The Secret Is Inside You

Of course it is! The amazing placenta. So many benefits!

I had never spent much time thinking about or appreciating any particular inner organ but have grown to discover and love many parts of myself, my uterus and I are awesomely good friends now. Yep. Did you know that during pregnancy your body grows an entirely new inner organ? The very first creative collaboration between you and your child, if you want to get romantic about it. I get sentimental over every Crayola red painted handprint, every tootsie pop tarantula and batch of blueberry muffins I help my brilliant kids make but it took me a while to appreciate this natural creation of gestation.

After my first baby born in the hospital, 'Ugh, yeah you have to give birth to it too, grossssssss' is what I reported to my VIP girlfriends.

After my second baby in a birthing center I'm sure the midwives were horrified as I looked at them blankly when they asked if I wanted to keep my sons' placenta and replied 'What, why? Ew, no.'.

By the next time I found myself pregnant I had gotten a bit of an education on the placenta and earned a new respect for Matthew McConaughey. I could not WAIT to see in person the placentas I had seen on ultrasound screen and looked forward to their births as a grand finale. My placenta encapsulation specialist was the first person I called right after my midwife with the news I was in labor.....before I called my mom.

I had prepared myself for two placenta births but they turned out to be fused together and needed just one push to be born. They were pretty darn gorgeous to me in my blissed-out birthy state, my midwives thought so too and made a big fuss over arranging the hanging umbilical cords around the conjoined placentas to make out the shape of a heart. aww....so cute. Snap snap snap went their cameras.

Lindsey from Placenta Benefits was super cute herself in her chef outfit and was professional as she was kind and enthusiastic. 'So cool you have TWO placentas! You'll probobly have enough left over to take during menopause! ' she said as she washed and prepped the placentas, cut them into small peices and placed them in a dehydrator to dry overnight. The next day she returned to turn the dried pieces into powder to stuff into capsules, presenting me with two jars of placenta pills as she had kept each placenta separate, just for fun.

There is conflict over the validity of the research behind placenta benefits, but after reading so many positive personal accounts I figured why not? Adding them to my regular vitamin regime was easy and I definitely saw a difference in my recovery compared to the births of my two older children. Yes I was still exhausted from pregnancy and birth and caring 'round the clock for two babies but my emotions felt more even and I coped better then I ever had before. I was told by well-meaning family and friends that I probably wouldn't be able to make enough milk to feed two babies and while I knew they were wrong I was so glad for the potential lactation support from the placenta pills. With my uterus as big as it had ever been, it shrank faster than it had before and postpartum bleeding became lighter and disappeared weeks earlier than it had after my first two babies.

The claims of those who partake include:
*Hormone balance
*Enhanced milk supply
*Increased energy
*Prevention of postpartum depression
*Less postpartum bleeding
*Quick return of the uterus to pre-pregnancy size
*Source of vitamins, minerals and nutrients

Everything a new mother needs, right there inside her. Even if she's a vegan who avoids meat for moral issues since no living creature was harmed in acquiring this organ placentophagia can be compatible with with kind food philosophies.

Don't let this precious piece of life be thrown into the biohazard bin, or worse sold off to be made into shampoo. MoonDragon gives us the details on cultural rituals performed with placentas through the ages, along with some interesting recipes including a placenta cocktail with tequila. Nope not kidding! I'm also not kidding when I say that as easy as the pills are to swallow, knowing what I know now about the power of placenta I would gratefully eat it raw if I needed to. Stories of mothers who have managed postpartum hemorrhaging this way are fascinating, bringing comfort to know of this readily available natural resource.

Respect birth, respect babies and our incredible bodies. Utilizing every gift and talent of nature to it's fullest is the ultimate in respect, and results in optimum outcomes.

making more posh moments possible

There is nothing so precious as a cuddly crying cooing baby, or so posh as a loving mother who's able to take just as good care of herself as her newborn.

Reminding you today to help your friends and family out when they have a new baby. Everyone tells a new mother to to sleep when her baby sleeps and to ignore the piling laundry and sink full of dirty dishes. Hard to do when the mess not only drives you crazy but begins to pose a health hazard, and your family needs clean clothes and food to eat!

New parents need help, so be posh and be generous and make your visits short and productive. A load of dishes or a quick floor sweep makes a big difference, and somehow it's really so much more fun to clean someone else's house isn't it? Don't forget to leave a casserole, some soup, fresh veggies or cut-up fruit!

My favorite post-partum manners reminder was recently posted by Gloria Lemay.

And you can't get much sweeter than sending a darling hand-made welcome baby card along with a carefully packed care package.

From my sister, at Good Greetings & Good Eatings

I've been blessed to get all kinds of thoughtful and useful things from my own generous family and friends including a weeks's worth of frozen meals, hand-me-down zippered sleepers with happy baby karma, bouquets of dried lavender, books for my older kids, and items from my Super Posh Post-Partum list.

Give love and get love back.

an afterbirth herbal bath blend

tops my 'Super Posh Post-Partum List' of things for comfort, healing and care in those early weeks.

This blend of Comfrey leaf, Lavender flower, Shepherd's Purse, Uva Ursi leaf, Plaintain leaf, Red Raspberry leaf, Yarrow flower & Sea salt is fabulous! A warm soak in these herbs is healing for both mother and baby by easing sore muscles and tender tissue and does the impossible by making your sweet baby smell even sweeter. Bathe as desired, use as directed. Herbs can be used twice, so save the strained herbs in your pot to use again the next day.

I also love to have...

*Arnica Montana in a topical oil and pill form for bruises and sore muscles.

*Lactation Support - Mother's Milk Tea and a supplement of Mega Mam if nursing more than one baby or facing other milk production challenges. Dandelion is another helpful herb, delicious in the form of coffee-alternative Dandy Blend. A good lactation consultant to call is gold, if you're in Austin ask for Cheryl at Special Addition.

*A bellywrap - cannot stress how important and healthy it is for you wrap up! Give your uterus a little support, she's just had the workout of her life and continues contracting for the next two weeks on her journey back to normal size.

*Gentle oils like Mothers Special Blend are as good for your recovering skin as your baby's brand-new wrinkles and a great after-bath massage for both of you.

*Goldenseal Root capsules to care for your baby's cord. Sprinkle about 1/3 of a capsule on the cord about twice a day for quick healing.

*Lightweight swaddling blankets by Aden + Anais are favorites of mine!

*Placenta pills for hormonal support, increased energy and a boost to your milk supply. Austin's local Placenta Benefits specialist is Lindsey Roberts, she's fab!

*A ring sling to carry your baby close.

*For daytime sleeping, a dreamy eye pillow.



Items that feel not so posh but are knitty gritty necessary include granny panties and a variety of pads with different levels of protection, all with wings! One for very heavy flow, one for a medium flow and a pack of lightdays. With wings!
Tucks –hey, hemorrhoids can happen. Dermaplast First Aid spray can also be a great pain reliever and Hydrogen Peroxide is good for cord care, treating open wounds and infection.

That most important thing your baby needs is YOU. You and your breasts. To give your baby the best of you be prepared to take care of yourself, being sure you have help with the rest of your life so you can rest with your baby. Wrap up, stay horizontal as much as possible and stay fed and well hydrated and just keep your baby with you, with constant access to your breasts.

As far as baby care you'll find one of the most annoying and frustrating things about being new parents is all the conflicting advice you receive. There are many ways to care for a baby, you will find your own. Take all advice (including mine!) with a big grain of salt and have confidence in your instincts!

Tell me Posh Mama's what made a difference for you when you welcomed your baby!