Until the value of “women’s work” is given monetary value for what that work is actually worth, there shall be no true equality between men and women. Women are overburdened to tend the hearth, and leave the hearth to earn money.  This causes adrenal fatigue, thyroid problems, fertility problems, and is a stress to small children.  Small children are rushed to daycare, and fed inappropriate foods that take less time to prepare.

What do I mean by women’s work?  I am sure to offend someone!  But in my observations, women’s work includes childbearing and childrearing, laundry, housecleaning, grocery shopping and cooking.  Of course, everybody can do these tasks (except for gestation), but modern people lack the wisdom to value these tasks.  These tasks are meant to be stuffed into the edges of our work-week, or career plans… Performed without consciousness because all that vital energy went into our jobs.

Women have left the homestead to go to university and make their marks in the world.  I know that women of colour have always been working outside their homes in America, and that being ‘released from home’ has no resonance.  But now girls of all races will meet the expectation of having a career.

And the message is:

Creating a family is something a responsible woman

does once her career has momentum,

and she can afford to pay someone else to care

for her child while she tends her career.

Where does that leave us?  Fatigued and anxious that our careers are suffering from the burdens of family, and anxious that our families are suffering from the burdens of the career. Or, without a family at all due to infertility problems!  Sup-optimal fertility in our population is related to the delayed childbearing and endocrine problems influenced by our drive to succeed outside the home.

This dynamic is similar to the way in which the true cost of our commodities is skewed, without factoring in the true cost of fossil fuel consumption to extract the raw materials, assemble and transport those goods.  Both of these issues relate to the feminine, the human mother and the mother earth and our resources.

A patient of mine…I’ll call her Mirabel… went to her OB/GYN when she was 28 years old to come off of her Oral Birth Control Pills (OBCs) a year or so before conceiving her child. Her doctor was astonished that a woman with a successful career would want to start a family so early. At 30 yrs of age, Mirabel began to try to conceive.  It wasn’t until she was 35 that she was able to keep a pregnancy (after surgically removing fibroids that grew under the influence of her OBCs).  At 35 years of age, Mirabel was considered “old” for being pregnant and was cited additional risks to pregnancy and childbirth due to her age!  She marveled at how she went from being too young to too old in such a short span of time!  My take on this common story, is that we do not appropriately value fertility, thus the work of a woman.

I am not saying a woman should be paid for getting pregnant.  Who would pay her?  How much? How many times should she be paid, etc?  What a political nightmare!

All I mean to say, is that in addition to wars, corporate greed, subsidized corn and other evils of our modern culture, an essential problem is that the work men do is rewarded with money, and thankfully today women can be rewarded as well for this type of creativity and productivity.  But the work of childbearing and rearing, hearth tending is a voice-less career path left behind by feminism.  Had I told the generation ahead of me that I wanted to be a mother, as a career, they would have been astounded and incensed! “What a waste of your youth! You can do so much more than that!”

Well, you know what? I now understand what all that energy in my 20s was for!  Because staying up all night with hungry or sick children is hard work, especially when you don’t get to sleep it off the following day.  And Yes, in many ways I wouldn’t be as good a mother as I am now.  Now I know about natural medicine, and immune system development.  I know about wheat-free-dairy-free nutrition, hydrotherapy and homeopathy.  But what I lack today, that I had plenty of in my 20s is enthusiasm, energy and optimistic naïveté.  Those are assets to childrearing!  Today I am so fatigued by tending my business, and feeding people (and a kitty), and cleaning up after them – that it is effort for me to play.  I am too aware of the long to-do list.  OR, it goes on the long to-do list and then is neutralized by being on a list…

Ok, now this sounds like I am complaining too much. I am very fortunate to have a job worthy of leaving my child with others. Now to re-focus:

Don Elijio, my teacher’s teacher, says that women today have too much burden, working like men and women at the same time.  That is why he includes Skunk Root in the Female Tonic…. to nurture and support the feminine spirit, today pulled in too many directions.

And my message to you dear woman: Vision your family and your hearth. Place priority on your fertility, if you want children.  If you are in your twenties, start at least by peak fertility, age 27.  Seek mates who also value family, and take the time to envision the qualities that make a good mate for childrearing. Call that in!  Motherhood is a real job, worthy of conscious intention.  Make your outside-job work for your real job of mothering your children!  Get off the hormonal contraception and use Fertility Awareness Method!  Protect your cervix, uterus and fallopian tubes from diseases by insisting on condom use until you are ready to commit to your mate.  Don’t wait for perfection, it almost never happens…  And when it does, it is Grace from god(dess).   But chances are, it is perfect already… in a tangly English Garden sort of way.

Being a mother is a blessing, fertility is a blessing.  Let’s take a look at the blessing of fertility and optimize our chances of receiving this blessing.

Well, 6 weeks after exposure, my daughter did get her first 2 pox!

This is a little strange because chicken pox usually comes 7, 14 or 21 days after exposure.  At 21 days post exposure, she had a fever and aversion to light – but we went to my friend’s house (to see her new chickens, how ironic!) and then her fever subsided and nothing happened.  Actually, her lymph nodes on her neck became enlarged and did not return to normal.

I was busy doing onion poultices to her neck to improve the drainage of those lymph nodes before we set sail for a 3-week working tour of New England.  When suddenly, the pox emerged…

The Course of Illness:

• First 3 days were pox emerging and low fever of 99.5-100.5
• Next 3 days were very itchy.  For 3 nights she did not sleep between 10 pm and 3 am.  Naps were only 30 minutes.  Low fever and plenty of play during the day.  The days were better because there was plenty to distract from the awful irritation to the nervous system.
• Last couple of days were less itchy.

Calamine Lotion was a flop.  My daughter was “afraid” of the oatmeal in the bath tub – so that was useless.  Salt baths seemed to be the best.

Homeopathic Rhus Tox 12c or 30c – Taking 4-5 pellets every 4-5 hours while awake.

For me: Consulting with friends who have ushered their kids thru Chicken Pox!  Did I mention I was staying at my mother’s house?  Having an extra mum about the house was very reassuring!  Being in a different home was a little difficult.

Well it all worked out marvelously!  My daughter has added a new book to her library of microbes!  She is much more articulate and seems more like a 4 year old than a 3 year old.  I am excited for her and a little sad to see the baby go as the girl comes in.

For more about the purpose of fever:  Please see the book in my reference list called A GUIDE TO CHILD HEALTH by Michaela Glockler.  Click Recommended Reading, Click Natural Medicine for Children.  Et Viola!  This is my most favorite resource for treating children!  It comes from MD’s who practice in a German Anthroposophic Hospital.  This means that they are MD’s who are trained in the philosophies of Rudolph Steiner.  Which means they have a wealth of experience, treating children in a way that supports the development of their minds, bodies and souls.

After I finish moving my house, I’ll write a better summary for this phenomena: While a child is having a fever, they are burning up debris that clouds their development.  They also have the chance to burn away inherited characteristics that do not serve them.  This idea comes to me from Rudolph Steiner…. But if you look at Heat Shock Proteins on wikipedia, you’ll see a scientific explanation for this, if that makes you feel more secure… I happen to love it when esoteric information is confirmed by science!

I asked my 3 year old last week if she would like to have chicken pox.  She replied, “No thank you.”

But, it is chicken pox season, and I want her to receive natural immunity to the infection.

Fortunately, a playmate had his first spots on a morning she spent with him.  So spirits willing, we will see the spots emerge on my daughter.

Here is a link to Dr Sears’ website for a great synopsis of chicken pox!

My daughter receiving hydrotherapy to support her body fighting an ear infection.  Hydrotherapy refers to the use of alternating hot and cold applications of water to a body part fighting infection.  These treatments work so well on children because they have so much vital energy, like seedlings….

I believe NOT that mercury vaccines, or MMR specifically cause autism. I believe that the immune systems and gastrointestinal (GI) systems  are damaged by bad gut bugs & TOO MANY vaccines, TOO EARLY in life.

I believe there is the old fashioned autism from pre-1980s that is probably mostly genetic, and a newer neurological disorder we call autism, that includes ADHD and hyperactivity. This newer variety can be healed (maybe never cured, but healed) if treated early, with diet (food based-good gut bugs called PROBIOTICS and elimination of wheat/dairy) and detox (castor oil packs), plus educational therapies.

When it is understood that all the vaccines together are damaging our children, we can make better decisions on how to use vaccines. But as of now, there is too much at stake for big business and medicine – who are ferociously protecting their interests.

This article from the Huffington Post reports on how some specific information has been suppressed.

I believe someday our children will look back and wonder, “what were they thinking?”

The single most valuable way to support your child, is to avoid stressors, rest appropriately when pregnant, eat well and eat fermented foods with every meal.

What are fermented foods?

Fermented Foods include yogurt, kefir, refrigerated sauerkraut and kimchee.  They are foods that have had beneficial bacteria introduced to it.  The bacteria grow as the food is prepared, and becomes an essential source of probiotics.

Why are fermented foods important?

In the past, our ancestors were in greater contact with the natural world, drinking water from the earth and eating more fresh plants that are enveloped in bacteria.  In the 1940’s human discovered antibiotic pharmaceuticals, and began to believe that infectious diseases were caused by pathogenic microbes. In naturopathic tradition, we believe that the health of the individual is equally important to the strength of the pathogen (virus or bacteria that harm humans).  We call this, the soil or terrain of the individual and we believe that it is critical to health, to support this.  Fermented foods fortify the individual’s intestinal tract with life-supporting bacteria, crowding out the bad guys.  Bacteria can turn genes like the celiac disease (wheat intolerance) genes on, they process food for us and supply us with nutrients like B-vitamins and Vitamin K.  They can regulate hormones and neurotransmitters, and digest dairy products for us.  The bacterial cells outnumber our own human cells 10 to 1!  Therefore, having 85% beneficial flora, and 15% other (not good, not bad), is really essential for being strong and healthy.

Supplementing with laboratory-made probiotics is helpful if the brand is reputable, and with situations involving tenacious “bad bugs”, or antibiotic use.  The probiotic industry is fraught with fraud, therefore I prefer for my patients to eat fermented foods with every meal, most of the time.  For some reason, I have yet to understand, fermented foods seem to work better – and it may be that the organisms in the food are themselves, more vital, than living in a dried capsule or powder.

Why are fermented foods so important in pregnancy?

When a child is still in the womb, there are no bacteria inside.  All the bacteria that line the skin and intestines come from the birth canal of the mother (if born vaginally) or from the operating room (if born via cesarean birth). Next, breastfeeding is the source of microbes. For the first 21 days of life, the infant has an open door policy regarding which microbes will become settlers.

When a baby is fussy often, or has colic, it is likely that there is a less than optimal profile of bacteria forming in the GI tract (intestines).  These babies are more likely to be unhappy in their bodies.  They are more likely to suffer from rashes, and develop asthma and allergies as they develop.

I also believe that the more recent regressive type of autism, ADHD and other neurological diseases are a result of bacterial imbalance.  This is due, in part, to the “bad” bacteria releases toxic by-products that irritate and damage the nervous system over time.

For all these reasons and more, I believe that all pregnant women (and especially women who are not yet pregnant!) should consider a comprehensive stool test to explore the “floral landscape” residing within.  If spending $200 on a comprehensive stool test is not possible, then proceed straight to supplementation with fermented foods.

In Portland, we are very fortunate to have many visionary healers.  One of them, whom I admire is Tami Kent.

gardenia in green ceramic and water with sunlight

On her blog, she wrote:

What do you hold in your bowl? The female body is powerful: what we hold in our center we manifest in our lives. What we hold in our center, we see reflected in the world. When a woman struggles, whether in regards to her relationships, her career, or her own sense of self, she often focuses on her worries or her pain. Her creative energy stagnates. If instead she will ask, “What do I want?” and moves towards this notion, she is more likely to plant seeds of hope that will take shape in her life. Holding joy in the bowl means focusing on desires and intentions rather than fears. While day to day living has its share of struggle, joy in the bowl always inspires the soul.

Check out her site: Wild Feminine Blog

What is a midwife?

Just in case I haven’t been clear enough:

Since I starting applying the Argivo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage, I have been startled by the ease of childbirth relative to my experiences before administering the massage.

A session of Maya Abdominal Massage (or a package) is a great way to Bless a pregnant woman!

Call my office @ 503-701-8766 to purchase a gift certificate.

To hope under the most extreme circumstances is an act of defiance that…permits a person to live her life on her own terms. It is part of the human spirit to endure and give a miracle a chance to happen.

From the Anatomy of Hope

Dedicated to my patients.

This really wasn’t meant to be a Blog about swine flu, but it is kind of fascinating.  There is a shift in consciousness for us because we feel vulnerable to volatile “markets”, H1N1 virus and floods.  This is a little bit different for those of us who are the children of baby boomers.  It’s like mother nature is setting limits with us bratty kids who’ve been watching TV too long.  It feels different, a little scary, and kind of cool.  It is good to save money instead of consume it, good to take better care of ourselves to prevent illness and good to deal with global warming.  Humility is a virtue.

So here’s the story: My pregnant colleague told me that raw cut onions, placed in dishes about the house can ward off the flu.  Apparently, one can see the virus in the onion when looking at the onion a few days later with a micro-scope. This is cited as prevention for the flu of 1918 by some farmers.

Sounds easy and affordable…  feels like Old World medicine – so I like it. When you feel vulnerable, doing simple rituals for protection feels strengthening.

At the same time, it sounds a little… embellished.

So I decided to google it.   To my delight, of all places I found it here:

Wall Street Journal Health page

While the CDC states  “There is no scientific evidence that any herbal, homeopathic or other folk remedies have any benefit against influenza,” I will suggest cutting up some onions, and placing them in dishes about the house when you feel vulnerable to flu virus.  As you are cutting the onion, think of gratitude for the onion plant, so delicious and such good medicine.  Kind of a grumpy old man medicine, but still, strong and pungent.

Take Care