May Giveaway Winner

My first Giveaway was a great success!!  I had 19 people enter to win and my Facebook page is up to 62 fans.  I am so excited!  Thank you to everyone who participated!  I will plan a new giveaway soon.

I am happy to announce that the winner of the contest is....

Anna Titanic

Congratulations Anna!  I ask that you contact me with your email address and shipping address within 5 business days or a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks again!

Natural Treatment for PCOS

It seems like many lifetimes ago now, but shortly after we were married we decided to have a baby. We tried and tried, but it would not work on our own. So we sought the help of a doctor. I was diagnosed with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is the most common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age. The name of the condition comes from the appearance of the ovaries, enlarged and containing numerous small cysts located along the outer edge of each ovary.

According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms include the following:

Infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods, excess hair growth, high blood pressure, acne, and obesity can all occur in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Menstrual abnormality may signal the condition in adolescence, or PCOS may become apparent later following weight gain or difficulty becoming pregnant.[1] 

When treating PCOS and infertility, it is essential to address the diet to assist natural weight loss and improve the chances of conception. One study found that 11 out of 12 women who had been overweight and not ovulating conceived naturally after losing weight. As women with PCOS lose weight, hormone levels start to return to normal. Testosterone levels fall, serum insulin levels go down, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels go up and the symptoms of PCOS start to diminish. Women also report significant improvements in the growth of excess hair. The weight loss has a remarkable effect on ovarian function. [2]

Changing your diet and supplementing with good vitamins and minerals are essential steps to controlling PCOS.  Correcting any dietary imbalance will go a long way towards treating the root cause of the problem. [2] [3]

• Avoid conventionally raised beef and dairy products. (They may contain residues of estrogenic hormones used as growth promoters.)
• A good multivitamin and mineral tablet will provide a ‘little bit of everything’.
• Chromium is essential for insulin’s response on blood sugar, cravings, hunger and weight loss.
• Zinc helps with appetite control and is necessary for the correct action of insulin, promoting a healthy blood sugar balance. It also functions together with selenium and vitamins A and E in the manufacture of thyroid hormone.
• Magnesium balances blood sugar levels. There is a strong link between magnesium deficiency and insulin resistance. It is an important mineral to include if you are suffering from PCOS.
• B Vitamins are important for energy production, fat burning and hormone imbalances, including your thyroid gland and metabolism.

Herbs are extremely useful in treating PCOS. Making changes and adding supplements to your diet will help control weight and balance blood sugar, while herbs go a step further, targeting any problems involving hormone balance. [2]

• Chaste tree (Vitex Agnus castus) is one of the most important herbs for PCOS because it helps stimulate and normalize the function of the pituitary gland, which controls the release of luteinizing hormone (LH). Chaste tree has been successfully trialed in the treatment of PCOS as well as infertility. It enhances progesterone levels, which lengthen the menstrual cycle.
• Adrenal tonics such as Rehmannia, Rhodiola, Siberian Ginseng and Withania support the adrenal stress response and help the adrenal glands return to a state of balance.
• Paeonia lactiflora (peony) is another valuable herb as it positively influences low progesterone, reduces elevated androgens (testosterone) and modulates estrogen and prolactin.
• Licorice, especially combined with peony, helps regulate hormones, reduce androgen levels and improve the LH to FSH ratio.
• Gymnema is helpful in reducing carbohydrate and sugar cravings, thereby assisting in weight loss. Gymnema is one of the most significant herbs to improve insulin resistance.
• Tribulus helps restore menstrual regularity and regulate ovulation.
• Blue Cohosh is a particularly useful herb. It acts as a uterine and ovarian tonic and a pelvic anti-inflammatory.
• Milk thistle, rosemary, Bupleurum and Schizandra are excellent liver herbs, aiding in the removal of excess estrogen.

Note. You should not take any of the above herbs if you are taking the oral contraceptive pill, fertility drugs, HRT or any other hormonal treatment or other medication unless they are recommended by a registered, experienced practitioner.

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[1] Mayo Clinic.  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/polycystic-ovary-syndrome/DS00423

[2] Humphrey, Katie.  http://www.natural-hormone-health.com/natural-treatments-for-PCOS.html

[3] Weil, Andrew.  MD.  http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400395/Are-There-Natural-Treatments-for-Polycystic-Ovarian-Syndrome.html

There's An App For That

So DH and I have been considering baby #2... Maybe... Kinda... Sometime in the near future.  : D  As you can see we are a little indecivise about this decision so far.  I want another baby and I don't want a big age gap between Logan and his sibling, but it took us 3 years to conceive Logan.

Here are a few things about me you might want to know.  1.  I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) which makes it difficult to conceive.  2.  My cycles are very irregular.  This is due to the PCOS too.

Stay tuned for a whole article dedicated to natural treatments of PCOS. 

In preparation of possible trying to conceive time (TTC), I have found a few useful apps.  I use all of these on my iPhone, but I'm sure other smart phones have similar apps.

1.  iBirth Pregnancy App ($2.99)- This is my favorite app.  It is several apps combined in one.  This app includes a contraction timer, videos, positions for labor, prenatal nutrition guide, tips, and lists.  Excellent app!

2.  My Cycles (Free)-  This was the first app I bought to track my fertility.  Since my periods are irregular it doesn't work well for me.  If you have a regular predictable cycle, then this is a nice free app.  It includes your ovulation day, fertility window, and symptom tracker.

3.  Period Tracker Deluxe ($1.99)-  I upgraded to this app after using My Cycles.  Period Tracker logs your dates and calculates your menstrual cycle based on the average of your last 3 periods.  Also allows you to chart your basal body temperature and other symptoms.  Comes with nice graphics and beautiful charts.

4.  Pregnancy and Baby (Free)-  An app that is full of information.  Follow a week-by-week outline of your baby's development with brilliant images from inside the womb.

5.  Due Date Calc OB ($1.99)-  This app is a little strange to use at first.  It is filled with acronyms and it is hard to understand.  Once you figure out how to use the app, it is informative.  Or if you can calculate you date of conception, you can lock it in and it will count down to the due date for you. 

6.  My Diet Diary (Free)-  One of many apps to keep track of what you eat.  We all know how important nutrition is during pregnancy, so this app will help moms make sure they are eating right for their babies. 

My question to all of you out there...  What are your favorite apps to use??

Networking

Starting a new business is hard work.  For the last 2 months I have been studying for my upcoming Birth Doula and Childbirth Educator training sessions (scheduled for July).  There are study guides to complete, required books to read, educational videos to watch, childbirth classes I still need to take, and so much more. 

Then comes the really challenging part... turning all of this into a business.  I have been advertising, networking, and trying to find clients.  I have immersed myself in the whole new birthy world and I'm loving it!!  I'm always thinking of new blog topics, I keep a running list of books I want to read, and I carry business cards with me everywhere!

So here is my request to all of you:
Please help me build a repertoire of resources for this new business.  I would love some good blogs to follow or a great article that you want to share. 

If you would like to return the favor, here are my contacts:

Website:  www.journeydoulaservices.com
Blog:  http://journeydoulaservices.blogspot.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/journeydoulaservies
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/KristaWDoula



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Delayed Cord Clamping

Research is supporting the need for practioners to delay umbilical cord clamping after birth. Currently, most providers are cutting the cord after only 12-17 seconds.



There is a clear benefit to delaying cord clamping, even if it is just for 30 seconds after delivery. These benefits include important outcomes such as decreased rates of intraventricular hemorrhage and necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm neonates. Furthermore, this intervention seems to reduce the rate of neonatal anemia. This practice has been shown to be safe and should be implemented to increase neonatal iron storage at birth. (Barclay and Fogelson)



If the baby needs resuscitation, it is important to leave the cord intact and do all the work on Mom's body. Cutting the back-up oxygen supply doesn't make any sense at all.



I think it is interesting that scientists are now discovering that umbilical cord blood is full of valuable T-cells which have cancer fighting properties. A whole industry has sprung up to have this precious blood extracted, put in a cooler with dry ice, and taken to a special storage facility to be ready in case the child gets cancer at some time in the future. Parents are paying big money for this service! That blood is designed by Nature to go into that child's body at birth. We need to acknowledge that there are things about the newborn circulation and blood composition that we just don't know. We need to assume that Nature takes care of our children and provides babies with the nutrients that they need.



**Don't forget** Become a fan on Facebook and leave us a comment to join in our FREE Giveaway for May!



Links for more information:
 
N. Fogelson. http://academicobgyn.com/2009/12/03/delayed-cord-clamping-should-be-standard-practice-in-obstetrics/ 
 
L. Barclay, MD. http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/530352

Happy Month of May

The month of May is filled with so many special days and times for celebration.  May is Springtime, which is a time for rebirth and renewal.  It was announced yesterday that Journey Doula Services is happy to honor May as Pregnancy Awareness month.  Let us all celebrate the new life and creation that takes place every day around us.  I love to see the flowers in bloom the same way a new mother glows expectanly and blossoms with a new baby on the way.

I also just found out that May is International Doula Month.  This celebration is a worldwide commemorative time for doulas.  As a doula in training, this makes me very happy.  If you had a doula, this would be a great month to give her a call, an email, or a card.  Don’t forget to include a recent photo of your child(ren)!  Be sure to spread the word about doulas and refer others to a doula you know!


Other causes for celebration in May include the following:
May 5, 2011- International Day of the Midwife
May 8, 2011- Mother's Day
May 12, 2011- International Nursing Day
May 15, 2011- National Day of Families
May 28, 2011- National Multiple Births Awareness Day

**Don't forget**  Become a fan on Facebook and leave us a comment to join in our FREE Giveaway for May!

~Krista Wampler

May is Pregnancy Awareness Month

Journey Doula Services is happy to celebrate May as national Pregnancy Awareness Month! All month long we will be sharing great articles, resources, and videos that celebrate pregnancy and birth.




To help honor this special time in a families’ lives, we are having a FREE prize giveaway. To be eligible for the free prize, follow the steps below.



1. Become a Fan of our page on Facebook. Click here http://www.facebook.com/journeydoulaservies

2. Comment or like any of JDS's posts between May 1, 2011 and May 30, 2011

3. Winner will be randomly drawn and announced on May 31, 2011



Prize:

We will be giving away a great gift box from Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics. The Postpartum Mama Care Kit includes:

• 2 Organic Monthly Comfort Tea samples (1 tea bag)

• 1 New Mama Bottom Spray (1oz. bottles)

• 1 Earth Mama Bottom Balm (1oz. jars)

• 2 Natural Nipple Butter samples

• 2 Organic Milkmaid Tea samples (1 tea bag)



Rules:

• Drawing closing May 30, 2011 at 12:00 am CST.

• This drawing is open to residents of United States only.

• You must be at least 18 to win.

• Winner must claim their prize within 5 days with their valid shipping address, or the prize is forfeit and a new winner will be selected.

• We will post the winner on our Facebook page and on our blog.

• By accepting a prize, the winner agrees that Journey Doula Services may post his/her name on the blog and on Facebook.

Find more info on Earth Mama products on their website.  http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/

This sweepstakes can be found on the page www.Online-Sweepstakes.com