Mystery Within: Functional Health & Birth Services

04/21/2024

Hey Mamas! Mark your calendars and spread the word! May Catholic Birth Circle is fast approaching and you won't want to miss this meeting!

We often fear what we do not understand, and if there is one aspect of labor which many mothers fear, it is pain in labor. Some women prepare for it by taking a good childbirth education class. Others hire a doula. Still others plan on receiving an epidural in labor. Whether you are planning on going medicated or unmedicated, having a solid familiarity with labor comfort techniques is going to give you a leg-up in having the best labor possible. For those going unmedicated, this knowledge is indispensable. For those going medicated, this will help you delay your epidural for better outcomes; additionally, in the event that your epidural does not take, or does not work quite as well as you were expecting, it gives you a back-up plan.

On May 8 from 6-8 p.m., we will be exploring a variety of labor comfort techniques which have been shown to help mothers ease their way through the discomforts and challenges of the first stage of labor. From relaxation, to breathing techniques, to positioning, to massage, and more hands-on maneuvers, we will cover not only the comfort techniques, but the physiology which underlies them as well. You will come away from this meeting with both the knowledge of what can be helpful, as well as why.

Plan to be there, and if you know another pregnant mama, make sure to bring her as well! As per usual, we will have snacks, drinks, good chats, and prayer. You do not have to be Catholic to attend, just respectful. Nursing babes/babes in arms are very welcome to attend with you. You do not have to be pregnant or postpartum to attend, just interested and supportive!

For more information, contact me via the contact information in the flyer!

04/13/2024

Not every case of dis-ease in the body is caused by thyroid dysfunction, but thyroid dysfunction will touch every system of your body. You won't be unaffected.

When thyroid dysfunction is suspected, a full thyroid panel needs to be run, not just TSH. You can have good thyroid numbers as well but if the hormone isn't getting *into* the cells, then you may exhibit hypothyroid symptoms.

Each stage in the thyroid manufacturing, delivery, and assimilation process is driven by different nutrients, and if you are deficient in any of them, you will experience thyroid dysfunction, regardless of how perfect your TSH or your T4 are.

Optimize your lifestyle and diet to protect this indispensable hormonal system. Test. Listen to the messages your body is sending to you through your symptoms. For most of you, hypothyroid isn't an indication that your body is broken, but that your lifestyle is. You can fix it, and when you do, you will be closer to restoring yourself to a state of vitality. 🙂

03/24/2024

💯!!!! 🙌

Applicable to much of life but how does it specifically apply to pregnancy and birth?

If you consistently walk away from appointments making excuses why they didn’t give you more than five minutes or answer your questions well, it might be time to ask the better question of whether they are giving you the care you deserve.

If you consistently have to ignore your intuition or research or are repeatedly feeling pressured into things you don’t want to do, it might be time to admit the problem is them.

If you consistently compromise your plans for your body, your baby, or your birth with a provider, place, or entire system, then it is time to stop giving the benefit of the doubt.

If you’ve already HAD a birth(s) where you weren’t treated with respect or evidence based practice or had multiple encounters that pressured you into things or ignored your rights, then, sister, the time for the benefit of the doubt has passed.

If you've already HAD negative outcomes in your health or your baby's because of bad advice, lack of informed consent, or policies that harmed you, then they don't deserve the chance to harm you again.

Extending grace to people or situations is fine. Amen to less judgement, less quick accusation, and more grace in our culture. People can have bad moments or days and specific situations might merit compromise and flexibility.

But you only get to birth this baby once. Don't make the mistake of sacrificing it for the sake of not making waves or avoiding the temporary hassle or discomfort of changing your plans.

There comes a point when respect for reason and our own dignity demands that we aren’t afraid to call out consistent disregard for evidence, human dignity, or basic common sense. There comes a point where the benefit of the doubt is no longer charitable but instead foolish. Being virtuous does not mean accepting mistreatment, not acknowledging the obvious, tolerating terrible advice or outcomes, or ignoring a pattern of behavior from a person, system, or corporation.

Virtue honors truth, even when difficult, and it honors human dignity, even your own.

🤍