Posts Tagged ‘Health’
Spotlight article – The importance of physical touch in schools
September 4th, 2009 | 
Author: Related to yesterdays blog about touch and bonding I came across this article about touch between teachers and pupils. It is a well written article that gets you thinking.
The importance of physical touch in a school environment
Would love to hear your thoughts on this subject, how do you feel about physical contact from your child’s educators … or lack thereof? Would a no contact rule be beneficial to our children or like me do you think that we would be damaging and disadvantaging our children in the long run all in the interest of keeping them safe from the risk of inappropriate touch.
I have always had a personal rule to trust my children’s innate instinct and to never force them to greet an adult they don’t want to. It is embarrassing at times and I have found myself being apologetic or trying to cover up what is perceived as rudeness but have recently again had this highlighted to me – if your child does not want to greet or have contact with an adult you need to respect that desire irrespective of who that person is – your child has their reasons and that instinct to stay away is what will keep them safe if you respect and nurture it.
Posted in Activities with kids, Health, Parenting, Spotlight Articles | 
Tags: Bonding, For Kids, Health, Parenting, Spotlight | 
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Aromatherapy During Labor
Aromatherapy has been found to be beneficial in labour to reduce to reduce anxiety and pain – most commonly used oils are lavender, frankinsence and rose though there are others (see article below). It is important to use a scent you enjoy and to use in moderation as your senses are heightened in labour.
I liked the suggestions in this article by Nancy Eggleston because they give a lighter application and alternatives to the direct applying to the skin in the form of oils which can be limiting – I am careful about using oils specifically for women wanting to birth in water. Women in labour have heightened senses so what was pleasant can suddenly bother them as labour progresses – having a scent or oil on your skin that you cannot easily wash off can be very distracting and cause discomfort and even nausea.
(parts taken from Creative Uses for Aromatherapy During Labor – by Nancy Eggleston)
If you have never used aromatherapy before, begin slowly and test some of the many aromatic scents ahead of time. Remember, your senses may be heightened during labor.
Soothing and healing properties to choose from:
– Geranium, rosemary, lavender and chamomile have pain relieving and relaxant effects.
– Lavender is very balancing and calming. It is also very good for headaches.
– Geranium supports circulation and breathing, and boasts antidepressant effects.
– Neroli is a very good anti-depressant, but it also helps with anxiety, fear and apprehension.
– Rose is considered a very feminine oil and is used as a uterine tonic which supports labor.
– Jasmine is uplifting and yet balancing.
– Bergamot is calming and relaxing.
– Ylang Ylang is a strong scent – be certain that you find it pleasing ahead of time. I happen to love it, but may not have during labor. If you do enjoy this scent, it is a good choice for helping to lower blood pressure. It can be soothing and relaxing.
Suggestions on how to use aromatherapy in labour:
o Make a spritzer by combining one or two drops of an essential oil listed above and 120ml of water. Pour into a clean, small spray bottle and shake well. Store in the refrigerator until labor day. You can adjust the amount of oil later if you find that you want a drop or two more.
o If you are allowed to bathe during labor, spritz into the water for a soothing and relaxing soak.
o Spritz on a pretty handkerchief and pamper yourself – how special is that?! You can hold it, twist it, wipe yourself with it, and share with your birthing partner when you’ve had enough.
o Spray into the birthing room gently to soften and freshen the air around you.
o Spritz on your feet for a clean, fresh feeling. Peppermint is a good choice for your feet as it is cooling and refreshing. Your feet are far enough away from your nose that the smell may be ignored if it bothers you later. Chances are, the scent will be gone quickly.
o Choose a soft, pure cotton handkerchief or washcloth. Fold it over, sew up three sides and fill halfway with a mixture of rice and one tablespoon of dried lavender. Sew up the third side. Place in the freezer or in an air-tight plastic bag and set in an ice chest. This can be placed over your eyes for relaxation. (See Aromatherapy for Labor & Childbirth for chakra centers and place over each one during labor stages.) Other herbs to choose from are: dried orange or grapefruit peel, dried and crumbled rose petals, dried chamomile or raspberry leaves. Make several of these and keep a few ready to microwave in case you feel chilled.
o Fill a new, soft, cotton tube sock with approximately 1/2 cup of rice and one or two tablespoons of dried lavender so that the amount fits neatly into the palm of your hand like a round ball. (Lavender is antiseptic and it is very soothing for aching backs and limbs.) Cut, and sew up the open end. Your birth partner can use this to rub the small of your back if you have back labor. This item can also be made by sewing about a half inch above the filled rice, then tying a knot at the top of the sock. Hold the sock in the palm of your hand, with the knotted end coming up between your thumb and first finger. It makes a nice “handle.”
o Fill a square piece of muslin fabric with a mixture of rolled oats and lavender or other dried herb. Pull corners up and tie tightly with a ribbon or string. Rub gently on your tummy, legs, back or neck. The oats are calming and soothing, as are the dried herbs.
o Fill a small bowl with hot water and a few drops of your choice of essential oils above. Set somewhere in the room where it can be enjoyed, yet easily removed.
o Add a drop or two of essential oil to a very natural, unscented body lotion. Some bath shops carry these, or you can make your own easily using recipes from Janice Cox’s Natural Beauty books. Keep handy and ask your birthing partner to rub on your feet, back or legs during labor.
Essential Oils to stay clear of during pregnancy (note some may be used during labour though) :
Basil, clary sage, cedarwood, cypress, fennel, jasmine, juniper, lemongrass, marjoram, myrrh, origanum, parsley, peppermint, rose, rosemary and thyme
Kefir
While reading about all things healthy and always being on the look out for stuff to try I came across Kefir. I started asking around at health shops and trying to see if I could find anyone that had some to share but most people did not even know what I was talking about. Quite by chance I asked at one health shop after I had almost given up hope of finding any and not only did the lady know what I was talking about she had a number of where I could get some from.
So if after reading this you like the idea of kefir and want try it please feel free to contact me and I will happily share mine with you. Once your own batch starts to grow be sure to share it with others.
So what is it and why should you try get your hands on some.
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What is Kefir?
Kefir is a fermented milk drink. The word kefir is said to have originated from the Turkish word “Keif” which means “good feeling”.
Kefir Grains are white or cream coloured grains that look a bit like cauliflower florets and they ferment milk. This grain is a like culture of more than 30 microflora that form grains or cauliflower-like structures in the milk. As they ferment the milk they grow creating new grains. Real kefir from live culture is an endlessly self-propagating process. So as your grains multipy you will have enough to share with others.
Microorganisms present in the grains include lactic acid bacteria, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lb delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lb helveticus, Lb casei subsp. pseudoplantarum and Lb brevis, a variety of yeasts, such as Kluyveromyces, Torulopsis, and Saccharomyces, acetic acid bacteria among others. They give kefir excellent keeping qualities by keeping putrifying bacteria that might otherwise colonise the milk at bay. They’ve been shown to inhibit both salmonella and E. Coli in laboratory tests.
Kefir and Health
Okay so this is the why part, why would you want to get some of these little grains to ferment your milk?
Kefir helps restore the balance in gut flora and has many reputed health benefits. It has antibiotic and antifungal properties. It has been used to help in many conditions including metabolic disorders, atherosclerosis, allergies, tuberculosis, cancer, poor digestion, candidiasis, osteoporosis, hypertension, HIV and heart disease. While it might seem strange to drink something with yeast in for a condition like candidiasis it helps restore natural balance, the micro elements kill of the Candida Albicans.
In addition to beneficial bacteria and yeast, kefir contains many vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. Particularly calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, B2 and B12, vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin D. Tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in kefir, is well known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Because kefir also has an abundance of calcium and magnesium, also important minerals for a healthy nervous system, kefir in the diet can have a particularly calming effect on the nerves.
Even many lactose intolerant people can tolerate Kefir as long as it is raw and not cooked, and it is usually of great benefit to them.
Research into Kefir:
How to make it:
A Link Between Prenatal Ultrasound and Autism?
The cause of autism has been pinned on everything from “emotionally remote” mothers (since discredited) to vaccines, genetics, immunological disorders, environmental toxins and maternal infections. Today most researchers theorize that autism is caused by a complex interplay of genetics and environmental triggers. A far simpler possibility worthy of investigation is the pervasive use of prenatal ultrasound, which can cause potentially dangerous thermal effects.
Health practitioners involved in prenatal care have reason to be concerned about the use of ultrasound. Although proponents point out that ultrasound has been used in obstetrics for 50 years and early studies indicated it was safe for both mother and child, enough research has implicated it in neurodevelopmental disorders to warrant serious attention.
At a 1982 World Health Organization (WHO) meeting sponsored by the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) and other organizations, an international group of experts reported that “[t]here are several frequently quoted studies that claim to show that exposure to ultrasound in utero does not cause any significant abnormalities in the offspring. … However, these studies can be criticized on several grounds, including the lack of a control population and/or inadequate sample size, and exposure after the period of major organogenesis; this invalidates their conclusions….”
Early studies showed that subtle effects of neurological damage linked to ultrasound were implicated by an increased incidence in left-handedness in boys (a marker for brain problems when not hereditary) and speech delays. Then in August 2006, Pasko Rakic, chair of Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Neurobiology, announced the results of a study in which pregnant mice underwent various durations of ultrasound. The brains of the offspring showed damage consistent with that found in the brains of people with autism. The research, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, also implicated ultrasound in neurodevelopmental problems in children, such as dyslexia, epilepsy, mental retardation and schizophrenia, and showed that damage to brain cells increased with longer exposures.
Dr. Rakic’s study, which expanded on prior research with similar results in 2004, is just one of many animal experiments and human studies conducted over the years indicating that prenatal ultrasound can be harmful to babies. While some questions remain unanswered, based on available information, health practitioners must seriously consider the possible consequences of both routine and diagnostic use of ultrasound, as well as electronic fetal heart monitors, which may be neither non-invasive nor safe. If pregnant women knew all the facts, would they choose to expose their unborn children to a technology that—despite its increasingly entrenched position in modern obstetrics—has little or no proven benefit?
— Caroline Rodgers
Excerpted from “Questions about Prenatal Ultrasound and the Alarming Increase in Autism,” Midwifery Today, Issue 80
View table of contents / Order the back issue
Read the full article on our Web site at: Midwifery Today
What are your thoughts – is it something you have heard of or thought about, does it make you reconsider scans or at least how many scans you have? Have we in true human fashion started using to our detriment a medical tool which was created to be used in emergencies or only when necessary and made it the norm for their convenience and our ‘fun’? Why do we have scans every visit here in SA and do we have a choice in how the obstetricians examine us (not should we but DO we)?
I had 2-3 scans both pregnancies (the visits I was at the gynae) – it was what he did and I did not question it. It was nice I suppose in some superficial ways but I never really got a thrill from seeing that little blur on the screen – now the first time i heard their heart beat at the midwife it all became real — there is no better sound than that amazing gallop of your babies heart beat.
I don’t see scans as necessary on a routine basis, in general the scan could tell me no more about my baby than what my midwife could through more hands on examination. (I never wanted to find out my babies gender pre-birth. That was their special secret and surprise to keep till they arrived).
I never really thought of the dangers of the scans to our babies at the time and I did appreciate the last scans before the birth which in the one indicated a few minor complications and the second set my mind at ease that all was perfect for going weeks longer -but I did feel it made the examination rather impersonal and rushed in comparison to those I had with our midwife. Not sure what I would have done had I known of these concerns prior to my pregnancies – maybe I would have still gone the same route … I dont know.
