Elderberry Syrup - Yummy and Healing

Author: Amy Townsend of Little Ways Doula Services

I have always admired doing things the “old school” way. I like accepting the responsibility for my families health and well being and prefer doing things myself before I need to ask for outside help and I find that there are not very many times that I actually need to refer to my outside sources and reserve those for the times that I truly feel like there is a serious need for more help. One of my favorite ways of taking care of my family is through herbal use and every year I learn more about which plants can help protect and nourish my family and I love to experiment with different ways of fitting them into our lives.

Every year starting around Thanksgiving and ending sometime after Valentine’s Day I drive by signs, and see commercials and hear radio spots on how I should get my flu shot. The voices on the radio are urgently pushing for me to take my family in to receive their shots and to do my part in protecting the rest of the community around me. But I have never noticed the voices suggesting other ways of preventing catching or passing on the flu, other than getting my flu vaccine.

Since I prefer to do things more naturally I had to find a different way other than receiving the flu vaccine. I did some research and found out about using elderberries as an antiviral. Studies found that the extract from elderberry really is effective in preventing and treating the flu. Elderberry works by inhibiting viral replication, inhibiting the virus from infecting host cells by binding it, and inhibiting the maturation of viruses, among other things. Taken at the first sign or started when you know you've been exposed to the flu virus is the best course and yields the strongest response towards the virus. Digging deeper I found that in both a 1995 and 2001 study concluded that elderberry extract reduced the duration of symptoms of the flu to 2-3 days as opposed to 6 days without it.

I was excited when I realized that you can very easily find it growing throughout all parts of the state, and can even grow it in your own backyard! The plant looks like a small tree, with the most common species of berries being a black purplish color that hang in umbels. The flowers, which are usually white, can also be used in fighting viruses as well and is also used for treating fevers and is gentle enough to be used on the smallest of infants and makes a very tasty tea.

I did find that some people have raised questions, in regards to Elder’s safety, since the plant holds cyanogenic compounds (cyanide), and warn people against certain parts of the plant. Herbalist Stephen Harrod Buhner points out that there are other plants, such as apples and cherries, that contain the same cyanide compounds but we eat them without being poisoned and that all of the fear surrounding the dangers of elderberry are just phytohysteria . He did say that for those people who are worried about the amount they receive, there is a way to reduce the amount of the cyanide by boiling the plant for at least 30 minutes. The longer the boil, the lower the cyanide compound content there is in the plant.

There are so many ways that you can take elderberry but my favorite, by far, is making syrup. It is very easy to make and can be used just like maple syrup but has antiviral properties with it! You can help your body prevent catching the flu, while enjoying a tasty treat! A quick search will show you that there are many different recipes and the best part is you can add or take out anything that you don’t like. 

Here is the recipe that my family and I enjoy:

Ingredients:

½ cup of dried elderberries (Mountain Rose Herbs)

5 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 vanilla bean

1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 cups of water

How To:

Put all of the ingredients into a pot and bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat to a very low simmer, and reduce liquid by about ½ (usually takes about 20-30 minutes). I just set my timer for 20 minutes, and check it and if I think it needs to be strained more then I keep going. Strain out the herbs and add 1 cup of raw honey. Store your syrup in a closed jar in the refrigerator. Syrups have a relatively short shelf life and will stay fresh for a couple of weeks. I generally make this in small batches so as to avoid any syrup going bad.

I use this recipe as both a preventative and an aid in fighting a virus. If I know people around me have been sick, then I will start taking about a Tablespoon a day. If I feel like I am just starting to come down with something I may even take up to 2 Tablespoons every hour until the symptoms go away. Since this recipe contains honey, I never give it to my kids until they are over 2 years of age and I reduce the amount that they take, as an herbal ally, to 1 teaspoon a day or 1 teaspoon 4x in a day if they are getting sick.

This is herbal treat is a great herbal ally to have for your family medicine chest. Most everyone loves the way it tastes, and it can be easy to find ways to fit it into your daily meals!  Try pouring some over some ice cream or on your waffles for breakfast!

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Keeping Romance Alive During Pregnancy

Author: Kandace Beck, CD(DONA), PCD(DONA), CIES, CEIM, Certified Sacred Pregnancy Instructor and Postpartum Mother Roaster of Butterfly Birth

Ok.. So your pregnant which means your sick, swelling, uncomfortable, moody, and I could go on and on. Being intimate with your significant other could be the last thing on your mind. Although some find pregnancy a time of extreme arousing (lucky women), most couples find this as a hard time to find their intimate space. This can be a particular challenge if you are not dealing with your 1st pregnancy. The more children that are already running around the less chance you have time for those more romantic moments with your significant other.

So lets talk about some ways you can keep your romance alive and be the light you are meant to while you carry a new life into the world.

WORK ON YOU FIRST - What I mean is find out if you need to release some bad energy or feelings. JOURNAL those feelings that are holding you back. It doesn't have to be a long entry every day, just whatever is bothering you or feelings you may need to express, WRITE THEM. Holding on to issues, hurts, fears can have a profound effect on you from day to day. You may not need to do anything other than to speak your mind, if you can't talk about it.. write about it. This can also be quite profound when the time comes to deliver your baby. Releasing feelings in pregnancy can give you an empowerment to birth your baby, and have nothing holding you or your body back to do the amazing job it is preparing for.

Also, take care of your physical needs. Taking time for yourself is very important while you are carrying a precious new life! Doing a daily meditation is the most peaceful thing you can do for yourself, not just while pregnant either. A meditation may look different for every person. If you are interested in finding out more about how to meditate check out our article. You may find that a great prenatal yoga class is just what you are needing, or you could find a Sacred Pregnancy Instructor in your area. The Pregnancy Journey Classes will go over most of what we are covering in this article.

The next thing we are going to talk about is HEART TO HEART CONNECTION:

This is a great exercise to practice with your partner. If you and your partner are going through a rough patch, and need to come back together this is perfect. Set the mood for the room, light some candles, put some fresh flowers in the room, put on your favorite music (a special song for you share together). This will immediately set the mood for the activity. Sit across from one another, in a comfortable position. You both should do a small personal meditation about what you are wanting to forgive the other for, or what you would like to send out into the universe for your partner. Once your meditation is over each of you should place your right hand over the others heart, and look each other in the eye. You can  practice this for as long as you like, you'll truly be amazed at the connection you feel to your partner. I highly suggest every couple does this activity at least once a week. It will help you stay connected!

NAKED TIME!! 
Being completely bare of inhibitions and raw with one another is extremely important! This is what the amazing Time Daulter has to say on this topic:

"Naked Time is where 2 people commit to stripping themselves bare (literally and figuratively) and to lay holding each for at least 15 minutes. This is not sex time (though if you want to follow up with connection in that way then more power to you!). this is opportunity for a couple to be physically close without anything between them. The feel of your beloved's skin, rhythm of their breath, and gentle beating of their heart - the many sensations that we have lost touch with in our busy lives, help to build connection. During Naked Time you have no choice but to be totally focused on each other. In our work we have found that many busy husbands who don't overly value "connecting" will be enthusiastic proponents of Naked Time. Then once together in the naked embrace, you cannot help but become more connected on many levels"

That about sums it up, being bare with the one you love is something that is SACRED, and should happen everyday!

FIND SOME TIME TO DATE.. Go out at least once a week with your partner. Dinner and a movie, walks on the beach, picnics in the park, yoga on Saturday mornings followed by a nice big breakfast, a day spent at the home in bed eating your favorite foods and reading together, or just a simple shared bath with essential oils are all great ideas on ways to spend time connecting and enjoying each other as you both walk this path. Ask your partner to give you a massage and end it with a love making session. Keep the dialogue open at all times, as this process should be a shared journey and not an isolated one.

A date night can really give you that memory of when your relationship first began, you get those tummy butterflies for each other and can connect to one another.





I hope that this has given you some incite on how to keep your romance alive! May you have a lifetime of love and happiness as your family grows. May your children see and implement the passion you shown them.. May they pass that on to their beloved as they are older!! LOVE & LIGHT TO YOU!

Sacred Salve.. A Healing Recipe

Kandace Beck, CD(DONA), CPES, CEIM - with Butterfly Birth, LLC

Healing is such an important part of your postpartum experience. This is a simple recipe of how to make a simple salve for all those baby needs and is great for mama too. We use this salve in our household often. Even now that my littles are growing.. we get lots of cuts and scraps with 2 boys around here. So.. this salve is great for those. Also.. I have found that it is great for a skin irritation such as a bug bite or small allergic reaction. It's even great for dry cracked skin or cuticles.

The healing powers of the herbs in this salve are safe and gentle, yet powerfully and effective. The healing powers of the herbs are transferred to the oils, and then beeswax is added to make a creamy balm. Beeswax naturally helps seal moisture into the skin, while still allowing it to 'breathe".

Supplies you'll need:
2 cups oil Sunflower
1/3 cup dried Comfrey
1/3 cup dried Chamomile
1/3 cup dried Calendula
6 capsules Vitamin E
2 ounces (approximately 2 tablespoons) beeswax

Directions:
Combine the herbs and oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place on the lowest possible heat - the oil should be warm, but not hot enough to "fry" the herbs! Let the oils and herbs infuse for at least three hours. Let the oil cool, then strain out and compost the herbs. Gently re-warm the oil, and add the beeswax. Cut or pierce the vitamin E capsules and squeeze the oil into the beeswax/oil mixture. Stir together until the beeswax is completely melted, and then remove from heat. Pour the salve into clean jars or tins.

If you find that you don't have enough time to make this amazing salve. You can purchase many products online, including my online shop at www.etsy.com/shop/organicbutterfly

What is HypnoBirthing®- The Mongan Method

By: Brandy Harris, CD(DONA), HCBE, CBE

The first question that I am usually asked when people find out I teach HypnoBirthing is “Hypno…what?! Birthing?!  What is that?” They have “heard” of it or have “heard stories,”  “saw it in a movie,’ “read about it on the internet” or the on that makes my day, “Oh my friend did HypnoBirthing® and she loved it!”

What is HypnoBirthing ?

HypnoBirthing is often touted as “pain free” birthing.  While it occurs, it is not the sole motivation of your birthing.

HypnoBirthing believes that with a combination of education surrounding the physiological process of normal childbirth, mind and body preparation through relaxation, emotional work, affirmation and healthy lifestyle activities such as exercise and nutrition, birth can be comfortable, safer for both mom and baby.

In simple form, HypnoBirthing® is relaxed, natural childbirth.

As an instructor, I like to talk with my students about the simple & real birthing they will achieve.

HypnoBirthing is NOT about “Pain Free” Birthing (it’s a perk).  We talk endlessly about 3 very important keys:

#1 It is about fearless birthing. 

 #2 It is about confident birthing.

 #3 It is about listening to your body.

Why those 3 specific things?  If you have those 3 things, you cannot ever fail or feel as if you did it wrong or it didn’t work.  When you have those 3 bases covered, you are opening the door to other positive possibilities for your birth.  Comfortable birthing, safe birthing, gentle birthing, joyful birthing, ecstatic birthing, easier birthing & calmer birthing. You are opening it up to success!  Even in the face of unexpected changes and special circumstances that may surround your birthing, you are still going to find success.

The concerns that are most often brought to me by the families I teach are fear in general (related to various circumstances) and fear of pain.

Let’s talk about pain for a second.  The most interesting things I have found through my own research on the cultural perceptions and expectations of pain is that #1 we do not have a “word” specifically dedicated for use to describe or name the pains or discomforts of labor and as a culture, women in the US report more pain in labor than any other culture in the world. That alone causes me to stop and think knowing that anatomically, for all intents and purposes, women are built the same give or take a few simple design variations. Could it be our perception? Could it be our culture? Could it be both? Think about it! 

#2 For healthy mother with healthy babies, childbirth is a normal, physiological function. How many other physiological functions are performed daily, by muscles, like the uterus, [often multiple times per day] that require no pain to initiate or complete?  There are several however, for the sake of time and length, let’s talk about the heart. It is a muscle that uses “contractions” multiple times per day to move blood through your body. Do these movements or contractions, under healthy, normal circumstances cause pain?  No.  When does pain become a factor in such a muscle? When something is wrong; Heart attack (for example).  Why on earth do we expect (and are often told) a normal, healthy function in the body is painful.  Define pain. Google dictionary defines pain as “noun; physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury.”  Without getting into teaching a class here and now, we use the word pain to describe most any and all discomforts we experience. A headache is painful, a paper cut is painful, stubbed toe is painful, a broken femur? Pain. We use adjectives to describe how serious we are about that pain. “Excruciating” pain for example then we go on to describe the gruesomeness of the sensation we felt to deliver the full package to our listener.  

What if we just stopped using the word “pain” and simply chose to feel each sensation for what it was? Childbirth is a plethora of sensations running though our body that monopolizes all of our senses and requires our indefinite focus. HypnoBirthing challenges you to use words that describe what you may feel during your labor. Tightening, pulling, pressure, heaviness, etc. You be the word smith of what you feel. This is only a small sampling of how you change your vocabulary, perspectives on expectations, preconceived notions & previous experiences in relationship to your birthing. Re-frame your thought process. Come at it from a different angle and see what happens. To me, that is what HypnoBirthing is and how it can help you is well, up to you.  

Birthing is enough work as it is why allow yourself to work harder when you can work smarter?  Let your body do the work while feeling confident in allowing such work to take place without being caught off guard or afraid of what it feels like to do that work.

Sources:

http://www.kybeleworldwide.org/about.php?sub=press&newsid=130

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3093177/

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/10/268

What is a Tongue Tie and Why is it a Big Deal?

Nikki Imes, CD(DONA), Monitrice (OMA)

I am on a mission in my local birth and breastfeeding community: I am working to raise awareness about tongue-tie, its impact on breastfeeding, and the quality of life of the mothers and babies affected!

I come at this issue from a unique perspective. I am not a breastfeeding mom nor am I a Lactation Consultant. I am a birth doula, intern midwife and CranioSacral (CST) therapist. However, within the last year, I have been presented with a score of babies who have/had tongue-tie and have seen the negative impact this can have on new families.

As a birth professional, I was already vaguely “aware” of tongue-tie. However, once I began working on babies as a CranioSacral therapist, my awareness grew and things began to snowball. Now, I rarely go a week without either meeting a new tongue-tied client or working on a previously tied baby as part of continued CST care. 

So, what is tongue-tie?

“Ankyloglossia” or “tongue-tie” is defined in Dorland's Pocket Medical Dictionary as “abnormal shortness of the frenum of the tongue, interfering with its motion”. Sound simple, right? Sadly, not it isn't as simple as it sounds.

I am learning, as expressed in Alison Hazelbaker's book “Tongue-Tie; Morphogenesis, Impact, Assessment and Treatment”, there has long been a controversy amongst healthcare professionals about what tongue-tie is and if it has an impact on breastfeeding, speech, swallowing and other parts of everyday life for infants and adults. However, parents (and especially breastfeeding mothers) are much less conflicted about the negative effect of tongue-tie, even if they are not quite able to distinguish the various degrees of ties.

The classic anterior tie is the tongue-tie most healthcare professionals are familiar with. It is is characterized by the frenum (the “string” on the underside of the tongue) that is attached very far forward on the tongue, sometimes even to the tip. Signs that parents can to look for include a heart-shape to tip of tongue, a tongue that cannot extend over the lower lip and/or a tongue that truly looks “tied down” when baby cries. This can prevent babies from extending their tongue properly to achieve a good latch when breastfeeding and, in future, can lead to speech impediments (along with many other dental issues).

A posterior tongue-tie is quite a bit sneakier. The frenum is not visible in most cases, because the mucosa on the floor of the baby's mouth has enveloped it and causes an even tighter restriction of the tongue. Often, these babies are able to extend their tongue past their lower lip, but they are unable to lift their tongue very far upwards in their mouth. The tongue often makes a U shape when crying, instead of reaching towards palate. By being unable to press the breast tissue towards the roof of their mouth, they have extra difficulty transferring milk out of the breast.

Lip-tie, too...

To add insult to injury, often babies who have tongue-tie also have a lip-tie, as well. Dr. Kotlow of Albany, New York describes lip-ties as “continued attachment of the upper lip to the upper jaw tissue”. As a breastfeeding hurdle, lip-tie can prevent top lip flange, which also causes latch difficulties. Long-term, lip-ties (along with tongue-ties) can cause tooth decay, due to the lip never fully moving away from the base of the upper teeth and the tongue being unable to clear all food debris away from the teeth. Lip-ties also cause the “cute” gaping of teeth that is adorable in toddlers and a financial nightmare for parents with teens who require orthodontia.

Symptoms?

If you are looking inside your little one's mouth and are uncertain if they have a tie, the following symptoms may be helpful for you to determine if you are headed in the right direction:

l  Low milk supply (depending on the severity of the tie a baby may not be able to stimulate milk production through vigorous nursing or transfer the milk efficiently)

l  Creased/flat/blanched nipples after nursing

·      Painful nursing including cracked and bleeding nipples

·      Early weaning because child gets frustrated at the breast

·      Tooth Decay – Improper tongue mobility may prevent babies from clearing milk from their mouth, causing decay (especially on the top front teeth)

·      Colic, gassiness (inability to maintain suction at the breast means baby swallows a lot of extra air)

·      Slow weight gain (baby may actually be burning more calories than he is taking in, due to inefficient milk transfer)

·      Excessively long nursing sessions, with a baby that still acts hungry after leaving the breast (Occasional seasons where baby wants to nurse non-stop are often growth spurts and some babies just have a leisurely pace when nursing. However, tongue-tied babies often want to nurse non-stop because, as stated before, they burn more energy than they are taking in.)

·      Reflux

·      Sleep apnea

·      Abnormal sleep patterns (Waking often to feed because they are unable to fully drain the breast and therefore always hungry. )

·      Speech difficulties

·      Gap between teeth/jaw issues ( Tight tissues can prevent normal development in many areas of the mouth, not just the tongue.)

·      Thrush/mastitis due to inefficient milk transfer

·      Plugged ducts

So, what's a parent to do?

For an anterior tie, there are some pediatricians, midwives, ENTs, and dentists trained to clip them with  sterile scissors. It is a relatively minor procedure that can offer freedom from the restriction of the frenum tie.

For posterior ties and lip-ties, I highly recommend finding a healthcare professional trained to use a laser to release the mucosa under the tongue and the tissue holding down the lip. This is usually a dentist, believe it or not. They see the long-term effects of tongue-tie on the health of the mouth and can offer their patients relief from many symptoms by revising the ties. Laser revision is also very non-invasive and much preferred to what used to be the only option for posterior ties: scalpel incisions and sutures to restructure the tissue under the tongue.

Resources!

Here are some care providers trained in laser revision:

·        Lawrence Kotlow, DDS, PC – Albany, New York

·      Hugh Oser, DDS – Keller, Texas

·      Stacy Cole, DDS (Holistic Dentistry) – Fort Worth, Texas

·      Dr. James Jesse is a friend of Dr. Kotlow’s that has been recommended by several mamas. He is in San Bernadino, California.

·      Lindsey from Crunchy Savings went to Dr. Notestine  in Dayton Ohio

·      Dr. Martin Kaplan of Kid Care Dental in Stoughton, MA. was trained by Dr. Kotlow

(Credit goes to Heather at the Mommypotamus blog for compiling this list)

Other web resources include:

http://tonguetie.net/

The section on Dr. Kotlow's site with his articles, most of which are regarding tongue and lip-tie. Many of them also have great pictures of various types ties.

The Tongue-Tie Babies Support Group on Facebook, which is an international group of parents and professionals working to help support families through tongue and lip-tie revisions with all the questions and concerns they may have.

If you are local to the Oklahoma City metro area, I am always happy to help talk to parents about babies with suspected ties. You can find my contact info on my website.

 Also, one of the very first people who brought posterior tongue-tie to my attention, Margaret Back, is an IBCLC apart of the Lactation Services department at Integris Baptist in Oklahoma City. I highly recommend getting in touch with her for questions about whether posterior tongue-tie could be the culprit in certain breastfeeding situations.

My goal

My goal, as a birth professional supporting new families,  is to empower parents, lactation consultants, doulas, pediatricians, breastfeeding educators, La Leche League leaders, midwives, doctors and the public at large with the information regarding tongue-tie. Many families are suffering needlessly and in an age of instant access to info, this doesn't need to be the case! 

Sacred Space: Cleansing

Author: Deanna Norris of Earthbound Soul Birth Services

The holy act of space cleansing can look different for everyone. For some, it's salt on the windowsills and chanting prayers on the new moon. For others, it's a physical removal of negative weight to make room for positive. Others prefer holy water and sacred words. For me, I like to keep it simple. 

White sage, salvia alpiana, is known for its ability to purify space. There's something cathartic for me in the act of placing fire to sage. Smelling it's sweet scent wafting into the four corners of my room always puts my mind and soul at rest. It is interesting to note that Salvia comes from the Latin root salvare, which means, "to heal." 

"Sacred white sage (Salvia Alpiana) is one of the most potent plants for purification, cleansing and clearing. Traditionally used by many desert dwelling tribes. Often referred to as Grandmother sage, it represents a divine feminine medicine that purifies negativity and connects and grounds us with mother earth." via powwowlodge

Indigenous people have used sage for centuries, ceremonies clouded with the thick white smoke. Plains people would line the floor of the sweat lodge with sage, rubbing it over their bodies as they sweat, to purify. Sage is burned in smudging ceremonies to drive out bad spirits, feelings, or influences, and also to keep bad spirits from entering the area where a ceremony takes place.

Simple Smudging Ceremony:

Take a minute to collect your thoughts. Set your intention for the space you are about to smudge. Light sage bundle. Blow on it a bit to get the smoke flowing. Walk with intention around your space, using whatever path you feel called upon, but most cleansers go north, east, south and west. Using a feather that you have purified with sage, or your hand, fan the smoke into the spaces you feel need to be cleansed. You may say a few words, or not, and snuff out your sage while facing east. 

You can continue the cleansing process with cedar and sweetgrass. I enjoy using both, but do no always feel the need to utilize them. If you choose to follow this ceremony with cedar and sweetgrass, here are simple suggestions for their use. 

After using sage to drive out the bad influences, purify yourself with cedar and then repeat the cleansing process throughout the space with the cedar. Use sweetgrass in the same manner to bring in good influences. All the while, praying for help in this cleansing and/or keeping your intentions set on the space. Finally, you may take a candle over the space and push its light into every corner. The People of the Pacific Northwest Coast call this, "lighting-up".

You will instantly feel lighter and more pure after this ceremony, air all cleared, intentions set.

to purchase sage from an ethical source, go here:

powwowlodge

to purchase sweetgrass & cedar from an ethical source, go here: 

taosherbco

Bio:

Deanna Norris is a Holistic Birth Doula in central Oklahoma. She holds certifications in Raw Food and Holistic Life Coaching as well as Space Cleansing. She is also a certified Home Apothecary and uses these skills to add depth to her calling of being a birth worker and feminist. She is a writer, artist, gypsy and momma. She lives barefoot with her Englishman, growing things in their backyard, in a quiet little neighborhood in Edmond, OK. You can find out more about Deanna on her website.