Getting him here proved to be much more difficult than expected.  I’d put together my birth “plan” months before the anticipated due date, little did I know that a plan doesn’t necessarily apply to birthing a baby….

Plan A: a home birth sometime between July 31st and August 12th.  Just Fitzroy, my midwife, and I.

Plan B: as his due date passed and he was over a week late I pulled out all the stops with natural induction methods:  walking, lunges, intercourse, primrose oil, homeopathics, herbs, acupuncture, I even drank the dreaded castor oil; that was a rough night.  No sign of labor….

Plan C: once he was 2 weeks and 1 day late, off I went to the hospital to start the induction process.  The doctor basically blew up a balloon in my cervix to dilate it manually.  This was supposed to get labor started but 24 hours later the only thing I was experiencing was cramping.

Onto Plan D:  Tuesday 11am, after taking out the balloon, I was dilated 2 cm but still not in labor, we needed something else to get this show on the road.  At 2:30pm my midwife started me on oxytocin at which point I became a transfer of care: no longer under the care of a midwife, now under medical supervision.  At 4:30pm they broke my water with a hook of sorts and by 6:30pm contractions were 2 minutes apart and became more intense as the evening progressed.  At 9:30pm I was able to take a bath for some pain relief (this isn’t standard practice once you’ve been induced because of the IV and the heart rate monitors, but my nurse allowed me 15 minutes in the tub, love her for it!).  By midnight the pain was unbearable but I held out hope because from what I knew: the more pain the more progress, so I was hopeful that I’d be at least 7cm by this point…when they came to check me I was still only 2cm!!!!!!!!!

Plan E: 2:30am, an epidural was the only remaining option, my body wasn’t responding to the oxytocin, which I’d maxed out on, so the thought was that maybe an epidural would help relax my cervix and give me some much needed rest.  As scary as it was to have it administered, it brought much relief.  More disappointing news came in the morning when they checked me again at 7:00am and I’d still not dilated passed 2 cm, seriously stubborn cervix!!!!!!!!  I knew what was coming….

Plan F: C-section.

I really wanted to be writing a blog sharing my story about a beautiful home birth.  Things didn’t turn out that way, but I’m able to write a blog about a beautiful baby boy that makes everything that I went through ok.  Yes, I know, women have c-sections all the time and some even schedule them; it’s just not what I had envisioned for myself, in fact prior to, it was my worst nightmare.

After trying every natural induction technique I could think of, then trying every medical induction technique available to me there really wasn’t any choice.

Tavius Christopher Ford came out 8lbs 8oz, 22 inches long; as healthy as a horse.  His head wasn’t descended into the pelvis and apparently that’s why I never went into labor…perhaps its the shape/size of my pelvis or maybe his head wasn’t coming down in the right position. Who knows.

If I’ve learned anything through this process it’s empathy.  Empathy for the difficult decisions moms have to make throughout their parenting journey.  No matter how informed you are and no matter how strongly you feel about certain parenting choices; sometimes you have no choice.  That goes for pregnancy, labor, breastfeeding (or not), and all the other major choices that will be made for the next 20 years.  Black and white no longer applies.

Sounds cliche but I’m just thankful that he’s happy and healthy.  I’ll recover too.

I’m also thankful that the medical system was there for me when I really needed it.

Thanks Fitz, Mom, and Justine for getting me through when the chips were down, it would’ve been nearly impossible without you!

Sharing my birth story is therapeutic in a way, I think it’s important for women to talk about the joy, uncertainty, fear, and excitement around having a baby.  Feel free to leave a comment telling me a little about your birth story if you wish.

Here are a couple more picture of Tavius, he’s amazing

Herbs have been used throughout history for their therapeutic actions on the body and even today still the majority of drugs have their origin in plant materials.  Herbs are used for their active ingredients to make potent drugs, however, in herbal medicine the belief is that the whole plant should be used for healing; like mother nature intended.

Why do I like herbal medicine so much?  It’s safe, inexpensive, natural, has a gentle action on  the body (in most cases), and covers a broad range of health issues.  Herbs have endless uses in the body: they cleanse the blood, relieve pain, remove toxins & mucus, relieve nausea, reduce inflammation, improve digestion, act as a laxative, balance hormones, reduce fevers, tone the nervous system, act as a sedative, and the list goes on…The trick is to find the right herbs for the right situation…that’s where a herbalist comes in.

I had a herb-full day today.  I’m waiting for my baby to arrive and he’s over due (definitely doesn’t take after me in that respect)…I’m not freaking out but in the back of my mind I know that if he doesn’t come soon I’ll have to be induced which I’m desperately trying to avoid.

Today, in my attempt to try and get things moving, I went to my second acupuncture session at an amazing Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic.  First thing she did was give me a handful of herbs and some tea, she said they were to support my organs through the birth process.  Both yesterday and today I walked out of my appointment and felt immense pressure in my pelvis, which is the feeling I’ve been waiting for; the acupuncture and herbs are doing the trick!

Right after my appointment I went to Thuna Herbals on the Danforth and picked up some lactation tea to help bring in my milk once the baby arrives, as well I got a herbal perineum bath to expediate healing of my nether-regioin after the birth, good times, I know!  I have to say the customer service there isn’t great, but I got what I was looking for:

Next time you have an ache, a pain, some inflammation, or healing you want to deal with, why not try some herbs rather than head straight for the pharmacy?

You know what they say, “don’t judge a book by its cover!”

I went to the Farmers Market in Milton last weekend and bought a beautiful basket of peaches but because I also bought blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries the peaches were forgotten.  I went to eat one yesterday and they were way too ripe and the majority were bruised.  I decided to make a peach crisp that I changed up a little from Elana’s Pantry.

It’s different than your average crisp or crumble in that it’s not very crispy or crumbly; it’s got a personality of it’s own.  Elana called for grapeseed oil, whereas I went with organic butter, the choice is yours.  For baking, I like quality butter, it provides the body with necessary fat soluble vitamins and strengthens the cell wall.  This morning I had the “crisp” for breakfast with plain organic yogurt sprinkled with ground flaxseeds, it was wonderful!

Peach Raspberry Crisp

• 6 large peaches, sliced
• 2/3 cup raspberries
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp arrowroot powder (helps to keep the contents somewhat intact, buy it at your local health food store)
• 11/2 cups ground almonds (use your food processor and grind until the almonds are as finely ground as possible)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda (aluminum free)
• 1/4-1/2 cup organic butter (melted)-I used 1/2 a cup but would use less next time
• 1/8 cup raw agave nectar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place peaches and raspberries in a casserole dish and sprinkle with lemon juice, vanilla, and arrowroot powder.  Mix well
3. In a separate bowl combine ground almonds, sea salt, baking soda, organic butter, and agave
4. Pour almond topping evenly over the peaches
5. Bake covered for 45 minutes.  Check regularly to avoid burning the top
6. Once removed from the oven take off the top to avoid trapping moisture, believe me, this dish is already moist enough!
7. Serve warm or cold.  You may find the butter hardens if kept in the fridge, simply melt it out on low heat in a saucepan before eating.

Enjoy!

The average person doesn’t drink nearly enough water: 20% of people don’t drink any water at all and 42% of people only drink 2 glasses of water per day.  Combine that with the fact that many of us consume coffee, pop, alcohol, milk, and juice which dehydrate the body further; most people are walking around chronically dehydrated.  Dehydration is linked to many health problems; when there isn’t enough water to effectively move nutrients throughout the body and to clear toxins from the system things like diabetes, arthritis, asthma, depression, heartburn, headaches, just to name a few, are likely to develop.

So we know that water is necessary for basic human health, everyone has different needs as far as quantity is concerned, but a good rule of thumb is 1.5-2 litres daily.  Seems simple enough: drink the recommended amounts of water and be healthy!  Not so fast…..

Where are you getting your drinking water from?  Most of us drink tap water which is likely contaminated with bacteria and definitely contaminated with chlorine, disinfectant products, heavy metals, pesticides, plastics, and that’s only to name the most common.

When I started to learn about all of the things I was consuming along with my tap water I couldn’t possibly continue to drink it.  I was revolted.  I’d been using Brita filters for years, but wasn’t diligent in changing the filter and know that bacteria is often the result of such laziness.  Also, to get ideal results, water must be cold to avoid the release of contaminants….I only drink room temperature water.  The Brita was starting to feel like a second rate option.

I decided to have a reverse osmosis (RO) unit installed and I’ll never look back.  RO can remove much smaller particles than a carbon block filter, particles about 100 times smaller!  They rid the water of chlorine (in most cases), fluoride, bacteria, parasites, pesticides, solvents (if carbon filter is included), heavy metals, and minerals (which you can obtain through excellent diet and a quality supplement program).

Here’s what our looks like:

Unlimited clean drinking water, best investment ever!  The company we went with is Neptune Systems, a small company that’s been around for years.  416 488 7072 if you want to inquire about their products and prices.

Cheers, to a contaminant free drink of water!

At least I have my new favorite smoothie that gives me some relief from the heat.  This concoction was inspired by a smoothie I once had at Fresh.  It tastes like a specialty milk shake and is kind to the digestive system at the same time.  Sometimes eating meals in this type of heat can be a drag, the best thing about smoothies in this weather is that they can be nutrient-dense and satisfying without feeling like you’ve got a ton of bricks in your gut.  Oh, and they only take minutes to prepare.

Try this one for size, especially if you’re a coffee lover:

Ban-Almond Mocha

• 1 frozen banana (I recommend peeling and pre-cutting your bananas before freezing them)
• 1 tbsp almond butter- the fat and protein from the almonds helps to keep blood sugar balanced)
• 1 cup organic or swiss water decaf coffee- prepare the night before and refrigerate so that it goes into the blender cold, the stronger the better!
• Enough unsweetened almond milk to just cover the bananas
• 1/2-1 tbsp maple syrup- you may want your smoothie sweeter but better to start with less then add more later
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cocao powder (ideally raw)

Optional additions: 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds, 1 scoop protein powder.

Add to the blender and enjoy for breakfast, dessert, or a snack!

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

With few exceptions, most women I come into contact with in Toronto nurse covered up with a hooter hider of sorts, or they save nursing for the privacy of their home and bottle feed in public (whether it be formula or expressed milk), and they usually wean the baby off the breast around the 6 month mark.  So, when I came back from my time in Victoria, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of “I wish I was raising my child there”…less social pressure…I can admit it: I easily fall victim to peer pressure.

There are so many benefits to breastfeeding; I’d hate to think that a woman would cut the process short, be stressed during nursing, or stay at home to avoid the situation all together just because of the social pressures of living in a cosmopolitan economic hub.  I remember, during my last couple months of working at a restaurant catering to corporate clientele in the financial district of Toronto, a woman came in with an infant requesting a table for one.  She was taken to a seat near the mens washroom and created a huge fuss amongst the men in suits; her baby was hungry, naturally, she nursed him.  Obviously, I get it, it made some of the men who aren’t used to seeing breasts in that context uncomfortable, but on the other hand it really pissed me off; her baby needed to eat and she shouldn’t have to hide in a bathroom stall to feed him!

The emotional and physical benefits of breastfeeding our children are not in question, all of the research indicates that breast milk is the most ideal food for babies.  I can only hope that if I’m lucky enough to be physically able to breastfeed, I’ll also be strong enough to endure the sideways glances and nurse my baby in peace, wherever I am.

I want to hear from you!  What are your thoughts on the subject?  I encourage you to post your comments on the blog so that we can have an open chat about it!

Summer’s here and along with it comes glorious sunshine that gives us that healthy glow.  Most people love having a tan; it makes us look younger and healthier.

Now that I’ve crossed over into my 30’s and have a baby on the way I figure it’s time to start being more responsible with my skin care.  I’ll admit that I’ve spent more than my fair share of time in the sun “au natural” without much sun protection.

Diet, for me, is always the first place to start; a diet rich in antioxidants (berries and leafy greens) and a healthy supply of omega 3 fats (fish oil and flaxseed oil) protect the skin and allows it to work in synergy with the sun.  Covering up is another logical step; investing in a quality pair of sunglasses, busting out a  great sun hat (not for me because my head is too big and hats ruin my hair), sitting in the shade, and wearing loose long sleeved shirts are simple ways to protect yourself from the sun’s harsh rays.  Then come the sunscreens, and believe me, not all can be treated equally.

Many of us assume that to protect our skin we can simply lather on sunscreen with a high SPF and we’re good to go.  According to a recent article by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) many popular sunscreens just aren’t cutting it.  They rated only 8% of sunscreens as safe and effective!  Here are a couple of their primary concerns:

• Exaggerated SPFs are giving people a false sense of security.  Yes, they may prevent sunburn but provide little protection against harmful UVA radiation.  Consider any SPF over 50 a red flag.
• Many sunscreens use a form of Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) that’s suspected to speed the growth of skin lesions and tumors…eeks!
• A hormone disrupting product called oxybenzone that penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream has also been detected in most sunscreens.  To me, this is of special concern for children who have porous skin and are usually being lathered in sunscreen by protective parents.

To find out how your sunscreen rates and for a list of the EWG’s top rated sunscreens check out this section of their site: 2010 Sunscreen Guide

Worries about not getting enough vitamin D?  In order to achieve the daily recommended amounts of vitamin D we need 30 minutes of sun exposure daily-any more than 30 minutes does not provide added benefits.  This exposure should occur during the peak hours of the day between 11am and 2pm.  Now, some people work indoors and can’t get out during those hours and others don’t want to sit in the sun for worry of skin damage or heat intolerance.  If you’re one of those people continue supplementing with vitamin D throughout the summer months

Yours In Health,

Nutritious Meg

]]> http://nutritiousmeg.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=278 http://nutritiousmeg.com/blog/?p=271 http://nutritiousmeg.com/blog/?p=271#comments Tue, 01 Jun 2010 01:25:17 +0000 Meghan Ford http://nutritiousmeg.com/blog/?p=271 As the weather changes and refreshing beverages become a must, I decided to fashion a pregnancy drink that I can savour throughout the upcoming summer months.  It’s an iced tea/virgin mojito that’s perfect for a hot day with friends while they’re enjoying coronas.

It’s super easy to make, delicious (not only for the pregnant chicks), and contains helpful herbs for pregnancy.  First there’s Raspberry Leaf which has a long tradition of use in pregnancy to strengthen and tone the tissue of the uterus.  It is also known to  reduce morning sickness and assist in contractions during labour if taken throughout pregnancy.  The second herb I incorporated was Nettle which is known to reduce swelling commonly in the legs and ankles, improve elasticity of the veins reducing the incidence of varicose and spider veins, and to relieve hemorrhage of the uterus during labour.

Pre-Natal Iced Tea

• Traditional Medicinals Organic Raspberry Leaf Tea: 3 bags
• Traditional Medicinals Organic Nettle Tea: 3 bags
• 4 tbsps honey
• Juice from 3 organic lemons
• 1 sprig of mint

1. Boil water and fill a standard size tea pot, steep all 6 tea bags for 15-20 minutes.  Ensure tea pot is covered with the lid
2. After 10 minutes stir in honey and allow to steep for 5-10 more minutes
3. Fill a large jug with ice, pour tea over the ice, allow to cool
4. Add lemon juice and stir
5. When ready to serve, tear up a mint sprig over ice and add the tea.

If you really want to get the party started, add a splash of sparkling water!

I love trying recipes that have new ingredients in them, once I’ve tried the dish of choice I decide whether or not the new ingredient is a keeper.  This is how I’ve come to have some interesting new things in my pantry- umeboshi paste, all types of seaweed, Bragg’s seasoning, tamari, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, rice paper, cacao nibs, guar gum, etc…I don’t use these items on an everyday basis, but they’re great to have around for when needed in a recipe.

Tonight I wanted to try miso.  I’m almost embarassed to admit that it’s taken me this long to give it a go…better late than never!  Miso is produced when soy and a grain are combined with salt and mold culture.  This combination is left to ferment and become a paste.  Miso is rich in B vitamins, minerals, and protein.  It’s also very flavourful and contains live cultures that aid in digestion.

This recipe is rich and warming with a textured crunchy freshness.  Great meal for this all-over-the-place weather we’re experiencing.

Miso Walnut Soba Noodles

• 6 ounces soba noodles
• 1 small bunch aparagus, cut into quarters

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
• 1/4 extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium clove garlic
• 2 tbsp white miso paste
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup water, for desired consistency

Topping options (be creative):

• Chives, chopped
• Cucumber chunks
• Carrots
• Diced and lightly blanched chard
• Fennel slivers
• Toasted almonds

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, sea salt generously and cook the soba as per the package instructions.
2. About 15 seconds before you plan to drain the pasta add the asparagus to the pot.
3. Drain the pasta and asparagus and toss with about 1/2 the walnut miso dressing.  I’d recommend making the dressing before cooking the pasta.
4. To make the dressing, use a food processor, magic bullet, or hand blender to puree garlic, walnuts, olive oil, miso paste, honey, vinegar, and sea salt.  Add warm water a bit at a time until the dressing is the consistency of a heavy cream.
5. Add as much or as little dressing as you’d like and toss well.
6. Arrange pasta and asparagus in a shallow bowl and garnish generously with toppings.

For the meat eaters out there: this recipe may taste great with some grilled free range chicken.  Any leftover dressing should be kept for the next days salad or quinoa.

Go on, be bold in kitchen, try something new!  For me, miso is a keeper.

Leek & Potato Smoked Salmon Dill Soup

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 leek, chopped
• 2 potatoes, scrubbed, not peeled, and chopped
• 4 cups Pacifica low sodium chicken stock
• 3 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tbsp organic chopped dill
• 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 150g wild caught smoked salmon, roughly chopped
• sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

1. Place oil and leek in saucepan over medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes of until soft.
2. Add the potatoes and stock, bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cover for 8 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
3. Place mixture in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and on low heat, add the almond milk, dill, and lemon.  Gently heat until warm…for almond milk integrity do not bring to a boil.
5. Stir through smoked salmon, salt & pepper, serve.  Serves 4