Postpartum Healing & Nursing Guide

Breast Milk Substitute

If a baby cannot be given mother’s milk, an excellent substitute can be made with different organically-grown complete cereals. Because mother’s milk has a sweet flavor stevia, maple syrup, or date syrup of good quality is added.

1. Organic Rice Milk (Imagine Foods)
2. Organic Tahini- 1 tblsp (Sesame butter by Arrowhead)
3. Organic Flax Oil -1 tsp
4. Organic Multi-grain Instant Cereal-1 Spoonful
5. Multi Vitamin liquid for babies- follow manufactures directions
6. Liquid Vitamin C for babies- follows instructions (floradix)
7. Herbs & Iron- follow manufactures instructions (Flora)
8. Liquid Colostrum- 2 drops (Newton Labs)
9. Calcium Absorption- 4-5 tablets (Bioforce)
10. Trace Elements liquid- 1-2 drops (Trace Mineral Research)

Prepare all the bottles for the day to save time. Depending on how many ounces your baby takes daily.

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend all together, divide all milk in the bottles needed, refrigerate, and warm bottles in hot water ( do not use microwave) when needed. As the baby grows increase the amounts of the ingredients. Remember the ingredients should be organic and the water needs to be good quality well or spring water.

 

Postpartum Healing

Postpartum Tea for Emotional Balance

1 part Lemon Balm

1 part passionflower

½ part peppermint

½ part catnip

½ part oatstraw

 

This tasty, uplifting herbal brew can be taken by the cupful three times a day for optimal benefits.

Tip # 1

 Spread this cream on your pads following the birth of your beautiful baby. This cream is a miracle cream. It soothes and heals and I affirm it feels as if your vagina did not just give birth.

 

Tip # 2

Also, boil comfrey and witchhazel(find at bulk section of your local health food store) leaves about one week before delivery. Soak gauze squares, squeeze and wrap them in foil. Make 24 plus and place them in the freezer. After labor, place these on your pad during your postpartum recovery period. The coldness will numb vaginal soreness and herbal preperation will heal any tearing, rips, and abrasions.

Pour some of the strained brew in these peri bottles(above) and place in the fridge. When you are home after delivery and you are using the toliet, spray this on your vagina as you pee to prevent the burn from the urination over any abrasions you may have from labor.  This will help speed up healing on and in vagina as well as help you to pee comfortably.

Use diluted Calendula tincture to clean vagina. Use 1 part of Calendula tincture for 20 parts boiled water(i.e. one tablespoon of the tincture for 10 oz. of water). In case of a torn vagina, this treatment with Calendula dilution should be continued during the next few days to speed healing.

If cramps after delivery are too painful, use Caulophyllum 10 X every 15 to 30 minutes, or a dose of Actea rac (cimicifuga rac) 15X.

Constipation sometimes occurs after delivery. Use Podophyllum 10 X or Collinsonia 10X every morning. Vitamin C in high doses can be helpful.

Baby Care

Sometimes babies suffer from colic.  The classic homeopathic remedy for this problem is Chamonilla 10X.  The easiest way to administer is to put two drops in the mouth. If you only have pellets partly dissolve in spring water or other good quality water, not tap.

If the baby develops diaper rash, the mother should check her diet to be sure she only eats whole foods without additives.  The baby may be given two drops of Mezereum 10 X once or twice a day to relieve itching and skin irritation. Calendula or Echinacea ointment can be used locally for diaper rash.  

   

Newborn Care What you’ll need for your baby Newborns just want to be loved, fed, held, and changed. Newborns’ primary focus is bonding with their parents. They could care less if they have a nursery, a beautiful changing table, or a mural on the wall. They want to look into the eyes of their parents and receive the warmth of their bodies. Babies’ needs are really quite simple. The most important items are a car seat, a sling or some device to help carry the baby, diapers, a crib or cradle with a mattress and sheets, and some clothes. The winner, “My Breast Friend.”  It works best to have an infant car seat for your newborn. Many times the baby will fall asleep in the car and when you carry the baby in the house or on the errand you can just leave the baby sleeping in the car seat. Make sure that the car seat works in your car and that you know how to properly install it in the car as well as how to buckle in the baby. Some assertive mothers get the store employees to let them try the car seats in their car before they select one to purchase. Since the baby will not always be in the car, it is helpful to have another way to carry the baby besides the portable car seat. Babies love to be held. Slings and snugglies allow the baby to have contact with the mother but leave hands free to do things like shop or fold laundry. “Wearing the baby” allows him or her to hear mother’s heart beat and is simpler than negotiating a stroller in aisles and on escalators.. Parents are told to expect to change eight to ten wet diapers a day. However, some newborns wet or soil their diapers every half hour to two hours. Changing diapers obviously is a very integral part of newborn care. Diapers are a very useful gift for any new baby. When buying disposable diapers, they are least expensive if bought in bulk such as by the case. Changing the baby’s diaper every two to three hours helps prevent leakage, diaper rash, and tends to make a happier baby. Where will the baby sleep? Newborns can sleep anywhere, hence the saying “sleep like baby.” Most babies do not care where they sleep. The average newborn will sleep about 20 hours a day. The standard in the United States is a crib. The May 2004 Consumer Reports gives the most up-to-date information on baby cribs. Any salesperson in a store selling cribs is happy to tell why their cribs are safe and wonderful. The baby also needs clothes to keep warm. It is best to dress the baby with the same number of layers as the mother is dressed. Undershirts and onesies (undershirt that snap at the crotch) are great. White are nice because they are easiest to bleach when they become soiled. Washing all baby clothes before the first wearing and double rinsing the clothes for the first four months is generally recommended to help remove the soap residue since babies are born with sensitive skin. Since babies sleep most of the time, I frequently dress my babies in pajamas. Outfits that have front closures and large head openings are easiest to put on and take off the baby. Some days a newborn will need five changes of clothes in one day. “My breast friend” is a great gadget. This large flat foam pillow is secured with a Velcro strap around the mother’s waist perfectly positioning the baby to the breast for nursing. It alleviates positioning difficulties. It also helps support the baby if an older child wishes to hold the baby. Since the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all babies are breastfed as soon as possible after birth and breastfed for at least one year, this is a great help to facilitate breastfeeding. New parents may be overwhelmed in choices of what to buy the baby. Babies do not need a lot of equipment and gadgets. They just want your love and time. Shopping for baby items, having a baby shower, and stocking a nursery may be a lot of fun but mom and dad is what your baby wants most.

   

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NURSING 

I still use Liquid Flora Iron + herbs  to this day. It prevented anemia and fatigue during pregnancy. Helped me maintain the vitamins and herbs I needed during nursing a time when your body is being depleted. And I nursed 4 babies very close together. Its pricey but well worth every penny. Many woman, young or older, rich or not, do not understand the importance of vitamins and minerals before, during, and after pregnancy. Your body is working very hard and depleting what you have for the baby. Anemia is very,very common. Calcium taking from you also can lead to very bad weak teeth. The right vitamins and minerals prevent complications during pregnancy and provide your beautiful baby with the best physical start in life. I highly encourage you to continue if you can to use this product even after pregnancy and nursing.

                        

8 MUST HAVE BABY ITEMS

Here are 8 simple products that are relatively cheaper to purchase up front, and will make your life easier.

1.      A great sling. It is an instant baby soother. There are many types and styles with varied prices. Trust me, getting the stroller in and out of the trunk, carrying the infant seat, diaper bag, and baby is a lot of work. Wearing a sling in the grocery store, mall, or just using it to get the dishes done is much easier. They will save you time, your back, and are proven to make your baby happier.

2.      Invest in great body wash that can be used by you and your baby. Your baby will be teething on you, near you, and have very sensitive skin. To avoid skin allergies and save time, you should wash with the same body wash.

3.      Great cotton pajamas. We only carry 200 thread count or higher for layette items. Babies’ skin is so fragile. It makes no sense to have fifty cheap nightgowns and do laundry once a week, versus having five great nightgowns and do laundry ever three days. Better quality cotton also won’t stain as easily.

4.      Buy a great Diaper Bag.   You will be carrying your diaper bag most of the time. Get either two diaper bags, or a great bag for you to carry. Get a bag that matches your sense of style, not the sex of the baby.

5.      Look for quality crib bedding. There should be three things you look for in bedding: quality, universality, and neutral décor. I recommend more than 200 thread count sheets, and try to steer away from polyester. The reason quality is so important is laundry. You will be washing the sheets and blankets two to three times a week. They have sets that can be used for a boy or a girl and are reversible. You want the set to last for two to four years while the child grows into the toddler bed.

6.      Cloth wipes and cloth diapers are a great accessory for a diaper bag or in your layette. You can use cloth diapers after bath time and before bed to give your baby a chance to “air out”. Clothe wipes that are washable and reusable are not only economical, but great for the environment. At the boutique, we buy from home-based business that specializes in flannel wipes. They are incredible soft, stain resistant, and easy to launder.

7.      Splurge on great nursing bras and support garments. Your body will need the support postpartum. I always advise women to have great cotton spandex blend underpants and tank tops for the first couple of weeks after birth. It does make a difference.

8.      Lastly, you need time with your new family. What I see that works best is designating time every day for visitors. Whether it is from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm or before dinnertime, you need time to get accustomed to having your baby at home, to develop a schedule, and to just plain rest! Don’t worry about offending your relatives and friends. Your baby is the most important person at this moment. Spend your time holding them, loving them. Eighteen years from now, you will not regret that private time.

 

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