When I entered the birth world, I still had no idea as to why you would pay for someone else, such as a doula, to be at your birth. When we birthed our first daughter, my partner was by my side, the entire 36 hours we were in the hospital. The nurses and doctors were amazing. We seemed to fall into this dreamlike birthing scene, which is exactly why I wanted to teach others that they could have the same experience.
Once I took my training to become a HypnoBirthing® Practitioner, I was suddenly surrounded by birth stories. And not all of them were as calm and peaceful as mine. Not only did some of the stories include hospitals that were less than welcoming of parents’ birth plans, but some included women birthing completely alone with only the strangers of the hospital staff. The thought of not having a solid support person beside me the entire time made me shudder. We felt very in control of our birth. ‘We’. Upon hearing the horrific stories time and again I decided that I would go for my doula training. It was amazing! I attended a training in Portland, ME at BirthRoots where not only did I have an amazing weekend of learning, it was also filled with empowerment! Every woman there came from entirely different backgrounds, with completely different stories, and yet all had the same desire… to help women in their most intimate time of need. Their birthing! Doula trainings generally last a full weekend and entail the physical, emotional and physiological pieces of childbirth. It teaches you how to support a mom, as well as her partner. It teaches you that you already have everything you need to be a doula, the desire to help in any way you can. Just being there is 99% of your job. The training also has a piece to help you find your way in your new ‘business’. This business is one that YOU determine how busy you are. When I returned from my doula training I was on cloud nine from the education, the stories and the camaraderie. I was telling every woman I know that they needed to go to the training even if they had no desire to ever become a doula, simply because every woman should know what we learned! And every woman deserved a weekend to surround herself by the caring and love that we experienced. If you have ever wanted to attend a birth, or simply enjoy a weekend full of education combined with equal parts relaxation just feeling the energy of the people around you, then you should definitely sign up for a doula training! We have one coming up in Waterville on November 7th & 8th at School Street Yoga. School Street is such an intoxicating venue, and Julie Brill is equally vibrant! For more information about doulas and becoming one, please contact Julie – [email protected]
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It was a gorgeous day at the beach! We were only planning to be there until about 11:30am as another trick to avoiding sunburns is to go inside when the sun is sweltering hot! So… as I was explaining to this lovely mom why we choose to use as little sunscreen as possible and that we use hats and long sleeves etc., the most ironic thing happened! Not only did we stay an extra hour and a half being engulfed in such incredible and knowledge filled conversation, but I also completely forgot to take care of my own sun defense needs! I was so focused on our daughters and making sure that they were protected, that the time just crept by. Pretty soon I was radiantly baked to a brilliant red lobster shine! I would like to emphasize this by saying that I am a redhead.
After our traditional post beach trip to the ice-cream place, we made our way home, me sitting as lightly as possible in the driver’s seat. I got home and did what any well broiled adult would do. I followed the advice I learned in an Archie Comic I had read as a child. Betty had gotten sunburned while weeding her garden. Her mother, Mrs. Cooper, drew Betty a bath and poured tea into it. Jokes about cream and sugar ensued, but low and behold, Betty awoke to a golden tan the next morning! This of course stuck with me and though I didn’t know the science behind it, it of course had to work as I had read it in the Archie Comic! Next, I invented the ‘Tea-Shirt’. I boiled some black tea on the stove and once it was cooled down I took a t-shirt that I wasn’t concerned about staining and drenched it. I wrung it out for the most part and then put the still slightly dripping shirt on. Hallelujah! The burning, itching agony went away! Luckily we had no dinner guests or company so that was my continued attire for about 24 hours, not including sleep of course. When the shirt would get dry, I would simply submerge it in the tea again when I put it on it would cling to my most burned areas, such as my shoulders. It was amazing! Also amazing… I didn’t peel AT ALL! Now I am not a doctor and I cannot guarantee that you will have the same outcome if you choose to do this, but I can tell you that for me it was magnificent! And, if you are the type to go with science rather than Archie Comic remedies, black tea contains tannic acid which draws heat from the burn and restores the skin's acid balance. It is also full of anti-oxidants which help to rejuvenate your skin. You can surf the web for all natural sunburn remedies and you will find many. Everything ranging from black tea, to yogurt, to oatmeal! It’s a regular breakfast buffet! Do your research, and make the decision that best fits you. And of course, contacting a naturopath is always a FANTASTIC idea as well. I have gotten many pieces of bad advice from the internet that our doc has had to talk me down from. If you are looking for a naturopath in the Central Maine area, feel free to click on my ‘Local Connections’ link. If you are not in the Central Maine area, you can simply do an internet search for one in your area. So enjoy the sun! We have all earned it! And be aware of what you are wearing, the time of day and even the weather. You can actually burn worse on a gray day than a sunny one as you don’t ‘feel’ your skin getting as hot. Thanks for reading… I’ll be back again soon… Laura When we became parents our label reading definitely intensified. We always tried to make the best decisions possible, as any parent would.
When it comes to the sun, we go the route of hats and light, long sleeved shirts as much as possible and only use sunscreen when absolutely necessary. Finding a safe sunscreen was no easy task as just about any company can say they are made with 'natural ingredients' and then throw in a bunch of poisons along with them. Then, I was introduced to Ava Anderson! The thing that really drew me to Ava Anderson Nontoxic was the fact that they encourage you to read their labels. Ava Anderson was designed so you can have a safe option for yourself, the ones you love, and our earth. They keep their products affordable though they do not lessen the quality to do so by any means. There are many DIY recipes and even natural foods such as coconut oil that can be used in certain instances as a sun protectant which is great! Ava Anderson carries some amazing options for you as well :) Our sunscreens are made with zinc oxide (with non-nanoparticles) for a sun protectant. Our Moisturizer with spf contains xanthan gum which is an emulsifier and helps retain moisture. The rest of the ingredients you will find in our entire sunscreen line are 100% organic! You can easily go online and read all of the ingredients for yourself. In fact, I encourage you to! Do your research and make the best decision for you and yours! April Special - When you place your Ava Anderson Nontoxic order for $95 or more, you get a FREE bottle of our AMAZING Hand & Body Lotion!!! Simply go to www.AvaAndersonNontoxic.com/LauraDuffy Enter in party #194355 at the checkout and be entered to win a FREE Ava Anderson Travel Kit - a $25 value!!! To be added to my email list so you can receive updates on the incredible specials Ava Anderson Nontoxic offers just leave a comment below J Hand and Body Lotion Delivers gentle and meaningful hydration and moisturization to the skin. You will notice an immediate improvement, which continues over time and leaves hands and skin powdery soft, not greasy. If needed, pump sold separately - Item PMP05 $.75. Ingredients: aloe barbadensis (organic aloe leaf) extract, helianthus annuus (organic sunflower) seed oil, vegetable glycerin, oryza sativa (organic rice bran) oil, prunus armeniaca (organic apricot kernel) oil, xanthan gum, euterpe oleracea (organic acai berry) extract, rosmarinus officinalis (organic rosemary) extract, olea europaea (olive wax), raphanus sativus (radish root) extract, medica limonum (organic lemon) essential oil, citrus aurantifolia (organic lime) essential oil |
AuthorLaura started the well traveled road to health when her friends were concerned about her addiction to Ramen noodles. Archives
October 2015
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