DIY Bug Off!

DIY Bug Away with Young Living Essential Oils.

Jen ate her placenta just like Kim Kardashian.

One of my APPA colleagues, Jennifer Mayer interviewed by New York Daily News!

http://m.nydailynews.com/life-style/ate-placenta-kim-kardashian-article-1.2466658?cid=bitly

 

 

Looking for Placenta Encapsulation in Los Angeles and surrounding areas? We’re here to help.

Cord Blood Banking: something to think about.

Dr Rachel Reed

Updated: February 2022

Archie Rigney and his mother Azure
(effective placental transfusion results in an empty white cord)

When I was a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed student midwife, I was awarded with a certificate and a box of chocolates. My achievement was collecting the most ‘cord’ blood in the hospital. At that time, the Local Health District was trialling a ‘cord’ blood bank. The collected blood was to be used for treating leukaemia and for research. Every woman birthing in the hospital was asked to donate ‘cord’ blood for the good cause, and many generously agreed. I was exceptionally good at collecting the blood. This post is a small attempt to repent for my sins.

‘Cord’ blood is baby’s blood

The term ‘cord blood’ is misleading. The blood collected via the umbilical cord is the baby’s blood. When adults donate blood it is collected via their arm. We don’t refer to that blood as…

View original post 1,431 more words

Video from a client.

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! Just to clarify a couple of things, the cost is actually $275 when clients arrange to drop off and pick up to my location and $350 when we do the picking up and dropping off, not $400. And the tincture can be used in conjunction with the capsules or when the capsules are gone. You use the tincture for the same reasons you would use the capsules, any time of trauma, transition, hormonal fluctuations, growth spurts for babe, milk supply issues. I also highly recommend starting your caps or tincture again at the 3rd, 6th and 9th month to help with those times.

http://youtu.be/z1pZYhjIDvg

Placenta Related Studies and Articles.

Traditional Chinese Medicine has used the placenta for thousands of years, I have prepared over 200 placentas now in my two and a half years of offering this service and my clients have benefited tremendously.  For those of you that need a bit more, here you go.

Placenta as a Lactagogon– Study on placenta and increased milk production
Soykova-Pachnerova E, et. al.(1954). Gynaecologia 138(6):617-627.

Placentophagia- A Biobehavioral Enigma
MARK B. KRISTAL, Received 2 February 1980. Neuroscience & Biohehavioral Reviews, Vol. 4, pp. 141–150.

Wound Healing Activity of Human Placental Extract in Rats
Acta Pharmacol Sin, 22 Dec 2001
Finding human placental extract has potent power of inducing collagenous growth indicating its proficiency in wound healing.

Effects of placentophagy on serum prolactin and progesterone concentrations in rats after parturition or superovulation
Blank MS, Friesen HG.: J Reprod Fertil. 1980 Nov;60(2):273-8.

Enhancement of opioid-mediated analgesia: A solution to the enigma of placentophagia
Mark B. Kristal
Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
Received 4 January 1991.

Placenta and Pain Relief
Jean M. DiPirro*, Mark B. Kristal

Hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone suppression during the postpartum period: implications for the increase in psychiatric manifestations at this time – Study showing low CRH Hormone levels post-birth – CRH (stress reducer hormone – found in high levels in the placenta)
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol 81, 1912-1917, Copyright © 1996 by Endocrine Society

Maternal Iron Deficiency Anemia Affects Postpartum Emotions and Cognition
John L. Beard,2 Michael K. Hendricks,* Eva M. Perez,* Laura E. Murray-Kolb, Astrid Berg,*
Lynne Vernon-Feagans,† James Irlam,* Washiefa Isaacs,* Alan Sive,* and Mark Tomlinson*
Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802; *School of
Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; and †School of Education,
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599

Have we forgotten the significance of postpartum iron deficiency?
Lisa M. Bodnar, PhD, MPH, RD,a,* Mary E. Cogswell, DrPH, RN,b
Thad McDonald, MDc

The Impact of Fatigue on the Development of Postpartum Depression
Elizabeth J. Corwin, Jean Brownstead, Nichole Barton,
Starlet Heckard, and Karen Morin

Iron supplementation for unexplained fatigue in non-anaemic women: double blind randomised placebo controlled trial
F Verdon, general practitioner1, B Burnand, senior lecturer2, C-L Fallab Stubi, pharmacist3, C Bonard, general practitioner1, M
Graff, general practitioner1, A Michaud, general practitioner1, T Bischoff, general practitioner1, M de Vevey, general practitioner1,
J-P Studer, general practitioner1, L Herzig, general practitioner1, C Chapuis, general practitioner1, J Tissot, general practitioner1,
A Pécoud, professor3, B Favrat, consultant of internal medicine3
BMJ  2003;326:1124 (24 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7399.1124

The Bridge of Life: Options for Placentas
Written by British midwife Kelly Graff; Published by Midwifery Today 2008

Placentophagia: Benefits of Eating the Placenta
Published June 28, 2007
by:Amy Weekley

Placenta consumption
Written for BabyCenter Singapore Approved by the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board

Medicinal Uses of the Placenta
The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS, a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA

Placenta: The Gift of Life

The Tree of Life
Hollywood Birth Centre Newsletter August 2009

The Amazing Placenta
By Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, About.com Guide

I’m Going to Eat My Placenta
posted by Kiri Westby Jun 28, 2010 5:08 pm

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Postpartum Depression:  Exploring the Signs, the Causes, the Remedies, and Theories in Natural Prevention

A Presentation by Alexandra Orchard

SOURCES:

I used the following sources to find most of the information I presented:

1. Ford, G.  Listening To Your Hormones.  Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing; 1997 (pages 30-31, 38-39, 61-81, 88-89, 106-107, 114-115, 154-157, 164-165, 170-191, 210-213, 305-319, and 384-385)
2. Bennett, S. S., & Indman, P. ,. (2006). Beyond The Blues. San Jose, CA: Moodswings Press.  Pages 32 and 34
3. KRISTAL, M.B. Enhancement of opioid-mediated analgesia: A solution to the enigma of placentophagia. NEUROSCI BIOBEHAV REV 15(3) 425-435, 1991
4. KRISTAL, M.B.  Placentophagia:  A Biobehavioral enigma  Neuroscience & Biohehavioral Reviews, Vol. 4, pp. 141–150.
5. Jean M. DiPirro, Mark B. Kristal, Placenta ingestion by rats enhances delta- and kappa-opioid antinociception, but suppresses mu-opioid antinociception Brain Research 1014 (2004) 22–33
6. Rice J. Medical Terminology with Human Anatomy. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.; 2005 pages 352-363)
7. Frye A. Holistic Midwifery, Vol 1.Portland, OR: Labrys Press; 2006 (p 188-198)
8. http://www.med.yale.edu/obgyn/kliman/placenta/articles/Plac%20Hormones.html
9. http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/reprod/placenta/endocrine.html

10.  http://books.google.com/books?id=Eh2HrXYqJJYC&pg=PA228&dq=Hormone+in+placental+tissue&cd=5#v=onepage&q=Hormone%20in%20placental%20tissue&f=false Normal human tissue and cell culture, Volume 2 By Curtis C. Harris, Benjamin Franklin Trump, Gary D. Stoner  PAGE 236

11.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13129686 Placenta. 2003 Sep-Oct;24(8-9):882-94.Trophoblast viability in perfused term placental tissue and explant cultures limited to 7-24 hours. Di Santo S, Malek A, Sager R, Andres AC, Schneider H. Universitäts-Frauenklinik Inselspital, Effingerstrasse 102, CH-3010 Berne, Switzerland.

12.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6609066 Endocrinol Exp. 1984 Mar;18(1):35-41. Immunoreactive oxytocin in human placental tissue. Nakazawa K, Makino T, Nagai T, Suzuki H, Iizuka R.

13.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9290148 Placenta. 1997 Sep;18(7):535-40.Thyroid hormone efflux from placental tissue is not stimulated during cell volume regulation. Mitchell AM, Manley SW, Mortimer RH. Conjoint Endocrine Laboratory, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Queensland, Australia.

14.  http://books.google.com/books?id=NR1Pcv4Dxs4C&pg=PA147&lpg=PA147&dq=thyroid+hormones+found+in+placental+tissue&source=bl&ots=HzPMSNEbVU&sig=3vQU3f54UtNix5odnF3e5VTavz0&hl=en&ei=cr9lS_uyCIXoM6q8veoG&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CA0Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=thyroid%20hormones%20found%20in%20placental%20tissue&f=false Pathology of the human placenta By Kurt Benirschke, Peter Kaufmann  4^th ed.Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.; New York.  page 147

15.  http://www.eje-online.org/cgi/reprint/147/6/785.pdf CLINICAL STUDY Pregnancy-associated and placental proteins in the placental tissue of normal pregnant women and patients with pre-eclampsia at term

Nick A Bersinger, Nigel Groome1 and Shanthi Muttukrishna2

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland, 1School of Biological and Molecular Sciences,

Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK and 2Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK

(Correspondence should be addressed to N A Bersinger, Reproductive and Perinatal Medicine Research Laboratory, Inselspital G3-855 KKL, Berne,

CH-3010, Switzerland; Email: nick.bersinger@dkf2.unibe.ch)

(Shanthi Muttukrishna is currently at Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College London, Royal Free–UCL Medical School,

London WC1E 6HX, UK)

16.  http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.ph.43.030181.001115

Annual Review of Physiology
Vol. 43: 163-188 (Volume publication date October 1981)
(doi:10.1146/annurev.ph.43.030181.001115)

Endocrine Physiology of the Placenta

E R Simpson, and P C MacDonald

17.  http://ajpregu.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/287/4/R894 Influence of gestational age and fetal iron status on IRP activity and iron transporter protein expression in third-trimester human placenta  Jenni Bradley,¹ Elizabeth A. Leibold,² Z. Leah Harris,³ Jane D. Wobken,¹ Stephen Clarke,⁴ Kimberly B. Zumbrennen,² Richard S. Eisenstein,⁴ andMichael K. Georgieff¹Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 287: R894-R901, 2004. First published June 3, 2004; doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00525.2003

18.  http://www.courseweb.uottawa.ca/medicine-histology/english/Reproduction/Placenta/Default.htm

19.  http://www.med.yale.edu/obgyn/kilman/placenta/articles/Plac%20Hormones.html

20.  Baby Blues-postpartum depression attributed to low levels of CRH after placenta is gone-brief article.  Discover, Dec, 1995

21.  BMJ  2003;326:1124 (24 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7399.1124 http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/326/7399/1124 © 2005 The American Society for Nutritional Sciences J. Nutr. 135:267-272, February 2005 http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/135/2/267

22.  Elizabeth J. Corwin, Jean Brownstead, Nichole Barton, Starlet Heckard, Karen Morin (2005) The Impact of Fatigue on the Development of Postpartum Depression Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing 34 (5) , 577–586 doi:10.1177/0884217505279997

23.  Soykova-Pachnerova,E.  “Placenta as Lactagogon” Gynecologia:  International monthly review of obstetrics and gynecology. 1954, pages 617-27

24.  http://www.premarin.org/estrogen.html

Now Offering Placenta Tinctures!

In addition to turning your placenta into capsules, I am also offering placenta tinctures at no additional fee!

Placenta tincture is an added bonus in that it can be used in addition to and long after the capsules are gone.  By tincturing a small piece of the placenta in a high grade alcohol, you can increase the length and benefits of your placenta for both mother and child.  The tincture can be used in any time of trauma, transition, emotional distress and for mother later in life during menopause and even turned into a homeopathic remedy!

It is recommended to allow the placenta to steep for at least six weeks before use.  The tincture is very shelf-stable if kept in a cool dark place such as a cupboard, and will last for many, many years.

If you are interested in having enough placenta tincture to last the lifetime of mother and child, you can continue to add 80 or 100 proof high grade alcohol (vodka) to the bottle as the tincture is used, never allowing it to get below half full, or even better, 3/4 full.

Dosage instructions:

– 7 drops of tincture can be put in a glass of water and drunk by the mother during times of transition, trauma, hormonal fluctuations, etc. after her placenta pills are gone.  Some women have reported using this placenta tincture to successfully treat the symptoms of postpartum depression, PMS and menopause.
– 3 – 5 drops can be given in water to the child when they are sick, getting sick or in a time of physical or emotional transition.  It can be given to a sibling as well but ideally, each child would have their own placenta tincture.

To make into a homeopathic remedy, take the sample of the strained placenta tincture to your Naturopathic Doctor or Homeopath and ask them to make it into at least 6C potency remedy for you or follow the directions found here to make the remedy yourself.  I have also recently found a homeopathic lab in England who will make individual placenta remedies for people.  If you are interested in that, I can send you their contact info and some general prices.

Once the tincture is diluted down to a homeopathic potency, it will be a constitutional remedy for the baby throughout her/his life. It could be used for many/any constitutional or unusual ailments except when a specific remedy is more appropriate (example: arnica is specific for bruising).  The placenta contains all one’s strengths and weakness so treating the child with this remedy will provide balance when there is imbalance.  It is like their personal reset button.

The 6C remedy could be used to promote general health, boost immunity, strengthen and balance the child. It may be given twice a day for a child who looks run down, pale, or their appetite needs a boost.  It can be given four times a day if the child seems to be coming down with something, has a runny nose or cough, etc.  It can also be taken as needed for times of transition or stress like colic, teething, weaning, separation anxiety, 1st day of school, etc.

For more chronic conditions such as autism, cancer or significant injury, a higher potency like 40C or even up to an M dilution would be necessary.  This would need to be done with the help and oversight of the child’s naturopath.

Disclaimer
The information on this page has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  The services I offer are not clinical, pharmaceutical, or intended to diagnose or treat any condition.  Families who choose to utilize the services on this page take full responsibility for researching and using the remedies.

The Lie of the EDD: Why Your Due Date Isn’t When You Think

Written by Misha Safranski

We have it ingrained in our heads throughout our entire adult lives-pregnancy is 40 weeks. The “due date” we are given at that first prenatal visit is based upon that 40 weeks, and we look forward to it with great anticipation. When we are still pregnant after that magical date, we call ourselves “overdue” and the days seem to drag on like years. The problem with this belief about the 40 week EDD is that it is not based in fact. It is one of many pregnancy and childbirth myths which has wormed its way into the standard of practice over the years-something that is still believed because “that’s the way it’s always been done”.

The folly of Naegele’s Rule

The 40 week due date is based upon Naegele’s Rule. This theory was originated by Harmanni Boerhaave, a botanist who in 1744 came up with a method of calculating the EDD based upon evidence in the Bible that human gestation lasts approximately 10 lunar months. The formula was publicized around 1812 by German obstetrician Franz Naegele and since has become the accepted norm for calculating the due date. There is one glaring flaw in Naegele’s rule. Strictly speaking, a lunar (or synodic – from new moon to new moon) month is actually 29.53 days, which makes 10 lunar months roughly 295 days, a full 15 days longer than the 280 days gestation we’ve been lead to believe is average. In fact, if left alone, 50-80% of mothers will gestate beyond 40 weeks.

Variants in cycle length

Aside from the gross miscalculation of the lunar due date, there is another common problem associated with formulating a woman’s EDD: most methods of calculating gestational length are based upon a 28 day cycle. Not all women have a 28 day cycle; some are longer, some are shorter, and even those with a 28 day cycle do not always ovulate right on day 14. If a woman has a cycle which is significantly longer than 28 days and the baby is forced out too soon because her due date is calculated according to her LMP (last menstrual period), this can result in a premature baby with potential health problems at birth.

The inaccuracy of ultrasound

First trimester: 7 days

14 – 20 weeks: 10 days

21 – 30 weeks: 14 days

31 – 42 weeks: 21 days

Calculating an accurate EDD

Recent research offers a more accurate method of approximating gestational length. In 1990 Mittendorf et Al. undertook a study to calculate the average length of uncomplicated human pregnancy. They found that for first time mothers (nulliparas) pregnancy lasted an average of 288 days (41 weeks 1 day). For multiparas, mothers who had previously given birth, the average gestational length was 283 days or 40 weeks 3 days. To easily calculate this EDD formula, a nullipara would take the LMP, subtract 3 months, then add 15 days. Multiparas start with LMP, subtract 3 months and add 10 days. The best way to determine an accurate due date, no matter which method you use, is to chart your cycles so that you know what day you ovulate. There are online programs available for this purpose (refer to links in resources section). Complete classes on tracking your cycle are also available through the Couple to Couple League.

ACOG and postdates

One of the most vital pieces of information to know when you are expecting is that ACOG itself (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) does not recommend interfering with a normal pregnancy before 42 completed weeks. This is why knowing your true conception date and EDD is very important; if you come under pressure from a care provider to deliver at a certain point, you can be armed with ACOG’s official recommendations as well as your own exact due date. This can help you and your baby avoid much unnecessary trauma throughout the labor and delivery. Remember, babies can’t read calendars; they come on their own time and almost always without complication when left alone to be born when they are truly ready.

Sources:

Mittendorf, R. et al., “The length of uncomplicated human gestation,” OB/GYN, Vol. 75, No., 6 June, 1990, pp. 907-932.

ACOG Practice Bulletin #55: Clinical Management of Post-term Pregnancy

Pregnancy Awareness Month™ (aka: PAM)

Declared and founded by author & holistic lifestyle expert Anna Getty, and co-founded by LCSW & mompreneur Alisa Donner, May 2010 marks the 3rd year of Pregnancy Awareness Month™ (PAM). Through PAM, Anna & Alisa aim to empower pregnant women and new parents with information, “how to” ideas and inspiration to incorporate PAM’s four key initiatives – education, exercise, nutrition & wellness and nurture – into their life routines and to show how easy it can be to make healthy changes in their lives, for themselves, and their children.

“My life was altered not only by the birth of my daughter, but by the experience and choices I made as I prepared my body, mind and spirit to become pregnant and the incredible inward journey of pregnancy itself. In PAM we have adopted the tagline: “Motherhood Begins Now,”™ and I really believe that. I took that message to heart before I actually became pregnant as a way to prepare my mind, body and household for this fabulous moment of creativity, and my life literally turned upside down, for the better.” (Anna Getty, March 2008)

PAM 2010 Events

“Motherhood Begins Now” Kick-Off Event:
Celebrating Motherhood & Mother Earth,
TreePeople & Pregnancy Awareness Month

12601 Mulholland Drive
Beverly Hills, 90210
Sunday May 2, 2010
12:30 – 4:00pm

PAM 2010 officially launches again this May with an inspiring FREE lifestyle event celebrating the four initiatives of our month-long campaign, in partnership with TreePeople, come on out and enjoy the fun!   “Motherhood Begins Now, Celebrating Motherhood & Mother Earth” will be hosted by PAM founder Anna Getty , Ricki Lake, Catherine McCord, Josie Maran, and Trista Sutter at TreePeople off Mulholland Drive in Coldwater Canyon Park (free shuttle parking at Harvard Westlake).  Attendees will be invited to participate in panel discussions with pregnancy, child development  and green lifestyle experts including reknowned pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene, author/filmaker Ricki Lake, actress Joely Fisher, and authors Elizabeth Rogers and Kim Barnouin.  A fabulous Pregnancy Fashion Show produced by Expecting Models will open with Grammy award winner, singer, songwriter, and the voice of Creed, Scott Stapp performing an acoustic rendition of “Arms Wide Open.”  Take a nature hike with mommy fitness expert Lisa Druxman or learn from Treepeople experts on planting, water conservation and more.  Ecostiletto & Bash Eco Events presents the Holistic Mommy Lounge Spa for your pampering pleasure. Enjoy tons of non-toxic toddler activities presented the Hot Mom’s Club.  Of course our sponsors & partners will have a focused area offering mommy-related & green product education and shopping!   Our day kicks-off with Trista Sutter & Jessica Denay’s book signing for The Hot Mom to Be Handbook at 1pm sharp!  (there is free shuttle from the Harvard Westlake parking lot, allot for extra time)  See you there!!

Stay tuned as each week of May will be devoted to one of the topics below challenging expecting women and new parents to make time to do something for themselves each week.  This information will be provided each week during the month of May via our weekly Twitter Parties & RadioBlogShows, Anna’s “PAM’s Blog” and our Online Newsletters directly to PAM participants. Click here to sign-up to participate!

• Week 1 – Education
• Week 2 – Exercise
• Week 3 – Nutrition & Wellness
• Week 4 – Nurture

ENTER TO WIN INCREDIBLE PRIZES

4 Twitter Parties in May – one to mark each week, attendees to include green, mom and celebrity bloggers.  Follow us now on Twitter at PregAwareness

Facebook Fan Page Contest & Sponsor Giveaways! Become a fan of Pregnancy Awareness Month on FB to stay on top of the happenings.  We’ll be giving away prizes and sharing life-changing information.

Pregnancy Awareness Month Internet Radio – LIVE BROADCASTS and podcasts on topics close to the heart for pregnant and newly parenting women and families.  Stay tuned for broadcast details and dates.  Anyone can listen and call-in.

Don’t forget to follow Anna on PAM’s Blog and sign up for our online newsletter.  Click here to find out more!

PAM’s Four Motherhood Begins Now events for 2010 – Check out an event near you!

Los Angeles May 2nd	San Diego May 7th	Orange County May 15th	Atlanta May 22nd-23rd

Sponsors

PAM is grateful to our wonderful sponsors.
Contact us to learn more about being a PAM partner/sponsor.

Vaginal Birth Better for Breech Babies Says Canadian Doctors

by Jennifer Lance on June 19, 2009

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada has announced that c-sections are no longer recommended for breech babies!

This is contrary to common practice in North America, in which very few doctors or midwives will attempt a vaginal delivery on a breech baby.  A c-section is automatically dictated for these babies who want to come out feet first.  Canada plans to train doctors in breech vaginal delivery following the new recommendation.  Carla Wintersgill writes for Globe and Mail:

Since 2000, C-sections have been the preferred method of delivery in breech births. Studies suggested that breached births were associated with an increased rate of complication when performed vaginally.  As a result, many medical schools have stopped training their physicians in breech vaginal delivery…With the release of the new guidelines, the SOGC will launch a nationwide training program to ensure that doctors will be adequately prepared to offer vaginal breech births..The new approach was prompted by a reassessment of earlier trials. It now appears that there is no difference in complication rates between vaginal and cesarean section deliveries in the case of breech births…Cesarean sections, in which incisions are made through a mother’s abdomen and uterus to deliver the baby, can lead to increased chance of bleeding and infections and can cause further complications for pregnancies later on.

70% of breech babies can be delivered safely without surgical intervention, according to Dr. André Lalonde.

My daughter was breech up until eight months in utero. We had our breech scare that the homebirth we envisioned would not be possible, but with the help of some exercises, she turned. We also could not find a doctor that would attempt a vaginal breech delivery, should we have to go that route.  I have two friends that have successfully delivered breech babies vaginally, only because they did not make it to the hospital in time for a c-section.

This change in Canadian policy is exciting and reflects the importance of natural childbirth choices for families, no matter what the baby’s orientation.

Image:  MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia