Balanced Essential Living Midwifery, LLC

Because we are so careful to not put needless toxins in our bodies, I make our own face wash for us to use. It's really easy to make, and you can customize it with oils that will accomplish your facial needs. Ingredients: 1 TBSP castile baby mild soap, unscented 1/4 tsp almond oil (you can use fractionated coconut oil, but I use almond oil for the extra benefits for my face)5-15 drops essential oils of your choice Distilled water (or you can use tap water if it's non-fluorid

If you have chosen to breastfeed your newborn, you have chosen an excellent way to get your baby off to a healthy start in life. Nursing can be exhausting. At first you feel as if all you do is nurse your baby. By the time you finish nursing, you feel as if you have a few minutes to either get a fast shower, take a short nap, eat a quick meal, and then your baby is hungry again! Hang in there! It gets better as your baby learns to nurse faster, and as the baby gets older

Congratulations on the birth of your precious baby! Right now you may be feeling a mixture of elation, exhaustion, excessive and fluctuating emotions, and new-found love and awe. If things didn't go as expected, you may be feeling discouragement, sadness, or are blaming yourself for what you feel are failures on your part. The raging hormones in your body make everything you feel an extreme. Everyone experiences these extreme feelings, so don't be alarmed. Ensure to surr

Congratulations on the birth of your precious bundle of joy! If you think Labor is over, you are mistaken, but the worst is behind you, so relax and enjoy that precious baby scent and the feel of your baby in your arms! Many people don't realize there is a Stage 3 in Labor. Did you know there is even a Stage 4? Stage 3 Labor: Delivery of the Placenta What is happening - You will experience a few more contractions as your body expels the placenta. You may feel a warm gush o

If you have been following my blog series on Labor and Delivery, you have already read about the 3 different phases of Stage 1 Labor: Latent, Active, Transition). Now I will discuss the happiest stage of Labor - Stage 2 - Delivery!!!!! What is happening - your contractions have brought you to 10 cm dilation - hooray, it's finally time to push! You may have already been experiencing the urge to push before reaching 10 cm. Some doctors allow you to gently bear down when you

Stage 1 Labor has 3 different phases: Latent Stage, Active Stage, and Transition. I have broken each phase down in its own blog post. Click on the links to learn about Phase 1 and Phase 2. Phase 3 - Transition What is happening - Strong to very strong contractions 2-3 minutes apart are dilating you to 8-10 cm. This often lasts only 20-40 minutes. You are almost there - Labor won't last too much longer! What you can do - Utilize breathing and relaxation techniques between

Stage 1 Labor has 3 different phases: Latent Stage, Active Stage, and Transition. I will break each phase down in its own blog post. Read here to learn about Phase 1. Phase 2 - Active Stage What is happening - Moderate to strong contractions coming 3-5 minutes apart are helping you to dilate to 4-7 cm. This stage may last around 3-6 hours. What you can do - Make sure you have a support person with you to cheer you on and encourage you and ensure your birth plan is carried

So you know you are in labor! Now what? Some women have a sudden sense of panic. Others might be overjoyed that their pregnancy is just about over. Many have increased feelings of anxiety and fear wondering if they can really do this. No matter your reaction, you can be prepared mentally for the task at hand and also use great natural solutions to support you through this exciting but anxiety-provoking time. Stage 1 Labor has 3 different phases: Latent Stage, Active Stag

Having worked in a maternity unit for 3 years as a volunteer and Certified Nursing Assistant, and doing doula work on the side for the last 4 years while being a pediatric nurse, I am very passionate about the topic of labor and delivery. I have always loved anything related to obstetrics and have desire to work in that field ever since deciding to go into the medical field as a teenager. After I got my Registered Nurse license, and after having an extra rotation in High Ri