Natural Beginning Birth Center Blog

The perpetual question:  Where is my pregnancy glow? Pregnancy hormones can wreak havoc on one’s usual skin balance causing some complexions to become oily and acne prone.   With the increasing number of beauty products and regimes out there, it is hard to discern which are safe to use with pregnancy.  Products marketed at “natural” might appear to be harmless, however, the opposite might be true.  While some essential oils are perfectly safe to use with pregnancy, there are others that have potential risky side effects. Below is a cheat sheet of beauty products, ingredients, and services to avoid or use sparingly while pregnant: Retin-A, Retinol, and Retinyl Palmitate Retinoids are found in all types of skin care products from anti-aging moisturizers to acne creams to hyperpigmentation treatments.  They are a type of vitamin A that speeds up cell division (quickening your skin’s renewal) and prevents skin collagen from breaking down.  While vitamin A is necessary for

Nutrition with Pregnancy Nutrition and diet is the one thing that we can control with our pregnancy. Good nutrition is key for a healthy pregnancy. We cannot stress enough that it is important to eat a diet loaded with healthy foods and limit junk food during pregnancy. Everyday consume the following: · 10 to 12 glasses of water · Fruits and veggies: 6 to 8 servings per day including two leafy greens, one yellow and one orange · Whole grains: 2 to 4 servings · Calcium rich foods: 2 to 4 servings per day · Protein foods: eggs, lean meat, fish, chicken, legumes: 2 to 4 servings per day · Flax seeds: 1 to 2 tablespoons ground Limit the following form your diet: · Refined sugars · White foods: White bread, rice, flour, potatoes · No more than one glass of fruit juice a day · Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil We believe that you can get all the nutrients you need for a healthy pregnancy by eating healthy foods. Here is a current research article abo

The road to preparing for your natural childbirth at the birth center is long.  Between childbirth education and breastfeeding classes, infant care preparation, regular exercise, finding a doula —  so much is invested in your success at the birth center.     As midwives, we are often asked:  What is your transfer rate at Natural Beginning?   About 30% of our clients who opt for the birth center midway through pregnancy transfer to the hospital setting.     One half of our transfers include women whose pregnancy becomes high risk in the second half of her pregnancy.  Women  “ risk out ”  of the birth center for reasons like breech presentation, gestational diabetes requiring medication, high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia.   Our  high risk  mamas are still cared for by midwives and physicians in our unique collaborative care model.  Each provider at the practice of OBGYN North and Natural Beginning Birth Center is a woman who practices evidence based obstetrics, opting

This blog is meant to offer helpful information and links to expecting women. Our goal at Natural Beginnings Birth Center is to support women during this time of immense change. We believe birth is normal and in treating it as such. Below is a great article about normal birth. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/03/the-most-scientific-birth-is-often-the-least-technological-birth/254420/#article-comments?utm_source=fbb