How to know if you can trust your midwife or OB
Trust. It’s a big one. How should you know if your provider is trustworthy? According to researcher and author Brene Brown, it can be broken down into 7 key points.
Trust is built little by little by small actions. It’s all the times you make yourself vulnerable and are received with connection
Trust. It’s a big one. How should you know if your provider is trustworthy? According to researcher and author Brene Brown, it can be broken down into 7 key points.
1) It all starts with boundaries. What is yours and what is mine.
Is your doctor or midwife clear about their training, skills, and what they can and cannot do? Are they able to give you firm answers to your questions about their practice style, or do their answers vary significantly week-to-week? For example, does your doctor affirm that they want you to attempt a vaginal-delivery-after-cesarean (VBAC) when you ask one day, but another day suggest you schedule a repeat cesarean? Do they hold their boundaries and respect yours? Does your midwife disrespect you if you want to circumcise your son?
2) Reliability. They say what they are going to do and do it, again and again. This means setting limitations to avoid burnout.
In those small insignificant moments in your pregnancy, your provider shows kindness.
Meeting your parents, listening to your questions, celebrating your gender-reveal, laughing with you about gobs of mucous, inquiring after your sick parent, asking for clarity over difficult questions, spending extra time with you to discuss and understand your birth plan.
3) Accountability.
Does he or she participate in continuing education and strive to incorporate the most recent evidence into their care? Do they participate in ongoing peer review? Due to the litigious nature of our country, most providers I know put tremendous pressure on themselves to be perfect. Reality is perfect does not exist. The best we can do is to have accountability. When we make a mistake, we own it, apologize, and make amends. Litigation is scary for providers think about, but people don’t pursue litigation purely because of the outcome. They do it because they feel unheard.
4) Confidentiality. Your story is yours.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) of 1996 regulates privacy and security information. This act makes it illegal for health care providers to share your personal information with identifying information to the public. When you sign your HIPPA form, it does allow providers to consult with other people involved with your care for health reasons (for example, your primary care physician, therapist, or endocrinologist), to bill your insurance, and to use your case in a confidential peer review process. In the age of social media, it should be said it can also be appropriate to share your information with your specific permission.
Sadly, confidentiality is not always kept. Midwives, especially, are notorious for posting on social media in a way that betrays confidence. Some people love to gossip. I have personally heard horror stories about providers breaching confidence by telling the home birth community about so-and-so’s birth story in great detail.
5) Walking in integrity and encouraging others to do the same. Brene Brown defines integrity as “choosing courage over comfort, what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy, and practicing your values, not just professing them.”
This looks like a provider who stays and continues to provide care when their patient is refusing their recommendation. Not rushing to break waters. Doing slow inductions. Volunteering and doing pro-bono work to change health outcomes.
6) Non-judgement. You can weep in front of your provider because you didn’t know the contractions were going to be so hard. And you can ask for help, without being judged.
It goes without saying that being shamed for your parenting choices or weight during pregnancy does not build trust. Trust is built when you can ask for help and you have to be able to ask for help to keep your sanity as a new parent.
7) Generosity
Life is hard. Perhaps you failed to do your glucose tolerance testing. Your provider is worthy of trust when you are given grace if you slip up on something and are given appropriate time to explain what happened.
You and your provider can assume the most generous thing about your words, intentions, and behaviors, and then check-in.
Finally, are you able to trust yourself that you found the provider you want? If you’re not sure you can use this same kind thinking with yourself. Check in and see if you’ve been trustworthy. Do you agree with this list? Are there other things you would add to this list? We would love to hear your answer in the comments.
Guide to Essential Oils for Birth
Aromatherapy has been used by healers and priests for hundreds of years to promote relaxation and create a sacred space. In birth, aromatherapy can promote physiologic birth by creating a calm, peaceful environment.
Aromatherapy has been used by healers and priests for hundreds of years to promote relaxation and create a sacred space. In birth, aromatherapy can promote physiologic birth by creating a calm, peaceful environment.
When a calm and peaceful environment is created, it allows the pregnant person to let go of their “thinking” brain and go into a more primal space. It allows the nervous system to do it’s job and the hormones to work in harmony with each other.
Aromatherapy uses during labor:
Essential oils that promote labor contractions:
1) Lavender. The most common and basic blend for labor is to diffuse lavender and clary sage together, to promote relaxation and contractions. Lavender is safe during labor and can be added to a carrier oil for massage. Alternatively, you can find lavender room sprays to pack in your hospital bag. Some local hospitals, such as Mercy Anderson and Mercy West, carry lavender essential oil.
2) Clary sage is powerful, causing uterine contractions, and should be used with caution. It should NOT be rubbed directly onto the skin. Some local hospitals, such as Mercy Anderson and Mercy West, carry diffusers and clary sage essential oil. Additionally, many doulas and midwives carry this essential oil.
3) Ylang ylang is a feminine, floral scent. It’s known to help reduce stress, muscle tension, and pain. Ylang ylang contains a component called linalool, which reduces anxiety. During labor it may be diffused, or placed in a carrier oil for massage. Because it is a delicate flower oil, it is more costly than citrus oils or wood oils.
Aromatherapy which can be used to create a more physically comfortable space during labor:
These include essential oils for nausea, to help with urination after the baby is born, to help with energy, and to prevent tearing.
1) Citrus oils are best for energy, reducing nausea, and are very safe. Lemon is nice because it’s affordable and reduces pathogens. You could purchase lemon essential oil or even just slice up a lemon to smell. Many doulas and midwives carry a citrus oil in their bag.
2) Peppermint essential oil drops can be placed in the toilet to help make it easier to urinate after the baby is born. Peppermint is NOT safe for infants, so should not be used in the room after the baby is born. Peppermint can also be used as a stimulant to help prevent fatigue and fainting. Your doula or midwife likely carry this in their bag.
3) Frankincense essential oil promotes skin integrity. It can be used in a salve or oils at the end of pregnancy and during birth to help prevent tearing.
Aromatherapy to create a sacred space:
In the Catholic tradition and many others, heaven, or the spiritual realm, is considered to be all around us, whether or not we are aware of it. When we do things to create a sacred space, it brings heaven down to earth and brings awareness to this reality. Depending upon your spiritual tradition, for your birth this may look like setting up crystals, placing a cross, rosary, or an icon in your space, lighting a candle, or a having a photo of a loved one who has passed.
Aromatherapy helps to create this sacred space because it sets apart, by engaging our senses and unlocking different parts of our brain. Here are some suggestions which have been used to create this atmosphere:
1) Frankincense has been used in Ethiopia, Israel, and in churches around the world for hundreds of years for this purpose. It can be diffused or placed on a piece of cloth in the room. In Ethiopia, they burn the sap as incense.
2) Sage. Smudging has been done for centuries to cleanse the air. It’s thought to remove negativity, but also has been shown scientifically to remove germs. This can be done in your home to prepare the space prior to birth. If you are planning a hospital birth, a substitute would be diffusing clary sage essential oil.
3) Vetiver essential oil or sweet grass smudging. Vetiver is the “oil of tranquility.”
Roses help to move energy
4) Rose petals. Rose is a gentle, balancing female herb. It can help to move energy. I like to sprinkle rose petals in a bath, or drink tea with rose petals (another benefit is roses are rich in vitamin C).
Think about the last time you took a walk in a forest…
5) Wood oils. Trees and tree oils are very grounding and sacred. Cypress, pine, sandalwood, and cedar are grounding scents. For people who are on a budget, oils such as cypress, cedar, and pine, are more affordable than frankincense and sandalwood. You could diffuse these oils in your labor space during birth. Alternatively, you could find some pine cones, a cedar chest, or another item of wood to place in your space to ground you.
What are postpartum visits like with the Cincinnati Birth Center?
We believe quality postpartum care is crucial and America’s maternity care system is sorely lacking in this area.
Instead of offering just one or two postpartum visits, we offer five postpartum visits for home birth and birth center families.
We believe quality postpartum care is crucial and America’s maternity care system is sorely lacking in this area.
Instead of offering just one or two postpartum visits, we offer five postpartum visits for home birth and birth center families. This includes a one day and three day home visit, a visit between 1-2 weeks, a one month visit, and a six week visit. If a family is struggling with breastfeeding or postpartum issues, we will add additional postpartum visits.
What do postpartum visits look like? We believe the mother and baby are not a separate unit, but exist as a dyad. This means you can’t separate the health of one from the other.
Our visits involve an evaluation of your health, including vital signs, bleeding level, and healing of your bottom. We ask about breastfeeding and provide education and support. Additionally, we review the birth and talk about how everyone is processing it. There is a lot of time given for emotional support, whether it’s for the transition from going from a family of two, to three, or extended family relationship dynamics, or fears that can arise.
“We offer five postpartum visits for home birth and birth center families. This includes a one day and three day home visit, a visit between 1-2 weeks, a one month visit, and a six week visit.”
We check over baby and discuss weight gain and signs of appropriate growth. Most of the visit is done right where the newborn should be-in one of the parent’s loving arms. We may provide the routine newborn heart defect and metabolic disorder screenings at the one day and three day visits, as well as file your baby’s birth certificate.
Midwives use herbs for a variety of uses postpartum, including healing herbal sitz baths, help with breastfeeding issues, and for emotional support.
What sort of tools do we offer which are different from the American medical model? Firstly, we offer a listening ear and open heart. We want to hear your story because we know it matters. We want to give you enough time to tell it.
Secondly, midwives and lactation consultants work with a variety of modalities. We provide education about nutritional support for healing or through anxiety and stress. When a person is suffering from pain due to hip or postural alignment, we can make appropriate referrals for physical therapy and chiropractic care. We take mental health seriously and have a lot of available resources for those who are struggling with feelings of guilt, anxiety, or sadness.
In addition, we may use traditional and ancient methods of postpartum healing, such as herbal baths, massage, or teas.
So, what are you looking for in your postpartum? How can someone set themselves up for a postpartum experience that leaves them healthier than ever? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
The Only 3 Essential Oils you Need
You open up a bottle of lavender, smell it, and go “Ahhhh” It’s perfect to calm anxiety and soothe nerves.
Lavender, lemon, and frankincense essential oils, the only three essential oils you need.
Lemon or other citrus oil (tangerine, bergamot, grapefruit, or sweet orange).
Citrus oils are safe during pregnancy and for children over 3 months. Citrus oils are uplifting. Lemon is a great choice for nausea, or an afternoon pick-me-up. Lemon essential oil can be used to clean and removes odors. It can be added to oil to polish furniture or mixed with water and sprayed to remove bad odors.
The main caution with citrus oils is that they are photosensitive, which means if you wear them on your skin, they will increase your chances of becoming sunburned.
Lavender for letting go.
You open up a bottle of lavender, smell it, and go “Ahhhh” It’s perfect to calm anxiety and soothe nerves.
Lavender was the first essential oil to be studied for it’s medicinal benefits. Lavender promotes relaxation and is wonderful on a cotton ball inside a pillow to aid sleep. Lavender soothes burns. It is safe for children but can cause uterine contractions, so is not to be used during pregnancy until after 37 weeks gestation.
During labor, lavender promotes a feeling of calm and encourages progress in a gentle way.
Frankincense
Of course frankincense always reminds us of the three wise men in the Christmas story. Frankincense has been used for hundreds of years in Ethiopia. Ethiopians use the frankincense sap to fill their homes with a beautiful smoky aroma during their traditional coffee ritual. They also use the smoke of the sap to flavor their butter.
Frankincense is very safe for children and during pregnancy. It is anti-aging, promotes skin integrity, and has been shown to shrink multiple types of cancer, including pancreatic, and skin.
Frankincense can be blended with oils or salves and applied to the skin. I think of it as an oil that creates sacred spaces.
How do you use essential oils? Do you have two or three go-tos?
Do midwives carry medications that would prevent me from bleeding too much?
The definition of a hemorrhage during a normal vaginal birth, is blood loss of more than 2 cups in the first few hours after birth, or more than 4 cups within the first 24 hours afterwards.
This is a good question to ask a midwife you want to hire because the answer is, it depends.
The definition of a hemorrhage during a normal vaginal birth, is blood loss of more than 2 cups in the first few hours after birth, or more than 4 cups within the first 24 hours afterwards.
There are the 3 types of medications typically used for postpartum hemorrhage in out-of-hospital settings. These are:
Synthetic oxytocin AKA pitocin.
Pitocin can be administrated in IV form or intramuscularly, as a shot in the thigh. In out-of-hospital settings pitocin is more often given via a shot. Pitocin works quickly to control bleeding but does not last longer than 10 minutes, so it may have to be repeated, if the bleeding is not controlled by then. It doesn’t have significant negative side effects, although there have been some studies that show it slightly delays milk production, and is correlated with slightly increased rates of postpartum mood disorders.
Misoprostol AKA cytotec
Cytotec works really well to cause contractions of the uterus to slow a hemorrhage. It also has the negative side effect of causing a potential fever and loose stools. It comes in pill form and is either given to the mom orally to chew up and put in her cheek or under her tongue, or it is administered rectally.
Methylergonovine Maleate AKA Methergine
Methergine cannot be given to women who have high blood pressure. It is administered orally in pill form, or intramuscularly via a shot in the leg. It works well to contract the lower segment of the uterus. Methergine has several negative side effects, including loose stools, lowered breastmilk production, changes in blood pressure, and nausea.
Choosing the right medication:
For most midwives I know who carry medications, they choose to use pitocin first as a medication during a postpartum hemorrhage. If the pitocin doesn’t work, they will usually repeat with a second dose of pitocin, or administer cytotec, or both, depending upon the severity. Midwives usually use methergine for too much bleeding that occurs several hours after birth or if the mother doesn’t respond well to other therapies.
So ask your midwife, does she carry medications to prevent too much bleeding? If so, which ones? What is her usual guideline for controlling and preventing too much bleeding? The answer depends upon the individual midwife and the locality she practices in.
What to do and what NOT to do if you're exploring home birth as a first time mom!
Women who come from families where natural birth is the norm tend to have straightforward natural births. Why? Because they’ve been thinking about birth as normal their entire lives. Some of us have to work hard during pregnancy to undo all the subtle messages we’ve been told-that our bodies don’t work well or we just aren’t strong enough.
So you’re interested in having a home birth, but not sure if it’s a good idea since you haven’t had a baby before? Trying to decide if you’re crazy, dumb, or doing the right thing?
How do you decide?
First of all, you’re courageous to ask questions and seek out answers! You could have just signed up with the local ob group at your closest hospital, not knowing anything about them. But you are brave, you educate yourself about your options.
Here’s some things to keep in mind as you decide what’s best for you and your family:
-Remember you Remember
Your birth story will be with you for the rest of your life (Simpkin, 1991)! Set yourself up for a good one. Think about where you feel safe and who you feel safe with. What things do you like? What makes you feel comfortable? How do you want to remember your experience?
Sometimes finances come into play when deciding who to use as a care provider. Keep the long term in mind as you decide who to hire. If you really want to have a home birth, but aren’t sure you want to spend the money on it, think, “What would I think of this decision I made 10 years from now?” You won’t regret spending money on the experience you want!
-Discover your overarching goal
Planning a home birth means you have a high chance of having a natural vaginal delivery and a low chance of having a cesarean. You have a low rate of interventions and a high rate of breastfeeding success. For a first time mom planning a home birth, compared to a mom who has had babies before, you have a higher chance of deciding to go in for pain relief or needing to go to the hospital for better monitoring or IV fluids. Research transfer rates for first time moms (or ask midwives). Compare cesarean rates for first time moms at local hospitals. Many hospitals have a first time mom cesarean rate close to 50%!!!
What’s your overarching goal? Is it breastfeeding success? A natural or vaginal delivery with as few interventions as possible? To give birth in a place you feel safe? Is it worth the risk to plan a home birth and know you may transfer to a hospital? Is it worth it to plan for a natural hospital delivery, and know you may have a much higher chance of having a cesarean? These are questions you can only answer for yourself, but keeping in mind you will remember it, and surrounding yourself with positive people will help guide you.
-Don’t be Afraid to Change Plans
The process of pregnancy, birth, and parenting, is a journey. At the beginning of your pregnancy you may want your best friends, mom, husband, and doula there. As things get closer to your due date, you may realize you just want it to be your partner and doula. It’s okay to change plans last minute! It’s better to switch care providers at the end than to stay with one who is going to push unnecessary interventions upon you.
When women get close to giving birth, they enter a deeply primal state. They crave darkness, warmth, quiet, and a place of safety. These are necessary for the cascade of hormones that promote physiological birth. They are harder to create in certain environments. At the end of pregnancy and in labor, women become instinctual. Listen to that instinct.
-Pursue Positive People
My biggest piece of advice to first time parents who want to have a natural birth is to surround yourself with positive birth stories. Women who come from families where natural birth is the norm tend to have straightforward natural births. Why? Because they’ve been thinking about birth as normal their entire lives. Some of us have to work hard during pregnancy to undo all the subtle messages we’ve been told-that our bodies don’t work well or we just aren’t strong enough.
“Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth”, “Spiritual Midwifery”, “Everyday Birth Magazine”, and “Birth Without Fear” are some great resources for good stories. Find your friends and family who have had natural or positive births and listen to their stories. Go to a local ICAN meeting or find a local home birth support group. In Cincinnati we have both the Home Birth Circle group on Facebook and the Home Birth Collaborative (http://cincinnatihomebirthcollaborative.com/) . The Home Birth Collaborative holds monthly meetings where home birth families share experiences with potential home birthers.
Stay clear of naysayers. I’m talking about care providers too! If your care provider is speaking negatively to you about your ability to give birth, or says that you should be induced because your baby might be too big, run! “There’s such thing as induction police!”
References:
Simkin, P (1991). Just another day in a woman’s life? Women’s long term perceptions of their
first birth, pt 1. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1764149
One Midwife's Quick and Dirty Guide to Women's Health Websites
Becoming a midwife was a journey that began in middle school as I pursued interests in herbalism and nutrition. Along the way, I discovered websites that influenced how I care for my body, shifted my thinking, or gave me a better understanding of how my hormones work.
As a lifelong learner, midwife, and woman, there are many resources I use and share with the people I love and work with. Becoming a midwife was a journey that began in middle school as I pursued interests in herbalism and nutrition. Along the way, I discovered websites that influenced how I care for my body, shifted my thinking, or gave me a better understanding of how my hormones work. I want to share these with you. I’ve listed them in the order that I found them because it seems one thing leads to another.
The Museum of Menstruation: http://mum.org/
This website altered the way I thought about my period when I discovered it as a teenager. Learning about the culture of menstruation throughout time was really empowering to me. I think it’s important to remember that the way our current culture views menstruation, and the way we menstruate, may be vastly different from the way it has been in other times and societies.
Pelvic Guru: https://pelvicguru.com/2013/01/12/the-ultimate-pelvic-anatomy-resource-articles-links-and-videos-oh-my/
This website is really important for a thorough understanding of pelvic anatomy. Check out: https://pelvicguru.com/2015/01/10/your-vagina-is-not-cussing-good-simple-vulvovaginal-hygiene-tips/
It is a great resource for pelvic pain and pelvic physical therapy.
Katy Bowman’s Blog, https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/blog/
The reason this resource is so important is because it challenges the way we think about movement and alignment, Kegels and incontinence, using a toilet or squatting in yoga. She also explains the impact poorly designed shoes have on pelvic (and overall) health and has compiled a recommended list of healthy shoes.
Put a Cup in It: https://putacupinit.com/
Because menstrual cups are the best, and you deserve one that’s comfortable and fits you well!
Author of “Womancode”, Alisa Vitti’s website: https://www.floliving.com/blog/
Without a doubt, her book changed my life! I had been learning about menstrual cycles, fertility, and nutrition for the past 10 years but when I read her stuff, it all clicked! I highly recommend her book and blog, especially if you struggle with endometriosis, PCOS, painful cycles, or infertility. Her story of healing her PCOS is so inspiring!
Cooking for Hormone Balance: https://hormonesbalance.com/recipes/
I discovered this resource a few months ago. What I love about this last website is the recipes. It’s really hard to be diligent about eating healthy foods when you are struggling with hormone imbalance. Your body craves those rich comfort foods! Magdalena has an inspiring story and her recipes are influenced by her experiences living in Poland, China, Iceland. Her recipes are all gluten, dairy, and egg free, but full of hormone nourishing fats.
So what’s your favorite women’s health website?
Try this stress relieving technique to help reduce anxiety
The Roving Body Check is a relaxation technique that combines patterned breathing with touch relaxation and guided imagery.
When you are in a situation where you feel your heart rate pounding faster, your
stomach tightening, and your breathing becoming shallow, you are experiencing a surge of
adrenaline. Adrenaline is the “fight or flight” hormone that is released when we are
stressed. Relaxation is important in stressful situations to prevent fear and tension.
When we have adrenaline rushes we need to bring our bodies down to earth. Feel the
floor. Listen to your breathing when you inhale and exhale. Look around the room.
Remember that fear is False Evidence Appearing Real.
Feel the floor
The Roving Body Check is a relaxation technique that combines patterned breathing with touch relaxation and guided imagery. Notice that “every out-breath is a relaxing breath.” Let your tension flow out of you when you exhale. While you are breathing in, note a particular area where there is tension. Have your partner or friend place their hand firmly on that part. When you breathe out, focus on releasing tension in that area. As you exhale your partner or friend will relax pressure on that part. Repeat this over different tensed body parts. Body parts to focus on: brow and jaw, back of the neck, shoulders and arms, one or both hands, back of the chest, small of the back, hips, and buttocks.
The Roving Body Check
Notice that “every out-breath is a relaxing breath.”
Similarly, you can find a comfortable position that does not require much energy. As you stay in this position actively work on relaxing each body part from the top of your head down to your toes. Tell yourself what part you are relaxing as you go down. When you learn to actively relax your muscles you can eliminate pain and stress.
For practice you can do these techniques while holding a piece of ice in your hand to feel how it reduces the pain.
Relaxation and breathing exercises can be practiced during pregnancy before birth. Abdominal breathing is especially helpful because it increases circulation throughout your body and relaxes your nervous system.
Nervous about how you are going to handle the pain in labor? Check out our doula services below. We are experts in teaching natural techniques for coping with pain.
References and Resources:
DONA International (2011) Birth doula workshop manual
Strange, K. (2012) Simple tools for mothers handout.
Packing your birth bag? Don't forget these foods!
It’s important to fill your birth bag with food for yourself and your loved one. Not only will it be helpful during your labor, but also for the recovery after.
Protein will ground you. It will give you endurance and energy for the long haul. It will help stabilize your blood sugars and help you and your loved one feel less anxious.
It’s important to fill your birth bag with food for you and your loved one
Not only will it be helpful for your labor, but for your recovery after. What foods should you pack? Here are some suggestions:
Protein will ground you.
It will give you endurance and energy for the long haul. It will help stabilize your blood sugars and help you and your loved one feel less anxious.
Protein suggestions:
Cheese and salami, which are good sources of sodium and calcium, important electrolytes.
Yogurt or a smoothie
Nuts, trail-mix, a bar, or sweet nut clusters from Trader Joe’s or Costco. Nuts are good sources of trace minerals.
Eggs or any kind of protein you can stomach. I’ve seen a mom munch on chik-fil-a chicken, sitting on the toilet, in between contractions
Fresh fruit for energy
Eating fresh fruit is a great way to boost energy quickly. It’s important the fruit is bite-size so a laboring mom can eat one or two pieces in between contractions. Fruit is a great source of vitamin C for immune system support and potassium for electrolyte balance.
Fresh fruit suggestions:
Grapes are easy to bring. Try freezing them for a delicious treat!
Berries such as blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries are full of antioxidants, which reduce inflammation. Plus, they already come bite-sized!
Bananas are portable and don’t require refrigeration.
Melons can be sliced up and prepared ahead of time for the big day.
Salt for electrolyte balance
Having a baby is hard work! Your body needs fuel to help your muscles work properly.
Your uterus, the strongest muscle in your body, will work best if you have been staying hydrated by drinking enough liquids and eating foods which provide electrolytes. Electrolytes are the minerals, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, phosphate, and bicarbonate. They regulate muscle and nerve function. Electrolyte imbalance can occur from dehydration caused by excess vomiting or diarrhea, which sometimes occur with labor. If your electrolytes are imbalanced, you may experience a headache, fatigue, muscle cramps, or weakness. Pack a salty snack to include electrolytes sodium and chloride.
Salty suggestions:
Potato chips. These are my favorite. If I think a mom I’m supporting is really dehydrated, I will add more salt to the chips.
Crackers are easy to digest and readily available.
Popcorn is salty, buttery, and comes in small pieces.
What’s your favorite snack?
Not sure what to bring to the hospital? Schedule a free consultation! Call (513) 399-7263
Eat these 3 Foods to Balance Hormones Naturally
Tired of PMS symptoms? Wondering if you can afford fertility boosting foods? Curious about which foods to incorporate into your Diet? You’ve come to the right place!
Tired of PMS symptoms? Wondering if you can afford fertility boosting foods? Curious about which foods to incorporate into your Diet? Here are 3 suggestions
1. Root Veggies
Root vegetables balance hormones by balancing blood sugar through fiber. Carrots are especially helpful for preventing estrogen dominance. Sweet potato contains compounds that boost progesterone levels. Radishes, onions, garlic, turnips, parsnips, celeriac, and rutabaga balance hormones by providing food for the healthy bacteria in our gut.
Carrots and radishes are easy to eat raw with dips. Turnips, parsnips, and rutabaga are easy to incorporate into soups and stews. Root vegetables can be roasted with olive oil or lard and eaten with sausage, or boiled, mashed, and whipped with butter to make a delicious mashed potato replacement. For extra micronutrients, buy rainbow varieties of carrots, potatoes, and radishes (Trader Joe's is the best grocer I know for making rainbow vegetables available at an affordable price).
