MEXICAN BIRTHING CHOCOLATE

*In Traditional Mexico the Birthing Woman is seen and respected as a Warrior - She is putting her life on the line to create the next generation. This is the Female Rite of Passage where each individual will open her Brain Body and Heart to this life changing experience.

* The appropriate gifts for such a warrior is chocolate.

Recipie

2Litres clean water

1 big bunch of Rosemary

1 Big handfull of Avocado leaves

some sprigs of sage

13 cloves

12  peppercorns, Black or Rose

4inch of cinnamon stick

1big handfull of cocoa (pure chocolate)

or 3-4 bars of 80% dark chocolate

*This recipie is one handed down from 'The Grandmothers' the original holders of birthing knowledge whose line of wisdom has never been broken by industrial medicine.

*Chocolate contains Theobromine which is a pre cursor to Oxytocin , the opening of Mind, Heart, Body and Soul is created by, a rush of this hormone, opening the brain to Theta levels of activity where past experiences can be over written with newer more empowering stories.

*The spices are all ones which create heat, warmness is needed to promote the feeling of well being and safety.

*The herbs are ones that promote courage, in the Body , Heart and Mind and also actively work on the muscles of the womb to correctly position the baby , calmly and gently, and then firmly eject the baby when the cervix is fully open.

Method

   * Put the spices in the water and bring to boil, simmer till the liquid halves( this is called decoction)

* Take the liquid off the heat and add the herbs, making sure that they are under the water, Cover this and let stand until it is tepid ( this is steeping)

* when liquid is cool strain off the pieces.

* heat the now beautifully smelly maroon clear liquid to warm , add the chocolate and stir till not lumpy.

* the mixture does not have to boil! The cooler the better really cos then the chocolate keeps its proper molecular structure.

* The mother can drink this freely as and when she desires

* Give this to anyone who comes near or is entering the birthing space

The group as a whole supports the birthing woman, Mind Body and Soul, collectively as one mind women create a stronger woman , a stronger loving space that the baby will want to be born into.

Not all peoples brains and hearts are easily opened by words to the same level so the chocolate uses taste, heat and smell stimuli to change head spaces to make them more conducive to creating a Positive , Loving Birthspace.

LOVE

Deep Self love relaxation

Deep Self Love Relaxation

*Lie comfortably, make a bed, pillows, blankets, comfortable.

* Allow yourself to be tucked in and given Love.

* Breathe deeply thru nose and out thru mouth.

* Relax feet and toes calves and knees - your legs can relax and not have to carry you all the time.

* Relax your thighs.

* Let your hands rest on your belly, feel your womb , feel your baby

*Know that your baby feels what you feel, when you relax you both relax.

* Know that, like you, your baby feels sun and dark.

* Feel the suns rays thru your belly, feel your womb relax,  your baby relaxing in the light.

* Know that you are safe, you are amazing.

*Know that your baby is safe, and you are amazing to have grown your amazing baby.

*Know that you are assisting in the creation of the first space a new human will be born into.

* You have created a new being and are now growing it in the safest place possible.

* You are a perfect being and all growth in body and soul is safe and right for you.

*Know that to create, grow and birth a baby is the most natural normal and simple thing in the world, and you will do it in your own way.

* Know that your calling to assist others is a pure sacred path, and you will do it in your own way.

* Relax your chest, feel your breasts and know that you are womanly, nurturing , able to feed and grow your baby, and to spirituall nurture those areond you with mother like support.

* Relax your neck, shoulders, arms, hands, fingers

* Know that the world is at your fingertips.

* Relax your face and head . Breathe in deep and release your sound AHHHHHHHHHHH 2 or 3 times.

* Now breathe deep and smile to yourself, a really big grin, fully smile to yourself and let yourself know that you are amazing, fabulous , brilliant!

* You are amazing, strong, brilliant, capeable, able to give birth and support birthing.

*Feel full of Love Love for yourself , your baby, your journey.

* Breathe deep, Release, Relax, Love

*Start to wiggle your toes, wake up in your own time, roll onto your side and come into sitting position.

* Look around and smile to yourself and everyone around, bask in your newfound relaxed glory. Truely loving yourself and those around you.

LOVE

travelling doula to the anarchist edges!

Extremes in Birth Assisting

As a Birthing Assistant to the Travelling Pastoral Tribes of Europe my time on his planet has been far from dull. Over  the past 14 years there have been many births in many varying places. The mothers and families have been from all social classes many different backgrounds but all had a resounding belief of their own ability to give birth how they wish to and a confidence in their own bodies to get the job done.

At this time I am relaxing after a month of extremes. The beginning of june saw me support my bestfriend as she gave birth to her very special baby. The father ( also my best friend) had died from a head injury 3 weeks before, so not only was I birth assistant I was also embodiment of father! Added to this we were both obviously grieving and so were supporting each other in fits and starts.

Even though the mother had asked for no scan she had been scanned anyway and informed that her baby had some developmental problems and that her brain my be terminally damaged! On top of all of this the hospital then decided that she would have to give birth in hospital! At this my long time anarchist friend really dug her heels in! there was no way she was trusting herself to people who had already proved that they didnt listen to her or respect her decisions. She actively took back her birth plans and fought and won the right to birth at home for as long as she wanted!

The birth was an emotional roller coaster with joyous extatic birthing noises mixed with grieving and tears. My friend evolved through her birth process at her own rate making all her own decisions empowering herself at every stage to be a totally competant mother. she was completely in contact with her body and felt each stage progress and adapted her self to deal with the changes of each stage.

At fully dilated after some pushing and resting the amazing mother went for a walk by the river and hung from a hawthorn tree. She looked up and said, " Something isnt right, I need to go to hospital and have a C section". She did and as the baby was lifted out it was clear why this baby wasnt coming down, she was tangled in her cord around her neck arm and leg!

Special baby that she is she needed some extra oxygen and care in the special baby unit. While mums mum cared for her I was the care for baby and stayed with her never leaving for the first couple of hours of her life. It was amazing, there she was the baby that had no chance to live , that had been advised to terminate 3 times and there she was! Alive!

And there I was too! All dressed in ER blue with my silly hat and mask on . 'Angel ER' is what they called us and even though I mostly am on the team of less washing today I was the cleanest Lara ever whilst my tiniest baby sister clung to my spotless finger!

Fast forward one month and I am in a yurt under an oak tree with some horse drawn friends. A visit to just give moral support and some hot chocolate has evolved into me being at the buisness end while a third time mother births her baby girl into the world! Im not phased in the moment as there is no need , however a day later I feel really tired and a bit in shock!

We called the midwives in plenty of time ( believing hat they would arrive within an hour) and were supporting the birth with much dancing laughing story telling and chocolate drinking. we fully believed that the midwives would arrive in time and that they would catch the baby. Not so! when we called as her noises began to change we were informed that the midwife would be at least 2 hours!

Silently in my head gears began to change and I let myself see that I was the person catching this baby in this yurt. A small look under the mothers dress  showed that the head was crowning, this baby was definately coming! The father was needing focussed attention as he was freaking out because lat time the midwives had been late and he had to call an ambulance to save him from having to catch his baby!

 Time slowed and everything was focussed on the mothers breath, "It stings " she said. " Just breathe and relax and your baby will just slide out " I said. Another quick look now showed the babys head  eyebrows, the other assistant passed me a towel and I got ready to catch. I was waiting for the head to fully appear, when it did there was an extra bonus, the little darling had her hand up against her cheek , no wonder it stung! Keeping my voice as calm as possible I just advised her to just breathe and let her body do the rest. The babe appeared to her neck and to my joy and relief just kept coming! In 2 more seconds she was caught in the clean towel and in her loving families arms wriggling and looking pink and having a little cry! the mum was not bleeding heavily so all was good in my 'emergency checklist' in my head.

We leaned mum back and covered mum dad and baby in a duvet , stoked the burner and got out of there! Brilliant! everyone alive and now all they needed to do was love each other! The placenta arrived with the midwife about an hour and a half later all easy and everyone was very happy.

So from ER special care to the grass verge under an Oak tree, sterile medical to muddy natural in one month! Did I feel at home in both settings? YES! I am happy to be a bridge between cultures and I am glad that I am blessed with the calling to assist the travelling tribes as they give birth to a new generation.

I believe that everyone has the right to give birth the way that they choose with the assistance that they choose when and where they choose and that they have the right to culturally appropriate assistance to respect them and their cultural needs.

The English Travelling community is such a mixed bunch from horse drawn hard core  hedge dwellers, to truck living sound system massives, from bender dwellers and yurt makers to  anarchist squatters and tree house protesters, they live in more differing dwellings than one can count and they are guarunteed to all have a differing opinion about something.

However they do rally together with the same belief as do I, that freedom is ours, our birthright and just because we are not in the mainstream of society that does not mean that we are any less and that we desrve any less respect or attention to our wishes. We are the alternative and we will continue to birth our babies the way we choose and at the moment our birth statistics show that with a 2%   C csection rate we are the healthiest people in our society with the best births! Long may we continue and may our children be healthy and happier because of their parents unending belief in freedom! Big big fairy love LARAXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Princess and the Poo by Lara Fairy Love in epub and print now!

'The Princess and the Poo' by me, Lara Fairy Love, illustrated by Jenna Andreotti, is now available in epub format for your ipad, nook etc and in perfect-bound paperback!
Inspired by the wise words of Ina May Gaskin CPM "If the world was more comfortable with its 'pooping' then we would all be much more able to be comfortable with giving birth", 'The Princess and the Poo' is a book about natural childbirth, and how even perfect princesses need to poo!
It's a lighthearted book for pregnant women, children, midwives, doulas and childbirth helpers, to support and encourage them to feel the light, love and joy of the natural birth we are meant to experience!

The Princess and the Poo ebook - epub format

The Princess and the Poo paperback

 Lara Fairy Love - my author spotlight

Fairy Doula is now online!

I've got a new website! 
It's to promote my doula services and as a place to share infomation for pregnant women... remedies, recipes, exercises etc for pregnancy, birthing and postnatal care.
Please please come along, visit me, leave some comments, stay for tea! Love you!!!
You can find me at Fairy Doula - Lara Fairy Love ♥ 
and and also here at the Fairy Doula Blog ♥

Lara
xxx

How will you carry out your dream? - Jan Tritten

* Dont share your dreams with negative people
* Put encouraging people around  you!
* Take the first step then the next!
* Draw strength from those pioneers around you in the world that have carried out their dreams
* Never never never never never give up! Mothers and babies are counting on you!
* Dare to dream! dare to do!
* if you need encouragement e-mail jan@midwiferytoday.com or jan trittens midwifery page on facebook
* LOVE, HONOR, CHERISH AND RESPECT OURSELVES! CREATE REAL MIDWIFERY!

Uncommon Complications - Diane Gosling, Elizabeth Davis

*After the babies heart has stopped beating in the womb and the baby is dead up to 5 weeks after is a safe time to deliver the body.
*DIC- A blood clotting disease- resulting in massive blood loss and death
angelica Root
Don Qui
Penny Royal
Black cohash                                   All are herbs used to bring on miscarriage
Ladys Mantle                                     A stimulant combined with an active
Golden Seal
Shepherds Purse
* Always check after the miscarriage and ectopic pregnancies that the uterus is empty- Twins sometimes survive
Amneotic Fluid Embolism (AFE)
* induction and c-section have created many more AFE than natural birth
* due to abdominal scarring, hyper stimulation of uterus and extra oxytocic drugs , also sloppy repairing of uterus after c section
* To avoid AFE at VBAC( vaginal birth after C section) ask woman how she healed after operation, if it was badly then advise a hospital birth
* Fever, pain , dischage, slow healing are all symptoms of AFE
* Blackcurrent Oil
   Vitamin E Oil                     All healing to scar tissue
   Comfry Oil 
*Excercise helps the inside heal as well as keeping the outside fit.
*AFE is related to any tauma during labor eg - rupture of membranes, induction, c-section
* There is NO good rationale for early rupture of membranes!
Labial Hematoma ( varicose veins on vagina)
* Hot and cold stimulates circulations and moves the blood around
* change positions and switch about because all movement gives mama and baby a chance to re-evaluate
* Get mums to practice vaginal exercises squeezing each level starting at the sub basement and moving up to level 5, then go back down again. Breathe in and out with each squeeze and hold for 5 seconds.
  5
  4
  3
  2
  1
  Basement     - This is where giving birth occurs!
  Sub basement
* Use arnica tincture internally and externally
Retained Placenta
* increased DNC or internals put her at risk
* Check uterus tone- gently place hand on fundus ( top of womb)
*Large loss of blood is detremental to recovery.
* Get the mama to check herself
  cervical tear
  vaginal tear              cause blood loss
  partial seperation
* If the mum has been given pitocin  ( Synthetic oxytocin) she will not make her own oxytocin to close the uterus for at least 30 minutes.
* Angelica Root or Shepherds Purse tincture directly under the tongue held there for one minute will help the placenta release.
* If the placenta is not coming and the mother is not pushing, put two fingers in , follow cord up past the cervix, if there is no placenta there, it is still attached.
*Give herbs or pitocin to seperate placenta
* Pitocin does not close the cervix it contracts the long muscles of uterus.
* Put hand inside the uterus follow the line of the placenta to the connected piece, use hand as a spatula and gently smooth placenta away from the uterus wall
* SOMETIMES CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE IS A WAY TO CHANGE THINGS FOR THE BETTER!
* Just leaving the new family to bond and relax is the best way to assist the birth of the placenta.
* If the placenta will not be removed by hand , peel the lumps off the uterus wall so there is less bulk and then the uterus can close easier - then call an ambulance.
* Drinking water assists amnotic fluid production
Compound Presentation
* Arms , transverse lie, all that can be done is tore insert limb then attempt to turn the baby to breech and get hold of the feet to deliver- either internal or external version or both
Bleeding Labor
Just get the baby out ASAP! Either push or get an ambulance!
 Shoulder Dystocia
* signs- babys neck is like a turtle or its head is purple
actions- get mama on all fours, put hand in to get the posterior shoulder,
 or strong super pubic pressure, or strong fundal pressure, then go for the posterior shoulder
* If there is a woman with a VBAC there will always be more bleeding
Cord Prolapse
* get mum in knees chest position
* put hand in cervix, push babies head off the cord
* get cord warm and into the vagina
* check that the cord is still pulsing Transfer to hospital ASAP
* If there is no hospital- push baby out ASAP and be prepared to resusitate
* cotton root bark - regulates hormones and the whole system
* Herbs and oxytocics will not work if the bladder is full or if the uterus is full of clots.
*  REMAIN CALM- ACT IN LOVE AND RESPECT


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