Using your voice and music to help soothe your baby – Starting at month 5 in the womb

At 5 months pregnancy your baby can start hearing sounds and by 7 months pregnant they can recognize both you and your partners voice . 

I like having my clients starting around the 5th month of pregnancy put together a great playlist for their little one . This can be lullabies you love or grew up with , songs you and your partner like or that might have a special meaning behind them. I suggest playing nightly ,via head phones to your baby in the womb . Obviously nothing to jarring , Iron Maiden or Metallica might not be the most relaxing choice, unless you want your baby to become Axl Rose and be head banging all over the womb 🙂 . By playing your soothing ( nothing thats going to fry their delicate nervous system ) playlist nightly to them they will become familiar with these songs . I suggest you play during the birth and have them be born into this music and use after to soothe , as it will be familiar to them and will help with the transition from your womb into this world .

You can also get a few of your favorite childhood children’s books or I happen to of course LOVE  all the inspirational ones out there .( Any of Jamie lee Curtis and Wayne dyer ones )  I like to start at 5 months having both you and your partner read them them out loud so that by  the time you are 7 months they will know your voice . Later when you read them these books they will be familiar with them as they will recognize and be familiar with the reading tone you use for each book .

Write everyday in and keep a pregnancy journal ,read it out loud daily to your developing baby .  Have both you and your partner  talk  your baby as often as you like . Your voice will be a key tool to help soothe the more familiar they are with it the better .

Sing to your belly like you were singing a sweet lullaby to your baby . If you don’t know of one hum a tune or sing a sweet song . I had a client that kept humming this unknown tune she came up with when she found out she was pregnant , hummed it to her belly throughout pregnancy and now hums her new baby to sleep with it .

If you have dogs their barking will be known to the baby when its born so there is no need to shhhhh  your barking dog , again this will be familiar to them .

These are some of the things I like to have people do while pregnant  to lock in a few  soothing tools to better help both your transition into parenthood as well as your baby’s transition into this world .

These days many fortunate people who wouldn’t be able to have a child otherwise are able to have surrogates carrying their babies for them . You can do all the above and record it . Have your surrogate play daily to her belly . I did this with a few of my girls I worked with that used surrogates and even a few that were adopting . Was not only BEYOND helpful to soothe  later but also so healing for the mother / parents to do .

http://www.rootedforlife.com

Chia seed breakfast / snack

I was at my friend Nicolette’s house the other day and within a few minutes she whipped up this yummy healthy snack for me . I thought , this would be amazing for my pregnant clients .

It’s super high in omega fatty acids which eating them is especially important  during month 7 of pregnancy. This is when your growing baby’s brain is developing rapidly and they are accumulating and putting on fat daily under their skin . Chia seeds are high in Omega fatty acids ( brain food ) , calcium  , iron  , potassium , fiber , protein and antioxidants. Constipation is VERY common during pregnancy , especially around month 7 when your digestive system slows down and your growing uterus and baby  are squashing your intestines. Chia seeds are a great source of fiber and will help with any of the discomforts of constipation. This recipe will make you poop like crazy !! WOOOOO HOOOO !!! Bring it on !! 🙂

Chia Seed breakfast / snack – Can make hot or cold

Mix about a 1/4 chia seeds with about 1&1/2 cups of almond, hemp or coconut milk . Stir every 5 minutes until thickened . Add cinnamon , 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and sweeten with stevia or agave . Cut up any fruit on top or add some shredded coconut ,  sliced almonds  or hemp seeds . Thats it , sooooooooooooooooo fast , healthy and easy !!!

My friend Pam saw this post and messaged me saying that she makes this all the time. For a different variation  she puts the almond milk in a blender with a date and two prunes for sweetness and added fiber and adds pumpkin pie spice!  YUMMMMMMMMM …. this is making me hungry !!!!!

*You can make extra and keep in the fridge

*You can also try making it with  Mila for a smoother consistency

https://rootedforlife.wordpress.com/2012/11/20/mila-my-new-favorite-super-seed/

http://www.rootedforlife.com

natural remedies for pregnancy acne

People always speak of the” pregnancy glow ” most women have while pregnant . But when a pregnant woman develops Pregnancy acne it can leave one feeling not very attractive, self- conscious and not good about herself 😦  

Why do some women get it and some don’t ? It usually has to do with their past history of acne , chances are if you had it earlier in life you most likely will get it again during pregnancy . Pregnancy acne is caused by in increase in hormone levels and the production or more oil .

In a blog post I wrote a few month back about pregnancy and the skin –

https://rootedforlife.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/pregnancy-and-your-skin/

I interviewed the famous Goddess of skin herself – Dayle Breault –

http://store.goddessofskin.com/pages/dayle-breault

My trusted skin care guru ( for the past 16 years).  I asked her , what her take on pregnancy acne was ? Here is what she had to say on the matter :

” Hormonal fluctuation triggers a response in the pore where the bacteria are hiding. It is important during this time to make sure to keep your skin clean, especially if you are working out (who does not want to hold onto at least a bit of our body shape). Within 15 minutes after any type of sweating is when the oil will solidify in the pores and create the environment for infection to breed. Keeping the skin clean will promote a healthy complexion free of breakouts. And if you get that feeling like something is brewing, an ice cube placed gently on the sore area will kill any p.acnes bacteria that might be trying to rear it’s ugly head. Lay ice cube gently, do not press hard, and remove when it hurts from the cold. Reapply until it goes away!!!”

*For more on the Goddess , her services and products ( That I am obsessed with )  read the pregnancy and your skin  link and her website that I have attached above.

Here are 5 other Natural remedies I found  you might want to try putting on acne –

1- Lemon

2- Toothpaste

3-  Aloe vera gel

4- Plain yogurt

5- Tee tree oil

ADDING ON….. Later in the day 🙂

* PS.- Just got home from a client who was having some pregnancy acne .. I brought over some aloe vera gel, tee tree oil and a lemon and she had the yogurt .. We mixed them all together and made her a mask … We are conducting an experiment … we shall see 🙂

We used :

1/2 cup of plain organic yogurt ,

2 tablespoons of aloe vera gel

Squeezed in 1/4 -1/2 of a lemon

10 drops of tee tree oil .

Left on for 10 min

Having her do 2 – 3 times this week

Keep you all posted … 🙂 xoxox

http://www.rootedforlife.com

A heartfelt note from my sweet client Jamie !!! – left tears in my eyes !!! :-)

• This is why I do what I do !!!! My client Jamie  just wrote me this  beautiful and touching message .. needless to say … I am crying !!! she first called me when she was going through the fertility process  … We worked together weekly  and then after receiving the AMAZING news … continued working together though pregnancy , birth / post and into new parenthood  . She and her son chase Leo are my poster mommy and child for my rooted for life pregnancy program . I love them beyond words !!!

  ” Lori, you saw baby Chase the moment I called you for help and you heard my voice! You somehow knew a baby boy was on the way and that he wanted me to be his mom. You found a way to make me see that he was only going to come into this world when the time was right and my husband and I were ready to be the parents he needed us to be. You helped me become strong and get through the hardest time of my life! Somehow the stressful roller coaster ride of trying to get pregnant made me the strong yet calm and patient mother that I have become! You prepared me not only for motherhood but for the obstacles that I could never imagined were ahead of me! Week after week we worked together to keep me calm, positive, and to never loose hope! You never gave up on me even when I wouldn’t breath!! I will never forget when the day came that my nightmare was over and a (Positive) saved my life. You have been such a huge part of my journey and our little miracle. Once we got this unimaginable news we worked together throughout my entire pregnancy month by month, week by week, on the most healthy diet for my growing baby. You wanted to make sure that he got the best nutrients for what was developing during that stage of pregnancy! You gave me all the information that I needed I never even had to read a pregnancy book!!! Your homemade maternity cream left me with not one stretch mark!! I can’t tell you how healthy and strong this little guy is!! He is so perfect!! You kept me calm and comfortable with your incredible maternity messages and you were even somehow able to get him to move every time which made me so happy and I have to say very much relieved. You were there for me during the birth which I would have never been able to get through without you. The hours of massages, stretching and keeping the husband calm was KEY!! I can’t thank you enough for being a part of my family! You will always hold such a special place in our hearts!!

  http://www.rootedforlife.com       (310)429-0254

  

The snoogle – Pregnancy body pillow

Getting a good night sleep and being comfortable towards the end of pregnancy can be a challenge . After taking a survey from all my clients on which pregnancy body pillow they liked best … The snoogle won the prize . There are two kinds -the basic snoogle Which my girls found was light weight and easy to roll from side to side with ( anyone who has ever been pregnant knows how important this is ) and they liked the way it was shaped for really good support . 

http://www.amazon.com/Leachco-Snoogle-Total-Body-Pillow/dp/B0000635WI/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1364319088&sr=1-1&keywords=snoogle+pregnancy+pillow

The other one was the Snoogle loop contoured fit body pillow – A bit more of a  deluxe version , they found this to be totally comfortable ,  nurturing , cozy , supportive and beyond luxurious . 

http://www.amazon.com/Leachco-Snoogle-Contoured-Pillow-Ivory/dp/B000F1MBQ0/ref=sr_1_3?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1364319088&sr=1-3&keywords=snoogle+pregnancy+pillow

www. rootedforlife.com

minimalist parenting – The book

minimalist parenting – The book

I was searching the web this am like I always do daily and looked on one of my favorite blogs – cool mom picks . They wrote about the book “minimalist Parenting ” which looks AMAZING  (Click on the link to read their review) . In the marketing world where they make tons money preying on the fear of  parents to buy and over consume , this book is right up my alley . Im also a big fan of living with the less is more philosophy  and  simplifying your life in a chaotic  world  . I will definitely be referring this book to my  mommy and daddy clients !!!!!

http://www.rootedforlife.com

A MOTHER THINKS ABOUT HER CHILDREN … #QUOTE

A MOTHER THINKS ABOUT HER CHILDREN DAY AND NIGHT , EVEN WHEN THEY ARE NOT WITH HER AND WILL LOVE THEM IN A WAY THEY WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND .

” Taking some off and some much needed down time is actually doing something , it is allowing your whole being to relax , recharge and renew “

 

This past week was non stop for me between working , appointments and social obligations I had barely any me time . I am not complaining , I love what I do , but in order for me to show up feeling good , clear and present for my self and others the way I want to , I need to balance all this energy with some down time .

Yesterday I blocked the day off to write for my blog ,  my book  and for a few of the websites I write for. When I woke up I was fried , my mind was foggy and spinning . I felt depleted  and drained  . I took my dogs for a long walk , did some errands  , ate a healthy lunch and sat down to write but couldn’t as I has nothing to give. My mind was freaking out about the list of things I needed to get done but my body and spirit just wanted to go take a nap .

A friend of mine called me and reminded me of something I once said to her and to all my clients  , ”  Taking some off and some much needed down time is actually doing something , it is allowing your whole being to relax , recharge and renew “.  I then shut the computer and phone off , got in bed , took a nap , read a scandalous novel , watched some mindless tv , took a bath, had dinner and drank some tea . I felt so much better from my relaxing day that I actually wrote a blog post last night. This morning I woke up at 7 am feeling great and ready to go .

As parents or just in life in general we have to stop and recharge every once in a while, even when the to do list is piled sky high. You will come back able to get more done and do a better job when you are clear , present , energized and feeling good . 🙂

http://www.rootedforlife.com

4 yoga poses to help with indigestion and heartburn while pregnant

An average of  40 – 80% of  women experience some sort of heart burn and indigestion during pregnancy  . Here are some easy  yoga poses that you can do daily to help with indigestion and heart burn .

This is my ADORABLE client  Shana ,she is 4 months pregnant and was telling me she was experiencing heartburn on and off . I gave her these poses to do daily or when her indigestion started to come on .

1. Sitting with your legs crossed  – Place your hands on your ankles . Inhale thru your nose   into your stomach as you arch and look up then exhale  thru your mouth as you look down , round and pull back. ( repeat 5 times ) 

2. Adding on – Inhale thru your nose as you arch up, raising your arms over your head then exhale thru your mouth as you grab your ankles and pull back .( repeat 5 times )

3. Still sitting in a cross legged position – Interlace your hands by your lower back and a few inches behind . As you inhale thru your nose look up , as you exhale thru your mouth look down and squeeze your shoulder blazes together  .( Repeat a few times )

4.kneeling on a bolster , pillow ,block – Bring your arms behind and grab your elbows . Sticking your chest out , Inhale thru  your nose into heart and stomach then exhale thru your mouth as your shoulders relax.

4. Sitting in a chair – Interlace your hands behind your head , inhale into your stomach and heart , then exhale thru mouth as you press your elbows back and down .

My friend Desi Bartlett ( An amazing prenatal yoga teacher at exhale in venice ,ca. ) gave me an awesome tip – While doing these poses Desi suggests to defuse in air or place a few drops of peppermint oil in a humidifier and breathe the oil deep into the stomach .

http://www.rootedforlife.com

FROM WOMB TO WORLD – Anna Verwaal ( my teacher )

13 years ago I took my doula training with Judy Chapman and I was blessed to have Anna Verwaal as one of my teachers . This amazing woman brought many things to my my attention that changed my life. Shortly after my doula training I began the journey to heal my own prenatal wounding . This altered my work towards conscious pregnancy and creating a solid foundation to grow from starting in the womb ( better yet even before conception) . In this video Anna explains so clearly why I do what I do .What you do and feel during your pregnancy does have a life long impact on your child.

http://www.rootedforlife.com