RADIANT COLLECTION SALE

Just a quick notice about the special three day Small Business Saturday sale, of all of the RADIANT COLLECTION items.

No discount code needed, the RADIANT COOKIES, RADIANT TEA and RADIANT COLLECTION (of tea and cookies) are each marked down 50% for the four day weekend (from Friday the 28th until Monday the 1st of December) encompassing Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. Enjoy!

RADIANT COOKIES, lactation cookies to help support a nursing mama's milk supply. A yummy snack that is good for you, your baby and your taste buds? Win!

RADIANT TEA to support a nursing mama's         milk supply. Brew, sip, nurse!

RADIANT COLLECTION, of RADIANT TEA and RADIANT COOKIES, each designed to support a nursing mama's milk supply. Tea and cookies? What's not to love!

A Day for Thanks

From my family to yours - Happy Thanksgiving! 

Lets hold our loved ones close, take a moment to be thankful for all we have, love a little deeper and count our blessings (even the ones that don't seem like blessings!)

Ariel's Story

What better way to start the week than with a birth story?!

Ariel's Story

by Mellisa

We had a little girl on 10/30 at 12:08 am. I had a successful home waterbirth. No interventions of any kind. It was also very fast. She weighed 7 lbs 5oz.and was 21 inches long.  She had a knot in her cord that did not affect anything. It was still pulsating when she came out.

I had on and off contractions since the first Monday in October when I accidentally eat spicy shrimp. Contractions finally became intense, but would not keep going and every contraction was painful at my pubic bone area, so I reached out to my chiropractor. I didn't think this was normal. Of course it was not. My pubic bone was not separating in the proper direction. I was past my due date as well. She did some manipulation and since I was past my due date she did some Logan Technique work. Kind of like a chiropractic induction. She said I probably didn't need it. That fixing my pubic bone would most likely do the trick, but because of how I had been contracting for the last few days we figured it wouldn't hurt. It was obvious the baby wanted to come out.

Contractions slowed down and were less intense for a while (my chiropractor had warned me this would happen). At about 9 pm that night they were back to intense and consistent with no pubic bone pain! At 9:30 I went to lay down and my husband did some back massage during each contraction. I attempted to find another position and ended up on my stomach as a contraction started! Ouch!! I got up and yelled for him to turn the shower on. It was about 10 pm. A few minutes later he called our Doula, Claire. She listened to me grunting and moaning in the shower and told him she was on her way.  She called our midwife on her way to our house for us to give her an update and advised her to make her way over as well. 

Claire arrived around 10:30 pm. My husband was working on the birthing pool and I was still in the shower. I am now thinking we are going to run out of hot water and turned down my hot water usage. However contractions are harder to handle when I got cold. I now felt the water temp drop and told Claire. She had Jon check the pool water and sure enough it was coming out cold. He started boiling water on the stove. 

Since the water was now cold I get out of the shower. I was cold and contractions were harder to handle. It is hard to relax when you are cold! - just in case you didn't know that. Lol! My midwife arrives at some point. I keep asking about the pool. 

I have most of my labor in the living room on the couch (don't worry it was covered in plastic just in case). At about 11:30 my midwife says if I still want to get in the pool, now would be a good time. I am beyond relieved and immediately move to the pool. As i get in the pool, I notice the assistant midwife arrives.  I get in and immediately feel so much better. I think I started pushing before I got in the pool because I now feel a sense that my duty is to get the baby out. I am on all fours. That ring of fire (the one I was not able to experience with my first) was no JOKE! (note - read here for the Birth Story of Mellisa's first birthing experience). Holy crap that burned. When it didn't let up for a few contractions and stayed there, negative "I can't" thoughts entered my mind. A lot of the affirmations were going through my head, but that didn't help so I spoke my "I can't" out loud. Immediately Claire (my Doula) started saying to me "You can and you are doing it". Jon gets in my face and says the same thing, but adds WE ARE doing it. I start repeating it and try to remember to not push like a crazy woman. 

Someone tells me to reach down and feel the head. I remember it feeling fuzzy. I thought hey it has some hair! Now come out! Then I hear "ok reach down and grab your baby". I do. And they say "Give a final push and your baby will be out". Sure enough one final push and the baby was out and in my arms. I kept hearing someone say "Do we know what it is?" I finally look and with shock-- It is a girl!  I am excited and surprised because I was so certain we were having a boy. 

I get out of the pool and cough ( literally) out the placenta. I nurse and eat my home cooked meal. We move to the bed room and do all the newborn checks while I am laying in my own bed  We burn the cord off.  Claire knows the person who is doing the placenta  encapsulation and notifies her that I gave birth. 

And that is pretty much everything. I am overly happy with the birth, although I do wish I could have been in the pool from the beginning. 

Long story for only 3 hrs of labor.  Not counting the start stop contractions.

If you are interested in sharing your Birth Story here on the Radiant Birth blog, feel free to Contact Me.

Taste Testers

At this stage most of you will probably know these two things about me.

- I sell cookies and tea to support the nursing mama's milk supply (click here for more details!), and

- I have three children.

It has taken me a while to work out why my kiddos love love love it when I have cookie orders that come in ... they get to eat any 'reject' cookies! (You know - the cookies that aren't quite the right shape, or a little too crispy, or what have you).

Lucky little pups!

Small Business Saturday

For the past month or so I've been selling my RADIANT COOKIES and RADIANT TEA (products to help support a nursing mama's milk supply) on eBay ... sales are good, and I'm really excited to share these with buyers all over the country.

Of course, it's always good to spread the word (and the cookies!) a little further, so I'll be offering all of the RADIANT items at 50% off for the upcoming Small Business Saturday weekend (Friday the 28th through till Sunday the 30th of November). WOW!!

Spread the word ... who can resist tea and cookies!

(No code needed, price will be adjusted for the three day period).

Weekend Links

A round up of a couple of articles I really enjoyed this week! Have a great weekend everyone!

Becoming Mom :: Mothering.com

Control or the Lack Thereof :: Attachment Parenting

'Second Night' Concept Advice for New Moms :: Marshfield News Herald

A Man's Guide to Doulas: Why She Wants One and Why You Should Too :: Doula Spot

Tomorrow's Birth Story Circle **CANCELLED**

**CANCELLED**

I have three very poorly kiddos in my home, and cannot in good conscience

invite mamas with little babies in.

I'll be posting reschedule details soon!

Just a quick note!

I still have spaces available for tomorrow's (Saturday the 22nd) Birth Story Circle. I limit the group to about half a dozen mamas so that this stays a small and cozy group. Babes in arms welcome!

More details are here!

 

RADIANT COLLECTION!

If you follow me on on Facebook (here!) you will have read about my upcoming line of lactation tea and cookies ... well, they're here!

I'm thrilled to announce the official launch of my RADIANT TEA and RADIANT COOKIES!

Yummy, hearty and nourishing snack and hot tea, which help support a mama's milk supply.

The cookies are a hearty snack, packed with chocolate chips, and breastmilk boosting ingredients such as oats, brewer's yeast and flax seeds. The tea is an earthy blend of borage, blessed thistle, red raspberry and fenugreek that can be enjoyed daily.

These are both available for purchase through eBay.

Loose leaf RADIANT TEA!

Each package contains 24 servings of tea, and contains Borage, 

Blessed Thistle, Red Raspberry and Fenugreek.

Click here for eBay link.

Yummy RADIANT COOKIES!

Each package contains one dozen hearty and yummy chocolate chip cookies, packed 

with lactation supporting goodies, such as oats, brewer's yeast and flax seeds.

Click here for eBay link.

And the RADIANT COLLECTION!

With a package each of the tea and cookies, this collection both items at a discounted price.

Click here for eBay link.

Weekend Links

A handful of articles I particularly enjoyed over the past week ... enjoy! And have a great weekend!!

Differences Between Nursing the First and Third Baby :: Dr. Psych Mom

The Often Overlooked Post-Partum Doula and Why You Need One :: Arbor Days

A New Mother Blessing :: Kindred

Parents, Stop "Training" Your Children :: The Washington Post