Back On Track: Placenta Power!

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Hola! Hope you all had a wonderful Easter. Tristan had a blast hunting for eggs this year. It will be so neat to watch them both one day. On Saturday, we visited my grandparents. My grandma is in a private hospital facility receiving therapy for her back injury.. She broke her back twice (lower and upper) in 2 months time. She’s doing well actually and was in good spirits. We ate lunch together and it turned out to be a lovely visit. I also brought home freshly picked lemons from their backyard. Oh boy!! We made lemonade and oatmeal cranberry chocolate chip cookies for Easter.

BTW- Clark is named after my Grandpa: Joseph Clark

I’m doing my best to get back on track. What a great 10 or so days it’s been. It’s gone by FAST. I think I’m at the point where it feels manageable. Even though, I know there WILL BE phases and transitions ahead.  So far, Clark has been a good sleeper and eater. He observes and tracks objects when he’s awake. He’s even cracked a few smiles for us. He’s stretching out and learning about the new world around him daily. I’m suprised at how well he’s adapted to our routine. I’ve been co-sleeping with him from the start and can’t believe how easy it makes our lives. He sleeps in his moses basket for the first couple hours of the evening then I take him into bed with me. The four of us rest easy together.

We have an Arms Reach co-sleeper we used with Tristan and it’s set up so that I can eventually place him in there. For now, I’m just enjoying this soft, sweet, precious time. I just gaze at him endlessly and try to bottle up his smell and photograph the cute little faces he makes into my brain.

It’s amazing what having a baby will do to you- emotionally, physically and mentally…the sweet joys of new life – I’m loven’ it! I feel like it’s brought a balance to our family dynamics.

Anyway, with all the hormones engaging in my body from pregnancy to birth and beyond…

I chose to dehydrate my placenta! I did this with Tristan’s placenta. I feel like many the benefits you receive from ingesting the placenta are completely worth the cost. It’s a bit pricey. I felt like my energy was restored and overall I was always in a great mood.

Some people are a little grossed out on the idea of it.

I say- Waste Not, Want Not- Why not!!!!!! It goes right down my throat and I don’t taste a thing. Hey, they’re worse things that can be ingested – at least this one provides health benefits unlike your typical McDonald’s hamburger…now that’s gross in my opinion!

I digress.

I’m fortunate enough that my midwife has done this process for years now which allows me to have such a wonderful opportunity! I received it a few days after birth. I take 1 pill 3x a day – I store the jar in the freezer. My placenta made 280 pills…my midwife said it was the biggest placenta she’s dehydrated!

Placenta has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. It is considered one of the most powerful qi tonics and nourishes the medians of the lungs, liver, and kidney’s during pregnancy. Especially helpful postpartum due to the added stresses placed on the kidneys during pregnancy.

Benefits: (For recovery postpartum) energy levels are up, feelings of strength and overall well being, strengthened immune system, restored sex drive, increased milk supply, emotional balancing, restores hemoglobin levels back to normal.

Would you ingest your placenta for it’s great benefits?

LunchBots: A Non Toxic, Healthier Alternative

Packing a lunch without using plastic can be a challenging. With all the Ziploc baggies and plastic containers out there makes it hard to avoid. Packing a healthy lunch is one thing but having to worry about packing a plastic and waste free lunch is where it can get difficult.

Look no further…LunchBots are here to the rescue! 100% stainless steel and non toxic lunch containers.

LunchBots was created by a mom who couldn’t find any non-plastic containers to use and no longer wanted to worry about which plastics are safe. Sound familiar?

Jacqueline Linder of LunchBots began the company with the idea that we could eliminate the use of Ziploc bags and other plastic containers that are harmful to the environment. Plus, she wanted them to be unique and have a great design so kids AND parents would love them. Read more

Be Green & Drink It Too: Wheatgrass

It took me awhile before I became used to the idea of taking wheatgrass juice. In realizing the benefits of wheatgrass it was something I didn’t want to miss out on. Wheatgrass shots at your local health food store can be very pricey. So, last spring we started to grow our own wheatgrass for it’s health benefits. When I was pregnant with my first I took wheatgrass shots about once a week to boost the Vitamin K in my system so that we could opt out of our son receiving the Vitamin K shot after birth (unless he had bruising of course).Be sure to consult your midwife or physician if your are pregnant or nursing before consuming wheatgrass. In any case, we set up a seed starter tray with soil and planted wheatgrass.

Growing wheatgrass, otherwise known as, “Liquid Sunshine” is very easy to do. Wheatgrass grows quickly. It only takes 3-5 days to emerge in soil 1/8 of inch deep. You can grow it all year round but the preferred temps for wheatgrass to grow is between 50-80 degrees. In warmer climates where I live it will grow too fast and turn yellow quickly and wilt. Therefore, wheatgrass is great to grow in a window box which is what we did after a few attempts in high heat. Wheatgrass is a uniform green foliage that it gives off a beautiful look when planted into a small pot. It’s vibrant green color looks just as good in a tray.

To start, soak organic wheatgrass seeds for approximately 8 hrs. before planting in moist soil. Place tray in indirect sunlight. Direct sunlight will dry the soil out and inhibit growth. A sprouting container works just as well as the tray method and may even be easier.  Once the wheatgrass is about about 7-8 inches tall it’s ready to harvest.  Cut wheatgrass using kitchen scissors about a 1/2 -1 inch from the soil surface.  Beware of mold. If mold occurs cut way above the mold. Make sure to rinse the wheatgrass before juicing. Typically, wheatgrass is only harvested once after the first cutting. It will grow back but does not contain the same amount of nutrients.

Wheatgrass provides energy and drinking about six ounces of it supplies the daily vitamin and mineral needs of an adult. It’s packed with chlorophll and all sorts of energizing vitamins, such as, most all of the B vitamins. A teaspoon of wheat grass contains around 15mg of Calcium, 8mcg Iodine, 3.5mcg Selenium, 870mcg Iron, 62mcg Zinc, and plenty of other minerals. The chlorophyll content is 70%. It’s also filled with enzymes to help rid your body of toxins. It is recommended that you start with drinking one ounce a day then work you way up to 2 ounces after a few weeks.

Wheatgrass must be juiced in order to digest. The strong fibers of the grass are not digestable to humans unless juiced. Excess wheatgrass can be kept in an airtight container in fridge for a few days. It’s a simple cycle once you get the hang of growing your wheatgrass. You’ll begin to familiarize yourself with how much juice a tray or sprouting jar yields. The cycle will help keep a daily supply available.

Wheatgrass is known to have healing powers. I recommend The Wheatgrass Book by Ann Wigmore which highlights the benefits of wheatgrass and how to grow it. The book also has recipes  to incorporate it ( a great alternative should you not like the taste) and even mentions composting the wheatgrass mats! Growing your own organic wheatgrass in these times, is the most economical way of obtaining a regular intake of this super green goodness!

** Originally posted at Eco Child’s Play

A Nursing Tale: We’ve Only Just Begun~

The other day, I was reading Beth’s post over at The Natural Mommy and realized that I hadn’t posted about my nursing relationship and it’s ending over here. I completely forgot to do in the midst of everything. I mentioned awhile back that my midwives and I discussed weaning Tristan because they did not think it was in my best interest to tandem nurse. While the idea of tandem nursing seemed so natural I also understood their reasoning.

With the weight loss of 15lbs while nursing Tristan the long term effects is what they’re mainly worried about. Such as calcium loss and other essential vitamins and minerals that the babies (Tristan and Clark) would possibly deplete. Prior to my conversation with my midwives, he’d already given up nursing during the day. It was mainly in the mornings and what seemed to be the entire night at times. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to begin to wean him and thought long and hard about my health in the future. I want to be there for my children and making this decision is part of being there for them.

I wanted this to be a self led weaning process but with being pregnant it made things a little more complex than it seemed. I didn’t know how Tristan would react to this. I didn’t want to use Clark as a crutch in explaining to Tristan why we’d have to drop his last two favorite “milk- milks”.  I wanted him to feel safe and secure. What I thought was going to be difficult turned out to be easier than I thought. 

The morning nursing was easily forgotten and I really didn’t have to put much effort into it. Instead of spending that extra time in bed together in the mornings, we’d wake up and quickly have breakfast. Tristan never really looked back after about a wk. or two of doing this. The night time “milk-milks” wasn’t as easy but wasn’t very hard either. My husband played a huge role in this. He still takes baths with Tristan so during their bathtime he would talk to him about growing up and being “a big boy” and that soon he’d even be “a big brother”.

Both he and I would tell him how proud we were of him for the transitions he’s made thus far and that he could fall alseep on his own without having “milk-milk’s”. We’d tell him that it was part of growing into “a big boy”. We occassionally would mention that mama’s milk may or may not dry up but that it was a possibility and to be prepared. I wasn’t showing any signs of drying up but my midwives had told us that it commonly occurs.

After a couple months of extra cuddles and lots of extra love and great talks…. a week before Christmas he really started to get the hang of things. At night, I’d lay next to him and sing him a song usually Twinkle, Twinkle…and surprisingly he ALL OF SUDDEN wanted to start bringing Pooh, Bunny and Monkey to bed with us. I never even said a word about having those stuffed animals in bed with us…he just found another attachment on his own. It was amazing.

So, we’d all hop in bed and lay there. The first couple times he tried to nurse but I gently told him he could sleep on his own and that if he needed water I’d get him some. After a couple attempts he would lie there and fall alseep.  I patted his back or would run my fingers through his hair and sometimes scratch his arm or back. A few times he woke up in the middle of the night like he would normally for a nursing but then he just stopped. Then finally around New Years he was completely weaned. He wouldn’t even think twice about it. At times, he would put his little hand in my shirt and just want to feel the warmth and we’d fall alseep that way. Now, he doesn’t even need to do that. He just falls alseep with no problems.

Pooh, Bunny and Monkey still have to be part of the process but my breasts are no longer his desire…instead he’s chose the stuffed animals to have in bed to replace his “milk-milks”! He was 21 mos. old when he stopped nursing. I thought I’d never make it past a year. I’d completely forgotten about drying up and actually checked one night to see if indeed it was happening and I was already dried up. I’m not sure if I was too late or if he was just nursing there towards to end for pure comfort. 

I  do believe it was purely for comfort at the end. Towards the end he was biting a bit more and I was more sensitive. He might have been frustrated that there wasn’t any milk coming through. I also noticed he wouldn’t stay long on the breast.  I don’t really know. I do know that he did enjoy his “milk-milks” very much.  I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this process. I had no idea I’d make it past a year. Ideally, I wanted to nurse him till he was two and was content with the fact of nursing him well after two- but all in all, I think it all worked out for a very good reason.

It was bittersweet. I was a little sad after those first couple weeks and even let him nurse twice on two different mornings. It was just instinct I think. The entire journey was truly a blessing and I’m so glad we had that relationship and special bond during the first year and a half. It was more than I could ever ask for and I’m looking forward to beginning a new journey with Baby Clark. The break has been a nice since I am pregnant. It has made sleeping a bit more enjoyable!

This is only a phase for Tristan and I…in my eye’s we’re still on a wonderful journey together and once baby Clark arrives the journey will be only prove to be more fruitful.

We’ve only just begun.

Taking Stock of Making Stock by Jill Nussinow- The Veggie Queen!

 Editor’s Note: I’d like to welcome Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, a.k.a. The Veggie Queen to Recycle Your Day. As a monthly contributor she will bring much insight on pressure cooking, and vegetables while also covering green topics. Jill is the author of of the award-winning The Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment cookbook with more 100 seasonal vegetable-based recipes. The Veggie Queen is also a Pressure Cooking expert – featured in Pressure Cooking: A Fresh Look, Delicious Dishes in Minutes 75 minute DVD, featuring 14 plant-based recipes from breakfast through dessert. Jill Nussinow is an educator, author/writer, speaker& consultant. The Veggie Queen is the vegetable, vegan, and vegetarian expert!.Visit her site for recipes and much more. Also, be sure to check out her blog for tips/ideas, recipes and a wealth of information on healthy and sustainable eating!

Making stock is a great way to recycle or reuse ingredients. My stock pile (ever wonder where that term came from?) consists of unused ends, pieces and peels of vegetables such as onions, carrots, leeks, potatoes, squash, garlic and more.

I avoid cruciferous vegetables such a broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and the others, to minimize any gaseous or sulfur order. Almost everything else is fair game. Those possibilities include mushroom stems, corn cobs, green bean ends, tomato tops, asparagus stalks and more. Inedible but still viable (not old or moldy) vegetable pieces go into the stock bag that stays in my vegetable drawer. At the end of the week, I either make stock or freeze the bag.

Sonoma county chef John Ash says that the best stock comes from the browning, or roasting, the vegetables. He thought that I’d agree with that, and I do in some instances. If your stock-making includes stove top simmering, then roast for more intense flavor. If you use a pressure cooker, it extracts the essence of the vegetables so well, that roasting is unnecessary, but still possible.

To make roasted stock, combine part of the vegetables with a couple of teaspoons of oil and roast in the oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, until browned. Use the directions below.

Combine at least 4 cups of roughly chopped vegetables including your bag of “stuff”, an onion, a carrot, some celery, a bay leaf, a sprig or 2 of thyme (or herbs that you like but be careful of the rosemary which can be very strong) and a few peppercorns, with a couple quarts of water. Pressure cook for 5 minutes at high pressure or simmer on stove for at least an hour.

I always have a bag of stock makings in my refrigerator or freezer. I use stock for everyday cooking and for making taste-laden soups. It gives my vegetables a second chance before the compost pile.

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