It may alarm you to realise that in countries such as Australia and America there are very limited regulations on the safety of which chemicals* are used in household and beauty products, and that this lack of protection can have a significant impact on not only your health, but also your babies and even your grand babies.

Chemicals that we are exposed to can be pass through our to offspring, and can even cross generations. This can unfortunately have a mutli-generational effect on health and fertility. Fertility rates are declining through generations and while there are many factors responsible for this, chemical exposure that passes through to our babies and affects their fertility and their children’s fertility is something that we need to become educated about and take responsibility for.

In a article I have written for Casa de Karma I discuss the benefits of reducing and removing chemical exposure from your diet and lifestyle, for both yourself and for your children. You can read a preview below, or click the link to read the full article which also discusses the relationship between chemicals and genetics, which chemicals to watch out for, the effect of chemicals of sperm health and some ways to reduce chemical exposure.

Read the full article here: http://casadekarma.com.au/why-choose-chemical-free-products-mum-baby/

Chemicals found in newborns

A study by the Environmental Working Group in 2005 examined the umbilical cord blood of 10 newborn babies and found a total of 287 chemicals, with an average of 200 chemicals present per baby. 28 of these were waste byproducts such as Formaldehyde, PCBs, Mercury, Petroleum and Dioxin 1, 4. 47 of these were consumer products such as Bisphenol A, Dioxins, Pthalates, Triclosan, Brominated Flame retardants, Pesticides and Preservatives.  Of these, 212 chemicals and pesticides had actually been banned or restricted in use 30+ years ago, giving us a scary insight into how chemicals can be stored in our bodies and be passed onto our offspring despite not having current exposure to them.

Other studies have shown that many of these chemicals were passed down the line from the grandmothers generation, however the chemicals were present in higher amounts in the children, suggesting that they are transferred across the placenta and breastmilk.

A precautionary approach

What does this mean? One of the lessons I take from this information is that chemicals which are currently viewed as safe but are not inert, are still best to avoid, as many of the harmful chemicals detected in this test were at one stage viewed as safe.

In Australia, the approach to chemical regulation is different to countries more progressive in this area – an absolute evidence of harm is required before a chemical is removed by use in Australia, compared to the EU where a more precautionary principle is in place – they believe that “When human activities may lead to morally unacceptable harm that is scientifically plausible but uncertain, action shall be taken to avoid or diminish that harm.”

In order to navigate this lack of protection we must take more responsibility ourselves.

Penelope Jagessar said in her Ted Talk: The Toxic Baby “It is only a parent’s awareness that stands between chemicals and our children”…

You can read the rest of the article here: http://casadekarma.com.au/why-choose-chemical-free-products-mum-baby/

*I would like to address the often presented argument that “everything is a chemical”. I agree that this is very close to the truth (with the exception of sound and light which is actually matter). However, in this article I am using the term chemicals for the sake of convenience, and actually referring to toxic and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, substances which are known or suspected to be capable of interfering with hormone receptors, hormone synthesis or hormone conversion which are in commercial use and have been proven or suspected of contributing to disease and dysfunction in humans, and chemicals which have shown to cause damage in ways such as mitochondrial dysfunction, neurodevelopmental toxicity, immune toxicity, oxidative stress and various levels of inflammation.

The post Why You Should Choose Chemical-Free Products For You & Your Baby appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

This article was published in Great Health Guide magazine in April (Part 1) and June (Part 2) 2016

You’ve just had a baby..

Firstly, congratulations on achieving the amazing feat of building a tiny human within yourself. You’ve just made it through 9 months of pregnancy which for some women can be a tough slog dealing with various degrees of unpleasantness such as morning sickness, fatigue, fluid retention and back pain. And then you gave birth – whether it was a vaginal birth or a c-section, you were incredibly brave and strong.

During all this time, care and attention has been directed at you. You quite likely tried very hard to eat well and you took your vitamins regularly with the intention of growing a healthy baby. Perhaps if you were lucky you were pampered with foot rubs, back massages and relaxing baths to soothe your aches and pains. You may have even attended pregnancy yoga or Pilates classes, aquarobics, or walked more regularly than you did before you were pregnant.

But now your baby has arrived and suddenly there’s not as much time to look after yourself, but it’s just as important to look after yourself now as it was while you were pregnant. In this two part article I will share with you some ways which you can look after yourself without sacrificing too much of your time.

Things that new mums can do to take care of themselves

Take an hour just for yourself each week.

Recent research has found that new mothers who take at least one hour of time for themselves each week significantly reduce their chances of experiencing postnatal depression. How you spend this time is up to you, but if you need ideas, perhaps you could consider getting a massage, taking a relaxing bath, going for a long walk, attending a yoga class, going shopping, seeing a movie or sitting in the park reading a book.

Don’t stop talking your vitamins.

You need to be getting an abundance of nutrients just as much now as you did while you’re pregnant, this is especially so if you are breastfeeding. You lose a lot of minerals, including zinc and iron, while you are giving birth so it’s important to replace them.

Zinc has a lot of roles in the body but most notably for new mums it helps to keep your hormones balanced. Good levels of zinc also help wound healing and reduce nipple damage from breastfeeding.

Iron levels can drop if you lose a lot of blood during birth, and this mineral is important for energy and immune health.

Magnesium and B vitamins are also very important for new mothers as they help with energy, mood and relaxation.

In the last two trimesters of pregnancy and during breastfeeding you give Baby a lot of calcium to help build their bones, and if you’re not eating enough this can be broken down from your bones so it is important you’re getting enough. Calcium, along with magnesium is also important for muscle and nerve health and low levels can contribute towards tension.

While it’s possible to get plenty of nutrients from food sources alone, new Mums often struggle to find the time to eat well and so it is recommended to take a supplement as an insurance against deficiency. Talk to your healthcare practitioner about which supplements may be best for you.

Breathe to be calm

Meditation, mental stillness, or mindfulness comes in many forms, but my favourite way of calming the mind is to simply focus on the breath. Sit in a quiet spot, breathe through your nose slowly and by concentrating on the action of breathing, other thoughts are swept away.

This may be something you can do during a nap time, or if you have someone who can watch Baby for a little while. I would suggest to take 5-10 minutes a day to do this by yourself as well as while you are putting Baby down to sleep. If you are feeling anxious or your mind is occupied with other tasks that you need to do, it will drag the process out as Baby will pick up on your state of mind.

Part 2

Being a new mother can be a wonderful experience, but if you are feeling poorly then it can be difficult to enjoy this time to the fullest. Taking care of your mind and body will allow you to cope with the stresses placed on you during this time (such as sleep deprivation) and will also have a flow on effect to improve the health of Baby.

In part 1 of this article I shared some key ways to care for yourself after having a baby including taking time for yourself, practicing mental stillness and ensuring you were obtaining adequate nutrition. Read on below for some more ways to care for yourself after having a baby.

Meal prep.

It’s not uncommon for new mums to sacrifice their good eating habits due to lack of time to cook, often resorting to take away food or quickly thrown together meals that don’t contain the variety of nutrients that a new mother needs.

If possible start making and freezing some healthy meals while you are pregnant, but if you haven’t been able to do this you can start meal prepping now.

In addition to freezing meals in advice, you can also try the following ways of building up your meal reserves.

• Make extra servings for dinner and set it aside for lunch the next day.
• Take an hour or two a week to make a big meal that you can separate into portions and freeze.
• Set your breakfast up ready to go the night before.
• Organise to get your groceries delivered either by ordering from companies which ship variety boxes or online supermarket ordering. Ideally start this before you’ve given birth so that you don’t have to stress about it afterwards.
• Ask some friends or family members to bring you some meals.

When deciding what to cook, I have found it best to have a meal which can be eaten with one hand and wasn’t too hot, I often held my baby on my lap while eating – a newborns schedule is rather unpredictable.

Move and stretch.

5-10 minutes every day, perhaps while you’re in the shower or before you go to bed, stretch your neck, your arms, your back and your sides. You can find plenty of short yoga routines that you could follow on YouTube. Try to make this a daily ritual.

Lifting, holding and feeding baby can take its toll on your body, and muscle tension can lead to poor mood, poor sleep and reduced milk supply. If possible get a monthly massage to aid in the reduction of muscle tension as well.

After the first 6 weeks aim to go for a walk (take Baby with you!) every 1-2 days for about 30 minutes. It’s a great way to get some fresh air and a change of scenery, but walking is also an excellent way to keep fit without placing strain on damaged and tired muscles from pregnancy, childbirth or C-section.

Talk to other grown ups

It’s so easy to lock yourself away with Baby and forego spending time with other friends and family, and when the excitement of new baby wears away visitors start to dwindle, so it comes to you to reach out for interaction with your grown up friends. I consider this to be an important for a few reasons: it helps you to maintain relationships which so easily can dissolve during this period of life, it keeps you mentally active and it gives you an opportunity to talk about how you are feeling and coping.

In addition to keeping in contact with your existing friends, I recommend making connections with other mothers by joining local mothers groups or perhaps attend ABA meetings.

Follow your intuition.

‘Back in the day’ we used to have a network, or village, of people surrounding us that provided guidance when we had doubts about child-rearing. But now we are not surrounded by this small intimate group of trusted people, instead we have the Internet.

This can be both a blessing and a curse as while we can usually find an answer within minutes to questions such as “Why does my newborn squeak/snort/poo green” etc., it’s easy to come across comments or articles that make you feel inadequate or judged.

There are likely to be plenty of friends, family or acquaintances that will tell you what worked for them as well, but remember that this may not always be the best thing for you.

It’s great to get information but there is rarely one right way to do things so trust your own intuition and do what’s right for you and your baby.

Trust your own intuition and do what’s right for you and your baby.

Taking care of yourself as a new mother is just as important as taking care of Baby – you need to be well enough to care for Baby after all. Look after your body by eating well and keeping active, and look after your mind by practicing mental stillness and maintaining contact with friends and family.

The post Self Care for New Mothers appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

The next round of Group Infant Massage Classes are open for bookings.

These are group classes where you will learn to massage your infant, going through the theory and practical of infant massage in 4 x 1 hour classes. Located in Windsor, NSW.

For more information on the benefits of Infant Massage click here

For FAQs click here

Bookings are essential – find links below.

Private Infant Massage classes also available here

August/September Class

10:00am Friday, August 19, 2016
10:00am Friday, August 26, 2016
10:00am Friday, September 2, 2016
10:00am Friday, September 9, 2016

BOOK HERE

November/December Class

10:00am Thursday, November 17, 2016
10:00am Thursday, November 24, 2016
10:00am Thursday, December 1, 2016
10:00am Thursday, December 8, 2016

BOOK HERE

The post Upcoming Infant Massage Classes appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

It can be extremely upsetting for parents to realise their babies are experiencing reflux, and they are often left feeling helpless. Sometimes it can be difficult to get assistance or advice, but luckily there are plenty of options.

Gastro-oesophageal reflux (or simply ‘reflux’) is when contents from the stomach — including stomach acid — are spontaneously passed into the oesophagus, causing a lot of discomfort. You can tell if your baby is suffering from reflux through symptoms such as regurgitation, possetting and projectile vomiting, but a child can experience reflux without any of these symptoms presenting as well.

It can be helpful to remember that as the infants digestive system is not adequately developed until they start eating solids (not that this should be rushed into) almost all babies will experience some form of reflux. It is not always a problem, as often the pH of the contents of a babies stomach is not acidic enough to cause damage, but it can be frustrating when an entire feed is lost and baby is then hungry again.

Most babies will grow out of reflux by the 3rd or 4th month however in some cases it doesn’t just go away; instead, it ends up causing far worse complications. This is more common when issues such as pyloric stenosis is present.

Common treatment for reflux in babies include the prescription of medications which reduce stomach acid production. While this can provide symptomatic relief it should not be used long term as it can result in deficiencies of magnesium, iron, vitamin B12, can affect kidney function and cause imbalances in the important microbiome. Coming off these medications cannot be done quickly, as the stomach acid can rebound and worsen symptoms.

Unfortunately there is limited research on the use of these medications, but as many parents and doctors feel the pressure to do something to help, they are very commonly prescribed. In some instances the baby grows out of reflux not long after the use of these medications is started, and parents associate the improvements with the medication and are then afraid to stop it.

I have compiled some information on factors that can be considered to support reflux, but it is advisable to consult with a health professional to obtain individualised advice.

Diet

Occasionally breastfed babies become colicky because of something in their mother’s diet. Some mums find that if they stop drinking cow’s milk and other dairy products, the situation improves. If you’re breastfeeding, try cutting out dairy products for a few days to see if that makes a difference. If your baby’s colic improves, you have your culprit. If not, don’t give up hope — and at least you won’t need to deprive yourself of butter.

Some breastfed babies seem to be bothered if mum indulges in a lot of spicy food, wheat products, or cruciferous vegetables. Again, to test if these foods are making your baby uncomfortable, avoid eating cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, caffeine, alcohol, and other irritants for a few days. If your baby seems better, reintroduce the foods into your diet, one at a time, allowing a few days between reintroductions. It should be fairly easy to pinpoint which one is causing your baby problems: if he starts fussing again after a food is reintroduced, then you’ll know that’s the offending substance. You’ll have to abstain from it until your baby outgrows his sensitivity, which usually at around 3 months, but that’s a small price to pay for a happy child.

I don’t recommend eliminating too many foods at once, as this can be a stressful period at the best of times. In addition it can make it more challenging to identify foods which are the culprits when too much is eliminated at once.

 Irritating Foods in Order of commonness

1. Dairy (Dairy alternatives – Rice milk, oat milk, almond milk, quinoa milk)
2. Chilli and spicy foods
3. Wheat
4. Caffiene e.g. tea and coffee
5. Sulphur containing vegies e.g. broccoli, brussel sprouts, garlic
6. Alcohol
7. Food additives and preservatives
8. Soy
9. Mint

Digestive Health

Giving baby some probiotics can help (mix the powder in with a little breast milk or water and the herb slippery elm and squirt a little into his mouth, or ideally supplement via the mother) as this restores the microflora balance, improving their immunity and digestive health.  It’s important to give baby the good bacteria if they were caesarean born, or are not breastfed. Lactose Dairy protein intolerance is one of the biggest causes of colic/reflux, and probiotics can help their little tummies handle this a bit more.

Edit: Through personal and clinical experience I have found that lactose intolerance is over diagnosed in babies. It is actually normal for babies to have some lactose pass through their stools undigested, and the presence in stools is often used to diagnose lactose intolerance. Lactose is the key carbohydrate in breast milk, it is actually extremely rare for an infant to be truly lactose intolerant. What this may be getting confused with is lactose overload, where mothers have an oversupply of milk and are providing too much foremilk rather than the fattier hindmilk. This issue can be corrected with breastfeeding technique adjustment, but it will also improve with time. Some cases may be due to a reaction to the casein protein, which can improve if mother reduces her intake of dairy. If it is lactose intolerance it does not matter how much dairy mother has, as the breasts will regulate their own lactose production.

Always remember if they’ve have to take antibiotics to take probiotics otherwise they can get thrush.

Slippery elm is fantastic for soothing pain as well.  Mix a little of the powder with some water or breast milk and syringe it into their mouths. Start with a pinch and see how that goes.

If possible, my preference is for the mother to supplement with the probiotic LGG which passes through the breastmilk.

Natural Remedies

• Probiotics (use a strain specific to infants) or mother take the LGG strain of probiotic
• Slippery Elm powder
• Herbal tincture of herbs such Meadowsweet, Fennel, Chamomile, Parsley root and Marshmallow
• Weak, luke-warm tea of fennel seeds (crushed) and chamomile (remember to strain well and test temperature)

Breastfeeding Issues

The incidence of reflux is similar in both formula-fed and breastfed infants, but reflux episodes in breastfed infants are less frequent and shorter than those in formula-fed infants. Breastfed infants have more quiet sleep (when reflux rarely occurs). Breastmilk is also significantly less damaging than formula if aspirated (inhaled). Breastmilk is more nutritious and easily digested. It is much quicker, easier and cheaper to give an extra breastfeed than to prepare extra bottles of formula, especially when many babies with reflux are erratic feeders. Regurgitated breastmilk doesn’t smell as bad as regurgitated formula.

Positioning

Babies with reflux are often helped if fed in a more upright position than is usual – you may need to experiment with different positions. Some mothers have found that having the baby sitting facing the breast while straddled across mum’s leg or cuddled against the side of the sofa, facing the breast can be helpful. Others have found that instead of cradling their baby around their body, they can cradle the baby down the body. To do this, some mothers feed twin-style, while others feed standing up. After a feed, keep baby upright and still – many mums find putting baby on their shoulder keeps him happier.

How frequently to feed

Some babies do better with smaller, more frequent feeds. (This causes less pressure on the oesophageal sphincter.) They may not want both breasts at each feed, or may do better if offered only one side, but more frequently. Other babies have coped with being fed from one breast only, and if requiring a top-up within the hour, being given the same breast, encouraged to have a sleep, then being fed from the other breast. It is recommended that the breast is drained at each feed to ensure your baby gets both the more watery (fore)milk and the more creamy (hind)milk, and to reduce the risk of blocked ducts. Continuous or very frequent feeding is generally not recommended.

As reflux episodes are greatest within the hour or so after feeds, some babies may prefer a larger feed less often. These babies may prefer to feed from both breasts at each feed, and have a longer interval between feeds. You may like to experiment to see if any of these methods helps your baby.

Breastfeeding information obtained from: http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/reflux.html

Diaper Changing Technique

Before a baby has learnt to crawl they can be prone to subluxation of their lower vertebrae, brought on by certain methods of diaper changing. When this occurs the nerve that flows to the digestive system can be affected, sometimes worsening reflux and colic.  A visit to a osteopath or chiropractor skilled in helping babies can correct this, but you can prevent it from happening by using a different diaper changing technique. When changing the diaper support their chest with one hand and roll the baby side to side to clean and change the diaper, rather than lifting their bottom up by the ankles.  It may take longer to do this however this can help to reduce colic and reflux by promoting good nerve flow to the digestive system.

Infant Massage

Massage therapy has been used for centuries to help with pain, injury and illness, and infant massage in particular has been found to benefit not only physical health, but also the emotional and psychological health of babies.

With regular massage, infants experience improved function of the respiratory and digestive systems, reduced levels of stress hormones, enhanced cognitive ability, reduced crying and better, more regular sleep. Not only that, but infant massage has also been found to help with infant reflux as well

Reflux is a direct result of the incomplete development of the muscle between the stomach and the oesophagus, and, unlike regular muscles, it can’t be helped directly with massage therapy. Instead, it is the skin stimulation from the massage that affects the nervous system, which in turn helps the muscle develop in two major ways:

Massage on any part of the body stimulates the vagus nerve, which is a nerve in the brain that controls various regions of the respiratory and digestive systems. This includes the oesophagus and the stomach.

Massage helps the nerves in the body to develop more quickly, which means they can begin to operate more effectively sooner. Since nerves control the muscle between the stomach and oesophagus, massage should help to improve its ability to function.

Infant massage instructors are trained to teach a sequence specific for the relief of colic.  Luckily, it has been found that infant massage techniques that are focused on the abdomen can help to relieve the symptoms of colic, wind and constipation in two to four weeks with regular sessions.

Infant Massage information obtained from: http://blog.babymassage.net.au/infant-massage-reflux/

Is it really reflux?

Given that babies will naturally gave some regurgitation and spit ups for the first few months, and that a distressed baby will make similar actions (pulling knees to chest, grimacing, crying) it is possible to attribute the cause of an unhappy baby to reflux. However it may be that this particular baby is wanting something else, such as more contact. Carrying baby in a supportive carrier could help to ease their discomfort whilst still allowing the parent to go about their business.

Resources

Australian Breastfeeding Association
1800 686 2 686 / 1800 mum 2 mum
http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/

La Leche

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LLLSydney
Email: sydneylll@outlook.com
Website: http://www.llli.org

Tresillian
1800 637 357
http://www.tresillian.net/

Reflux Infants Support Association (RISA) Inc.
PO Box 1598, Fortitude Valley Qld 4006.
Phone: 07 3229 1090.
Website: www.reflux.org.au
Email: info@reflux.org.au

The post How to manage reflux in babies appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.