If you follow this or other blogs, new information

From the blog people

We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow.

Governor signs Midwife Bill...

Photo by Michelle Sanders CPM

This past week in the state of Indiana, the bill to license Certified Professional Midwives (CPM's) was signed into law by our Governor.  I did not attend, because I had been up all night with a birth in Michigan at the Birth center with one of my favorite clients/family--- who travels from over 2 hours away to use my services!  I am so blessed!

I want to thank everyone who has helped with this process, who has wrote letters to get this bill thru, who has made phone calls and contacted their elected officials.  Thank you.  It is you the consumer who they will listen to, and so it is you the consumer that made the difference.

I am sooo thankful for those who have stuck by my side thru this very tough year, who have and continue to use my services.  As a midwife, it is sort of like a marriage.  We make an agreement of service to our clients, and they also make an agreement to us-we build trust, a relationship, and when it continues birth after birth, thru the tough times, and easy times, it is so beautiful.  I thank you for your loyalty.  I love what I do, and I love my clients!

Very few have left my services, so for all of you who have stayed by me, used my services, and are still planning on using my services, I thank you!!  I have been so blessed by the  phone calls, letters and support. It is really wonderful and needed-in many ways that I can not even share or tell you, but YHWH knows! Thank you! I can not express enough how very much I appreciate you sticking with me, using my care for your birth, and support thur the process of getting this bill passed.  Your comments and letters brighten my days, and when I have those days I am down, I re-read those messages, and the LORD uses them to lift me up.

The birth center up in Michigan is going very well, and those who have traveled to use its facilities, have been truly blessed!  Many have said, where ever I am-they will go, because they want my services and that is  more important to them than where they deliver.  I thank each of you for that! That alone shows the support I have had this past year.  The birth center has held its own, and we pray it continues to grow and is blessed.  GOD has a calling for me with the service of women, and as long as HE has called me, I will go....

Blessings to you!
Ireena

Birth and Bonding

In this country, we interferer with birth to the point of causing problems. 
The medical community could learn a lot from the animal community... and midwives.


My husband and I have a small farm, and have had many animal babies born on this farm.  We currently raise goats and sheep, so this time of year means new babies.  It is difficult to know exactly when the birth will occur, because we just do not have our farm set up for keeping the males away from the females, so...well stuff happens!


We just have to watch for the 'signs' of impending birth.

Goats and sheep do not necessarily have a nesting that occurs, and by all appearance, do not complain of  the actual labor pains and birth while it is happening.  Most of the time, they do not  birth during the day, but will wait until the sun goes down, so sometimes in the evening until early morning is when they birth.  


It has always fascinated me that they have always just delivered fine without any help...no interfering, no starting labor, no augmentation of the labor, no helping the birth, nothing!  It is very rare that they need any help at all!  


The only thing that we  notice is-we really have to watch for the signs of impending labor, so we can get them into a private stall, so they will settle down, and deliver...with out nosy other animals around them.  The only real problem we have had, is when we miss these signs, and they deliver in the herd-then often the new first time mothers will not bond well with their baby and that interferes with the nursing process as well as the continued bonding.


We have had a lot of snow and ice here this last week, and today-thankfully was a warm day...or the first little baby would not have survived.

A few weeks ago we had twin baby lambs- (see above photo)


The next mother delivered today-before we got home.  My husband and I had to examine each female sheep to see which one showed signs of having had a baby...(not easy and very frustrating for the sheep) as the moisture outside -had cleaned up all signs of blood, so a true exam was needed since there was no 'blood trail'.

We found the new mother, put her with her baby in a nursery stall, assisted in helping the baby to nurse-but this mother still wanted to reject the  baby.  After we were sure the baby had nursed to receive some colostrum, we then brought the baby into the house and fed it from a bottle.  How I hate that!
But the baby had to eat-
It did not want the artificial nipple, (smart baby)  but it did eat some, and also ate milk off of our finger...it received enough nutrition and was now acting more alert-so out to the mother again to see if she would accept her baby.   
As my husband sat there holding the mom and baby, they finally began to bond well....he was thinking, well I think it will be ok now-
then he heard a sheep enter the barn, baa a few times ...  My husband looked up and thought-that tail on that sheep looks like a face...
Out came a baby lamb!


It was the first one he had witnessed in over 3 years!  
The newest mother and baby was left alone, and she-another first time new mother-cleaned her baby, allowed it to nurse, encouraged it to stand, took care of her baby.  When left alone from humans, and other animals-a new mother does well.  


The earlier delivery, that mother was within the heard of sheep when she delivered-thus was not alone with her baby so no bonding.  I think that is why it was so difficult for her to accept her baby for so long.

So why have I went on and on about this?
Because with humans, we too need to be 'left alone' and allowed to bond.  If not, the nursing process is interrupted, the delivery of the placenta is interrupted and these things do not always go well after the interruptions....


We are considered a mammal-
GOD has a perfect design for all animals-all creatures, all mammals-a design that is to be left alone.  The birth, if you do not interfere -allow to progress as HE has designed, will often go along without any problems...in its own time.


A mother left alone (or in a quiet place -her place of safety) will progress well, and a mother and new baby left alone, will have a bonding process that assists with a wonderful nursing process.  


The Art of Birth...a GOD designed miracle...

CMI 2010 conference

I have just returned from the 2010 CMI conference that was held on north myrtle beach in South Carolina.                                                                                              Beautiful sunrises

Beautiful friends

       A chance to learn from some wonderful teachers...
Above Jill Whitfield teaches us about shoulder dystocia and ways to resolve the problem

Here are most of our wonderful instructors this year 

Back row left to right: Connie Mullen, Kim Brown, Maureen Brown (Carlotta's assistant), Kathy Nesper, Lori Lloyd, Kathryn Berkowitz, Ireena Keeslar (me)

Front row-Left to right: Carlotta Crawforn, Lori L

Not in the photo: Brandi Wood, and Jill Whitfield

Here are most of the conference attendees...

Jack from In His Hands shows us the updated web site...

Rebecca shops for supplies from Jack with In His Hands

Doreen was our MC this year, and she did a wonderful job!!!

Fun fellowship

great shopping (here are some women shopping from Doran with Blessing God's Way)

Shopping from Jill's Midwives Mercantile -Her husband Richard is a regular with our conference!  

And shopping with Precious Arrows..

We Hope that you will consider attending the CMI conference next year.

Check out the site here for more information, remember that new information will be added soon so check back by October for more information!

Were 'excited' and "jumping' for joy to have you attend next year with us~!

SALT

Salt aka Sodium.


A mineral that is needed by the body, but also over used.


Often when you experience health issues, the medical world will tell you to back off from the salt.  Why?  They say salt is bad for you-- in an excess.  


The actual problem?  


One of the problems is the salt we eat today is not natural.  Test your salt, place some in a glass of water, and set it out over night, if it dissolves it is considered natural- but if it does not, and you see it collect in the bottom of the glass, then it has been processed. 


Natural salt will not be totally dry- it will often hold its moisture, this is due to the minerals still in the salt-when you use it-it will often clump together so you think it is 'wet'.  Also with true natural salt the color will be from beige  or light tan to gray and light pink.  Not bleached white.  



 "In the 1940s the major salt producers in the USA began to dry salt at very high temperatures.  This changed the chemical structure of the salt.  These changes affect the human body adversely.  In order to make salt whiter, dryer and easier to pour they removed the minerals and other nutrients so that what was left was pure white sodium. Sodium is only one chemical found in salt but it is what we buy in our supermarkets and what we erroneously call salt. " 1


This processing is why the salt we eat today is not good for us.  
Salt processing removes many of the minerals in salt, and there are over 80 of them.  Processed salt is not healthy, and what they place in our processed food-is very unhealthy.
  

Salt is removed from the earth and sea by a mechanical method.  Bulldozing is not natural folks!  It is the often sent through metal pipes, or removed from the work site in trucks,  again not natural.  Then it is artificially processed -graded....and heated to extreme heat levels which 'cracks' its molecular structure.  They will then processes out the minerals from the salt.  (remember over 80 of them)  These are often removed and sold separately -which actually make more money than the salt does for the company.

  This is when other chemicals can be added, one chemical will make it pour easier, they bleach the salt and add iodine so it is now "iodized".  These are harmful chemicals used to bleach it, no organic iodine, and then the other chemicals to make it pour easier.  None of them are good for us.  Our body has to process these non-organic chemicals!

Even the salt sold in health food stores and labeled natural, is not actually natural, It too is processed.  Once of my concerns about sea salt (even natural) is the pollution.  The ocean is polluted, and now thanks to BP it is full of oil!  Folks, this will effect our sea salt over time!  It might not today, or next week, but over time, yes, everything will be effected by the biggest oil spill of our lifetime.

How much salt do we need a day?


The American Heart Association says we should eat less than 1,500 mgs a day.  This is just slightly less than 3/4 tsp of salt a day.  I don't know about you, but I like to add salt to my food when it is at the table.  I have learned to cook with herbs for flavor, and then I add salt if I want to and by doing that, I can stay below that figure.  The only time I go above it is when I am using processed foods.  Now lets look at why that is.


How do we read the labels?
First you need to know how to read the label.  Look for where it says sodium.

How does that translate?

Sodium equivalents

1/4 teaspoon salt	= 600 mg sodium
1/2 teaspoon salt	= 1,200 mg sodium
3/4 teaspoon salt	= 1,800 mg sodium
1 teaspoon salt	= 2,300 mg sodium
1 teaspoon baking soda	= 1,000 mg sodium

What is the difference between sodium and salt?

 Salt is sodium and chlorine, and the sodium is the part that you have to watch out for.  So 40% of salt is sodium, and to figure out how much sodium is in that salt, you have to multiply the amount listed of sodium by 2.5 to get the equivalent of salt amount. chloride (sodium plus chlorine). The sodium in the salt is what you have to look out for. 40% of salt is sodium. For example, if a portion of food contains 1g of sodium per 100g, you will know it contains 2.5g of salt per 100g.   

Lets look at how much salt is in a few products:
Pop-


-Sierra Mist- one 8 ounce serving has 25 mg of sodium that means 62.5 mg of salt.


-Canada Dry Ginger Ale-one 8 ounce serving has 35 mg of sodium.  That means 87.5 mg of salt.


-Pepsi or a coke has 35 mg in an 8 ounce serving.


-Mt dew has 38 mg in an 8 ounce serving


-Mt Dew Code Red has 110 mg in an 8 ounce serving


-7Up has 50 mg in an 8 ounce serving


-Sprite has 45 mg in an 8 ounce serving


Breakfast Cereals:  
1 cup servings-(only listed a few here) sodium content is listed first so remember to x that by 2.5

*cap'n crunch 269 mg sodium so it is 672.5mg in salt this means over 1/4 teaspoon


*Cheerios-213 mg sodium/532.5 mg salt-  almost 1/4 tsp


*Honey Nut cheerios-269 mg sodium/672.5mg salt-over 1/4 tsp


*Corn Flakes 202 mg sodium / 505mg salt


*Golden Grahams 359 sodium / 897.5mg salt -almost 1/2 tsp


*Life 255 sodium / 637.5mg salt


Now try reading the label of a can of soup, or spaghetti sauce and a few other products.  See how you can get a lot of salt in your diet?  And all of this salt is unhealthy processed salt. 


 This is why your body sometimes can not handle the salt and responds with high blood pressure, which in itself is dangerous but during pregnancy it complicates your pregnancy.


Remember, fresh fruits and vegetables do not contain much if any salt at all!  Fresh fruits and vegetables!  Don't they just sound good?


Salt increases our appetite. 


 If it does this (along with sugar, high fructose corn syrup) then we will eat more.  So if you add these ingredients, and you eat more-that means you purchase more of the same product.  A marketing ploy to sell more products.  


Salt is important for the body


 It is a mineral that is important for the acid base balance in our body and body fluids.  Salt comes into the body by what we drink and eat, it is known as an electrolyte.  Once in the body, it is often called an ion, and as it functions, and ion helps move the water around in the body form cell to cell.


Where can we find good salt?  


What salt can we trust?  Well most will say if it says natural on the label- it is good for you.  Remember that I can fill bottles of water in my back yard and sell it to you labeled 'natural'.  
Our coastlines are not safe anymore, and neither are other countries coast lines.  What I have found is Celtic salt making, is prob the best way to obtain salt.    


You can also  try Piaute Indian salt- (named after the native American Indians who first mined it) it comes from an ancient sea bed that is dried up, and has been buried under the earth for years. This has protected it from toxins and poisons.  


Where can I purchase some salt that is better for me?  Try this site.  But do a web search, there are other sites out there too!


http://www.americanbluegreen.com/products.html
Here is a site for the Piaute Indian salt  http://store.agoodvitamin.com/depiinsa1lb.html

1. Everything you Ever Wanted to Know about Salt by Alternative Medicine Angel
2.  What is Salt?  How Much Should I Eat?  by Christian Nordqvist 

women smarts...

Caffeine and decaf which is best?

Caffeine -so many people just can not live without it.  It is like a drug for many ....and in pregnancy it is not a healthy thing.  
Caffeine constricts the blood vessels, and that includes the ones to the placenta.  So your baby can be deprived from enough blood rich oxygen.  


How much caffeine is too much?  Many suggest that anything over 200 mgs/daily is too much.  Here is a idea of how much caffeine there is in a few products:

Foods and Beverages Milligrams of caffeine (average) Coffee (8 oz) Brewed, drip Instant 137 mg 76 mg Tea (8 oz) Brewed Instant 48 mg 26-36 mg Caffeinated soft drinks, such as cola (12 oz) 37 mg Hot cocoa (12 oz) 8-12 mg Chocolate milk (8 oz) 5-8 mg Candy Dark chocolate (1.45 oz bar) Milk chocolate (1.55 oz bar) Semi-sweet chocolate chips (1/4 cup) 30 mg 11 mg 26-28 mg Chocolate syrup (1 tbsp) 3 mg Coffee ice cream/frozen yogurt (1/2 cup) 2 mg

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2000

So you can see how easy it is to get too much caffeine from just two cups of coffee!  

Remember it takes your baby longer to remove the caffeine from their small body, than your body does, so by consuming 2 or more cups of coffee a day, or 5 cans of soda-your baby will just be getting the former days caffeine out of its system and a new day will begin.  Then it starts all over again, will that little precious baby ever be able to catch up?  No.  Not at that rate.

"Pregnant women who drank the equivalent of at least two cups of coffee daily, or five cans of a soft drink with caffeine, were twice as likely to miscarry as women who consumed no caffeine, found results of the study reported online in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology". 1.

So what about decaffeinated? 

Well, lets look at how the beans of coffee


 become decaffeinated.

There are 5 different methods used to 


decaffeinate coffee. (that I have found)

1.  The Swiss method -using water extraction

2.  Chemical removal-using ethyl acetate

3.  Chemical removal-using methylene chloride

4.  carbon dioxide

5.  Sparkling water process

Swiss Method:  This is the process where they remove up to 99% of the caffeine from the beans via washing the beans in a water solution.  The process takes about 12 hours. They start with soaking the green coffee beans in hot water, then remove the beans, throwing away the first batch, and use the water to do the next batch the same way.  they then use activated carbon filters to remove the caffeine, and using the dame water (so more flavor in the next beans) they continue this batch to batch.

Ethyl Acetate and Methylene chloride: The direct method is when they soak the beans in the chemical and the indirect method is using water in the total process.
Indirect:  first soak the beans in the water which removes the caffeine and flavors, then using one of the chemicals to infuse the flavor back into the beans.  (yuk!)


Ethyl Acetate method - most sites say this is something that occurs naturally in fruit -like bananas and apples, but when you google it, this is one of the links that comes up-


  Ethyl Acetate.. 

 Methylene chloride.. 


These links do make me wonder, and a bit more research is needed.  (you should be looking stuff up yourself too!)

Co2 method: They soften the beans, thenpressure cook the beans in this gas.  The caffeine is then removed from the gas.  The caffeine is removed via activated carbon filters which they also re-use in the next batch of beans.  

Sparkling water process: This is like the co2 method, except the caffeine is not removed using the activated carbon filters, but instead using sparkling water.  The sparkling water solution is about 98% co2.  (not too sparkling in my opinion!)
  

Side effects of drinking decaf coffee.  

1.  Heart burn 

2.  Acid reflex.

3.  Increase risk of heart attacks

4.  Increased risk of higher cholesterol

5.  Increased risk of osteoporosis

6.  Increased risk of rheumatiod arthritis 

7.  Increased risk of glaucoma

8.  Increased risk of cancer

9.  Increased risk of organ damage  

 1.  Too Much Caffeine Raises Risks of 


Miscarriage.

2.  All of the other links are within the article, just click on one of the above links.  Also if you want more information, google it!  If you really want to know, there is a lot of information out there available for you to read and do your own research.


So my opinion?  I think that 1 at the most 2 small cups of coffee a day is -ok.  Just ok.  Better to go without any caffeine at all!


  Pop is not a good substitute-due to the high fructose corn syrup (and diet pop is NOT healthy at all).  But in my opinion, decaf coffee is not the best -health wise. (also many people will drink more than 2 cups of decaf coffee and with the small amount of caffeine in decaf, it will often equal up to the caffeine cups anyway!)  So go ahead, enjoy your coffee --have 1-- 8 ounce cup of good quality coffee, and enjoy it. 



 In the afternoon, enjoy a cup of herbal tea instead of more coffee!



Hint about coffee:::- reheating coffee in the microwave is NOT healthy-it changes the acidity in the coffee, and microwaves are NOT  totally safe anyway...