In Gratitude for Good Nurses and Modern Medicine

My new baby is now seven weeks old and as I think about everything that happened throughout my pregnancy and labor and delivery, I feel a great sense of gratitude. This was my fourth pregnancy and I thought I knew what to expect, but it ended up being the hardest and most complicated pregnancy I've had. Nothing major, as it turned out, but a lot of unexpected things. All those things made me grateful--again--for the blessings of modern medicine. I don't always agree with how things are done in mainstream medicine and believe it's important to educate myself about all things health related, whether Eastern or Western, herbal or pharmaceutical. But because of my body's inability to produce enough oxytocin--or whatever it is that prevents me from dilating naturally--I have to give birth in a hospital, hooked up to a "Pit" drip. (See a detailed post on this topic here.) Knowing how close to death my maternal ancestors came during childbirth who had this same problem, I am grateful for Pitocin every time, even though everyone tells me it makes the contractions much worse. Without it, I would not have been able to have otherwise natural deliveries. This is just one aspect of modern medicine that I am thankful for.

I am thankful, too, for another wonderful Certified Nurse Midwife (my fourth) who is so caring and respectful, knowledgeable, and experienced. I am grateful to have options in modern medicine and be able to decide whether I want an OB/GYN or a CNM to deliver my babies at the hospital. I have always had great midwives and OBs whom I can trust with my care.

There are also many, many good nurses out there who make a positive difference in the lives of their patients. Some of my favorite people are nurses, including one of my sisters, and I know how much they do--very often beyond the call of duty--for those in their care. Such was the case this time with my baby's nurse. After the baby's initial feeding shortly after birth, she couldn't seem to latch on again. I tried not to worry, as I remembered how sleepy my other three babies had been the first couple days after birth. And, just like them, this one had also swallowed a fair amount of fluid before she was born. In my experience this was all "normal." But her nurse didn't accept these normal problems. Not only did she work with me and the baby for quite a while to get her to latch on when she really preferred to sleep, but the nurse also worked with her in the nursery. Because I couldn't sleep with the baby in my room, since she coughed and spit up fluid about every 10 minutes, I opted to have the nurses take her to the nursery in between feedings. It was such a relief to be able to give my baby into their hands for a couple of hours at a time, knowing she would be well taken care of while I got some much needed rest. And while that first nurse was on shift, she worked with my baby in the nursery, getting her to spit up a surprising amount of fluid. Her theory was that because the baby's stomach was full of fluid she felt no need to eat. I think she was right. By the time her shift ended, my baby was latching on again and starting to eat as if she were hungry. And by the time we left the hospital, she was actually 2 oz above her birth weight, which has never happened before with any of our other babies. I attribute it all to this diligent nurse who took a personal interest in my baby and determined to figure out the problem and fix it if she could. What a blessing it was to actually have my baby latching on well and gaining weight as we returned home! I felt like that got us on the right track from the beginning, which has made all the difference. I will always be grateful to that nurse.

So here's to all the good health care providers who are invested in improving the lives of those in their care, and here's to all that is good and helpful about modern medicine.

Turning a Breech Baby

A couple weeks ago, when I was 36 weeks pregnant, I had a doctor's appointment and found out my baby was still in a transverse position--breech, to be exact. This is my fourth baby and I've never had a problem with positioning before, so I was discouraged. I was informed that my two options were to schedule a c-section or to set up an appointment at the hospital for an ECV--an external cephalic version. That decision was a no-brainer for me, as I want to avoid a c-section if at all possible. But later at home, as I read over the educational literature about ECVs, that wasn't something I felt totally comfortable with either. Although I know ECVs have been done for decades (and, in fact, my mom had it done during two labors), it seemed like such a harsh procedure and, even more disheartening, its average success rate is only 58%. I hesitated to put the baby and I through that to not even have it work, although I was willing to try it if that was my only way to avoid a c-section.

One friend sent me this link to a YouTube video of a lady who teaches a few different positions and exercises to use (and some to avoid) to help the baby turn. She has successfully turned all of her own babies and what she said made sense. I tried everything, though, and most of them made me either very sore by the end of the day, or very uncomfortable while I was doing them. I was willing to keep at it if it would help, but then I found out another option.

When a few friends recommended a local chiropractor, urging me to go see him because they knew how successful he was in turning breech babies, I agreed to give him a call. I set up an appointment and read up on the Webster Technique. Suddenly I was excited with the possibilities. I have a case of slight scoliosis and have seen a couple different chiropractors over the years for headaches, neck, and back pain. I knew that stress settles in my neck and shoulders, that pregnancy takes a toll on my back, that the strain of our recent move couldn't have helped the situation, and that it had been about a year and a half since I last saw a chiropractor. In other words, it was probably about time. And this particular chiropractor specializes in infants and pregnant women; definitely a plus.

As I learned more about the technique and thought about what chiropractic adjustments do and how they help, it made perfect sense. A lot more sense to me, in fact, than forcing the baby into the correct position when something is not right.  I understood why, if my pelvis was not aligned correctly, the baby would have a hard time rotating correctly. And, as it turns out, that was exactly the case. The chiropractor found out that the left side of my pelvis was not lined up with the right side at all, and a ligament on the left side was extremely tight. He helped that to loosen up and then adjusted me all the way from my neck, down my spine, to my pelvis. I certainly felt straighter after that! And I was encouraged to learn that my chiropractor's success rate is 95% for breech babies turning after the technique is done. That's a whole lot better than 58%! Plus, the chiropractor told me that many women experience faster, easier labors as a result of everything being aligned correctly. That makes sense too. I hope I'll be included among that statistic!

I was quite sore and achy the rest of the day, as expected, but felt good the next day, and within a couple days started wondering if the baby had rotated because I couldn't feel her head on the right side anymore. The next week at my doctor's appointment, my midwife (CNM) confirmed my suspicions: the baby had turned! I was so happy and relieved to know she is now head-down. Now I just have to see the chiropractor once a week until I deliver, so he can check to make sure I'm still aligned and to make any minor adjustments. This (the second) week I looked pretty good, so I don't anticipate any more major adjustments. And now that the baby's head is pressing where it should be, maybe my body will actually ready itself for delivery soon. Here's hoping!

Surviving the 1st Trimester

(source)

The first trimester is always extremely difficult for me just to get through. And it hasn't gotten any easier with subsequent pregnancies. I thought last time, pregnant with my first boy, was the worst I'd ever felt. This time it was even worse. The extreme exhaustion and constant nausea hit me with a vengeance and I had to keep reminding myself to keep breathing and that I would survive this again. At least, I hoped I would! Each day I couldn't wait until (a very early) bedtime when I could escape my misery for several hours in sleep.

With that said, I know women who are so sick (some of them the whole pregnancy) that they have trouble keeping any food down and sometimes end up in the hospital with IV fluids. I am very grateful never to have been that bad off and greatly admire those who somehow survive such experiences.

Having used essential oils for years, I was hopeful I could combat some of the nausea with ginger, peppermint, or lemon this time. But I found out in a hurry that any smells, no matter how good or natural, didn't help at all. My sense of smell was just too heightened. So that remedy was out.

Every pregnancy, in my efforts to get myself feeling better, I learn a lot about what my body needs. Last pregnancy I learned that I was hyper-sensitive to MSG and that if I avoided it (in all its many forms), I would feel a whole lot better (see post here). After pregnancy I was no longer as sensitive but because I had already developed the habit of avoiding MSG, it was easy to maintain that healthy change to my family's lifestyle.

I am now officially in the second trimester (phew!) and have felt considerably better the last couple weeks, which has been the greatest relief in the world! But I'm noticing that certain things in foods still affect me and if I'm not vigilant I may pay for it for a day or two afterward. I'll get into that a bit later...

Because the first trimester this time around was so terribly yucky, I learned a lot about what is happening inside the body and what the body needs to recover from everything required to grow a baby. Many thanks to my friend, Emily, who supplied me with the needed information to start me on this journey! I offer these insights, suggestions, and tips in an effort to help others. I realize not everything will help everyone, but I feel compelled to share, hoping these ideas may improve another expectant mother's quality of life. (Note: The below remedies were in addition to my healthy, whole foods diet--although, during the first several weeks, diet becomes a matter of whatever I can tolerate, which isn't much):

1- First of all, in my frequent, small snacks I learned I needed salt! Often. I craved it many times a day, which is not normal for me (except during the first trimester of pregnancy). Interestingly, I learned that at about 5 weeks (see this site) the placenta begins to fill with amniotic fluid, which is of the same makeup as ocean water, even with the same minerals in the same amounts! Suddenly I understood why my body needed extra salt during those few weeks.

2- Besides salt, my body needed lots of water, of course, since it was producing that amniotic fluid. And this will continue to be the case throughout pregnancy, as the fluid changes and increases over time. I always stay very hydrated, but I noticed that water wasn't helping me feel better or more hydrated by itself. I still felt a lack of something. So learning that the amniotic fluid also contains electrolytes taught me that I needed to add electrolytes to my diet somehow. I was happy to learn that instead of guzzling sugary Gatorade or other sports drink I could get  a small bottle of electrolytes to add to my water, a mere drop per glassful. It doesn't have a taste or smell, but it has made a difference for me, so I continue to drink it in all my water. (You can easily find Elete online on Amazon.)

3- I found myself craving orange juice and potatoes every day for a while there, so it was no surprise when I found out that both foods contain lots of potassium. It was therefore logical to conclude that my body was deficient in Potassium, which is an electrolyte. I felt better when I drank orange juice and ate potatoes, even though otherwise I was mostly surviving on Saltine crackers. :(

4- Another thing I learned a lot more about was cell salts. These are mineral salts that can be absorbed directly into our own body's cells to help repair cell dysfunction and restore the balance of minerals in our cells. (See this article for more information on how cell salts work.) For expectant women who can't keep food or water down, cell salts can be particularly helpful. For me, they did lessen my nausea--in fact, I'm still taking them every day for a while longer. I purchased all 12 of them (Hyland's brand) online. If you would like to know the proper daily regimen for morning sickness, please leave a comment or email me. It's a little involved but very worth it.


5- Even after doing all of the above, I was feeling more stable, though not perfect, and was concerned that with all my food aversions I wasn't getting the nutrients I needed from my food. And for the first time I also wasn't taking a prenatal vitamin because they make me sick during the first trimester and I've been trying to weed out synthetic vitamins from my family's lifestyle. So I talked to my friend, Tonya, an herbalist at the School of Natural Healing. She recommended that I take a certain number of Dr. Christopher's Vitalerbs capsules as well as wheat germ oil capsules every day. (Leave me a comment or send me an email if you would like to know my prescribed regimen.) It took me a couple weeks before I was able to swallow as many of them as I was supposed to, since I had an overactive gag reflex for a while, but once I started I could tell they were helping me. I felt a little more stable, reassured that I was getting much of the greens I needed but couldn't tolerate eating yet, and--hallelujah!--they were even helping my constipation.

6- The next thing I found that helped was having an NAET treatment (see my article about NAET here). During that treatment I wasn't at all surprised to find out that my minerals were "all out of whack." My provider balanced my minerals and I felt considerably better. Since then I haven't craved salt like I did and only need orange juice a couple times a week instead of every day. I also feel like I'm doing much better getting the nutrients I need from my food and assimilating them properly, which I wasn't doing before.

7- While I was at my NAET provider's, she also did some Emotion Code work on me (see my article here). That always helps, without fail. It also reminded me that I need to be doing the Emotion Code on myself more regularly, since I can and it works.

8- A couple weeks later I went back for another NAET/Emotion Code/Energy treatment as a follow-up to my last appointment. I was doing much better by then but was still having trouble assimilating protein. I felt like anytime I ate protein other than dairy, my whole body shut down to digest it. That is a very uncomfortable, unnerving experience! Plus, it's not convenient for a mom of three young children. My provider helped with that and I've been concentrating on adding more varied proteins back into my diet, such as (fresh) eggs, chicken, turkey, red meat, nuts, and beans. (I haven't done well with the latter yet, which used to be one of the staples of my diet, but I did successfully eat and enjoy hummus last week, so we're making progress!) I really do feel much more stable when I eat the proteins my body needs.

© Remyrw | Dreamstime Stock Photos

9- Finally, I've been noticing that I don't have a good reaction to products with processed soy, corn, or other GMO foods. We don't eat many processed foods, but for those we do eat I've been watching labels even more closely for soybean oil and ingredients made with corn--which are in almost everything. I've had to pay extra for non-GMO tortilla chips and even forego eating the delicious corn on the cob we've receive that isn't organic and therefore almost certainly GMO. Sadness... But it's worth not feeling crappy the next day.

10- The last thing that has helped recently, on days when the nausea returns, is the Sea Bands my sister sent me. I'd never used them before a few days ago and I've been impressed! They really do work to reduce nausea, and quickly. My sister-in-law wears Psi Bands during pregnancy, which are another type of acupressure band, and they really help her also. I wish I had known about them 10 years ago, when I was pregnant with my first!

So there's the saga, forever documented before I forget! I hope at least one of these ideas helps you or a woman you love who is suffering with the effects of "morning" sickness. And if it's you, hang in there! You're not alone and you will get through this. :)

Telogen Effluvium and on Being a Survivor

My hair now

I've jokingly told my kids they can call me "fuzzy head" and have wondered how many others around me have noticed my perpetual "bad hair days." I haven't let it bug me too much, trying instead to just focus on how grateful I am that it's growing back in. Although, some days I wish I had a shirt that says something like I'm a Pneumonia and Childbirth Survivor. Those who have been through grueling cases of one or both of these can empathize with me. The problem, in my case, was that I went through both within two months of each other. (I've written about this a few times here.)

My hair at about 6 months pregnant

During pregnancy, the rate of my hair growth increases (and it normally grows fast) and I lose very little, so I have great "pregnant hair"! But a few months after I have the baby, all that hair I retained begins falling out in clumps. It's always alarming, but I've learned that it's normal and I'll be okay. This last time, however, my hair started falling out within a couple months after my son was born, and a couple months later it still hadn't quit. In fact, my hair loss seemed to have accelerated, and I was truly beginning to feel frantic. About five months after the birth of my baby, my hair loss finally slowed down and I discovered "baby hairs" growing back in--all over my head. Thus, "fuzzy head." As I had lost a fourth to a third of my total hair volume, this discovery came as a great relief!

It wasn't until my mom happened to mention her hair loss last fall that I realized there might be a pneumonia connection, since she had also had pneumonia that summer (a month before I had it). So I decided to do some research and found out there is actually a scientific name for this condition: Telogen Effluvium. It "occurs when sudden or severe stress causes an increase in the shedding of the hair. In Telogen effluvium a sudden or stressful event can cause the hair follicles to prematurely stop growing and enter into a resting phase. The hair will then stay in the resting phase for about 3 months after which time a large amount of hair will be shed. (This other site says it may only take 1 month, which was closer to my case.) Often the person involved will have recovered from the event before the hair loss occurs. In most cases the hair loss is temporary and the hair soon recovers." (see this link for more information)

For me, this has felt anything but soon. It has now been a year since my baby was born and I have a long way to go to get back to the very long, fairly thick hair I had last year at this time (I had to keep having it cut shorter and shorter as it became thinner and thinner). At least my hair does grow fast and it is growing back.

Until then, I'll just keep remembering I'm a survivor.

Waiting to Cut the Cord

Our new baby is now three weeks old and I feel the need to write a post about waiting to cut the cord, which was one of the things that my husband and I decided to do differently this time around. I had read enough about the benefits of waiting to want to give our baby that advantage, and now I am learning even more. Here is an excerpt from my account of our baby's birth, detailing other unexpected benefits we experienced:

"We wanted to let the baby's cord stop pulsing before it was cut, and [our doctor] was happy to comply, so for the first time I got to hold my baby without any kind of intervention in between, with only a blanket between me and his bloody, vernix-coated body. He seemed to share my exhaustion and utter relief that it was over. When the doctor first held him up, his whole body was purple; I don't remember the girls being quite that color. But it didn't take long for him to start looking more pink, and we admired all his little parts. I was surprised at how long it took the blood in the cord to drain back into him. But it was so nice to have all that time with him just to myself... I kept wondering when I would have pains to deliver the placenta, but that didn't happen until [my husband] cut the cord [about 20 minutes later]... Things have always happened so quickly after delivery that I've never gotten the chance to see the cord or the placenta, so this time I asked if I could see them. [The doctor] was happy to oblige and gave us...Placenta Basics 101, which was very interesting. It really seemed that taking that time to let the cord stop pulsing slowed everything down and made the post-birth experience gentler and more peaceful. We definitely want to repeat that!"

So, what are some of the benefits to waiting, from a medical standpoint? This site calls cord blood "liquid gold" and says that even waiting 30 seconds to cut the cord is beneficial to baby because "this blood contains a high number of red blood cells; it is iron rich and contains maternal antibodies... Higher red blood cell flow to vital organs in the first week was noted, and term infants had less anemia at 2 months and increased duration of early breastfeeding."

A lot of people nowadays are having the cord blood saved for possible future needs, but as the above site points out, the blood belongs to baby, so why not give it back to him?

Another site contains an article written by a midwife, who states that, "Scientific methods are now able to prove that our standard immediate cord clamping protocol is an intervention that needlessly deprives a baby of a substantial percentage of his or her own blood supply and is one of the most major and potentially lethal inventions possible from the perspective of the baby's wellbeing." This site also contains numerous other articles on this and related topics that are quite interesting.

Another benefit (and one I didn't know beforehand) is that "delayed cord clamping ensures that a baby receives important clotting factors" (see this site, which includes pictures). I find this ironic, since babies born in hospitals in the United States are routinely given a shot of vitamin K, which provides artificial clotting factors (and which we declined this time)--after their cords have been clamped quickly. ???

So if you're expecting or are planning/hoping to have another child (or your first), this is a topic you may want to look into in more detail so as to make the most informed decision you can. It's such an easy thing to do for your baby to get him started healthily on the outside of you, and it can also sweeten the bonding experience, as I detailed above.

When Intervention is Neccessary

I think anyone who knows me would consider me conservative by nature. And if you've followed my blog for any length of time, you know that along with this conservatism comes the constant pursuit of doing everything as naturally as possible. Which extends to childbirth. In fact, if I could, I might even be one of those who would prefer to give birth at home, as a few of my cousins have (on both sides of my family).

But I can't. And the reason is that I can't do everything naturally when it comes to childbirth. Most things, yes, but not everything. My body simply doesn't do what it's supposed to, so I need some medical intervention to have a successful delivery and a healthy baby. While this saddens and frustrates me, I am grateful I live now and not 100 years ago--or less.

This story actually begins back when I, myself, was a baby. I was my parents' first child and, therefore, my mom had no idea what her body needed in order to give birth to me. Her own mother had no trouble, so I imagine she expected to be the same way. But she wasn't. Being the amazing woman she is, and having an incredible ability to withstand pain (and for an unbelievable length of time), she somehow survived laboring with me for 8 days. Yes, you read that right: Labor pains every five minutes for eight days! Thirty-one years later I am still flabbergasted by this knowledge. I wouldn't have been able to do the same in her position, even though I have a high pain threshold as well. And I sincerely hope that no medical professionals today would allow such a scenario to play itself out like that.

(In actuality, this story goes back at least to my maternal great-grandmother, who almost died giving birth to her first child because she had been in labor for so long and wasn't dilating enough to have him. With any luck, maybe this family "curse," which skipped my maternal grandmother, will also skip my daughters.)

As it turned out, when my mother finally refused to be sent home from the hospital again, the doctor finally gave her Pitocin, and then I was born, less than an hour later. Hearing this story my whole life, I always hoped I wouldn't be the same. Especially once I learned that Pitocin often actually makes contractions more intense and painful. But when I was one day shy of 41 weeks pregnant with my first child, with no sign of going into labor (my cervix was dilated to a 2 and supposedly very effaced, but that was it), my certified nurse midwife (CNM) stripped my membranes in an effort to get me going. A few hours later I knew I was finally in labor, but after about 17 hours, my cervix was still only at a 3 1/2. That was devastating news! And the contractions were not being consistent or productive. I was exhausted by this point and almost at the end of my rope, not to mention terrified this first time. It was recommended that I be started on Pitocin to help my contractions do their job. And my midwife, who normally wouldn't recommend an epidural, told me that she felt that in order to make it through to the end, especially with the addition of the Pitocin, I should probably have one. I agreed. (Unfortunately, this didn't prove to provide much relief at all, since the baby was posterior and, as a result, I experienced excruciating back labor, but couldn't keep moving to help me deal with the pain.)

Well, to make a long story a little shorter, the Pitocin eventually did the trick and I delivered my firstborn after 22 hours of labor--vaginally but with the help of forceps. (The medical staff determined that the baby's heart rate kept plummeting too low and they needed to get her out, even though I wasn't yet dilated to a 10.) My first daughter finally came into the world, then, but due to her being post-term and with all the pressure (literally) and stress of a long, difficult labor she was born with meconium aspiration and had to stay in the hospital for almost a week.

From this experience I learned 1) that my body, like my mother's, needs Pitocin in order for my cervix to dilate, and 2) that I don't want to have another epidural if I can possibly avoid it. (Not being able to move to help myself combat the pain was almost as bad as the pain itself--not to mention the fact that being stuck flat on your back increases your chances of having the baby rotate to a posterior position, which I think now may have actually been what made her rotate.)

And so, I found out what intervention I need. I joke that without Pitocin I would still be pregnant with my 6-year-old, but the truth is, I would probably have died (assuming there were no other possible interventions, such as c-section--which I sincerely hope never to have to have). In fact, if not for this same intervention, I probably would have died as a baby in my mother's womb, and she with me.

And so, while I wish I could have my babies completely naturally, I have learned what my body needs and am just grateful for the option. And I hope that this third time around will be as smooth and successful as the second! Because, if all goes as planned, I will be having my baby today. (Don't worry, I wrote this weeks ago and scheduled it to post automatically.)

When I was 39 weeks with my second baby, my cervix, once again, reached a 2 by itself, and was supposedly very effaced. But that was it. Again. And I felt very strongly that going overdue again would not do me or the baby any good, like it hadn't last time. So my midwife stripped my membranes and I hoped that that would get me going like it had the previous time. But other than give me more Braxton Hicks that tired me out but didn't keep going, nothing else happened. So my midwife scheduled an induction a couple days later. I was nervous about that, but up for the challenge. My midwife did everything in the right order for me: she started the medication slowly, waited before breaking my water, etc, and it worked like a dream. And from when my Pitocin-induced contractions began until our second daughter was born was only four hours. Four versus 22 truly felt like a miracle! In fact, it was exhilarating. With no epidural and a better sense for how to move and deal with the pain (and relax in between contractions and not be so scared and tense), my cervix responded so quickly to the medicine that I was at a 9 before I could even use the hot tub.

All of the above is why, despite all the studies (here's one) that say inductions can cause other (sometimes long-term) problems to Mom and/or baby, and knowing that being induced greatly raises the risk of having to have other interventions, I am one of those women who honestly and truly needs Pitocin. And this is sometimes a hard matter for me, because I believe that the percentage of inductions in this country is way too high, as it is for c-sections. And what is most troubling to me is that many of these two types of inductions are done purely for convenience's sake. Of course, there are also many other women who feel the same way I do about this, and some of them have expressed disapproval on finding out that I have a planned induction. I don't feel that I should have to explain my reasons to anyone, but at the same time I want to be understood. And I guess, in light of my own needs, I shouldn't jump to judgment on others, since I don't know all the details about other women either...

Evening Primrose Oil

The last few weeks of my last pregnancy, my Certified Nurse Midwife suggested I add Evening Primrose Oil to my daily regimen of Red Raspberry Leaf. She explained to me how it can help soften and ripen the cervix and prepare it for labor. Being an herb person anyway, and knowing from my first labor experience how much help my cervix needs, I was game. And I believe that it, along with the Red Raspberry Leaf, are part of the reason my second labor was so much more effective and productive and went so much better and faster. Going from 22 hours to 4 hours felt miraculous, as you can imagine. And instead of my cervix never even getting to a 10 (like the first time), the second time I was at a 9 before I realized it.

I can't find where I wrote down anywhere my CNMs suggested dosage (and I now have an OB since, sadly, there aren't any CNMs in my town), so I've been doing the research again to figure out how much I should take. I remember waiting until 36 weeks to begin taking Evening Primrose Oil last time, and the information I've found online confirms that. So last week I started to take it orally, two or three capsules a day. I will increase it weekly thereafter, and at about 38 weeks I will also begin inserting a capsule(s) vaginally at bedtime (which is actually the most effective method).

For others who are interested in learning more about this natural way of helping to prepare your body for labor (which, by the way, studies indicate it will only do if your body is ready to be helped), and what Evening Primrose actually is and contains, check out the following sites:

Pregnant Health
Families.com
Passionate Homemaking (which also discusses its other, non-pregnancy uses)

More About Red Raspberry Leaf

Now that I've reached the last four weeks of my pregnancy, it's time to again increase my intake of Red Raspberry Leaf. So I've been doing some more research on it, and once again I am amazed. This is truly an incredible herb.

I've posted twice before about RRL (here and here), but I recently found some more information about it at this blog that is even more extensive than what BirthSource.com lists. And let me reiterate that while it is especially beneficial for pregnant women--for many different reasons--it is not only for pregnancy, nor is it exclusively for women. (For example, one cool thing about it is it can lower blood sugar levels in diabetics.)

This time around I loved learning (or relearning) that RRL has:

-Rich concentrations of vitamin C
-Vitamin E
-Easily assimilated calcium and iron
-Manganese and magnesium
-Vitamin A
-Vitamin B complex
-Many minerals including phosphorous and potassium

Also, I learned that "Studies show that women taking RRL have a reduced incidence of artificial rupture of membranes, forceps delivery, or cesarean." Awesome!

In addition, the author of the above blog lists ideas of where to buy RRL (whether you prefer loose leaf tea, tea bags, or capsules). Like me, the author believes that tea is the most easily assimilated and immediate method of ingesting RRL, and she also gives directions on the proper way to make the tea, if you've never done it before, as well as a general guide of how much to drink. (Oh, and she even wrote a followup of the dramatic difference she experienced between the labor experience of her first child and that of her second, due in large part to RRL.)

So, whatever your stage in life, whether you are male or female, if you don't know the specs about Red Raspberry Leaf, educate yourself today! Hopefully I'm not the only one who thinks this stuff is fascinating...