This is a fun event for you to hear and share birth stories and learn about how to view birth holistically.
This event will give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the work that I do as a holistic healer and insight into my book series on childbirth around the world through a holistic perspective.
You will understand more about the root cause of chronic conditions in the pregnancy journey and why birth complications happen.
This will empower you.
Read MoreI mailed some packages. It felt so great!
It feels so great to give and to know my package will bring some joy to the recipients and help women on their holistic health and wellness journey!
Yay!
If you have been following me for a while, you know that I celebrated 15 years in business this year and last year, I started season one of Holistic Me TV and that the swag giveaway was my way to celebrate.
The winners were:
Terina,
Irmina,
Colleen,
Alycia,
Trudy,
and
Amanda.
Congratulations!!
If you didn't win a prize, there will be more opportunities to win prizes with me.
In fact on 8/8, I will announce another prize winner.
A couple of months ago, I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Tu-Hien Le. She had a regular health and wellness series on Instagram for moms, but recently switched to creating a podcast to reach a wider audience.
Now, she has created The Mamaverse. The Mamaverse is a podcast, vodcast, a blog, and a health and wellness app for moms. The Mamaverse is a community to support moms.
Tu-Hien's mission is to make mamas feel valued and appreciated through a fun online community experience that fosters compassion and collaboration.
I am happy to say that I am a guest on The Mamaverse Podcast. Listen to episode 3 about how to heal chronic health conditions.
It’s been about ten years since I overcame my debilitating, chronic illness. My illness was misdiagnosed for fifteen, long years. During the prime of my life, my life stalled. Some of the best doctors in Connecticut and New York City screened me, but only one doctor was able to properly diagnose me. Sadly, this happens more often than people realize.
Before I became sick, I trusted my doctors completely. But to be honest, I rarely got sick in school or college, so doctors only saw me for my annual physical. However, my life completely changed when I chose to do my Junior Year Abroad in London, England and developed a fever, diagnosed as being from the flu, and did not regain my health until fifteen years later.
Read MoreHi Friends,
This month is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. This month brings awareness to those who have lost a child due to stillbirth, miscarriage, SIDS, or any other cause during pregnancy or infancy.
Miscarriage and loss of young child after giving birth or two topics I will be discussing in my two book series on holistic childbirth around the world. Holistic childbirth is the whole journey of childbirth from conception, to pregnancy, to labor, to the postpartum period. It is also how it affects women emotionally and physically.
I will be sharing how miscarriage and the loss of a child after birth affects women emotionally. These situations are very different, but both have devastating effects on women. Grief is a difficult emotion and one that women do not talk about openly. Loss of a child is not an easy topic for anyone to discuss.
Read MoreWriting my book about childbirth around the world has been so much fun! But so has being on podcasts! I have been on many podcast interviews the last few months and they have been so eager to hear about my book. So I have decided to start adding some short clips to YouTube! I know that moms are busy, so I just selected excerpts from the shows so that you can learn a little bit about my book.
Listen to these clips. If you enjoy them, listen to the full episodes and make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more updates on my book, the writing process, interviews and more!
For Amberlee, from Australia, breastfeeding came quite naturally. The first time her son was put on her breast he started feeding right away. But she soon discovered that he was a cluster feeder which means that he would feed every 45 minutes. Because of this she was always breastfeeding. Cluster feeding is often a physiological problem with the milk not fully coming in or the woman not being able to produce enough milk or sometimes it indicates a growth spurt for the child. For many women, this is remedied in a few days or a couple of weeks when her milk supplies comes in fully. However, many women experience it longer than a couple of weeks and for some women, it is not only a physiological issue but it is both a physiological and a psychological issue. It took about 6 months for Amberlee to break that cycle and in the process, she learned so much about herself.
She learned that her child was constantly reading her energy and that he was seeking comfort through her breast. Energetically, Amberlee was processing the end of her old life. She didn’t want to surrender her old life. She thought she could still live the life that she wanted, but she couldn’t. It seemed impossible. She struggled internally. Emotionally and physically she felt off.
Read MoreNesting is a phase of pregnancy when mothers have a great urge to prepare for the baby’s arrival, creating a safe, clean home environment for their newborns. Some women start nesting as early as when they are five months pregnant: getting the nursery ready and ordering baby clothes and items to take care of their child. But most women, experience it in the third trimester closer to their due date. However, many women experience it right before labor which could be a sign that labor is approaching soon.
For Dawn, from the U.K., she began preparing her nursery the week before giving birth. She created a full mural on all four walls. She added cartoon drawings such as Tom and Jerry. She painted a night sky with different variations of blues and day-glow stars on the ceiling. She even illustrated a tree in the corner, the tree of knowledge. Yes, that last week Dawn added books, a rocking chair, a changing table, a wooden chest with her son’s name on it and yes, she was the one doing all the painting. She painted an English landscape, a Palestinian landscape, pyramids, Aladdin, ponds, oceans, and lakes; her imagination was on fire with techno music playing in the background to keep her in the zone.
Read MoreFirst time moms tend to have a lot of fear about childbirth, as it is, and sometimes, doctors have advice for mothers that doesn’t feel right intuitively.
During my interviews for my book about holistic childbirth around the world, I asked Dawn Bates from the U.K. if she had any advice for first time mothers.
Advice from Dawn:
“If you have any fears, journal it out. Anything that a doctor tells you, look at what is the medical argument for this and then look at medical arguments from different countries. If your doctor in the U.S. is saying this is what needs to happen, make a phone call to a doctor in a different country. There are lots of free help lines. Phone someone in the U.K. Find someone in Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany. Find out what doctors in other countries are saying. And then go back to your doctor and say, what you are saying is not necessarily true… If others are pressuring you, go on a long holiday. Focus on you and what is important to you.
Read MoreI was interviewed on Amberlee Jayde’s fabulous Australian podcast, Digital Village. We had great chat! Amberlee interviewed for my book about holistic childbirth around the world. Her transformation is amazing! I look forward to sharing her childbirth stories in my new book series, but until then, listen to our interview.
In this episode, you will learn:
· About my new book that will transform how you see and experience childbirth,
· My mission is to empower every woman around the world in regards to their health and wellness,
· My personal health journey overcoming my debilitating chronic illness,
· How & why I became a holistic healer,
· Universal health issues,
· The importance of healing and how every woman who heals herself, heals all the women who came
before her and heals all the women who came after her,
· We rise as women by uplifting one another,
· The definition of an empath and what one can do to protect oneself from taking on others energy,
· How law of attraction attracts circumstances/ events that surpass our expectations,
· And the importance of a healthy and functioning liver.
Read MoreHI Everyone! It is the end of National Maternal Depression Awareness Month. On a previous blog, I shared a little of Carey’s story with her struggles with postpartum psychosis. Today I would like to continue the discussion of maternal depression awareness.
One recent study found that 1 in 5 women may suffer from maternal mental health disorders and 1 in 7 women may experience Postpartum Depression (PPD) in the year after giving birth. With approximately 4 million live births occurring each year in the United States, this equates to almost 600,000 postpartum depression diagnoses. Sadly, it is believed that postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety are much more common than these statistics reveal. Some medical experts believe that the rate of postpartum depression could be at least twice as much than what is actually reported and diagnosed. It is believed that while there are many diagnosed cases of postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety, only a limited number of women actually receive treatment, often because many women do not know they have postpartum depression/anxiety since they are simply adjusting to being a new mom.
Read MoreMaria De Los Ángeles Chero and Ariela Waltzer pictured above are the first doulas of Peru. Dr. Angela Brocker is a doctor and a midwife in Peru who learned about doulas from living in Germany (where she is from originally) and decided to bring this tradition to Peru. In Lima, Peru, of all births in the private sector, the c-section rate is 85-90%, which is much higher than the national average of 35 to 40%. As a doctor in Peru, Dr. Angela Brocker witnessed a lot of obstetric violence and was even encouraged during her training to do practices against women that she did not agree with. In 2005, Dr. Brocker created a doula training program in Lima; Maria and Ariela were some of the first ladies to learn this tradition from Dr. Brocker at her birthing center, Pakarii. Both ladies continue to be doulas today and love it.
Ariela admits that in Peru doulas are not popular (compared to other countries) and that many women still do not know what a doula is, however, over the past fifteen years, more and more women are becoming aware of obstetric violence. She is happy to be one of the pioneers to support women.
Read MoreAre you a new mother? Are you familiar with all the birth professionals who assist mothers during labor? If you are planning to give birth it is very important that you are aware of your options so that you can pick what is best for you. Keep in mind, every country does not have the same options. There are birth attendants, doulas, midwives, and OBGYNS. In some countries, midwives deliver most of the babies (such as in Europe, Australia, and African countries) and OBGYNS only deliver babies if there is an emergency which requires surgery. In other countries, (such as the U.S.) OBGYNs are considered more prestigious than midwives. But in truth, OBGYNs are not more prestigious, but are more common in the United States. While in other countries (such as Kazakhstan) women are still not allowed to have their husbands or birth attendants present during the birth of their child or doulas present (such as in public hospitals in Peru) .
Read MoreIt’s International Doula Month! This month we celebrate all the hardworking doulas around the world who assist mothers before birth, during birth, and postpartum. Through their love and attention, they help to improve the health of mothers and infants.
For my book about childbirth around the world, I interviewed Maria De Los Ángeles Chero, a well-known midwife in Lima, Peru. Maria was one of the first doulas in Lima. She is a pioneer in Peru helping women to have an empowered childbirth experience. Unfortunately, Lima, Peru is a place with a very high c-section rate. Some say the c-section rate in the city is 80 to 90%. Thankfully with Maria’s calming, empathic nature, she is able to assuage many women’s fears and help them to feel supported at this vulnerable time.
Happy Mother’s Day, moms! Mother’s Day is celebrated in most countries around the world today. Treat yourself like a queen today!
Treat yourself to:
a bubble bath,
a walk in the sunshine,
or a day where you don’t have to do anything.
Put your feet up.
Watch a movie.
Allow your partner to make meals for you.
Take a nap!
Let yourself be pampered.
Do whatever makes you happy!
Self-care and rejuvenation is so important.
In this blog, I will be introducing the courageous women that I interviewed for my two book series on holistic childbirth around the world. Mothers from Canada, the United Kingdom (Ireland, Scotland, and England), the United States, France, Spain, Austria, Australia, Germany, Peru, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Israel, the Netherlands, India, Japan, and Uganda were interviewed.
Read MoreToday is World Maternal Mental Health Day and it is National Maternal Depression Awareness Month in the United States. World Maternal Health Day is a day once a year that raises global awareness of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and reduces the stigma of maternal mental illnesses. One in five new mothers may experience some type of perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD) such as postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety or postpartum psychosis. Unfortunately, many of these illnesses go untreated due to a lack of diagnosis, sometimes causing tragic repercussions for both mother and child. Luckily, postpartum depression/anxiety has become a more mainstream topic, but still many new mothers are not aware they experienced it, until it has passed. Postpartum depression is an all-encompassing illness and so is being a new mother.
Carey Kirkella, from New York City, had a history of bipolar disorder and was concerned that her symptoms could escalate after labor to postpartum psychosis.
Read MoreHi Ladies!
It is AYA (Adolescents and Young Adults) Cancer Awareness Week! This week brings awareness to those who currently have or who have had cancer between the ages of 15 to 39. Many people are shocked when they are diagnosed with cancer at a young age. Cancer is something many believe can happen as they grow older, not when they are still growing and developing. Women who are diagnosed young, not only fight for their lives, but they must make difficult decisions before they are thinking about having a child which may affect fertility later.
Some of the issues that AYAs face are isolation, debt, fear of death, problems with relationships, sexuality, infertility, and they often don’t receive the emotional support they need.
A friend of mine named Julia is a mother today, but when she was a young adult she developed leukemia and had to have treatment. Great news is that she beat leukemia and became a mother last year! Throughout her pregnancy journey, she felt great physically and emotionally. And in September, she had a beautiful, healthy baby girl. I was so happy for her!
Lauren is another woman who had cancer young and beat it. Lauren was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She beat it twice! But when she was 24 years old, she was told by her oncologist, when she had her relapse, that her treatment could prohibit for from having children.
Read MoreHi Everyone!
Happy World Health Day! Right now, we are still going through the pandemic of the Coronavirus, but it is also World Health Day, one day a year to raise awareness/to highlight a concern of the World Health Organization (WHO). Every year World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 and this year’s theme is giving people access to healthcare without the prospect of financial hardship. The WHO asserts, following numerous studies, that “countries which invest in universal healthcare will make a sound investment in their human capital; indeed, access to a very bottom line of care and financial protection will not only truly improve someone’s health and life expectancy, but also protects countries from epidemics, reduces poverty and the risk of hunger, creates jobs, drives economic growth and enhances gender equality.” This is a very important topic and ties in with my research about childbirth around the world.
When researching for my book, I learned about birth tourism. It is a common practice for pregnant mothers to travel to foreign countries to give birth to lower the costs associated with childbirth. Sometimes it is also for citizenship, but mostly, it is to reduce healthcare costs. This tradition is especially common for pregnant women from Asia. Expectant mothers move to Canada at seven or eight months, so that they will give birth in Canada and not have to pay medical fees. After the birth, they fly back home.
Today is World Autism Day. What does that mean? World Autism Day is one day each year to raise awareness to autism and to the rise of autism. In 2007, The United Nations designated April 2 to be World Autism Day.
According to an organization called Autism Speaks, international communities around the world light up buildings, landmarks and homes in blue and people wear something blue to show their love and support for people with autism. Throughout April is World Autism Awareness Month and many communities hold autism-friendly and educational activities to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism and provide events which are kinder and more inclusive, so that all children may be a part of them.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is typically suspected withing the first three of life, but it may be detected later. Most cases appear to be with boys, but girls can also have ASD. Autism Spectrum Disorder is specifically a wide range or “spectrum” of symptoms which may result in many disabilities. There is no known cause and there is no cure. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, some children may be characterized as low or high functioning. Medication may be given to some children. However, there is no single countermeasure to overcome autism. More and more mothers are looking for a more natural approach instead of medicating their children young and throughout their lives.
Read MoreHi Ladies!
In my last post, I gave you some tips to return to balance. This is especially important as we are going through the Coronavirus, but of course, maintaining balance is always important. In today’s post, I want to focus on steps we can teach children to be peaceful. Our children may not understand what is going on right now, but we can teach them to find peace even if their schedules have changed, even if they are emotional, even if they cannot express their emotions as eloquently as we can.
Many people think that children are too young to learn meditation or mindfulness, but actually it is the best time. If we teach our children while they are young, they can incorporate these tools into their lives for a lifetime, have more peace, and return to balance quicker.
Today I am going to give you tools that you can teach very young children.
The first meditation was taught to me by spiritual teacher, Gabby Bernstein. She gave this example to a woman who wanted to teach her daughter to meditate.
Sit with your child and ask her (or him) to repeat the phrase: Peace begins with me. Then instruct her to tap her fingers softly starting with the thumb and forefinger as she repeats “Peace”, then her thumb and middle finger as she says “begins”, then her thumb and ring finger as she says“with”, and then her thumb and ring finger as she says “me.” Do the exercise with her, using your hand and say the words aloud for each finger.
