Wednesday, July 24, 2013

BABY IS HERE!

Baby Ho was born July 15, 2013 Monday at 12:22 am or 0:22.

Zara Elise Ho

Weight 8 lbs 1.3 oz
Length 19 inches

Both Me and Baby are doing well and sleeping when we can.




Monday, July 22, 2013

Mal Positioned Baby


As I get close to the end of the pregnancy I realize that it is important to work on baby positioning.  It is important because you want a more comfortable labor.  So there are several types of baby positions that will cause you and your doctor distress.  The general term for a improper positioning is mal position and this is a baby in breech position, transverse position or any position that isn’t head down.
The above positions are the ones that can lead to Cesarean Birth’s, this isn’t because a women is unable to deliver in this position it is because very few doctor’s will deliver in the breech position due to risks of baby getting stuck, and insurance risk. 

The optimal position of a baby is the anterior position, which means the baby is facing or it’s nose, is point toward the mom’s spine, with head down toward moms feet.  If a baby is still head down but is facing away from the spine we call this posterior position and many woman deliver in this position the only negative to this position is that it can make labor harder and cause more back labor. 

So one of the ways to make sure you have baby in an optimal position is to get monthly chiropractic care during pregnancy, more if you are having back pain and discomfort.  The other way to help yourself is yoga during the pregnancy, which helps stretching, and you to move into optimal positions.  If you do have a mal positioned baby you can get treatment called Webster technique which helps turn baby into the correct position whether you are transverse, breech or even posterior.  One way to help yourself at home is to look up the following website which helps you do positions that help move baby into the correct position.

Great Baby Resource:

http://www.spinningbabies.com/  

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Natural Ways of Induction:



I am now two days past my due date.  However, only 5% of women actually deliver on their due date.  Babies have a way of coming when they want to.  But if you are impatient like me and have a schedule to keep like I do you may need the comfort of trying out some natural induction techniques. 

Here are some of the most common ways to encourage baby to be on your time schedule:


Ø  Chiropractic adjustments – my favorite
Ø  Walking lots and lots
Ø  Spicy foods
Ø  Acupuncture – not my favorite due to needles but they can do acupressure also
Ø  Sex – well isn’t that everyone’s favorite?
Ø  Nipple stimulation – you can use a breast pump for this
Ø  Uterine Tonic Tinctures (black cohosh, evening primrose oil)
Ø  Caster oil – talk to your doctor first as this can have some unpleasant side-effects
Ø  Lots of bouncing on a ball
Ø  Massage therapy
Ø  Reflexology Points – helps some but not everyone

I have been walking, taking the Uterine Tonic since 37 weeks,  eating spicy foods as they are my favorite, doing some acupuncture, bouncing on the ball and tomorrow will go get a massage if nothing exciting is happening.

Friday, July 5, 2013

Pregnant, with a Cold!




What happens if you are pregnant and get a cold?  Well, in my case I have a cold with only about one week before my due date and I am having trouble breathing which means sleeping is even harder. 

The approach to take is the botanical medicine side of treatment, which has limitations due to pregnancy. 

I am taking Vitamin C, Acer Campestrae, probiotics and Sambucus to help clear the cold.  However I am doing even more to help the congestion move out of my head and help my body heal and prepare for labor.

Acupuncture can be an excellent treatment for head colds and stimulating your natural immune system to help heal.  It prevents the cold from staying trapped and turning into a sinus infection, which for me is really important since I don’t want to have antibiotics in my system with the baby.

Here I am at our clinic getting needled, which as you may know is hard for me since I don’t like needles. But it was worth it because I feel a lot better!  Acupuncture works for many other health concerns as well. If you’re interested, check out the wonderful acupuncturists in our office!


Monday, July 1, 2013

Last Month Supplement Additions






Supplements I am taking towards the end of my pregnancy.

There are some important supplements to begin taking at about 34 weeks.


Just as I advise my patients, I am taking Pregnancy Tea Plus Tincture. Since I don’t always drink enough tea, I am getting it in a concentrated liquid form. This tincture helps prepare the uterus, and body for birth, promotes a speedier labor and assists in the process of recovery. 


Around 1-2 months before the due date, I also suggest taking HMF Intensive, a powerful probiotic that helps reduce the incidence of testing Strep B positive requiring antibiotics for you or your baby, which can mess with a delicate digestive tract.  Please note that I also continue probiotics at this high level for 1-month post-partum then switch to HMF Forte, which is more of a maintenance dosage. 


At exactly 36 weeks I have patients start taking a really good evening primrose oil which helps soften the cervix and prepare the body for labor.  This can be done orally or vaginally. Please consult your doctor first. 

On our website you can see a list of homeopathic supplements that I will start taking during week 37 to help the body have a wonderful labor!

http://in-healthclinic.com/homeopathic-labor-kit/