that I would work with midwives and give birth at home.

Health freedom – While birth is most certainly not a medical emergency, it does involve the health of a woman and baby. I value so deeply being able to make my own health choices without being coerced and while being properly informed. So I take it upon myself to do my own research and education around all topics related to childbearing, and I would never choose to give birth in a hospital, where informed consent is much harder to come by.

Birth is sacred – and thus, it should be meddled with as little as possible and be given the space to unfold as it will.

Practical Questions to Ask Yourself for Determining Your Birth Boundaries

Once you’ve determined your core personal values, your birth boundaries really fall into place quite easily. If your values are very strong, you may not even need to go over these sort of questions before you give birth – because you know that no matter what, you will not waver on certain things. However, in order to better prepare, it is best to consider some scenarios that may come up and how you would feel most comfortable handling them in the moment if they do.

Below are some questions you might ask yourself in order to prepare for your birth. These are just some examples. I encourage you to do your own brainstorming around possible scenarios, which are all highly variable depending on your birth plan:

• Do you want your support team to be very involved (i.e. cervical checks, fetal heart tone monitoring via doppler), or sitting on the sidelines and allowing you to do your thing (minimal to no interventions)?

• Who do you want to catch your baby? Is it important to you that you or the baby’s father be the one to catch it?

• Do you want your support team to remain quiet just after baby is born for a peaceful entry or do you want them coaching you just after baby is born?

• Do you want help birthing the placenta or allow it to birth in it’s own time frame?

• When and how do you want the cord cut, or cut at all? (cord burning ceremony or lotus birth are alternative options)

• Do you want your placenta encapsulated after the birth?

• Do you want your newborn to be measured and evaluated?

• Do you want anyone taking your baby from you after it is born for any reason at all?

• Do you want any sort of pharmaceuticals administered to your baby after it is born? To you after the birth (i.e. Rhogam)?

• What will happen if you go past 42 weeks gestation? (Many midwives may transfer you - be sure to ask about this when you choose your midwife)

Ask yourself also, what things are acceptable during your birth? For example, emotional support & guidance, massage, rebozo, herbal medicine, aromatherapy, homeopathy. You will want to identify what you will be willing to allow as well. This is just as important as identifying what you do not want to allow.

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Standing Firm in Your Boundaries During the Birth

The work begins BEFORE your birth: You must be extremely strong in your values and your boundaries in order to enforce them when the time comes.

Practice communicating your boundaries; role play with your partner; write them down; talk about them to your birth team in advance (as early on as possible!) – all of these things will help to reinforce your boundaries throughout your pregnancy.

Having your husband, partner, or doula (emotional support team) present who are also aware of your boundaries to help you enforce them in moments you may not be able to or are feeling extra vulnerable.

Taking care to choose and hire a birth team that you trust is extremely important as well. This is a baseline requirement for setting appropriate boundaries. Remember, they are working for you.

My NUMBER ONE tip:

Make a concrete list of your birth boundaries that you are 100% confident of and write them down on a piece of paper.

Go over this list with your hired birth team. Have them read it in front of you and clarify any areas of confusion or concern. Have each birth attendant you are hiring sign the document to acknowledge that they will respect your boundaries.

If you are planning for a hospital birth, this will be difficult to execute on, as unpredictable shifts and staff make it near impossible for you to go over your list with your chosen team and have them sign it. This tip is far easier to execute on if you are planning a home birth and are hiring a midwife or birthkeeper. If you are planning a hospital birth, make the list anyway, and be sure to pack it in your hospital bag.

You can keep your signed list of birth boundaries out during your birth in case anyone needs to reference it.

For my recent birth of my second daughter, I wrote down a list of my birth boundaries and my husband and I had both midwives who would be attending the birth read over it with us. They clarified some points on my list and they both voluntarily signed it.

I still have the list to this day and it is a great reminder of how I succeeded in upholding every single one of my boundaries throughout my entire pregnancy and birth. What a redemptive feeling. I wish this for every woman who gives birth!

I’d love to know if you found this article helpful, and I’d especially love to hear if you put anything from this article into practice for your own upcoming birth! Thanks for reading.

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Fast forward to the birth of my second daughter, 3.5 years later – in Mexico, where our little family now resides – and where Closing of the Bones ceremonies have been practiced for generations. This time, we hired a Partera Tradicional, a traditional Mexican midwife who was trained solely by her abuela, and whom practices herbal medicine. (Read my birth story here!) She offers this ritual postpartum ceremony as well, and although I was very much wanting it for myself, I once again did not pursue it. My in-laws visited from abroad to help us out with the transition and were with us for nearly the first two months of my second daughter’s life, and once again I nearly let this beautiful opportunity pass me by…

But the Universe has a way of delivering a gift in the form of generosity of spirit, in Divine timing. An acquaintance of ours, Gabriela, who was studying midwifery at a nearby school, one day when I was nearly 3 months postpartum asked me if I’d yet had the Cierre de Caderas ceremony done. When I told her no, she offered it to me as a gift – and I graciously accepted.

The timing could not have been more perfect, as the ceremony ended up happening almost exactly at 3 months postpartum (and during a full moon!) Usually, the Cierre de Caderas (also referred to as Cerrado or Cerrado de Huesos) is performed around the 6 week postpartum mark. Many ancient traditions and cultures from around the world witness the first 40 or 42 days of postpartum as a sacred window, where the postpartum mother is to rest at home and bond with baby, mostly in bed, maintaining warmth and consuming warming, nourishing foods – I’ll be sharing about my recent experience with this soon, too. However, this ritual closing ceremony can be completed at any time after a birth, even years later, or during/after various other impactful life transitions.

There are many variations in how a Closing of the Bones ceremony may be done, as this is a tradition passed down in many different lineages – all having their own unique practices. Ultimately, the Cierre de Caderas is a sacred ritual ceremony with the purpose of providing closure – physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and energetically – to an experience that is so opening for a woman. To be the vessel for new life, to welcome another soul to reside in your body for 9 months, and then to quite literally open your body to release them into the world… this most sacred and intense experience is the most deserving of honoring and commemorating in an equally sacred way.

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The Ceremony

When Gabriela arrived to our home, she began boiling a pot of water that I would be placing herbs into. Some of the herbs Gabriela brought with her, and some I contributed. The herbs I contributed were actually leftover herbs from my partera. She had given them to me to take a bath with before the birth, but since we don’t have a bathtub and I needed to arrange to take a bath at a friend’s place, it didn’t end up happening before baby arrived. The herbs we used consisted of calendula, lavender, rosemary, laurel, wild lettuce, and rue – all herbs that grow abundantly where we live in Mexico. Gabriela had me take the herbs and put them in the pot.

We moved to the second floor of our house, where we would be doing the ceremony in private. Downstairs were my husband, Gabriela’s teenage son (who she brought to help out with the kids) and our two daughters. She told me that the ceremony is usually done on the floor, but since we had our bed and our toddler’s new bed right next to it (that she isn’t using 😂), she offered me to do it on the bed. I agreed, so Gabriela began setting up five rebozos on the bed. I stripped down naked and put on a robe. She had also brought with her a five-gallon bucket and a toilet seat cover (new, of course) that she bought to create a makeshift Yoni Steam setup.

During this time, my 3 month old needed to breastfeed. I took my baby to the upstairs patio where it was a bit cooler and she began to fall asleep at my breast. Then, my husband downstairs asked me a question, and I (without thinking) spoke loudly to respond to him, and then quickly realized I should stand up and move to where he could better hear me. All of this – my abrupt loud voice and movement – startled my sweet babe. Normally, she would calm down right away and go back to sleep or continue nursing, but this time… this time, she proceeded to have a full-blown crying fit like she never had before. After a few failed attempts to soothe her, I gave her to my husband to calm her down. He took her outside of the house and pretty quickly she calmed down. [Spoiler: she was as quiet as a mouse for the entire ceremony after this!]

It’s hard to explain in writing or even in words, but I did sense and have an inkling in this moment that my infant knew a closing ceremony would be taking place… more on this later.

By this time, Gabriela’s son brought up the pot of herbal infusion and helped us pour it into the five gallon bucket. While the infusion cooled down a bit, Gabriela sat with me and asked me how my postpartum has been going, how I’ve been feeling emotionally, and inquired about any difficulties I’ve been having with the transition. Once on the steam, she wrapped me in a couple of bed sheets to keep the heat in and to keep me warm. She had also closed all of the windows and doors upstairs to keep it warm where the ceremony was taking place. As I previously mentioned, ancestral wisdom of many cultures worldwide has taught us that warmth (and avoiding wind) is extremely important to a postpartum woman’s healing, so it totally made sense to me that she incorporated this element into the ceremony.

While I sat on the steam (my first ever yoni steam!), our conversation continued (all of this in Spanish, I should mention – I am by no means fluent, but I am conversationally fluent). We discussed not only my postpartum experience, but my experience mothering in a foreign country. My yoni getting it’s first ever spa day while I vulnerably shared, we were already off to a great start. The aroma of the herbs was incredibly intoxicating, by the way!

Next, I received a full-body massage, for the first time in close to a decade, no joke. After 4.5 years of childbearing and rearing, this of course felt AMAZING. As best I could, I allowed myself to relax into the experience and turn off my thoughts – knowing how rare of an opportunity this was for me! The massage ended with a womb massage, and by this time, my almost 4 year old daughter was missing me and curious to know what was going on, so she joined us. Gabriela switched from the massage oil she was using to a cocoa butter and honey balm for the womb massage – wow, did this smell ever delicious!! She gave some to my daughter and together they applied it on my abdomen. Once my abdomen was smothered in the delicious smelling balm, Gabriela began to do some deep fascial movements across my womb. After each stroke, she would apply great pressure to feel the pulse in my abdomen (there is a large artery there, if you’ve studied A&P, you know!) She began to tell me how the soul resides there and all of the emotions that I haven’t released are being stored there. I know enough about fascial release to know that surely an emotional release would follow at some point…

She continued the stroke and pulse-check moves a few times, intermittently letting myself and my daughter feel the pulse as well, until the pulse decreased in it’s intensity. I didn’t feel any impending emotional release just yet.

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Next was the Cierre con rebozos. Gabriela checked in to make sure I was ready to begin. Then she began to wrap me, starting with my eyes, and applying enough pressure that I was being wrapped tightly, but not too tightly that it was uncomfortable. Next, she wrapped my shoulders, then my hips, then my knees, and finally my feet.

Gabriela told me to take a moment and to let her know when I was ready, then she would return and release the rebozos. I had no idea how long I was supposed to stay there – and maybe there is no specific amount of time…

Cue, the voice in my head:

How long do I stay?

This is it – better enjoy it.

Seriously, Alison, don’t feel guilty for taking this (in the grand scheme of things) short period of time for yourself!!

Is the baby really still being so quiet?!

I heard Gabriela walk downstairs and quickly return. She sat with my toddler on our bed, just next to where I was laying on our toddler’s bed. And then I heard Gabriela tell my toddler, in Spanish, now we will wait until she is ready.

I promised myself I would take an extra moment longer than felt comfortable. I realized how my people-pleasing tendencies were showing up, even during such a special ceremony that was just for me. Once I felt ready, I counted slowly to 10, and then…

The Release

“Estoy listo,” I said.

Gabriela came to the side of the bed and began slowly releasing the rebozos, in the opposite order she tied them – starting with my feet and ending with my eyes, and gently spoke an affirmation expressing gratitude for each part of my body as she untied: your feet that have taken you on this journey, your hips that allowed your children to be birthed, your arms and heart for holding your babies, etc…

I slowly opened my eyes, and as I did, I heard Gabriela utter, “Awww, lloras [my daughter’s name]”

I turned to look at my 3 ¾ yr old daughter and saw the most precious and moving sight I’d ever seen. She had tears welled up in her eyes – but they didn’t fall. She moved closer to me, and I embraced her in a hug – and my emotional release arrived. I felt a euphoria, an intense love for my sweet daughter, the most intense love and gratitude for both of my beautiful daughters, a slight twinge of guilt that I haven’t been giving my toddler enough attention, and…

I could feel both birth portals being closed.

Gabriela showed me a candle she had lit at some point during the ceremony, and told me to keep it somewhere safe and wait until it went out on it’s own. She went downstairs to make me a mug of chamomile (fresh, not dried – it’s so delicious) tea and to give me a moment with my daughter and to get dressed.

I sat there with my toddler, and she told me that she had put Flor, her babydoll, next to me to protect me. It occurred to me that maybe she was scared something bad was happening to mommy, and that’s why she had tears welled up in her eyes. For a moment, I tried to ask her what made her teary about the ceremony. But in the end, I gave it up and just accepted that some emotions are too deep to be expressed in words, especially for a toddler, but even for me. While I may never know, I like to think that my daughter could feel the importance and the power of the ceremony, and that that is what brought such adult-like tears to her eyes.

When I came downstairs, I immediately went to snuggle my baby. She was so calm and peaceful, and smiled when she saw me. The feelings of euphoria I had were so intense. I received my delicious mug of chamomile tea and Gabriela pointed out how calm the baby was for the entire ceremony. She then said what my intuition had spoken to me earlier; that when she and her son had arrived, they brought with them the energy of closing the birth portal, and perhaps the baby could sense that, hence her crying fit before we began the ceremony.

In a way, there was an energetic separation that occurred between both of my babies and I that day.

I remained in a euphoric state for the entire rest of the day, and prayed that I could hang on to that feeling of tranquility. It’s truly amazing what a little bit of deep self-care can do for a mom!

I feel so blessed to be surrounded by so many Mexican wise women who hold these traditions deep in their bones, passed down from generation to generation. They hold truly priceless ancestral wisdom that I pray continues to be passed down and never gets lost.

But most of all, I feel immense gratitude for having been the vessel that transported two amazingly special and precious souls to this earth. That they both chose me to be their mommy. That our souls chose each other.

I would highly recommend a Closing of the Bones ceremony to any and all postpartum women! If you have recently given birth or are currently pregnant, I would encourage you to search for a nearby woman who offers this special ritual. And I know you will not regret it.

Have you ever experienced a Closing of the Bones ceremony? Please do share about your experience in the comments below. I would love to hear.

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Thank you so much for reading this intimate share. I hope it has inspired you in some way. ❤️

I had a break from contractions for about an hour from maybe 3-4 am. My husband Nelson (whom I’d woken up earlier to tell) slept during this time, and although I KNEW I should, I couldn’t bring myself to sleep. Contractions continued and seemed to me to pick up speed; we were timing them, but they were sporadic as the hours passed.

My 3.5 yr old daughter woke up around 6 or 7 am and joined us. We had set up the birth pool in the kitchen (just like when she was born - although in a different house and country), and she was eager to get in to play. We let her put on her bathing suit and get in the pool. I had been getting in and out but it was not helping to move things along, just comforting, really. The pool was a nice place for my body to have a bit of a rest on all fours, since I was becoming very exhausted not having slept much at all.

Despite my exhaustion, I was so consciously aware during this labor. Much more than my first, it seemed. I breathed through the contractions best I could and tried to keep moving around when I wasn’t in the pool. I was hoping for a shorter labor this time, but at some point I looked at the clock and proclaimed to Nelson, how much time had passed already, and how had my water not yet broken?!

Throughout all of those overnight and morning hours, more mucous continued to release. So much, it seemed! Then, as we moved into the afternoon, the pain in my back with contractions began intensifying. The washing machine was at the perfect height (and was nice and sturdy) for me to lean on for support, and it became my ally.

Nelson encouraged me to be as loud as I wanted, to let go and let it all out - so for a good hour or so I was really wailing, screaming, and being loud during the sensations. Nelson also coached me to connect with our baby and visualize our baby coming down and out. It was at this point, while leaning on the washing machine, that I really connected with our baby and I had a vision of her being posterior – “sunny side up” – that is, she was facing my front instead of my back. It all made sense as to why I was in so much pain.

Our partera whom we had hired, named Juanita, a traditional Mexican midwife with lots of ancestral knowledge passed down from her abuela, arrived close to 3 in the afternoon. I was in the birth pool when she arrived, and she could see I was in pain.

She offered me a homeopathic to help my body relax, which I took, and then asked if being in the pool was helping (we both knew it wasn’t!) So, she offered me to get into the hot shower where I could stand up and move a bit more. The shower! What a revolutionary idea! I eagerly agreed.

She had also begun heating up a large pot of water on the stove to make an herbal infusion to pour over my body in the shower to help my body further relax. I got out of the birth pool and, with a towel over my shoulders, Juanita used her rebozo around my lower back, butt, and hips to help with my painful contractions. It’s possible she suspected the baby to be posterior at this point.

After this, she asked if I’d like her to accompany me upstairs to the shower - and I did! With Nelson’s help, she got the herbal infusion in a large 5 gallon bucket and up to the shower. While I was in the shower, Juanita’s colleague, another very skilled and experienced Mexican midwife named Rocio, arrived and began to help add more warm water to the herbal infusion.

By the way, I should mention that both midwives only spoke Spanish – which is not my default language, especially when giving birth! I do speak a decent amount of Spanish and understand a lot after living in Mexico for 2.5 years at the time of this birth, but I am not fluent by any means. This did add an extra layer of challenge, but our communication went pretty smoothly and we managed just fine.

Back to the birth…

I sat on my toddler’s stool in the shower as Juanita poured the infusion over my head and down my body. My gosh, this felt and smelled amazing and truly helped me to relax for the first time during my labor.

The power of herbs (and the ancestral knowledge & skills of traditional Mexican midwives) never ceases to amaze me.

I stood back up in the shower and a HUGE amount, the rest of, the mucous plug came out! I was baffled as to how long it had been releasing and how much more had just come out! Juanita assured me it was normal. She left and I was momentarily alone – and in this moment, my water FINALLY broke!! (During my first birth, my water broke over the toilet – so blessed it happened both times in a place where “water” should be!)

I got out of the shower and the midwives wanted me to lay down on my bed so they could palpate and listen for baby’s heartbeat with the Pinard horn. In hindsight, I think they had discussed the baby could be posterior, because after quickly listening and palpating between contractions, Rocio told Juanita – and I overheard – the baby was posterior.

This confirmation was a nugget of gold for me!

We got the exercise ball upstairs and Rocio demonstrated for me what to do to help baby shift positions. I sat on the ball with my knees wide and leaning against the bed, and swiveled my hips in big, wide circles. As I did this, MORE of my waters released! And instantaneously, I felt the “ring of fire” sensation of baby’s head crowning (I think her head may have been crowing my cervix and entering the birth canal). Rocio said, no way it’s not the ring of fire, with a bit of a chuckle...

But I replied, “I’ve got to get downstairs into the pool! I don’t know if I’ll make it in time!” In my memory, I nearly ran down the stairs and jumped so fast into the pool! The team got to work filling more buckets of hot water to warm the pool up (that’s how we do it in MX – no hose). During this next period of pool time, the midwives kept me warm by using small containers to pour the warm pool water over me.

My legs were getting so weak and were cramping, and I hadn’t eaten anything except for some bites here and there of oatmeal with peanut butter (it would seem I notoriously avoid food like the plague while in labor). So Juanita had Nelson feed me a spoonful of honey and she gave me some steamed chayote (a Mexican vegetable) that she had brought with her. I ate a couple bites of the chayote and then – threw the chayote, as I felt the baby’s head was coming NOW! Within the next 10 minutes, our baby would be born.

My goodness, my body’s fetal ejection reflex was SO strong!!! This was the complete opposite of my first birth, in which I was straining and pushing at the end. THIS time, I had to slow it down with my breath, as my body was pushing baby out SO fast! This sensation was unlike any other I had ever felt and I can still remember how it felt to this day! It was one of my goals to not tear this time, so I tried super hard to slow baby down with my breathing.

After the head was birthed, Nelson got in the pool and positioned himself behind me to hold me up, as my legs were cramping so badly and completely giving out on me. I was so grateful to have my husband support me (literally!) in this way, and to have him share in my perspective as our baby was born.

The baby was wriggling and squirming SO much in my birth canal after the head was out! So much so, I thought it would be out before the next contraction came! I’d never heard of a baby ever doing this before and was completely baffled again. The midwives wanted me to feel if the cord was wrapped around the neck (not necessarily a true emergency, I knew) – I reached down and felt the head and an ear! I didn’t think I felt a cord. I consented to let a midwife reach down and check – no cord was wrapped.

Not more than a minute later, and with the next contraction, our baby was born! I quickly reached into the water and picked my baby up (it was another goal of mine to catch our baby this time!) As soon as I saw her face and felt her in my hands, I KNEW she was girl. Her face looked nearly identical to her older sisters’ when she was born. For those who don’t know, we like to discover baby’s sex at the birth – and I don’t get any ultrasounds, either.

AND… her sister (who saw the whole birth!), Juanita (who only ever palpated with her hands and used a Pinard horn), and I, were all correct that she was a girl! Throughout my whole pregnancy, all the Mexicans were convinced it was a boy based on the shape of my belly and how I was carrying. It was a real test for me during my pregnancy to trust my inner knowing that I was carrying a girl, despite the majority of those around me telling me with such conviction that it was a boy (obviously Mama’s intuition rules, in this scenario!) Daddy was hoping for a boy, although he suspected a girl and he trusted my intuition.

We all spent some minutes in birth bliss and shared in smiles, jokes, and laughter while Nelson, my daughter, and I stared in admiration of our newest addition. We got out of the pool and went back upstairs so I could get in bed.

About 15 minutes after the birth, I was having more contractions and the midwives told me I should go pee so the placenta could birth. I went to the bathroom and right away the placenta slid out before I even got a chance to pee! Juanita arrived with the designated placenta bowl in the nick of time and just barely caught it in the bowl! It was epic. This was another goal of mine, to birth my placenta naturally, as the placenta of my first daughter was forcibly removed before it was ready. I was SO tremendously pleased at how effortlessly and quickly this placenta birthed – and at how plump and gorgeous it was! We left the cord intact and ended up doing a full lotus birth (I’ll share more in another post).

After I got back in bed, Nelson held our new daughter while the midwives did a brief closing of the bones with the rebozo and wrapped my belly for me.

My toddler joined me in bed as I snuggled her little sister in post-birth bliss.

It didn’t hit me right away – but despite the pain and challenges of her birth – I was so grateful and amazed that all of my wishes for this birth came true:

• ALL of my boundaries were respected by my chosen attendants

• I didn’t tear! There was no blood in the pool (not the case for my first birth)

• I caught my daughter myself <3

• The placenta birthed naturally and effortlessly, so soon after the birth

• We left her cord intact for a full lotus birth

P.S. While it was initially what I had hoped for, I have absolutely no regrets that I didn’t have a freebirth. The majority of my labor was spent with just my husband, toddler, and I – and by the time the midwives arrived, I was so ready for them to pour their ancestral knowledge over me. The midwives that attended my birth were 100% respectful of our boundaries. We wrote down all of our boundaries before the birth and went over the list with both midwives and had them sign it. Additionally, the nature of a Traditional Mexican Midwife is to completely respect the family’s wishes – culturally, and because they do not have a license held over their heads like in the US where midwives are often under pressure.

AND… this may be a bold statement, but… personally,

I feel that birth can be so much more enhanced in the company of trusted, respectful, and caring wise women (as long as you are firm on your boundaries) vs isolated and alone. What are your thoughts? Please share in the comments!

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I’d like to highlight the similarities between both of my births:

• 15.5 hour labors exactly – both overnight and babes born in the afternoon; first birth from 11 pm to 2:30 pm the next day, second birth from 1 am to 4:30 pm the next day – so I was EXHAUSTED during both!

• both born on a Sunday (afternoon)

• both born during/around the full moon

• both born in a birth pool in the kitchen

• both girls! – 3.5 years apart

I will be getting back into posting blogs on here more regularly; here are future blog topics coming soon:

• more on my experience with traditional Mexican midwives

• a raw reflection on my postpartum sacred season

• about our lotus birth

• EC from day 1 with our newborn

...and more!

The term “wild pregnancy” was coined by Yolande Norris-Clark. In short, it is a pregnancy much like our ancestors would have had hundreds of years ago before the medical system existed – with no tests (even a pregnancy test), standard prenatal care, appointments, measuring/analyzing, dopplers/ultrasounds, or other “interventions.”

Really, a wild pregnancy can encompass any prenatal care the pregnant woman deems nourishing. For example, prenatal massages. For me, this just so happens to look like no prenatal care at all - simply being pregnant, eating nourishing foods, and taking the best care of myself that I can day-to-day.

My husband and I were very consciously trying to conceive (“conscious conception” is a term coined by the late Jeannine Parvati Baker – highly recommend checking out her work!), so when it came time for my next cycle, I was anticipating it would not arrive. I was already planning on not taking a pregnancy test to confirm the pregnancy, but rather to tap into my intuitive knowing instead. And this time, I definitely felt I was pregnant right away, from the moment of conception.

With my first pregnancy, my missed cycle occurred on our wedding day (so I was already pregnant with our little girl and she was with us on our special day! 🥰) Wrapped up in the whirlwind of our celebrations leading up to our wedding day and with family in town, I think I was a bit too distracted to realize what was going on. But the very next day after our wedding, I was quite certain I was pregnant - as my cycle was VERY predictable - and each subsequent day after that my certainty increased tenfold! On day 9 after my missed cycle, I finally took a pregnancy test to fully convince my husband, who is a “see it to believe it” sort of guy. The “pregnant” line showed up before he even finished reading the instructions. 😂

However, this time around, with our second pregnancy, my husband was totally on board for no pregnancy test, and experienced the same synchronicities & signs (along with trusting that no cycle meant pregnancy), indicating to us that we were in fact with new baby!

This pregnancy has been completely different for me in so many ways:

• I was vegan for my first, am no longer vegan for my second (will write another blog about this too!)

• I have a toddler to tend to now, so it’s not just me and the baby in my womb

• I’m still breastfeeding said toddler (she’s 3!) - so my nutrient requirements have gone way up!

• I live in a completely different country now with a different climate, environment, food, community, language, etc

• This pregnancy has been completely wild with basically no prenatal care at all, and I saw a midwife and a prenatal chiropractor regularly throughout my entire first pregnancy

For personal reasons I won’t get into here, my husband and I have decided to hire a traditional Mexican midwife (Partera) to attend this birth, despite my desire to have a freebirth with just my husband, toddler, and I. The Partera we chose studied under & learned from her Abuela, who was a traditional midwife of the region, and practices herbal medicine, so she has much ancient wisdom passed down to her that I so respect and admire. She’s provided the most minimal “prenatal” care for me and so far I have only seen her once for a consult to get to know her and decide if we wanted to hire her and once at 25 weeks. We will see her a couple more times in the month before the birth so she can come to our house and be solid on our birth plan.

I love that this Partera didn’t bat an eye with my request to only use her hands and her stainless steel Pinard Horn to listen to baby. Her palpation was so minimal, gentle, skilled and respectful to baby (she spoke to baby to let it know before touching my abdomen). Her appointments include massage for mama - how lovely is that? And, she let us know at 25 weeks that baby was head down already! Our little one is so intelligent, strong, and advanced - both my husband and daughter were able to feel baby kick very strongly from the outside of my stomach at just 14 weeks - this is pretty early!

I also referred to my pregnancy as “minimalist” in the title of this blog, because I haven’t even bothered with things like a pregnancy pillow this time around. And amazingly enough, I’ve had ZERO sacral/sciatic/back pain like I did in my first pregnancy - and with NO chiropractic care whatsoever. This was a huge concern of mine when moving to MX - how ever would I survive a pregnancy without my Webster Technique Certified Prenatal Chiropractor?! And I’m happy to report it’s been no problem at all!

I have, however, been prioritizing ALL the hydration I can, living at 7,000 ft above sea level in the mountains, where it is much more difficult to remain hydrated. I’ve been taking my daily fulvic acid mineral powder, drinking my herbal nourishment tea (see post here with recipe), salt/lime in all my water, hibiscus tea, etc etc… And of course prioritizing eating the highest quality, nourishing foods. All of this I will discuss in a later blog share :)

I have absolutely loved experiencing an extremely minimalist/wild pregnancy this time around. There is something truly wonderful and tranquil about being fully immersed in the experience without any outsiders observing, measuring, poking, or prodding. Just connecting with baby daily and being in tune with it’s movements throughout each day.

I’ve realized that so much of the worrying and doubting I experienced during my first pregnancy was a direct result of the prenatal care I received. Although I absolutely LOVE the midwife we hired for my first home birth, I definitely had regrets around some choices I made in regards to my prenatal care (I have discussed my deep regret around the choice to get an ultrasound at 31 weeks after our “twin scare” on my other platforms). Of course, these regrets were a result of my own wavering around my boundaries - and not at the fault of my midwife. However, I only knew what I knew then and not what I know now; and there were some instances that I hadn’t looked into - such as my placenta birthing naturally or being forcefully removed - which it was - that I wish I had known more about in advance.

Not to mention, common testing and devices used during pregnancy for measuring and analyzing, such as doppler and ultrasound, can 1) be harmful to your gestating baby and 2) are no magical crystal ball - and can be highly inaccurate. Our first midwife mistakenly thinking she was hearing two heartbeats with the doppler at 31 weeks is a perfect example of how technology can be misleading, take us outside of our senses/intuition/trusting, and lead to further issues.

Some may call it a “trauma response” to go to the extreme of zero prenatal care after these experiences, but I see it in a completely different frame of view – I feel I have evolved and grown from these experiences and am making better choices for myself from a place of leadership, knowledge, and power, rather than from a place of victimhood – in no way do I feel my choice to have a wild pregnancy is a trauma response.

And after all, aren’t pregnancy and the transformation into a new stage of woman/motherhood THE ultimate opportunities to stand in our leadership and power?

I certainly believe so. 😊

I would love to hear about your experiences with or thoughts on wild pregnancy – please comment and share!

An actual image of the toxic black mold we found growing in our rental home in 2024.

SO many people are dealing with toxic mold in their homes! Are you one of them?

Thankfully, many people are becoming more aware of the issues the presence of mold in their homes may present to theirs and their family’s health. If you’ve dealt with toxic mold in your home, does my story sound anything like yours?

Read on to hear how we navigated the situation and are healing and detoxing from toxic mold exposure.

Our Experience with Toxic Mold

We live in a mountain town in Mexico where it is rainy season for half of the year. In August, we found mold in the house we are renting and have been living in. This was during hurricane season, so we were getting an exceptional amount of rain. Additionally, the house we are living in – while only a few years old, was not built with damp-proofing in mind.

By the time we found it when we returned home from a trip, it had likely been growing (damp rise, that started from the trim – we found it once above a couch and close to the window) for months prior.

We had been baffled as to why our daughter’s candida rashes had been coming back, but I told myself it was because we were due for another cleanse, having been indulging quite a bit in sugary treats with family visits to us in our new home (mold/mycotoxin toxicity triggers candida reactions in the body).

But then, rashes took over her entire body in a way they NEVER had done before… once we discovered it, we knew it was the mold causing the reaction in our girl.

We had our landlord remove two entire pieces of drywall with black mold, so we thought everything would be okay. We had been treating our daughter in various holistic ways and even caved to giving her antibiotics because the situation got SO bad (I have a firm boundary against giving her antibiotics especially with her previous gut imbalances – so you know it had to have been pretty bad for me to agree to this). However, her body very quickly communicated to us to cease the antibiotics via diarrhea in just a few days.

Then, the night before my Detox While Breastfeeding: Myths & Truths webinar, my husband Nelson and my daughter both began presenting with respiratory symptoms. I guess my adrenaline kept my own symptoms at bay for another 12 hours, and then my own throat started getting really scratchy and painful.

The 3 of us rarely get sick, so Nelson and I immediately knew to check the house for more mold. We pulled out a flashlight and began searching, and what we found terrified us!!

There was mold spreading throughout many wooden beams, in the kitchen, our office, and elsewhere in the house. We knew we needed to get out of the house immediately to cease our exposure to the toxic mold.

Luckily, our landlord had a casita we could stay in last minute, so we left to sleep in a different environment and in just 12 short hours, we already felt SO much better. It’s amazing how quickly our bodies begin detoxing once we remove interference and allow it to do what it is already great at doing! We ended up relocating to a friend’s casita in town for another 2.5 weeks while our home was remediated.

I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to remove yourself from the moldy environment if this is a problem you are facing. In order for your body to be able to begin detoxing efficiently, you must begin to decrease the burden of the toxic load. This can only be done by removing the mold exposure – and the best way to do so is to leave the moldy home entirely.

I know this is often the most difficult part of the detoxing process, as it can be very stressful and expensive to relocate temporarily – or permanently – as your home is being remediated. If you are a renter, please know your renter’s rights when dealing with mold in your rental!

The Solution to Detoxing Mold – For the Whole Family

Being the intuition-led researcher that I am, I dove headfirst into discovering a solution for my family to begin detoxing from the mold exposure. My fierce mama-bear protective energy was driving me to find the most natural and effective solution for my sweet 2 year old daughter who had been suffering with rashes for a few months at that point.

I had recently been exploring different brands of fulvic acid (fulvic minerals) in an effort to heal all our gut microbiomes and knew that they are effective in destroying candida and other biofilms (which are cleverly used to hide from your immune system). Upon deeper research, I learned that fulvic acid detoxes virtually ALL toxins – even EMF radiation! – from your body, gently and safely. I already knew enough about fulvic minerals that my toddler could take them daily as well. However, with fulvic acid (and shilajit, a similar, but different natural supplement) being such a trendy natural health product with more and more people learning of it’s vast benefits, I was in search of the absolute PUREST and HIGHEST QUALITY fulvic minerals I could source for my own family and recommend to my clients and community.

We have been taking Fulvic Acid Mineral Powder from Zilara for nearly a year now, and my research has been confirmed by my own personal experience. This is the absolute most pure and potent fulvic mineral product out there!

My daughter’s rashes completely healed, and she has daily bowel movements as well – which is a huge improvement for her! The fulvic powder is helping me detox the mold as well, my energy levels, as well as my mental clarity are improving, and I have an overall feeling of vitality. At the time of re-posting this blog on Substack, I am pregnant with our second child and have taken this fulvic powder daily throughout my entire pregnancy. My husband is also taking the fulvic powder to detox and we are enjoying all of the multitude of benefits. We know for certain that replenishing our mineral stores and gently detoxing our bodies daily with fulvic has played a huge role in conceiving our second child.

Learn more about the Fulvic Acid Mineral Powder I recommend HERE and download your FREE Fulvic: Get Started Guide (an instant download).

Download Free Guide

I highly recommend this as the best detox tool for all moms and women in their childbearing years!

Interested in Detoxing Safely in Your Childbearing Years?

Check out my Detox Methods for Moms Mini Course!

This is a must-have toolkit for all mothers ready to take their health into their own hands. I designed it to be concise, so that it doesn’t become another purchase you never make use of.

You’ll get instant access to:

• My one hour video lesson — short, sweet, and to the point (so you can spend more time with your family!)

• PDF file of the Detox Methods for Moms slideshow

• Detox Tools for Moms eBook

• Detox Recipes for Moms eBook

• PAINT Maternal Intuition eBook

• Fulvic Minerals: Get Started Guide

Purchase the DMM Mini Course

Within this course, I explain the detox pathways of a woman’s body — specifically, in a breastfeeding woman’s body.

The methods discussed within this course are simple, natural, and effective. I also cover when to not detox while breastfeeding and ways that are not safe.

You will walk away from this course with a better understanding of what detox actually is, why it is important, and how to confidently add gentle detox into your daily routine so that you (and your children) can thrive!

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A hundred years ago, parents didn’t have to make a decision about whether or not to share images of their children on the internet. Society has changed so much, and as a result, we face new situations, challenges, and dilemmas. These deserve to be given some thought.

First of all, why should you listen to what I have to say about this topic? As my husband previously worked in the corporate world for a large tech company, he was privy to firsthand understanding exactly how the population’s data is used and manipulated online – and could see where all of this was headed. He felt so strongly about the convictions he developed based on his observations, that he quit his high-paying, cushy corporate job and has been solely an entrepreneur to generate our family’s income for several years. Over the last half decade, my husband has become somewhat of an expert in the realm of tech privacy. Being his wife, I have learned alongside him much of what is really going on technologically in our society, and am very aware of the attempts being made by large corporations, entities, and powers-that-be to enslave humanity via technological use. Yes, this sounds very extreme and dark, but once you understand the direction humanity has been guided via the use of technology, especially in recent decades and even just the last few years, you then have a choice on how to proceed in using such technologies, and this is very liberating.

I know that most parents do not think twice about sharing images or videos of their children on social media. It’s the norm in our society, and it’s also most common to not question the norm. My intention is not to cast any judgment on others’ choices. My intention is to shed some awareness on a situation that most parents may not have questioned previously, and that is not discussed honestly in the mainstream nearly enough.

The following are 10 reasons why I do not share images or videos of my child (nor will I of my future children) on social media/the internet. These reasons all feel equally weighted in importance to me, so they are not in any specific order:

1. It is my #1 job as a parent to protect my child.

The belief that informs all of my work behind Sacred Birth Symposium is that I am a Steward of Birth – a shepherd, a protector. The entire reason why I feel called to protect the process of birth is actually to protect and honor the soul that is incarnating into this life.

Our babies and children do need protection from us, their parents whom they chose. Until they are able to truly look out for and protect themselves, it is my duty to protect my children. When it comes to the question of whether or not to share images of my child on the internet, I feel that the risk is higher than the reward, and the best way I can protect my children is to simply choose to abstain from sharing their image publicly.

2. I don’t have my child’s consent.

My child is a person who deserves to have boundaries and the ability to consent to what is done to her or her property (images of her), just like an adult. In fact, she deserves her consent to be respected even more than an adult, because she is she is not old enough to intellectually understand the complexities of our world or the internet, or decide if she wants her image on it.

3. Respect for her privacy.

Privacy is a basic human/childhood right. Again, children deserve the same rights as adults. Babies and children are just as much a human being as an adult is. Babies are not lesser beings just because they do not have the same mental capacity as adults. They deserve even more support and protection as they are just developing and learning how to be in this new world they find themselves in. Truly, it is my belief that babies are actually more spiritually evolved and connected to Source than adults.

4. You relinquish rights to images/videos once you share them online.

Even if you keep your social media profile private, the images and video you share on those platforms are not your images anymore and anything can be done with them. Once you post content of any type on a social media or internet platform, you are essentially handing ownership of that content over to said platform and it is no longer solely your property.

I’d like to bring up another point here, which is that many parents choose to share images of their children over social media platforms and simply add an emoji in-app overlaid on top of their children’s faces or private body regions. It is important to note that the original image of your child, pre-emoji, is what the app now has stored in their database – forever – whether you ever delete the media, or your account, or not. If the true reason for you posting your child anonymously is actually to protect your child’s privacy, it is in yours and your children’s best interest to not reveal these parts of your child (face or private body regions) EVER to these social media platforms, emoji or not. This means simply abstaining from uploading such imagery onto these platforms.

For example, any content shared on Instagram, Facebook (even messenger), or WhatsApp is now property of Meta. Since you no longer own those images or videos, you have no control over what they are used for and they are now in the hands of strangers, who are arguably not trustworthy. Which brings me to my next two points…

5. Child porn is rampant.

Any images of your child, naked or not, may be used in nefarious ways.

It has recently come out that many internet-based platforms, apps, games, and the like – even marketed towards children – have been used in nefarious ways such as grooming children for child sexual abuse, exposing them to sexual situations far before they should be (which is sexual abuse), blatant pedophilia, and more. Check out Scrolling2Death Podcast and the work of Nicki Reisberg if you’d like to dig into this topic more deeply.

I think we can all universally agree that we do not want images or videos of our children used in such nefarious ways.

6. AI advancements.

Technology keeps advancing, and the general public often finds out about technological advancements long after they have been perfected. One said advancement that many people don’t think about the repercussions of (and I will not be getting into the details of here), is Artificial Intelligence.

Did you know that AI can create manufactured images of your child based on previous images shared – even age projected images? These manufactured images could be used in many ways to cause harm to your child or your family, now or in the future.

Furthermore, your child’s imagery can be used to train AI to become even more sophisticated. AI can study and learn from a pool of data (imagery & videos) currently available on the internet, how to mimic humans even more effectively.

Here at Sacred Birth Symposium, we are all about preserving humanity and human traditions, so we very firmly do not support the advancement of AI in ways that may harm humanity.

I, for one, do not want to contribute to training AI by supplying it with images of my child!

7. I am not here to exploit my child.

Exploitation may seem like a strong word here, but I do believe that using your child to gain likes or followers, or make any sort of sale at all, is a form of exploitation. I know how cute & beautiful my daughter is, and I can definitely admit that if I were to be sharing images or videos of her on the internet, it would be really difficult to not expect “likes” and followers as a result.

8. My child is not for the pleasure of others.

Similar to the previous reason, my child is most certainly not for anyone else’s pleasure, benefit, or enjoyment.

I understand many out there feel they are contributing joy, innocence, and happiness to the world and hence raising the collective vibrational frequency by sharing their childrens’ images on the internet. However, I personally do not feel it is my children’s job or purpose to bring joy to the collective via the internet. Certainly, if you are someone my child encounters or knows in their real, in-person life, and you equally contribute something positive to my child’s life, then yes, I find peace in knowing that my child has contributed some joy to your life. On the contrary, if anything, it is my choice whether or not I personally would like to contribute to raising the collective vibrational frequency by sharing my own unique gifts with the world via the internet – and I do choose to do so in various ways through our Sacred Birth Symposium platform. This is my contribution to the world, and my daughter and future children may choose to make similar choices, when they are old enough – and that is okay, and first and foremost, up to them.

My child is a child. Her purpose during her childhood is to enjoy her life – not make yours more enjoyable.

9. Monetisation of her data.

Once images are released to a social media platform, they can be sold and profited off of. This is not something I consent to, nor does my child.

It is very important that you always familiarize yourself with the ever-updating terms & agreements of the “free” (or paid!) social media/apps you consent to using on a daily basis. However, some companies will not disclose that they are monetizing your data even though they are.

10. Energetic cords of attachment & psycho spiritual abuse.

There are dark entities in our universe and sharing my daughter’s image online makes her susceptible to them attaching to her energetically. Since energy travels over time and space and is not physically tangible, it is often referred to as “energetic cords of attachment,” when either a person or entity fixates or otherwise energetically attaches to someone, even just by discovering their likeness on the internet, having never met in person.

Many people experience psycho spiritual abuse via energetic cords of attachment from unknown malevolent entities, and have no idea this is what they are experiencing or that it could be the cause of their suffering – anything from low energy to night terrors – and may struggle to pinpoint that this is the cause of their struggle, without deeply tapping in to their own intuition or working with a trusted psychic medium, energy healer, or the like.

You may have heard of energy vampires – this is a similar concept in which a person or entity may drain you energetically (or emotionally) by having attached to you, much like a parasite.

Final Thoughts

This is a heavy topic, and we would all like to believe the world is a beautiful, loving place that doesn’t harbor such evil. But as parents, we must face the reality of the nature of the internet. We must understand that truly nothing is free in life. The use of social media platforms is not exempt from this reality. When you use social media apps, something is being collected in return: your data, your energy, your time.

I’d also like to address how many parents are possibly sharing “anonymous” imagery of their children on social media platforms simply because they feel (whether consciously or unconsciously) that it is a trend, and they feel compelled to “jump on the bandwagon,” so to speak. Another way I have seen people refer to this phenomenon is that some parents are only doing this to “virtue signal.” I do not completely agree that “virtue signalling” is the correct terminology to accurate describe what these parents are doing. However, I do feel that is extremely inauthentic when a parent decides to “anonymize” their children’s imagery on the internet simply because they notice other parents doing so and without fully comprehending why – and that if you apply your discernment, you will be able to tell who genuinely cares about respecting their children’s privacy and who doesn’t. I feel it is very unfortunate that some parents are being inauthentic about this, because it then dilutes the actions and message delivered by parents like myself, who most wholly understand the gravity of the situation and are acting truly & genuinely from a deep place of love and protection for their children.

Ultimately, it is up to each parent to decide what they are comfortable with and how to proceed when it comes to the issue of sharing imagery of their children on the internet. It is my hope that this short blog article can help you understand the true reasons why some parents, like myself and my husband, choose to abstain from sharing imagery of their children on the internet – and that if your maternal or paternal intuition guides you to the same choice, that is more than okay! Even if this means you have changed your mind from once sharing imagery of your children to abstaining, now that you fully understand the situation you are being presented with.

A popular labor prep “recommendation” for pregnant women

In case you haven’t heard, there is a very popular recommendation out there for pregnant women to consume 75g of dates a day for the last month of their pregnancy – from 36 weeks onward.

Supposedly, and according to a few regularly cited studies, the dates helped women to have shorter labors with less complications.

When it comes to citing studies as evidence, we must also consider the many factors influencing studies and their results – and that these are often impossible to properly control. Ultimately, there are many factors influencing the outcomes of birth – from the setting, to the team, to the mother’s own mindset around birth and trust in her body. This being said, while eating dates may have had some positive influence on womens’ labors, we must consider other factors at play, as well as the additional impact that the consumption of 75g of dates daily may have on the microbiome of a pregnant woman and her gestating baby.

How many grams of sugar does the recommended daily serving of dates contain?

Did you know that 75g of dates contains about 50g of sugar? This is the equivalent to approximately 1/4c of sugar. If you are a pregnant woman adding this amount of dates to your daily diet, it is important to consider the amount of sugar you are consuming in dates alone!

Many will argue that the fructose in dates, eaten as a whole fruit, cannot be compared to normal table sugar. It’s true, dates are a very good source of many vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K which is important for pregnant women to consume via food sources. However, all of the same vitamins and nutrients can also be easily consumed in an herbal tea infusion (DIY Pregnancy Nourishment Tea Recipe here) – without the excessive sugar. While I do somewhat agree, and fully understand that dates are very high in fiber which can help to counterbalance and help the body regulate the blood sugar more efficiently than say, eating a handful of M&Ms, it is important to note that 50g of sugar is still an excessive amount to be consuming daily while pregnant. Why exactly is this?

How sugar negatively impacts your gut microbiome

Within your gut microbiome, there resides a fungal strain known as candida (there are many different candida strains; the most commonly talked about is candida albicans). It is perfectly normal for candida to reside in your gut, as well as it is normal for different parasites, and a variety of bacteria, to reside in your gut. This is why I always let women know, parasites are not necessarily bad, and they do serve a purpose in your gut. However, under certain circumstances, certain fungal strains, bacteria, or parasites can get out of balance in your gut and cause disruptive health imbalances.

Candida is one fungal strain which can very easily get out of balance within your gut. In particular, candida feeds on two things: sugar and heavy metals. Candida can become pathologic and even knows how to cleverly use the aforementioned to create a biofilm to hide itself from your immune system, making it challenging to get back into balance. Every single human on the planet is exposed to heavy metals on a daily basis, no matter how hard they try to live a non-toxic lifestyle (read my blog on this topic here). This is why I always recommend heavy metal detoxing to women in their childbearing years – and no matter what stage of childbearing you are in, it can be done safely using a high quality Fulvic Acid Mineral Powder, and other methods.

Learn More About Fulvic Here

This is exactly why it is so important to control the amount of sugar you are consuming while pregnant. While natural sugars are necessary for the body in small amounts, it is not necessary to consume excessive amounts of sugar while pregnant, and this can in fact cause many health imbalances for not only you, but your gestating baby. When you are pregnant, your body is under far more stress than it typically would be when not pregnant, and as such, you are much more susceptible to your gut microbiome becoming imbalanced. For example, many pregnant women experience mild or recurring/persistent yeast infections during pregnancy. This is just one example of how candida overgrowth can present in pregnant women.

If you can limit your exposure to both sugar and heavy metals, you will be far less likely to experience what is known as candida overgrowth during your pregnancy. The best thing to do is to detox your body in preparation for pregnancy! Even if you have not done that, there are still measures you can take to safely detox while pregnant or breastfeeding, if necessary.

Your baby’s microbiome is imprinted from your microbiome while growing in your womb

When you are pregnant, your entire microbiome (not just your gut microbiome, but the microbiome of your entire being – all encompassing, including the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual) will be the foundation upon which your baby growing in your womb will imprint their own microbiome of their entire being.

It is important to be aware of this, and this is exactly why many women choose to detox their physical body, work on healing traumas, and work to protect their mental, emotional and spiritual state before and during their pregnancies. Even if they are not consciously aware of the mechanism at play (your baby’s microbiome imprinting from your own microbiome), on some subconscious level they are aware of this and will take steps to cleanse, heal, and protect their microbiome prior to and during their pregnancy.

Babies can be born with candida overgrowth

If a pregnant woman has candida overgrowth and is consuming excessive amounts of sugar during pregnancy (really any sugar at all aside from a serving or two of fresh fruit daily – and avoiding bananas, one of the highest sugar fruit and highly genetically modified from ancient bananas), this candida overgrowth can absolutely be passed down to your child in your womb.

My own daughter, completely unvaccinated and untouched by pharmaceuticals, born peacefully and trauma-free into water in our home, was born with multiple yeast-related health imbalances. She had persistent cradle cap right from birth, as well as very infrequent bowel movements – sometimes more than two weeks in between. Once she was a few months old, she began getting very red and inflamed, painful yeast diaper rashes. When we began experimenting with feeding her solids around 6 months of age (with avocado and regrettably, bananas), she began developing recurring colds with a lot of sinus mucus, as well as she began developing very itchy, persistent skin rashes. These skin rashes were not just any skin rashes, but they had a fungal appearance – one which reminded me of ringworm. THIS was the moment when I finally put all of the evidence together and realized she was suffering with candida overgrowth. I will share more on this experience in another blog post at a later date.

I share my personal experience with this to illustrate how the candida overgrowth I had in my own gut microbiome indeed imprinted on my daughter’s gut microbiome as she gestated in my womb. I further proved this theory when I applied my decade of holistic health and herbalism knowledge to safely and successfully candida cleanse while breastfeeding her – which healed her candida-related issues, as well as my own.

The cervix does not need “ripening”

Another important point I would like to make when it comes to the “dates for labor prep” recommendation is that eating dates is not necessary in order to prepare your body for labor.

An indication that you have some mental, emotional, or spirtual labor prep to do VS. physical

If you still believe that dates may be necessary in order to prepare your body for labor, I believe that this is an indication that you need to do some mental, emotional, or spiritual work in order to prepare for giving birth versus physical preparation. Do you doubt your body’s ability to give birth?

Whether you’d like to believe it or not, the mind and body are intrinsically connected, and this connection cannot be severed. Your beliefs and conditioning around not only birth, but your body and it’s capabilities, have a huge influence on how your birth will unfold.

The best labor prep you can do is to begin to slow down, tune in to your body and your baby in your womb, talk to them and listen to what they communicate to you – whether you are able to consciously perceive that communication yet or not, keep practicing this. Begin to trust in your body and all of the miraculous things it is capable of doing. After all, you are bearing and growing life within your womb – what a sacred honor! – and you are destined to give birth, however it may unfold.

Disclaimer: I don’t hate dates

To be clear, I am not anti-date. In fact, I myself love dates. I do consider them one of nature’s multivitamins and I think they are one of the most delicious fruits around. By no means am I trying to vilify dates, nor am I saying pregnant women should never eat dates.

However, I too, fell for the “dates for labor prep” scam and sometimes even forced myself to eat the dates when I wasn’t even feeling like it and my body was clearly telling me “no” – and I now know I was not honoring my body’s communication with me. Regardless, the “recommendation” to eat 75g of dates a day from 36 weeks onward definitely felt like a guilty pleasure indulgence, under the guise of “labor prep” – can you relate??

If you want to eat dates while pregnant, by all means – go ahead! If you suspect that you have candida overgrowth issues, perhaps consider avoiding dates and other foods high in sugar. It is recommended to consume higher-sugar items like dates after consuming protein and fat in order to prevent blood sugar spikes, if you are going to consume dates. Note: a diet higher in protein/fat while pregnant may contribute to decreased sugar cravings – and is recommended for pregnant women.

My concluding thoughts:

Maybe we shouldn’t just blindly follow recommendations without tuning in to our bodies?

Maybe we should dig a little deeper and consider addressing our fears, conscious or unconscious beliefs around birth, conditioning around birth, and belief in our body’s capabilities in an effort to prepare for labor?

Maybe we should shut out all of the outside noise and tune in to our own inner guidance?

Your body knows how to give birth.

Trust in it’s divine, innate, brilliant intelligence.

Trust in your Self – this inner work is the best labor prep you could ever do!

Interested in Detoxing Safely in Your Childbearing Years?

Check out my Detox Methods for Moms Mini Course!

This is a must-have toolkit for all mothers ready to take their health into their own hands. I designed it to be concise, so that it doesn’t become another purchase you never make use of.

You’ll get instant access to:

• My one hour video lesson — short, sweet, and to the point (so you can spend more time with your family!)

• PDF file of the Detox Methods for Moms slideshow

• Detox Tools for Moms eBook

• Detox Recipes for Moms eBook

• PAINT Maternal Intuition eBook

• Fulvic Minerals: Get Started Guide

Purchase the DMM Mini Course

Within this course, I explain the detox pathways of a woman’s body — specifically, in a breastfeeding woman’s body.

The methods discussed within this course are simple, natural, and effective. I also cover when to not detox while breastfeeding and ways that are not safe.

You will walk away from this course with a better understanding of what detox actually is, why it is important, and how to confidently add gentle detox into your daily routine so that you (and your children) can thrive!

Purchase the DMM Mini Course

I am not a medical professional. I am simply a stay-at-home mother of two who is deeply passionate about holistic health and living as close to nature as I possibly can in this modern world – and I have supported many other mothers in their own holistic health pursuits. Everything I share is with the intent to inform and educate. I share what I have learned through lived experience, my own research and studies, and my inner knowing.

References are not included, as I am sharing my personal experience and observations and do not intend to write a research paper about them. If you are seeking further “proof,” I invite you to do your own research and exercise your own discernment when doing so.

It is your duty to take responsibility for your own health and the health of your children and the choices you make regarding your health and the health of your children. Please do your own research, tune into your own intuition, and make choices accordingly.

Our modern day world is filled with toxins.

It’s no secret that we are all exposed to a multitude of toxins on a daily basis. Even if we do our very best to live a non-toxic life, just going out in public or entering environments outside of our own home may expose us to unwanted toxins. From going to the grocery store and walking down the cleaning isle, to the heavy cologne on a passerby, to the pesticides in our food, to the spraying in the sky (also known as chemtrails)….

Not to mention, if you’ve ever had any of the following in your body: vaccines, birth control, antidepressants/mood stabilizers, dental amalgam fillings (the metal kind). All of these contribute to toxic overload in the body and throw the natural microbiome of our bodies out of whack.

Of course, we can never be perfectly non-toxic and it doesn’t serve us to live in fear or obsess over trying to perfect the non-toxic lifestyle. This, however, is the precise reason why as childbearing women, we should prioritize supporting our body’s innate detoxing capabilities. Additionally, we can often benefit from a more intentional cleansing our of body to give it a good chance at being able to do what it is already good at doing (detoxing), even more efficiently.

How toxic overload effects your childbearing:

If you read my blog “Flawed Logic in a Common Myth: Detox While Breastfeeding,” then you will have a base understanding of how not detoxing the body can actually cause harm, while intentionally detoxing the body (even while breastfeeding) can be beneficial.

Because the world we live in is filled with so many more toxins than say, 100 years ago, it is imperative that we intentionally live a more non-toxic, conscious lifestyle to support our body in it’s natural detox functions. Furthermore, we must intentionally support detox pathways of the body and heal our gut lining/microbiome. In many cases, targeted detox protocols are also warranted.

When the body becomes overloaded with toxins, these toxins will effect our pregnancy, our baby growing in the womb, and – if detox support is severely neglected, yes, toxins will likely enter your breastmilk as well. Yes, you read that correctly: it is my firm belief that avoiding detoxing while breastfeeding is actually what causes toxins to enter the breastmilk, NOT detoxing (properly) while breastfeeding!

As breastfeeding mothers, we must prioritize supporting our detox pathways, and sometimes do more targeted detox protocols to rid our body of toxins and protect our breastfeeding babe. When done properly, detox while breastfeeding will usually improve your baby’s health.

Here are three main reasons why you may feel called to detox while breastfeeding:

1. To prepare your body for pregnancy.

This is a huge reason why some women may be interested in detoxing while breastfeeding. If you have been pregnant and/or breastfeeding for many years, you likely have not intentionally detoxed your body over that period of time. If you are interested in conceiving again and you’ve become aware that you haven’t detoxed in quite some time, you may be wondering if this is something you can do while you are still breastfeeding.

Before getting pregnant, many women invest significant time and energy into preparing their physical body for pregnancy in the hopes of having a smoother, healthier pregnancy.

When you prepare your body by detoxing prior to getting pregnant, you will encounter less issues during your pregnancy like morning sickness or dormant/underlying health imbalances showing up such as yeast infections, UTIs, fatigue, brain fog, skin rashes, colds, herpes outbreaks, and even sugar cravings!

Take for example, morning sickness – let’s critically think about what is happening in this situation – particularly in the extreme cases known as hyperemesis gravidarum. Usually when one vomits, it is because the body is trying to get rid of something toxic. So then, with hyperemesis gravidarum, wouldn’t it also make sense that the pregnant woman’s body is attempting to expel toxins via vomit, in an effort to protect the gestating baby? This is a theory, but I would encourage you to consider this as a possibility! I experienced no morning sickness during my pregnancy, which I attribute to having intentionally detoxed prior to getting pregnant.

Finally and most importantly, your baby in your womb will thank you for providing it a clean environment to gestate in and for protecting it’s microbiome!

2. Your pregnancy or postpartum season revealed an underlying health imbalance.

During pregnancy, your body is working extra hard to create a new life. It is under more stress than it is during your non-pregnant day-to-day life. Your body is growing and nourishing a whole other human within your womb, and will prioritize nourishing the gestating baby over you. This is why if you do have any underlying or dormant health imbalances, they will likely be revealed to you during your pregnancy.

For example, you may experience persistent mild/moderate yeast infections, herpes outbreaks, one or more UTIs, mysterious skin rashes, or other health imbalances during your pregnancy (or postpartum season).

3. Your baby has revealed a dormant or underlying health imbalance to you.

Your baby’s microbiome is imprinted from your own microbiome while growing in your womb. I am not just speaking of the gut microbiome! Your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual microbiome are all imprinted on your baby in your womb. For this reason, your baby may be born with symptoms reflecting your own health imbalance back to you.

As previously mentioned, I did a lot of intentional cleansing prior to getting pregnant. Before becoming pregnant, for many years I struggled with recurring vaginal yeast infections. After parasite cleansing with a naturopath, I no longer experienced them. I truly believed I had gotten rid of the yeast issues. I also had my dental amalgam (mercury-containing) fillings removed from my mouth just before getting pregnant, but failed to follow up the procedure with proper heavy metal detoxing, and got pregnant just two months later.

I believe the root cause – candida overgrowth, fueled by heavy metals – was simply dormant in my own body. I indulged in sugar from time to time throughout my pregnancy, and I was also vegan at the time – drinking lots of banana-based (one of the highest sugar fruit!) protein smoothies to meet the protein requirements of pregnancy (and often times with peanut butter, which can also trigger candida/mold issues).

When my daughter was born, she had cradle cap that lasted for many months. She had very infrequent bowel movements from when she was a newborn and later on, constipation. She began developing persistent and painful diaper rashes when she was just a few months old, and once she began eating solids, she began developing itchy skin rashes with fungal appearance. My midwife had mentioned to me that the cradle cap and diaper rashes could be caused by yeast, but it wasn’t until she developed the skin rashes that I recognized as having a fungal appearance, that I connected all of the dots and realized she had candida overgrowth.

I applied my holistic health knowledge, did tons of research, used my discernment – and through detoxing while breastfeeding, we were able to get both our health back into balance.

Mom & Baby are symbiotic.

Ever heard of the motherbaby dyad?

Mom & baby are intrinsically intertwined and although in separate bodies after birth – are still very much connected, biologically, emotionally, and spiritually. Mother and baby remain in a symbiotic, or interdependent, relationship for quite some time – definitely as long as mom is breastfeeding – and I believe, far beyond that time.

It is my firm belief that when done properly (and with guidance), detox while breastfeeding provides mom and baby with a beautiful opportunity to safely, gently detox together.

Read this first

If you are considering detoxing while breastfeeding, read this post first for important information:

You may also find these articles helpful

Share In Birth & In Health

Interested in Detoxing Safely in Your Childbearing Years?

Check out my Detox Methods for Moms Mini Course!

This is a must-have toolkit for all mothers ready to take their health into their own hands. I designed it to be concise, so that it doesn’t become another purchase you never make use of.

You’ll get instant access to:

• My one hour video lesson — short, sweet, and to the point (so you can spend more time with your family!)

• PDF file of the Detox Methods for Moms slideshow

• Detox Tools for Moms eBook

• Detox Recipes for Moms eBook

• PAINT Maternal Intuition eBook

• Fulvic Minerals: Get Started Guide

Purchase the DMM Mini Course

Within this course, I explain the detox pathways of a woman’s body — specifically, in a breastfeeding woman’s body.

The methods discussed within this course are simple, natural, and effective. I also cover when to not detox while breastfeeding and ways that are not safe.

You will walk away from this course with a better understanding of what detox actually is, why it is important, and how to confidently add gentle detox into your daily routine so that you (and your children) can thrive!

Purchase the DMM Mini Course

Detox While Breastfeeding: Is it Safe?

If you are a breastfeeding mom, you’ve likely wondered – is it safe to detox while breastfeeding?

You may have searched on the internet, only to find that “detoxing while breastfeeding is not safe” and that you should not do it. You may have even asked around in some mom or health related chat forums, only to hear other moms echoing back to you the same notion.

Word on the street about detox while breastfeeding is: detox will dump toxins into your breastmilk.

I actually LOVE this myth because it literally proves itself wrong! And, like all things in life, detoxing while breastfeeding is much more nuanced…

The Flawed Logic

Okay, so let’s think about this logically. First, we must agree that we live in a world where are are constantly exposed to and bombarded with toxins, no matter how much of a “non-toxic” lifestyle you live.

If you hypothetically were to somehow stop detoxing (which is impossible, as your body is literally a detox machine – this biological function cannot be paused or stopped, would your body not become filled with toxins?

Commonly referred to as “toxin overload,” this phenomenon may occur in those whose detox pathways are overburdened (such as the liver or lymph system), who are exposed to excessive amounts of toxins or live a very unhealthy lifestyle, or who have never prioritized supporting their detox pathways.

So then, if toxins supposedly dump into your breastmilk whist doing a detox… wouldn’t those same toxins also dump into your breastmilk if your body is becoming overloaded with toxins from not detoxing?!

In other words, when the body becomes overloaded with toxins from avoiding detox or not supporting the detox pathways, these toxins can then enter into a mother’s breastmilk. This can particularly be a problem if the mother has leaky gut or poor gut health, has been exposed to vaccinations, has frequently used pharmaceuticals, or has metal amalgam fillings in her mouth.

When NOT to Detox While Breastfeeding

Flawed logic aside, I want to address this myth in it’s entirety. There are indeed situations in which toxins may enter the breastmilk. They are as follows:

• Using any pharmaceutical: Pharmaceuticals are very strong, “quick fixes,” and the body often cannot handle the hard & fast nature of them – hence, detox pathways become overloaded, and the pharmaceuticals enter your breastmilk.

  • An example: a friend told me how she took Ivermectin while breastfeeding, and her naturopath analyzed her breastmilk afterwards to find parasites in it. The intense nature of the pharmaceutical caused parasites to exit in any way they could, including her breastmilk. → This is why LOW & SLOW + detox pathway support is the only method I utilize & recommend.

• Other “hard & fast” detox methods: Taking capsules of anti-parasitics in which you cannot control the dosage of.

  • A woman told me she took capsules of wormwood, a very strong anti-parasitic, which I do not recommend for breastfeeding women. This resulted in her breasts becoming sore and her toddler complaining of a stomach ache. → This is why I only recommend the use of tinctures, so you can control your dosage, beginning with the smallest possible dose and increasing ever so slowly.

• When weaning: When actively weaning, your breast tissue goes through a restructuring process called involution. Your breast tissue has tight junctions similar to that of the blood-brain barrier or your intestinal tissue, which during involution become more loose. This is a situation in which toxins may enter the breastmilk. → This is why I do not recommend any targeted detox protocol while actively weaning.

• If proper measures are not taken to support detox pathways and heal the gut: Prior to any targeted detox protocol (heavy metal, candida, parasite), these two steps are essential. → This is why my method focuses on detox pathway support and healing the gut microbiome as phase one.

Detox Gently & Safely with Fulvic Acid

A great place to start that I recommend to all women in their childbearing years is to use a high quality, safety tested and food grade fulvic acid. Quality and safety matter, especially for pregnant and breastfeeding women. You’ll want to make sure the fulvic acid you choose has public, third party tested COAs (Certificate of Analysis) available for every batch, like the one I use, which is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as children 1+.

Fulvic acid not only chelates (binds to and carries out of the body) heavy metals, pesticides, microplastics, radiation, and other toxins - but it simultaneously replenishes the body at the cellular level with 77+ trace minerals and vitamins, electrolytes, amino acids, and antioxidants! It is vital for women in their childbearing phase of life to actively replenish these nutrients, and it’s best to do so from non-synthetic (aka not prenatal vitamins) sources, like fulvic acid or food.

You can think of fulvic acid as ancient compost. A high quality one is completely pure, earth-derived, and minimally processed. It will heal the gut lining while it repopulates the gut microbiome with naturally occuring soil-based pre- and probiotics.

To learn more about the Fulvic Acid Mineral Powder I personally use for my family and recommend, click below for your instant download ebook:

FREE FULVIC ACID EBOOK

Interested in Detoxing Safely in Your Childbearing Years?

Check out my Detox Methods for Moms Mini Course!

This is a must-have toolkit for all mothers ready to take their health into their own hands. I designed it to be concise, so that it doesn’t become another purchase you never make use of.

You’ll get instant access to:

• My one hour video lesson — short, sweet, and to the point (so you can spend more time with your family!)

• PDF file of the Detox Methods for Moms slideshow

• Detox Tools for Moms eBook

• Detox Recipes for Moms eBook

• PAINT Maternal Intuition eBook

• Fulvic Minerals: Get Started Guide

Purchase the DMM Mini Course

Within this course, I explain the detox pathways of a woman’s body — specifically, in a breastfeeding woman’s body.

The methods discussed within this course are simple, natural, and effective. I also cover when to not detox while breastfeeding and ways that are not safe.

You will walk away from this course with a better understanding of what detox actually is, why it is important, and how to confidently add gentle detox into your daily routine so that you (and your children) can thrive!

Purchase the DMM Mini Course

When my daughter gets “sick,” (we don’t like to use this word in our house or try to minimize using it as often as possible, as we see these instances as the body doing what it needs to do to heal or rid something from the body - it’s just doing it’s job and this doesn’t make us “sick”) specifically involving vomit, I get extremely anxious. It’s a type of anxiety I very viscerally feel in my body. My bowels get moving, sometimes I get an anxious tremble, and in general I feel overall completely exhausted and worn down by the end of the day from being on-edge constantly.

After discussing with an amazing mom friend of mine (mom of 5!) who is so wise, she helped me to see that this pattern was likely a result of how my own mother reacted when I used to get “ill” in this way as a child. Instantly I knew she was right, and indeed this was confirmed by my mother.

I’ve also noticed a tendency to reach outside of myself when this happens with my daughter - usually to a mom friend, for some kind of solace or at least just to share what I am experiencing. I remember a specific instance when I was throwing up as a child, where my parents called the doctor. The doctor advised to give me ginger ale. My parents didn’t have ginger ale on hand, so they gave me Sprite instead - which I promptly threw up. Upon remembering this experience, I’ve been able to connect that my tendency to reach outside of myself for emotional support of this anxiety is modeled after the behavior of my parents searching for “help” from a doctor - someone outside of themself and their own parenting intuition.

I have a pretty deep trust in the body and am always very consciously aware of the fact that my daughter’s body is doing just exactly what it needs to be doing in a moment of vomiting, fever, diarrhea, or otherwise - in order to expel something unwanted from the body. However, the anxiety persists - and this pattern is one that I am trying to heal, so that I do not continue to pass down this pattern to my daughter or future children.

“Breaking the Chain” is a concept I’ve become very fond of throughout my spiritual journey, and especially since meeting my husband and becoming a parent. This is the concept of breaking negative ancestral patterns that have been passed down over generations, so that they may no longer afflict our own children and bloodline - to break the chain of generational trauma, if you will.

This specific type of mom anxiety I have been experiencing has been absolutely no exception! I wanted to share about this vulnerable personal experience publicly here, because I know that so many moms struggle with anxiety when their children are unwell - and equally seek outside of themself for support, advice, or direction, rather than tapping into their own Maternal Intuition.

One thing I know for certain is that awareness is the first step in healing. I haven’t yet conquered this specific type of mom anxiety yet, but I’m working on it. Whenever it occurs, I pinpoint the feelings in my body, employ deeper breathing, allow the emotions to surface and then pass - and most importantly, do my absolute best to not project my anxiety onto my daughter. While I know we are still very much connected and that her nervous system responses will often reflect off of my own, I do feel that I am able to bypass some of the anxiety from passing on to her.

I am curious, do you experience a similar type of mom anxiety? Do you feel it is a pattern passed down from your own mother or even from her own mother down to her?

Please comment and share your experience with me! I’d love to know I’m not alone in this :)

If you’re alive on the planet today, it’s highly likely that you have heavy metals in your body.

Most of us, even if we haven’t taken any jabs as adults, have had quite a few childhood vaccinations. Even if you are a rare person whose parents decided not to vaccinate you as a child, you’ve likely consumed heavy metals in your food.

Even if you’ve had the cleanest diet known to man and somehow avoided all heavy metals, you have absolutely been exposed to heavy metals in your environment, via aerial spraying, cookware, exhaust fumes, and more.

Another common exposure to heavy metals, specifically mercury, is if you have ever had dental amalgam fillings. Amalgam fillings are particularly dangerous, as your teeth have nerve endings that are connected to all organs of your body. It is well documented that many diseases stem from poor dental health (check out the documentary Root Cause to learn more about this).

What exactly are heavy metals? Heavy metals include (but not limited to) mercury, aluminum, cadmium, and lead. These metals are considered neurotoxic, meaning they have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, and they disrupt cells’ normal functioning.

Heavy metals can cause many unwanted symptoms, such as brain fog, fatigue, memory loss, behavioral issues, and in more extreme cases, high exposure to heavy metals may cause seizures, autism, or dementia. This study even links aluminum toxicity to Down’s Syndrome.

Heavy metal detox & childbearing

If you are desiring to become pregnant, it is extremely important that you take measures to detox your body of heavy metals to prevent these from passing to your child.

If you are already pregnant, it is extremely important that you take measures to actively chelate and remove heavy metals from your body, in a gentle manner, in order to prevent the passing of these metals to your gestating baby.

Heavy metals can and do pass to gestating babies in the womb. These as well as hundreds of other toxins have been found in the cord blood of babies from women who do not have any sort of excessive exposure to chemicals (i.e. living next to a factory). Read more here.

Daily use of a high quality fulvic acid is my NUMBER ONE recommendation for pregnant and breastfeeding women for safe and gentle daily detox and removal of heavy metals and other toxins from the body, while effectively preventing the passing of them to your gestating baby.

Read more about Fulvic here

NOTE: I never, ever recommend using zeolite, EDTA chelation therapy, or other “binders” for pregnant or breastfeeding women, or children. More on why in later posts!

On heavy metals, candida, and parasites:

1. Candida is very difficult to get back under control (everyone has candida in their gut, but it easily becomes overgrown in the gut and disrupts the microbiome) for this primary reason: it uses various things to create a biofilm which helps it to hide from your immune system. Candida will primarily use sugar to create it’s biofilm, but it also loves to use heavy metals to create it’s biofilm to not only hide from your immune system, but travel to other places in your body besides your gut. Ever wonder why your sugar cravings are so intense and you almost feel like there is a voice in your head telling you to go eat that sweet treat?… Could it be that the candida has actually made it’s way into your brain and is controlling your thoughts?… I’m not here with scientific proof of this, but I am posing a question for you to ponder.

2. Parasites are not necessarily bad, and just like candida, everyone has parasites in their gut microbiome. With seasonal changes, dietary factors, and other influences, certain parasites may become rampant within your gut microbiome, and this is when health issues may occur. Parasites also feed off of heavy metals in the body, so if you clean up the heavy metals from your body (in addition to making dietary changes), you will in turn create a less hospitable environment for parasites to become overgrown.

Conclusion

If you detox your body of heavy metals, you are already making great strides towards detoxing your body of candida overgrowth and parasites as well!

More importantly, neurotoxic heavy metals can be detrimental to your health and the health of your children. Yours and your children’s health can only benefit from detoxing heavy metals! Safe heavy metal detox should be prioritized, especially during your childbearing years.

Interested in Detoxing Safely in Your Childbearing Years?

Check out my Detox Methods for Moms Mini Course!

This is a must-have toolkit for all mothers ready to take their health into their own hands. I designed it to be concise, so that it doesn’t become another purchase you never make use of.

You’ll get instant access to:

• My one hour video lesson — short, sweet, and to the point (so you can spend more time with your family!)

• PDF file of the Detox Methods for Moms slideshow

• Detox Tools for Moms eBook

• Detox Recipes for Moms eBook

• PAINT Maternal Intuition eBook

• Fulvic Minerals: Get Started Guide

Purchase the DMM Mini Course

Within this course, I explain the detox pathways of a woman’s body — specifically, in a breastfeeding woman’s body.

The methods discussed within this course are simple, natural, and effective. I also cover when to not detox while breastfeeding and ways that are not safe.

You will walk away from this course with a better understanding of what detox actually is, why it is important, and how to confidently add gentle detox into your daily routine so that you (and your children) can thrive!

Purchase the DMM Mini Course

An herbal drink every woman in her childbearing years needs!

When I first discovered I was pregnant with my daughter, my “nesting” research instinct hit IMMEDIATELY. Literally the same night I took the pregnancy test (for my ‘see it to believe it’ husband – even though I was 9 days past my very predictable cycle and already knew I was pregnant), we went to Half Price Books so I could scour the pregnancy/birth section. It was there that I found Aviva Jill Romm’s The Natural Pregnancy Book, from which this Nourishment Tea recipe was adapted.

If you haven’t yet heard of it, NORA stands for Nettles, Oatstraw, Raspberry leaf, Alfalfa – and it’s a classic herbal blend recommended for women during pregnancy and postpartum. Truly, this herbal blend is so nutritive and full of gentle herbs that it could be beneficial to most every person at any stage of life – not just for pregnant and postpartum women!

It can also be super beneficial for women (and men!) who are preparing to conceive to drink this tea in order to boost their nutrient stores, in addition to the fertility-promoting properties of both nettles and raspberry leaf, the two main herbs in this blend.

While it is recommended to avoid consuming this blend during the first trimester of pregnancy, I drank a nettles & peppermint infusion throughout my first trimester for nutrients and to help ease mild nausea. I simply omitted raspberry leaf until the second trimester.

Re-Mineralizing Nourishment Tea:

4 parts Red Raspberry Leaf

4 parts Nettle Leaf

2 parts Alfalfa Leaf

2 parts Oatstraw

1 part Rosehips

1/2 part Peppermint Leaf or Spearmint Leaf

Other optional add-ins for consideration:
1 part Dandelion Leaf, 1 part Hibiscus Leaf, 1 part Rose Petals, 1 part Lemon Balm

Preparation:

Using a cup as the “part,” the above recipe is for a bulk batch. Divide accordingly if you'd like to try a smaller batch first. This is a base recipe. Herbs may be added for flavor or removed to tailor to your needs.

Steep heaping 1/4 c in 32 oz (or 1 heaping Tbsp in 8-10 oz) boiled water for minimum of 30 minutes, covered.

I live in a higher elevation where water boils at a lower temperature, so I like to bring just to a boil, then turn off the heat and allow to steep with the lid on for at least 30 minutes or until it cools completely. A quick simmer will help extract more nutrients from the herbs without overcooking them. If you are using whole rosehips (versus the cut and sifted kind, which are preferable in this blend), make sure you use a wooden spoon to smash them once brought to a simmer and before allowing to steep. I often allow the blend to steep overnight for a more concentrated, nutrient-rich brew.

Serve hot or chilled. It will keep in your fridge for a few days if you like to make a big batch to store ahead of time. Add a natural liquid sweetener like raw, local honey and a squeeze of fresh lemon/lime to make this infusion more palatable. I don’t usually add any sweetener to this tea, and enjoy it’s mild flavor as is or with a squeeze of citrus (my toddler loves the flavor too) – it makes for a refreshing iced tea!

Enjoy up to a liter of this infusion daily! You may dilute with water if it is too strong for your tastes.

An explanation of “parts” and basic how-to on crafting herbal tea blends

A “part” in an herbal recipe is any measurement you deem it to be. You could make a small test batch where each part is 1 tablespoon, or you could make a bulk batch where each part is a cup. You are the one in control and the choice is yours! This is exactly what makes DIY herbal concoctions so empowering, and why I love being an herbalist.

Regarding the option add-ins I listed in the recipe above, you can do you own research into the benefits of the herbs and decide if any of them suit your needs or desires. If so, they may make a lovely addition to your next batch of Nourishment Tea! For example, dandelion leaf is great for supporting the liver and the body’s innate detox functions, so if this is a priority of yours in your current stage of life, dandelion leaf (or root) could be an excellent herbal ally for you to begin working with. It is believed that if a woman uses dandelion during pregnancy and early lactation, the baby will also develop a strong liver (Weed, 1986).

A multivitamin and multi-mineral nutritive drink for the whole family

This herbal tea is safe for the whole family to drink (my husband loves it too!) – even the kiddos! My toddler loves drinking this Nourishment Tea whenever I am drinking it.

You can think of this herbal blend as an herbal multivitamin that supplies many necessary vitamins and minerals in a highly absorbable form. The reason the vitamins and minerals are highly absorbable is because this blend of herbs provides necessary co-factors for proper assimilation in the body. For example, iron requires vitamin C in order to be utilized properly by the body. This tea provides iron from the nettles and alfalfa, with the rosehips providing vitamin C.

We prefer to get our nutrients from our diet via food and herbs, and don’t take any “multivitamins” in our family. Even higher quality, food-based supplements have outrageous amounts of vitamins and minerals and taking these regularly can throw off your body’s ideal ratios. This Nourishment Tea is a great way for children to get their daily dose of vitamins and minerals, in a proper dosage and in natural co-factor ratios that are highly beneficial!

Why Nourishment Tea during pregnancy and postpartum?

This herbal blend is a nutritive addition to add to your daily routine throughout your pregnancy and postpartum, full of vitamins and minerals to nourish yourself and your baby - during pregnancy and via your breastmilk during your postpartum. It will help prevent postpartum hemorrhage, assist the body in healing postpartum, improve milk supply, and replenish necessary nutrients.

Herbs are most beneficial when consumed daily, as they build up in your system over time, so it is best to drink this tea daily during critical periods like pregnancy and postpartum.

Nettles provide ample amounts of vitamins A, C, D, and K, as well as calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and sulphur (Weed, 1986). Nettles are highly nutritive, as well as they support healthy kidney function, help prevent postpartum hemorrhage, and boost healthy milk production.

Raspberry Leaf provides vitamins A, C, E, and B complex, as well as many minerals including calcium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium. It also tones the uterus due to it’s constituent called fragrine, which can help prevent postpartum hemorrhage and make for a more efficient labor – though mental prep or lack thereof will always take weight! Raspberry leaf also contributes to a plentiful, nutrient-rich milk supply.

Oatstraw is a nervine, which means it can help soothe your nervous system when drank consistently. It is also rich in both calcium and magnesium, making it very nutritive. All parts of the oat plant (oatstraw, milky oats, oat tops, and regular ‘ole oats!) also help boost milk supply in lactating women.

Alfalfa provides protein, vitamins A, D, E, B6, K, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, trace minerals, and digestive enzymes (Romm, 2003). It also provides chlorophyll and beta carotene.

Consuming this herbal blend during pregnancy will help to boost yours and your baby’s vitamin K levels naturally in preparation for birth. No sketchy vitamin K injection necessary! Side note on vitamin K: Nature doesn’t make mistakes – babies’ vitamin K levels are low at birth for a reason. Breastfeeding accounts for all necessary vitamin K production in infants in the appropriate timing.

Our bodies are brilliantly designed.

Rosehips provide vitamin C, while peppermint/spearmint supports digestion as well as help deliver nutrients from the other herbs.

How to level up your herbal tea

I like to add 1/4 - 1/2 tsp chlorella powder to a liter of infusion for added nutrition and to help gently detox heavy metals. I love that chlorella has such a mild flavor as compared to it’s relative algae, spirulina – and I feel it is far superior, with it’s ability to chelate heavy metals and remove them from the body. Heavy metals can be passed down in utero to gestating babies, so it is important that pregnant women do not avoid incorporating methods of daily, gentle heavy metal chelation.

To level up even more, add your daily serving of Fulvic Acid Mineral Powder to this tea to supercharge it! Fulvic boosts the absorption of nutrients, so when you take it alongside other superfoods or an herbal infusion such as this Nourishment Tea, you are making the most of the nutrients you are consuming. Fulvic acid also provides 70+ trace minerals, amino acids, electrolytes, and antioxidants, providing an additional nutrient boost to your tea. It comes straight from the earth - you can think of it as ancient compost - just like the herbs in this blend!

Learn more about Fulvic here

References:

Romm, A. (2003). The Natural Pregnancy Book: Herbs, Nutrition, and Other Holistic Choices, NY: Celestial Arts

Weed, S. (1986). Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year, NY: Ash Tree Publishing