Happy Two Year Anniversary Barefoot Mamas' Network!

Tonight the Barefoot Mamas' got together for a potluck to celebrate our second anniversary. It was a wonderful time full of friendship and enjoying family time. We were honored to have some Barefoot Daddies show their support as well. It was beautiful to be able to reflect on the past two years and how our families have grown and changed. In addition, some of us were able to recollect how we were supported through our births by other members, either through childbirth education, being doula-ed, or seeking the loving care of a midwife in our group. Truly we are a unique group!

At the meeting members were asked to write what they felt grateful for within our small barefoot community. Here are some of the things that our members wrote:

I am grateful for...

"all the people I met over the two years and their wisdom."

"the non-judgemental attitudes and supportive friendships."

"knowing that I'm not alone. Thank you!"

"wonderful friends that are like-minded. I looove this group!!"

"a group where I can be myself, feel safe, and be loved!"

"for having so many women to diversify my life with!"

"all of the support, the ideas, and the love of the group. My life would be very different if not for you!"

"this community of holistic mothers as well as the great discussion topics."

Additionally, we had some wonderful comments on the sign-in sheet wishing the group love, thanks, and a happy anniversary. It was heartwarming to read them all.

Lara did an amazing job of setting up and putting together our photo slideshow. I want to take this opportunity to thank her for her hard work and effort. She's quite amazing! :)

Ladies (and daddies) we are very thankful for your participation in the group. Each of you is very special and has a place in our circle. We look forward to another amazing year with new friends, new babies, and new activities and topics. Thank you everyone who has made this group what it is.

We look forward to seeing you all at our next meeting!

~Wendy

Barefoot Mamas Meeting 8/6/09

Thank you to all who attended the Barefoot Mamas Meeting on August 6th. We had a great turn out for our meeting and a chance to listen to a wonderful speaker, Tami Goltry.

Tami is a veteran natural parent and an inspiring person to listen to. She shared with us her experience being a natural mom of five now grown children. It was refreshing to hear her point of view and to be able to ask her questions that would help us grow and feel more confident in our parenting choices. Tami had homebirths in the 80s when homebirth was a "radical" thing to do. She didn't vaccinate her children, homeschooled, and was very into natural foods and more recently has begun to see the benefits of juicing. She had some great advice for getting our children to eat healthier and for homeschooling challenges. She shared how juicing fruits and vegetables and eating a more raw diet has changed how she feels and recommended some books on juicing and nutrition as well as parenting.

Tami has shared that she is happy to answer any further questions that anyone has regarding natural parenting or nutrition and so if any of our Barefoot Mamas would like to chat with Tami on the phone feel free to email us at barefootmamas@gmail.com and we will give you her cell phone.

We are looking forward to our next meeting where our topic will be "Inner Peace For Mom." Hope to see you all there!

Barefoot Mamas Meeting 4/2/09

The Barefoot Mamas welcomed guest speaker Natalia Andelkovic, a Holistic Nutritionist and Dr. Dale's wife. She gave an informative talk about nutrition and the importance of eating for life. During this meeting Natalia emphasized the importance of eating organic, nutrient dense foods and avoiding processed and refined foods. She went over some frightening statistics on childhood obesity and disease brought on by poor nutrition. She also offered some tasty and healthy recipes for the mommies to take home and try. Natalia is available for consultations and can be reached at natibogdan@gmail.com.

Thank you for all who attended and a big thanks for those who donated to help us keep our website going. If you weren't at the meeting and would like to make a donation please contact us at barefootmamas@gmail.com.

Don't forget next month's meeting on May 7th where we will be discussing cloth diapering, attachment parenting, and babywearing.

Interview With Dr. Katiraei

Many of our Barefoot Mamas have raved about Dr. Katiraei and his wholisitc pediatric clinic. For those of you who aren't familiar with Dr. Katiraei he has generously taken the time to interview with us and tell us more about his practice and why holistic medicine is so important to him.

Tell me a little about yourself.
I was born in Iran. I was the curious child who loved taking things apart to learn how they worked. This curiosity still drives me today. My family and I got a chance to learn the meaning of freedom when the Iranian regime changed and caused enough persecution to drive us from Iran to the United States. We settled in the Southern California area, where all my family still lives. Many things interest me. I have enjoyed building things, gardening, reading, traveling, and even sky diving. The most important task I have ever undertaken in my life is learning mindfulness. Mindfulness is the process of transcending the ego, its attachments and judgments, and learning a greater appreciation for the miracle of life. Like many others, I believe we can solve many of our problems and conflicts if we can step beyond an ego driven state. The amazing beauty and potential of human being is perhaps yet to be realized.

What made you decide to go inot wholistic medicine?
I do not think it is fair to say that I chose pediatrics or holistic medicine. Rather, it would be more appropriate to say that they chose me. Early in undergraduate, I knew I wanted to go into medicine. Afew of my friends encouraged me to explore osteopathic medicine. I became intrigued by the idea that the body can heal itself if restrictions within the muscles or bones could be removed. I matriculated into osteopathic medical school at Western University of Health Sciences. Within a few months, I found myself very uncomfortable with the medical information I was being taught, eventhough I could not understand why. Some thing just did not seem right. I got to a point where I considered leaving medicine and going into business administration. At that time, I had no idea that Iwould be interested in working with children. Everything changed within the first few hours of my first pediatrics rotation. It almost seemed like I had entered a magical world where the children had supernatural powers to cast spells on me. These young children were able to transform my reality. I now believe that children had (and still have) this powerful effect on me because they are masters of mindfulness and presence; children are not obsessed about thinking; they are busy just living and enjoying life. They are the greatest testament to the beauty of the human being. Have you ever met a one or two year old child that held a grudge or insisted on remaining angry or upset for any reason? Have you ever met a young child that is concerned about the clothing they wear, a serious deformity they have, or any other aspect of the outer world? As long as a child is fed, warm, and loved - they are always happy. Some of the most impressive human beings I have ever met are children in an oncology unit. They still remember to smile and express joy despite the cancer that they may have or the chemotherapy they are being given.

As with pediatrics, I also had no idea I would ultimately be interested in holistic medicine. I entered residency with little interest in further pursuit of osteopathic medicine or holistic care. During my residency, I explored various pediatric subspecialties and none seemed a right fit. Dr. Sharon Riesen, my Pediatric Residency Program Director at Loma Linda, helped remind me of my osteopathic roots and suggested I explore holistic medicine. I attended a holistic conference and instantly felt a strong interest. Holistic medicine showed me another way to look at medicine and health. Our Western allopathic medicine teaches us that healing typically comes from outside of the body in the form of a medication or surgery. I don't believe this is the entire picture. Before going any further,we do need to acknowledge the fantastic things that have come from modern Western medicine. Our medications do save lives. The skilled hands of a pediatric heart surgeon can perform miracles and fix a heart that would otherwise be incompatible with life. In certain circumstances, our Western medicines and treatments work extremely well.

Now, let's take a step back and try to understand holistic medicine. According to some figures there are anywhere between 10-50 trillion cells in our body. EACH cell must carry out numerous reactions within itself as well as interactions with outside cells. Can you even imagine how much has to take place in one body at any given second for us to even be alive? It is beyond miraculous! Holistic medicine teaches that the body always has the ability to heal itself and that disease only manifests when the natural healing mechanisms fail to function appropriately. It then becomes our job to learn how to help the body overcome a given restriction or problem so that it can start healing itself. This is what the Chinese and Indians have taught for thousands of years. In Chinese medicine there is an old saying. Chinese doctors use to get paid to keep people healthy. When someone got sick, it meant the physician failed at their job and, therefore, did not get paid. Obviously, our system of Western system of medicine is different. Our Western medical model is based on the treatment of disease. Physicians are paid far more for illness diagnosis and treatment than they are for preventative care. In our current system, a physician simply cannot survive financially if all they do is spend lots of time to help patients stay healthy. Many, like me, believe that this model needs to change. We need to bring our focus back onto HEALTH care (not disease care) and do all that is possible to make sure people stay healthy. As mentioned, my job as a holistic practitioner is to understand why the body is unable to heal itself. I am not there to heal anyone. My job is to help the person and their body heal themselves.

Tell me why your clinic is considered "wholistic" rather than"holistic." Is there a difference?
It took us some time to come up with the title of "Pediatric Wholistic Medicine Clinic." The proper spelling is holistic. We chose this alternate spelling to place an emphasis on the whole person. I believe we have a long way to go before we have an adequate understanding of how the human being functions. We may greatly underestimate the degree of interconnection between the body, mind, and spirit. Have you ever heard stories of people who have had spontaneous remission of cancers or of other types of miraculous healings? Are those stories real? If so, how are they possible? Although I am not Christian, I am very interested in healing stories of the New Testament. Were those stories real? If they were, what possibilities in healing can we unravel if we are able to understand how such phenomenon occur? Do we choose to ignore a possibility because it does not fit into our paradigm of understanding? Wasn't there a time that we believed the earth was flat and that the sun revolved around the earth? Let us look at the title "wholistic" from another perspective. What happens when death arrives? Within seconds to minutes, a body that was functioning well for decades suddenly stops working. EVERYTHING starts shutting down, decomposing, and falling apart. Modern medicine speaks of death in terms of the cessation of electrical and chemical activity in the heart, brain, and cells. That is true, but what happens the moment before everything stops? We don't know. The Chinese and Indians explain that there is an essence far greater than us that gives us life. When this essence leaves, death arrives. If this essence is responsible for life, is there a chance that our spiritual health can influence this essence and ultimately have some effect on our physical health? We do not know. This is not to say that illness is due to "sin", but it is to say that our body may function more effectively when we are in a certain state of spiritual "health."

Let us not forget about the mind. We have many people in our Western culture that may obsess about their cholesterol but give no attention to the stress and anger they carry around. Ancient cultures believe there is a connection between the mind and body. We are now finding that stress decreases our immunity. We know that our mind affects our body via various hormones and chemicals. How much influence does the mind really have on the body? Without judgment or unnecessary pressure, my goal is to help families to raise children who are healthy in mind, body, and spirit.

I noticed that you are always quick to respond to your patients and their parents when they contact you. Is there a reason you have made yourself readily available to your patients?
Why should I not make myself available? It is the family that does all the hard work in raising a child. It is the job of a physician to help the family do their job as well as possible. I have had the privilege to work with some of the most caring pediatricians one could ever ask for. I believe most, if not all pediatricians are dedicated to families who depend on them. I don't understand why physicians have become so far removed from the people they serve. Perhaps our modern society and system of medicine have forced this upon the physicians and community. The only sensible thing for me to do is to try to bridge this gap. I give my email and pager out directly to families to allow them to reach me directly if they have any pressing concerns or problems. Medicine should be an intimate part of the community it serves, not isolate in a remote office with multiple barriers to access.

Wholistic medicine is a new concept to not only Loma Linda, but the general area. Did you face challenges in opening up a clinic that was open to alternative treatments?
Wholistic medicine is actually embedded in the roots of Loma Linda University. Loma Linda's motto is "To Make Man Whole." Before Loma Linda was a large academic medical center, it was a health sanitarium that used incredible nutrition, fresh air, and good lifestyle to help people heal. These concepts are not foreign to Adventists who are the third longest living people on this planet. On average, Adventists live 6-10 years longer than others in the same area. Most Adventists, including our administration, believe in holistic care. As such, Loma Linda and the Department of Pediatrics have been very supportive in helping me start this clinic. I am fortunate to be a part of this Institution. We have faced little barriers (insurance coverage, referral bases), but none that cannot be overcome.

What are the most important things you want to convey to everyparent that walks into your office?
The children we raise today will become the adults of tomorrow. The healthier our children are today, the healthier our country will be tomorrow. There is a lot happening to our environment (pollution, toxins..) and with our children (increases in autism, asthma, allergies, ADHD, eczema.) that we do not understand. Let us work together to make sure that our future generation grows to be as healthy as possible. Knowledge is power. Become informed so you can do the best job possible in taking care of the ones you love most!

Where do you see your practice in the next five years?
I would love to see this practice grow into a full holistic center with its own space dedicated to serving the community (Inland Empire) and expanding the holistic services of the San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. I would love to have other holistic practitioners join our team so that we can provide massage, acupuncture, chiropractic medicine, nutritional counseling, biofeedback, behavioral therapy, as well as many other services all in one place. I would love to see this clinic become a place where the community feels at home and comes to interact with one another to learn how to better the health of their children. This clinic could provide lectures and other educational programs for all those who would be interested. I would like to see us create a holistic resource base and library available for all patients and families to use at no cost. I would like to see a holistic center "for the people, by the people" where the community has an actual say in how the clinic is run.

If you could change one thing about modern medicine what would it be? If you could change one thing about wholistic medicine what would it be?I have already explained how I would like modern medicine to change. The only thing I would like to change about holistic medicine is the lack of integrity amongst some people. There are some selfish and greedy individuals in this world. Some of these individuals have learned how to take advantage of others through holistic care. They prey on those who are desperate and looking for any last option to treat a certain disease. They take advantage of others who simply want a more "natural" way to treat a condition or maintain health. There are some practitioners that get carried away with holistic care and practice in an irresponsible manner. Serious diseases like cancers and infections should first be treated with chemotherapy and antibiotics and then with holistic options, and not the other way around. These are some other reasons why this clinic exists - to ensure the health of the patients and community as well as their pocket books.

Contact information:
Pejman Katiraei, DO
Loma Linda University Pediatric Wholistic Medicine Clinic
11370 Anderson Street, B100
Loma Linda, CA 92354
(909) 558-2828
pkatiraei@llu.edu

Thank you Dr. Katiraei!

Barefoot Mama Stepping Out To Promote Her Cause

Wendy, one of the co-leaders of Barefoot Mamas, was interviewed by bettyconfidential.com on being a birth doula. In an ideal world pregnant women would be able to birth where ever and with whoever they chose and not be bound by insurance companies or laws catered to doctors and hospitals. Wendy's intention is to open women's birth options by promoting doulas and putting a different perspective on birth.

You can read her interview here.

Meeting on January 8th- Natural Childbirth and Natural Family Planning

Once again the Barefoot Mamas had the pleasure of having licensed midwife Karen Baker speak about natural family planning (NFP) and natural childbirth. This was a topic that we originally discussed in September and was so good it was brought back. A summary of September's meeting can be found here.

During this meeting Jen brought up cycle beads as a tool for NFP. Cycle beads are a color coded string of beads that help women track their cycles to figure out when they are fertile. You can learn more about Cycle Beads here. In order to use cycle beads your cycle must be 26-32 days long.

Lara also demonstrated her Ovulens, which is a microscope designed to detect fertility by testing your saliva. You can find out more about the Ovulens here.

We had an open discussion where we talked about baby's sleep habits where Karen recommended the book The Family Bed. There was discussion of the new wholistic pediatric office and Dr. Pejman Katiraei, who many moms in our group have already had excellent personal experience with. He comes very highly recommended. We also touched a bit on the Extreme Mothering segment done by 20/20. If you have not seen the segments you can watch them here:

Orgasmic Birth:



Extreme Breastfeeding:



Reborns:



Serial Surrogates:



Mother's Saying No To Modern Medicine

Thank you to everyone who came to the meeting. We look forward to seeing you at the next Barefoot Mamas meeting on February 5th where we will be discussing Keeping Our Relationships Strong. Dara Palmer, our personal Feng Shui consultant will be speaking.

Childbirth Options Class to be held at Kissui in Redlands

Can I have a natural birth in a hospital? How can I avoid a c-section? Is homebirth safe? What is a doula and how do they help with labor? What kind of childbirth classes fit my view of birth?

Childbirth can be a confusing subject for expectant mothers. What type of birth your mom, sister, or best friend had may not be the kind of birth you need. Add to that a bunch of well-meaning moms talking about their birth experiences as if they were war stories and birth suddenly seems intimidating.

On Saturday, January 17^th at 10:00am at Kissui four birth experts will be available to answer your questions about traditional and non-traditional birth. There will be limited space so register today. The registration fee is only $5 and includes discounts and goodies.

Call (909) 307-9500 to reserve your spot.

Holiday Cheer in a Grinchy Economy

In the movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" the Grinch develops a plan to destroy the Christmas cheer for the Whos in Whoville with a devious plan that involved stealing all of the presents under each Christmas tree. Despite being robbed of their gifts the Whos were able to gather together in song on Christmas morning and celebrate the holiday, teaching the Grinch that material possessions were not as signicant as the love of family and friends.

Much can be learned from the Whos, especially when we live in a time where most families are having to cut back on their gift giving due to ecomonic hardship.

Here are some ideas that will melt your heart, make the environment smile, and save you some green:

- Framed Family Photo

Print out one of your display-worthy photos and custom decorate a plain wooden frame using paint, beads, glitter, felt, or other crafty materials.

-Our Family Tree

Turn a gift into a memorable occasion by giving a tree that your family can plant together. Give each child a job, such as watering, fetilizing, or helping fill in the hole. Be sure to take pictures to commemorate the day you helped the earth and worked together as a family to help a living thing grow.

-Vintage Blooms

Go through a second hand store and find teacups, saucers, and wide mouth vases and planting pots. Include a packet of flower seeds and a little soil and you have yourself a beautiful bloom in a unique pot. You can also give kitchen herbs, such as dill, cilantro, and basil.

-Recycled Toys

Have siblings or friends wrap one of their own toys for another child. This is a great way to avoid toy overflow in your closets while teaching children the joys of giving from their hearts.

-IOU Gifts

Who wouldn't enjoy a back rub or a day where someone else helps with chores? An IOU certificate is a great way to show the person you love that you would go out of your way to make them happy.

-Smell the Joy

Making a sweet smelling sachet is easy! Just find a couple of scraps of material and put some potpourri or herbs inside. Then using a hot glue gun just glue three sides, let dry, put the desired scent inside and glue shut.

The sweater you buy for grandma won't last forever but you can be sure that a grandchild's handmade gift will be a treasure that she will save for years to come. Please check this website for more ideas. Remember also that re-using fabric, draw string bags, or last year's gift bags is better for the environment and cuts down on waste.

Enjoy your holiday season!

by Wendy Drewelow

USA Today: Maternity-care failings can be remedied with cost-saving fixes!

Imagine my excitement to read this article in USA today paired right beside this article on the unneccesary high-tech interventions that do not benefit pregnant women or their babies. I'm so happy that the media is catching wind of what most of us already know: pregnant women are not a medical emergency waiting to happen.



Happy reading!



Written by Wendy Drewelow

Special Discount to our Members!!!

My dear friend Krista joined us at our meeting tonight to share information on the opening of the Calimesa Holistic Wellness Center. Krista is the owner and a colonic therapist. I must say, this is a beautiful wellness center. I walked in the other day and immediately felt calm and relaxed (even though I was holding my one year old :) Krista has done an amazing job decorating and has an eye for incorporating key elements to create a feeling of tranquility and wellness. I also immediately fell in love with her "Tea Room." This is a special room to relax before/after services and "just be." I was ready to stay. My plan is to schedule several services and make an afternoon for myself.

She has hand picked a collaboration of people to provide various services for clients who seek wellness. Her center offers the following: Colonics, Yoga Classes, Infant Massage, Body Wraps/Facials, Reflexology/Massage and services from a highly experienced Herbalist.

Krista has generously offered our Barefoot Mamas' a special discount. We have been invited to join her for a pre-opening special. Your first colonic is at the discounted price of $45.00 (usually $65.00). This must be scheduled ahead of time by appointment only. Please let her know that you are a "Barefoot Mama."

Please stop by the Calimesa Holistic Wellness Center and say hi to Krista...you might also find me relaxing in the Tea Room.

Holistic Wellness Center
1007 Calimesa Blvd. Suite F Calimesa, CA 92399
909-795-6600
cell 951-692-8355

October's Meeting Recap

Tonight's meeting was incredibly informative. We were so fortunate to have Dr. Kathryn Leeman as our guest speaker. Dr. Leeman has a Ph.D. in Trans personal (Holistic) Psychology and Philosophy offering counseling in the following:

Life Purpose & Direction
Regression Therapy
Guided Imagery
Prosperity & Abundance
Meditation
Grief Counseling
Communication Enhancement
Health & Well-Being
Childhood Traumas

Dr. Leeman also specializes in N.A.E.T. (Natural Allergy Elimination Technique), Real-Time EEG Bio/Neuro-Feedback, Holistic Biofeedback Balancing, and Meditation Techniques. She also offers Aura/Chakra Photography and Balancing for Physical, Mental, Emotion & Spiritual Alignment.

In addition to her formal education, she has traveled extensively within the United States and worldwide studying with Shamans and Medicine People of many diverse cultures. She incorporates the customs and ceremonies that the people of these cultures have shared with her to enhance her counseling skills and intuitive abilities. She integrates the practical and mystical teachings and experiences into her private practice, classes, workshops and seminars.

Our quest for this month's meeting was to find "inner peace" and meditative techniques for everyday mommy hood. Dr. Leeman offered several meditation suggestions and shared the following Chakra Clearing with the group. We all stood and performed the following exercises:

Crown: Stare @ a point on the wall ~ move eyes around clockwise to count of 10. Do not skip any part of the circle. Then do counter clockwise for count of 10.
Brow: 10 Rotations of head/neck turn side to side.
Throat: 10 counts, extended arms in big circles both ways.
Heart: 10 counts, clasped hands with arms extended in front of you, swing side to side moving trunk but keep hips straight.
Stomach: 10 counts, circular hip rotations both direction (slow hula hoop movements)
Sacral: 10 counts, touch toes, arms all the way up above the head and slowly swing down to toes.
Root: 50 short and slow knee dips (prosperity)

After our group was finished with the Chakra Clearing it was amazing to look around the room and see the energy return to the moms in the room. Dr. Leeman says that this is a great exercise to do for instant de-stress and to increase your energy. It can be repeated as many times throughout the day as needed. It was also fun to see the toddlers in the room share in the exercise with us. I think that I will be doing this exercise often to keep our days calm and re-energize when needed.

You can read more about Dr. Leeman at her website: http://www.kathrynleeman.com/hello.html
She founded the Redlands Holistic Health Center located at 720 Brookside, Suite 105 in Redlands, CA. A variety of healing modalities to help balance body, mind and spirit are offered. Please feel welcome to visit the Center or call (909) 792-2094 ext. 3# to schedule a consultation.

Cloth Diapering 101: Getting Started

So you have written Pampers and Huggies their Dear John letters telling them that you will no longer be needing them. Now you are moving onto a long term relationship with cloth diapers but have no idea where to start or how much to spend. If you are still insist that Luvs is in love with your baby's bum wake up and smell the rash cream while reading this article.

Since I have started using cloth diapers a couple months ago I have had many friend and family ask me about how they can get started. First, you need to decide what kind of cloth diaper you need and which brand you would like. There are four different kinds of cloth diapers. I have listed them here along with their pros and cons:

1. All In Ones (AIOs)- A diaper that has the cover sewn on the fleece layer so it is all in one piece. No diaper cover required.

Pros: The most leak proof. Thinner than other cloth diapers. Fasten with a snap or velcro with the ease of use most like a disposable.

Cons: They take several dryer cycles to dry completely. They tend to hold more odors (especially if they do not dry all the way). I have heard some moms say that they don't feel like these get as clean as other diapers.

2. Fitted Cloth Diapers: Diapers that fasten with velcro or snaps that do require a diaper cover.

Pros: Dry faster than AIOs. Easier to fasten than pre-fold or flat diapers.

Cons: Require a diaper cover.

3. Flat or Pre-fold Diapers: The "old fashioned" diapers your grandma remembers. (DO NOT BUY THE GERBER BRAND! They are worthless!)

Pros: Less expensive. Multiple uses: burp cloth, cleaning, wiping up spills.

Cons: Require a diaper cover. Require pins or a Snappi (diaper faster pictured) to hold in place. Can leak.

4. Pocket Diapers: A diaper that has three main parts: a waterproof outer barrier fabric is sewn to the second component, an inner moisture-wicking fabric that keeps the skin feeling dry. These two fabrics form a pocket for the third component, an absorbent insert, to be placed.

Pros: Wicks moisture away from baby's bottom. Pieces are easier to clean and dry. Best for diaper rash.

Cons: More pieces to keep track of. Need to "assemble" and "disassemble."

So now that you know a little bit about the different types of cloth diapers you will need to decide on which brand you want. There are so many brands to chose from that I cannot mention them all here. However, I will touch on some things to consider when you are chosing a brand:

-Does the diaper come as a one-size fits all or will you have to spend more money to buy each size?

-Does the diaper come with it's own inserts or covers?

-Is the diaper made of organic materials (this usually costs more)?

-Does the diaper come in different colors/designs?

Now that you have purchased your diapers what do you do with them? The first thing you should do is wash them. There are many different methods of washing cloth diapers but I am going to give you the one that I use. Do do not use baby detergent and never use fabric softener. Dreft and other detergents that are advertised on tv are not good for cloth diapers. In fact, commercial detergents aren't good for you or your clothes at all. So what do you wash them in? I have two favorites: Charlie Soap or Maggie's Soap Nuts. Both are great products. They leave no residue on the diapers that can irritate your baby. Fabric softener isn't needed because when fabric has no residue it will be naturally soft, plus fabric softer will make the diapers repel urine instead of absorbing it. Before you wash the diapers be sure any velcro tabs are folded down so they do not snag on other fabrics. Also be sure that all diaper parts are separated (take pocket inserts out) before washing. You can put your cloth diapers in the dryer on warm but they will last longer if hung on a clothes line. Most diapers can be washed warm (check your diaper's washing instructions) but any diaper that is soiled should be soaked for about 15 minutes first in cold to remove poop stains. Soaking in hot water will "cook" the poop proteins onto the diaper. Some people like to do an extra rinse cycle on their diapers. I have not done this and it's never been a problem, but Midge isn't that sensitive. A more sensitive baby or a newborn might benefit from the extra rinse cycle.

While we are talking about washing, let's go ahead and talk about poop. Admit it, you dread having to change a poopy cloth diaper. I was intimidated at first, too. You can read about my first adventure in poopy cloth diapering here. The good news is that there are extra products you can buy to help the process go a little smoother. If your baby is breastfed his or her poop will be soft and you really won't need to do a lot of pre-care. It's okay to put liquidy poop in the wash, but you will want to avoid putting anything solid in it as it will not break down and rinse away. If your baby is formula fed or eats solids the poop will require a little more care. You will shake the solid poop into the toilet carefully and flush away that waste. From there you just place the soiled diaper in a dry diaper pail. You can purchase a flushable liner to place inside of the diapers so the poop will not mash itself into the diaper's fabric. You just lift it out of the diaper and place it right in the toilet. Some pocket diapers come with a liner that releases poop pretty easily. If not you can purchase them separately. They are also great for heavy wetters or doubling up for overnight. Another option for cleaning off the soiled diapers is to use a diaper sprayer. These can hook to your bathroom sink or behind your toilet. These are also great for rinsing down your sink, tub, and toilet. You do not have to have all of these products, but chosing one or two would be good to make cleaning up poop less a little neater.

So eventually you will need to leave the house and when you do you will need to be prepared with a "wet bag" in your diaper bag. These are neat because they come in dozens of different colors and designs that make you look ultra-cool to the ladies in the public restrooms. I opted for one with a zipper and it has worked wonderfully. I have also seen the available with a draw string top. You just place your dirty diapers or any other wet clothing items in and dump them into your diaper pail or washer when you get home. They are washable but so far I have not noticed a smell coming from mine. You can opt to carry a small squirt bottle of water and wash cloths with you or use disposable packaged wipes. After your cloth diapering days are over your wet bag can be used for wet bathing suits or potty accidents.

What about diaper rashes? If your child develops irritation using cloth diapers try using less soap in the wash and doing an extra rinse cycle. If that doesn't help add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. Vinegar helps strip the diapers of alkaline irritants. If you use a rash cream try one that does not contain fish oil, like A&D or Destitin. Instead try Burts Bees, Angel Baby Bottom Balm, Weleda, or Lemongrass Spa's Baby Bottoms Up Balm. If you do use a cream consider using a liner so that the diaper does not stain. Try giving your baby lots of naked time. Also, only use water to clean your baby's bottom.

Diaper pails can be done in two different manners...a wet pail or a dry pail. A wet pail is filled with water for diapers to soak in until wash day and a dry pail is just that...dry storage. The drawbacks to a wet pail are the odor, the need to change the water daily, potential drowning hazard for children, and some diapers cannot be stored in a wet pail, such as the AIOs. A dry pail is a safer and preferred option. You can purchase a trash can with a lid for cheap from your local Target for about $10 and it does a fine job. A sprinkle of baking soda helps reduce odors. You don't want to go any longer than two days between diaper washings. I generally wash mine with every poopy diaper but I have a toddler who poops once a day so it works out nicely.

One day you may go to smell your fresh clean diapers and realize that they aren't so fresh anymore. If this happens you will need to strip your diapers of oils and detergent residues. Before you start this process check your diapers for washing instructions to make sure you will not damage your diapers First, turn up your water heater and let your water get very hot. If you are going to do this please be so careful to make sure everyone in your home is aware of the change so they do not burn themselves. Be especially careful if you have older siblings who may be forgetful when going to wash their hands or take a shower. You may want to do this when they are in bed. Start with clean diapers. Run them through the very hot wash cycle without detergent. You can add a drop or two of liquid dish soap to help remove oils. Perform an extra rinse cycle where you will add 1/2-1 cup of white vinegar. The vinegar smell will disappear once the diapers are dry. Then you will want to rinse rinse rinse your diapers until all suds are gone (still not using soap). This will remove all of the residue. Be sure to turn your hot water heater back down. If you find that your diapers have stains sunlight is a great stain remover. Just place your stained articles in the sun for natural bleaching. If your diapers are too stiff after air drying put them in the dryer for 15 minutes before hanging out to dry.

So now you are wondering what the costs are. Well let's do a rough estimate:

Diapers: This depends on which diaper you chose and if the diaper is a one size fits all. I highly recommend using BumGenius 3.0 pocket diapers. They are easy to use, come with inserts (which eliminates the need for flushable liners or a sprayer), and they are one size fits all. It also depends on how early or late you are beginning to cloth diaper. A newborn can go through a diaper every hour whereas a toddler will go through one every 3-4 hours. Let's say you want to buy an average of 12 diapers. BumGenius 3.0 pocket diapers run an average of $17. So a little over $200. With tax, shipping, etc will say $250. When you are buying diapers look for deals for buying them in larger quantities.

Detergent: Let's say you use Charlie's Soap. It runs $15 a bag that lasts 80 loads. White vinegar costs you a few bucks.

Diaper Pail: You can easily use a lided trash can or diaper pail that you already own or you can spend $10 at Target for a pail.

Wet Bag: They average anywhere from $14-$24 but let's say $20.

Cloth Wipes: I use regular wash cloths when I am not using disposable wipes. You can purchase special fleece wipes but they are not necessary.

So $250 for diapers+ $15 for Charlie's Soap + $3 for vinegar + $10 for a diaper pail + $20 for a wet bag.

Grand total= $298.

Now of course this is going to vary depending on your needs and extras but to start out that is basically what you need. Compare this to the cost of disposable diapers and you are saving some significant money.

Happy diapering!

Written by Wendy Drewelow

September 8 Meeting Recap

This month's meeting was incredibly informative and I personally walked away feeling more confident in my approach to natural family planning. Our guest speaker was Karen Baker who is a local licensed midwife and has "caught" many of the babies in our group.

Karen opened the meeting with Natural Family Planning and emphasized, "You need to want to study yourself and take the time to study yourself." She reviewed several home fertility testers that uses your saliva to determine if you are nearing ovulation. You place a sample of your saliva on the microscopic lens each day and look for patterns that indicate you are ovulating. One of the sample kits she brought is called the Ovulens. You can find this product at http://www.ovulens.com/ and is available for purchase for around $40.00. It seems very easy to use. I'm ordering mine today and I will report back with results.

Karen also discussed the cervical cap, diaphragm and other "natural methods" to use for birth control. She also suggested that you see your midwife or health care provider for your individual needs as each person is anatomically different and what works well for one person may not work for the next. The following books were recommended by Karen for further information on natural family planning: The Art of Natural Family Planning, Luncapetion, Breastfeeding and Natural Childspacing, Conscious Conception and A Cooperative Method of Natural Birth Control. We are hoping to order a few of these books for our Lending Library so look for them in the upcoming meetings.

Karen discussed natural childbirth and the differences between hospital birth and home birth and midwifery model of care versus medical model of care. We discussed the rate of Caesarean birth being 1 in 3 in the hospital and reviewed some of the reasons that doctors may perform a Ceasearean.

It was wonderful to hear all of the questions that our members had. Karen was wonderful at taking time to provide explanations and information on this wonderful subject. If you are considering a "home birth," Karen will be happy to speak with you. You can visit her website at www.birthsenseandbeyond.com. Thank you Karen!!!

How to protect our kids from the FLU!

The flu season is approaching! The media will start bombarding us with images of the deadly flu! I am very passionate about alternatives to the flu shot to protect our families. Here are ways to boost your family's immune systems, so no matter what is "going around" it will pass your family by. Remember this quote by Louis Pasteur (vaccine maker),

"The germ is nothing,

the terrain is everything."

10 ways to Boost the immune system:

1. Get chiropractic adjustments.

The immune system is linked to your nervous system. If your nervous system is not functioning at 100%, neither is your immune system. (Chiropractors work with the nervous system...it's not all about back pain.)

2. Increase your intake of Vitamin C.

3. Decrease or eliminate food that weaken the immune system:

a. Processed sugar

b. Processed foods

c. High Fructose Corn Syrup

d. Don't eat non-organic food that contain pesticides and GMO's

4. Get lots of rest.

5. Get out in the sun!

6. Keep up on your whole food supplements.

7. Keep your body alkaline by getting lots of oxygen into your cells.

a. Take a nice walk, breath deeply!

b. Eat RAW FOODS that are in season

c. Drink lots water

8. Keep a positive outlook and set the intention: "My family is healthy, with strong immune systems. We are able to use our natural immunity to fight the flu this year!"

9. Do things that make you happy! Laughter is a great way to increase the oxygen into your body.

10. Don't get the flu shot! (In my opinion, the flu shot weakens your immune system by injecting your body with the flu virus, countless other toxins, chemicals, and preservatives.)

Click on this link to watch a short Video on the Flu shot.

It's both funny and disturbing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWfCnjnShnM

Easy Peezy Organic Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup organic flour

1/2 cup organic unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda (aluminum free)

1/4 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free)

1/4 teaspoon organic sea salt

1/3 cup of Agave nectar or 1 cup of organic evaporated cane juice

1 teaspoons of vanilla

3/4 cups organic milk (cow's, almond or rice)

1/3 cup organic coconut oil

1 organic egg

To make it "spiced" add

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon of ginger

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 1/2 in round cake pan. Set aside
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, evaporated cane juice, (If you are using agave, wait to add this to the wet ingredients) cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Add milk, oil and vanilla. ( Add agave if you are using it.)
4. Beat well on low speed for 2 minutes. Add egg, beat for 2 more minutes. Spread into pan.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool in cake pan on a rack for 10 min. That's it!

I like to put a glaze and fresh organic strawberries on top.

Organic Chocolate Glaze

Melt 4 oz of organic chopped chocolate and 3 tablespoons of organic butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Beat in 1 1/2 cups of organic powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of hot water. Stir in more water if you want it thinner.

Eco-Friendly Birthday Ideas

My youngest son is going to turn one next month and I find myself pondering the inevitable...do we have a birthday party for him? We have considered the obvious such as, he is too young to realize he is having a party and do we want to spend money on such an event and if so, how much? We have always done something significant to acknowledge the birthdays of our family members because we sincerely see them as a celebration of life. My son has been on our earth for one year and I truly feel blessed to have been chosen as his mother. Yes, this deserves a party!

So, back to square one...what kind of party? We have decided on something small with family and a few close friends. Here are a few ideas that we have come up with to keep this party eco-friendly:

1) Instead of using traditional "paper" invitations we have decided to save a few trees and e-mail our invitations using www.evite.com. This is a great website and they have a ton of invitation options to choose from. We even found a "green" them design.

2) Instead of awful latex balloons we have opted for colorful paper lanterns to decorate the area.

3) We have found paperware tableware that is biodegradable and forest friendly. We also found an intersting line of cornware for table settings as well. We found these items at www.greenpartygoods.com. These are great alternatives to your typical plasticware and much easier on our environment. We have also opted for cloth tablecloths and cloth napkins. I am making about 20-30 8x8 cloth napkins out of fabric remnants. These are also great to have at home and use for each meal instead of napkins or paper towels.

4) We are going to serve organic fruits, veggies and trail mix for snacks. We are making an organic chocolate spice cake with a glaze instead of frosting and fruit on top. This is a great alternative to a traditional sugar-loaded cake and healthier too. I'm sure parents will appreciate this! (Lara has this recipe and we will post it for everyone very soon).

5) We are setting up an art/craft table for kids to create a project. We are using eco-friendly paints and supplies that we found at Michaels crafts www.michaels.com. The kiddos get to take their project home with them and ta-da it's a party favor. No small plastic junk bags here! It's something that they have created and we are not sending them home with candy and useless toys. Hooray!

6) Ooh, gifts can also be an issue. In our particular situation we have decided to include on our invitation, "Please, no gifts." In all honesty, our son does not need anything. We want a simple celebration without unnecessary toys and wrapping paper. Oh the wrapping paper...need I go on? (Although I have seen people who have gotten incredibly creative and used newspaper or fabric to wrap gifts. Awesome idea!)

Another creative gift idea that I have seen for an older child is a family requesting their guests to bring a used toy that they have outgrown. The birthday child and their family donated the toys to an organization of their choice. I really enjoyed this idea of giving back. What a great opportunity to show your children the ability to do something selfless on their birthday and give to someone who may need it more than they do.

Yes, my youngest son is only turning one but as the mother of three children I see this as a great opportunity to teach all of my children the importance of being socially and economically conscious and how to have fun at the same time. We are going to have fun...alot of fun. And in this fun celebration process we are going to save a few trees, cut down on some waste and eat healthier. It really is a simple process, you just have to be a little creative and open-minded. Also, see what ideas you kids have. I am always amazed at how their creative minds work. If you have any other suggestions please share! I will post pictures and let you all know how it goes!

~Jen

Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheet Toxic Concerns

At our last meeting Lara spoke briefly about the negative effects of fabric softener. Here is a little more info for everyone.

Fabric softener and dryer sheets are some of the most toxic products around. These products contain chemicals that can cause cancer and brain damage. Some of the chemicals found in fabric softeners and dryer sheets include the following:

Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders
Limonene: Known carcinogen A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage
Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list
Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

The chemicals in fabric softeners are irritating and strong smelling, thus strong fragrances are added to cover the chemical odors. Fabric softeners are made to stay in your clothing for long periods of time. These chemicals are slowly released either into the air you and your family inhale or absorbed into your skin. Dryer sheets may be even worse for you as they are heated in the dryer and the chemicals are then released out into the environment.

Health effects from being exposed to the chemicals in fabric softeners include the following:
Central nervous system disorders
Headaches
Nausea
Vomiting
Dizziness
Blood pressure reduction
Irritation to skin, mucus membranes and respiratory tract
Pancreatic cancer

The effects of these chemicals may not be seen today but may occur over time. Make changes to your laundry today. Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of these chemicals. If you still desire a nice smell to your clothing add essential oils that are clear with no coloring as the colored oils may stain your clothing. You will actually save money using alternative methods and find scents that your family enjoys. For example, Lavendar essential oil is wonderful to add to your children's pajamas as it helps soothe and calm them during pre-bedtime routines.


Natural Suggestions to soften your clothing:

Add a quarter cup of baking soda to wash cycle to soften fabric
Add a quarter cup of white vinegar to wash cycle to soften fabric and eliminate cling
Visit your local health food store for a natural fabric softener that uses a natural base instead of chemicals.

Tiny Revolutionary

We were recently introduced to this AMAZING line of children's clothing. Tiny Revolutionary is small kids clothing company on a BIG mission to make the world a kinder, more peaceful place by creating super cool, socially conscious children's clothing with messages of Peace, Hope, Love & Equality. Their clothes are 100% Sweatshop Free, Earth Friendly & as soft as the children who wear them. They also donate $1 from the sale of each of their Tee's to non-profit partners who are saving the lives of children all across the world. We also especially like this company because they sponsored "The Business of Being Born" film, a film we all truly found inspirational.
I browsed through several of their products and found children's shirts with quotes such as "I'll Change the World Someday" and "Be the Change You Want to See in the World" and "another one of my favorites, "A Child Without Courage is Like a Night Without Stars."
I emailed Breeanne who is one of the owners to compliment her on her company and tell her how much I appreciated the products she has created and the mission behind their company. She responded immediately and created a special coupon code for the Barefoot Mamas' members. All of our members can enter the coupon code: BAREFOOT upon checkout and you will receive $10 off of your entire order!!! We are so excited about this gracious opportunity and encourage you to visit their website and check out their products. www.tinyrevolutionary.com

Is my shampoo safe???

We have recently been introduced to a great website that answers many of our questions regarding beauty/bath products and the ingredients in them. http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/

"Skin Deep is a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products brought to you by researchers at the Environmental Working Group. Skin Deep pairs ingredients in more than 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind. Why did a small nonprofit take on such a big project? Because the FDA doesn't require companies to test their own products for safety."

You can type in a product, ingredient or company name into their search engine and it will give you a "hazard score" and display a "score key." Each product will be evaluated with an explanation of all its ingredients and the concerns/risk factors. This is a great resource to share with friends and family and learn more about the ingredients in your products.

Kiwi Magazine

Yesterday I received my first issue of Kiwi Magazine. This magazine's motto is, "Growing families the natural and organic way." I immediately ran inside and began flipping the pages. Maybe this is my personality but I LOVE getting new magazines in the mail. I must say that I am very impressed by the information presented by Kiwi magazine. One of the articles that I found especially intriguing was titled, "Healthy Living on a Budget." Yes, we do find that living and eating naturally can be a bit pricey at times. This article gave many helpful suggestions to save a little money. At this time the magazine has 6 issues per year and you can visit www.kiwimagonline.com for price information. They even offer an online magazine subscription so that you can save trees and not have the issue printed on paper. We will bring the current issue to the next meeting if you would like to have a look. Have a wonderful week!

~Jen