Better Birth Starts by Watching This Pictured with my third son, safely caught by my husband with the assistance of our marvelous midwife, Mary Georgetown University researcher Ryan McAllister asks this question about American birth, “Would you pay full price for something that is broken?” Thank you to Ryan McAllister and his team for this excellent…
This post is being shared with permission by Renee Trudeau and was previously published on November 18, 2013. Permission Granted: 5 Ways to Find Rest this Holiday Does the thought of hanging Christmas lights and attending holiday work parties make you want to grab your sleeping bag and run for the nearest cave? 2013 has been…
Resources for Clean Food – Avoiding Cancer, Hormone Disruption, and Food Poisoning Everyone knows eating healthy is important, but what is not talked about are the hidden dangers of eating in America. Due to lack of labeling and consumer advocacy, food labels are often incredibly misleading and inaccurate. Europe, and even Russia, has banned certain…
This week’s post is by guest blogger Renee Trudeau. Visit her at www.ReneeTrudeau.com Slow Down…on the Inside An Excerpt from Nurturing the Soul of Your Family Think slow is for slackers? I used to think so, too. Slowing down and doing less are easier said than done, and they require a radical paradigm shift for most of…
A New Simplicity An Excerpt from Nurturing the Soul of Your Family Many of us feel called to simplify our lives and do less. Not a fluffy, it-would-be-nice-to-have-clean-closets simplicity, but a new way of being. This new simplicity is about purging and streamlining our thinking, our doing, our giving and receiving, and, of course, our…
This post is also featured on Modern Mom American Childbirth: A Human Rights Failure? United Nations data shows that between 1990 and 2008, the United States maternal mortality rate nearly doubled, while the overwhelming majority of countries collectively decreased their rates by 34% (Coeytauz et al 2011). We have a right to criticize the shameful state…
This week’s post is by Carl Kerridge, who goes straight to the heart of one of the big issues surrounding the American collective maternity care and that of his lovely wife, the super intelligent Jessica Durivage of Where is My Guru?. Get to know them both, they are an amazing team! Telling Our Story: The Dark Underbelly of American…
Improving Chronic Care in America Introduction Almost half of all Americans live with a chronic condition.1,2 Further complicating that statistic is approximately half of those suffering from a chronic condition have comorbities.1,2 The public health initiative Chronic Care Model, found at www.improvingchroniccare.org suggests, and I agree, that our current health care system is “reactive,” and is as Dr. Andrew Weil…
Yoga: For All Folks and All Faiths As the old Beatles’ song proclaims, “All together now!” When it comes to yoga, can we say that the family that practices yoga together, stays together? Ancient wisdom and new evidence alike says we can. But is yoga accessible to everyone? Let’s explore how it may be good…
This post appeared in Carolina Salt magazine in Ginger’s column, The Balanced Life, September/October 2013 issue. Why Every Child Can Benefit from Yoga “Mom!” I heard my middle son call out to me from the basement of my parent’s home in central North Carolina, where I was visiting with my family for a weekend this summer. I…
What is a Birth Playlist? Designer Music for Mom Music is very important in my family. I come from a family of musicians, and my husband and I are both musicians. We even play gigs together, in lieu of “date nights,” on a regular basis. So for me, laboring without music was unthinkable. I had…
Back Pain? What to Do, What to Avoid Do you have back pain? First, I am so sorry – and I hope you are feeling better soon. But don’t feel alone, more than 84% of Americans will at some point experience back pain. Second, here’s the latest evidence on what to do and what to…