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the Crunchy Midwife's Guide...
7 Laws of Natural Prenatal Self-Care
Creating Your Best Pregnancy, Birth & Baby!
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Natural Birth Resources
Crunchy Mama Natural Birth Resources
Just a quick heads up Crunchy Mamas! This Natural Birth Resources page, much like the whole site, is currently a work in progress. You'll come across some words in yellow where there should be a link, post or page associated with it. The yellow is to remind me which rabbit trails I need to follow, so, please check back in a a few days and many of the links should be up and running. Thanks for understanding:)
All of the things on this page are things my clients or I have used and loved. These are some of the best natural products on the market.
Please note: most of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means I receive a small compensation if you purchase something after clicking the link. It doesn’t cost you any extra, and it helps me bring you quality blog-u-cation, so thank you!
Taking Charge of Your Fertility
Ina May's Guide To Childbirth
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way
Trim Healthy Mama Plan
Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook
The Ministry of Midwifery
Supernatural Childbirth
Journey into Motherhood
FertiliTea is a great tool for enhancing your "trying to conceive" efforts. It's a nice organic blend of Chasteberry, Red Raspberry, Green Tea, Lady's Mantle, Nettles and Peppermint herbs. All supportive of healthy fertility!
Natural Progesterone- Organic Excellence Feminine Balance Therapy is one of the best natural progesterone products out there. It's really clean with no harmful chemicals or estrogen in it. Supports a healthy luteal phase and early pregnancy. NOT soy based which is really important and formulated to correlate with Dr. John Lee's important work on balancing women's hormones. Connect with your midwife for recommendations on use. IMPORTANT! If you are using a natural progesterone cream, consider having 2 bottles on hand so you don't run out. Stopping progesterone abruptly could cause a sharp decrease in progesterone levels.
PRE-conception & Fertility Cleanse - The average newborn is born with over 250 chemical toxins in her umbilical cord at birth but you can reduce that! The best gift you can give your baby is a squeaky clean pregnancy. You do this by planning ahead and making sure the bio-terrain you are planting your little one in is as healthy and free of chemical toxins, as possible. I offer free preconception counseling and on-going coaching for those who are planning ahead for a great start to a non-toxic pregnancy. Connect with me here.
Fertility Education - Toni Weschler's book, "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" is the best book out there to learn about your cycles and fertility so you can naturally conceive or avoid conception.
Ovulation Strips - Quickly identify when your LH surge, the time you're most likely to conceive, with these simple, yet really reliable (99%) Wondfo Ovulation Strips.
Fertility Monitor - The Ovacue Electronic Fertility Monitor is a great tool to support your fertility efforts by showing you the days that you're ovulating so you can either try to conceive or know when to abstain to avoid conception.
Menstrual Cup - The Diva Cup is probably the best known brand of menstrual cup with a history of great success for it's users. The "model 2" size is for those who have had a baby. Look for model 1 if you've not had a baby yet.
Essential Wellspring Midwifery, Lisa Byrd's Home Birth Kit - If you're my client, plan to have this in your home by 36 weeks!
Alfalfa Tablets - I love, love, love Bernard Jensen's Alfalfa as nutritional support in pregnancy. It's great for early pregnancy nausea, Alfalfa supplies vitamin K that help support normal blood loss in birth, supports normal clotting in newborns via mama's milk and supports a great milk supply, as well as a bunch of other benefits earlier in pregnancy. Watch for my upcoming blog post on the superfood alfalfa! Just a few cautions are in order however. Don't use alfalfa tablets if you have blood clots or are on a blood thinner. Also, you may need to start slow and increase to the recommended amount on the bottle since, too much, too soon can cause loose stools. Most pregnant women appreciate the extra help in the bowel movement department, however.
Food-Based Vitamin Pack - After doing a TON of research on what constitutes a high quality prenatal vitamin, I've found an exceptional trio that provides vitamins & minerals (needed for every system), essential fatty acids (brain health, heart health, mood health and joint support) and a cellular support formula (safe energy and cellular support for growing a new person!). These are honestly the best I've seen! This basic vitality pack is the trio I personally take and recommend for my family and pregnant clients. Even though they are not specifically a prenatal, these three supplements, in combination, create THEE perfect synergy to support a great, healthy pregnancy! Connect with me here and I'll send you more details including how to buy at my cost. IF YOU ARE ONLY TAKING ONE SUPPLEMENT, LET THIS TRIO BE THAT ONE! It's that important!
Food-Based Iron - Many women need extra iron around the middle part of their pregnancy which can be a normal physiologic response to an increased amount of blood circulating in your pregnant body. It's basically a dilution of your circulating iron. The key is to support your body's efforts to get those levels even higher before the end of pregnancy. I LOVE Mega Foods Blood Builder because it actually gets absorbed by the body, unlike many other inferior types of iron. The body recognizes it as food because it IS food!
Food-Based Vitamin D3 -If you are not getting enough daily exposure to sunshine, Garden of Life Raw Vitamin D3 is a high quality, non-GMO, gluten free and dairy free source that comes from chlorella. Optimal Vitamin D3 levels provide added support when seasonal threats are high as well as many pregnancy benefits. Most people are deficient in Vitamin D but it is *important to have the correct Vitamin D3 testing done, since too much Vitamin D can be toxic. The correct test is the 25(OH)D test which your midwife or doctor can perform or you can opt to do an "in home" test and send it off to a lab. The Vitamin D Council provides more information on that in-home testing and optimal levels.
Food-Based Vitamin C - Sometimes the body needs extra Vitamin C support, in addition to good nutrition and a high quality multivitamin. Vitamin C builds tissue elasticity (think about all the parts that need to stretch), healthy bone growth and supports an enhanced immune system. It also supports a strong, healthy amniotic sac. A strong amniotic sac is less likely to break too soon. Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin so excess will just be excreted in the urine or at high doses (not recommended) will cause diarrhea. Like most things, not all Vitamin C supplements are created equal or safe. Most Vitamin C supplements on the market are sourced from "ascorbic acid" which often comes from genetically modified corn, not citrus as we'd like to think. The powdered drink form of Vitamin C that I recommend is Nature's Way Alive which gives a very reasonable 500 mg. If you prefer a capsule, find one that is either sourced organically or guaranteed to be non-GMO.
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea - I buy this and other dried herbals from the Bulk Herb Store. They have great prices and a huge selection. Enjoy the clean taste of plain Red Raspberry LEAF tea throughout your pregnancy or look under the "Herbal Mixes" tab for the Mama's Red Raspberry Brew if you'd like a bit of a minty flavor and a bunch of other pregnancy supporting herbs in your tea!
To support a healthy pregnancy, I recommend either plain Red Raspberry Leaf tea or the Mama's Red Raspberry Brew:
- 1 cup a day in the first trimester
- 2 cups a day in the second trimester and
- 3 cups a day in your last trimester
Herbal Sitz Bath Blend This blend by Lucy's Garden has all the herbs that I recommend and saves you from having to buy them and blend it yourself! It's a really great size and price and will allow for at least 4-5 healing sitz baths after your baby is born. Your perineum will thank you!!
Squatty Potty - I seriously could not resist including this silly advertising for this very helpful tool. Can also dupe as a breastfeeding or great as a birth stool!
Prenatal Cradle V-2 Supporter is SUPER helpful for those who deal with vulvar varicosities. Great support which decreases discomfort. I recommend using this support before your feet hit the floor in the morning and coupled with Frankincense essential oil to support vascular health.
Probiotics for Babies - There are a few high quality probiotics specifically made for babies. Probiotics boost baby's immune system, support normal bowel function and reestablish important gut flora which can be wiped out by certain birth practices, antibiotics, etc. If baby is having skin issues or tummy troubles, start here! Klaire Labs Infant Probiotic is a high quality, broad spectrum, dairy and gluten free probiotic.
Cloth Diapers -
Baby Lotion - Earth Mama Angel Baby Baby Lotion wins my vote for one of the least toxic baby lotions available.
Baby Wash & Shampoo - Gaia Organics Shampoo & Body Wash for kids is a safe and soothing choice for everyday use.
Disposable Diapers - Seventh Generation diapers are chemical free and one brand many mamas prefer to use to keep the dioxin, dyes and polymers from their sweet baby's bum and out of their bloodstream.
Diaper Wipes - Seventh Generation Diaper Wipes are a safe choice for keeping chemicals off of your baby's tender diaper area. OR, you can easily make your own non-toxic baby wipes. I'll show you how here.
Natural Diaper Creams - Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm is rated as one of the least toxic brands for baby. If your itty bitty has gotten an ugly rash, you may want to go ahead and use the Mother Love, Diaper Rash and Thrush Relief which is also very clean and natural without dangerous chemicals. Of course, you can easily and very economically make your own DIY Baby Booty Butter. Here's how.
LANACare Lanolin Soap - Keeps your wool nursing pads and wool diaper covers soft and waterproof.
Nipple Butter - Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter is a great, non-toxic brand of nipple butter, if you are not inclined to make your own. Mother Love is another great, clean brand. The Mother Love Nipple Cream is for sore or cracked nipples. You can add a high quality Myrrh essential oil to any safe nipple butter to really boost its healing properties. Get info on my trusted brand of essential oils here.
Placenta Encapsulation - Please connect with me here for my preferred placenta encapsulation specialist in Columbia, SC. Also watch for my upcoming blog post which will teach you how to correctly do it yourself. You can find the DIY Placenta Encapsulation supplies below under the DIY Supplies section.
Beeswax - Local beeswax is amazing if you can find it. I often use these organic Beeswax Pellets since they're easy to source and easy to melt.
Essential Oils - I buy all my essential oils at wholesale prices. Here's how you can get that same wholesale pricing too (no selling required).
Essential Oil Diffusers -I love diffusers and own a half a dozen different ones myself. If you are interested in how you can earn a free diffuser by hosting an essential oils class, connect with me here. If you'd prefer to just buy one, here are a few that I have and like.
- The Spa Vapor is a reliable, yet budget friendly essential oil diffuser that works anywhere in the house, including the kids rooms.
- The SpaMister is a glass diffuser that works great and fits most any decor. This price is for a pair. One for the kitchen and one for the family room!
My favorite essential oils company also has some quality diffusers that's I'd be glad to offer more info on, so please ask!
Jars, Bottles and Containers can sometimes be found at dollar stores but sometimes I have to order online, since my town doesn't have a great supplier. Here are some good prices from suppliers that I've found.
Glass Roller Bottles
Great for diluting essential oils with a carrier oil for use with babies and kids.
Glass Spray Bottles (2 oz)
Perfect for making room sprays, owie sprays, bedding sprays, etc. with essential oils.
Metal Salve Tins
Create your own chest rubs, foot creams and more with essential oils and carriers oils.
Deodorant Containers
Pack with your own diy pit paste deodorant.
Recipe
Glass Spray Bottles (2 oz)
Create portable essential oil remedies using these handy inhalers.
OmniWipe Container is the perfect container for making homemade baby wipes, kitchen wipes and bathroom wipes. You could even make dusting wipes! Brilliant non-toxic solutions!
Herbs & Teas - I buy these at the Bulk Herb Store. They have many items that are hard to source locally and I use a lot of these in my Crunchy Midwife Blog recipes.
DIY Placenta Encapsulation Supplies
- Steamer pot or any stainless pot and a vegetable steamer like this
- An el Cheapo Dehydrator like this (OPTIONAL, you can use 150 degree heat in your oven instead)
- Designated Coffee Grinder like this
- The Capsule Machine size "00"
- Dark Glass Jar(s) to keep placenta capsules airtight and dry
- Empty Gelatin Capsules size "00"
- A few other supplies like vinyl gloves and absorbent chux pad to work on and of course...your chilled or frozen placenta.
- Instructions from me:) Let's connect here. Gelatin Capsules size "00"
Shea Butter - I like to use Raw Shea Butter in my homemade skin care recipes including my Baby Booty Butter.
Beef Tallow - If you want to get creative in your soapmaking, grassfed beef tallow is pretty amazing! Again, if beef tallow is something you can source locally, do it!! If not, this is a good source.
Lisa Byrd LM, CPM, CLC 803-917-1517 lisa@crunchymidwife.com