Practical 'must haves' for crunchy moms (Part 2)
Some of my tried & true for pregnancy, postpartum, & beyond
📣🎉In case you missed yesterday’s announcement: July is my birth month and in celebration, I have some goodies to share! …I’m sending post cards to paid subscribers… there’s a new free resource and an upcoming slow living challenge (more on that in the chat)… I’ve created an ebook guide that will soon launch… aaannd some info on the mini-course! Get the details HERE!
Hello Friends,
As promised, I’m back with Part 2 - a roundup of practical natural health tools and tips which I have found extremely worthwhile in keeping Pumpkin and I happy campers in our first year together. If you missed it, Part 1 focused on mindfulness, positivity, and some musing on attitudes around motherhood.
Whether expecting for the first time, fifth time, or just looking for good gift ideas for the pregnant health-nut in your life, here’s what we’ll cover:
Health benefits of baby-wearing
Herbs in postpartum & wellness
A slow-living approved birth preparation course
The science of time outdoors to supercharge mother & baby’s health
Encouraging and informative books for labor and the first months
Perinatal nutritional tips (& what I wish I would have done differently!)
💞 Health benefits of baby-wearing
Ahh, baby wraps - an essential item for any mama’s ‘crunch kit’. Before Pumpkin was born, I thought that wraps were for transportation but I quickly discovered that Pumpkin (and I!) were most content when he was securely snuggled into me. In my practice, I’ve recommended baby-wearing for healthy hip & spine development, bonding, and comforting - but I didn’t know how soothing it would be as a mom!
As requested, how I wrap:
It’s not surprising that mothers and babies are biologically designed to be literally connected. The physical and emotional needs of both are intertwined - so much so, I believe wraps should be marketed as much for mother/baby health benefits as for transportation!
The science behind why newborns love being snuggled up skin-to-skin is robust and well known but there has been less emphasis on the benefits to mothers. Here’s the scoop:
For moms, baby-wearing/carrying can stimulate the release of oxytocin (which has many health benefits) and has been correlated with better outcomes all around. There’s convenience in having free hands and reassurance when baby is right there snug in the wrap. My own experience agreed with the research - that all of the above makes for a happier, healthier mom - which comes back around to better outcomes for baby too (Williams, L.R., & Turner, P.R., 2020a).
Additionally, secure attachment is essential for moms too! In a randomised control trial, the same researchers found that baby-wearing/carrying is similar in effectiveness to skin-to-skin contact in creating attachment security (Williams, L.R., & Turner, P.R., 2020b), which is essential for mothers to experience the bliss that is protective against the mental and physical effects of fatigue and stress.
I have tried several natural-fabric brands and Manduca wraps & carriers are my favorite.
🍵 Herbal medicine for postpartum and wellness
The perinatal moment is an excellent time to expand the crunch kit with herbs! With so many products containing noxious chemicals and the well-documented dangers of many OTC children’s medicines, such as those containing paracetamol (aka acetaminophen, aka Baby Tylenol), finding alternatives is becoming as much about safety as it is about natural living (Cendejas-Hernandez, J., et al., 2022).
Herbs have benefited me primarily as gentle medicine and as a source of nutrition, but I also employ them in household products and self-care. Over the years, I’ve slowly added one or two at a time to my medicine cabinet, taking time to get to know each as if it were a person - where it’s from, what it’s good at, historical mentions, and even how to incorporate into cooking and baking! So far, this year I have revisited the materia medica on dandelion, nettle, and have re-added catnip (Nepeta cataria) to my shelf.
Nettle and Catnip happen to be excellent for postpartum support:
Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) which can be found almost everywhere is a galactogue (helps milk supply) and provides many essential nutrients - especially those needed after bloodloss, such as in childbirth, and the demands of breastfeeding. It is especially high in iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc (Kregiel, D., et al., 2018). Mild in taste, and I particularly enjoy it in soups, smoothies (after it has been wilted or dried - don’t get stung!) or as a tea.
Catnip (Nepeta cataria), also called “catmint” has a pleasing citrusy-mint flavour and I love it as a tea. It has long been favoured by midwives as a gentle relaxing herb to ease tension in new mothers and may potentially help babies with colic, indirectly through breastmilk. It can also be used to make an effective bug repellant!
While I highly recommend supporting your local herbalist and connecting with nature through wild foraging, there are (thankfully) reputable herbal sources online that streamline the process of integrating herbs into your daily life. Earthley Wellness offers breastfeeding and baby-safe herbal remedies as well as cleaning products(!). In postpartum, I’ve been enjoying their “herbal multivitamin” called Nourish Her Naturally (which contains both catnip and nettle among other helpful herbs). Both Pumpkin and I use Baby Balm Salve and Feel Better Fast.
If you want to find an herbalist in your area, try the American Herbalist Guild directory. For those in Europe, check out this website.
🐣A slow living approved birth preparation course
Did you know that mindfulness practices are beneficial in pregnancy? As mindfulness poses about zero risk and there is evidence to support that it can reduce anxiety, depression, and stress in pregnancy, researchers are suggesting it as a part of a healthy pregnancy routine (Babar, S., et al., 2021).
Enter hypnobirthing…
In truth, I was initially skeptical. Late into the second trimester, it occurred to me that I would actually have to give birth and, unsurprisingly, I wanted it to be both natural and a positive experience. My (nearly) manic exploration of natural pain-management techniques that ensued is what led me to the epiphany that hypnobirthing is basically a mindfulness technique. From there, it was just pure luck that I happened to stumble across Christian Hypnobirthing’s Faith-Filled Birth Course* and then made a second discovery: that bringing spirituality into the equation was EXACTLY what I needed to fully trust this process and my body.
The online course is concise but complete and didn’t feel preachy or cater to any specific denomination. Essentially, it teaches the natural birthing process and pain reduction through the application of mindfulness and breathing techniques - with the reminder that women were created for this and that prayer and faith are powerful tools. The soothing audio tracks and guided meditations are amazing - I could listen to her voice foreeevvver… and left the experience feeling empowered and educated about physiological birth.…I also learned that it does NOT involve anyone being hypnotised.😉 *A postpartum course is also now also available! To get a 20% discount on either/both, use my code: CHESICA.
🌻The science of time outdoors to supercharge mother & baby’s health
There is A LOT of wonderfully fascinating information on this topic and I’m quite passion about it (if you can’t tell!), but in an effort to avoid overwhelming the new moms out there, I’m going to boil it down to 2 really important points and how to apply them…