Tatyanna Wright's Haute Mama

Prenatal Acupuncture

I discovered prenatal acupuncture during the final weeks of my first pregnancy. I was becoming increasingly anxious and decided to try to speed things up naturally by looking into prenatal acupuncture. My son, now five was born five days after his due date. I wasn’t sure how much of the treatment contributed to my body going into labour but one thing I was definitely sure of was acupuncture's ability to keep my body healthy and energy levels up so I could continue to look after my new baby.  Acupuncture truly helped keep me well.
Five years on, and with my second pregnancy I decided to seek prenatal acupuncture on a regular basis. This time I experienced more benefits. Regular acupuncture during pregnancy set the foundation for a healthy pregnancy and baby. I had a shorter and easier birth experience – it was all natural and I healed so much faster.  I received acupuncture once a week during the last month of pregnancy and had a significantly shorter labour than my previous birth.
Here, I asked my acupuncturist, Sarah Gamble, to share the benefits of acupuncture with you.  Sarah has been practicing Internal Medicine since 1992.

A common misconception about Acupuncture is that it is only used to treat pain. I use Chinese Medicine (acupuncture, Chinese herbs, Moxibustion, cupping, and electrical stimulation) to treat the entire scope of Women's health. This includes natal issues from conception to delivery, as well as infertility. During pregnancy Acupuncture provides remarkable drug-free relief from: Allergies and colds. Morning sickness, migraines and sciatica. Patients get treatments anywhere from once a month to once a week. I listen to pulses, do Acupuncture, customize Chinese herbal formulas, and provide hands on support (Bowen Technique, Reiki, Shiatsu,  &  Craniosacral).

During weeks 37-40 Acupuncture benefits the preparation of labor by:
    . Aiding the position of the baby which is key to having a smooth labor
    . Softening the cervix which allows the baby's movements to progress uninhibited           
    . Calm the mother and help her adjust to the rapid hormonal changes
   
During Labor itself I practice Acupuncture in the delivery room or at home, alongside doctors/midwives. I have done this privately and in Lutheran hospital as part of an NIH funded research grant. Acupuncture during labor is effective for: Preventing prolonged labor. Aid cervical dilation and increase the efficiency of contractions by increasing or decreasing their intensity. Calm the mother and help her to conserve her energy for the contractions and have a drug free labor.
All of these factors contribute to avoiding a prolonged labor. They allow the mother to have the strength, energy, and spirit to deliver with ease. This is why Acupuncture can reduce the cesarean birth rate.

If you are interested in contacting Sarah, please email her.
You can watch Sarah in action next month in an episode of WETV’s Platinum Babies airing Friday Nov. 13th at 9pm.

 

Biodegradable Potato Bib

Visiting Stone Barns last weekend, a favourite farm we regularly go to, I always find something new and interesting. This time it was a bib! 
In addition to being a working farm with livestock, plants and the fantastic Blue Hill restaurant, Stone Barns also has a wonderful store. Amongst the cookbooks, eco-friendly toys, home wares, clothing and other ecologically inspired fabulosity I found a bib derived from potatoes.
Called the Spud Bib - These pretty protectors are made with biodegradable plastic from potato starch which completely breaks down in 1 to 2 years, (petroleum-based products take a century). The ink is water based, and they come in four colours with different animals. The bibs are produced by French design duo Cocoboheme who create unique sustainable products. Contrary to being biodegradable, they are not disposable, the bibs last about 2 years before they start to naturally deteriorate, which is probably around the same time you’ll stop using bibs. How perfectly designed!  

Next time I’m at Stone Barns I’m definitely going to pick up a couple of these cute, functional and environmentally friendly baby bibs for my soon to be eating little darling.
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture is located in upstate New York.
For a list of online retailers check Cocoboheme.com 

Finns Finds Online Boutique

There’s nothing wrong with dressing your baby girl in blue or putting your baby boy in a purple onesie – I did! That’s exactly how FinnsFinds.com creator Jennyka Gilmore feels having had enough of teddy bear emblazoned outfits: “I gravitated towards the simpler styles, and more sophisticated color palettes. I think I owe that to my mom, who’s from Norway and dressed my sister and I in things she would want to wear.  Yet they still had an aspect of fun to them”. With a philosophy like that you can bet there are some very special finds at this wonderful online boutique.

FinnsFinds.com is filled with a fabulous selection of harder to get overseas labels like Imps & Elfs from Holland and Pure Baby from Australia. There’s a great eco element as well with brands that give back to their community like Bebe Ravi that offers an irresistible and timeless collection of striking hand made knits woven by women in Kenya, where work is not easy to find to support their families.  Bebe Ravi also provides food, shelter, medical care and education to an orphanage founded by its CEO.

FinnsFinds offers more than clothes, the Mossy Creek Rattle for example is beautifully handcrafted and so smooth. Your baby can pleasantly gnaw on it as mine has begun to do thanks to the non-toxic oil finish. The rattles are made in Arkansas from local hardwoods, and dried in an energy-conserving solar kiln. They are simply gorgeous and make a fabulous gift.

A good selection of Eva & Oli children’s wear and accessories are also available. I love their pouchette (shown below) an on the go clutch perfect for keeping keys, cell phone and wallet in. I use it all the time, its particularly useful for my iphone that has a loose headset that would otherwise get lost in the oversized tote I use as a diaper bag.

At FinnsFinds you’ll discover everything from babies and children’s (up to 6yrs) clothes to hand crafted keepsakes and organic baby towels. Perfect for the mother looking for simple yet elegant and most importantly durable items of great quality, at an affordable price.

Many thanks to Jennyka for providing both rattle and pouchette.

 

Eco Holiday at Rainmaker

Last week I introduced Alessandra Gutierrez creator of Lala’s Pequenos gorgeous noonie. There’s more to Alessandra than mere, albeit fabulous, papoose designer. Her family owns 1500 acres of Costa Rican rain forest known as Rainmaker Mountain.  Their mission is to create ecological awareness and preserve the area home to millions of animals and plant life the best they can. The family created the Rainmaker Project to help sustain the rich biodiversity.  As Alessandra puts it: “The animals are depending on us for their ability to live in peace, in their natural habitat”. They have opened up 3% of the property for visitors wanting to learn the importance of rain forest preservation.

Rainmaker is a great place to take children. Alessandra’s two boys have virtually grown up there. “They love to explore the land and learn about the amazing animals – particularly the frogs! They love to jump in the waterfalls and pretend to be Indiana Jones. They have a deep respect for nature”. Alessandra’s children have been fortunate to learn the importance of cherishing the rainforest ecosystem first hand:  “They are very concerned about the direction our planet is heading in and they see first account changes that are taking place. The amount of rainfall that we get at Rainmaker is growing and that is causing major landslides that we did not have before. The towns that border Rainmaker are flooding and people are loosing their homes. It’s so important to be aware of these changes and to know that living concisely starts at home”.

Visiting Rainmaker with young children isn’t a problem. There is a visitor ranch with plenty of clean bathroom facilities and a kitchen. Depending on the type of tour, juice and fruit are available in the morning, as is plenty of water. You are welcome to bring any snack along as they know that little ones need snacks and drinks.

Tours are conducted around 8am as the rains come around 1pm.  During the tour there are plenty of resting opportunities and guides pace the tour depending on the types of visitors. The tours typically last about three hours and have an opportunity to have a typical Costa Rican lunch at the end. They are now offering private tours where you can have lunch inside of Rainmaker Mountain next to the waterfalls! You cannot bring your stroller.

You can visit Rainmaker any time of the year. The drier times are from November to May and the rainy season starts in May through end of October. Bring your camera, insect repellant, towel, swimsuit, good walking shoes and a change of clothes.

Please send all questions or to make a reservation email rainmakerusa@hotmail.com You can read about Rainmaker in most guidebooks or visit rainmakercostarica.org It is located 22 km from the Manuel Antonio national park on the pacific side.

As the economy has really hurt the tourism industry in Costa Rica, Rainmaker is constantly trying to keep up with the expenses that it incurs to maintain it. Proceeds from the items sold from the Lala’s Pequenos line go to support the Rainmaker Project.
If you would like to donate to Rainmaker please email rainmakerusa@hotmail.com or at ann@rainmakercostarica.org They are currently offering a “Sponsor Rainmaker for a Month” campaign. For the donation of $3500, families or companies will be able to offset their carbon pollution footprint for the month. We will post the sponsor on the front page of our website for the whole month and plant a tree in their name. 

Lala's Noonie

Take the age-old practice of swaddling into the 21st century with a noonie. A what? A noonie - a practical papoose created by Alessandra Gutierrez. Her noonie gets its name from when her eldest son was little and wanted to go to sleep. He would say: “I want to go to noonie” Gutierrez tells me. She thought the name was perfect for her designs since this is a cozy pouch babies love to sleep in.

Gutierrez created the cone shaped noonie for a friend’s baby shower. The idea took off and Gutierrez found herself creating her Lala’s Pequenos line of noonies. The cone shape allows the baby to naturally go into the swaddle position and the hood gives mom a little privacy when she’s nursing. Babies especially love to get in it after a bath- just with a diaper on. And it makes a really lovely gift.
Noonies are for newborns that weigh up to about 13 pounds. That’s about 1-3 months depending on your baby. Noonie is essentially a swaddling papoose and therefore cannot be used in your car seat, as it does not accommodate safety straps.

Noonies are available in organic fiber grown and certified organic to GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards). The fabrics are produced in India and is fair trade certified, and the fabric is produced in a Fair Trade certified facility.
Alessandra’s passion for the environment doesn’t end with organic baby products. She is dedicated to helping preserve a special rain forest close to her heart – the Rainmaker Project.
Proceeds from the items sold from the Lala’s Pequenos line go to support the Rainmaker Project. More on Rainmaker in Haute Mama’s next blog post.
To purchase a noonie, visit: lalaspequenos.com

Green Block Party

Join my favourite eco-store Green Depot and New Museum this Sunday for a day filled with fun and exciting hands-on activities for kids and grown ups alike!
Performances and activities will take place at Sara D. Roosevelt Park and Green Depot’s flagship store on the Bowery.
Join the fun and participate in:
•    Learning how to compost                      * Arts and Craft with Citibabes
•    Painting (zero-VOC paint)                     * Test drive energy saving devices
•    Learn how to keep your air clean!         * Win tickets to the zoo
•    Learn how to lower your energy bills, and create a healthier home

Post Partum Bottom Balm

Post partum recovery can really take a toll on some very specific parts of your body. Take it from me, as the imminent arrival date of my second child drew near I wanted to be as prepared for those post birth pains as I possibly could.
The discomfort I’m talking about hails from the nether regions… specifically your rectum and “birth canal” as the vagina so becomes known during pregnancy.
Prenatal and postpartum hemorrhoids, vaginal swelling, bruising, and episiotomies can create some serious anxiety about your next bowl or urinary movement. So when I discovered Earth Mama Bottom Balm, I packed a jar in my hospital bag and thanked the creators for this wondrous innovation.

Earth Mama Bottom Balm soothes and cools with an organic olive oil base infused with healing organic herbs - St. Johns wort, yarrow, witch hazel, calendula, shea butter, and more. From front to back you’ll feel the cooling effect of this powerful healing potion immediately.

The packaging asks you to store it in the fridge, but who seriously has the time to dash from the kitchen to the bathroom home alone with a new born? I keep mine right next to the toilet and I suggest you do to! Although my OB permitted me to apply the balm hours after giving birth vaginally you should ask your OB how soon they will allow you to use it.   
You can pick up a jar at Whole Foods or online at Earth Mama Angel Baby. 

Eco-Baby Registry

Choosing items for a new baby and your registry can be daunting. With so many baby products on the market - what does a new parent really need? Many stores have created a wish list of items they recommend you buy, but even this can be overwhelming to a new parent. First time parents spend the most money of any demographic, purely because we have no idea, and think, or rather, are told, we need to buy everything – from the right baby bath, a pack ’n’ play, a vibrating bouncy seat to nighttime celestial ceiling projections to all kinds of toys your new born won’t react to for months! Not to mention all the feeding and changing accessories – and most of it all plastic.

So how on earth are you meant to create your baby registry if you don’t know what you really need? Earth might just be the key word here. If you’re suffering from product anxiety, consider doing your baby registry at Green Depot. They have wisely chosen a wonderful selection of eco-friendly products truly useful for your new baby. Items like bio-degradable diapers and wipes, organic bedding, blankets, towels and onesies. No VOC paints, FSC wood toys and cribs, glass bottles, phthalate and BPA-free plastics bottles as well natural rubber pacifiers. They also have well versed, non-pushy staff ready to answer any questions. I just did my registry there and was thrilled to receive the organic cotton changing pad amongst other items.
If you don’t live in New York City, you can easily visit Green Depot online and create your baby registry there. I hope this makes your shopping experience a little easier, it will definitely make it greener!  

Green Your Nursery Event at Green Depot

Young children are more vulnerable to poor indoor air quality and other home environmental hazards than adults. With all the questions and concerns new and expecting parents have for the health of their babies, Green Depot - the nation's leading supplier of eco-friendly building and home supplies - is offering a special "Green Your Nursery" event at its new Bowery location in New York City. Presentations and workshops at the "Green Your Nursery" event will address the steps new parents should take to create a safe and healthy environment as well as what "red flags" to look for when selecting products. Expert speakers include interior designer Amanda Moore, Lexy Zissu, author of "The Complete Organic Pregnancy," and Sarah Beatty, founder and president of Green Depot.

Sarah Beatty founded Green Depot when she discovered toxic mold in her apartment during her first pregnancy. Unable to find an ideal resource to address the issue, Sarah made it her goal to demystify green for the consumer, clarifying how and why a product can claim it is "green", thereby allowing parents to decide what aspects of green are most important for the health and safety of their infants.
Green Depot is my first choice for environmentally safe products for my home and family. 

In the coming weeks Haute Mama will be airing the first installments of its new maternity lifestyle web series “Haute Mama” - Our first episodes feature interviews with both Sarah Beatty and Alexandra Zissu. Be sure to watch and find out more about eco-friendly baby products at hautemamaonline.com

This event takes place at Green Depot, 222 Bowery (between Prince and Spring), New York City on Wednesday, May 27 from 6:30-8:30p.m. To RSVP please email: rsvp@greendepot.com

Tough Titties!

Breastfeeding? Well here’s a product your previously precious items of pleasure will thank you for! Picture cracked, red, swollen tender tits. That’s what you’re in for during the early first few weeks of nursing. Don’t be turned off though, these symptoms do pass, but you’re nursing nipples will need a little TLC and Tough Titties Nipple Rub is just the thing a nursing Haute Mama needs.

Not only does the cream have healing properties, it tastes good. Unlike other lanolin products, which taste a lot like where it is derived (sheep wool fat – no I haven’t eaten it, but growing up in Australia one is exposed to sheep sheering on a regular basis at school, hence touching, feeling and smelling the clipped wool, which smells exactly like lanolin in a tube, and not something I’d like to put in my mouth or have my baby suckle on). But the wonderful combination of coconut oil, beeswax, lemongrass, geranium and clove essential oils, in a vitamin E and lanolin base makes this product smell fabulous, less sticky than a purely lanolin based cream and taste quite delicious.
You can apply the cream to your nipples right before you feed, as it is super absorbent, and should your baby come into contact with the cream they won’t be turned off – at least mine wasn’t.  

Tough Titties Nipple Rub cream is made by hilariously named Least Likely 2 Breed. They also make Bad Ass Booty Balm, (for nappy rash), and Whale Oil (stretch mark cream) as well as a couple other well-named balms. To purchase and view their product line, visit leastlikely2breed.net