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12/17/2019 0 Comments

Pregnancy & Postpartum Massage Equipment: Orthopedic Cushion & Electric Massage Table

side-lying massage is the position most commonly used in pregnancy massage. . It takes pressure off the shoulder and hips, and keeps the spine, neck, & hips aligned.

This is the back view of the side-lying cushion.

The cushion also lets you lay face down/ on your belly without putting any pressure on your belly or breasts. It adjusts as your your belly grows and most women can use this position into their third trimester.

The massage table is electric and quickly adjusts to different heights and angles with a controller. After about 20 weeks in pregnancy, laying flat on your back during massage can decrease circulation in mother and baby, so lifting the table to an angle of 45 degrees is recommended.

When a baby is breech, Midwives recommend that women lay in a decline position to help baby turn. This table is easily adjusted to that angle, and I can use this position during prenatal massage to help make room for baby to turn.

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9/30/2019 0 Comments

Postpartum 40 days of Self-Care

Traditionally, the first 40 days postpartum mothers are completely taken care of by the family, so she can rest, recover and bond with baby.

.You can receive your first massage after giving birth, once you have had time to sleep. If you have a hospital birth, a massage therapist can go to your hospital room and massage you on the bed. It’s ideal to get weekly massages.
If you have a vaginal birth you can start doing vaginal steams every other day for starting day 3 postpartum for a total of 5 steams. The herbs you can use are one cup total of dried oregano, calendula and rosemary. If you have a C-section steams aren’t recommended until 8 weeks postpartum. Read about steams on my previous blog. Keep scrolling down.
a tip from a traditional midwife from a lineage of midwives dating back to pre-Hispanic Mexico, recommended drinking oregano tea the first 9 days postpartum
Wrap / bind your belly daily for 40 days to help your uterus heal and your belly muscles to recover. Only wear it when you are laying around doing nothing but being with baby. A doula or postpartum massage therapist can wrap you the first time or you can learn about it in you tube.
If you have a C-section, please read my blog post about scar therapy here. http://www.fertilehands.com/blog/the-benefits-of-massaging
the only exercises I recommend in the first 40 days are pelvic floor kegels. Basically stopping the flow of urine and then releasing. You can combine them with drawing your belly toward your navel. You can go for walks after 40 days. To prevent prolapsed uterus or bladder, don’t run, jump or lift heavy weights for 2 years.

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6/8/2019 0 Comments

Vaginal/ Pelvic Steam Instructions

Steam with herbs is used to internally cleanse vaginal and uterine membranes: releasing toxins, strengthening and toning reproductive organs and cleansing any unshed menses. Benefits:

Irregular, absent or painful menstruation
Cleansing after each period
Stagnant fertility conditions
blocked Fallopian tubes
Endometriosis
Fibroids
ovarian cysts
Polyps
Scar Tissue
Uterine/ Pelvic Floor weakness
Decreasing anal pressure or pain
Relief of perineal discomfort
Postpartum care including relieving/ healing tears and perineal discomfort

Instructions on Steam Set up

Not to be used in pregnancy or acute infections

Fill a pot with one gallon of water and bring the water to a soft boil. Turn off the heat and move the pot off the burner.
Crush 1 cup of dried herbs or 2 cups of fresh herbs into the water as you give thanks to the herbs and infuse them with your intentions. Steep for 10 minutes with the lid on.
Place the pot under the chair you will use to steam. Test the steam on your wrist before sitting down. The membranes of your vagina are sensitive, so you don’t want it to feel too hot, steam burns are very serious. Get undressed from the waist down (keep your warm socks on) and sit on the chair with a blanket wrapped around you to keep the steam in.
Sit comfortably for at least 20 minutes, meditate or read a book. It should feel pleasant. I usually feel the warmth rise all the way up to my heart. If it feels too warm, remove the pot to let it cool a bit.
You can steam unto 45 minutes, if you use a hot plate under the pot and steam stool. You can also use less water. If you use 1/2 a gallon water you can use 1/2 cup of dried herbs, etc.
Rest afterward stay warm and do something nurturing for yourself like drink a warm herbal tea of raspberry leaf, nettles, oat straw, and rose petals, or take a warm bath. Protect yourself from drafts.

Herbs for Steams

Use one cup of dried herbs or 2 cups of fresh herbs for steaming

Traditional Formula: (Basil, Calendula, Oregano, Yarrow and Lemon Balm) be purchased on the Arvigo website.

Fibroid Formula: oregano, basil, calendula, sage (intent matters)For fibroids, steam three times in the week prior to your period alternating the days with castor oil packs.

Endometriosis Formula: oregano, roses, yarrow, and calendula

$325 Ecofriendly, foldable for easy storage, comfortable. Designed by, Marcia Lopez of Women's True Healing. Purchase it a thesteamingstool.com

Free Option 1: Get 2 chairs and bring them together, leaving an open space. You can sit with one glute/ cheek on each chair and a pot directly under you.. Option 2: get a used wooden chair or stool and cut out a hole on the seat. Option 3: You can also just slide your hips to the very front of the stool. Your sits bones (ischial tuberosicties) will be on the chair but your groin will be in mid air.

$40 Amazon sells a foldable camping toilet that looks just like a steaming stool. The amazon link is at the bottom of this blog

$89.00 This stool is technically for doing inversions (head stands), and has an extra pad to cover the opening and use as a regular stool. I think it's perfect and very comfortable for doing pelvic steams. Also, I highly recommend inversions for women with prolapsed pelvic floor organs, incontinence, tilted uterus and digestive problems. The amazon link is at the bottom of this blog

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6/4/2019 0 Comments

Pad & Tampon Alternatives: Non-Toxic, Healthy, Economical, & Eco-friendly

Ive used cloth, washable pads since I first learned about them in 2007. Besides being better for the environment and money saving, they are more comfortable and absorbent than disposables. Disposable pads/ tampons contain very toxic chemicals and if you are trying to become healthier, especially reduce toxins in your body, you need to stop using them. If you can’t do washables, you can choose to either buy organic cotton disposable pad and tampons, but they aren’t cheap.

Gladrags is an online store that sells washable pads and menstrual cups. I’ve recommended them to clients since 2008. The website answers all your questions about sizes , how to use and how to wash and care. Check out their website here: https://gladrags.com/?aff=33

if you would rather use organic disposable pads and tampons, I recommend Natracare. There link to purchase them on amazon below.

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6/3/2019 0 Comments

Correcting a Prolapsed Uterus

When the ligaments of the uterus become overstretched,, the uterus drops lower than it ideally should be and is called a prolapsed uterus. There are 4 stages of prolapse. Common symptoms are incontinence, painfu/ uncomfortable sex, heavyness in the pelvis or inability to have sex. ,

In the images below, the bottom Left is a uterus at stage zero, where it should be. The bottom right is a uterus at stage 4, so low it falls through and partially hangs out the vagina. The top 2 images show the stages of prolapse.

The prolapsed uterus may also tip back and rest on the rectum, this would cause constipation or discomfort with sex. It may also tip too far forward and apply pressure to the bladder and cause frequent urination.

Massage to lift the uterus helps with these symptoms, but may be temporary if the prolapse is stage 3/4. You should practice self massage and specific exercises to help take strain of the ligaments of theuterus. This could help the ligaments shorten a bit. I teach clients to use inversions, massage their uterus while inverted, and how to use other tools to help lift it.

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6/3/2019 0 Comments

Pooping Helps Fertility

It’s important to have 3 daily well formed bowel movements for optimal health. It’s one of the ways your body releases metabolic waste and environmental toxins like pesticides, heavy metals, and other chemicals.

If your body cannot release toxins, they build up in your body and can cause bad odor (breath, feet, stinky sweat), be stored in fat and cause you to stay fat, be stored in organs (and cause dysfunction or disease), or you expel through skin (eczema or psoriasis), and decrease fertility. The large intestine surrounds the uterus and waste can be absorbed by the uterus.

Make sure you are drinking enough water, or you can become dehydrated

If you are really constipated follow steps 1 and 2.

Step 1: Take a laxative to clear out your large intestine. The large intestine is the part of the digestive system where poop is formed. Laxatives that clear the large intestine are: Cascara sagrada, senna or a laxative called vitalitycapsuls.com which is extremely effective.

About a week later Step 2: Drink one tablespoon of castor oil (non-gmo, hexane-free or organic) in the evening. Sometimes you need to do this 3 days in a row to get a reaction. Castor oil clears out the small intestine. It’s recommended to clean out the small intestine every 3 months for optimal health. There are also Chinese herbs for clearing the small intestine. Never take castor oil when you are pregnant

Things you can do on a regular basis to maintain regularity

Castor oil packs with heat over the liver, intestines or uterus can be done up to 3 days/ week.
Intestine massage, abdomen, and low back massage all help keep things moving can be done on a daily basis
Daily Apple Cider Vinegar (acv) teaspoon in water with lemon (if you have it) and a capsule of cayenne pepper. Drink it before meals, and not on an empty stomach. This helps acid reflux, helps your stomach digest, is good for overall circulation, headaches and more benefits.
Females: Uterus massage to maintain good uterus position, and make sure it’s not laying on intestine (retroverted or left leaning).
Use a good water filter and drink enough throughout the day. It’s best to add something healthy to your water like lemon, ginger, acv, mint, etc.
Eat good fats help you have good bowel movements. Canola oil is registered as a pesticide so don’t use it. Organic animal fats and unrefined olive oil, coconut oil, MCT oil.....
Buying and eating Organic vegetables and meats help reduce your pesticide and xenohormone exposure
probiotics are really important for good digestion. It’s best to buy or make fermented foods for this. Sauerkraut and Kim chi are the most well known.
Chia seeds, flax seeds, cactus/nopales, okra, slippery elm capsules , aloe Vera all create a nice gel coating over poop and help everything glide out. They each have multiple health benefits.
magnesium is an important mineral which also loosens poop. It helps with anxiety, stress, detox and fertility.

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I am a Certified Massage Therapist, Arvigo Practitioner and (almost certified) Aromatherapist. I use this blog to share information about natural and organic health and beauty.

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Pregnancy & Postpartum Massage Equipment: Orthopedic Cushion & Electric Massage Table

Postpartum 40 days of Self-Care

Vaginal/ Pelvic Steam Instructions

Instructions on Steam Set up

Herbs for Steams

Pad & Tampon Alternatives: Non-Toxic, Healthy, Economical, & Eco-friendly

Correcting a Prolapsed Uterus

Pooping Helps Fertility

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