Our Journey Onto the Growth Chart

When our twins turned 6 months, it was obvious that they were very small for their age. It really hit me when I was at a reunion with a group of my Bradley students. Although the babies were significantly younger than my girls, they all seemed to be as big or bigger than the twins.

At our 6 month well baby visit, the doctor expressed a major concern regarding the twins' size. Not only were they not on the growth chart, they were nowhere near the chart. When he plotted their stats from birth, he confirmed what I had suspected. They had not shown much growth for about 2 months. All 4 of my girls have been on the small side as babies, but the older 2 had always grown steadily at their own rate. The fact that my babies were not on the growth chart was really not a concern of mine, it was the fact that they had plateaued. He suggested that I increase their calories as much as possible.

I had to bring the babies back frequently for weight checks and the doctor started to push formula supplementation. He also recommended that we meet with a Pediatric Nutritionist. After some questioning on my part, the doctor informed me that it is not unusual for the specialist to hospitalize babies for up to a week for tests, observation, and assurance that the babies maintain a high calorie diet. I was beside myself. I couldn't help but to feel like somehow I was failing my babies. Talk of hospitalizing the twins seemed so extreme and entirely unnecessary. Although they were small, they were healthy babies. I agreed that changes needed to be made, but I was determined to try fattening them up on my own before moving to such extreme measures.

For the next several weeks, our nutrition became a huge focus. I realized that in the chaos of caring for 4 small children all day, my nutrition had suffered tremendously. I was on an extremely strict diet due to the twins' allergies (that will have to be another post). While removing the allergens from my diet was a good thing, I hadn't quite mastered what I should be eating to replace those calories. So step one was to build up my calorie intake! Next step, I build up my milk supply. Nursing the babies became a huge focus of my life! I would nurse them together and when they lost interest they would both switch breasts and nurse a little more. Then, I nursed them individually, and to my surprise, they would nurse even longer. It was more than a full time job, but it was working. The babies were gaining weight, but the doctor still wanted to see more growth.

We had been letting the babies try solids here and there, but by 7 months we started them on solids on a regular basis. This was earlier than I had planned, but they were ready. They took to eating solids like ducks in water. They couldn't get enough. Sweet potatoes and applesauce were big favorites. This is what feeding time looked like for a long time: Nurse the babies, feed them solids, and then nurse them again to top them off. They started to gain more than an ounce a day! The doctor was so happy that he never mentioned formula again. In fact, I think he took notes on what it was that I had been doing.

At 13 months old, they actually made it onto the growth chart for height and head circumference. The most important fact is that the graph demonstrated growth at a very steady rate. Let me tell you, if I knew how to do back flips and cartwheels, I would have been doing them all the way out of our last doctor's visit.

Why Choose a WaterBirth?

In my book, it doesn't get any better than a waterbirth! Birthing in the water is NOTHING like birthing on a hospital bed.... at all. Have you considered a waterbirth? I copied and pasted the following article from BlessedBeginnings.Net. Let me know what you think :)

Water for Labor and Birthing

For a better birth… just add water!
Take the plunge and discover the benefits of water immersion during labor and birth.

Benefits For Mom

• Pain relief: warm water immersion decreases secretion of stress-related hormones (noradrenaline & catecholamines) associated with fear and anxiety; increases production of endorphins—the body’s natural pain killers. Mom is able to attain a deeper state of relaxation and conserve her energy. Buoyancy in water reduces effects of gravity and creates weightlessness; less abdominal pressure promotes more efficient uterine contractions.
• Decreases hypertension and reduces edema: mild vasodilation occurs thus decreasing maternal BP
• Increases oxygenation to uterus; no external compression of inferior vena cava; promotes better blood circulation and supply to the uterus/placenta improving fetal oxygenation.
• Facilitates a dysfunctional labor; stimulates effective dilation of the cervix. Provides greater mobility for maternal positioning during labor and birth.
• Reduces perineal/cervical injuries. The warm water softens the vagina, vulva and perineum making the tissues more supple and able to stretch gradually.
• Best water temperature: 86-96°F induces mild hypothermia; intensifies uterine blood flow; makes glycogen reserves available and activates insulin receptors in the mom thus is beneficial for diabetic moms.
• Shortens length of labor.
• Improves placental blood flow; increases efficiency of uterine contractions which assists in efficient placental separation; reduces postpartum hemorrhage.
• VBAC: lessens danger of rupture; safer for scar; uterus has better blood supply.
• Empowers mother: when mom is awake, aware and in “control” of her birthing experience it becomes a source of great personal strength and enriches her life forever.

Benefits For Baby

• Gentler transition from maternal womb to external “womb” of water with less trauma at birth
• Enhances fetal oxygenation. Improved blood flow to baby due to better blood circulation in mother
• Best water temperature: 86-96°F helps regulate fetal heart rate; protects against hemorrhagic disease of the newborn by normalizing clotting response; stabilizes primitive reflex responses and activates fetal movements.
• Water mitigates the shock and sensory overload to the newborn that are so often an inextricable part of “dry-land” birth

Benefits For Family/Society

• Greater involvement of the father—because mom’s pain and stress is greatly reduced, fathers take a more active role in the birthing process.
• Enhanced family relationships—involvement of father creates a greater family bond
• Better parent-child interactions—a mom who has an empowering birth experience will have a positive association to the baby; and a baby who experiences a non-traumatic, painless, gentle birth will have a positive association to the parent.
• The birth experience is one of several causal factors in determining the kind of personality an individual manifests later in life. (The Calif. Commission on Crime Control & Violence Prevention spent two years studying the root causes of crime. It found that gentle birth, more loving families and less violence on television are three major factors that curb violent crime. The Commission said that “a positive birth experience, one that is gentle, loving and non-traumatic, increases the likelihood of healthy child development and less violent behavior.”)

Allergy Free Cupcakes!

Today is Labor Day and we celebrated the Amelia and Annalise's 1st Birthday... allergy free! German cooked up carne asada on our new BBQ grill and I made rice, beans, and salad. I knew I could never give the twins birthday cake... at leat not with a million modifications.

I tried making Gluten-free cupcakes but my first attempt was a train wreck! They sunk in the middle, burned on the sides, and crumbled into a million pieces. I felt terrible! I had all but given up and decided to pick up gelato. However, we discoverd that the gelato place wouldn't be opening until noon, and our family would be arriving at 11am :( I couldn't let me girls celebrate their first birthday without some sort of yummy treat. I decided to give it another try. With the help of Grandma, Tia Lori, and the good-ole internet, we were given a second chance. My mom picked up a Gluten-free mix (at Vons of all places!) I searched the internet for a new recipe and I put my sister to work.

It was a hit! The babies loved the cupcakes! I was able to enjoy myself knowing that they wouldn't break out in a rash. Not only were the cupcakes gluten free, but they were also free of dairy and eggs! I even ate a few myself.
Here is the recipe:

Allergy-Free Cupcakes

1 banana (ripe and mashed)
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 tbsp vinegar
1 1/3 c. water
1 tbp baking powder
1 box of gluteno free cake mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients in large bowl until moistened. Scrape sides of bowl and beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into muffin cups. Bake according to directions on the box. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Make a batch for yourself and let me know what you think.

Early Pregnancy

As a Bradley childbirth educator, I frequently get calls and emails from moms wanting to know how to stay low risk. They realize that they don't want to wait until the second trimester to start taking care of themselves. They want tools to start using now! Here is a list of my recommendations.

1. Interview Care Providers: Please don't just settle with any doctor or midwife. Be sure to interview them ahead of time to be sure they will provide the level of care that you want. Consider visiting a birth center or meeting with a home birth midwife even if you have decided on a hospital birth. It never hurts to explore ALL options.

2. Get registered for your Childbirth Class. Not all classes are created equal. Be sure that the philosophy of the class matches what you want for your birth.

3. Start Reading. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way

Pushed

4. Watch what you eat.

Strive for a well balanced, whole foods diet.

Consume 75-100 grams of protein daily

Eat organic when possible (especially dairy, meat, and poultry)

Avoid overly processed foods

5. Stay hydrated and get plenty of rest.

6. Walk, swim, and/ or prenatal yoga are all great pregnancy excercises.

7. Find a duola, friend, and/or family member to assist you and your husband at the birth.

8. Work on relaxation daily: physical, mental, and emotional relaxation are very important for you and your baby.

9. Enjoy your pregnacy! Keep a journal and take pictures frequently. You and the baby will appreciate it later :)

Welcome to the Eco Beginnings Blog!

Please check back here soon — I hope to begin making regular updates here regarding all of my eco-friendly adventures, including Shaklee Products, the Bradley Birth Method, and more!