Mama By Nature

Give Your Breastfed Baby's Immunity A Boost

Within weeks the H1N1 flu vaccine will be distributed to your local neighborhood doctor's office and regional hospitals.  Before panic sets in about getting the flu, let's take a deep breath and remember the key to staying healthy...Prevention! 

The Good News: Breastfed babies get mom's antibodies through the breastmilk.  This means that all those "bugs" that you have encountered recently and over your lifetime have prepared your very intelligent immune system by making antibodies to these illnesses.  Your baby gets these antibodies with every feeding.  Your baby also gets vitamins and minerals that support immune function like: Vitamins A, C, D, E, Zn, and Se just to name a few.  If you are breastfeeding, any immune supporting herbs that you take can reach your baby.  Safe herbs like Echinacea purpurea are commonly used and your practitioner can formulate a combination of herbs with safe dosing for pregnancy and lactation. 

The Bad News: While your baby gets vitamins and minerals through your breastmilk, if you are not eating a diet rich in nutrients (think whole foods, non processed) or taking a good multivitamin daily, you will be depleted in the good stuff for your own immune system.  Also, most women are very deficient in the fat soluble Vitamin D and unfortunately so are their breastfed babies.  If your baby is receiving formula they are receiving well above the daily dose needed because these formulas are fortified with Vitamin D.  Vitamin D is easy to replace by taking higher doses in either an emulsified supplement (comes with fat to aid in absorption by the intestines) or by taking the supplement with a meal to aid in absorption.  Ask your healthcare practitioner about Vitamin D replacement that is adequate for you and your baby. 

The Ugly:  People die every year from the flu.  Viruses mutate quickly making it difficult to establish immunity.  Those that tend to be most susceptible are the elderly (their immune system responses tend to be weaker), the very young (their immune systems are not fully developed) and those with underlying chronic diseases like Asthma, COPD, diabetes, some autoimmune conditions and those with weakened immune systems.  Vaccines often contain adjuvants.  These are substances that casue the immune system to increase activity and render the vaccine more effective at a lower dose.  This is good for the vaccine manufacturers because they can produce less vaccine and distribute it to more people.  However, the ugly truth is that these adjuvants are substances that are typically extremely toxic to the nervous system.  There has been a lot of recent research and press coverage on mercury in vaccines, but people don't realize that a few of the vaccines in our current schedule and the H1N1 vaccine contain substances like: Aluminum, formaldehyde, ethylene glycol, and squalene.  Although they are in a very small dose in the vaccines, we cannot ignore what their known actions are.  The FDA does not allow some of these substances into our vaccines (they are allowed in the UK and other nations), but there are different rules for different situations...like a threat of pandemic.   These substances are being questioned by many researchers as to their role in the development of autoimmune disorders.  As a parent and family doctor, my best advice is that each family is a different situation with different risk factors that would make getting vaccinated better than not getting the vaccine. Vaccinations are one of the toughest decisions a parent must make for their child.  Please take the time to educate yourself about the risks of disease vs. immunization.  Then, schedule time to consult with your healthcare provider to discuss the options for your family.

Here is some gentle advice:

• Eat Healthy Food: Look for colorful fruits and vegetables.  Avoid highly processed foods and sugar which weaken the immune response.  In general, avoid "white" foods (white breads, pastas, sugar)

• Wash your hands frequently during the day with warm antibacterial soap and water.  As a microbiology student we would sing "Old McDonald had a farm eei eei ooh and on that farm he had a bug eei eei ooh" to make sure that we washed long enough.

• If you or your child are sick...stay home, rest, stay hydrated with water and limit contacts with friends and relatives.

• Vitamin D daily at therapeutic doses (higher than the 400IU daily recommended dose)

• Consider herbs like Astragalus, Echinacea and Glycerrhiza for their known immune enhancing capabilities.
• Decrease stress.  Stress increases your cortisol production which decreases your immune response.

For more information on vaccinations go to the CDC website at :  www.CDC.gov and the National Vaccine Information Center at: www.NVIC.org

Enjoy Each Moment,

Dr Michelle

 

Don't cry over spilled milk...unless you've spent the day with your pump

A few months ago I received an alarming call at work informing me that Oliver had just spilled a full 8oz bottle of breast milk onto the floor.  My partner sweetly said, "Don't worry, we'll be ok.  I just thought you should know, so that you could pump extra today." I hung up in a panic.  I had thoughts of my little boy crying with hunger pains because he didn't have enough breastmilk.  I couldn't focus on anything except for the fact that my boobs were halfway across town from my little one.  I quickly turned to my pump, "don't fail me now."  Of course we all know what happened next.  My boobs got a horrible case of performance anxiety.  My racing thoughts combined with ten minutes of constant vacuum "suckling" set to the ever soothing sound of my Medela pump left me with only a couple of drops.  I was left with the irrational thought of being the world's worst mama.  We all have our moments.  So, in honor of my pumping failures and triumphs I would like to share a few tips with all my milk producing mamas out there. 

1. Stress and anxiety are a breastfeeding mama's arch nemesis.  Know a great way to reduce stress?  STOP multitasking.  That's right.  Practice the ancient art of completing one task at a time.  Uno-tasking as I like to call it.  This is my number one goal in life right now.  I am practicing it right now and I feel pretty fabulous. 

Need a quick fix...try carrying a small bottle of your favorite essential oil to smell or a spritz of Rescue Remedy (flower essence combination )

2.  Keep a picture, or a phone full of pictures, sounds, and/or video clips of your baby on hand and use this as a visual stimulant during your time with your breast pump to aid with the let down reflex.

3. Stay well hydrated.  You will literally be sucked dry if you do not drink water throughout the day.  Imagine every sip of water flowing down and out of your breasts.  It really works! It will also help prevent blocked ducts and mastitis.  

4. Get your proud papa, or co-mama to stimulate some acupressure points that can aid with milk production. I recommend the very top of the shoulders and the bottom of the feet. 

5. Discuss your frustrations (or love) of pumping with your friends.  Remember that you are doing the very best for your child and that it can be hard work, sometimes.

Enjoy each moment.

Dr Michelle

Like Cures Like

Homeopathic treatments are a great choice for kids.  They are safe, gentle, easy to use and effective.  When they are prescribed by a homeopath or practitioner with experience in homeopathic prescribing they are highly individualized medicine.  The principles of homeopathy were established over 200 years ago by Dr Samuel Hahnemann.   He discovered that if one ingested a substance in a very small dose it would treat the symptoms that are caused by that same substance in a high dose.  A great example of this is the syrup of Ipecac.  This is used to treat poisoning by inducing vomiting.  The homeopathic remedy of Ipecacuanha is used to treat vomiting with relentless nausea. 

Homeopathy is a terrific choice for treating common childhood illnesses like: diarrhea, tummy aches, colds, growing pains, bumps and bruises.  They can have an immediate impact that can be a relief for the child, and parent.  They are perfect to keep in your medicine cabinet, first aid kit and travel bag.  I think everyone should have Arnica gel in their first aid kits for treating painful bumps and tumbles that can leave you feeling sore and bruised.

Sometimes less IS more.  How do you get a minescule amount in a remedy?   Homeopathics are created through a series of dilutions.  A substance is diluted repeatedly until only a minscule amount is present.  Then, this is commonly dripped or sprayed over sugar pellets to create the sublingual remedy or emulsified in gels creams to create topical remedies.  While in Africa, I had great success treating "runny stomach" with homeopathics.  In fact, the people that used homeopathics had immediate relief and their illness had resolved in 12 hours.  Those that had used Imodium, a popular over-the-counter antidiarrheal medication, felt sick for days. 

Homeopathy is frequently a treatment of choice in European hospitals and clinics and it is slowly finding its place in the US again as people are turning to alternative treatments for their health.  Which brings me to a current topic in the headlines recently, Zicam.  Zicam has been marketed as a "homeopathic" treatment for colds and allergies.  If you read the ingredient label on this product it is simply a 10% dilution of zinc gluconate.  This is not homeopathy, but it is misleading and confusing for anyone who does not understand or practice homeopathy.  The FDA does not regulate homeopathic remedies, which means that consumers should always check the ingredient label.  If it is a true homeopathic remedy or formulation it will list every remedy name and its potency.  This is a great reminder that  just because something is labeled as "natural" or "homeopathic" does not mean that it is safe.  I would suggest always buying from companies that specialize in homeopathics like Boiron, or buying directly from your healthcare practitioner. 

Interested in learning more about homeopathy?  Take a look at the National Center for Homeopathy's website:  http://homeopathic.org

Enjoy each moment,

Dr Michelle

Doctor as Teacher

 Welcome to my weblog.  As a parent and a family physician, I get many phone calls from family and friends with questions regarding their health.  It can be difficult to navigate through all of the medical information that is disseminated through magazines, tv and the internet.  My goal is to be your guide through these sometimes "muddy waters" and bring a clearer understanding of the benefits of natural and holistic health care. 

I chose to pursue a career in natural and complementary medicine because I was unhappy with the current model of medical care in our country.  I disliked the stiff, bleached lab coats, cold offices and extremely brief visits.  How could my doctor understand my concerns when they didn't have the time to know my history? I wanted to find a way to be a nutritionist, physical therapist, counselor and doctor all at the same time.  I eventually stumbled upon Bastyr University and found a community of compassion and intelligence that I was hungry to be a part of.  Thus, my journey began to find a better way to health for myself, my family and my community.

As a practitioner, I have a strong interest in women's health and pediatrics.  I am incredibly passionate about helping women, and their partners, increase their potential for healthy pregnancies and labors.  I am an advocate of natural childbirth and home births.   I feel very blessed to have many local midwives as colleagues and friends.  After the birth of my son, I became passionate about natural care for babies and kids.  I read everything that I could get my hands on.  Looking into my son's beautiful eyes, I committed to making the best choices for his health.  We all want to make the best decisions for our kids.  What works for me and my family is not necessarily what is best for everyone.  I am excited to share my opinion and generate interest in homeopathic, botanical, and nutritional therapies.  And yes, I will generate a series of posts on the most common question, "what vaccines should we be getting?"

Whether you choose an MD, Naturopathic Physician, or combination there can still be questions that are left unanswered.  My goal is to educate my readers so that they feel comfortable asking their doctor questions to get the most out of their medical visits.  I have a wealth of personal and professional experience to share and I am sure that you will find a smattering of light-hearted musings mixed in as well.  
 

Enjoy each moment.

 Dr Michelle