maria22000's Xanga

Spectacular Falls

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:18:11 GMT

Tiny stream coming off the Falls.

Almost all of it. Very impressive. There is still water coming down but most of it is frozen.

Bottom of the Falls. The top is all frozen, the water coming down goes underneath the ice.

Looking up at the bridge. I wanted to take a picture from the bridge down, but it is so high that my vertigo gets the better of me, especially when having to watch a 3 yo as well. He could fit in between the railing if he would try. I have long wanted to ask who ever is in charge to put some wiring or something in between. It is really scary to go up with little ones.

Random kids.

On the way up to the bridge.

The top Fall, from the bridge.

This boulder fell down a few years ago when a wedding party was taking pictures on the bridge. No one got injured but everyone got absolutely soaked as it splashed.

The water is coming down as mist and creates this powdery ice. The water is streaming underneath it.

Close up of bottom Falls on the way down again. Just so beautiful

Homeopathy

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:23:50 GMT

Homeopathy has been an important part of our life for the last 12 years. We started treating ourselves homeopathically when I chose a naturopathic doctor and midwife for our first homebirth. We used homeopathic remedies during pregnancy and labor, and then for our first child when needed. We kept our ND on as our GP, pediatrician, as well as the midwife for two more pregnancies (the 4th one was unassisted with my midwife available). We do not have any good experiences with the allopathic doctors we have had, aside from being offered antibiotics and shots, coming home with germs, waiting in a cold room half naked for way too long, and leaving without any tools to support our bodies, herbally nor nutritionally except for echinacea (ok that is a good thing) and pedialyte, and so we have not seen one in years.

During all these years, it never occurred to me that homeopathic remedies would be a controversial topic simply because it had proven to be so effective on so many levels for us, but I guess it really is, because the NHS, Britain's National Health Service, is debating that giving homeopathics to patients is unethical and dubious. This is just one of the many articles and blogs I have ran across, more here, but suffice it to say, I am puzzled.

The first thing that puzzles me is that I know farmers who have successfully treated and cured their animals with homeopathic remedies. This makes me conclude that homeopathic remedies work beyond the placebo effect. These animals would otherwise have received antibiotics and the farmers were committed and able to avoid this (and being a Weston Price fan, I am in contact with a number of farmers locally).

Of course, skeptics will say: "Well, it works because of the placebo effect by proxy." In and of itself, if this were the only way how homeopathy would work, this would be even more amazing than just the healing power of homeopathic remedies alone. So, then, if you believe that, why spend all that money on chemicals that cause harm, and which according to this article, do not even work for most people? Statin drugs cause more harm than good, vaccines have not caused the decline of the diseases they are made for, the flu vaccine is not very effective, the effectiveness of chemo treatments is appalling etc. Why then not simply believe in healing, and use homeopathic remedies, remedies without any adverse effect, to support that belief?

In this great article, Louise McClean writes:

In the past 24 years there have been more than 180 controlled, and 118 randomized, trials into homeopathy, which were analysed by four separate meta-analyses. In each case, the researchers concluded that the benefits of homeopathy went far beyond that which could be explained purely by the placebo effect. Another meta-analysis found that 65 of the 89 trials analysed had produced an effect way beyond placebo. Source WDDTY. (You have register for free to have access to all the information).

Historical records show that epidemics such as cholera and typhoid were treated successfully using homeopathy in the 19th century with very high success rates, compared to orthodox medicine. I doubt all those people simply believed.

Another thing that confuses me, is that one cannot do a double blind controlled study, which is the "ultimate" research tool, to prove that homeopathy doesn't work. This probably goes both ways of course, but then using it to prove that homeopathy does not work, esp. when so much peer reviewed research (see links in McClean's article), the ultimate test of the validity of any research, shows that it does, is preposterous. For one, it shows that the leaders of the research do not understand how homeopathic remedies work, and two, they do not understand how it is administered.

First, we need to understand how homeopathic remedies are made. Contrary to what many believe, the remedies are not just made by dilution but they are also made by succussion, ie. shaking. These practices change the water the remedies are made in, which is the goal. More on how the remedies are made here. Evidence has shown that water takes on a different molecular structure when prayed over, or yelled at for that matter. This research gives even more validity to the assertion that the structure of water does indeed change depending on what we do it. Also, high dilutions, as is the case with homeopathic remedies, have been proven to have a biological effect.

Homeopathic remedies are also not administered like other remedies. To administer a homeopathic remedy, a practitioner needs to first know and understand the full picture of an illness as well as its host, and this includes physical as well as emotional aspects. Two people with arthritis will most likely get two different remedies simply because their full picture is not the same and their bodies need a different 'jump starting'. To then do a trial by administering one remedy for one illness and see how people respond is beyond stupid. It is deliberately misleading, or at least, willfully ignorant.

Here I have to add that some remedies, like Arnica, Chamomile, and Rhus Toxicodendron for example, are used across the board for the same illnesses. I will write more about this later.

In order to use homeopathic remedies, one has to be able to totally think upside down when it comes to healing. Whereas allopathic treatment of a disease is mostly focused on treating symptoms, on creating the opposite of the symptoms, homeopathic treatment is based on healing like with like. For example, arsenic poisoning comes with a certain spectrum of symptoms. When people who are sick (obviously not by arsenic poisoning) and show the same kind of symptoms, a diluted and shaken version of arsenic is given to a patient and the symptoms abate. The remedy does not contain molecular arsenic in it however, because of its processing, and is thus not harmful. The remedy jump starts the body's own healing mechanism, and the body heals itself on much deeper levels.

More research about homeopathy from SpringerLink here.

But how then does homeopathy work? Homeopathy can be explained through quantum field theory, ie. theories that describe interactions between particles. Yes, physics. Some scientists have shown an astonishing list of similarities between quantum field theoretical considerations and homeopathy which is certainly worthwhile to be picked up again by physicists.

This study concludes: QFT demonstrates that quantum properties can be physical without being observable. Thus, an underlying similarity in discourse could exist between homeopathy and quantum theory which could be useful for modelling the homeopathic process. This preliminary investigation also suggested that key elements of previous quantum models of the homeopathic process, may become unified within this new QFT-type approach. More about this here. We will hear much more about the QFT explanation of homeopathy as the conventional and alternative healing worlds try to find a way to work together. Many conventional hospitals, like this one, are already integrating alternative medicine like homeopathy into their spectrum of care with great success. Here more information about what is called integrative care. More research here.

Galileo Galilei has said many years ago: "The Book of Nature is written in (clearly-understood) mathematics." I think he was right and will continue to be proven right.

Matushka Olga~Healer, Midwife, Saint

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:28:19 GMT

Saints of North America known and unknown. While all of the canonized Saints of North America have so far been men, over the past few years an Orthodox woman, native of North America, has slowly become known to more and more people, particularly other Orthodox women.

Matushka Olga Michael was the wife of Archpriest Nikolai O. Michael from the village of Kwethluk on the Kuskokwim River in Alaska. As described in Fr. Michael Oleksa's book, Orthodox Alaska, she was neither a "physically impressive or imposing figure." She raised eight children to maturity, giving birth to several of them without a mid-wife. While her husband was away taking care of many other parishes, she kept busy raising her family and doing many things for other people. One is reminded of the story of Tabitha in the book of Acts (9:36-ff) when hearing that "in addition to sewing Father Nikolai's vestments in the early years and crafting beautiful parkas, boots and mittens for her children, she was constantly sewing or knitting socks or fur outerwear for others. Hardly a friend or neighbor was without something Matushka had made for them. Parishes hundreds of miles away received unsolicited gifts, traditional Eskimo winter boots ('mukluks') to sell or raffle for their building fund. All the clergy of the deanery wore gloves or woolen socks...[which she] had made for them" (p. 203).

While fulfilling many of the other tasks (like preparing the eucharistic bread) that are often assumed by other priests' wives, she also knew by heart the hymns of many feast days, including Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Pascha in Yup'ik (her Eskimo language). After miraculously surviving an initial bout with cancer when it seemed nothing could be done, she eventually succumbed to a return of the disease, preparing herself for death which took place on November 8, 1979 with great courage and faith.

It appeared that the normal snow and river ice of that time of the year would prevent many people from attending her funeral. But, the weather uncharacteristically changed and a southerly wind helped to melt the ice and snow allowing parishioners from the neighboring villages to make the journey to Kwethluk. "Hundreds of friends...filled the newly-consecrated church on the extraordinary spring-like day of the funeral. Upon exiting the church, the procession was joined by a flock of birds, although by that time of the year, all birds have long since flown south. The birds circled overhead, and accompanied the coffin to the grave site. The usually frozen soil had been easy to dig because of the unprecedented thaw. That night, after the memorial meal, the wind began to blow again, the ground refroze, ice covered the river, winter returned. It was as if the earth itself had opened to receive this woman. The cosmos still cooperates and participates in the worship the Real people [i.e., the name native people give to themselves] offer to God" (p. 205).

However, it is not just her story that has been so special and life changing to others, but the actual encounter with her presence that has taken place in remarkable ways. One woman, originally from Kwethluk, but now living in Arizona, had a dream in which Matushka Olga appeared, assuring her that her mother would be alright because she was coming to join Matushka Olga in a bright and joyful place. This woman did not know her mother was sick at the time, that she had been rushed to Anchorage, and that she would soon die. But the next day she received news of her mother's emergency and she rushed from Arizona to Alaska, comforting her mother with the news Matushka Olga had brought her about her eternal destiny. The woman died in peace and with her daughter without the shock and grief that would have certainly ensued if the dream had not reassured her.

Another woman, after viewing a picture of Matushka Olga, experienced a "compassionate, loving, gentle, and very real very accessible presence."

The most detailed account comes from an Orthodox woman who, as in the previous example, had suffered for many years from the consequences of severe sexual abuse experienced as a child. This is her testimony of meeting Matushka Olga:

"One day I was deeply at prayer and awake. I had remembered an event that was very scary. My prayer began with my asking the Holy Theotokos for help and mercy. Gradually I was aware of standing in the woods feeling still a little scared. Soon a gentle wave of tenderness began to sweep through the woods followed by a fresh garden scent. I saw the Virgin Mary, dressed as she is in an icon, but more natural looking and brighter, walking toward me. As she came closer I was aware of someone walking behind her. She stepped aside and gestured to a short, wise-looking woman. I asked her, 'Who are you?' And the Virgin Mary answered, 'St. Olga.'

"St. Olga gestured for me to follow her. We walked a long way until there weren't many trees. We came to a little hill that had a door cut into the side. She gestured for me to sit and she went inside. After a little while some smoke came out of the top of the hill. St. Olga came out with some herbal tea. We both sat in silence drinking our tea and feeling the warmth of the sun on our faces. I began to get a pain in my belly and she led me inside. The door was so low I had to duck as if bowing in prayer.

"Inside the hill was dry and warm and very quiet. The light was very soft coming from a shallow bowl and from the open hole on the top of the hill. Everything around me felt gentle, especially Mother Olga. The little hill house smelled like wild thyme and white pine in the sun with roses and violets mixed in. Mother Olga helped me up on a kind of platform bed, resembling a driftwood box filled with moss and grasses. It was soft and smelled like the earth and the sea. I was exhausted and lay back. St. Olga went over to the lamp and warmed up something which she rubbed on my belly. I looked five months pregnant. (I was not pregnant for real at that time.) I started to labor. I was a little scared. Mother Olga climbed up beside me and gently holding by arm, she pretended to labor with me, showing me what to do and how to breath. She still hadn't said anything. She helped me push out what seemed to be afterbirth, that soaked into the dried moss on the box bed. I was very tired and crying a little from relief when it was over.

"Up until this she hadn't spoken, but her eyes spoke with great tenderness and understanding. We both got up and had some tea. As we were drinking it, Holy Mother Olga gradually became the light in the room. Her face appeared to have a strong light bulb or the sun shining under her skin. But I think the whole of her glowed. I was just so connected to her loving gaze that I didn't pay much attention to anything else. It was the kind of loving gaze from a mother to an infant that connects and welcomes a baby to life. She seemed to pour tenderness into me through her eyes. This wasn't scary even though, at that time, I didn't know about people who literally shone with the love of God. (It made more sense after I read about St. Seraphim). I know now that some very deep wounds were being healed at that time. She gave me back my own life which had been stolen, a life that is now defined by the beauty and love of God for me, the restored work of His Hands.

"After some time I felt that I was filled with wellness and a sense of quiet entered my soul, as if my soul had been crying like a grief-stricken abandoned infant and now had finally been comforted. Even now as I write...the miracle of the peacefulness, and also the zest for life which wellness has brought, causes me to cry with joy and awe.

"Only after this did Holy Mother Olga speak. She spoke about God and people who choose to do evil things. She said the people who hurt me thought they could make me carry their evil inside of me by rape. She was very firm when she said, 'That's a lie. Only God can carry evil away. The only thing they could put inside you was the seed of life which is a creation of God and cannot pollute anyone.' I was never polluted. It just felt that way because of the evil intentions of the people near me. What I had held inside me was the pain, terror, shame, and helplessness I felt. We had labored together and that was all out of me now. She burned some grass over the little flame and the smoke went straight up to God who is both the judge and the forgiver. I understood by the 'incense' that it wasn't my job to carry the sins of people against me either. It was God's, and what an ever-unfolding richness this taste of salvation is. At the end of this healing time we went outside together. It was not dark in the visioning prayer. There were so many stars stretching to infinity. The sky was all shimmer with a moving veil of light. (I had seen photos of the northern lights but didn't know that they move.) Either Matushka Olga said, or we both heard in our hearts I cannot remember which that the moving curtain of light was to be for us a promise that God can create great beauty from complete desolation and nothingness. For me it was proof of the healing great beauty where there had been nothing before but despair hidden by shame and great effort."

What is one to make of these accounts? If nothing else, for now, one can acknowledge the special place that Matushka Olga has had in the lives of certain native people and a growing number of contemporary women. But it is in the slow and gradually expanding process of knowledge which moves from local veneration to broader awareness that God reveals how He can be "wonderful in His Saints." Matushka Olga was herself a midwife and may also have known from personal experience the traumas of being abused earlier in her life. Perhaps it is in this role as an advocate for those who have been abused, particularly sexually, that God will continue to use Matushka Olga in drawing "straight with crooked lines," His work of "creating beauty from complete desolation and nothingness."

If God wills, may it also one day be possible to exclaim: "O Blessed Mother Olga, pray to God for us!"

From Matushka Olga Michael, A Helper in Restoring the Work of God's Hands by Fr. John Shimchick.

Does Birth Define Motherhood?

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:28:24 GMT

Rixa Freeze wrote a really interesting blog post about her feelings regarding this blog post. I have a feeling that we may see this go the web rounds and back as it really is such a great discussion so I hope some of you will take a look.

I have not even read everything thoroughly but my first thoughts in response to this subject were so long, I thought I might as well write a blog post myself. I am still processing, so please forgive me for a rather convoluted post with unfinished thoughts.

I believe that birth in the widest sense of the word defines motherhood. Whether it is the culmination of an adoption process, a cesarean section, or a vaginal birth, a live baby or a dead baby, these all define the moment of us becoming mothers, each and every time for each and every child. Is it the only defining moment? Does it define all of motherhood? Absolutely not. However, the first moment of motherhood is an initiation which, while unique each time, is unique in its very nature the first time. Is that first moment unredeemable if it went differently than expected or hoped for? No, I don't think so. All the moments thereafter are just as important and continue to define us, and initiate us. Many, many moments will shape us as mothers as the relationship and the interactions with our children grows.

The above mentioned blog post by Sweetsalty is a reaction to this post by Jan Tritten. I didn't quite read Jan's post the same way as Sweetsalty did though I understand where she is coming from. I keep getting back to my opinion that in the US, natural birth advocacy is a reaction, a cry, a scream against how birth is viewed and often handled in our society. As the movement becomes more and more widespread and is reaching more women, I think there is however a growing risk in portraying a certain kind of birth as an ideology, which in turn will also let women down. A counter movement will grow out of anger about this. 'If you just have that home birth, you will have a great experience.' 'If you have an unassisted birth it will be even more perfect.' and 'If you do go to the hospital, make sure you have a doula, then it will be great there too.' I am wondering if we are not setting young women up for failure by defining what a good birth looks like and they get something different, something unique to who they are and who their babies are. Compare it to moms who learn hypnobirthing only to find themselves at a loss when it doesn't work. A certain feeling of betrayal would be normal I think. So, if the ideal of a natural childbirth as this wonderful smooth birth by candle light is the goal of natural childbirth advocates, then we are on the wrong track, I think. Some women will have this, and it should certainly be mentioned as a possibility and even as something one can work towards because we are filled with cultural fears, but birth is also very very raw and hard work, with poop and sweat and vomiting.

In my opinion, when we talk about birth, it needs to be about our autonomy, our education (prenatal, labor and post partum), and our inner world. We need to find and expand in all three areas. We need to embrace our life on all those levels. Not just to have the best birth possible, a birth that is healthy for mom and baby -yes, I am aware that it is only the baby's birth but also to have a good start as the mother of a newborn. Ideally however, these things would be a natural progression of how our lives would already have been lived, with consciousness, personal responsibility and awe for the mysteries of life. In a perfect world or society, we would then just give birth, and the birth would be what it was, and we would have peace. Life would go on with this added dimension that totally fitted within the continuum of our lives. The only reason it is not this way is because other people are defining what birth needs to be for us. Natural childbirth and medical birth professionals alike, as well as everyone in between. Even my thoughts as a doula can intervene in a woman's birth.

True respect for the person in front of us is hard to find in the world, let alone in the medical field where boundaries are blurry and many doctors easily fall prey to thinking they are God. We also all can have respect for an individual but we often do not place this individual within the parameters that define it's worldview. One of my miscarriages comes to mind, where the ultra sounds technologist said, "I am sorry, there is no heart beat. Let's schedule a D&C." It was a very respectful exchange, but not once was I asked how I wanted to handle this, nor was I offered alternatives. It was only the fact that I had a great midwife with me that spared me going through this procedure. She had some understanding of my worldview as an Orthodox Christian, and she knew some about me. She knew I would want nature to take it's course and seek help if I needed any. I think when it comes to treating pregnant women as patients, these are very important issues.

So, to get back to birth as defining motherhood: For me the above is why 'my' births were important and most defining, or I should say, the start of the defining that would continue to take place. Defining being a process in a very Orthodox Christian way of speaking.

My childrens' births gave me back a part of me that had never been violated, and considering that 1 in 4 women are abused that would be an important process for many women I think. 'My' births made me connect with a deep part of me, and connecting with it made me grow in other areas as well in a way that was different to how I usually grow (most often through painful mistakes or through confusion in interaction with others). This growth was internally prompted and more of a discovery journey. I cannot deny how important birth was to me, nor what it would have meant if I hadn't had those experiences, and I only imagine dying and death to surpass this kind of growing.

Did this all make me a better mother? Did those births define me as a mother in the moment? I don't think so. No one thing does. But I want to try to live to my full potential, and the reason my births were so empowering was exactly because they were just births. They unfolded without hindrance in the way they needed to, in all their unexpectedness, beauty but also rawness. This autonomy empowered me. From my first to my last, which was the ultimate autonomy for me, it having been an unassisted birth, they were all with true respect for what those births needed to be. They unfolded exactly the way they needed to for baby and me, on all levels, not just physical ones but spiritual ones as well, and without fear based interference. And that is what I would want for every woman. When a woman is autonomous or when she feels that her autonomy is respected by others, she can heal her woundedness and she will start blossoming. How did feminism miss this?

In the current society, when it comes to physically giving birth, sometimes it is needed to shake the cultural acceptance of what birth is by putting it in women's faces that the way we have a baby is important for both her and her baby, both in the moment of unfolding, as well as for the rest of their lives. Does this put any one kind of birth on a pedestal? I don't think so, and if it does it shouldn't. Neither does it make birth the single most important thing to define motherhood. But it would be really sad if no questions were asked and no goals were set in a society where the norm in childbirth is not producing results. When flawed medical research is used to set hospital policies, when money drives the rest of the choices made, and when doctors are afraid of litigation, what else do we have than our inner convictions that birth is bigger than all this and much more than a medical and physiological event?

Birth Book List

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:28:46 GMT

Unassisted Childbirth, by Laura Kaplan Shanley

This Sacred Life by Zuki Abbott

Birth Reborn, by Michel Odent (anything by Michel Odent, a French OB who helped
to get that country into the midwifery model of care.)

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth, by Henci Goer (I love Henci, she is doing phenomenal work)

Heart and Hands by Elizabeth Davis

Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Dr. Sarah Buckley

Energetic Pregnancy, by Elizabeth Davis

Birthing From Within, by Pam England and Rob Horowitz

Mind Over Labor, by Carl Jones

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth Ina May Gaskin (anything by Ina May Gaskin, a Tennessee-based midwife who delivers at the Farm, even though she is very hands on.)

Spiritual Midwifery, Ina May Gaskin

Unassisted Homebirth An Act of Love, by Lynn M. Griesemer

The Birth Book, by the Sears

Active Birth: The New Approach to Giving Birth Naturally, by Janet Balaskas

Childbirth Without Fear, by Grantly Dick-Read

Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way, by Susan McCutcheon

HypnoBirthing The Mongan Method, by Marie F. Mongan

Special Delivery, by Rahima Baldwin

The Power of Pleasurable Childbirth, By Laurie Morgan

The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Birth, by Sheila Kitzinger

The Labor Progress Handbook, by Penny Simkin and Ruth Ancheta

Emergency Childbirth: A Manual, by Gregory J. White, M.D.

Birthing Normally, by Gayle Peterson

Transformation through Birth

Sacred Birthing, Birthing a New Humanity, by Sunni Karrl

More childbirth and labor preparation books.

I would love to hear your reviews and other recommendations!

A Smile From Eternity

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:04:31 GMT

He smiled *after* his repose.

GBS Info

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:54:00 GMT

I compiled this from different sources and am reposting this here from the Bornfree! forum so I can reference to it.

***
GBS= Group B Streptococcus, a bacteria found in the genital, urinary,
and/or digestive tracts of some women. It comes and goes.
This 'germ' is one of several related species, including strains of
Group A Strep that is the germ usually responsible for what we
commonly call 'Strep Throat'.

A woman can be a carrier of Group B Strep without having any
symptoms. The concern with this bug is that when baby passes through
vagina during birth, s/he will be exposed to it, and could possibly
get an infection. Because babies have such immature immune systems,
the fear is that newborns are at risk to die from this infection--and
this does happen very occasionally.

Because of that risk, doctors like to treat women with antibiotics to
kill the GBS: some give antibiotic pills during the final weeks of
pregnancy, then also give IV antibiotics during labor. There are
variations on this theme--and there are 2 problems with this: one is
that the antibiotics do not always work; some babies get infected
anyway. The other is that due to all this antibiotic use, doctors are
creating super germs that are resistant to antibiotics. Yes, there
are now fewer GBS infections in newborns, but now there are MORE
infections with antibiotic-resistant strains of e.coli. There are
also long term negative effects of antibiotics on the health of
mothers and babies both, including thrush/yeast, GERD and other
digestive issues, other things.

If your baby is at least 37wks along, and/or at least 5lbs, and is
otherwise healthy in general, the risk of infection is very low.
VERY VERY LOW. And we will never eliminate risk in birth or life; if
you intend to UC then you had better be prepared to face life and
death decisions. In my opinion, GBS testing, and especially the use
of antibiotics, is solely a way that doctors try to reduce one risk, only
to create a few more risks. Yes, GBS may kill a few babies per
10,000. Far better that, than to create more super bugs who will kill
a high % of those who come in contact with them!

***
Extremely few full term otherwise normal/healthy babies (37wks or more) who weigh more than 5lbs will get an infection, EVEN if the mother is a GBS or e. coli carrier, and even if mom did not take antibiotics. Even fewer babies who are born at home will get infected (with a healthy mom and a planned homebirth), than those born in the hospital--home is just healthier for the family in so many ways. However, if your baby has any symptoms then do get medical help since GBS is known at times to kill newborns in just a matter of hours without antibiotics.

There are numerous reasons to avoid antibiotics for any condition, and any person no matter what their age, etc! Tons of research on the dangers of antibiotic overuse is now out there--they are so dangerous to us and to life! However, though I do not recommend antibiotics for pregnant women with GBS, it is true that for women who get abx (antibiotics), there are fewer babies who get infected w/GBS. Just to correct an assumption--I have only just been updating my research on this for my client info files. Some babies get infected even if mom had abx during labor; and of those w/no abx for mom, no more babies die than when the mom did get abx. Just so you also know that if you don't take abx, your baby has no greater chance of dying from the infection, just a slightly higher chance of getting an infection in the first place...still, we are talking extremely low numbers here.

The approach to reducing or eliminating GBS (or E. coli, yeast, or gardnerella....) in your vagina is 2-fold: one is to try to kill the unwanted critters; the other is to make your system UNfriendly to pathogens and VERY friendly to beneficial organisms. So, we can use herbs, abx, other stuff to try to kill some of the pathogens...but they will just come back if we don't also re-introduce the beneficials and make our bodies more acceptable to their health. Remember that what you think of as 'your own body' is actually composed of countless types and numbers of other microscopic organisms--some are needed for our bodies to function, some are more or less 'neutral', some hurt us if they get too numerous.

The vagina and urinary tract in a healthy woman is fairly acid by nature, whereas the blood, for instance, is just about neutral pH...and the digestive tract is even more acidic...we have varying 'pH environments' within our bodies. And guess what, the beneficial organisms thrive in an acidic environment. You've heard of ACIDOPHILUS...ACID ophilus...yep, this is a brew of freeze-dried ACID loving and acid CREATING organisms mainly in the lactobacillus family that also grows in yogurt, tempeh, some other cultured foods. Interestingly and sensibly enough, acid loving organisms give off acidic by-products, which helps them to create and maintain a sufficiently acid environment to thrive.

GBS, e. coli, yeast, gardnerella on the other hand, are ALKALINE ('base') loving critturs. It is believed by an increasing number of 'natural health oriented practitioners' that it is our widespread over consumption of sugars and refined carbs (white rice, white flour, etc) that has helped promote more alkaline conditions in the urinary tracts and vaginas of women. Along with this, is the vast overuse of antibiotics, which kill off the pathogens AND the beneficials in our bodies...harming digestion and absorption of nutrients, changing pH, other stuff. This in turn has made it easier for the alkaline loving organisms to thrive, harder for the acid lovers to thrive.

So, while it can be helpful to use such things as goldenseal to kill the pathogens, and echinacea to boost the immune system, these things will not help unless we also replace the beneficials and then help them to live by re-establishing the properly acidic pH of vagina and urinary tract. And so:

Acidophilus tabs inserted nightly, high into the vagina can help, as can eating PLAIN, high quality yogurt every day (a tablespoonful or 2, a couple times a day is sufficient). Or yogurt sex, yep, use plain yogurt as a 'lube' on your insertable 'toy' of choice...and have fun! I personally like Dannon because it has no seaweed or other thickeners; it's just milk, milk powder, and lactobacillus orgs. Even the organic brands contain lots of additives--they may be 'natural additives' but for this purpose, you want the yogurt very plain.

Drinking vinegar... eating unsweetened pickles, vinegar and oil salad dressing, or just a tablespoon or 2, a couple times a day will help acidify generally BUT, vinegar is among the few acid substances that remains acid in the body. Citrus fruits, etc, only make the body produce alkaline for digestion...neutralizing the acidic property of those foods. Mild vinegar douching can also help--1/4 cup in a quart of water, gentle douche.

Reduce intake of sugars and refined carbs--this means ALL sugars, not just 'table sugar'...dextrose, maltose, corn syrup, maple syrup, dried fruits...read labels. If you have a strong sugar craving then you may be protein deficient, mildly depressed, and/or you may have a lot of yeast/other pathogens in there, demanding their favorite feast!

You can also take one clove of garlic as due date approaches, and peel it; insert into vagina at night, take it out in the morning. this helps kill pathogens without harming beneficials. Do this every other night for about 2weeks. Can be alternated w/acidophilus.

Get a cranberry extract pill: cranberries have a substance whose name I forget that actually prevents pathogens from attaching to our mucus membranes. Also, eating cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, will help this way as well.

You can even do a gentle douche of plain sterile water in early labor, if waters are intact. It has been studied--this 'plain rinsing' can wash out colonies of the undesirables, thus reducing the chance of GBS transmission to your baby. The more colonies of pathogens inside you, the greater the chance your baby will pick it up on the way out; the fewer the colonies in there, the less chances.

***
Signs of neonatal GBS infection:

Respiratory distress: grunting with each breath (not 'humming', as some babes normally do, but definite grunts with every breath). Breathing is effortful, not easy, rate of breaths per minute will likely be greater than 60. Retractions: you will see the baby's belly retract (like when you suck in your gut) deeply enough for his/her ribs to stick out, also with every breath. It is normal for some babies to have little variations in their breathing that pass momentarily or pretty soon--we are talking about constant things here. Some newborns also breathe fairly rapidly for the first few days (transient tachypnea of newborns)...this is fine if they have none of the above symptoms, JUST a breathing rate above 60per minute. But that should resolve to 40-60per min within a few days, or it could indicate some problem even if not GBS.

Color--may or may not be an indicator, but any blueness that goes beyond fingertips/nailbeds (which can be normal) is a suspicious, if baby seems to be warm enough. Yes, possibly pallor (looking white/pale) but color doesn't always change w/infection in any way.

Lethargy--too sleepy to eat, nursing poorly/weakly. Some newborns might sleep 4-6 hrs or so in the first 12-24hrs of life. Never let them sleep more than 6hrs; wake em up thoroughly to nurse, to avoid low blood sugar. And this need should pass off soon, with baby waking to nurse every 1-4hrs normally...some babies might sleep as much as 4-6hrs ONCE in 24hrs even in earliest days/weeks, but most will want to nurse every 1-3 hrs, even if they immediately go back to sleep again.

Fever--esp above 100 (farenheit..not sure what that is, in celcius). Any temp (even below 100) that does not resolve in 24hrs is suspect. or, temp below 97.

Also, check this research
http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab000115.html

***
http://rixarixa.blogspot.com/2008/01/group-b-strep-information.html

http://www.moondragon.org/mdbsguidelines/strepb.html

http://www.hpakids.org/holistic-health/articles/172/1/Treating-Group-B-Strep

http://www.mothering.com/treating-group-b-strep-are-antibiotics-necessary

***
Protocol for positive Strep. test:

ORALLY:
500-1000 mg Vitamin C with bioflavinoids, twice per day.
Vitamin C is water soluble and extra is excreted by the kidneys.

Eat cranberries and garlic daily; or take cranberry capsules and garlic pearls three times per day.

Plenty of live culture yogurt; or Acidophilus capsules daily.

Bee propolus; or tincture.

Echinacea is very Strep specific, according to one source. As a preventative, use 10-15 drops of tincture in a glass of water twice a day for a minimum of five days. [As a curative, use two cups of E. infusion daily for five days followed by one cup daily for another five days. Continue for a full ten days. If only the tincture is available, use 1 drop per two pound of body weight. (ie.. 150 pound Mama = 75 drops.) Repeat the dose three to four times a day until fever abates, then two times a day for an additional week.]

Estragalus tincture ½ tsp or one dropper full 2 times a day. Can use equal parts with Echinacea tincture.

Note: Tinctures can be purchased in either a glycerine or alcohol base. Might have to special order glycerine based tinctures.

VAGINAL RINSES FOR GROUP B BETA STREP:
Do not douche in pregnancy. Rinse. Go easy. Separate labia and spray externally. Rinse anal area also. Remember to treat your partner.

1. Thyme, Rosemary, Calendula, Yarrow: Mix equal parts of herbs in a bowl.
Take 6 tablespoons of mixture and add 1 quart of boiling water. Infuse in covered
container 4 hours. Strain into a clean jar. Discard herbs.
Use 1 ½-2 cups per time as a rinse.
Optional: Add ¼ cup sea salt, 10 drops of lavender oil, 1 oz Echinacea tincture.

2. Echinacea infusion.

3. After 37 weeks, use Golden Seal gel capsules, deep in the vagina, if possible up
behind the cervix (not in cervix). Can cause uterine contractions.You can use these infusions for Sitz baths too.

4. Some practitioners recommend a very dilute solution of Hibiclens (an over-the-counter product which has in it an antimicrobial skin cleaner), Hydrogen Peroxide (food grade), or a very dilute solution of bleach: one teaspoon in a quart of water as a genital area rinse.

VAGINAL SUPPOSITORY RECIPE:
Place 1 cup Echinacea agustifolia root, cut; 1 cup Usnea lichen, cut; and 1 cup Calendula flowers in a quart jar.
Melt 8 oz. cocoa butter with 16 oz. coconut oil; pour over herbs.
Heat-infuse by placing the covered jar in a crockpot; add water to immerse the jar three-quarters of the way; set on low and cook 12-24 hours. Cool and strain.
To 1 cup of the infused oil add 1 tablespoon of these herbs: Slippery Elm Bark, Comfry Root, and Marshmallow Root.
Add 20 drops of these essential oils: Lavender, Rosemary and Tea Tree.
Chill slightly in an ice cube tray. When blocks are solid, cut them into quarters.
Insert one small cube into vagina before bed.

MISCELLANOUS CONSIDERATIONS:
Use cotton underpants.
Use vinegar or baking soda in the rinse cycle of washing machine when washing your
underpants.
Change your underpants (or panty liner) if damp. Best to go without - to air out!
Use warm water wash from squeeze bottle after pooping, then pat yourself dry.
Beta strep can be more prevalent in conjunction with urinary track infection. Urine should be checked for B-strep in this case.
Yeast infection conditions can give rise to increased Beta strep population.

From Heart and Hands:

1. Take twice a day, with breakfast and dinner:
2 capsules lactobacillus acidophilus (2 billion per capsule---try Nature's Plus)
1 capsule echinacea, 350 mg
1 capsule garlic, 580 mg
1 capsule or gel vitamin E, 500 mg
Also place one clove peeled, unnicked garlic in vagina every other night, remove in
morning.
*Does not say how long this regimen should be followed

2. Each day:
6 capsules EHB by NF Formulas (an antibacterial supplement)
Tea tree oil suppositories (soak cotton ball or small cotton tampon with fifty-fifty
blend of tea tree oil and olive oil), every four to six waking hours
500 mg vitamin C every four waking hours"
*This is to be followed for 10 days close to term

***
The CDC guidelines also say that the attack rate for early onset GBS in the newborns of untreated GBS + women who do not have other risk factors (less than 37 wk pregnancy, membrane rupture longer than 12 hr, fever greater than 99.5 degrees) is 5 per 1000. The fatality rate for early onset disease in newborns is 4%, which would calculate to 2 per 10,000 in untreated GBS + women without the risk factors listed above.

***
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/542430_4
"Vaginal cleansing with chlorhexidine reduces vertical transmission of GBS to the same degree as intrapartum antibiotics and may be significantly cheaper and easier to implement in settings where skilled providers are lacking. Additionally, the antibacterial action of chlorhexidine extends beyond GBS to a broad spectrum of potentially invasive pathogens."

Sandboarding Videos

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:33:07 GMT

http://maria22000.xanga.com/videos/491fa1086549/?album=056ea337070e32&n=810

More here.

Agates and Urchins

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 02:56:56 GMT

Today we had a wonderful guided walk through the Cape Perpetua historical area. Ours led us down to the ocean, passing pioneer remnants and Native American artifacts. I now also know that I have some edible berries in my yard after our guide showed us all the berries natives ate, as well as some that natives used to color their hair!

Taken from the top of Cape Perpetua, the highest view point on the Oregon Coast.

From Wikipedia:
For at least 6,000 years Native Americans hunted for mussels, crabs, sea urchins, and clams along the coast near Cape Perpetua. Evidence of their lives can still be found in the huge piles of discarded mussel shells that lay along the shore near the Cape Perpetua Visitors' Center.

These are called middens. The Native Americans who left the one we saw, were called Alsi. I hope to walk down tomorrow and get a picture of it. Here a picture and some more info because I am a nerd like that:

To see this one bigger click on it, and zoom your screen :)

Tide pooling treasure:

Sea urchins. I love those! We may need to have a glass blown treasure float made to keep these in... We love going here and watching Bob blow glass. Last year, he made us a float while we were watching and the kids chose the colors and all. Aaron loves glass blowing himself, and I can see Rachel getting into bead making one day!

Then we took a little hike to Cape Cove to go agate hunting.

Cape Cove Agate. A tiny piece. Native Americans used this to make arrow heads. Agates are beautiful, translucent rocks. Before the Ice Ages, silicates, oxides and metals were squeezed into existing earth forms to create these quartzes, also known as chalcedony. More oxides and minerals create the red, amber and blue tones, sometimes forming a banded or mottled pattern. Some agates contain fossilized clams, snails and shark's teeth.

About the name Perpetua:

Several early explorers sailed past the cape. The first recorded passage was by Bartolome Ferrelo in 1543; then came Sir Frances Drake in 1575 and Martin d'Aguilar in 1605. The cape was named by Captain James Cook on March 7, 1778 as he searched for the Pacific entrance to a Northwest Passage. Cook named the cape Perpetua because it was sighted on St. Perpetua 's Day.

I think an Orthodox Chapel there is in order! The guide was very happy to know that St. Perpetua was still commemorated.

In 1933, a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp was built at the foot of the cape just north of Cape Creek near where the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center is located today. The CCC constructed Cape Perpetua campground, a network of trails, and the West Shelter observation point near the top of cape.

The CCC boys at Cape Perpetua completed a number of projects within the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area including construction of the campground and numerous trails. The most well known CCC project completed is the West Shelter located on top of Cape Perpetua. The stone shelter was built for recreational purposes, as it provides a spectacular view of the Oregon coastline. Today, it is a popular viewpoint for whale watching.

So much more to read about the history of this area. I love it. We have been coming here every year for 6 years now and each year we learn more and more. The kids are really getting into it as well now that they are getting older. They loved the guided tour and the info.

Some more pics of our days were added here. Click on next to see a pic of us in the canoe and us hunting for agates. Thomas was once again naked...

Beach vacation!

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:07:42 GMT

Having a great time in Yachats again. Such a beautiful spot. Weather was horrible on Sunday, but it has cleared up and has been just beautiful.

Here the pics in the album so far. Click on a picture to see it bigger, click again to make it smaller. The album goes backwards... so keep clicking 'previous'. Is fixed now.

Today we also went canoeing, and I would love to go horseback riding but that might have to wait till next year. The sea lion cave is always amazing, though very expensive!