Breastfeeding Homework A+

When you smash your homework
A⭐️ all round

We fecking love it when our buzz spreads to those we’re working with and they put in all the work between modules?.

When you’re first time parents and we’re talking about your body and using it for something women before you have done for a millennia, sometimes that adjustment, the handling and managing a moving baby can seem so far beyond anything you’ve experienced?.

We strive to make it feel more achievable in anyway we can during your time with us, however sometimes, people just get it ?

CHIN PRINCIPLES ©Unicef @unicef

C – baby needs to be CLOSE to their mother so they can scoop enough breast into their mouth. Ensure both mother and baby’s clothing and hands are not in the way.

H – when attaching to the breast, the baby will tilt their HEAD back to allow the chin to lead as they come onto the breast. Even a finger on the back of the baby’s head will prevent this important movement.

I – the baby’s head and body should be IN LINE so that they do not have to twist their neck, which would make feeding and swallowing difficult.

N – NOSE to NIPPLE, with the mother’s nipple resting below baby’s nose, they will begin to root. As they tilt their head back, the nipple will slip under the top lip upwards and backwards to rest between the hard and soft palate.

We are taking enquires for our #WombsideToEarthside in the autumn. If this feels like it’s your bag, then DM us for more information ??

#PositiveBirthing #PregnancyUK #KnowledgeIsPower #TMAL #TheMoonAndLotus #BirthNerds #GuardiansOfPhysiology #ProtectBiology #Oxytocin #Birth #BirthBelongsToWomen #TrustBirth #HormonalMatrix #BirthPower #ReclaimBirth #FourthTrimester #MothersAndBabies #NewParent #NewDad #HolisticBusinessOwners
#SoulLedBusinessOwners #SpiritualBusinessOwners #TheGreatAwakening  #SoulAlignedEntrepreneur #Wellpreneurs #FemaleBiz #FemaleBusinessOwnersUnite #SoulAlignedSuccess #CreateABusinessYouLove
#MothersAndBabies

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What do you know about postpartum nutrition?  The act of healing with food?

This is NOT a post about diet or about shedding weight – this is a space for riots not diets. 

 

It can start in pregnancy, batch cooking in the last few weeks can be therapeutic (for some), but it is also something you can ask friends and family to do for you (if they are feeling like a spare part).  Following the birth of your baby, your body has to go through a monumental transformation; recovery, rebirth, healing, energy and lactation production.  Your body undergoes huge waves of hormones, emotions, adrenaline in the first few days with a peak between day 3-6 following birth.  

 

We are not known for making selfcare a priority in our society; we unfortunately have pretty shite postpartum support networks, our paternity leave is woeful, we don’t always live close to families and we’ve just lived through the worlds biggest shit blip ever.  If you can make anything easier for yourself, then consider adding these items to your food shop in the next few weeks; the seasons are changing and we are going into longer nights, so broths, soups and slow cooker meals are on.

 

Soups are another thing you can make and freeze, making your own bone broth is easy, made a roast chicken/lamb dinner?  Keep those bones.  Bone broths origins trace as far back as 2,500 years ago where it was used in Chinese medicine for supporting kidney and digestive health, now it considered a must in postpartum menus to support new mothers.

 

Put the bones in a crock pot, cover with water, season, put a carrot and/or onion in, bring to the boil, reduce, cover and simmer.  Cook for at least 10 hours or until it has reduced by ½, the more it reduces the more intense the flavour and more collagen is extracted.  [You can ask your local butcher for bones to make broth and they might give them away for free].  You can add the bone broth to miso, green onions, garlic, noodles, corn and shredded chicken.

 

Bone broth is rammed full of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, it can be sipped like a tonic, you can pour it into ice cubes trays, then freeze and add to any casserole, gravy, stew or sauce you make and it keeps for up to 3 months [leave some space at the top of each ice cube compartment as it swells when frozen].  If kept in the freezer it will probably have an appearance of jelly – this is normal once heated it will return to it’s previous state.

 

Do you have any other go to batch cooking recipes? Post in the comments x

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The Rhombus of Michaelis

 

This is why we advocate hard for freedom of movement in labour and birth ❤️‍?

Look at what you were designed to do in order to give your baby more room to perform that magical dance with your body and work through the pelvis ?

This is just glorious ??

Via • @evarosebirth

We are so perfectly built!

This kite shaped area is called rhombus of Michaelis.

If you’re going to have a vaginal birth you need to allow the rhombus of Michaelis to move backwards to give the baby the maximum amount of space to turn his shoulders in. Although the rhombus appears high in the pelvis and the lower lumbar spine when it moves backwards, it has the effect of opening the outlet as well.

Moving freely in birth helps the baby rotate down the pelvis. Try to follow your body’s clues!

#PositiveBirthing #PregnancyUK #KnowledgeIsPower #TMAL #TheMoonAndLotus #BirthNerds #GuardiansOfPhysiology #ProtectBiology #Oxytocin #Birth #BirthBelongsToWomen #TrustBirth #HormonalMatrix #BirthPower #ReclaimBirth #MothersAndBabies #HolisticBusinessOwners

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Have you been offered induction because of your due date?

How’s this for a shitty intro?

Depending on where you are in county, country, UK or in the world, you will get differing advice & guidance on being offered induction?

Sound like a fairy tale? It’s not though, hospital trusts follow their own policies, based on NICE guidelines. However, even within a trust different midwives will discuss & offer induction at different times.

Induction can be anything from advice about “natural methods” including eating dates, stretch & sweeps or induction at a particular time in order to “attend a birth unit” instead of labour ward.

If you are ever told you must be induced to prevent an aging placenta from any gestation, please share this research.

Dr Sara Wickham [In Your Own Time, 2021] delves into the history of pregnancies being given a sell by date, going waaaay back to 1902 & a Scottish obstetrician called Ballantyne who documented (his opinion) that some babies were born with a “wasting” condition????
(red flag) who were initially slimmer than others but perked up after a few feeds.

Then a German obstetrician Runge, went one step further several decades later, by suggesting it was due to a failing in the passing of nutrients from mother to baby thus the seed of doubt about the placenta had been planted. This is where the shit show starts in terms of “evidence”.

Dr Sophie Messager has written a whole blog on #TheMythOfTheAgingPlacenta & rightly highlights these findings from a Cochrane review [Risk of Stillbirth & Infant Death Stratified by Gestational Age] the increased chance of stillbirth at term (the main reason for induction policy) is very small, rising from about 0.1% (1:1000) @ 40-41wks, to about 0.3% (3 :1000) @ 42wks about 0.5% (5:1000) @ 43wks. This paper reported that induction before 42wks reduced the chance of perinatal death from 0.3% to 0.03%.

The amount of research within maternity services that is based on poor evidence is staggering, that teamed with that fact is can take up 20 years for solid, gold standard, myth busting evidence to be implemented in our hospitals [AIMS UK] means you can be walking into a cascade of unnecessary intervention for no reason.

Your placenta & baby are not a pumpkin.

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Can I talk about asking for help…?

Now this can be at any point in your journey and about anything.

Needing to talk, needing help at work, needing time off work, needing help in the home, needing to step away from drama, needing to deal with something that’s been niggling for a while.

Some people, like myself, really struggle asking for help. It feels like admitting defeat or like we’re incapable, it can make you feel really vulnerable. Nobody wants to feel that way.

✨️So what might that mean when you’re trying to conceive/struggling with early pregnancy symptoms?
Reaching out to a friend to confide in them, or trying a holistic route instead of/as well as medicalised treatment.

✨️When you’re pregnant?
Being open and honest about if you’re coping with someone you trust, this could be with your mental health, if you’re not enjoying pregnancy as you thought you might, body changes, physical effects, that you do/don’t want aspects of care.

✨️When you’re in labour?
That what’s being offered isn’t meeting your needs, that where you are isn’t the right place for you, that the people there need to leave, that you need more support/input.

✨️When you’re postpartum?
That you need to be held, that you need someone else to hold the baby, that your other child needs a play date, that your dog needs walked, that you’re nap trapped and need to go to the toilet, that the rage you feel is frightening you, that you’re having intrusive thoughts.

Sometimes just saying whatever it is going on in your mind is enough, sometimes you need additional visits by your midwife, sometimes your partner/mum/pal needs to do more or less, sometimes you need a hour + to not be responsible for watching the baby, sometimes you need to pay for additional help (cleaner/dog walker/soft play/laundrette services). For the most part it’s a short term thing, but sometimes confiding in someone else, partner/family/friend/midwife/GP is enough, sometimes more is needed.

As @katieabey says “don’t believe everything your mind tells you”

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Have you heard of the Brewer’s Diet?

I first heard about the Brewers Diet on Leonie & Victoria’s Normal Boring Free Birth Christmas podcast and it got me thinking about our relationship with food and medications in pregnancy. During my NHS career one of the (MANY) assessments we do with those in our care at booking is make an assumption about those who might have issues with their blood pressure and recommend aspirin based on
• 1st pregnancy;
• age;
• BMI (which we know is B.S); and
• Family history, amongst other things, there was regularly a debate about the amount and it seemed to be obstetrician dependent when trying to plan this care.

Between listening to this podcast I’ve seen Billie Harrigan discuss on her socials about positive dietary impacts you can make to your pregnancy using long known remedies that have fallen out of favour fast when put against pharmaceutical medicines.

In your pregnancy with both NHS and independent care you’ll be offered blood pressure and urine checks at every appointment as standard. It’s your choice to accept or decline these routine tests, as it is worth noting that external factors can influence these results which can/will change the care plan you are on (stress, worry, what you’ve eaten or drunk prior to testing) but the healthcare professional will act on the results as they find them.

Dr Tom Brewer recommends the following daily intake in pregnancy:
• drink 800mls or more of milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 servings of fish, chicken, lean beef, lamb or pork, or any kind of cheese

• 2 daily servings of fresh, green, leafy vegetables such as mustard, collard, or turnip greens, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, or cabbage
• 5 servings of whole-wheat bread, corn tortillas, or cereal
• 1 piece of citrus fruit or a glass of orange or grapefruit juice
• 1 large green pepper, papaya, or tomato
• 3 or more pats of butter
• 5 servings of yellow-or orange-colored vegetables five times a week
• liver once a week if you like it;
• 1 whole baked potato three times a week
• all the water and fluids you need to prevent thirst; and
• all the salt you need to make your food taste good.

These are not optimum amounts, these are minimums, and you go from there.

He advises that you need 80 to 100 grams of protein every day to prevent toxemia. For vegetarians he suggests you can substitute vegetable proteins as long as they are “complete” proteins and you don’t have trouble digesting them (rice with beans, peanut butter, tofu, nuts, and seeds all provide protein.)

You can read his interview here: http://healthybirth.net/an-interview-with-dr-tom-brewer/

Let me know your thoughts in the comments

Sam x

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Privacy Statement

 

Privacy Statement

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From time to time, I may need to change the privacy policy because of changes in the organisation, legislation or in my attempts to serve your needs better. I will use reasonable efforts to publish any changes to the privacy statement. 

The Moon & Lotus is responsible for collecting, processing, storing and safe-keeping personal and other information as part of providing a service and carrying out regular business activities. I manage personal information in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. Any questions regarding the processing of personal data should be directed to us via accounts@themoonandlotus.

 

SCOPE

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Please note if you wish to unsubscribe from any marketing emails that you have signed up for, you can do so by emailing accounts@themoonandlotus or clicking onto the unsubscribe link on the marketing email that was sent to you. It may take 24 hours for this to become effective.

 

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These third-party data analytics service providers collect this information on my behalf in accordance with my instructions and in line with their own privacy policies. The service providers may collect the following data about the way you use our site, which will almost always be anonymised and aggregated before reporting back to The Moon & Lotus:

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From time to time I may use the information collected about you to present you with targeted advertisements using platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest/ TikTok and/or Instagram.

 

CHANGES TO THE POLICY & FUTURE PROCESSING 

I do not intend to process your personal information except for the reasons stated within this privacy notice. If this changes, this privacy notice will be amended and placed on the website at www.themoonandlotus.com

 

POLICY DETAILS

I continually review the privacy practices and may change the policy and privacy statement from time to time. When I do this an amended privacy statement will be placed on our website at www.themoonandlotus.com

This privacy notice was published on 22 January 2023 and last updated on 22 January 2023.

If you are concerned about how The Moon & Lotus are collecting, using and/or sharing your personal information, you can contact the Data Protection Officer sam@themoonandlotus.com.

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We are self proclaimed “little” bad ass birth nerds

There is nothing “little” about us😘.

We dropped the “miss” because we fight the patriarchy whenever we can and where ever it shows up, which unfortunately happens alot in the pregnancy, birth and postpartum world 🌎.

This topical subject is a thread throughout The Wombside to Earthside programme because, like it or not, you will encounter it at some point and it can derail your process and journey ⛔️.

One of our missions is to shine a spotlight on this, so that you can recognise it when you’re faced with it, are prepared for it and can carry on with an experience that you feel in control of and remain feeling powerful 💪🏾.

With the knowledge that you gain and the skills you develop from our programme you will go into this feeling as bad ass as we do 😘.

#PositiveBirthing #PregnancyUK #KnowledgeIsPower #TMAL #TheMoonAndLotus #BirthNerds #GuardiansOfPhysiology #ProtectBiology #Oxytocin #Birth #BirthBelongsToWomen #TrustBirth #HormonalMatrix #BirthPower #ReclaimBirth #FourthTrimester #LittleMiss #MothersAndBabies #NewParent #NewDad #NewMum #HolisticBusinessOwners

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Do what you love and do it often

Another top day discussing all things bonding, birth and the magic dance that you, your baby and your family do during labour throughout Module 3 The Birth of a Mother, The Birth of a Baby💞

This is a longer session but we like to incorporate all the fun things we love, getting up and active, eating and having a laugh❤️‍🔥

We adore spending time getting to know what you and your family want from a birth experience and we get all the feels hearing about what your birth is going to look like🌹

We are here for the visualisation and manifesting 💫

Do what you love and do it often ❤️

📸 shared with explicit consent
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgZYPbMj5mE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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P.S.A

Module 2 of Wombside to Earthside, Standing on the Threshold 💖

What if we told you that the research surrounding the length of your pregnancy varied so much in terms of what was believed to be normal that it is actually ridiculous…?

What we told you that the “accepted” length of pregnancies across the world varied by up to 4+ weeks…?

What if we told you that in a historical review of the length of pregnancies, published in 2020, that the conclusion was this “rule” created should be considered as a guideline for the expected date of confinement, and not a definite date, by the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology…?

𝔹𝕖𝕔𝕒𝕦𝕤𝕖 𝕨𝕖 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕕 “𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥” 𝕚𝕟 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟚 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕦𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕨𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕘𝕟𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕪 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕓𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕙🤬😑🙄🤮🤯😡

“Alexa define the word confinement…”

ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕓𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕔𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕪 𝕚𝕟 𝕒 𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕖 𝕨𝕙𝕚𝕔𝕙 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕧𝕖.

We’ll leave that there then and hashtag our feelings.
DM for enquiries ❤️
Save, like and share as always

Sam & Kelly x

#PatriarchyMustDie #HandsOffOurBodies #OurBodiesOurChoice
#ANZJOG #DontKnowShit #WomensReproductiveHealth

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