OK, everyone...all the below info is directly from my incredible nutritionist Cheri Swanson. I've pretty much learned almost everything I know from her about nutrition and my body. In fact, she was my mom's nutritionist when I was a baby! How crazy is that! At an early age I really became proactive in my health and wanted to learn the importance of fueling my body with food and how to properly do so. Cheri has helped me beyond measure, especially with my first pregnancy. I gained only 17 pounds, never got swollen, and you couldn't tell I was pregnant from behind. It was a pretty awesome pregnancy! This pregnancy has been different in a handful of ways, as with any second pregnancy, your baby bump pops MUCH earlier (at least in my case). With the help of Cheri and doing my own part with eating a whole food diet and researching the best foods for my body with a growing baby, I am feeling wonderful at 25 WEEKS! The below RECOMMENDED DAILY FOOD INTAKE is what I have been following, not rigorously, but to the best of my ability. I do however, always buy the best of the best when it comes to grocery shopping (with budget in mind) and NEVER skimp on organic fruits and veggies. : )

All that to say, I attribute so much to this amazing woman and cannot say enough wonderful things about her. She is an incredible wealth of knowledge and very well known in our community and throughout. Here on Cateandila.com, we will be sharing more articles and info from Cheri, but for now you can check out swansonhealthcenter.com to see all the goodness on pretty much anything health related! Another one of my favorite go-tos is Weston A Price. Cheri's and Price's practices and beliefs line up directly with each other. You can check out a very similar PREGNANCY AND NURSING  DIET from him here: www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/diet-for-pregnant-and-nursing-mothers

Have fun! Believe me, you won't get enough of these two!

Best Pregnancy Nutrition:
Nutrition for your baby begins long before conception. Among “primitive” populations, a common practice among isolated groups involves the feeding of special foods to both men and women for a period of time before conception occurs. Dr. Weston Price, whose research was informed by studying these groups, revealed that these foods—including organ meats, fish eggs, shell fish, and animal fats—were rich in fat-soluble vitamins A and D as well as macro and trace minerals. Grass-fed meat, wild fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables (especially leafy greens rich in folic acid), pastured butter or coconut oil, yogurt, and kefir. All will contribute to optimum levels of vitamin A and D, as well as other nutrients and trace minerals essential for the beginning of life.

These foods will start by healing your body and enriching your developing eggs. They’ll nourish developing sperm as well. They’ll increase your fertile fluid, health to your reproductive organs, circulation and overall fertility. All of this works together to create an optimally healthy infant. According to David Williams, principal investigator for the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, “DNA expression can be altered at any age, but the fetus is especially susceptible because these pathways are very active as tissues grow and differentiate.” In other words, a mother’s eating habits, exercise regime, stress levels and environment actually have the power to shape the genes passed down are thought to impact the susceptibility of her child to leukemia, lymphoma, and neurological cancers, and possibly adult-onset cancers.1
Six Months Prior to Conception (Mom and Dad)

• Farmers market eggs (daily or every other day)
• Grass-fed beef (2 to 3x a week)
• Free-range chicken (2x a week)
• Salmon or sardines (2x a week)
• Lentils or other legumes (1-2x a week)
• Seasonal fruits and vegetables (especially broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and leafy green vegetables)
• Cow or goat yogurt or kefir (daily)
• Raw or grass-fed butter (daily)
• Properly prepared oats, rice and other gluten free grains (no wheat)
• Optimize vitamin D levels between 50ng/ml and 70ng/ml

What to Avoid

• Alcohol and smoking
• Coffee and caffeine
• Tap water (chlorine consumption can lead to miscarriage, neural-tube effects and reduced fetal growth)
• Refined sugar and artificial sugar (especially high fructose corn syrup)
• White flour
• Fast food
• Bottled or tap water: use filtered water, no plastic bottles! Mice that were exposed to BPA gave birth to mutated offspring that were at a greater risk for diabetes, obesity, and cancer as adults. But when pregnant mice were fed vitamin B12 and folic acid, the epigenetic effect of the BPA was counteracted. ***(I use my Simply Straws mason and glass straw or my Life Factory for water OR one of my stainless steel containers from Klean Kanteen, Yeti, or Swell
• NSAID’s like Tylenol, Motrin and Aspirin: Women who took acetaminophen,  while pregnant had a 37 percent higher risk of having a child who would be later given a hospital diagnosis of hyperkinetic disorder, a particularly severe form of ADHD, said the study in February 24 2014 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics. Women also had a 29 percent higher chance of having children who were later prescribed medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and a 13 percent higher chance of exhibiting ADHD-like behaviors by age seven.

SUPPLEMENTATION PROGRAM:
First Trimester- Large amounts of hormones are circulating during this time, with estrogen being the most prevalent. Estrogen is responsible for inhibiting ovulation and enriching the endometrium. Along with a healthy diet, a proper supplementation program will ensure that you baby receives all its requirements.

What is Wrong with Most Prenatal Vitamins? 
If you look at the basic prenatal vitamin that is recommended, you will find many concerning flaws.The FDA tested 324 multivitamin-multimineral products that targeted pregnant women or small children for the presence of lead, and found that only 4 of them, or 1% tested lead-free. Lead is of particular concern during pregnancy because it causes fetal brain damage, and limited IQ, and can lead to behavioral and learning disabilities in young children.2

ALSO, Women with a slow DHFR enzyme cannot efficiently break down folic acid, which can actually block folate receptors. Therefore folate should be “methylfolate” not folic acid.
If you look at One A Day Women’s Prenatal, a very common recommendation, you will find the following food dyes: Red 40 Dye, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake and DL-Alpha-tocopheryl Acetate – the synthetic form of vitamin E that is continually problematic in studies.  What is wrong with food dyes? These food dyes have been found to inhibit mitochondrial respiration; the powerhouse of your cell that houses maternal DNA. Red 3 causes cancer in animals, with evidence that other dyes also are carcinogenic. Three dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6) have been found to be contaminated with benzidine or other carcinogens. At least four dyes (Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6) cause hypersensitivity reactions, and numerous studies found Yellow 5 positive for genotoxicity.

An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration recently acknowledged that synthetic food dyes can exacerbate the conditions associated with ADHD and other behavioral problems. While the consumption of synthetic food dyes has increased five-fold since 1955, the number of children diagnosed with ADHD increased from 150,000 in 1970, to 5.4 million by 2007.

A 2007 study in Lancet found such a strong correlation with synthetic food dyes and hyperactive behaviors in children, that they contacted the British government concluding that the harm done by artificial food dyes to children’s IQ was similar to the impact of lead on their developing brains, and that banning these additives would result in a 30 percent reduction in the prevalence of ADHD in children.

Supplements to start now, and continue through delivery and while breastfeeding:*Contact us for the vitamin and mineral recommendations specific for you.

1. Virgin Cod Liver Oil or Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil
Vitamin A and D are two of the most important nutrients for a healthy pregnancy. Maja H. Zile, of the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, found that the major target tissues of vitamin A deficiency include the heart, central nervous system, the circulatory, urogenital and respiratory systems, and the development of the skull, skeleton and limbs. Vitamin A deficiencies during the period when any of these systems begin specialization can result in abnormalities and defects.

​Recently it has been discovered that the omega-3 fats are necessary for the complete development of the human brain during pregnancy and the first two years of life. The omega-3 fat and its derivative, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), is so essential to a child’s development that if a mother and infant are deficient in it, the child’s nervous system and immune system may never fully develop, and it can cause a lifetime of unexplained emotional, learning, and immune system health-issues. In addition,  the DHA in animal-based omega-3 fats will prevent the vast majority of premature deliveries.3 There was a California Proposition 65 lawsuit against CVS pharmacy, GNC, Solgar and seven other national brands for selling fish oil laced with PCB’s, which are one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants. PCB’s are strongly tied to cancer and multiple birth defects. 4,5
2. Vitamin D3 Liquid by Seeking Health
The largest randomized controlled trial to date from the Medical University of South Carolina took 256 pregnant women and separated the group into two groups, 2,000 and 4,000 IU daily starting 3-4 months of pregnancy. A control group of 400IU was not allowed because the ethics committee felt that this would endanger the women and their newborns. This is the amount women take with just a prenatal vitamin! The results showed that the 4,000 IU group had 2.4 times higher of having an infant in the 50th percentile of birth weight compared to the 2000 IU group. Lower vitamin D levels were predictive of preterm delivery, infections and other complications.
3. VSL#3
Contains the good bacteria bifidus, which is passed on from the mother to the child and is important for a strong start (immunity) in life.

Food Guidelines

• Never skip meals (small meals throughout the day to keep blood sugar steady)
• Add one extra small meal or 300 calories to your current diet
• 70-80 grams of protein per day
• Vitamin A from animal food should not warrant toxicity concerns, it is extremely important for proper development (studies that show teratogenic effects have been based on synthetic A. Natural vitamin A is found in eggs, butter, yogurt, kefir, beef, lamb, liver)
• Vitamin D from the sun  (15-30 minutes of full sun 2x a week or vitamin D supplementation)
• 30-60 mg of iron per day (found in meat, fish, poultry)
• 1200 mg of calcium per day (cow and goat diary)
• 400-800 mcg of folate per day (Found in mushrooms, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, peanuts, legumes, strawberries,  and liver)
• 2 Tablespoons virgin coconut oil daily in smoothie or cooking
• Raw organic fruits and vegetables, and fermented ones like sauerkraut for enzymes
• Filtered water throughout the day. Add lemon, orange, and cucumber slices for electrolytes

FOODS TO AVOID

• Processed meat- Avoid processed meats that contain nitrites. Avoid hot dogs and luncheon meats, including deli ham, turkey, bologna, and salami — unless they have been reheated until steaming hot. These foods are prone to Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that causes listeriosis, which may result in miscarriage, stillbirth, or other serious health problems.
• Avoid swordfish, shark, tilefish, king mackerel, limit canned albacore tuna fish. All of these are high in mercury.
• Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, seafood (like raw oysters, clams, sushi), and eggs (including eggs in cookie dough and cake batter).
• Certain allergy foods: If food allergies run in your family, it is a good idea to minimize exposure to these foods, like gluten/wheat, peanuts, shellfish or corn.
• Avoid brie, feta, Camembert, Roquefort, blue-veined, “queso blanco,” “queso fresco,” and Panela. These foods are also prone to Listeria monocytogenes.

Common complaint: I have morning sickness, I’m constipated and I’m tired!
Solution: The problem can be from taking the wrong kind of iron, inadequate folic acid, magnesium and inadequate probiotics.

• Continue the same diet, and add a probiotic and split the 1 B-complex 4x a day if not already doing so. For example, take 1 B-complex at 8:00am, 12:00, 3:00 and 8:00pm to prevent morning sickness.
• Peppermint, ginger, fennel and anise, made into a tea or swallowed as a supplement, can help alleviate nausea and heartburn.

Second Trimester
The fetal liver assumes some of the placenta’s duty as a filter and the fetus also begins to synthesize fats from carbohydrates and stores carbohydrates and iron. The last part of this trimester and the beginning of the third is when fetal bones start to thicken.

Common complaint: I’m getting leg cramps!
Solution: Continue the same diet, emphasizing calcium rich foods. Leg cramps are a sign of inadequate calcium intake. Switch to a chewable calcium and up magnesium.

Third TrimesterThe fetal brain growth is rapid and the baby is developing subcutaneous fat. This is when high quality eggs are very important along with vitamin E. Daily consumption of eggs ensures adequate lecithin, A, D, cholesterol, saturated fat, EPA and DHA, all crucial for brain development.

Common complaint: I’m getting acid reflux!
Solution: The stomach gets pushed up which can cause discomfort. Taking chewable calcium magnesium (1 per meal) can give much needed relief and ginger or peppermint tea as needed.
Labor and DeliveryDuring labor, digestion stops. It is important before labor begins to be consuming small frequent meals so that you do not have a full stomach.

​Sources
1. Is Your DNA Your Destiny? Healthy Living Wellness. November Issue, Pg 184.
2. FDA Finds Lead in Vitamins. http://tinyurl.com/67nkpt3. Finnegan, John, The Facts About Fats, Celestial Arts, 1993
3.http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/07/No-Nonsense-Guide-to-a-Naturally-Healthy-Pregnancy-and-Baby.aspx
4. Environ Sci Technol, 2009 (Oct 15); 43 (20): 7946-51. http://tinyrul.com/y78q6n8
5. Ann Ig, 2008 (May); 20 (2 Supple 1): 59-64. http://tinyurl.com/y78q6n8

I sure hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did! All the best to you ladies, whether pregnant or not! If you don't have a lot of self control with food, get an accountability partner that will encourage you to make baby steps or just remind you of the importance of your health and especially for your baby. : ) If you're married or have a significant other in your life, encourage them to get on track with you and eat healthy! You got this!

We'd love to hear from you! Please leave your comments and questions below. 

Love,

​Cate

I'm a firm believer in essential oils and their powerful benefits. I discovered them a couple years ago but started educating myself and using them in the last year or so. They've become part of our daily routine whether it's for household cleaning products, using them topically, treating various ailments like colds, aches, restlessness, and even teething pain. We also diffuse them daily in different rooms in our home to create a sense of calm, revitalization, or to enhance a particular mood. Because of my beliefs in the vast benefits and healing properties of essential oils, I sought out to find the best of the best in aromatherapy. 

In my search, I came across Organic Aromas. They have created the most beautiful nebulizing diffusers which do not use heat or water; thus, perfectly maintaining the organic, therapeutic properties of their essential oils. The best part is, these eco-friendly and elegant diffusers are made from glass and handcrafted hardwood to create a product unlike any other of its kind. The Raindrop Nebulizing Diffuser looks gorgeous in any room and is the easiest and most hassle free diffuser I've ever used and owned. NO WATER = NO MESS. I don't have to worry about water damage on our wood tables or having any spills. It also does not make any noise, unlike most diffusers I have come across.

Some of my favorite essential oil blends are the ones I use for our kiddos. Because this is something we practice, if you will, as a family, our kindergartener Kai notices the effects of his oils, as do I- especially when it's time to settle down and go to sleep. As a mama, I am VERY GRATEFUL for our Organic Aromas Raindrop Nebulizing Diffuser because it really does help at bedtime.
Below are just a couple blends we diffuse often:

1. Cold and Flu Season:
   1. lemon
   2. frankincense
   3. tea tree
2. Sleepy Time:
   • lavender (proven through medical science)
   • roman chamomile
   • cedarwood
3. Digestion Help:
   1. peppermint
   2. ginger
4. During Labor: (not pregnancy)
   1. ​clary sage​- see more HERE.- ModernAlternativePregnancy.com
5. Load of Laundry:
6. ​Lavender- I pour a couple drops when I do a load of laundry to make our sheets and clothes smell so fresh and so clean clean. ; ) ***say NO to synthetic and toxic laundry detergents and softeners!
7. Let's Concentrate:
   1. vetiver- research shows to improve ADHD, can be used to help alzheimers and Parkinsons.
   2. cedarwood- improves focus, has anti-inflammatory properties. See More HERE.
   3. frankincense- helps with brain inflammation and emotional well being, boosts immunity, and was most used oil in Biblical times
   4. basil- promotes alertness and helps ease anxiety
   5. wild Orange- used to treat anxiety and fear (related to pre surgery)- CLICK IMAGE BELOW TO See Vanderbilt Study On Using Essential Oils

There are many benefits to essential oils, but used improperly, can actually pose a threat to your body. Oftentimes, certain essential oil brands and non organic essential oils are full of synthetics and can contain harmful GMOs, pesticides, and synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.  When buying essential oils, be sure to look for these three things:

1. Certified USDA organic
2. 100 percent pure
3. Therapeutic grade and indigenously sourced.

I hope you've found this article helpful! Comment below with some of your favorite blends and share the wealth and knowledge of essential oils and aromatherapy. 

Thank you to Organic Aromas for making the highest quality diffusers so families like ours can be secure in knowing our home is the healthiest it can be with your five-star innovative designs and expert safety in creating pure oils using the best in therapeutic values.

Today, I wanted to recap Vance's Birthday Party. First off, I cannot believe this little guy is one. Looking back, we started this blog when I found out that I was pregnant with him. Fast forward to his first birthday, and it has been nine months and one year since the conception of this blog - and the conception of Vance! Kind of a funny way of thinking about it, but also very special.
Anyways, V's big day was something that we couldn't believe came so quickly. I have a theory that life goes faster with the more kids you have, and this was certainly true with baby boy number two. As a second child, sorry bud, the birthday game is slightly different than it was with our first. For Lincoln's first birthday, I began planning months in advance. I chose a super creative theme, spent hours making custom signs, conceptualized a cake concept with a specialty baker, spent way too much money on the cake, compiled over-the-top party favors. You get the point.

When it came to V's first birthday, I had similar anticipation, but wasn't as organized or creative this time around. I wanted it to be special, but also had two kids to care for with much less time to plan. While his birthday was a little more low key than Lincoln's, I still managed to hit it out of the park without investing as much time and energy. To do this, I focused on a few big ticket items rather than micromanaging every little detail. The three items I focused on were:

• Theme + Decor
• Cake
• Entertainment (bounce house)

I'll start with the theme. In the Raybould household, every child's birthday must have a theme because I'm OCD like that. Themes, as fun and necessary as they are, help to create organization and cohesiveness to party planning! Our tradition in selecting themes for the two boys' birthday parties started naturally with Lincoln's first birthday. We simply thought about the one thing that embodied him around the time of his birthday, and for Lincoln, that happed to be airplanes. At the time, we lived in Georgetown, DC, where the planes constantly flew over head. Lincoln soon became obsessed with planes and would perch up at our windowed door to see them every time they flew by. So, what better theme than an airplane theme? I put a little twist on it and decided to go with "vintage fighter planes" because it sounded and looked cooler. Carrying on, for Lincoln's second birthday, he was obsessed with sports, so we did a sports theme. 
When it came to choosing Vance's first birthday theme, it was clear as day what we were going to choose. Vance loves music and dancing, and has since he could pick up a beat - probably around six months. Therefore, it was easy to choose the theme being music. We also reside in Nashville, which is the country music capital and also the city he was born in. Needless to say, it was the perfect birthday theme.
So perfect, in fact, that it had to be tainted (or enhanced) by the fact that we chose to throw his birthday on Saint Patrick's Day. March 17th. I pondered keeping the music theme and nixing anything that involved green and Saint Patrick's Day, but what kind of birthday witch would do that? Ultimately, we combined the two themes and Vance's big day ended up being St. Patty's Day green mixed in with music and guitars. You can imagine what that does to an OCD party planner like myself... simply not cohesive AT ALL, but whatever, I let it slide. :)
With the theme being self-explanatory, we went simple with decor focusing on the colors: green, gold and black. We ordered some music note balloons and also a "1" balloon in the coordinating colors and purchased matching napkins, plates, etc. At the last minute, I did go all out on his "ONE" birthday sign, which you can see in the background of the photos. Yes, I made it. I was at Walmart and found all of the supplies as I was pursuing (kid-free) through the aisles. It was cheap and easy, which is really the only reason why I did it.

The biggest cash item was V's birthday cake. To say the least, I am a bit of a cake enthusiast. For Lincoln's birthday party we, no joke, spent over $200 on his cake. For me, it isn't about spending the most amount of money possible, but instead, it's about coming up with a cake that fully represents my kids! Not only that, but selfishly, it is beyond satisfactory to partake in conceptualizing the cake concept and to watch it perfectly come to life. Seriously, I think I have an obsession (or problem). ​
Ryan, my husband, never let me live down the fact that we spent so much on our first son's birthday cake. So much that I vowed I would never overspend on a birthday cake again... that is, until our second son turned one. It was too tempting! I love specialty cakes that perfectly embody the theme, and thus my little boys.
After deciding to (most likely) move forward with a cake, I started reaching out to a few cake companies for bids. The numbers they threw out were over $200, which wasn't in the cards for us. At the last minute, I reached out to my neighbor and asked if she had a recommendation, which she did. It was a bakery called My Sweet Dessert in Franklin, TN.
My Sweet Dessert was within a reasonable price range, which I felt comfortable  spending for the kind of cake I knew I was going to get. I had seen her beautiful cakes at my neighbor's kid's birthday parties, which assured me they were totally worth the price. 
​In addition to the cake, I always recommend asking for or purchasing a smash cake that compliments the larger cake. If you go with a specialty cake decorator, they will almost always have this option. Sometimes they even throw in the smash cake for free. We always go with a vanilla flavor smash cake, which is easier to clean that a darker flavored cake.

If I were to recommend anything to a parent throwing a kid's birthday party, it would be to get something fun for the kids to do! Getting a bounce house is our go-to. It's easy, cost efficient and always hits home with the kids. Our (other) sweet friends and neighbors had lent us their bounce house for Lincoln's second birthday and also offered it for V's first birthday. Of course, we said yes! We love this bounce house so much that we purchased our own days after the party. You can find it here. 

In sum, the day was incredibly special. V devoured two pieces of cake and played nonstop with his neighborhood friends. He felt celebrated and we brought together community to do so... which is the most important part.
Anyways, hope y'all enjoyed seeing his birthday come to life! We still cannot believe how fast this year went by and that our sweet baby is ONE.

Hey mamas!

​Today, we wanted to share a shoe brand that we've recently come to know and love. If you're anything like us, you know how hard it is to find a "mom" shoe that is both trendy and functional. Surprisingly, we've found one in the brand that is YOU By SKECHERS. Do ya'll remember SKECHERS? I used to wear SKECHERS when I was a little girl. Funny how things come full circle since they are now one of my favorite brands of shoes as a mom. And here is why...

My ride or die everyday outfit is a good pair of workout pants paired with a comfy top. I am always dressed to workout (for the most part), even if I'm not going to. While I have my outfit down pat, I've had a difficult time finding a good pair of active shoes to compliment my outfit and also my lifestyle as a mama. What I have been looking for is a shoe that is somewhere in between a running shoe and a trendy shoe. Why? I feel geeky wearing running shoes all day long and generally trendy shoes aren't comfortable enough to wear the entire day. As a mom, I needed a shoe that allowed me to keep up with my kids all day long without feeling inhibited by discomfort.

Finally, Cate and I were introduced to YOU By SKECHERS. These shoes were exactly what we had been looking for! They are somewhere in between a workout shoe, but cute enough not to be one. Not only that, but they enhance our lives in a way that allows and permits us to be as lively and as active with our kids as we should be! Not sure about you, but I feel like when I'm not dressed appropriately, I have less fun with my kids. Alternatively, when I am dressed appropriately, - meaning active, flexible, and fitting - I have a way better time with my kids. YOU By SKECHERS allows me to do this.

That's all for now, ladies! Get out and enjoy your kiddos.. hopefully with your YOU By SKECHERS!! Stay tuned for more of our fave products.

Diaper duty. Diaper changing and techniques are a must  learn as a parent of babies. It is the inevitable duty that just comes with the territory of being a mom or dad- whether you mind it or not! It’s truly surprising how much can actually go into changing a wet or poopy diaper! With my firstborn I quickly learned I needed to have a station set up and all the goodies prepped and ready to go. Many a times I was unprepared and without necessary items (aka a diaper) and it made for changing baby’s diaper a heck of a lot harder and longer than it needed to be. Also, I didn't really know the importance of having a clean station and how using a diaper pale could be so beneficial!

Now with my second baby, I use the Playtex® Diaper Genie® Complete. It has an Odor Lock System, yes I'm serious, and double Air-Tight, odor controlling and antimicrobial clamps, which has been a game changer when it comes to keeping the room smelling fresh and getting rid of dirty diapers FAST! Most diaper pails I've come across make it hard to open and put the diaper in, with baby in hand; however, the Diaper Genie® has an easy-to-use foot pedal! The pail also comes fully assembled and has refills so I don't have to go up and down the stairs to put the dirty diaper in the trash. Even when I've done this, it's caused the entire garage to smell hideous very quickly. NOTE TO SELF- do not put dirty diapers in regular trash bins!

Help reduce the spread of germs and run your hands under warm water so your hands aren’t freezing when you touch baby. He will appreciate it. : )

Put one by your changing station and LEAVE IT THERE. My husband used to laugh at me when Banx was first born. I’d change his diaper in pretty much any room of the house but would forget all the necessities. He’d hear me call out, “Babe…” and by the guilty tone of my voice he would laugh and bring me a diaper, wipes, cloth, or butt balm. Needless to say, I FINALLY learned my lesson and now use a basket to store all the diaper changing goods. It’s perfect and cute, too! In the nursery, everything is organized in the drawer of our changing table.

Always have back up! You definitely don’t want to be diaper-less or wipe-less mid diaper change! I recommend a company like Honest Diapers that come monthly or something that makes it easy. We sometimes order our diapers off Amazon Prime, but we have to remember to order before our supply is low!

Sometimes baby spits up when lying down in this position. Be prepared and have a burp cloth closeby! 

Have a jar of tethers/pacifiers and some toys handy to give baby if he needs a distraction- This can help immensely especially if baby is squirmy. He may be more focused on the toy than the poop in his diaper!

For the nursery I use the Nook Pebble Change Pad. The materials include- Eucalyptus, Organic Cotton, Zinc, Easy-Close Nylon Zipper. The fabric is water proof and it’s easy to clean. If you are changing baby on the couch or the bed, I recommend the Lil Helper Large Bamboo Change Mat. The top layer is quilted with 70% organic bamboo and 30% organic cotton on both sides and the top layer is made from pesticide and bleach-free bamboo/cotton. The waterproof barrier is phthalate; BPA, lead and heavy metal free. BOOM! It’s also easily folded and stored like a blanket, or you can take it with you on the go! It can also be used as a crib pad or a play mat. Pretty nifty, eh!?

This is self explanatory, but what I really mean is you might think about removing socks and pants altogether. For strictly wet diapers it’s not necessary. In fact, I usually leave shorts or pants on and pull them down to baby’s ankles. It can make the whole process a little easier; however, when their is poop involved I’ve changed way too many diapers where baby starts kicking and I lose grip of his feet and it gets all over his socks and pants. Talk about a mess!

I found this to be especially important when baby has started eating solids and the poops are stickier and messier. Warm wipes help to remove everything and the bottom wash helps to conserve the amount of wipes used and gives baby a fresh little bum rather than putting him in the bath. It may sound ridiculous because it kind of is, but it is totally worth the purchase! You can also make your own bottom wash using a dark glass spray bottle. It's hard to find a bottom wash without preservatives and chemicals in it. I like this little mixture HERE. 

When Banx was an infant, I used organic cotton or bamboo small baby washcloths (SEE BELOW), wet them in warm water, rung out the cloth and used it to wipe his bottom. The wipes or cloths, if you will, that the hospital gave us when we came home with Banx were so rough. I also didn't feel comfortable using them because of the potential harsh chemicals that were used to make them (yes, this is why I love to choose organic as much as I can especially when baby is brand new with very sensitive, susceptible skin). Exposure to harsh chemicals early on can have side effects so I make an extra effort to use organic wipes/cloths and put him in organic jammies (where he spends most of his time sleeping in). Ya feel me?!

Obviously! For girls, wipe front to back to prevent infections. For boys, this isn’t necessary. You may want to cover his penis with a cloth in case he decides to pee everywhere (I’m sure it’s happened to the best of us)

Since babies seem to get red bums and diaper rash often, be sure to have a handy dandy little cloth to be sure his bottom stays dry. I keep a couple in my drawer and wash them frequently. You can find organic bamboo washcloths HERE on Amazon. There a quite a few brands that make these soft organic washcloths. I stock up and have some for baby's face, some for his bottom, and others I use in the bath. They are great and can save you money on wipes. I also used them when the boys were first born since I didn't want to use any harsh wipes on their sensitive newborn skin. I didn't mind washing them after use because I felt good that they never had diaper rash.

I don't always do this after each diaper change, but if baby's bum is a little red I like to use my zinc oxide paste. I swear by it! It works like a charm and clears his redness within a day! I also be sure to use petroleum free and chemical free products. Ya'll I can't stress this enough. READ YOUR LABELS! Sometimes I even come across a product that is all organic. Mama like! I highly recommend keeping  organic coconut oil in the house in your kitchen, your bathroom, and baby's room or wherever is convenient. It is a MUST to have for various reasons and uses. It has anti- inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial properties which makes it great for cradle cap, eczema, diaper rash smooth hair, dry and chapped lips, baby acne, and more!

Here are a couple diaper rash salves to try:
Bee All Natural Organic Diaper Rash Salve- IN A GLASS JAR : )
Green Goo Organic Miracle- IN A GLASS JAR : )
Ora's Amazing Herbal Baby Salve- IN A GLASS JAR : )
Hills Remedy Diaper Rash Relief
Badger Baby Oil- IN A GLASS JAR : )

The Playtex® Diaper Genie® Complete works wonders and prevents the room from smelling like the sewer. Diaper pails can actually help reduce the spread of germs. I love that I can open it with my foot because during diaper changes my hands are never free, especially when baby becomes really mobile. Sometimes it takes extra effort to hold him down on the table while rolling up the poopy diaper. The last thing I want to do is reach over and open the pail with my hand. Also, the refills are easy to replace. It's a no brainer and a win in my book!

I keep my non-toxic cleaner and a paper towel role or rag in the boy’s bathroom that is nearby so I don’t have to run downstairs to get anything. This is really important to ensure baby doesn't catch any germs and just for cleanliness purposes. I do my best not to skimp on this area and have a couple organic changing pads covers on hand . I love the ones from Modern Burlap!

Ok, so some of you, like me, don't actually wash your hands with soap and water right after each diaper change. Let's be real! And for those of you that do, bravo! I use a Nature's Paradise Coconut Hand Cleanser hand spray when I'm not washing my hands. It does the trick and then I know I have to wash my hands later. A quick fix is better than no fix!

Ok, so who would have thought there would be so much to diaper changing? I mean, it's really quite simple...but what I've learned about this technique could really help some of you and your babies get relief from their colic...err... upset tummies. The reason I say this is because there is some hype and controversy, if you will, regarding if colic is more of an intestinal or tummy issue. But thankfully we're not getting into that right now!
Dr. John Edwards tells us why this technique is so important. Check it out!

When changing your baby, Dr. Edwards says, "The way most of us have intuitively changed a diaper is not sound spinal biomechanics, and it very well may be the cause of your baby's colic. By bringing the hips forward, it makes the vertebrae shove backwards out of position and cause nerve interference that ends up stopping the flow of info from the brain into the intestines."

“When we're born we have one spinal curve.  It's the fetal position, the c-shape that our middle backs keep, which is necessary to stay tucked nice and snuggly inside our moms.  That primary curve is the only curve we have as an infant until we build the other two in our spine.  The first re-shaping of the cervical spine happens in our necks when we learn to lift our bobbly heads and hold them up.  The second, called the lumbar curve, happens in the low back, and it forms when we learn how to crawl.  We need these secondary curves to support our body weight for standing, bending, and lifting. 

But until we build them, the mechanics of the spine function very differently.  If you think of a baby's spine like a bridge, one that doesn't have a cervical or lumbar curve, then the peak of the bridge is between the 9th and 11th vertebra in the thoracic spine.  To give you an idea of where that is on you, the ribs that make up your ribcage exit at the 8th thoracic vertebra, and the "floater" ribs exit from the 9th to the 12th.  Compare that to where an adult's peak is -right between the shoulder blades- and you're going to come to the same realization I did.

The double leg lift is pretty intuitive, so I don't blame us for thinking it was the right way to change a baby.  Infants are folded inside mom, and once they discover their feet it's virtually impossible to keep them out of their mouths.  But the difference in the bending here is at the hip joint.  The femur heads in infants are barely developed because they don't need the bony structure for standing or the muscle strength and tension for walking. 

That lets them fling their feet over their heads and giggle without even thinking about it.  But when we use those legs for handles for a child who doesn't have that secondary lumbar curve, we're folding the spine at its peak, pushing the vertebra out of alignment where the nerve flow for the intestines comes out, and we're doing this how many times?  Three?  Five?   Seven times a day?  No wonder chiropractic has such a high success rate with colicky babies - we just put back what parents keep putting out!”

That's all for now folks! Please let us know your TIPS AND TRICKS for changing baby's diaper or any of your FAVORITE PRODUCTS! Share the wealth of motherhood for all!

Happy Diapering!

xx,

​Cate

This is a note I am writing to myself should I get pregnant with baby number three. It is also a note that I wish I would have read (and believed!) over and over when I went through my first two pregnancies. Here we go…


​Pregnancy is one of the finest experiences that you will ever embark on in your life. Ever. To focus intently on the numbers on the scale is doing yourself a disservice and much less, the female baby-making population a disservice. But I know you, and I know you will. The first time you see those numbers tick up and subsequently tick up, you’ll lose heart and most importantly faith in your body, which is the exact opposite of what you should be doing!! Take a deep breath and know that your body is smarter than you are. Your body doesn’t care about the scale, it cares about growing and protecting one of life’s most precious miracles that you’ll ever come to know… your child.

​Be kind to yourself and most importantly have grace with yourself. Rather than focusing on weight during this time, do what makes you feel healthy and strong, and nothing else. Don’t listen to people/media sources/your friends/yourself about what you should be doing or where your body should be at. Seriously. And don’t you dare compare yourself to other women. I know you will, but this is poison for your psyche.

As for the postpartum period, give yourself tiiiimmmmeeee to heal. Like I’m talking two years for your body and hormones to return back to normal before you even THINK about losing weight. The closer your babies are together, the more time you need. The postpartum period (two years plus for some women) is not the time to focus on weight loss because you will fight a losing battle and your hormones, my friend, will win every time. If you want to go batshit crazy, go for it, try and lose weight. I dare you. Once again, your body will outsmart you because it knows better.

Be prepared to gain weight, lose weight, or stay at the same weight (above your pre-pregnancy weight) or all of the above, well before you return back to your normal physique. Remind yourself that this is normal and is your body's way of healing and normalizing. Once again, trust in the process. To think that you will drop weight right away or magically lose weight at a certain point because that is what happened to Sally will not work in your favor. You are doing yourself an injustice to set unrealistic expectations. Once again, time is your friend and your body knows what it is doing.

If you do decide to focus on weight loss, keep in mind that you are not playing by the same rules as you used to be during normal weight loss circumstances. During the postpartum weight loss game, you’ll be up against prolactin and oxytocin. Prolactin can play a role in reducing your metabolic rate, while oxytocin can affect both weight and appetite. Oxytocin is claimed to be the “feel good” hormone for some women, but not all women, and can actually lead to increased stress-producing experiences including loss of sleep and weight gain. If you fail to remember that you are up against hormones, you will make yourself legit crazy when you try and lose weight because it wont happen. Not to mention if you are breastfeeding and try to diet, you’ll risk losing your milk supply and/or pt yourself at risk for postpartum depression and anxiety. Remember that? Literally, hell. My best advice is to wait for those factors to stabilize which can take up to two years before you think about successful and healthy weight loss.

So, during the postpartum period you need to freaking eat, you need family/friends to help, you need to rest and you need to take care of yourself. If you don’t, don’t be surprised when postpartum depression and anxiety comes knocking on your door. Oh, and by the way, don’t expect to be in a bikini for two years after you have a baby. THAT is a reasonable expectation. If anyone says otherwise, they are in the MINORITY that loses fast (great for them but not the norm) or they are going through unhealthy measures that they will pay for through adrenal/thyroid issues or other ailments. Listening to people/media/experts/yourself say that you can and should lose weight within the first two years postpartum is poison for a mother’s brain. Seriously. Let your body do it’s thing and remember during this time that the scale is your worst enemy.

Instead, focus on things that lift you up, make you happy, healthy and stronger. Workout when you are ready, it will work wonders for your body and mind. Only do so when your body signals that it is ready. Screw the “six week” mark clearance for working out. It’s bull sh*t. TRUST YOUR BODY. If you are not ready, then don't workout. Simple as that. Remember it's more like TWO years to heal; not six weeks.

Also, eat healthy. Don’t listen to people about low-carb this or 21 day fix that. DON’T DO IT. Eat healthy and balanced. Focus on whole foods and nourish your body. Your body and your baby needs you to! Enjoy your kids. Go outside and get fresh air. Relax. Time is your friend when it comes to healing your hormones and your body after having a baby. So remember this! Enjoy it! You only get this opportunity to bring babies into this world a few times. So do it right, don’t taint it and share the knowledge with your mommy friends so we can change the stigma about pregnancy and postpartum weight expectations.

Hi Mamas!

Today I'm wanting to talk about your kid's feet. I know it's not the sexiest topic, but believe it or not they are more important than you think! Did you know that baby and toddler feet are not miniature versions of adult feet? In fact, they are entirely different in structure. One of the main differences is that rather than having a rounded arch, many kids' feet maintain a flat arch with fat padding as their ligaments and muscles mature... and this is totally good and normal! The problem is finding and buying shoes specifically made for baby/toddler feet. Buyer beware, all shoes and brands are NOT created equal...

​
One of our favorite kid's shoe brands, See Kai Run, was founded on the aforementioned principles, knowing that kid's feet are entirely different, and thus requires an entirely different kind of shoe. With each stage of growth, See Kai Run has intimately studied the changes that take place and engineered their shoes to specifically fit those needs. 

There are many things that I love about See Kai Run shoes, which includes the following:

1. The shoes are specifically made for baby/toddler feet.
2. The shoes promote healthy foot development.
3. The shoes are fun, sophisticated and trendy!
4. The shoes are comfortable.
5. The shoes' nicely withstand wear and tear.

For more encouragement, check out their "PHILOSOPHY" below:

While selecting the proper brand of shoe is important for your child's foot development, it is also crucial to purchase the proper sizing. 

One day I was at Nordstrom buying a pair of shoes for Lincoln. The salesperson measured his foot, and instead of asking for his true size, I asked for a size up from the measurement. I mean, the little guy grows so fast, he'll be out of them in a heartbeat, I thought. The salesperson quickly discouraged my decision and proceeded to lecture me on why buying shoes true-to-size is critical for proper foot growth and development. Nordstrom believes in this principle so much that they will actually email you when it is time to purchase a larger size for your kids.

At first I thought this was a genius marketing ploy to get people to buy more shoes from Nordstrom. Because of my skepticism in their so-called theory, I did what any mother would do and googled it. Needless to say, my skepticism was proved wrong. Site after site through blogs, podiatrists, governments agencies, you name it, all discussed the significance and requirement of proper sizing in children's shoes. In fact, they  mentioned it necessary to promote proper foot growth and development. Some sources even mentioned the harm in buying improper sizing, noting that improperly sized shoes can cause long-term damage to your child's feet and growth. OMG, I thought! Never buying oversized shoes again.

Because proper sizing is important, I recommend going to Nordstrom or even to a podiatrist every six months and having your kid's feet professionally measured. What could be more fun than a trip to Nordstrom with your kids? Get a balloon, take some measurements and make a habit of it to ensure that you have the correct sizing for your kiddos. Then, when purchasing from brands such as See Kai Run, use their trusty Sizing Guide, and you'll sleep easy knowing that your baby's feet are growing healthily as they should be!

I know that making sizing and shoe brand a priority high on the importance list may not be in your best interest, but it should be! Have a little fun with it and purchase shoes that are not only adorable and fun, but also promote healthy foot growth for your littles!

When our babies are sick, it's one of the saddest things to watch. We try to do everything we can to make them feel more comfortable and prevent future illness. It's especially hard when they are really little and aren't old enough for most medications, even some essential oils I've read can be too strong for their little bodies; however, there are mixed reviews on this topic.

​I'm grateful for company's like Maty's who understand the importance of whole health. Their products are supreme, organic, and rich in pure ingredients. I don't have to worry about what's in them because it's very clearly stated. There's no BS, and that's hard to find!

There are thousands of products on the market that claim to be "natural" or "healthy" and good for your baby. HOWEVER, I've learned to ALWAYS read the labels and sometimes do research on the company if I really want to know WHERE their ingredients are sourced and HOW they make their product. I've experienced this first hand and bought, what I thought were good products for baby and Kai, brought them home and came to discover they had chemicals and preservatives in them. I even bought them at our local health food store, Mother's. It just goes to show you, you have to be a good steward and READ THE LABELS INTENTLY AND NOT JUST THE FRONT OF THE PACKAGE.

SO HOW DO I CHOOSE A GOOD PRODUCT?
Banx, just turned six-months-old and has his first sickness. It came on over a week ago and started with a runny and stuffy nose and turned into a "mild" bronchiolitis chest cough- says his pediatrician. We've been using the Maty's Baby Chest Rub which is safe even for babies three months and older. I can't tell you how grateful I am for this product because, as I've previously said, it's hard to come by a quality product that isn't full of junk, especially when we're talking babies under age one. This chest rub has helped clear up congestion. I even rub a little on the soles of his feet so it can get into his blood stream quickly. It is completely petroleum and menthol free, too! Maty's went the extra mile and hired the renowned essential oil expert, Robert Tisserand, to analyze their formula for its safety and effectiveness. According to Mr. Tisserand, their baby chest rub contains safe levels of essential oils and can be used on babies three months and older. His research indicated that at their dilutions there has never been an adverse reaction reported.

Their other range of products are great for the entire family. I've been giving Kai, our five-year-old their Organic Mucus Cough Syrup to give him some relief at night as well. The below ingredient guide will help you choose safe and wholesome products for your family. 

​Maty's is FREE from the following ingredients:

• Fragrances- A fragrance is made up of an undisclosed mixture of aroma ingredients that aren’t required to be listed on a label–so who knows what’s really in it
  • ​INSTEAD: MATY'S USES: pure essential oils
• Melatonin- when listed on products, it's a man-made synthetic. It’s even banned from being sold over the counter in other countries. 
  • INSTEAD: MATY'S USES: pure chamomile tea and nutmeg
• Dairy- You'd be surprised how many commercial products contain non-fat milk (whaaaat?!), whey, casein, etc...
• Gluten- YUP! We do our best to steer clear, for the most part, mainly because of the over processing and inflammation it can cause; thus, posing other potential problems.
• Petroleum- Usually termed "mineral oil" or "baby oil". A known carcinogenic. Hmm... and it's in baby products?! Not Maty's! According to Environmental Working Group, 40% of all baby lotions and oils contain petrolatum. Petrolatum is a non-renewable hydrocarbon made from crude oil. Basically, your it won't allow your baby's skin to breathe and clogs the pores and slows down his little body's ability to release toxins. This NOT a joke! It has also been linked to cancer. Also, it is in a lot of commercial diapers, which when your little one goes potty, the petroleum can seep into their bloodstream. 
• Mineral Oil- Found in most commercial baby oils like Johnson and Johnson. It's completely synthetic and foreign to our bodies- especially baby, and is a biproduct of the distillation of gasoline from crude oil. Yikes!  An unbiased study released by the Cancer Prevention Coalition in June 2002, contained the following: “Cancer and health experts just concluded reviews that indicate mainstream cosmetics and personal hygiene products including lotions, soaps and shampoos, pose the highest risk exposures to the general public.” 
• Soy- this sneaky little legume is most always highly chemically processed- meaning most is grown with genetic modifications (GMO)
  • In fact, "Many countries outside the US won’t accept US-grown soy because of carcinogenic chemicals used as herbicides and their genetically modified status. Research has shown that the phytoestrogens in soy may play a role in breast cancer, so it should be avoided by females. Raw soy flour is also known to cause pancreatic cancer in rats."​

*** The term Natural is NOT regulated by the FDA. Don't be fooled! Many products labeled “natural” actually have petrochemicals in them.
***When grocery shopping, it's best to avoid Hydrogenated Oils. They are a man-made food additive, heated at high temperatures and then added hydrogen gas. Read more HERE and HERE

​Click HERE for a full list of their pure ingredients

I love the option of using Maty's like honey or maple syrup, which in our house is almost an everyday occurrence, and drizzling on our oatmeal, tea, pancakes or adding to our smoothies. I've never found a product that my child actually likes where I get to incorporate it into his everyday meals!

1. Wash hands thoroughly- Especially if you have school age children or if your kids are in daycare. We make it a rule to wash hands right when Kai gets home from school. Don't go crazy with washing your hands as it can potentially strip your hands of good natural antibacterial properties. There should be moderation in everything.
2. Open a window- Keep a window or two open to air out your home or open a door if the weather permits. Breezy baby.
3. Avoid indoor germ breeding meccas- It may sound germaphobic, but when the flu is running rampant, it's probably best to steer clear of places like Target, grocery stores, and especially those indoor fun zone play areas. They are BAD NEWS! I think you get the drift...
4. Avoid sugar and processed foods- This pertains to the whole family but especially nursing mamas and kids since we are talking about how to keep everyone healthy. Remember, A HEALTHY IMMUNE SYSTEM STARTS IN THE GUT. 
5. Take some R&R- This can especially be important during Winter when the flu is more common. If your schedule is getting the best of you or if you see your kids becoming extra tired, run down, skipping naps, etc, then let them sleep in, go to bed early, postpone appointments and activities, and just lay low for a while.
6. Routine Cleaning using a good nontoxic cleaner- you can make your own or choose a brand that suits your lifestyle. I love Shaklee Basic G Concentrated Germacide. It's highly concentrated so a lot goes a long way. I use it for our kitchen, dining table, door knobs, bathrooms, and even add a drop or two in our laundry when viruses and bacteria seem to be galore! These germs usually show up on sheets and underwear. It works like a charm! I also suggest eco-friendly and natural brands such as:

• ECOS 
• Common Good
• Better Life
• ECover​

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: It's ok if your baby or child gets the flu, or cold, or an average virus/bacterial infection as, once they are well, it can boost their immune system. Also, a fever CAN be the result of some sort of infection and are typically not bad unless they exceed 102-105 for a couple days (If this is the case, please speak with your healthcare provider). In fact, fevers can actually help your child fight off infections.

The onion trick- Ok...call it urban legend/myth or not, I'll take pretty much any natural remedy I can get when it comes to potentially fighting off bacteria and viruses especially during flu season! The idea is you place an onion or two in a bowl in each room of the house and it will suck up bacteria and viruses. Mind you, there is no scientific evidence on this, but it's something my family does and seems to work for us! So hey, call us crazy, but when you are desperate to fight off germs...you will pretty much do anything, even if it involves sounding like a crazy person! Are you with me?!

• Use one whole or 1/2 an onion
• Simply chop one end of the onion
• Place in a bowl and put in each room of the house
• Replace every couple days

Garlic on soles of feet- I use organic peeled garlic to rub on the soles of my kiddos at any age. This is to assume your children are not allergic to garlic. Start off with a couple strokes to be sure. 
Use a humidifier- the rule of thumb is if your baby or child has a croupy cough or pneumonia, stick to cool mist. For any other sickness, go with warm steam. I'm using the Vicks Starry Night Cool Mist Humidifier. I got it at our local Rite Aid but you can get it on Amazon Prime HERE. Not sure why it doesn't have a good rating... we like it!
Use a diffuser- essential oils have powerful antimicrobial properties. I've been using lemon, frankincense, and lavender on Banx. I still want to try thieves oil. Check out wellnessmama.com HERE for all you need to know about how to choose a diffuser. Love her!
Take a bath or shower- while Banx has been sick, we've run the shower for longer and let him sit in the steam. It has helped immensely with loosening all the junk in his chest and has helped get rid of the snot in his nose. It also is soothing before nap time and bedtime. : ) I also recommend some sort of magnesium mineral bath salts. We like Pink Stork Bath Flakes. They are great for pregnancy, too!
Chest Physiotherapy CPT (for coughs)-  one of our amazing mom followers recommended this. She is a pediatric nurse and says to do light percussions on baby's chest and back. Click HERE to learn more!
Shiatsu Baby Massage- I've been going to Shiatsu for years and swear by it! I didn't care for my regular chiropractor because of how I was being adjusted. If learned properly, you can give your baby your his own gentle shiatsu massage right from home. I love incorporating this into our routine especially when my kids are sick. "There are points which can address physical issues, such as digestion, breathing, teething and strengthening the immune system. There are also points which can have a direct emotional effect, such as calming and soothing emotional distress." Read more HERE.

If you are breastfeeding, your baby should be getting all of his necessary nutrients from your milk, unless otherwise deficient in certain areas. I highly recommend getting blood work and talking with your health care practitioner. Personally for me, before getting pregnant I started seeing a naturopathic doctor so I could prepare my body for pregnancy. Through blood work, I found  I was slightly anemic during my pregnancy with Banx, baby number two, and therefore needed an iron supplement, which I continued taking and monitoring after giving birth. 

I hope this was helpful in some way or another. Please share your tips and tricks with us below! And remember, we set the example. If you're finding it difficult to eat whole foods and cook clean for your family (this means not serving your littles typical "kid food" all the time), then we encourage you to join a mommy group, find community, or start your own cooking club with other moms or couples!

As always, we are always eager to hear and learn more! To healthy babies and kiddos!

XX,
​Cate

Resources:

1. https://swansonhealthcenter.com/health-issues/
2. https://wellnessmama.com/category/health/
3. https://www.mamanatural.com/probiotics-for-infants/
4. http://www.pedilungdocs.com/education/cpt_infant.pdf
5. https://www.babyq.com/lens/nutrition/high-fructose-corn-syrup-hydrogenated-oil/
6. https://www.askdrsears.com/topics/feeding-eating/family-nutrition/facts-about-fats/hydrogenated-fats
7. https://www.wellmother.org/baby-shiatsu-massage/
   

Hi ladies!

With the holiday season upon us, I have been reflecting on this past year. It has been a whirlwind to say the least. We moved to a new city, Nashville, where we have fallen in love, made amazing new friendships and have finally put down some roots (yay!). Then in March, we welcomed our second son, V, have spent the past nine months ingratiating him into our family and getting to know this sweet little guy. And last but not least, we have witnessed our "baby"/first-born, grow into a little boy and started him at a wonderful pre-school for the first time. With all of these emotional highs, I feel happy and so full looking back on this past year. So full that it almost seems unreal that I experienced one of the darkest periods of my life.

Today, I am going to talk about this dark spot, also known as postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety, that I experienced this past year. It is a difficult topic in general and for me personally, however, I believe in sharing my story that I may be able to find further release from it and that I can also help relate to other women who have encountered the same. It is interesting because as a mother of two I had heard of women battling postpartum depression/anxiety, but never fully grasped what it looked like or meant until I endured it myself.

The days that I endured the worst of my postpartum depression and the trauma that followed were some of the worst in my life. In the midst of such a beautiful time with two beautiful baby boys and a wonderful husband, I was experiencing an unexpected and complete disaster both mentally and physically. And with two little babies relying on me for everything, it seemed to exacerbate the problem. Before I could grasp the issue or understand what was happening, my postpartum anxiety soon manifested itself physically through migraines and nausea, and I ended up in the ER. It is crazy what postpartum depression and anxiety can do to the body.

Thankfully, yet sadly I am not alone. According to the CDC, 11% to 20% of women in the United States face some version of PPD. With 4 million live births in the US annually, this would mean that approximately 600,000 women experience postpartum depression. Keep in mind that this number represents only what has been "reported", so the actual number is likely a lot higher if you consider all of the women who don't report their specific cases. Not to mention, other cases of maternal depression, such as prenatal depression/anxiety, which often is not talked about.

Before I get into the start of my story, I want to preface this post a disclaimer, if you will, because postpartum depression and anxiety (or PPDA as I will refer to it) is something that is to be taken very seriously and should be under the care of a medical professional. First point, I am in no way an expert on the topic of PPDA. Before it happened to me, my understanding of the topic was somewhat far off. Now that I have gone through what I think was PPDA and have a baseline understanding for what my personal experience of it was, I will say that in my research and in talking to some professionals, each person's experience of PPDA can be quite unique. It is not a one-size fits all disease, and therefore certain symptoms and also cures may very much be entirely different. Therefore, please do not take my words as truth if they do not resonate with you and your story. Your experience may be different than mine and may also require an entirely different regimen of care and healing. Do that. Again, I recommend that you use this blog post only as an anecdotal experience rather than a form of treatment.

Last point, I drafted an entire story of my PPD experience; downfall and recovery. I am not going to share that today, as it a very long, meticulous and deep. Some of it was documented when I was actually going through PPDA - and is a little too heavy and a little too much, especially over the holidays! So, I decided that I will share that at a later time (or for those who need it). Instead, I figured this Q+A would be a good start to give an overall picture of my experience with PPDA (postpartum depression + anxiety) that will hopefully be more helpful and to-the-point. 

My PPDA started around six months postpartum. Now looking back, I'll say that I did start having some symptoms a few weeks before the six month postpartum mark, but the full-blown PPDA didn't start until six months postpartum (literally on the dot).

All of my answers here are anecdotal, again, so please don't take this as fact, but my PPDA counselor told me that PPDA can happen at any time within the first year postpartum. So it doesn't have to be right after you deliver your baby. My counselor also told me (anecdotally) that PPDA often comes on in three month increments postpartum. So often times you will see women have onsets of PPDA symptoms at three months, six months, nine months, and twelve months postpartum. It can, however, happen at any time.
I have also heard many stories of women having prenatal depression/anxiety. So before giving birth, it can be common to have symptoms, as well. 

Before the six-month postpartum mark, I started noticing that caffeine was effecting me differently. Instead of giving me a boost, it started giving me headaches, making me more lethargic and noticeably contributed to my anxiety. I am already somewhat of an anxious personality, but I have very manageable anxiety (or at least I think that I do). Again, I was noticeably more anxious; so anxious, in fact, that my sleep patterns became irregular. I also had a faster heartbeat (uncontrollably) and suffered from one panic attack (before any of the full-blown PPD kicked in).
I also started noticing that little things, like leaving the house, became overwhelming. I understand that with two kids it is now harder to leave the house than it was without kids or even with one kid, but I noticed that mundane activities that I used to be able to do became very overwhelming for me. So overwhelming that it became somewhat paralyzing.
In addition to the caffeine impact and feelings of being overwhelmed, my brain and vision felt foggy. I will talk about this fogginess more in the next point. I felt this symptom sooner than all of the other symptoms. I probably felt this around three months postpartum, especially in the later afternoons. I didn't do much about it because I had heard about mommy fog and thought it would go away on it's own. It didn't; instead, it got worse. Again, it felt like blurriness; like I couldn't see or think clearly.

The biggest physical symptoms: headaches, constant nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue.
The biggest mental symptoms: fogginess, depression, anxiety, feelings of being overwhelmed.

I will start with physical symptoms. I started having headaches for a few weeks on and off. They came on gradually. Again, at first I thought it was my caffeine (my daily espresso) intake that was causing the headaches. I tried cutting out caffeine, but I wasn't successful. Ultimately, my headaches became debilitating. At the six-month mark postpartum, I started having extremely painful headaches, like migraines, that felt like an enormous pressure on top of my head. They were so bad that I couldn't see straight and felt unsafe caring for my kids. The headaches became so debilitating that one day I drove myself to urgent care. Urgent care then instructed me to drive myself to the ER, which I did. At the ER I had an MRI and was checked out by doctors who diagnosed my headaches as "tension headaches". While they might have been tension headaches, they were most definitely symptoms of postpartum depression/anxiety. None of the doctors I saw at this point told me that headaches were associated with PPD. It wasn't until a google search and adding up all of my symptoms that I realized PPD was the cause.
I also had constant nausea and no appetite whatsoever. I'm not sure if the nausea was causing the loss of appetite or visa versa; or maybe even the pain of the headaches causing the nausea. I have no clue. All I know is that I was constantly nauseous. I was so nauseous that I was convinced that I was pregnant again because it felt like severe morning sickness. I took several pregnancy tests, but obviously was not pregnant. When I went to the ER, they also gave me a pregnancy test, I believe via blood, and it was also negative.

As for mental symptoms, the biggest symptom I had was mental fogginess. The mental fogginess started (now looking back) maybe around three months postpartum. I had difficulty, especially in the later afternoon and evenings with mental fogginess. Essentially, I felt as if my brain wasn't processing on all cylinders and that mentally I was in a fog. I wasn't sharp, had difficulty concentrating, and also had difficulty seeing clearly. Sometimes I felt like I had to squint to see clearly. Once I hit the six-month point, my fogginess became unbearable. I'm not sure if the fogginess caused me to be depressed or it was the postpartum depression that caused the fogginess, either way I became very sad that I felt this way.
I also felt feelings of depression and anxiety. The feelings of depression were kind of bi-polar. It's not like I was in a constant state of depression, however, the symptoms I was having (the headaches, nausea, fogginess, etc.) all made me feel very depressed. I didn't feel like my happy, bubbly self. Generally, I can fight off feelings of sadness because that is my personality, but this time I couldn't fight my way out of it. 
In addition to feelings of depression, I also felt very anxious. There were countless situations that I faced while enduring PPD that I had to remove myself from because of how overwhelming anxious I felt. For instance, on my thirtieth birthday my husband took me out to eat. We sat down and anxiety/fogginess overtook me. I told him that we had to leave and that I couldn't finish the dinner. I begged him to help me feel better.
I also remember (several times) nursing V to sleep in his dim-lit nursery and felt as if I couldn't do it; I was in a panic and couldn't sit there and nurse him. I literally had to physically set him in his crib, walk out of the room and compose myself. It was a horrible heart-racing feeling that I'd wish upon no one. While I had anxiety during the day, I also had it at night. I'd go to sleep with a racing heart and couldn't fall asleep; almost as if I had insomnia or something. On a few occasions I had to take Benadryl to calm myself down to sleep. I hated that because I felt groggy the next day. And with mommy fog, any additional grogginess was bad.

Initially, I was in-denial that I had PPD. The thought of being (and staying) depressed scared me. I've definitely encountered feelings of sadness sporadically in my life, but nothing that compared to how I felt when this all hit me at six months postpartum. It felt like my sanity had been overtaken. Psychologically, I was not okay. Again, I was used to being able to exercise and feel better or drink some caffeine and feel better, but this dark cloud over me along with the mental and physical symptoms all made me feel depressed and highly anxious.
I knew it had to be some sort of PPD because it hit me all at once, but also wasn't sure because of the delayed onset at six months postpartum. At first, the physical symptoms started (the headaches and nausea), which lead me to the ER, where I picked up more clues from the doctors that it might be PPD, although none of the doctors mentioned anything about PPD. All they said is that it was "stress-induced" symptoms. A few days later, I felt the anxiety and depression worsen, so bad that I desperately called doctors in a fiery: PPD counselors and psychiatrists. At this point I was desperate to figure out what had overtaken me. I felt like I was going crazy.
I was able to get into a PPD counselor and also a holistic doctor. It was the PPD counselor who informed me about the onset and about the symptoms. As I continued to endure the PPD symptoms, I still wasn't confident that it was PPD, although I couldn't imagine it being anything else. I was scared in those moments that the PPD wouldn't go away, especially after having googled "how long PPD lasts" to find that the most popular answer said "1 to 3 years." Now that I am looking back and out of the PPD, I can 1) confidently say that it was some form of PPD/PPA and 2) confidently say that it took me 2 months (of hardcore symptoms) to get out of it. More on this later..

So again, at first I had physical symptoms (the headaches and nausea) that forced me to go to urgent care and then to the ER. At this point, I still wasn't sure I knew what was happening to me, but I KNEW that something was wrong. Knowing that I was desperate for help, the first thing I did was tell my husband and close family about the PPD. I also told my nanny.
Let me also say that I didn't tell my husband/family in a way that was like, "Hey guys, I am going through PPD. I need help." It was more like, "I have no idea what is going on with me. I have headaches and crazy bad nausea. I don't feel like myself, my vision is blurry. Something is wrong. I have no clue what it is, but I am desperate for help. Please help me get better." It was more a cry of desperation rather than a calm explanation that I was enduring postpartum depression. 
As a result, my sister ended up flying out from California to Nashville to be with me. It was extremely helpful to have her to lean on while I endured the symptoms. While my sister was here, I was able to organize some doctors appointments. And it's funny I say "organize", it was more of frantic desperation to get into see anyone that could help me.
By the grace of God, I got in to see a holistic doctor. I also scheduled an appointment with a postpartum depression and anxiety specialist. I will talk more about the doctors I saw in later points.
​After my sister left, my parents flew in to help. They helped BIG time, whoa. I will talk about this in later points, as well. I honestly don't think I could have gotten out of this depression without them. Fact. Then, after my parents left my mother-in-law came in to help.
I also started talking to other women (especially mothers) about my symptoms. In doing this, I was comforted that I wasn't alone. Friends shared multiple stories, personally or about someone they knew, who had encountered postpartum depression. This was empowering and encouraging. First, it made me feel comforted that I wasn't alone. Second, it gave me information about the disease that I could use for healing.

I saw an urgent care doctor for the headaches/nausea. He wanted to rule out anything wrong with my brain, such as a brain tumor, so he sent me to the ER.
I then saw the ER doctors. After a clear MRI and clean bill of health, they diagnosed the headaches/nausea as "stress-induced" tension headaches. They prescribed me Moloxicam for the headaches (which may or may not be safe while nursing) and Zofran for the nausea. Sorry if I'm misspelling any of these. I didn't take the Moloxicam ever because I was worried that it wasn't proven safe for a nursing mother. #stubborn . I did take the Zofran a few times when my nausea was painful, and honestly should have taken it a lot more. I am super weird about taking prescription drugs while nursing even when doctors tell me they are safe, as in the instance of Zofran. It wasn't until my holistic doctor told me that Zofran was safe that I felt more comfortable taking it. Ha!
Next, I saw a holistic doctor, which I highly recommend. Friends/people recommended I see a holistic doctor and at first I scoffed at the idea. Now having gone through all of this, he was probably one of the most helpful doctors. He listened to all of my symptoms, even my mental symptoms, and gave me some natural techniques to reduce stress and tension. The techniques were life-saving during those dark times.
​Simultaneously, I saw a PPD/PPA counselor and specialist. If you are going through PPD, I highly highly recommend that you see a specialist. These people see cases of PPD regularly and they will be able to tell you if your symptoms are that of PPD. None of the MD doctors I saw concluded that what I was going through was PPD/PPA. Crazy. The specialist was the only one to pinpoint the symptoms and give me information about what to do regarding PPD, and specifically relating to PPD.
I also saw my OB, but it was for my 6 month checkup. I wasn't able to get into her to discuss the PPD issue because she was booked solid. When I saw her, I talked with her about PPD and she informed me that she could write me a prescription for Zoloft if I needed it. I haven't called her to fill it because it was at that point that I started to come out of the PPD. That said, I am not opposed to medication and encourage it depending on the severity/type of PPDA you are going through.
Last, I tried to get into a psychiatrist. I made an appointment, but ended up canceling the appointment because I started feeling better. Out of pocket, she cost something like $450, so if you are worried about money (which you shouldn't be when you are going through PPD!), I suggest going to see your OB instead, which should be covered by insurance. He/she can prescribe any medication in regards to your PPD and he/she should be familiar with symptoms. Again, I am not a doctor, this is just what I will do next time (if there is a next time).

Again, I'm glad I went through the route that I did, seeing all of these doctors. Each doctor helped me along to the next doctor. However, if I were to do it all over again (and hopefully I don't have to!) I would definitely start with a PPD/PPA specialist and counselor. Having someone who is familiar with cases of PPD and PPA to quickly recognize the symptoms and point you in the right direction of recovery is my best advice.
I'm also glad I saw the holistic doctor, who is also an MD by the way. If you are going to see a holistic doctor, I recommend seeing someone who is credentialed; not a quack; there are a lot of holistic whackos out there. My doctor, Dr. Joseph Forbes in Nashville is not. He is a highly respected MD with years of experience in holistic medicine. What I liked about him is that he worked from the inside out, and really took a personal interest in my healing.
While I love mainstream doctors, what I didn't understand about the ER doctor and Ugent Care doctor is that neither of them recognized that I was going through postpartum depression or anxiety, which was a little confusing. Instead, they diagnosed my symptoms as stress-induced.
If you are a mom struggling with PPD, you begin to feel helpless when countless doctors tell you that your symptoms are stress-induced. I felt helpless because I didn't know what I was doing differently to contribute to the onset of the symptoms at this point than I had done any other day of my life when I didn't have the symptoms. Therefore I didn't know how to stop the symptoms because I didn't know what I was doing wrong. I essentially felt responsible for the symptoms and the state that I was in when MD's told me that the symptoms were stress-induced.
When you KNOW that it is PPD that is causing your symptoms and that the causation/effects is outside of your control, it tends to make you feel better. Because and when I knew it was PPD/PPA, it was more empowering. I knew what I was dealing with (to a certain level) and could seek care as such. I also knew that there would hopefully be a terminal point to the symptoms and my life would resume back to normal. If it didn't go back to normal, I could then proceed and get on anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medication. Again, the most comforting thing to hear from someone, namely a doctor, is that the symptoms are common and particular to postpartum depression and anxiety. AND that the symptoms will go away or become manageable with the proper care and treatment.
​All in all, I got the most out of the PPD specialist and the holistic MD. The PPD specialist because she knew (in my case) the most about the disease and the holistic MD because he worked from the inside out. I also thought my OB was helpful because she could prescribe medication, if needed. However, I'm not sure if she and the nurse knew that it was PPD/PPA that I was suffering from when I called in and talked to the nurse about my severe headaches and nausea when it all started. In all fairness to them, I didn't tell them I was feeling depressed - maybe because I was in denial or maybe because the depression came as an effect of the headaches/nausea. Either way, if I start having crazy physical symptoms next time, I will know to see a specialist, my OB or a holistic doctor!
Last point, if you see an MD, which you probably should in all of this mess, make sure you get your blood work done! This can throw off your physical and mental state, as well. My holistic doctor checked mine; everything came back normal, except for my vitamin D levels were slightly low (although not out of range).

Again, I talked to my husband, my parents and my sister. They helped me out of the trough of PPD. In addition to family, I talked to mom friends. Again, this helped TENFOLD. One of the hardest parts of PPD is feeling like you are alone and that you will never heal. In talking to women who have gone through the same or know someone who has gone through PPD, you will feel comforted in hearing how common it is and how quickly you may recover.

Having family come in to help me was life-saving. My sister dropped everything and flew in to be there with me. The mere act of having someone by your side as you go through depression is necessary. After my sister left, I asked my parents to fly out. They helped SO much. From the bottom of my heart, I cannot thank them enough.
What my parents helped most with was implementing a plan. The plan was aimed at getting me out of PPD/PPA! We went to a coffee shop and wrote down any and all stressors in my life. We then went through each stressor, addressed it and figured out a way to solve it. Things that came up were: not having enough personal time - aka: getting a nanny, not exercising enough, not having a regular date night with my husband, not talking about my problems, not getting one-on-one time with Lincoln, etc. It is crazy how powerful writing down your problems is.
After we addressed each issue, we got to solving the problems. The following entail my solutions: I hired a nanny three days a week. She would come two days during the work week to allow me to exercise, run errands and have personal time. She would additionally come on a weekend night to allow Ryan and I to have a date night. In getting the nanny, the most prominent thing that it solved was allowing me to have personal time away from my kids, which I desperately needed, ESPECIALLY while going through PPD. I went from having no help to having help three times a week. It was life-saving.
One of the other key aspects of having a nanny come during the week was being able to exercise. At this point in the game, I needed something that would save me mentally and exercise was the answer. My dad asked me if they had any good gyms and/or classes in the area. I told him that I had heard great things about Orange Theory Fitness and that it was an amazing, high intensity workout (which is what I needed). We immediately drove over to an OTF (Orange Theory Fitness) studio and scheduled a trial day. I did the trial, loved it and signed up for 8 classes a month (2 classes a week).
I cannot tell you how much this hardcore workout has saved me mentally. It literally gives me life. I feel better mentally and physically, and cannot imagine my life without it.

Aside from the nanny and using exercise to help my PPD, the holistic MD gave me advice on how to reduce stress. He mentioned that I turn my back on negative emotions (which is true). Because I don't address these thoughts, they pile up as emotional baggage in my body and ultimately manifest in the physical form. If you think this is weird, that is fine, but I totally buy into this. Anyways, he gave me pointers on how to address these emotions/stress and it has worker wonders for me.

Equally, the PPD specialist helped in multiple ways.

Last, last point and I can't believe I didn't mention this earlier... prayer helped majorly. I prayed hard and often. Sometimes angry, desperate prayers, and other times grateful, loving prayers. No matter what you believe, relying on a power bigger than yourseld is necessary for healing.
In addition to prayer, I read a healing books. One book that helped me is called An Angels' Guide to Working with the Power of Light by Laura Newbury. This book is written by a mother going through a divorce with two small children. In going through the trauma, she developed painful headaches, anxiety, depression and a bunch of other things. What she found was that angels and the power of light, and namely forgiveness helped heal her. This book is amazing! It was only by coincidence that I picked it up to read one night while I was in the trough of my PPD. It helped my healing majorly and I'm thankful that God put it into my hands.

Last, last, last point.. ultimately what got me out of PPD was time and patience. The worst of my PPD lasted about one month and I did have symptoms on either side of that month for another couple of weeks. Be patient, give yourself time and have faith that you’ll come out of it. You will!

Exercise may not help everyone, so I don't want to say that exercise is a cure-all remedy. It may not be for you! But for me, personally, it was my saving grace. When I talk about the benefits of exercise, I believe it was "intense" exercise that helped me most.
I have exercised the majority of my life, but it was only through sports and in some instances of my life did I really exert myself hardcore through intense exercise... I mean the kind that makes you sweat like crazy, pushes your heart rate through the roof, and makes you feel like you're going to throw up or die ha! After I had kids, I exercised, but not in a way like this.
I found that intense cardio and weight-lifting really changed me as a person; mentally and psychically. First, it increased my heart rate. Second, it made me sweat. Third, it allowed me to release stress through the intensity. Fourth, I felt major endorphins. Fifth, it gives me a ton of energy. All of this combined, I felt a release of toxins and a rejuvenation in my body. I feel stronger and more energized because of exercise... AND happier. When going through PPD, this is something that truly saved me for those reasons.

I had family come in to help. This allowed me to attend doctor's appointments. I also hired a nanny. If I ever go through PPD/PPA again, I will definitely have a nanny on-hand hopefully full-time during the week if we can afford to. Being alone with my kids while I had PPD was horrible. I felt debilitated and certainly not in a state to care for two overly-reliant, young children.

The symptoms started at six months postpartum around my thirtieth birthday, which was mid-September. The symptoms were pretty gnarly for about six weeks and then started to subside, but not all at once. The headaches and nausea gradually got better. I started sleeping better at night. The depression and anxiety slowly lifted. So maybe like 8 weeks after that. It is difficult to remember clearly, but I believe it was no more than two months. I'll say that I have a friend who said that her specialist said that symptoms generally last for one month, on average. My PPD specialist told me the same ish, and said that once you start to come out of the "trough" that you likely won't go back into the trough; the road may be a little bumpy, but that you should be in the clear (in her experience).

​Today, I'm talking about baby's first shoe with Freshly Picked. I couldn't be more excited to partner with them, seeing that they were one of my favorite brands when I had my first son, Lincoln, and stayed a favorite with my second, V.

With the final days until Christmas, I know how easy it is to gloss over the newest addition to your family when it comes to gifts. I mean, what could a baby possibly want for Christmas? Well, I've found the perfect gift in Freshly Picked baby moccasins. Whether you are gifting them to your little one or to a friend's little one, these soft-soled shoes are second to none.

​I'm not sure that I've come across a first shoe for baby that I love more. What I prefer about FP moccasins over other brands is the fit, flexibility, and style. The elasticity of the moccasins ensures that baby won't lose one shoe or the other. The flexibility of this soft-soled shoe allows baby to take his or her first steps in a gripping way, and the style of the shoe couldn't be cuter.

Speaking of style, I already own a few pairs of Freshly Picked moccasins, so I wanted to step outside of the box and try one of their new styles: the Cedar Oxford.  Let me tell you, the new design is amazing! In fact, I can't tell if I prefer the original moccasin to the Cedar Oxford.  I love the warm neutral color of the leather, and feel it pairs with most all outfits.

In addition to the Cedar Oxford, V wears the Milk Chocolate moccs. I can't get enough of both styles and honestly switch back and forth on the regular. As such, I recommend purchasing a few difference styles and colors. Your babe will live in them! Also, if you are looking for a holiday-patterned style, check out their website for several options.

While considering what to purchase for your bundle of joy this Christmas, be sure and check out Freshly Picked! They are the perfect first shoe for your sweetie's first Christmas. This year, make it Freshly Picked, under the tree.