Most of you all know by now that I’m planning to deliver this baby NATURAL for my first time. That’s right, no drugs with this childbirth. What you may NOT know is that I’m also planning to have this baby in the comfort of my own home.
I know what you’re thinking…
WHAT! YOU’RE CRAZY! That’s not safe.
Well, before you get all judgmental on me, let me explain my reasoning’s
First of all, I literally live 5 minutes from a hospital, and second of all, I’m not opposed to going to the hospital if complications arise. My midwives come prepared with an emergency back-up plan. Items they bring: include oxygen, IV, suturing materials, drugs to control hemorrhage, and neonatal resuscitation equipment.
That being said, I really don’t expect anything to go wrong. I’m visualizing a safe, and beautiful natural homebirth.
In the past I have really enjoyed my hospital stay after giving birth. Seemed to be a nice place to relax and recover. It was also nice having help with the baby from the nurses at night. But I’ve just decided that a homebirth is the best way for me to go this time around. Probably the main reasons include:
• I won’t be tempted to get the epidural if I’m at home. I won’t have that option, and I REALLY want to have this baby natural.
• I can have a water birth and I have the choice to deliver in any position I choose, instead of being confined to a bed laying flat on my back. I’ve read that squatting is a more natural position for childbirth and lying on your back is one of the worst. Makes labor more intense and pushing even harder, but it’s the best position for the doctor so that’s why it’s being done this way.
• I won’t have to be away from my kids and they can be more a part of the whole experience. I’m not planning on having them in the room when I deliver, but I’d love to have them there as much as possible after baby arrives. Also, my husband won’t have to leave me to take the kids home for the night. We can all stay together the whole time.
• Less risk of germs and infections. Even though I’m sure they take all sorts of precautions at the hospital. I can’t help but think of all the different people who come in and out of each room, the blood, ew! I never dared walk barefoot in my hospital room. I always had socks on, but then when I’d get back in bed I would think of all the germs on my socks that I’m putting into my own bed. Then to use the bathroom and the shower… I just felt like I was using a gas station bathroom. Maybe I’m just a bit of a germ freak.
“Homebirth is safer because the infection rate at homebirths is less than half of that at hospital births. There are several reasons for this: the baby is born with antibodies that were passed from the mother to the placenta. This includes immunity to the family’s household germs. Your new baby is protected from hospital-acquired infections at home. In addition, because mothers and babies are kept together all the time, the baby’s immature immune system functions optimally. Also, this constant mother-baby interaction fosters successful breastfeeding, which is your baby’s best protection against infection. Since midwives provide continuity of care and comprehensive mother/baby care, they can provide a level of care that is not possible with the assembly-line care provided in hospitals.”
Information from www.gentlebirth.org
• I’ll be able to relax more being in my own home. Don’t have to worry about what I’ll need to bring to the hospital. I’ll have everything I might need here with me. I’ll have more privacy and less random people coming in and out of my room every 15 minutes.
“In childbirth education classes, you learn about the fear-tension-pain cycle, where fear increases the tension, which increases the pain, which increases the fear, etc. until a woman is in terrible pain. The opposite cycle could be called the confidence-relaxation-comfort cycle where the more confident you are, the better able you are to relax and the more comfortable you’ll be, which increases your confidence, etc. This allows your body to take advantage of endorphins, which are the natural pain relief that your body provides in natural childbirth. As a laboring woman’s body produces more oxytocin to increase the contractions, she also produces more endorphins for pain relief. I’ve seen women become more and more relaxed as their labor progresses and their endorphin levels climb to provide wonderful pain relief. Being in your own home increases your confidence and allows you to relax into your labor very nicely. And, of course, if you have one of the beautiful birthing tubs set up, that provides marvelous pain relief.”
Information from www.gentlebirth.org
• It will just be a more intimate experience. It’s a much more relaxed setting and everything goes slower after birth. The baby isn’t whisked away for unnecessary bathing, weighing, ect. You get the time for immediate bonding and breastfeeding without any disruptions.
The more I’m learning about natural homebirth, the more excited I am about this new experience. Can’t wait to share it with you all. I’m sure I’ll have lots of pictures and video footage to show you.
Back to School
Here are the top 3 things I'm doing NOW to get ready for school to start. Only one week left😳. This summer went by way too fast.
Declutter and Get Organized
"Whether it be your closet or office desk, excess things in your surroundings can have a negative impact on your ability to focus and process information. That’s exactly what neuroscientists at Princeton University found when they looked at people’s task performance in an organized versus disorganized environment. The results of the study showed that physical clutter in your surroundings competes for your attention, resulting in decreased performance and increased stress.
A team of UCLA researchers recently observed 32 Los Angeles families and found that all of the mothers’ stress hormones spiked during the time they spent dealing with their belongings. Similar to what multitasking does to your brain, physical clutter overloads your senses, making you feel stressed, and impairs your ability to think creatively."
Info from Lifehacker.com
I'm most excited about the new look in our school room/ homework station. I've been working with my multitalented friend Amy @lovethelifeilive , who is a proffessional organizer and interior decorator. Here is a sneak peak, but stay tuned for a full detailed post about this room, including some pretty awesome before and after pics.
New Clothes and Supplies
This part is the most fun! Well if you can do it without spending a ton of money right? I recently found a great online shop called Joanie and Burt and they have the cutest and totally affordable clothing. I pretty much got everything in their shop. Check out all the adorable pics taken by my sweet friend Kallie Cooper. You have got to check out some of her videos she makes. She is seriously so talented.
All other supplies I bought from Walmart cause it's cheap and Amazon Prime because it saves me time. Hey that rhymes !
Routines and Chore Charts
Since reading the book The Power of Pause I have cut back dramatically on my overzealous "to do" lists and routines, but understand that there must be some sort of structure in our home. So I put together these charts to help remind the kids what they should be doing in the mornings, after school, and at bed time. They are not the prettiest and defintiely not Pinterest worthy, but hey, it gets the job done.
I'm going to do some homeschool pre-school with Brooklyn while we're here in Salt Lake. We plan to do lots of reading, fun crafts and feild trips. I've recently picked up a few children's books that I'd like to read to her often. I love ones that have a positive message like this one called The Little Tree That Smiled. My kids really like this book and the illustrations are awesome! They were all done by the author herself. I just love that it teaches kids to dream and that dreams can come true.
"For Every Child Who Likes To Dream! Imagine a special little tree in the forest who could talk! This little tree was so special that he not only could talk, he could laugh and have a good time just like any kid. Then one day a new friend came into his life! He wanted to be so much a part of his new friend's life that he thought there had to be a way he could run and jump just like his new friend. And, you know what? THAT IS WHAT DREAMS ARE FOR! We all love to dream and we all should have dreams and that is what this children's story is all about! The forest comes alive for you with the beautiful, brightly colored illustrations. An enjoyable and fun read for every child who likes to dream!"
Top 3 Healthy Drink Recipes
I want to share my top three drink recipes using Dandy Blend.
Info On Dandy Blend
100% caffeine-free, gluten free,
No-GMO's, bitterness and acid free.
- It tastes remarkably like a rich, full-bodied cup of coffee, no brewing, dissolves instantly in hot or cold liquid.
- It is caffeine free, and has no acidity or bitterness. It is the only herbal coffee substitute in the US that features both the health benefits of dandelion root and the rich, full-bodied flavor, smoothness and texture of real coffee. Many say that, because it lacks bitterness and acidity, it actually tastes better than coffee.
- It is made of water-soluble extracts of roasted roots of dandelion, chicory and beets, and the grains of barley and rye. Nothing else is added. While they make no claims for Dandy Blend other than that it is a delicious herbal beverage with the taste, body, and texture of coffee, the ingredients - dandelion, chicory and beet roots, and barley and rye grains - are all health-promoting foods respected throughout the world.
- The sweetness some perceive in Dandy Blend is primarily from the fructose that occurs naturally in the roots of dandelion and chicory. Many people require no additional sweeteners.
- It contains over 50 trace minerals in each cup, most of which the body uses to help synthesize compounds needed in metabolism.
If your doctor or health practitioner has recommended that you give up coffee, and/or add dandelion to your diet, Dandy Blend is by far the easiest way to do that AND still continue enjoying the flavor and texture of a good "cuppa joe" at the same time.
DRINK #1: Hot Coconut Latte
8 oz. of hot water
2 tsp. Dandy Blend
1 tsp. Coconut oil (see benefits of consuming coconut oil here)
15 drops of Sweet Leaf English Toffee Stevia drops
2 oz. almond milk (optional)
DRINK #2: Protein Latte
8 oz. water
3 cupes of ice
2 scoops organic vanilla protein
1 rounded tsp. Dandy Blend
10 drops of Peppermint Mocha stevia drops
sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)
DRINK #3: Iced Dandy Blend
4 oz. water
4 oz. unsweetened almond milk
2 tsp. Dandy Blend (more or less to taste)
5 drops of vanilla creme stevia drops
5 drops of chocolate stevia drops
Top with home made coconut whip cream (this is also good on the hot coconut latte) YUM!!!
Modest Summer Fashion for Moms
I'm all about modest, comfortable, and AFFORDABLE fashion, although I do like to buy the occasional pair of shoes from Nordstrom's, I'm really not a big spender when it comes to clothes. Probably because I know that they will get dirty and ruined after wearing them only once or twice. It's just the way it is when you have small children.
A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to work with Hilary Gardiner @hilarygardinerphotography. We did a fun anniversary photoshoot down town Salt Lake City. Sean and I just celebrated 12 years together. Here are a bunch of the pics and links to where I bought everything I'm wearing.
This dress is from Dressedwithamore.com
Use coupon code: crystalescobar2 for 20% off your order.
Aren't these booties so fun? I got these from BootieAltos.com
I got these cute fringe sandals on AMAZON.
This beautiful necklace and bracelet I got from The Dainty Pear. I had our initials engraved on the necklace and for the bracelet I have a letter for each one of my kids.
This red dress from Dressedwithamore.com
I got this cute shirt from Dressedwithamore.com
This dress is from Sexy Modest Boutique. Don't you just love the stripes? And the way it fits is totally comfortable yet flattering.
Aren't these booties so fun? I got these from BootieAltos.com
They are so cool because the top part is interchangable. They have all kinds of different options. The company was so nice to give me a coupon code for you all to use. Use coupon code: crystal25 to get 25% off your order.
I got these cute fringe sandals on AMAZON.
I got this cute shirt from Dressedwithamore.com
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