Birth Control: What Methods Are Best?

With the massive number of engaged and pregnant friends I have, I feel it is time to write on the topic of birth control.  Whether you and your partner are wanting children right away or choosing to wait a few years, it’s something every couple thinks about and should discuss. Too often though, couples stop at “yes, we want kids” or “no, not yet.” There are a number of options when it comes to birth control today, and it’s all to easy to just have your doctor write a prescription without asking any questions. After all, they’re doctors! They wouldn’t prescribe anything bad, right? Or would they? Now don't misunderstand me! I am the first to declare that I am not a doctor, nor do I pretend to be. However, I am a wife and mom who has done her research, and wishes simply to share her findings in hopes that it will help other people and save them some heartache. So as a friends who cares, I ask you, do you know what it is you are taking? And do you know how it affects your health and the health of your future children? Let’s take a look.

A Doctor’s Perspective.

In her book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride M.D. discusses the effects of hormonal birth control. She writes, “The contraceptive pill has the same damaging influence on vaginal flora as antibiotics. Steroids in the pill have an ability to suppress the immune system and change the composition of the bodily flora.” What she is saying is that the steroids disrupt healthy gut flora and can compromise the immune system. Compromised immune systems lead to a host of health problems. And unfortunately, a compromised immune system in mommy means a compromised immune system in baby down the road.  Dr. Campbell-McBride goes on to point out that, “A human baby is born with a sterile gut and acquires most of its gut flora from the mother. So if the mother has an abnormal gut flora, that is what she will pass to her child, predisposing the child to eczema, asthma and other allergies, and in severe cases to learning disabilities.” This means it is extra important that both prior to and during pregnancy, mommies limit their exposure to gut-damaging toxins and drugs. Dr. Campbell-McBride says that contraceptive pills, antibiotics, and other medications have this ability to compromise the gut. Something that would be wise to consider.

Another Doctor’s Perspective.

Dr. Carolyn Dean M.D., N.D. wrote an article that can be found on Dr. Joseph Mercola M.D.’s website.  In it, she states, “High-estrogen birth control pills contribute to breast cancer, embolisms and stroke.” She continues by saying that while birth control pills are effective at preventing unwanted pregnancies, “The risks far outweigh the benefits” and urges women to “stop taking [pills] as soon as possible.”  Side effects she lists include: Increased risk of breast cancer, increased risk of blood clotting, heart attacks, and stroke, migraines, gall bladder disease, increased blood pressure, weight gain, mood changes, nausea, irregular bleeding, benign liver tumors, and breast tenderness. Furthermore, use of contraceptive pills depletes the body of essential nutrients such as B vitamins,  vitamin C, magnesium, and zinc, among other things. She recommends women look into other, safer forms of birth control. I encourage you to read the whole article by clicking here.

A Pastor’s Perspective: Should Christians Use Oral Contraceptives?

For those of you who may be on the fence about the morality of the issue of birth control, you may find this incredibly helpful. In their book, Real Marriage, Pastor Mark Driscoll and his wife, Grace, discuss this sensitive issue. They list five levels of birth control and answer the following questions to determine if a certain type is right or wrong.  Here are the questions:

·      Is it lawful? Does God’s Word prohibit it?

·      Is it helpful? Does it help you grow in your walk with Jesus?

·      Is it enslaving? Does it hinder you from living free in Christ?

Here are the five levels:

·      Level 1: No birth control

·      Level 2: Natural birth control (practicing abstinence during ovulation)

·      Level 3: Non-abortive birth control (barrier methods)

·      Level  4: Potentially abortive birth control (The Pill, hormones)

·      Level 5: Abortive murder (Deliberately ending a life)

According to Driscoll, the first three levels pass the test, but once we get to the fourth, we find that contraceptive drugs, such as The Pill, actually have the potential to abort an unborn child—even though this is not what the well-meaning couple had in mind. Here is how it works.  Driscoll writes that “’The Pill’ is a categorical term for more than forty types of oral contraceptives…and are designed to override the female body’s normal cycle and ‘trick’ the brain into believing she’s already pregnant…Because female hormones direct the process of ovulation, synthetic hormones can be used to keep an egg from being released so that the sperm are not able to fertilize it. These same synthetic hormones can also prevent a fertilized egg from implanting…and growing into a baby.” Driscoll goes on to point out that, “The Pill thins and shrivels the lining of the uterus so that it is unable or less able to facilitate the implantation of the newly fertilized egg.” Basically, what this means is that synthetic hormones create a hostile environment for a newly fertilized egg, and can actually cause or force a miscarriage. Unintentional abortion.  For those of us who believe that every human being is made in the image of God and that all human life is sacred, this poses a problem.

My personal perspective

I personally have never use oral contraceptives as a means of birth control, but have known at least a dozen young ladies who have. None of them recommended it to me, and it is because of their experiences I chose to avoid it.  Every single one of them experienced at least one of the side effects that Dr. Carolyn Dean mentioned in the article above. And though miscarriage is not listed in Dean’s article as a side effect, the vast majority of the girls I knew had at least one after taking birth control.  Many of them had multiple miscarriages and/or great difficulty getting pregnant after having taken The Pill. That’s not to say that all miscarriages are related to contraceptives, because that simply isn’t true. However, The Pill seems to be responsible for many miscarriages today.

So are oral contraceptives a good thing or not? I understand there are instances where women have to take them for health-related issues, and it has significantly helped them. But I think as a general rule, these drugs are way over prescribed and are used by women who don't need them and would be far better off exploring other methods. I believe the risks they pose to mother and baby far outweigh any benefits, and since there are alternatives that are equally as effective, other options should be explored first.  I highly recommend reading this book, Natural Birth Control Made Simple, before choosing a method. Written by medical professionals, it explains in detail how the female reproductive system works, how to track ovulation, how to get pregnant, and how to safely avoid getting pregnant. These are things every woman should understand about her body, regardless of the contraceptive method she chooses.

So, before making any decisions, do your research and ask lots of questions. Your health and the health of your children are too important not to.

What Every Expecting Mama Should Know

Lately, several expecting friends of mine have been asking me about my experience and what I learned during my pregnancy with our son. Looking back, there are a lot of things I wish I had known. But, there are also many things I'm thankful I DID learn! Here are the highlights for other mamas who are trying to figure this out too.

One of the best resources I consulted during my pregnancy was The Birth Book by Drs. Sears. It gave me a detailed look into the adventure of pregnancy, childbirth, and new motherhood. It was a wealth of information, and incredibly relevant to today, despite the fact that it was written in the 90's. Perhaps most helpful were the questions it raised that I was then able to dialogue with my doctor about. The book also helped me write a detailed birth plan to help insure that my personal wishes were met during labor and delivery, which ended up being a life-saver! I personally was not comfortable going the traditional medicine route after gaining a thorough understanding of how certain common procedures work, so I chose to go the natural route. My doctors were much more supportive of this once they understood I had done the research. Regardless of whether a mommy wants a natural birth or drugs all the way, this book is a must read! You should know what you're facing. As mothers, we have the responsibility to educate ourselves for our own sakes and our children's. 

For those wanting to go the natural way, Natural Childbirth The Bradley Way and Husband Coached Childbirth by Dr. Bradley are essentials! The Bradley method has proven to be far more effective than Lamaze for several reasons, one of the biggest reasons being breathing technique. Breathing is so important during labor as you provide oxygen for yourself and baby. Bradley teaches deep, natural, breathing from the diaphragm as opposed to the short, quick, patterned breathing of the Lamaze method. Lamaze has been known to cause lots of tension and hyperventilation in mothers, consequently making pain worse and skyrocketing the chances of having an epidural. Learn more from the books!

That about covers labor and delivery, but what about when baby arrives? Baby Wise is a very popular book about establishing sleep and feeding patterns that was recommended to me by at least four people. While it did contain some helpful information, I felt more confused and frustrated as a new mother having read it. I felt like it encouraged me to go against my maternal instincts. One of the methods discussed is the "cry it out" method, also called CIO. In my experience, my baby never cried unless there was something wrong. Until your child is much older and you know that his cry is a cry of fatigue or bordom, don't employ CIO. Newborns especially only cry when they need something, and when they are hungry, they need to be fed- regardless of the clock. Babies have many huge growth spurts and need to be fed on demand in order to be healthy. In short, my opinion is don't waist your time reading this until baby is much older. At that point, the CIO and Parent Directed Feeding methods seem more applicable.

The early days of motherhood are an excellent time to start doing research on coming days with baby. Spend your time researching vaccination, medicine, and nutrition, because you may find that the status quo isn't good enough. Excellent resources (written by doctors) include The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby and Child Care by Sally Fallon and Dr. Cowan, and The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears. I HIGHLY recommend you read these if nothing else! Again, it is critical that YOU as your child's advocate do your homework. Please don't naively accept whatever a doctor tells you without validating information first. Wonderful, credible sources to consult on these matters include: Dr. Joseph Mercola, The Weston A. Price Foundation, VacTruth, National Vaccine Information Center, Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (governement website known as VAERS), Dr. Tennpenny, Sally Fallon, and Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to name a few. Plus, read as many medical journals as you can access on these topics. After all, "First, do no harm."

In the days of early motherhood, I found wellnessmama.com to be a very informative and helpful website for natural alternatives to many common practices. For instance, check out this post to expecting moms about how to prevent common issues such as yeast overgrowth and group b step! This is one of those treasures I wish I had found prior to my son's birth, as the advice therein might have saved us both months of health issues. And just so you know, probiotics are highly recommended to help prevent many common prenatal and postnatal issues. Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride explains in detail how beneficial bacteria (probiotics) are passed from mother to baby during birth, so be sure you have a healthy balance. Here is a short article about choosing a probiotic. I personally like this brand called BioKult, and have responded very well to it.

Exercise during and after pregnancy is also critical for your health and the health of your baby. It is important to find a routine that includes cardio, stretching, and strength training. I use this program by Lindsay Brin. Lindsay is the mother of three and just seems like a very real, down to earth person. I like her workouts because they are short and effective. Check out her website by clicking here.

So basically, here's the idea. Do your research, question everything, get sleep, eat clean, exercise, and take your probiotics. And most importantly, relax and  just enjoy this time! It will go by quickly.

What's in your skin care products?

A while back I discovered this website and felt it was interesting enough to pass along. Environmental Working Group provides helpful information on products such as cosmetics, household cleaners, laundry detergents, food, etc. It's definitely changed the way I think about shopping and helped me become more aware of the dangerous chemicals some items contain. Below I posted their mission statement and the link. Check it out! You may be surprised at what you learn.

It's our mission at Environmental Working Group to use the power of information to protect human health and the environment. EWG's Skin Deep database gives you practical solutions to protect yourself and your family from everyday exposures to chemicals. We launched Skin Deep in 2004 to create online safety profiles for cosmetics and personal care products. Our aim is to fill in where industry and government leave off. Companies are allowed to use almost any ingredient they wish. The U.S. government doesn't review the safety of products before they're sold. Our staff scientists compare the ingredients on personal care product labels and websites to information in nearly 60 toxicity and regulatory databases. Now in its eighth year, EWG's Skin Deep database provides you with easy-to-navigate safety ratings for a wide range of products and ingredients on the market. At about one million page views per month, EWG's Skin Deep is the world's largest personal care product safety guide.

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

Thoughts from Parent Life Magazine on Simplifying Life

Seven by Jen Hatmaker

Did you know that if you make an average American income of $35,000, you are in the top 4% of wealthy individuals in the world? In her article, Seven, which recently appeared in the January 2013 edition of Parent Life Magazine, Jen Hatmaker reveals just that. "We have too much and it's ruining us," she says. " I want to give my children a worldview that begins and ends with the mission of Jesus." The solution? The challenge of seven. 
For Seven months this family did what some would consider to be radical moves to elimite distractions from their lives. Hatmaker writes, "Month 1: I ate only seven foods." This first month she did solo, but by month two, her family joined her in wearing only seven pieces of clothing for 30 days. Month three, they gave away seven possessions a day. Month four found them media free, with the following month limiting their spending to only seven places. Month six, they attacked wastefulness and adopted "seven new habits for a greener life," and the final month was spent praying seven prayers each day. 
So was it worth it? Jen Hatmaker reports that though it was a challenge at times and her kids especially thought their lives were being ruined, in the end they spent more quality time as a family and life was much simpler. She concludes her article with these words: "Seven was a preparation; not an end in itself...God has rendered our hearts, and we will never be the same. We sit now in the starting blocks, ready for what is coming, saying, 'Lord, teach us to serve you instead of stuff.'"

Clear Away the Clutter by Angie Smith

In her article, Clear Away the Clutter, Angie Smith shares some helpful tips for minimizing stress and maximizing efficiency. Her solutions deal with both physical and emotional clutter. What does she mean by that? Well let's take a look.
Physical clutter we are very familiar with. If you have young children (or perhaps even older ones) you can relate to Angie's toy troubles. She writes, "This past year I waged war against our toy minefield...We now have a little laundry basket...When I see stray toys around the house, I throw them in there. Once in the basket, they cannot be removed unless the kids pay for them." She states that this experiment resulted in less clutter because her children quickly learned that they did not want to spend their allowance rescuing toys when they could simply put them away. Our author then goes on to suggest list making, prioritizing, and eliminating stressors. One particular stressor for her was meal prep. To lessen the stress, she began a system where she pulled out all of the ingredients she needed for a meal ahead of time, pre-mixed and pre-packaged everything, and set it aside in a little plastic bin. She then labeled it so she could identify which meal it was. She says now when it comes time to cook, "I feel like I'm on the Food Network because everything is so neat and accessible."
Something we don't recognize as often as physical stressors are emotional stressors. Ever find yourself wasting time thinking about ridiculous scenarios or simply worrying? That's what Angie Smith calls emotional clutter. She suggests spending more time praying about things and less time worrying. "I have a phrase I repeat over and over again," she writes. "Jesus, take this from me and let me live fully in You instead of the world." We need to identify where we are emotionally stressed and learn to give those things to Jesus so we can live the abundant, free life He desires for us to live in Him. 

Parent Life Magazine is a Life Way publication. To view these and similar articles, visit www.lifeway.com/parentlifeblog or find Life Way on Facebook and Twitter.

Natural Substitutes for Common Household Cleaners

Asthma and allergies run in my family, so when I learned that there are links between these condition and household cleaners, I began searching for ways to minimize and eventually eliminate them from my home. Check this out from Underground Health Reporter...

Your first line of defense is good, old-fashioned soap and water. Use it to wash your surfaces, your body and your clothes.

Natural Disinfectants – The Safer Alternative

• Spray hydrogen peroxide – which whitens like bleach but much more safely – followed by spraying vinegar on surfaces.
• Simmering cloves and cinnamon on the stove is an effective air freshener and baking soda absorbs odors in carpets, trash cans and inside your fridge and freezer. The best air freshener is to find the problem, fix it and open the windows for fresh air.
• Baking soda mixed with apple cider vinegar does a better job – and is far less toxic – than other bathroom scrubbing powders. Perfect for toilets and tubs.
• Vinegar used alone is safe and effective on counters, floors and windows. One cup of vinegar to three cups of water is strong enough to clean even the grimy outsides of your windows.
• Baking soda added to your rinse cycle is an effective fabric softener.
• Club soda in a spray bottle also works well on windows and mirrors.
• Lavender and tea tree oils are antiseptic and naturally antibacterial – in much lower doses – and leave behind a pleasant smell when added to baking soda or hydrogen peroxide.

Read more: http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/natural-disinfectants#ixzz2KoDkoRJs

Natural Ways to Prevent or Treat Common Colds and Flu

With the peak of flu season upon us and colds spreading throughout our communities, I felt it would be a good time to post about flu and cold prevention. Here's what I've learned after a bit of research...

Prevention 
1. WASH YOUR HANDS! This by far the best way to avoid contracting or spreading diseases. Avoid hand sanitizers when possible as they kill both good and bad bacteria, and chemicals can be absorbed into your body through your skin.
2. Cut out white sugars and starch. Your immune system (and entire body) functions better without "the whites"'
3. Increase intake of dark, nutrient rich vegetables and fruits! 
4. Drink lots of water. 8, 8oz. glasses should be a starting point. Water flushes out toxins in addition to keeping your body hydrated.
5. Supplement with vitamins. Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Zinc are the best ones to start with.
6. Boost your immune system through exercise! Studies indicate that increased blood flow boosts your body's natural virus killing mechanisms.
7. Rest! Minimum 8 hours at night is recommended.
8. DON'T cough into your hands. Rather, cough into your elbow to prevent spreading illness to others.
9. Avoid touching your face.
10. Try probiotics, as they can lessen the chance of both respiratory and digestive viruses.
11. Eat more garlic. It supports immune health and aids in fighting viruses.

Treatment
1. Elderberry, Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, and Zinc
2. Garlic. It boosts immune system.
3. Cinnamon. It's anti-bacterial.
4. Hot liquids loosen mucous and sooth sore throats. Herbal and lemon teas are best. Also try peppermint and camomile.
5. Again, cut out the whites and starches and increase dark vegetables.
6. Fluids, fluids, fluids!!
7. Rest as much as possible.
8. Hot compress for nasal passages and headaches.
9. Run a humidifier to help loosen congestion.

Here are some of the more helpful articles I found on this topic:Natural Illness Prevention and Treatment- Beat the Cold, Flu and Fever Faster 

8 Natural Tips to help Prevent A Cold

15 Ways to Prevent Cold and Flu- ABC News

Money Saver for Babies in Diapers!

Cloth Diapering: The way I see it...

In the months prior to my son's birth, I spent a great deal of time researching and toying with the idea of cloth diapering. I was turned off to it at first because I thought it sounded too messy and like way too much of a hassle. However, the more I learned, the more convinced I became that this was the route I wanted to take. Here's why:

Saving Money. Recent studies indicate that the average cost of diapering a baby for his first year comes to about $800. Granted, this is without couponing, sales, and diapers received as gifts, but still seems like quite a bit of money. With this number in mind, I started pricing cloth diapers to see if I could beat it. After crunching the numbers, I discovered I could purchase 12 diaper covers and 6 doz. prefolds in the neighborhood of $350-$400. Even if I chose to buy 2 doz. brand new BumGenius all-in-ones, The total would still come $100 short of the disposable diapering average. Plus, the cloth dipes would be reusable and would likely survive multiple children. After presenting my findings to my dear husband, we were ready to start shopping!

Choosing a System. My first stop was consignment. There I found some gently used newborn covers (Thirsties and Bummis) and a few prefolds. I was also able to locate some all-in-ones (Fuzzibunz and BumGenius). Next stop was eBay, where I was able to purchase 6 small Proraps, and 12 Rearz NB prefolds. And then I waited and watched the bids for other items. After several months of bidding and losing, I found a website called Cottonbabies. I could not believe the bargains!! They were way less expensive than any other sellers, like Amazon and Jillian's Drawers, and I didn't have to worry about getting out bid. 

After my son's birth we experimented with the different types of cloth diapers. The AIO's leaked and didn't seal well around his legs. We had similar issues with the Thirsties. However, we really likes the Bummis and Proraps! They were a great fit for our long, lean son. We loved the prefolds because we could adjust them, whereas the AIO's could only do so much. Once we decided prefolds and covers were the way to go, I ordered the remaining prefolds and some Flip and Econobum covers from Cottonbabies.  Our total cost to cloth diaper from birth to potty training came to approx. $300!

The Essentials. For the prefold and cover system mentioned above, it is recommended you purchase the following:

• 36 newborn size prefolds

• 24 infant size prefolds

• 24 regular/toddler size prefolds

• 6-10 covers in each size (though I managed with way less by doing one-size Flip covers)

• 2-4 Snappis or Boingo fasteners

• Odorless diaper pail (see Amazon.com)

I also HIGHLY recommend purchasing a quality diaper sprayer, like the one from Bum Genius. While I know moms who skip this step, I can't imagine how much nastier cleaning dirty diapers would be with out it. Totally worth the $50!

Here is a helpful video in how to fold prefold diapers. Click here.

Trouble Shooting. Gapping around the legs was a problem for a while as we learned how to properly fasten the prefolds. We started out using Snappis, but after a while I decided to get some Boingo fasteners. Problem solved! Unlike Snappis, Boingo's will go any direction you want, allowing for a more custom fit.

Stains were another issue we had to face. Setting prefolds out in the sun will bleach out stains nicely, but in the winter time it's not really a viable option. So, I started prewashing in 1 Tbs. of baking soda! (If you try this beware, because it will void the warranty on some dipes). This worked wonders for 

getting the stains out. I use cold water to do this because hot water will set stains.

As our son grew he became increasingly more fussy when his diaper was wet. Cutting 4x12" strips of fleece from an old blanket served well as a diaper liner. The fleece wicks away the wetness allowing baby's skin to stay dryer. I use this in combination with homemade flannel liners to add extra absorbency at night time. Heavy wetting is common in boys, so adding liners like these makes a big difference!

Another issue from time to time is diaper rash/yeast rash. Not too many diaper creams are cloth safe (or baby safe for that matter), so this may seem problematic. Simple! Buy a $5 jar of coconut oil from Walmart and use that! Coconut oil has anti-fungal properties, is truly all-natural, and incredibly nurturing for skin. Without fail, this has cleared our son's skin better than anything else. Just make sure you strip your diapers with 1/4 vinegar in a prewash to kill any possible yeast!

Washing. I searched far and wide for a good cloth diaper detergent and just couldn't bring myself to spend so much money on the name brands. Again, homemade detergents will void warranties on some diapers so beware. After reading different blogs and suggestions from other moms, this is the recipe I came up with. Equal parts of baking soda, oxygen cleaner (Sun or Oxyclean), and Arm&Hammer Washing Soda. Grate some Ivory Soap and it can also be used as laundry detergent! Be careful to not use any kind of soaps with your diapers though! It will coat them and they will become less absorbent. All in all, this detergent is less than 20 cents a load.

The following is how I proceed to launder my dipes. After spraying each diaper (even the pee pee only ones to avoid ammonia) I place them in a covered diaper pale. After a few days, I let them soak for a few minutes in cold water and 1 TBS of baking soda before running them through a short cycle. This removes stains. I then run a second load on extra rinse with hot water and my homemade diaper detergent. I then hang the covers to air dry and machine dry prefolds and inserts. Once a month I add hydrogen peroxide (1-2TBS) to strip ammonia smells if necessary. It works the same as bleach.

Cloth Wipe Solution. There are a number of ways to do this, but my favorite so far is 5x5" cuts of flannel soaked in a homemade solution and stored in a wipe warmer. I use Badabing Farm goat soap, warm water, and a little olive oil in my solution. You only need enough soap to make the water a little cloudy. Whatever you choose to do, be sure you use a disinfectant and natural oil of some kind.

Traveling. Our family has chosen to travel in disposables for convenience sake and out of respect for those with whom we stay. However, for a day out, I use a wet bag to store my dirty dipes in. This keeps odors and moisture locked in, but also allows air to get in so your soiled diapers don't smell too bad when you get home. When we do need disposables, we use Seventh Generation brand diapers and wipes because they are chlorine free and our little one has a sensitive bum. We try to avoid all the nasty chemicals in commercial baby products as much as possible! Generally you can get coupons for this brand, which puts them in the same price range as Huggies. Target has the best Seventh Generation deals I've been able to find.