Conceiving Naturally - Against the Odds - Finding the Right Doctor

So, I've been slacking on the blog.  Thanks for still following.  Lately my online activities have been strictly inboxes, pictures, iChatting with the hub, and oh yes...Pinterest.  Oh my law.  I feel creative just looking at everyone else's creativity.

Diving back into the Conceiving Naturally Series.  Here is what we've covered/will cover:

Series Intro
1. Prayer and Submission
2. Finding the Right Doctor (you're on it!)
3. The Role of Hormones
4. Diet - Hers
5. Diet - His
6. Herbs, Extracts, and Supplements
7. Exercise
8. Chiropractic
9. Acupuncture
10. Massage
11. Timing: Ovulation Calculators, Ovulation Predictor Test Kits, and the Rhythm Method
12. The Fun in Trying :)

So very many Doctors.  How in the world does one find the "right one?"  I don't have the perfect answer for you because we each have different desires and things that are most important to us when it comes to our health.  This step was a snap for me because I got a great recommend.  You would think in DFW metroplex, one would have a superfluous amount of choices when it comes to a doctor ... nope.  Not when it comes to finding an MD or DO that prescribes holistically first ... it's feels a little like looking for a republican in Portland.  In fact if you google "republican in portland" your computer will crash.  If you don't "know a guy who knows a guy" then google is your friend.  Here are some helpful searches:

-Holistic Doctors (your town) - Natural Doctors (your town) - Doctors who prescribe supplements (your town) - Holistic MD or DO (your town)

If you want to venture off the MD/DO territory and see a ND (Naturopathic Doctor) well alright!  I think googling "ND (your town)" goes without saying.

These searches will most likely lead you to some sites that have reviews and ratings.

Sometimes finding the guy who knows the guy is easier (and better) than finding the guy via the world wide web of confusion.  If you don't have a chiropractor, I suggest getting one.  Chiropractic is a step we will cover later and they usually know and refer patients to other doctors who have similar philosophies.  Other sources would be massage or acupuncture clinics, and health food stores.  Even small mom-and-pop health food store owners and employees can be a HUGE help.  Most of them I come across have been around town longer than your friendly Whole Foods Market and are staples in the community.  They have history, therefore, they know people.  Just ask.  They love what they do and will love to help you.  I can almost guarantee it.

If you live in a small town with like 1 doctor who hasn't even heard of Centrum Silver ... well my advice to you would be to put some mileage on the ol' tractor.  Your health is worth it. 

Once you have found one you think might be a good fit, you probably want to go in for a consultation before turning your arm over and letting them into your veins.  You can bring a list of questions if your memory doesn't serve you correctly.  Treat it like an interview.  You know what you want.  Don't be shy about asking where they stand on it.  Better to not to be surprised a couple months later when they suggest a new drug that they've only tested on mice that snakes wouldn't even eat.

Dr. Nina Cahan in Coppell, TX is who I ended up hiring as my doctor.  That's right.  You're the boss.  They work for you.  You have a choice and you don't have to settle on any old candidate just because they have initials after their name.  She showed me her closet of supplements that she prescribes and I swooned.

I think it best not to put words in your mouth, so I will just advise you to make a "conception" plan like you would make for the birth of your baby.  I don't think I'd be putting words in your mouth by saying the obvious question to ask is at one point the Dr. suggests medical intervention, and what kind.  What steps have you, and will you take before you consider this?  Will you consider this at all?  Sit down with your husband and discuss what's important to you both, and what you would like to ask.  I suggest your husband go with you to the doctor as much as possible in regards to conceiving and when you do get pregnant, it is important for him to go with you to your prenatal appointments.  Here at Super Natural Mommy, we love and support the daddies too.  It's not all about you.  This is an important lesson to learn as soon as possible ... especially once you are a parent.  You are in this together.  The savior has already been born, so pretty sure yours won't be an immaculate conception.  Just sayin'.  I mean, she was carrying God incarnate and she was still given a husband.  Their voice matters and the more that sinks into your soul, the more supernatural you will be.

Okay.  You're ready.  Go find that Dr. you can put some trust in.  If at any point they start venturing off into an area you aren't comfortable with, speak up.  Don't compromise your health.  If they suggest something you hadn't planned on doing, research it.  Think/pray about it and tell them you are doing so.  If you have conflicting views on something you just can't budge on, see if they will come to your side to see how it works out.  It may give them time to research it too.  Newsflash, you aren't perfect and neither is your doctor.  It should be a working relationship based on mutual respect.  If it isn't.  Seek another.

Go to the next section: The Role of Hormones

0-4 Month Must Haves

I've been on hiatus.  Tim-Daddy came home from Korea for a visit, so I took some time off ... aaaaaand 2 trips to the ER.  I electrocuted my left hand unplugging something, then 2 weeks later went back because I thought I had possibly broken or fractured my left hand.   Word to the wise:  Take baby OUT of walker before lowering the level.  Thankfully, nothing was broken...just a "crushing injury" which caused a contusion.  L smiled and laughed at me the entire time I paced and moaned till my Mom came home from work to take me to the hospital.  They gave me pain meds, which I only took 1 night.  The next time we hang out, be sure to ask me how that went if you would like a good laugh.

I was asked recently if I might make a list of newborn must haves.  So, aside from the obvious things like air, food, and love...these are the things I have come across that make life with a new baby much easier.  Before you go clicking and purchasing, be sure to join Amazon Mom to get free Prime shipping.  So here are my "must-haves" as they came to mind.

Boppy - I used this all day every day in L's first few months.  Great when you're feeding, rocking, gazing, etc... L is 6 months now and now I use it as support for sitting up - around her front or back.

 

Pack n Play - I opted not to get a bassinet since this had a basket that raised her up.  I thought I'd have it next to my bed, but she and I both slept just fine with her in her nursery.  I am not a total opponent of co-sleeping, but I do have reservations about the safety of it.  There are contraptions out there that prevent co-sleeping incidents and I'd encourage you to get one if you will be co-sleeping.  I have heard enough tragic stories as a result of co-sleeping (and one tragedy should be enough).  Tim and I agreed we wanted our bed to remain a marriage bed.  Of course, there are exceptions to this rule when you take monsters and thunderstorms into consideration.  You have to do what works for your family, but I would stress that safety come first.  For a time, I had the pack n play in her nursery up against the crib because it was easier on my back to lay her in it than the crib.  It is GREAT for the obvious benefits of traveling...not to mention play time/stretching out in a safe environment clear of foot (and paw) traffic.



Swing/Bouncy Seat -L had reflux so she slept in her swing and her bouncy seat a lot.  They have been like little portable miracles for me when I've needed to get something important done...like showering for instance.  This is a key to my sanity.  L's bouncy seat has dangley toys and plays music.  She got to practice hand-eye coordination while I got a little "me time" ... if being in the same room, while playing peek-a-boo with the shower curtain constitutes as "me time." They were both life-savers until recently.  Now they lay in the graveyard of L's entertainment.  May they rest in peace until the next little one.




Changing Pad Liners - I love my pretty & soft changing pad covers.  I do NOT love it when pee-pee or poo-poo gets on it.  These are great and can double as a burp cloth.  They come in all sizes and brands, but there is one kind that has a rolled seam around the edge and after washing they no longer lay flat on the changing pad.  The plastic liner also separates from the material.  Something like the link below is inexpensive and easy to fold.



Bumbo Seat - With or Without the tray, I think the Bumbo seat is superb.  It surrounds L completely and opened her eyes to the beauty of sitting up.  Get the tray, and this can be your portable "high chair."  Do not leave your baby in Bumbo unattended.  Check out this link for all the purdy color options.




Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron - Everything you need to know about feeding your baby.



Snap and Go Carseat/Stroller Combo (Extra base for carseat) - I think there might be a brand called Snap and Go, but I am not saying you should get that one...not saying you shouldn't.  Don't know anything about it.  There are many many brands of all designs and colors.  We got a CityMini Stroller and an attachment to snap the carseat onto.  Oh so very, very easy.  Probably a good idea to get an extra base if your wee one rides in more than one car regularly.

Baby Wrap or Carrier - There are endless options when it comes to baby wearing.  I think I may have tried them all.  I finally found one that felt comfortable for both of us.  The woman who makes them has 5 kiddos and 1 on the way.  She knows baby wearing.  Here's her Etsy shop.

Digital Bath Thermometer -I don't trust my hands to test the water since I can take a lot of heat.  This neat little guy takes the worry out of getting bath ready - beeps when the water gets too cold or too hot...and a fun toy too :)


Bottle warmer - A lot of people say this is a luxury item.  It's been a must-have for me.  I've taken the baby on 2 road trips and didn't leave home without it.  Since L had reflux, her bottle being warmed helped.  It's a known fact that you should not microwave your baby's milk/formula/food because of hotspots and harmful/unhealthy radiation.  Bottle warmers do it fast and come with a handy dandy guide on type of bottle, amt, and how much water to put it.  Put it in, change a diaper, boom - bottle's ready.  I went through a couple cheaper warmers that burnt out.  This one has been superior to those.  You can warm baby food jars in it as well.




Sheet Savers or Crib Bib- This goes along the same lines as the changing pad liners.  Who wants to change a crib sheet in the middle of the night?!?  I love my homemade (not by me though) cute crib sheets and didn't want to cover them up with those plain full sheet covers that snap.  Get at least a couple of these.



Sound Machine - Oh muh gush.  This is vital.  VITAL!  Babies are used to a rushing sound when they are in the womb and my baby had to have it outside the womb to sleep.  It drowns out doors and dogs and general goings-ons.  I personally sleep with a sound machine, so hers coming through on the baby monitor works for me.



Speaking of...   
Baby Monitor - So very very many out there.  Sometimes I wish I would have gotten the video monitor.  L's nursery door sticks and I do NOT like peeking in to check.  Here's the one I got.



Aden and Anais Swaddlers - So easy to swaddle in these very soft blankets AND they are breathable so baby doesn't overheat.  Your baby should wear something/be covered similar to what you are comfortable sleeping in.  A sweaty baby is no bueno.



Breast Pump - Breast is best, so pump it up ladies.  Freeze and store for when you're on the go or when someone else needs to feed your precious one.  I rented the hospital grade pump to try to get my milk to let down since it's got super suction.  It never happened, but if it had - you bet I'd be pumping right now while I blog :)  While you're at it, get a pumping bra.  I was attached to the pump for 6 weeks and the bra allowed me to multi-task.



There you have it!  I am sure there are many more gadgets and doo-dads out there that have been life-savers for you Mommies.  We'd love to hear them!

If You Vaccinate, Ask 8 (Part 2)

In the first section, I listed the 8 questions you should ask yourself prior to vaccinating (or not vaccinating) as suggested by the NVIC. Now let's delve into these questions a little deeper...some deeper than others, so forgive me as I begin out of order.

8) Do I know I have a right to make an informed choice?

Let's start with exemptions!

I've come across many people who think that their child can't get into school if they haven't had their shots. This is simply untrue. There are exemptions available to parents who choose not to vaccinate but still enroll their child in school. Each state dictates which exemptions are available in that particular state. The process typically requires you to contact the state for these exemption forms and then have them signed by the parent and notarized by a notary public prior to being turned into the school in which your child is enrolled. Public schools are required to acknowledge and accept these exemption forms, private schools are not.

First is the medical exemption. If your child has a past history of vaccine reaction or he/she has an underlying disease or illness that would increase the risk of vaccine reaction, your child's pediatrician or family doctor (including D.O.s) may be willing to give you a written medical exemption to bypass having to have further vaccinations. Since medical doctors are highly influenced by drug/vaccine manufacturers and procedures passed down for generations in medical school, this is possibly the most difficult exemption to obtain. All 50 states have medical exemption to vaccination.

Next is the philosophical exemption. This is based on your personal or conscientious beliefs in regards to vaccination. In most cases, you must object to all vaccines, not just a select few. Only 18 states have philosophical exemptions to vaccination.

Finally, there is a religious exemption. In most cases, this exemption does not even require you to state what religion you are, but just that it is against your religious beliefs that your child is vaccinated. Some states require a signed affidavit from a pastor or spiritual advisor that affirms the parents' sincere religious belief about vaccination. California, Mississippi, and West Virginia are the only states who DO NOT have religious exemption to vaccination.

Some states also allow proof of immunity as reason to exempt your child from a specific vaccination. Independent laboratories can draw blood and analyze it for antibody levels for a particular illness. For example, if your child has had chicken pox prior to entering school and you choose not to give your child the chicken pox vaccine, rather than obtaining one of the three exemption forms listed above, you can have blood drawn and analyzed to show that your child has high enough antibodies to chicken pox that natural immunity has been obtained.

Later, I'll go even further with information that will help you make an informed decision....vaccine ingredients, the concept of herd immunity, and the manufacturing and marketing of vaccines.

Feeding Chart 4-6 Months

I had mommy brain before I was a mommy, so now it's full force.

When the Pedi asks how many Oz's/day LilSue is having, I don't want to do math in my head. I also like to know for myself and be prepared the next time she's hungry...as she is much like Daddy: Not only is she his spitting image, but when she is hungry, you better feed her...NOW! Genetics are for real, y'all.

I am also fond of organization. Charts, straight lines, and totals please me a great deal. Being somewhat of a perfectionist, I am still drawn toward imperfection. If I was to delve into this a little deeper I would say that I find something perfect only if it has some imperfection. Okay...stepping back from the art of life and setting the course back to feeding charts.

I didn't like any templates I was finding.

I made my own.

Here it is.

Print front to back.  You know this.

Vaccinations

I have developed a great interest in vaccinations in the past few years and I plan on writing about this more in the future. However, here is an article that was released today that I wanted to pass along as soon as possible. Articles like this have been circling for years in the alternative medicine crowd, however, the research comes from a medical journal which makes it particularly significant to those with doubts. Currently the US national schedule of vaccines recommends 26 vaccines before the age of 1 - most of them before 6 months of age. To give you a reference point, children, like myself, born in the early 1980's were recommended to get 10 vaccines between birth and 6 years of age. Now recommendations are for 36 vaccines between birth and 6 years of age!

"New Study Finds Direct Link between Vaccines and Infant Mortality"

Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars
Thursday, June 23, 2011

A shocking new study published in a prestigious medical journal has found a direct statistical link between higher vaccine doses and infant mortality rates in the developed world, suggesting that the increasing number of inoculations being forced upon children by medical authorities, particularly in the United States which administers the highest number of vaccines and also has the highest number of infant deaths, is in fact having a detrimental impact on health.

The study, entitled Infant mortality rates regressed against number of vaccine doses routinely given: Is there a biochemical or synergistic toxicity?, was conducted by Neil Z. Miller and Gary S. Goldman. It was published in the reputable Human and Experimental Toxicology journal, which is indexed by the National Library of Medicine.

According to his biography, “Goldman has served as a reviewer for the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Vaccine, AJMC, ERV, ERD, JEADV,and British Medical Journal (BMJ). He is included on the Editorial Board of Research and Reviews in BioSciences.”

Miller, a medical research journalist and the Director of the Thinktwice Global Vaccine Institute, has been studying the dangers of vaccines for 25 years.

“Linear regression analysis of unweighted mean IMRs showed a high statistically significant correlation between increasing number of vaccine doses and increasing infant mortality rates,” the study found, adding that the results demand an “essential” inquiry into the correlation between vaccine doses, biochemical or synergistic toxicity, and infant mortality rates.

Despite the fact that the United States administers the highest number of vaccine doses to children in the entire developed world, 26 before infants reach the age of one, its infant mortality rate is higher than 33 other nations, all of which administer less vaccines. The study clearly illustrates the fact that developed countries which administer less vaccines have lower infant mortality rates, suggesting a direct statistical link between vaccination side-effects and infant deaths.

For example, the two developed countries that require children be immunized with the least amount of vaccines, Japan and Sweden, also top the table for the lowest infant mortality rates.

Of the top ten developed countries with the lowest infant mortality rates, seven of the ten also appear in the top ten table of countries that administer the least vaccines.

When looked at in comparison, the table of countries ordered by which ones administer the least vaccines compared to the table which orders countries based on infant mortality rates is very similar.

Despite the fact that it administers the most vaccines, the United States has the highest infant mortality rate of all developed countries, with an average of 6.22 deaths per 1000 live births. The US has a far higher infant mortality rate than the likes of Cuba or Slovenia despite spending vastly more on health care.

Click for enlargement. The table on the left shows the countries with the lowest infant deaths at the top of the list. The table on the right shows the countries with the lowest number of vaccines administered at the top of the list. Notice a pattern? The United States, which administers the highest number of vaccines to children in the developed world, also has the highest number of infant deaths per 1000 births in the developed world.

The correlation between higher numbers of vaccines and infant mortality figures takes on an altogether more sinister context when we consider the fact that during the February 2010 TED conference, Bill Gates, an enthusiastic proponent of vaccination programs, openly stated that vaccines should be used to lower global population in the pursuit of reducing CO2 emissions.

Gates is an avowed eugenicist who is committed to drastically reducing the world’s population in the name of combating global warming. This is alarming given the fact that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds the production and distribution of vaccines to the third world.

Decrying the fact that the global population was heading towards 9 billion, Gates said, “If we do a really great job on new vaccines, health care, reproductive health services, we could lower that by perhaps 10 or 15 per cent.”

Gates followed this up at the July 2010 Aspen Ideas Festival in Aspen Colorado by advocating so-called “death panels,” implying that elderly patients undergoing expensive health care treatments should instead be left to die and the money spent elsewhere.

As one of the richest men on the planet, Gates routinely meets with other billionaires in secret to discuss ways of lowering the global population. The last such confab, also attended by David Rockefeller Jr, Warren Buffett, George Soros, Michael Bloomberg, Ted Turner and Oprah Winfrey, took place on May 5th 2009 at the home of Sir Paul Nurse, a British Nobel prize biochemist and president of the Rockefeller University in Manhattan.

Parents are becoming increasingly educated about the risks posed by the ever-rising numbers of vaccines being forced upon their children. The US childhood immunization schedule now recommends that all infants receive 26 vaccine doses before they even reach the age of one. A Rasmussen poll conducted last August found that that 52 per cent of Americans were concerned about the safety of vaccines.

Vaccine side-effects, injuries and deaths are skyrocketing, but this in turn is causing the cover-up overseen by the pharmaceutical industry to implode, leading more people to resist vaccines globally in the knowledge that the inoculations are more closely related to profit-making than protecting public health.

Read the full study here:

http://www.infowars.com/new-study-finds-direct-link-between-vaccines-and-infant-mortality/

If You Vaccinate, Ask 8

Ok, so there have been some requests to blog on vaccinations. That's a pretty broad topic, so I'll start with some basics and then blog in more detail later.

With autism rates skyrocketing, deaths from Gardasil making the news, and all the hype over the Swine Flu vaccine the past couple of years, people are really beginning to question the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Just as with any other drug out on the market, there are side effects and risks and some people are more likely than others to suffer these side effects. I research many vaccines on the CDCs website...straight from the source...and even there I will find contradictions. But one of the best websites out there is the National Vaccine Information Center. They have a great "8" list of questions to ask yourself if you decide to vaccinate (or not-vaccinate).

1) Am I or my child sick right now?
2) Have I or my child had a bad reaction to a vaccination before?
3) Do I or my child have a personal or family history of vaccine reactions, neurological disorders, severe allergies or immune system problems?
4) Do I know the disease and vaccine risks for myself or my child?
5) Do I have full information about the vaccine's side effects?
6) Do I know how to identify and report a vaccine reaction?
7) Do I know I need to keep a written record, including the vaccine manufacturer's name and lot number, for all vaccinations?
8) Do I know I have the right to make an informed choice?

I'll go into more detail later what it means if you answer yes or no to each of these individual questions. But for now, I'll say this...if you have ANY hesitation about vaccinating your child (whether with one or all vaccines), just postpone it. Research the particular vaccine you have questions about so that you can make an informed decision. Remember, whether they get the illness/disease or they get the damage from the vaccine, you will have to live with your choice and be comfortable knowing what you chose for them. They have no voice!

Teething Relief

 My daughter is not yet 5 months and she has all four of her first molars cutting through her gums along with a lateral incisor.  Yikes.  Amazingly she is still sleeping through the night...for now anyway.

She is coping with painful gums much better than the previous issues with colic and gas.  While she was squirming and gnawing on her hand, the thought "reflexology" came to mind.  If it helped adults, why not babies too?  I didn't get licensed as a reflexologist, but I did take a class many a moon ago and I thought I remembered the teeth being associated with the toes and fingers.  I started squeezing her toes and immediately she stopped fussing and fidgeting.

Acupressure and Reflexology run along the same scope of focus, so I did a little googling.  Seems there is varying schools of thought on where the teeth pain centers correspond on the feet and hands...as far as I got into my search anyway.

You will notice on this hand chart, the teeth point is where a ring would be on the middle finger.
I've been pressing and holding that on the hand that corresponds with the side of her mouth that seems to be bothering her (BOTH currently!)  Really, her hands are so tiny, that if I just let her hold my finger, it goes all the way across all of her fingers, and I just squeeze.  If you do some searching yourself (I put some links at the bottom) you will find that a common suggestion is pressing and holding the webby part of the hand between the thumb and pointer.  I've been doing all of the above and still squeezing and holding her toes.

When she got really upset yesterday, I sat her in her bumbo seat and squeezed every little finger and toe.  She calmed down.  I've also read the suggestion of holding a piece of ice against the web of your hand.  I may try that if she lets me.  FYI - I wouldn't leave a piece of ice on a sweet little hand for more than a minute.

I also got the Boiron Teething Relief Camilia since it doesn't contain any food additives, preservatives, or numbing agents.



Video - Acupressure
Video - Acupressure
Article - Acupressure
Article - Acupressure
Article - Reflexology