My Family and the Organic Preggo

Last weekend, my mom moved to Virginia.  My brother, nephew, and Dad were in tow to help out.  Here we are sitting around a makeshift table that my mom put together.  She took the milk crates she used for storage and placed the wrapped Ikea side table on top, so that we had a place to eat dinner as a family.  This after my dad made a dash to Home Depot to pick up some patio chairs.  We haven't yet bought a dining set.

This makeshift table illustrates one of the dozens of reasons why my mom is so amazing and why it will make such a huge difference to have her with me and Lily.   My mom is one of the most crafty and resourceful people that I know.  She can take junk and turn it into works of art.  She'll take trash and turn it into functional furniture.  And, she won't be deterred by my green, hippie work-arounds for me and Baby Lily.  That is, as long as she still gets to use the microwave.

After we ate, Dad had a list of projects that he wanted to get done.  He wanted to get cleaning supplies to wipe down the walls, fix the front door, fix the back door, and put together as much furniture as he could.   The maids only did a standard cleaning, not a move out cleaning, which is fine with me, because we could use eco cleaners on everything.

My dad would just wipe the walls down with bleach.  However, organic preggo here wouldn't have it.  We had to drive to Whole Foods to buy the eco-friendly, non-toxic, plant-based cleaners. I didn't realize how skeptical my family was about the eco cleaners.  That is, until they talked about how well they cleaned, and how surprised they were at how they smelled like they would actually clean stuff. 

My dad brought up painting a couple of times.  I started by nodding and saying "okay, we'll think about it."  But, the third time it came up, I tried to politely explain that we couldn't paint while I was pregnant or when the baby was young.  That I'd rather just leave the walls as-is.  BabyCenter.com talks about types of paints to avoid while pregnant, and some companies do make a more eco-friendly, no-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint.  But, since I tend to avoid as many chemicals as possible, I'd just rather not paint right now.  I mean, I'm the kinda gal who takes her own liquid soap into the bathroom at work.

I needed to completely adjust my communication style.  My mom asked about hanging up some air fresheners in our closets.  I knew that it wasn't obvious to her just how many chemicals those air fresheners leached into the air.  I thought about it for a moment, and I realized that we were going to have these conversations over and over.  It wasn't a bad thing, but most folks aren't going to realize where green hippies would see danger, and I was nervous about coming off as bitchy.  My response would normally be unintentionally snooty, "I won't use that."  Or, "Not in my room."  It's important to be as least offensive to my mom as possible while politely declining what I see as a toxic option.  It's also important for me to clue her in when I'd prefer a green alternative, or that a green alternative actually exists for whatever option, as she's going to be doing a lot of the shopping for the house.  So, when it comes up, I decided to say, "I prefer a green option.  If there isn't one, then I prefer nothing at all (or the conventional option)."

Dad wanted to get everything done before he left.  He has been so helpful, and he doesn't want to leave us with a mess.  I had to keep reassuring him that we have a huge support group, and lots of people are coming to help out with the move.  Yay family!

Making Babies and The Bulk Herb Store

Awhile back, I wrote about some teas for pregnancy and how I ordered the herbs to make those teas online from a website called the Bulk Herb Store.  I chose this company, because they offered many reasonably-priced organic herbs and the company seemed to be family-run.  And then today, I came across a blog that reviewed a DVD and book set called Making Babies, which was put together by Shoshanna from the Bulk Herb Store.  In her description of Making Babies, her approach to birth seem in line with mine. The more steps I take to incorporate natural and holistic principles into my life, the more connected I feel to companies who carry with them some similar beliefs about life and health.  Now that I think about it, a lot of the choices I make to be a loyal or repeat customer, or even to make the choice to buy from a company in the first place, have to do something with how much I perceive the company's ideals to be like my own.  I am sure to be a repeat customer at the Bulk Herb Store.

Shoshanna talks a little about her pregnancies and Making Babies:

I got my inspiration for the Making Babies series from the pregnancy and birth of my first child. I loved every stage of my pregnancy and birth! I enjoyed learning and researching when I had morning sickness and when I got indigestion. Every time I was faced with another bridge, I would research, study, learn, apply, and rise to new heights of excitement. I knew everything I did, and did not do, would make a difference with me and my growing baby. It is not always easy finding good food to eat, knowing what exercises to do, and asking the right questions to the right people, but I researched it step by step and enjoyed a healthy pregnancy and birth.

I grew up in an Amish community. Talk about making babies–whoa, they make a lot! No, I am not Amish, but I am a blood-bought child of God. Twenty-five years ago my parents were artists living in Memphis, Tennessee. They wanted to raise us five children in the country so we could learn the dying art of homemaking and the skills of country living. Hard work, herbal remedies, nutritional health, home births, and common sense were all part of the lifestyle in the Amish community.

In November 2004, my husband James and I found out we were pregnant with our first child. I knew I wanted to have my baby in the soothing warmth of my own home, so I went to talk to a midwife. I had assisted in two births before I got married, and knew I wanted my children’s births to be better. With good food, the right exercises, and relaxation, the birth of Jeremiah James was WONDERFUL! The midwife that attended had been to over 350 births and said it was the best she had ever attended. Since my firstborn, I never stopped researching the wonderful world of making babies.

I have been asked many questions about healthy foods, recipes, exercises, and herbal remedies from family, friends, and customers at Bulk Herb Store. In November 2009, we got pregnant with our second child. I was so excited about my pregnancy journey. I was going to have another baby! I thought about all the horrible births I had heard about, and wanted to show women across the world how beautiful pregnancy and birth can be, so I started the Making Babies series.

First Time Mommy Group #2

Today was the first time I had a chance to meet up with the pregnant women in my placement group from my first time mommy meetup.  For their last meeting a few weeks ago, the group went to Clay Cafe Studios and painted pottery.  So today, we stopped by to pick up their finished pieces, and then we went to lunch.

Most of the women in our group are due in October.  One of the gals is due in November and one in December. We are about to gain three new members that are also due in October.  Two of the gals are having twins.  One of the women with twins couldn't make it today, because she is now on bed rest and will be in the hospital because of a condition she developed.  All of us are going back to work after our babies are born.

Regardless of our differences, we have so many things in common right now.  We are all feeling different aches and movements.  We are all getting bombarded with information that we have to sort through.  We all need to buy cribs, car seats, and strollers.  We all have questions.   We are all going through similar experiences.  We all have to make our own decisions on what is best for our own family.  We are all going to need play dates.  We all need other women near us who understand what we're going through.  It might not be a place where I can talk about my choices, but I can talk and ask questions about being a new mom, which is also so very important.  For example, we've got a gal in our group who needs to be entertained in the hospital for the next two months with 11 fast pregnant friends who are all too willing to entertain, because it could be any of us.

I live in my natural birth bubble most of the time, and I forget that most women don't view life this way.  Out of the six of us there today, I am the only one delivering with a midwife and not in a hospital.  Most of the other women in the group are nervous or scared of birth.  I am very confident that my body can do what it was designed to do.  My mantra is that I am going to squat, she's gonna pop out, and that is it. Several of them expressed that they didn't care how the baby came out, just as long as he/she was able to get out. Where the last conversation coming out of my birth class was about other members of the class finding a doctor that would work with an alternative vaccine schedule, the mommy group women talked about how many of them had just gotten boosters and to make sure that everyone that came into contact with the baby had been vaccinated.

Just a side note about Clay Cafe Studios, which is a very neat concept. You can make a reservation or just drop in.  You pick out a piece of pottery, paint it, and then within 10 days, the pieces are ready to be picked up.  There were little banks, plates, and all sorts of things to paint.  I love getting folks coffee mugs, and they had mugs there that could be personalized.  And, even martini and margarita glasses, too!  They had set up the back room for a birthday party. And, a dad had taken his daughter in to pick out something to paint for mom's birthday.  How neat!