As I move through our home with the goal of replacing all chemical substances with natural alternatives, the month of January brings us into the kitchen. You might not think a chemical that needs to be eliminated in your kitchen would be the soap with which you wash your dishes, but sadly, it is true. Many dishwasher detergents contain bleach, a toxic chemical, and most soaps contain fragrance ( a petroleum derivative) or parabens and dyes, just to name a few harmful ingredients.  Since we are using these soaps to wash the dishes off of which we eat, we run the risk of also ingesting whatever we are using to wash our dishes.

There are two alternatives to harmful dish detergents, and that is buying a natural product or making your own.  Obviously, making your own is more economical, but slightly more time consuming.  I have not found a dish detergent on the market that I am completely comfortable using or recommending–even the “natural” ones (like Seventh Generation and Melaleuca, unfortunately). So I make my own.  However, it takes very little time, and saves a ton of money in the end!

Here is the dishwashing soap that I make and use.

I am almost out of my old stuff and am eager to pour my new homemade soap into my old detergent container.

Dishwashing Liquid:

• 2-3 c. diluted Castile soap
• 10 drops tea tree oil
• 10 drops lemon oil
• 10 drops grapefruit seed extract (optional)

Combine liquid Castile soap with water in whatever ratio you prefer (60-75% soap works well, depending on the mineral content of the water). Add tea tree oil and lemon oil. If desired, add grapefruit seed extract for increased disinfecting properties.

This does not “suds” as much as you may be used to with commercial detergents, but do not let the lack of bubbles deceive you into thinking the soap does not work. It does! I have been very satisfied with the switch. I also love the smell since I used peppermint scented castile soap! I also do not find this recipe quite as economical as it could be, since castile soap is very pricey, but it is still an improvement on the store bought!

More recipes for homemade dish detergent here.

Here is the dishwashing powder I make and use:

Automatic Dishwashing Powder:

• 1 c. washing soda
• 1/2 c. borax
• 1/2 c. baking soda

Combine ingredients and store in mason jar under the sink. Use 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons for each dishwasher load, depending on mineral content of water. Use 1/2 cup white vinegar as a rinsing agent.

This recipe literally costs pennies per load of dishes.  I have really liked this powder, apart from a few washes where something went wrong.  Occasionally my dishes come out with a film covering them.  When this happens, I do an empty rinse cycle with 1/2 cup vinegar in the bottom of my washer.  I also make sure I have vinegar in the rinse cup.  That usually clears up the problem.

You may have to adjust these recipes by adding more or less vinegar, depending on the mineral content and hardness/softness of your water.

For more information on Naturally Clean Kitchens, check out Toxic Talk Tuesday: Kitchens

To check out the schedule for 2012 Chemical Elimination, read here. February is Personal Care: Deodorant!

I hope to have January’s post up by the end of next week, but please give me grace with a newborn:-) I have a couple of more things to get in order, and then it will be ready to share with the world.

I also plan to make available for sale samples/trials of most of the homemade product alternatives I post about.  That way if there are deodorants, dish soaps, or skin care options you want to be able to try out, you can try them without having to make a large investment in something that may or may not end up working for you.

Looking forward to it all!

Eliana Joy Willcox

“The LORD has heard our prayers”

5 lbs 12 oz

January 4, 2012

10:28am

One of the things that drew Stephen and I together when we first met was our desire to have a house full of children.  We believe that children are a heritage from the Lord and a blessing, and are thrilled to be given the gift of bringing children into the world with the prayer that they will grow up to honor and glorify God with their lives.  We welcomed our firstborn son, Jeshuah–”The LORD saves”–Paul Willcox, 5 days after our fourth anniversary.  When we learned we were expecting our second child 14 months later, we were thrilled.  But the Lord had other plans for that little one’s life, and we miscarried eight weeks into the pregnancy.  She was our Elealeh–”The LORD reigns sovereign”–Grace, reminding us of God’s goodness and power even amidst our loss.  Our hearts were heavy with grief, but in the midst of it all, we felt the Lord whisper to our hearts that He wanted to bless us with another baby soon, another girl, who would be called Eliana–”The LORD has heard our prayers.”

Two months to the day of my miscarriage, we learned we were expecting again.  We were filled with joy at God’s goodness and knew in our hearts that this was indeed our Eliana, the answer to our prayers for another little girl that might fill our arms, hearts, and home.  Though our hearts told us that this little one was a girl, we both felt strongly that we wanted to keep her gender a secret until her birth.  We had found out the gender with our first and wanted to know what it felt like to anticipate that “It’s a girl!” or “It’s a boy!” upon delivery.  So, we contained our curiosity and decided to wait to find out, eager for our January 26 due date.

But seven weeks into the pregnancy, I began to bleed. A sonogram showed a healthy baby and a small subchorionic hematoma, but no other explanation for the bleeding.  I was put on partial bed rest until the bleeding stopped. A week later, the bleeding stopped, and we all breathed a sigh of relief, asking the Lord to guard and protect this little one’s life.

I was indescribably blessed by having significantly less morning sickness than I experienced with my first pregnancy.  I actually found myself enjoying being pregnant this time! God was indeed being gracious.

Then one evening, when I was eleven weeks pregnant, I was sitting on the floor playing trains with Jeshuah, when I felt a rush of blood and ran to the bathroom.  I was bleeding again, this time quite heavily.  As I attempted to pull myself together, I knew a few brief moments of panic as I pleaded with the Lord to please not take this baby, too.  Within seconds, a peace that passes understanding washed over me, and I knew in my heart of hearts that God was good, no matter what. But I also felt a confidence that the Lord was hearing and answer my prayers “yes” and that I would indeed hold this little one in my arms.

I was put on partial bed rest again, and my mom and sister-in-law came out to help.  Our church family wrapped their arms around us by bringing us meals, taking care of Jeshuah, and sending cards of encouragement.  Two of the deacons in our church felt compelled to come over and pray for us and for the life of our child, and we enjoyed a time of petitioning the Lord to protect our little one.  One of the cards we received contained Mark 11:24, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  Stephen and I felt that still, small voice again whisper to our hearts, “She is your Eliana, and I am hearing your prayers.”  Although we were confident in God’s sovereignty and control no matter what, we felt a peace and confidence that the Lord’s will was to make himself known by bringing this little girl into the world to glorify His name through answered prayer.

I continued to feel comparatively wonderful as my pregnancy progressed, and I was filled with praises for God’s goodness at giving me a pregnancy that was so drastically different from my first.  I could eat, keep food down, I had energy, and I could sleep at night.  All of that helped the fact that I was chasing a toddler around daily!

But the Lord was far from being done with answering our prayers regarding this little one’s life.  At 15 weeks, I began hemorrhaging once again and we headed to the hospital this time.  Sonograms continued to reveal a healthy, growing baby and a mystery regarding the cause of the bleeding. Each time I was sent home with the warning that all this bleeding signaled a significant increase in continued risk of not only miscarriage, but also pre-term labor.

Within a week, the bleeding stopped again, and my pregnancy progressed normally for a few weeks.  Although I began experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions at 14 weeks, I didn’t think too much of it, as I had experienced them throughout my first pregnancy as well.  Our 20 week ultrasound showed a healthy, growing baby, though we maintained our desire to not find out the gender.

We made it into the third trimester without any more complications and breathed a sigh of relief as every day brought us closer to full-term and meeting our little Answered Prayer.  But once again, at 33 weeks, I was admitted into the hospital with pre-term labor.  They were able to stop the progression of labor and my midwife put me on full bed rest for the next four weeks until this baby was full-term and closer to being ready to enter the world.

Bed rest has always been one of my biggest fears, imagining myself lying completely horizontal in bed, staring at the ceiling for weeks, unable to even read a book because I had to lie down and my arms would get tired.  However, after the first couple of days, my contractions slowed enough that I was able to sit up for short periods, then even be up on my feet briefly without beginning multiple contractions again.  My parents came and picked up Jeshuah to care for him for the week at their home so I could be as still as possible.  I asked God to sanctify this distress to me, and he richly blessed that time.  He quieted my anxious heart with his love, allowed Stephen and I some sweet alone time, and prepared me for the new year and the new addition to our family.

Three weeks into my bed rest, as much as I had learned that God could indeed use even that to bless my heart, I was still eager to be free to get up and get back to a normal routine before our little one made his or her entrance into the world.  On Thursday, January 5, I would be 37 weeks pregnant and considered full-term.  The baby would be at a much safer size to be delivered, and I could officially go off of bed rest.

Wednesday, January 4, I woke around 5:30am and felt a few contractions as I dozed in and out for the next hour.  This was not, of course, unusual, so I didn’t think much of it, except that these contractions had a bit of a sharpness to them that most of my others had not had.  Still, I remembered many friends telling me how many Braxton-Hicks contractions they had had, even painful enough to have to breathe through, and they were not actually labor.  I got up and began my morning routine without paying much attention to my contractions, their consistency, or their timing.  After all, I had had contractions two minutes apart for three hours multiple times throughout this pregnancy, and they hadn’t meant much of anything!

Since I was still on bed rest, we had arranged for Stephen to take Jeshuah to his cousin’s house for the morning to play, and then Stephen could go into work for a few hours.  At about 8:30, I told him I had been having contractions off and on that morning, but I didn’t know if they meant anything or not.  I decided to go ahead and take a bath and see if they stopped, as that would mean they were simply false labor.  At 8:45, Stephen loaded Jeshuah into the car and headed out, deciding instead to come back home and finish packing the hospital bag, just so that we would be ready whenever I actually did go into labor.

By 9am, I had begun to time my contractions and realized that, although they were still inconsistent and extremely mild, they seemed to be getting closer together and had not been deterred by the bath.  I had had to breathe through a couple off and on and had noticed a little bleeding.  I began to realize that this might actually be the real thing.

I made a phone call to my mom, who was planning to act as my doula as she had with Jeshuah. I described my contractions and that they had been about 11 minutes apart thirty minutes ago and now they were between 5 and 10 minutes apart, but still not consistent or very strong, and some were so mild I didn’t even know if they were really contractions.  She said she would hop in the car and make the hour and a half drive over because her guess was that I really was in labor.  I told her not to worry and to take her time, as this labor seemed to be going much slower than my first.

With Jeshuah, my water had broken at 6:30, and I went into labor.  Four and a half hours later, Jeshuah was born. There had already been so many false alarms, I felt the need for my water to break this time in order for me to really believe I was in labor. I had been praying all morning that if this really was labor, that the Lord would simply cause my water to break and confirm to me that it was time for action.  I had convinced myself also that the reason my labor was so fast with Jeshuah was probably due to the fact that my water had broken immediately, and that if my water did not break to begin early labor, I would probably have a long, drawn out labor.  Between all of those factors and the fact that my contractions were not very strong or close together, I still was not convinced I truly was in labor.

Stephen arrived home and began packing bags.  Around 9:30, I began having stronger contractions and needed to stop and breathe through a couple more. I ran around the house, putting Jeshuah’s clothes away and labeling drawers and cupboards and printing off instructions for Grandma to know where everything was for Jeshuah later.  I wanted to labor as long as possible at home, and since my water still had not broken, I was convinced the need to head to the hospital was still a long way off.

At 10am, we took a pictures of my tummy with an “In labor!” sign next to me.

Two minutes later, my contractions suddenly began rolling into the next with mere seconds in between and pain so intense I could barely move.  I felt the baby heavily making its descent and looked at Stephen in wide-eyed panic.  The hospital was 15 minutes away, and I truly did not know if we would make it in time.

Stephen propped me up as we made slow progress toward the car, still in indecision about whether to try to drive there in time or deliver this baby at home. But the thought of delivering the baby at home by ourselves was more frightening to me than having to pull over on the side of the road if we didn’t make it, so we continued towards the car.

At that point, Stephen asked if I had called my midwife yet.  Well, no, I hadn’t…I thought I was just supposed to show up at the hospital and they would call her once I got there. Usually she was just downstairs anyway.  And besides…I had called her so many times throughout this whole pregnancy already, I didn’t want to bother her if I didn’t have to.  Stephen sighed and quickly dialed my midwife’s office, explained that I was about to have the baby, and asked what we should do.  The nurse told Stephen to call 911 and ask for an ambulance escort to speed our way.  While Stephen hung up and dialed 911, I held on for dear life and tried my hardest not to push.  (We have since joked that that phone call would be quite humorous to hear the recording of, as Stephen described our location and car in between coaching me to relax my face and take deep breaths, breathing in and out with me while conversing with the operator!)

By the time the ambulance had our location, we were two intersections away from the hospital.  They told us to pull over and they would find us, but there was no way I was letting Stephen slow our race to the hospital.  Stephen drove, lights flashing, honking his horn, as fast he he could safely go, as he assured me they would have someone waiting at the hospital door to hurry me to a room.

We pulled up in front of the Trinity Birth Place, and a nurse with a wheelchair opened the door and exclaimed happily, “Oh, good! You’re still pregnant!” We waited for the current contraction to ease and she and Stephen heaved me into the chair.  The nurse took off toward the nearest empty room, and Stephen went to park the car.

I remember just closing my eyes and trying to hold out, telling myself I would soon be in a room and know how soon I might be holding this little one in my arms!  As I neared my room, a flock of staff, including nurses and doctors hurried in behind me and began setting up.  One nurse began inputting into a computer, and the doctor and another nurse got ready to check my progress.  Stephen appeared in the doorway and a nurse congratulated him on his speed, then told him to breathe. We had made it.

I was extremely eager to hear the doctor’s report on my progress and prayed I was fully dilated, but feared that perhaps I might still have a long way to go, despite what my body was telling me.  When she announced that I was 9 and 1/2 cm, but the baby was still at a “one,” I needed a reminder of what that meant, and she explained that the baby wasn’t fully lowered yet and I “still had some time.”  I looked at her skeptically and nearly laughed out loud, but I didn’t voice the fact that I knew otherwise.

The nurses passed out my birth plan and began looking it over and discussing it. I heard someone ask how far away my midwife was, and they joked that she was still a ways away.  I saw a woman appear in the doorway and heard someone say that it was the OB that my midwife works under. She stood by the door, chatting with some of the nurses nonchalantly.

And that’s when I knew it was time to push.  However, in all my reading on childbirth, I knew that my current position, laying flat on my back, was the worst possible option for delivering this baby.  Not only that, everything in my body rebelled against the idea. I knew I needed to get up and allow gravity to do some of the work for me.

I shakily asked if I could get up and kneel on the bed.  The nurses asked the doctor, and she replied, “I don’t care what she does.” (It has since occurred to me that she did not realize I was asking that because I was ready to push).  Relieved, I knelt on the bed and put my arms around Stephen’s shoulders.  At this point, I remembered that my water still had not broken, and I heard the nurses talking about that very fact. I thought I heard one of them say they were going to break my water as they baby was born, and I told them not to, that the baby could be born in the sack safely, and they assured me that they would not break my water.

And then, as all the doctors and nurses chatted with their backs turned, with one tremendous effort, I felt the baby slip out and heard a “pop!” as the baby hit the bed and the sack burst open.

Twelve minutes after we arrived at the hospital, Eliana Joy was born.

“Oh!” The staff exclaimed, turning suddenly in shock.

“It’s a girl!” Stephen called out, peering around my kneeling form to see the baby that had just plopped onto the bed.

Within seconds, they had taken the baby, wrapped her in a blanket, and placed her on my chest.  She laid there quietly, mewing softly every now and again, but mostly just laying still, looking up at me with wide, blue eyes.

My midwife walked into the room and exclaimed her disappointment that she had not arrived in time.  A few minutes later, the placenta was delivered, and my midwife looked at Stephen and me, her eyes very serious.

“The Lord was protecting this baby,” she said solemnly.

“The Lord has been protecting this baby this whole pregnancy!” I replied.  ”But what makes you say that right now?”

She went on to explain that the placenta was deformed, a very rare case of velamentous cord insertion.  To put it simply, the umbilical cord had implanted into the fetal membranes instead of into the placenta, leaving the baby’s blood vessels exposed.

“If the water had broken during labor, this baby most likely would have died.”

The condition explained all the bleeding I had had throughout the pregnancy.  It explained the preterm labor and preterm birth.  It explained even more deeply why our little girl truly was “Eliana.”  I was humbled to realize that all morning (and indeed, throughout the pregnancy), I had prayed that my labor might start by my water breaking so there would be no question.  But God, in His sovereignty, knew that was the very thing that could have cost my daughter her life, and so he preserved her within her sack until the last possible second, when she could be born safely, and gathered into my arms.

When we placed her on the scale, we found that she weighed 5 lbs 12 ounces and was 17 1/2 inches long.  So much joy wrapped in such a tiny bundle!  My midwife declared that if she had been born one week earlier, she would have been in the NICU.  But she was over five pounds and healthy, so we thanked God for yet another answered prayer.

Her middle name is Joy, and she has already filled our lives with so much joy in the few days since her birth.  We are overwhelmed by God’s goodness in her life and in giving her to us.  We pray that He will continue to guide us as we raise her and Jeshuah to walk in His ways.

Mark 11:24

Eliana Joy Willcox

“The LORD has heard our prayers”

January 4, 2012 at 10:28am

5 lbs. 12 ounces, 17 1/2 inches

Birth story to follow:-)

That is why I am excited to announce my 2012 monthly goals for detoxifying our home.  Naturally Simple Solutions will be doing a series over the next 12 months to equip you to eliminate chemicals from your home.   Ideally, I will have already worked out the kink with each category before I post them each month and will have some first-hand examples, recipes, pictures, sources, etc. to share.  My desire is to make the transition from chemical to natural as pain-free and simple as possible!  Here is a rough outline of each month’s feature, although it may be changed or rearranged as needed. You may note that the order does not seem to necessarily reflect a scale of more to less dangerous substances.  That is because I will have a newborn in January and will begin the year with chemicals we have already eliminated in our home, to make things more manageable for me:-)

January – Dishwashing Soap

February – Personal Care – Deodorant

March – Personal Care – Moisturizer, Make up

April – Pest/Weed Control, Personal Bug Repellent

May – Personal Care – Toothpaste, Mouthwash

June - Personal Care -Soap, Shaving Cream, Aftershave

July - Household Cleaning Supplies

August - Personal Care - Shampoo & Conditioner

September – Medicine Cabinet

October – Laundry Soap

November – Safe Drinking Water

December – Home/Personal Fragrances

Anyone have suggestions for things I am missing? I can easily combine some personal care items into one month, etc, but I am drawing a blank on other household chemicals I may be missing, so please offer suggestions!

Picking up where we left off in our Toxic Talk Tuesdays, I bring you (albeit a little late!) Chris and Andrea Fabry’s Tips for Toxic Free Living and giving of gifts!  I loved this program, as giving healthy, toxic-free gifts for birthday or Christmas is a desire of mine, but it is not an easy thing to do!

Twelve Tips for the Toxic Trainee:

(Found at MomsAWARE.org.  This is my transcriptive combination of the Chris Fabry Live!’s broadcast, mixed with Andrea’s list on her website, along with my own suggestions.)

1. Books. There’s nothing better than reading how others have created a less toxic environment. Options include:
   • Better Basics for the Home: Simple Solutions for Less toxic Living by Annie Berthold-Bond. This is one of the most comprehensive books on the market. From personal care products to cleaning supplies to non-toxic art supplies, the author offers an abundance of recipes and explanations.
   • The Naturally Clean Home focuses exclusively on cleaning your home environment. Karyn Siegel-Maier creatively incorporates herbs and essential oils into her unique recipes.
   • Super Natural Home Beth Greer explains how small lifestyle shifts make a big difference in your health and well-being. Her explanations are thorough and concise!

2. Essential Oils. Give the gift of natural, healthy fragrance. Beginning oils include lemon, peppermint, and lavender. All three have excellent antiseptic qualities and are versatile. Frankincense and myrrh make great Christmas gifts, and each has unique health benefits. The key is the purity of the oil. Diffuser World offers this list of recommended brands.
3. Diffuser. Anyone interested in improving air quality in an office or home will appreciate this gift! Diffuser World offers an excellent assortment of products.
4. Safe Cookware. Enameled cast iron is the least reactive cookware. Brands such as Le Creuset and Staub are made in France with no added chemicals. Costco now offers enameled cast iron products made in France.
5. All-Natural Makeup. There are numerous options for makeup with no synthetic ingredients, parabens, alcohol, or fragrance. Here are three:
   • Skin1
   • 100% Pure
   • Bare Minerals (This is my own recommendation)
6. Rhassoul Clay. This luxurious clay can be used for facials, soap, shampoos, and hair conditioning. Sources include:
   • Kae Natural Rhassoul Clay
   • Mountain Rose Herbs
7. Natural Candles. 100% beeswax candles are optimal, as they contain no petrochemicals. Sources include:
   • Beeswax Candle Company
   • Candle Bee Farm
8. Car Air Purifier. Great gift for the commuter or traveler. Options include:
   • Vapor-Eze Car Diffuser
   • Small Vapor-Eze Air Purifier (easily used in cars)
   • Amaircair Car Air Purifier
9. Collection of Bottles and Jars. This gift is for the person interested in making their own personal care or household products. Choose an assortment of spray bottles, glass jars, and tins. Sources include:
   • SKS Bottle & Packaging
   • Specialty Bottle
10. Gift Card to a Local Health Food Store. Gift cards encourage that detoxifier in your life to try something new!
11. All-Natural Soap. Look for soaps with natural and organic plant oils, pure essential oils, and minimal other ingredients. Opportunities abound from small family businesses to bigger companies. Some options include:
    • Soap for Goodness Sake
    • Cheeky Maiden Soap Co.
    • Pure liquid Castile soap from the All Natural Soap Store
12. Homemade Bath Salts. Bath salts are simple to make using sea salt, Epsom salts, and baking soda. For the recipe and our how-to video, as well as additional homemade bath gift ideas, see our Bath Bonanza Gift Set Recipes.

Stay tuned for a simple, practical, economical toxic-free gift idea!

Holiday Awareness Tips

Upon returning home, though, I realized there are periods throughout the day that I cannot even sit up straight without inducing so many contractions that I have to call my midwife and inform her.  At that rate, I knew I couldn’t take care of two-year old Jeshuah in the least bit.  My mom drove over from Cedar Rapids the next morning and cared for Jeshuah while Stephen went into work for a few hours.  She ran laundry, did some baking for me, and packed Jeshuah’s things to bring him back home with her for a few days, and possibly even an entire week.  We have never been apart from Jeshuah for more than a weekend, so I was not sure how I was going to handle such a length of time apart–or how he would do with it.  However, as quiet as the house is, and as strange as it is to walk past his bedroom at night and see the door wide open and the room empty, I am assured that this is by far the best thing for us at this time.  He loves his Nana and Poppa and their cows, tractors, and model airplanes, so I know he is well cared for.  And it is so hard for him to understand why I am nearby, but laying on the couch and unable to get up and play with him or meet his needs.

So, after wrestling through the negative emotions, I am accepting this time of peace and quiet as a gift from God to refresh my body and spirit before this new baby enters the world.  I am choosing to see it as a time to sit in God’s presence without distraction.  I am choosing to set my fingers to work (when I can sit up without contracting) making this little one a baby blanket, addressing Christmas cards, scrapbooking pictures, or catching up on correspondence.  Stephen and I are enjoying the solitude and talking about things we have had on hearts and minds for weeks or months that we have not had a chance to bring up yet.  We are celebrating our 6 year anniversary in a drawn-out, slowed manner, catching a movie today and going out to dinner briefly tomorrow night…as long as the contractions are at bay!  But if they are causing problems, I recline on the couch, and he sets up our new favorite game, Dominion, at the coffee table, and we play while I lie down.

This is yet another time in my life where things happen to throw a wrench in my “well laid plans,” but I know that God is good and wants me to learn and grow through all of this.  I am learning to accept this as God’s well laid plan, and receive it as a gift instead of resent the interruption.  I want to feel grateful to so many people who have stepped in to help us in our time of need and now wallow in false guilt and self pity.  I want to rest and take this time to attempt to calm my body physically until this little one has had a bit more time to grow and develop.  I want use this time to ask the Lord to teach me more about Him and His goodness. I want to take advantage of the quiet hours and ask Him to sanctify me.

Jeshuah Paul, December 2009

I have experienced such an odd mixture of emotions with my last two pregnancies, ranging from utter joy to sheer panic at the thought of having a newborn again.  After the birth of our first child, I experienced such deep, dark post-partum depression, I barely remember his first few months of life.  When I look at pictures or watch videos of those days, I feel the old panic returning, tightening my chest and increasing my heart rate.  The grief and guilt that I also experienced during those days was overwhelming.  How long had we prayed for children? How long had I dreamed of these days, and when they arrived, I could not stop crying, my world encompassed in fear, anxiety, and an overwhelming sadness.  I was convinced I had to be a terrible mother to feel the way I felt.

The Lord has taught me much in the last few years, and I pray that I have grown deeper in my knowledge of Christ and his character.  I pray continuously that this time around will be different. I pray for clarity of thought, for healthy emotions, and for the ability to enjoy my newborn.

As I grow more and more eager to meet this little one and hold him or her in my arms, I also continue to battle the fear of those newborn days.  In an attempt to direct my thinking to what is true and right, I am compiling a list of all the beautiful, wonderful things about those early days.

This time, I want to soak up and enjoy:

• Naming our little one
• Stroking soft hair
• Counting tiny fingers and toes
• Feeling newborn skin
• Gazing into our baby’s eyes
• Snuggling a tiny, warm body close to my heart
• Nuzzling noses
• Taking numerous pictures and videos
• Soothing cries with a tender caress
• Watching him or her sleep

One of the most profound truths I learned the first time around is that giving birth can be so much more than just something our bodies do after we have been pregnant for nine months.  We can either view labor and childbirth passively as something that simply happens to us, or we can see it as something intensely spiritual and even miraculous, with the God-given ability to sanctify us and make us more like Christ through the process.

In light of that fact, here are some of the practical ways in which I am preparing body, soul and spirit to give birth.

1.  Prepare Physically

Physical Exercises.  Giving birth is a massive physical effort.  Our bodies need to be toned and ready for this incredible feat.  But preparing physically does not have to be a task of insurmountable proportion!  Simply taking a daily walk is extremely beneficial.  Most childbirth books will recommend at least a few stretches and toning exercises to prepare for labor.  What to Expect When You are Expecting has some helpful exercises.  Kegels strengthen the pelvic floor, wall-squats tone leg muscles for giving birth while squatting, the dromedary droop aids in relieving back pain and pressure, just to name a few.  I have also done German Stabilization core strengthening (similar to Pilates) throughout my whole pregnancies and felt the positive effects daily.  Find a routine that is helpful to you and build these exercises into your morning routine just as you do with washing your face and brushing your teeth. You will find yourself feeling better during pregnancy, throughout labor and following birth if you do! You will not regret it!

Use Herbal Teas and Supplements.  Herbs have been used for thousands of years in the physical and emotional preparation for childbirth.  Some of the most widely used herbs are red raspberry leaf and nettles.  Red raspberry leaf is believed to relieve leg cramps, diarrhea, and morning sickness in pregnant women, as well as tone the uterus, reduce the risk of hemorrhage, ease pain in labor and post-partum recovery and increase breast milk. Nettle leaf is excellent to add to a tea around four weeks before delivery to aid in postpartum milk production. I enjoy Traditional Medicinals pregnancy teas.  My two favorite for preparing for labor are their Red Raspberry Leaf Tea and their Organic Pregnancy Tea.    Mountain Rose Herbs offers a wonderful variety of organic herbs to brew your own tea at a fraction of the cost.  Be sure to check with your midwife before drinking these teas, though, as red raspberry leaf in particular (depending on how strongly it is brewed) can cause contractions and even induce labor.  I have been drinking Traditional Medicinals throughout my entire pregnancy with no increased contractions, but as I am at risk for pre-term labor, I am holding off on brewing my own raspberry leaf tea until closer to my due date.’

Visit a Chiropractor.  Since our experience with upper cervical chiropractic care dramatically altered our son’s life, we are new “believers” in the amazing benefits of chiropractic care.  As there are many different forms of chiropractic–many of them not beneficial–I recommend finding a certified upper cervical chiropractor in your area.  Our wonderful chiropractor is Dr. Newhouse of Newhouse Health Solutions, and if you live in our area, we cannot recommend him highly enough!  Chiropractic care has been proven to decrease pain and duration of childbirth, can help align the baby for a safe and quick exit (using the Webster Technique), and can help keep your whole body aligned as your ligaments loosen up during pregnancy. For further information on the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy, visit here.

2.  Prepare Emotionally

Studying the process of childbirth as God designed it has been one of the most amazing, rewarding, awe-inspiring things I have ever done! Preparing my mind for what to expect during labor and delivery, how the body works and functions, what problems can arise, and how to work through them, has been eye-opening and empowering.  I cannot recommend enough that each woman study this amazing process before they go through it! With my first, as excited as I was to experience giving birth, I didn’t feel the need to learn much about the process myself.  I expected the doctors to handle that department.  And I figured my body would just kick itself into gear and do what it was supposed to do whether I informed myself on the process or not.  After all, women have been giving birth for thousands of years, right? What’s to know? I actually found that informing myself on the process has helped immensely in relieving fear and anxiety, as well as giving me tools to cope with labor.

Two Excellent Natural Childbirth Resources:

The Christian Childbirth Handbook. I have been so     blessed by reading this book! Obviously coming from a Christian perspective, this book details not only the body’s physical process of giving birth, but weaves in Scripture and God’s good design to offer comfort for anxiety and fear during labor.  I also love the balanced approach to a desire for natural childbirth and the reality of complications or medical emergency making that impossible.  The wealth of information on how God designed our bodies to work in giving birth caused me to stand in awe of our Creator and fall in love with His design.  The knowledge it afforded me has increased my excitement and given me tools to cope with the fear and pain involved.  It also addresses issues at the heart level and encourages belief in God’s goodness and sovereignty no matter how labor and delivery may differ from what you had planned.

The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth is an excellent tool for informing yourself about the process of birth, as well as what to expect in a normal birth, variations, possible complications, the risks and benefits involved in each medical intervention, etc.  A wonderful resource for understanding all that is happening and could be suggested to aid the labor process.

Take a Childbirth Class

Most hospitals offer childbirth or Lamaaze classes for their patients before they give birth.  These can be a one day class or a multiple week course, depending on where you go.  You can also take more advanced courses on natural childbirth like Bradley offers.  These can be pricey, but they are well worth the investment!

3.  Prepare Spiritually

Labor is, for most people, intense, painful, and exhausting.  No matter how prepared you are for childbirth, the experience can throw curves you did not expect and test even the most educated laborer.  Childbirth brings with it not only physical pain, but emotional fear of the process itself.  Labor can try your patience, perseverance, and pain tolerance!  All of these things can either cause a person to spiral out of control into panic, or you can ask the Lord to give you the presence of mind to allow all of these things to sanctify you and draw you into deeper relationship with Him.  Childbirth can be a miraculously spiritual experience of crying out to the Lord and finding his grace and strength is sufficient when you are at the end of your own.

Ushering a new life into the world and then nurturing that life is one of the most amazing tasks the Lord has given to us.  It is one of the sweetest and most rewarding blessings.  It is also one of the most intensely challenging roles we can possibly have.  I had no idea the truth of this statement until our firstborn arrived, and I found myself sorely lacking in spiritual preparation for all that motherhood demanded of me. I have prayed ever since Jeshuah’s birth that the Lord would use the lives of our children to mold and sanctify my heart through the sacrifices required of me.  In my pursuit of holiness in the calling of motherhood, I have found a couple of books I particularly refreshing.

Calm My Anxious Heart.  Linda Dillow addresses the issue of contentment in all circumstances and its relation to anxiety.  She challenges our hearts to rest in God’s sovereignty in all things and not allow ourselves to be overwhelmed with “what ifs” and “if onlys.”  As post-partum fear and anxiety was a huge struggle for me after my last birth, I am clinging to the truths of Scripture and words of wisdom found in this book.

In The Mission of Motherhood, Sally Clarkson outlines the importance of the calling of motherhood with Scriptural encouragement to not grow weary of doing good, even when we do not see the result of our labors some days! A great resource to remind us of the eternal value of our roles as mothers.

Comforts from the Cross. Elyse Fitzpatrick has a profound gift for weaving the truth of the gospel into the circumstances of everyday life. With short, almost devotional-length chapters, she addresses multiple issues that we each face daily and confronts them with the gospel.  A delightful, easy read full of long-lasting, heart penetrating truths.

Finally, as you do all you can to prepare your body, mind, and spirit for childbirth and motherhood, come before the Lord with hands open in surrender to His will in all of it.  Preparation is important and it is a wise task, but it can cause us to claim too much ownership in an area we are meant to continually surrender to God’s providence.  We can be tempted to insist that, because we have “done our part,” God owes us a labor, delivery, and baby just the way we prepared for.  But I am reminded of Psalm 84:11, “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”  However labor, delivery, and recovery progress, God is good in the midst of it all.

Ask the Lord to enable you to let go of your desire for control in the area of both childbirth and motherhood.  Entrust the process of birth and the life of your little one into his care, knowing that He knows what is best for us so much more than we do!

Further Childbirth Reading:

Embracing the Pain and Letting Go of Fear in Childbirth

Scriptural Encouragement for Preparing and Giving Birth

Preparatory Resources for a Natural Pregnancy and Childbirth

We eat a lot of yogurt in our household.  Jeshuah loves it for breakfast mixed with his probiotic and elderberry syrup, and Stephen and I enjoy it with strawberries, craisins and granola.  With the amount of yogurt we go through on a regular basis, the cost can add up fairly quickly!  A few months ago, I learned about a began making our own yogurt and have found the cost savings to be astronomical and the benefits immense!

Here is the cost savings breakdown:

• Before: we would buy Stonyfield organic plain yogurt from Wal-Mart: (at least) $3.50/quart (most places $4.50)
• Now: I make it out of our organic raw milk from the farm: $1.40/quart
• Savings = $2.10/quart x 3/week = savings of $6.30/week = savings of $327.60/year

Some of the other benefits of making your own yogurt (besides saving a ton of money!) is that you have complete control of what goes into it.  Store bought yogurt can contain very few (or no) live active cultures and can instead have a lot of added ingredients, including sugar and artificial flavorings.  By making my own, I know exactly what is in it, and I can choose my own sweetners and flavorings.  Our favorite sweetener is organic orange juice concentrate (with no high fructose corn syrup) and organic, frozen strawberries.  I can also use raw milk, which preserves many of the nutrients on the milk.  Read more about the benefits of raw milk here.

Raw Milk Crockpot Yogurt

(I make a gallon at a time, but this can just as easily be split in half to make 1/2 gallon)

1.  Turn your crockpot on low and add 1 gallon of milk.

2. Cover and warm for 2 1/2 hours.

3. Turn off crock pot and let sit for 3 hours.

4. Whisk warmed milk and measure out 1-2 cups of the warmed milk into a bowl and add to 1 cup yogurt starter (either from previous batch or plain, store bought yogurt with live active cultures).

5. Gently stir warmed milk and yogurt together, then reincorporate into crock pot.

6. Cover with a few towels or a blanket and allow to incubate overnight, 8-12 hours. I find 12 hours to be the perfect texture/taste.  More or less time can make your yogurt thinner/thicker or more tart.  Find what tastes best for you!

Obviously, we are Steelers Fans:-)

7.  Add a natural sweetener (honey, juice concentrate), some fruit, or whatever else you like! Don’t forget to keep an extra cup plain for starter for your next batch. I also use plain yogurt instead of sour cream.  Store in mason jars or other containers in fridge.  Best to refrigerate for 8 hours before serving.

Pasteurized Crockpot Yogurt

The same as above, except in step 2, allow milk to warm for a full three hours instead of 2 1/2.

For more tips of great yogurt every time, check out this post!