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Homemade Disposable Baby Wipes

10/23/2017

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Store bought baby wipes are often made with harsh carcinogenic chemicals such as formaldehyde, propylene glycol and fragrances. Not only can they be hard on your baby's skin, but over time the cost of baby wipes really add up. Homemade disposable baby wipes are easy to make and economical, making them a great substitute to store bought wipes and they’re safe to use with cloth diapers. You can also use this recipe to make reusable baby wipes by moistening baby wash cloths and storing them in an air tight container or storing the liquid in a peri bottle and applying it to the wash cloths to use as needed.

DIY Baby Wipe Recipe

DIY Baby Wipe Ingredients
  • 1 large square or round Tupperware container
  • 1/2 roll of paper towels, cut crosswise
  • 2 cups of water
  • 2 tablespoons of your favorite liquid soap (I use Dr. Bronner's)
  • 2 tablespoons fractionated coconut oil or other liquid oil
  • 2-4 drops lavender essential oil or other oil of your choice
Optional Additions
  • 1/4 teaspoon vitamin E oil
  • 1 teaspoon aloe vera liquid
  • 1/4 cup witch hazel (omit 1/4 cup water)
  • 1 drop melaleuca essential oil*
So I'll admit that cutting the paper towel roll in half is kind of a pain but having a sharp knife really helps! Once you've got that done, place the half roll of paper towels into the Tupperware container. In a separate bowl or large measuring glass, mix the water, soap, oils and any optional ingredients. Stir well and pour evenly over the paper towels immediately. Let the container sit for 5-10 minutes (I use this time to put away my ingredients and wash any dishes that I made). Once the liquid has soaked into the paper towels you can removed the card board center simply by pulling it out.
Homemade Baby Wipes
DIY Baby Wipe
Homemade baby wipe
And you're done! These last about a week, sometimes longer depending on storage. You can also adjust the essential oils and add some lemon, melaleuca and/or peppermint and replace some of the water with vinegar (or vodka!) to make disposable non-toxic cleaning wipes. These are so simple to make, smell great and best of all, they don't contain any harmful chemicals.
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Hospital Birth Bag Check List

6/28/2017

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One of the most important things on a Parent's to-do list is packing their bag for the hospital. They've got all the baby clothes washed and put away and the nursery or sleeping space is set up and now they need to tackle to hospital bag! One of the most common questions I get as a doula is, "What should I take to the hospital?"

Good question! There are so many baby and postpartum items available and sometimes it's hard to know which ones are necessary and which ones can wait until you get home. After 5 deliveries of my own and attending many births as a doula I've created a list of the "must have" items that parents should bring to a birth.

The first must have is food. Most hospitals still don't allow eating during labor but they do allow liquids and you may be really hungry after labor so it's a good idea to pack some snacks.
Food & Supplements
  • ​Tea: Red Raspberry Leaf, Mama's Milk Tea, Lavender or Chamomile
  • Water
  • Electrolyte Drinks (store bought or home made)
  • Coconut Water
  • Seed or nut butter
  • Honey sticks
  • Protein bars or snacks
  • Lactation Snacks
  • Fresh fruit (especially watermelon for hydration)
  • Cheese sticks
  • Dates 
  • Magnesium - for AFTER LABOR to help keep calm and aid easy bowel movements. Magnesium is often used to stop labor so I only advise using it after labor.
  • Essential Oils - Peppermint for nausea, citrus to energize or rejuvenate, Clary Sage for labor progress, Lavender to relax, etc. Make sure to contact an aroma therapy specialist!
  • Prenatal Vitamins
Clothing, Undergarments & Hygeine
  • Adult diapers - Seriously, trust me on this one. The last thing a parent needs to be worrying about after all the hard work of labor is leaking. Adult diapers are a good way to deal with postpartum bleeding and are the same price as pads. It's usually good to get one size over the normal to account for a mom's postpartum belly, which will still be a little bit big after delivery.
  • Nursing bras - if you don't plan to breastfeed then bring very tight sports bras to ease engorgement. Nursing bras are also helpful if you're not breastfeeding but plan to pump to relieve a little bit of engorgement (but don't empty all the way!).
  • Postpartum Gowns - I always advise bringing gowns over sweat pants or yoga pants because they are more comfortable and in the event of a c-section, parents won't have to worry about clothing rubbing against their incision. 
  • Slippers - hospitals always provide slip-proof socks but sometimes it's more comfortable to bring your own socks or slippers
  • Going home outfit - I thinking nursing gowns and slippers are perfect for this ;-)
  • Dermoplast - A numbing spray for the perineum after a vaginal birth
  • Healing Salve - Good for both baby and Mama. This healing salve can be used on the perineum, nipples, baby bottom or any other cut, bruise, bug bite or sore.
  • Witch Hazel - Liquid witch hazel is available at most pharmacies or grocery stores and you can add it to your pads, diapers or peri bottles with just a squirt.
  • Breast Pads - Milk usually starts leaking around day 3 (after most women get home from the hospital) but just incase it starts sooner, it's good to have a few breast pads on hand.
  • Nursing Pillow
  • Hygiene Products: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, face moisturizer, body moisturizer, toothbrush, tooth paste, etc.
Electronics
  • Phone chargers
  • Laptop/charger
  • Movies, music
  • Blu Tooth Speaker
  • Movies, CDs, Playlist, etc.
  • Tablets and chargers
  • Camera or photographer and charger
Baby's Needs
  • Diapers
  • Wipes
  • Blankets - Swaddling and regular
  • Going home outfit
  • Extra outfit
  • Burp cloths


These are the must haves in my book but feel free to comment or e-mail if you have comments or suggestions!

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Birth Plans

6/3/2017

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One of the most common questions I get from pregnant women is, "Should I make a birth plan?" My answer is yes! No matter what kind of birth you're planning, a comprehensive birth plan is a helpful step in knowing what your options are and what your primary and secondary goals are. Although your birth may not go exactly according to plan, it's important to let your care providers know what kind of birth you're hoping for and what your expectations are. You can begin your birth plan in pregnancy and it extends until the postpartum period and for your newborn as well.  

One of my favorite birth plans is from Earth Mama Angel Baby's website. The plan is pretty comprehensive and can be re-written however parents wish. You can view the birth plan template here:
Birth Plan Template
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Diet During Pregnancy: The Brewer Diet

2/18/2017

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 Women's bodies are capable of nourishing a pregnancy regardless of what they eat but more studies are showing the importance of diet in prenatal health and preventing complications such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. 

Preeclampsia is a prenatal condition that affects about 3-5 percent of women in the United States every year. It is a life threatening condition but research has shown that it can be prevented with proper diet during pregnancy. Preeclampsia is diagnosed as high blood pressure, protein in the urine and swelling in the extremities. It can cause seizures and sometimes death if left untreated. Diets during pregnancy must be high enough in calories and protein to facilitate the mother's ability to increase her blood supply to adequately nourish her baby. Salt also plays a crucial role in ensuring that her body is circulating enough nutrients for her baby. While low salt diets can play a role in preventing some complications in at risk pregnant mothers, most women  benefit from having a good supply of calories, salt and protein in their diets. 

For a comprehensive review of recommend diets for pregnancy I would recommend checking there webpages:

​

Brewer Pregnancy Diet
Dr Brewer's Website
Additional Resources:
Basic Nutrition Advice
File Size: 328 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Information About Milk
File Size: 281 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Food Diary Sheet
File Size: 44 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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My Story

1/13/2015

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MY STORY

Early motherhood was one of the worst time periods of my life

Yes.  I really did just say that.

And I am not alone.  As many as 25% of the women who give birth each year experience full blown post partum depression.  Motherhood is supposed to be wonderful and happy and fulfilling, but for many women, this wonderful blessing becomes a regretted burden that they simply cannot fully enjoy.  How can that be?

The human body is incredibly complex.  During pregnancy, hormone levels soar to accommodate the life that you are creating, but after the birth hormone levels and receptor sites can sometimes struggle to adjust to the new needs during the postpartum period.  This, along with other factors, is the cause of “baby blues”.  Baby blues are a common complaint of post partum women.  Baby blues are part of a somewhat normal process of adjusting to having a new baby.  However, for some women these baby blues are the beginning of a spiral into real depression.

When I gave birth to my first child in 2005 I was still a senior in high school.  It was an incredibly stressful and difficult time in my life.  I felt great for the first 1 - 2 weeks after my baby was born, and despite all the obstacles in my life, I was in love with my new baby boy!  But the bliss quickly turned into chaos.  I became depressed and resentful.  Even though I had a wonderful family that was willing to help me, I felt alone and was irrational.  I was angry and sometimes mean, and I was always sad.  It was literally one of the worst periods of my life.  

Unfortunately, after the birth of my second child, I experienced much of the same.  At that point I was married and we wanted to start a family and a life together but the same feelings arose after the birth of my daughter in 2007.  Both births were scheduled c-sections.  My first was “too big” (10lbs 12oz!) and overdue (6 days) and the hospital I gave birth at for my second didn’t allow VBAC’s.  Both births left me feeling very unsatisfied.  I couldn’t stand not being able to see my baby for hours after the delivery and then seeing pictures of my newborn child with everyone else while I was in recovery.  

My husband and I knew that we wanted 4 children, but I decided that I could not have another experience like that.  I did not want another unneeded c-section and I did not want to experience another bout of postpartum depression.  I had always read about how much joy and connection that having a child brought to a mother’s life and I wanted so desperately to feel that.

Since I had 2 c-sections already, my only option was home birth with a midwife attending me.  I set out on that path to achieve the birth that I wanted but I was still worried about postpartum depression.  

Toward the end of my pregnancy, my midwife talked to me about placenta medicine.  

Uh… Ew.  Gross.  No thank you!

I was totally turned off by the idea and wasn’t even interested in seeing or handling or “planting my placenta under a tree” at all.  It was at that same time that I got an e-mail from a blog I subscribed to all about the benefits of using placenta medicine.  I was absolutely floored!   It made so much sense!  I couldn’t believe that I had turned my nose up to it so quickly without even asking (or even wondering!) why and how it could benefit me. 

After researching more I learned all about how the vitamins, minerals, and hormones in the placenta are perfectly suited to the mother’s need, because they are made by the mother – for the mother!  During pregnancy the placenta secretes and regulates certain hormones and those hormones are still present in the placenta after birth and available for use when the mother’s natural hormone levels bottom out.  Not only that, but also most other mammals eat their placenta after birth, and research has shown that it isn’t just because it’s a convenient meal or to hide the birth from predators.  There seemed to be a true biological reason as to why they consumed their placentas and it just made biological sense to do it myself.

So finally, 10 days past my due date, I gave birth (a VBA2C!) to another big, beautiful, 10 pound baby boy in the comfort of my own home.  I was so happy!  But this was during the recession and my husband had lost his job and had to start a new career that required him to be gone 28 days out of the month.  So 3 days after I gave birth to our 3rd child, he left me alone to go back to work.  But I felt great!  Of course I was sad to see him go again and being alone had its difficulties, but I didn’t have any issues with postpartum depression or fatigue.  I encapsulated my placenta and took it religiously to ward off any anxiety, depression, or fatigue and to increase my milk supply (which I had issues with initially) – and it worked so well for me!

I gave birth to my 4th and last child last year, another home birth VBA2C, but I didn’t encapsulate my placenta right away.  By that time I had 3 other children and I was homeschooling 2 of them and I was just so busy that I couldn’t find the time to do it.  After about a month I started feeling sad and unsatisfied.  I took this as a cue that I needed to get my placenta out of the freezer and take it as soon as I could.  After the encapsulation, I felt better within just a few days!  

It can be difficult to share this remedy with hesitant new moms, but I really urge people to at least look into it.  Postpartum depression and fatigue can take so much joy out of an experience that is supposed to be one of the best of your entire life.  Every woman deserves a happy, healthy postpartum experience!
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The Breastfeeding Benefits of Placentophagy

11/25/2014

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Historically, traditional Chinese medicine has used the placenta to help increase lactation in women who had inadequate supply.  Research has now been done to help explain the benefits of this practice and give us a look into the science behind it.  It is interesting to note that almost all mammals ingest their placenta after birthing and easily nurse their young without problems.  Today, only 25% of women are still breastfeeding their children at 6 months, compared to 81% at birth. There are many other reasons that women quit breastfeeding but one of the most common is that the woman has an inadequate supply. 
In a study of 210 postpartum women fed their placentas after birth, it showed that 86.2% of them had positive results.  This study used some first time moms and many second time moms that had experienced difficulty with milk supply while nursing their previous children.  Positive results were usually seen within 2 to 3 days after taking the placenta. Another interesting study was being carried out at the same time using cows and studying their milk supply after placenta ingestion.  While definite results were not ye available, research so far showed that cows that consumed their placenta produced 1 liter more of milk per day than cows that did not.
So what is the substance is the placenta that has such a marked benefit on lactation?  Researchers thought that it might be protein and began another experiment.  In this, they used beef instead of placenta. They treated the beef the same way they did the placenta and gave the same amount (65g) of beef to each participant.  The results yielded only a 33% positive result, with 66% of the participants showing no effect at all.  The conclusion of this study was that protein was not the main substance in the placenta that caused an increase in milk supply.
An interesting explanation is that placenta medicine is an effective form of tissue therapy.  The placenta is a piece of tissue expelled from a mammal and then after processing is reintroduced.  It is understood that tissues undergo a biochemical change when separated from an organism and undergoing unfavorable conditions (such as encapsulation).  These conditions cause substances to be formed that stimulate biochemical processes, called biogenic stimulators.  These biogenic stimulators are not present until the tissue leaves the organism.  According to the study:
“Biogenic stimulators, introduced into the organism one way or another, activate life processes, increase cellular metabolism and intensify the physiological functions of the organism.” (Placenta as a Lactagogon)
This is an interesting hypothesis on why and how placenta medicine works.  It may also explain the reason that placenta is beneficial as a supplement, but a retained placenta is detrimental to milk supply. Another explanation is the hormones present in the placenta.  The placenta is full of hormones – including prolactin, all of which were specifically created by the mammal that ingests it.  Prolactin is the hormone that is responsible for stimulating the mammary glands to produce milk.  Hormones would most definitely have an effect on milk production and supply. 

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Depression Prevention

11/25/2014

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The use of the placenta during the postpartum period to prevent depression can be invaluable.  But in addition to placenta supplementation there are several other steps you can take to help prevent or even treat postpartum depression.

Over two thousand years ago, Hippocrates said "All diseases begin in the gut" and more and more research is being done that proves that he was correct.  So when treating any disease, including depression, the best place to start is in the gut.

*BACTERIA* 
The gut is home to between 500 and 1,000 species of bacteria.  The human body contains about 10 trillion cells, but the human gut contains about 10 times as many micro organisms in the intestines.  That's a lot of bacteria!!  And this bacterium is responsible for many bodily functions.  As it turns out over 90% of the serotonin in the body is produced in the gut. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for producing feelings of relaxation and a positive mood.  It is also responsible for regulating mood, sleep, and appetite. Doctors started using SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors – normally prescribed to patients for the treatment of depression) to treat IBS in patients because they noticed that it was alleviating IBS in patients prescribed the medication for depression.  An interesting correlation for sure!

Certain bacteria in the gut have even been shown to increase GABA receptors in the brain.

What is a GABA receptor?

To give an example, when you drink alcohol, many people get a "feel good" or a "buzz" because alcohol (as well as benzodiazepines and barbiturates) increases GABA receptors in the brain.  The more GABA receptors in the gut the better, because that means there are more GABA receptors being put to use in the brain (although alcohol is not a long term solution to creating more GABA receptors).  So how does a person get their gut to produce more GABA receptors naturally and increase their serotonin production!?

Supplement with bacteria!  Bacteria influences communication between the gut and the brain so a high supply of good bacteria is absolutely essential! Good sources of bacteria include high quality yogurt, kefir, water kefir, kombucha, fermented foods, and probiotic supplements.  Among its many other benefits, probiotics also help absorb nutrients out of the food that we eat which helps with other nutritional deficiencies that may also cause mood disorders.  A good reference book that includes recipes to make kombucha, kefir and fermented foods is Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.  There are also several great blogs that have information and recipes includingwww.cheeseslave.com, www.mommypotamus.com, www.nourishedkitchen.comand www.wellnessmama.com.  

*NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES*
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to depression, heart disease, insomnia, osteoporosis and cancer.  Vitamin D can be obtained from just a few minutes in the sun each day (between 10 – 20 minutes).  In the winter it can be more difficult (and in some places impossible) to obtain vitamin D so it’s good to stock up in the summer (…winter blues anyone..?!).  Some good food sources of vitamin D to add to your diet in the winter months include lard made from pastured pigs, fermented cod liver oil and high quality eggs.
Omega 3 fatty acids are a great way to increase serotonin production naturally.  Studies have shown a correlation between low fatty acid intake and depression.  Countries that have a high dietary intake of omega 3’s can have a 10 times lower rate of depression!  Good sources of omega 3’s are wild caught fish such as salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring, cod liver oil and flax seeds.
Magnesium is a truly miraculous mineral!  Magnesium deficiency can cause a variety of symptoms ranging from depression to heart palpitations.  A great book about magnesium is The Magnesium Miracle by Dr. Carolyn Dean.  Good food sources of magnesium are spirulina, seeds, nuts and whole grains. 
B Vitamins are essential to our emotional and physical health.  Although most Americans consume plenty of B vitamins, they are destroyed by alcohol, sugar, nicotine and caffeine so many of us are at risk for deficiencies.  Good sources of B vitamins are eggs, fish, beef, and leafy green vegetables.
Iron deficiency is becoming more common as our soil and food sources are depleted.  While iron deficiency in and of itself does not “cause depression” it is very closely linked with fatigue.  Fatigue is the number one predictor of postpartum depression so ensuring that a woman’s iron stores are adequate is very important during pregnancy and the postpartum period.  Iron rich foods include organ meats, red meat, blackstrap molasses, dried apricots, dark chocolate and green vegetables.

*EXERCISE*
A great way to boost your immune system, mood, circulation, and overall health is exercise!  Even getting out and going for a walk for 30 minutes a day can give noticeable benefits!  Exercise releases neurotransmitters and endorphins which is why people feel good after a workout and can become “addicted to the gym.”  Depression caused by devastating circumstances can also be helped by using exercise as a healthy coping mechanism.  Exercise can also help a person gain confidence!

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Mammals and Placentophagy - And How It Pertains To Us

11/25/2014

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THEORIES WHY MAMMALS EAT THEIR PLACENTAThere are 4 main hypotheses on why a mammal would ingest its own placenta.  The first of which is that a mother undergoes a shift of food preferences toward a carnivorous diet, meaning that a mammal that is normally an herbivore will suddenly have an intense craving for meat.  The second hypothesis is that mammals are simply hungry after giving birth and the placenta provides an easy, available, nutritious meal.  Many mammals have a period of anorexia before and during their births so this is an acceptable theory.  The problem with these hypotheses lies in a study done that offered different meat choices to postpartum mammals.  During and after their births, rhesus monkeys were presented with liver, beef, and pork but 100% of the time they refused the meat and instead ate their own placentas.   A similar study was done using rats and again, all of the rats chose the placenta.  These studies suggest that the first two hypotheses are incorrect.  If it was simply a matter of obtaining food, or more specifically meat, then some of the mammals would most likely have partaken of the meats offered them.
The third hypothesis is that mammals eat their placenta in response to a specific hunger.  In this hypothesis there is an assumed metabolic or endocrine change that occurs in late pregnancy and during the birth that causes a specific nutritional or hormonal need that can be supplied only by the placenta.  The placenta is very nourishing and contains many beneficial hormones so this is also an acceptable hypothesis.  However, it was shown in a study that some virgin rats and mice will enthusiastically eat donor placenta.  This suggests that this supposed specific hunger isn’t unique to only postpartum mammals, if it exists at all.
The final hypothesis is that mothers ingest their placenta to clean up their birth site so as not to attract predators.  This makes sense, as a postpartum mammal and her new young are very vulnerable, however there are several problems with this theory.  First, and most obvious, is that the placenta is not the only part of the after birth, but it is the only part eaten.  There is also a good amount of fluid that would be very attractive to predators that is ignored by the mammal mothers. Another is that, even mammals of unchallenged predatory species eat their placentas.  Certain primates that birth in trees could easily let their placentas drop to the ground, but instead they make sure to keep their placentas with them in the trees and spend several hours eating them.  This suggests that protecting themselves from predators is not a primary factor in placentophagy.
DOES PLACENTOPHAGY HAVE AN EVOLUTIONARY PURPOSE?
An interesting purpose of placentophagy may be on the RH factor. The mother and baby’s blood systems are separate, but there are instances when the baby’s blood can enter the mother’s blood stream – blood transfusion, miscarriage, abortion, or certain procedures such as amniocentesis.  If a baby has an RH+ blood type and the mother has an RH- blood type then the mother can begin to make antibodies that will attack her RH+ baby’s blood.  These attacks break down the baby’s red blood cells and can cause anemia, illness, brain damage, or even death.
Today RH- women, such as myself, can receive a rhogam shot to prevent our bodies from making these dangerous antibodies.  The placenta seems to offer immunological benefits to the mother and to the baby through the breast milk.  Analysis of the placenta shows that it contains factors that if ingested would prevent the mother from producing RH antibodies.  Perhaps the use of placentophagy over thousands of years has provided the protection mothers need from forming these antibodies, or perhaps we were created with this system and knowledge already built in.   
There appear to be many different reasons why mammals practice placentophagy, each specific to its species, and related to mammals as a whole.  As more studies are done to uncover the mystery that is behind placentophagy I think we will discover a vast array of wisdom and benefits from this practice.

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Is Placentophagy Cannibalism?

11/25/2014

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I am often asked what I think about the relation of  placenta encapsulation to cannibalism.  Is ingesting the placenta considered cannibalism?  And if so, does that make it immoral?

As a Christian, I know that one of the things I thought about when it came to ingesting my placenta was "I wonder what God has to say about this?"

By definition, cannibalism is "the act or practice of a human eating his own flesh or the flesh of another human."  In the case of placentophagy, it would be more appropriate to classify the placenta as part of the baby since it has the baby's DNA, not the mothers.  So is this a cannibalistic act? 

I say most definitely not.  The placenta is an organ - not flesh - and neither is it of any use to the baby or to the mother any longer - even though it is human tissue.

Another placenta encapsulation specialist that's part of the PBi team shared this excerpt off a Catholic forum that was discussing what the Church's position on placentophagy is.  I thought it was excellently put and wanted to share it!

Here it is:


"My argument on placentophagia is far from being complete, but I thought I would share my thoughts so far. I have perused the Catechism of the Catholic church looking for the teaching on cannibalism and found nothing. I would like to know if anyone is aware of an official source approved by the Church regarding the morality of cannibalism. Not that I need it proven to me that cannibalism is immoral, but because I would like to see and understand the principles of the argument, to see if the same may be applied to placentophagia.  In my perusal of the Catechism, I read through the article on the  5th commandment, Thou shalt not kill, because I thought that any mention of cannibalism would come under that category. In my reading I saw that all the sins listed against this commandment (murder, suicide, abortion, euthanasia, unjust anger, hatred, vengeance�) have this in common – they entail a fundamental disrespect for the sacredness of human life, even those sins that don't even involve killing (hatred, anger etc.). It seems to me that cannibalism, the way we generally think of it, ie. killing people for the sake of eating them, is wrong for this same reason – fundamental disrespect for human life. Human personhood, which is a reflection of God, is violated.

Cannibalism can be divided into two categories - (a) killing a person in order to eat their flesh and (b) eating the flesh of a person who has died on their own. Let us consider (b) in which the person is not maliciously killed, as this more closely pertains to placentophagia. There was the case of the soccer team that crashed in the Andes mountains. The survivors ate the flesh of those who had died either in the crash or b/c of freezing to death. There was no malicious intention, in fact their intention was the preservation of their own lives, which is a moral good. However, since the morality of a human act depends upon three factors: the object (act itself), the intention, and the circumstances (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, line 1755), we cannot say that their cannibalism was perfectly okay.  Their intention may have been good, and their circumstances were indeed mitigating, but the intrinsic evil of consuming dead human flesh remains unchanged. The personhood of those who had died was in some way violated because their bodies were not properly respected. We cannot judge the souls of those who ate the flesh, but we can say that the act itself was wrong, even though the circumstances were mitigating.
Let us assume that placentophagia is an instance of the latter kind of cannibalism in which human flesh is eaten but there is no homicide. Let us consider the three factors that will determine the morality or immorality of placenta consumption. First, the object, or act itself, which is consumption of the placenta by the mother of a newborn child. The death of the child is not a necessary component of this act, either by the mother's hand or natural causes. The organ, which was once vital to the child during gestation, has outgrown its usefulness and is discarded by the child's body and then the mother's body. It is no longer part of either human body and therefore cannot be said to be the flesh of a person, although it was human in origin. The placenta is not the flesh of a dead person, and  therefore its consumption cannot be called cannibalistic. Placentophagia in no way violates the personhood of a human being made in the image and likeness of God. This makes the object of placenta consumption morally indifferent, and not morally evil.

Proceeding then with the knowledge that the act is morally indifferent, let us examine the other two conditions to see if they contribute to the moral goodness or evil of placentophagia.  The intention of the human mother in consuming the placenta is to regain her own health.   She takes it as a kind of natural medicine to help her heal from childbirth. The placenta provides her with proteins, vitamins, minerals and hormones that ease her post partum period. Benefits to the mother include decreasing the risk of post partum depression, preventing excessive bleeding, increasing her breastmilk supply, reducing post partum iron deficiency, and improving her quality of sleep.  The respect for and preservation of life is a moral good, therefore the mother's intention works towards making her placentophagia a good act. It is possible, I suppose, for there to be an evil intention in placenta consumption, although I do not know what that could be. But if that were to happen, the act would be made immoral by the evil intention.

Lastly, we shall consider the circumstances of the act of placentophagia.  If they are the usual circumstances, ie, a pregnancy reaching its completion at birth with the placenta no longer needed by the child's body, then there is no harm done to either mother or child. If however, the placenta were to be harvested from the mother's body while it still played a vital role for the child, that would make it an evil act because the circumstance involves the killing of the child. But in the usual circumstances of placentophagia neither the mother nor the baby are harmed in any way.
In conclusion, placentophagia is not cannibalism because it does not involve killing, nor the consumption of flesh which belongs to a deceased person. It does not present an affront to the dignity of the human person.  Nor is placentophagia morally evil as long as the intentions and circumstances are either good or morally indifferent."

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IRON DEFICIENCY, FATIGUE, AND POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

11/25/2014

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The most common single nutrient deficiency today is iron deficiency. Conventionally, the risk of iron deficiency is thought to be lowest right after child birth.  However recent research has shown that the prevalence of iron deficiency and anemia is growing, especially among low income women.  The standard American diet is insufficient to meet the iron needs of pregnant women.  If left unsupplemented, most women are at risk of developing iron deficiency during pregnancy.

Iron deficiency has many symptoms, the most common of which is fatigue. After delivery there are many new stresses and responsibilities that a new mother must undertake.  The sleepless nights, recovery period, and busy days add a lot of stress to a new mother coping with fatigue.  Her effectiveness and quality of work may be impaired as well as her cognitive function, verbal skills and memory.  This is no way to spend the bonding period after bringing a precious new life into the world.  

Postpartum fatigue is a predictor of postpartum depression and must be taken into consideration and treated.  While “baby blues” are a common postpartum occurrence, effecting between 50 and 80 percent of women today, postpartum depression has a lesser occurrence of between 20 and 30 percent.  While baby blues are not a predictor of postpartum depression, there is evidence that fatigue is a good indicator. 
A well documented treatment option for women of childbearing age experiencing fatigue caused by iron deficiency is iron supplementation.  Even in non-anemic women, iron supplementation has been shown to be a viable treatment option for fatigue.   A random clinical trial of 136 women of childbearing age suffering from unexplained fatigue showed that there was a benefit to iron supplementation even in non-anemic women.  Even though the women’s iron levels were normal their iron stores may have been low which is why they responded well to supplementation.

In traditional Chinese medicine the placenta is used to treat fatigue in postpartum women.  In an examination of 49 intact cords and placentas, it was shown that the placenta is a very good source of iron, as well as protein, vitamin B6 and many beneficial hormones.  Chinese medicine uses the placenta to augment the Qi and bring the postpartum body back into balance and nourish the blood – both are believed to cause fatigue if disturbed.

In conclusion, there is evidence that using the iron rich placenta internally after childbirth can be a good way to prevent iron deficiency.  Extra iron, even in non-anemic women, is an excellent way to prevent fatigue, which has been shown to be a predictor of postpartum depression.  Placenta medicine is a very promising and common sense way to help support postpartum women during a very important time in their lives.

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    My name is Megan. I am a partner, mother, birth worker and natural living enthusiast. living in Southern California. 

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