Essential Oils for Pregnancy, Labor & Delivery

Our family has been using essential oils for 3 years and I have loved using them during pregnancy. There is no better time to use essential oils as there are no medications or drugs that are safe for our unborn babies. I realize there are many conflicting views regarding essential oils on the internet. It is not my purpose in this post to try to "prove" that they are safe. I also do not endorse any other oils except Young Living oils. These are the only oils on the market that have been rigorously tested for safety and purity and are the oils that are recommended below. I believe it is a true joy to take responsibility for our own health and to experience the wonderful benefits. In the beginning you may just want to start by smelling the oils or using them well diluted. And that's okay- as you use them, your confidence will grow!

After lots of research and reading, these are the oils I feel very comfortable recommending for your pregnancy, labor, delivery and beyond. *But, of course, please always consult with your health care provider before using any essential oils {I have to say that, right?}

To Halt Early Labor: rub generous amount of Lavender on the belly, can also be added to a warm bath. Peace & Calming can also be applied to the feet and/or diffused. I have found that Lavender is wonderful for soothing Braxton Hicks contractions and also helps alleviate round ligament pain.

Pre-Labor Perineum Spray: softens and thins the membranes to prepare for birth (place in glass spray bottle)

3 weeks before delivery

  Geranium- 8 drops

  Lavender- 5 drops

  1 oz. carrier oil

1 week before delivery

  Geranium- 8 drops

  Lavender- 5 drops

  Fennel- 5 drops

  1 oz. carrier oil

To Encourage Labor:

Jasmine, applied topically or inhaled (do not ingest). I added this essence to my baths during my last few days of pregnancy- just a drop or 2 in some Epsom salt.

Clary Sage- massage a few drops on the inside of ankles or ingest 1 drop every 15 minutes until contractions/dilation progresses. Clary Sage also relieves anxiety. This is also a good oil to combine with Myrrh to help move labor along.

Labor:

Frankincense for pain; this is also calming. Rub directly on back and/or belly. Also good to diffuse in labor room. This is probably my favorite oil and one that I highly recommend. If you can only get a few oils, invest in this one.

Many women use Peppermint, Pan Away or Wintergreen for pain (remember Wintergreen is a natural form of aspirin, so should be used cautiously during pregnancy; Pan Away contains Wintergreen as well)

Basil is a great oil to use when contractions become hard to manage (close to transition). Rub with a little carrier oil on lower back.

Black pepper is also good for pain management and is especially helpful with back labor.

Labor blend (from Gentle Babies by Debra Raybern) Mix the following in ½ oz carrier oil AFTER labor starts. Massage several drops on inside of ankles, little toes, little fingers, lower belly and back…

           
                Helichrysum- 4 drops

                Fennel- 4 drops

                Peppermint- 2 drops

                Ylang Ylang- 6 drops

                Clary Sage- 3 drops

For fatigue during labor: En-R-Gee, applied on the spine, behind ears and/or feet

Oils to help you focus: equal parts of Peppermint and Orange

Oils for relaxing/grounding during labor: Peace & Calming or Valor (With the shortage of these oils there are new formulas with similar benefits called Peace & Calming II and Valor II that are just becoming available)

Perineal massage once labor is well established: Myrrh applied to the perineum, diluted in carrier oil. This helps numb the “sting.”

Crowning oil blend:

Mix 20 drops each of Helichrysum and Frankincense with 1 oz. fractionated coconut oil. Gently massage this blend while baby is crowning on both the perineum and the baby’s head. Helichrysum is the oil of choice to help reduce swelling, bruising and bleeding

For hemorrhaging: mix a few drops of Gentle Baby with a few drops Helichrysum and rub on lower back, belly and on inside of ankles. If you have a history of bleeding postpartum, you can use these oils for the week prior to giving birth.

For nausea during labor: inhale Peppermint (on a washcloth) or place one drop on tongue

Afterbirth Blend:

This helps expel the placenta and tone the uterus. Mix the following with carrier oil

                Geranium- 10 drops

                Lavender- 10 drops

                Jasmine- 15 drops

Thieves can be diffused in the labor room after the birth to kill germs and freshen the room

Trouble urinating post-partum: add a drop of Peppermint to the toilet. I learned this trick from my midwife and it really works!

Post-partum Spray:

Add 40 drops of Frankincense and 40 drops of Lavender to a 2 oz. glass spray bottle. Fill up to almost the top with distilled water and shake well. Use this spray to help soothe and heal the perineum. This same spray can be used for boys who are circumcised.

Afterbirth pains:

Basil- can be applied topically or taken internally (a few drops in a capsule)

Other oils that are helpful (and safe for baby if he/she were to touch your belly) are Lavender and/or White Fir

Oils for newborn:

• Baby can be anointed with Frankincense & Myrrh. Frankincense offers protection and helps with bonding
• Clara Derm spray can also be used for a few days after birth (contains Lavender & Frankincense)
• Valor can be applied on baby’s spine and feet for proper alignment following birth.
• Peace & Calming can be applied to baby (and mama’s) feet for relaxation
• Melissa can be applied to bottoms of the feet to repair DNA, and to help with trauma and negative emotions that baby may have experienced in the womb. This oil helps bring harmony and is also very beneficial for mom as well.

Lactation:

A few drops of Fennel sublingually or in a glass of water or tea every 2 hours. Can also be applied to breasts after nursing.

Basil is another great oil to increase breast milk- add a few drop to a capsule and swallow.

(Peppermint oil is known to decrease milk supply in some women, so use cautiously)

Post-partum Depression:

Frankincense- apply topically or diffuse (lifts the spirit and is healing at the same time)

Ylang Ylang, Rose, or Joy- add a few drops to bath water (can add Epsom salt or sea salt and some carrier oil as well) or rub on wrists, or diffuse

White Angelica- place a drop on each shoulder; protects against negative energy, lifts spirits

UTI’s while pregnant:

2 – 10 drops of Idaho Balsam Fir in a capsule twice a day

Can also apply Idaho Balsam Fir, Frankincense and Lemon (a few drops of each) over the bladder area and massage in- this is a powerful combo. Although I haven't had to use this personally while pregnant, I have used this with great success on one of my children. Purification and Idaho Balsam Fir can also be used together to fight a UTI- again, massage a few drops of each over the bladder area. You can add a carrier oil if you like- especially if using this combo with children.

Yeast Infections:

For Baby (if mom has yeast)- apply Melrose (diluted or neat) to lower abdomen

For Mom- Apply Melrose neat to lower abdomen

Mountain Savory- take 3-5 drops orally, twice a day (this is highly effective against yeast and candida)

Vaginal suppository: in a base of coconut oil, combine Mountain Savory (2 drops), Frankincense (2 drops) and Myrtle (2 drops). Use nightly for 2 weeks

Hemorrhoid ointment:

Combine the following oils with a few drops of carrier oil and apply to the area…

   Peppermint (1 drop)

   Helichrysum (2 drops)

   Cypress (2 drops)

   Geranium (2 drops)

Varicose Veins:

Massage legs every day with Cypress, Helichrysum and Tangerine and/or Lemon- a couple of drops each with a carrier oil of your choice. This formula has been a life saver for me. I combine these oils in a small glass spray bottle with fractionated coconut oil for easier use. I also add some peppermint oil which is great for throbbing and "hot" feeling veins. {At first I didn't use the Helichrysum because it was so expensive, but adding this oil made all the difference. Since using this blend I don't have any pain, nor have I gotten any more veins}

Drink Ningxia Red- at least 1 oz., twice a day

Gestational Diabetes:

Ningxia Red (available through Young Living)- drink 3 oz. throughout the day

(This supplement, although expensive, is highly effective at regulating blood sugar levels)

Ocotea- take 2 drops orally, 3 times a day (can be added to Ningxia Red if desired) This oil is powerful in lowering blood sugar levels

Edema/Swelling:

   Aroma Life- 10 drops

   Cypress- 10 drops

   Lavender- 5 drops

   Ginger- 5 drops

   Lemon- 5 drops

   Mix these oils with 2 oz. of fractionated coconut oil or carrier oil, and apply to legs, ankles

   and feet.  These oils can also be added to a warm salt bath.

Heartburn/Indigestion/Nausea:

Peppermint and/or Digize- add to water or make into a tea. Can also be rubbed on the belly, just below the diaphragm

I drank Peppermint ice water liberally throughout my first 14 weeks when my nausea was severe. It helped a lot. I also carried a bottle of Peppermint in my purse and would place a drop on my tongue (neat) to combat nausea. This helped me to be able to get food shopping and errands done without getting sick!

For overall well-being while pregnant (Mary Young’s protocol- wife of Gary Young, founder of YL)

Mary applied Valor to her belly, back and hips every morning and every night. She would follow this with other oils she was drawn to- Joy, White Angelica, Peace & Calming, or Gentle Baby… to name a few. These are both great for your skin as well as for your developing baby.

Turning babies that are in the wrong position:

Myrrh is known to turn babies- apply liberally to belly

Peppermint- apply to area you want the baby to turn from (if baby is breach, place a drop of Peppermint at the top of the belly)

Feeling sick/fighting illness while pregnant:
If you feel like you're coming down with something or fighting a cold or flu, make an oil "tea" with the following- 1 drop Thieves, 1 drop Lemon, 1 drop Frankincense and 1 drop Peppermint. Add a little raw honey and cream, if desired. I have never had to drink this more than twice to fight off anything. Best used when symptoms first start...This is a family favorite at our house and is very effective.

Spray bottles and roller filaments are super handy during labor- they make oils easier to apply and keep hands clean

I only recommend using Young Living therapeutic grade essential oils. These are the highest quality oils available today (and I have used and studied many others!). They are the only company that has the SEED to SEAL promise of purity- they grow, cultivate, distill, test and seal all of their own oils. No other company can claim that- most are merely bottling companies, and most oils on the market today are adulterated and made for the perfume industry.

Oils generally avoided during pregnancy: Basil, Birch, Calamus, Cassia, Cinnamon bark, Hyssop, Idaho Tansy, Rosemary, Sage and Tarragon

Oil blends must be stored in glass bottles or containers. Essential oils will break down plastics.

To purchase oils or become a wholesale member (saving 24% of retail price), visit my website here

FAQs About Essential Oils

I know when I first started using essential oils I had a lot of questions. In this post I hope to answer many of the basic questions you might have in regards to essential oils.

How are oils used?
There are 3 ways that oils can be used...

  Topically: oils can be applied on areas of concern for both localized and systemic effects. One of the best
   places to put oils is on the bottoms of the feet.

  Aromatically: oils can be used aromatically to impact mood and emotions, open airways,  and help reduce
  pathogens and allergens in the air. This can be done by inhaling a few drops in the palm or by using a
  diffuser.

  Internally: oils can be used internally using a capsule (you can add a few drops of carrier oil if desired) or
  added to water,milk/milk substitute or a little honey. It is very important to use high quality oils if 
  taking internally!

What does "neat" mean?
Undiluted essential oils are called neat. Many oils can be applied to the skin without a carrier oil. Some oils are better used with a carrier oil. Good carrier oils are coconut, jojoba, olive or almond oils. Oil blends combining several carrier oils are also available (like Young Living V-6).

How much oil do I use?
Oils are very powerful, so more is not always better. Typically 1 to 3 drops is all that is needed in an application. It is better to use a little and repeat, then to use large amounts.

How many drops come in each bottle?
A 15 ml bottle contains approximately 250 drops while a 5 ml bottle contains approximately 90 drops.

Can oils be mixed?
Single oils can be layered on the skin. Be careful not to mix oil blends- these have already been appropriately mixed and you don't want to change their chemical properties.

How do you store oils?
Oils should be stored in a cool and dark place to preserve their quality. A kitchen cabinet or drawer will work just fine.

Why is it so difficult to find pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils?
Producing the purest of oils can be very costly due to the fact that it requires several hundred or sometimes even several thousand pounds of plant materials to extract 1 pound of pure essential oil. The majority of oils produced in the world today are used for the perfume industry, so these oils are being bought for the sole purpose of their aromatic qualities. For this reason most oils are mass produced to generate large volumes at a faster rate. Although these oils may smell similar and cost way less, they will lack most, if not all, of the chemical properties necessary to produce therapeutic results.

How do you know whether an essential oil is pure and safe?
Oils need to undergo testing to ensure that the proper constituents are present in the right amounts and that there is nothing present that shouldn't be there, like fillers or pesticides. All oils should be tested using a gas chromatograph (GC) and a mass spectrometer (MS). Just because a bottle says 100% pure doesn't mean that it is. Most essential oils on the market today are synthetically produced. If the bottle says "do not take internally," that is a good indicator that it is not a good quality oil. Do your research! Using high quality, pure and safe oils is very important!

What are some of the health benefits that pure essential oils provide?

1. They fight unfriendly microbes in the body without destroying the friendly ones
2. They balance bodily functions
3. They are antioxidants that purify our systems
4. They help clear out negative emotional baggage
5. They raise our bodily frequencies restoring it to its normal, healthy level
6. They can help with spiritual awareness and healing

Other precautions when using oils:

• Use glass water bottles or pitchers if adding essential oils to water. Oils can break down plastic, so plastic water bottles should be avoided.
• Don't handle contact lenses right after handling oils for the same reason!
• Avoid getting oils in your eyes. However, if this happens, add a few drops of oil, not water.
• If applying oils and they burn or sting, dilute with a carrier oil, not water. This is especially important with children who are more sensitive.

{If you are interested in purchasing high quality essential oils, click here. If you are interested in purchasing high quality essential oils at wholesale pricing, click here}

Intro to Essential Oils

I was first introduced to essential oils over 15 years ago. Although a friend lent me a CD and it sounded very interesting, it seemed way "out there" in my nursing mind. Simply rubbing oils on your body and inhaling them could bring about healing? I wasn't all that convinced. Fast forward many years later, pregnant with my tenth baby, and my search began for natural remedies to help with pregnancy and delivery. I had used herbs with several pregnancies, but they all seemed to stimulate contractions before pregnancy, and didn't cause contractions when I needed them to! Baby # 9 had been 14 days late, so I really wanted to find natural, alternative remedies. My search led me to essential oils; I bought a few oils recommended for the last few weeks of pregnancy as well as for my birth, and I loved using them. I will share in a future post what oils I used for labor, delivery and postpartum as well.

I didn't give essential oils much more thought after that until a few of my kids came down with the whooping cough last fall. I immediately called a friend who also had gone through this horrible cough with her family and she gave me a few essential oils to give to my children, both to help those that were sick and to prevent those that weren't sick from getting it. The oils she gave me were Young Living Oils and I immediately saw a difference in these oils compared to the ones I had used previously. Half of my children, including my 11 month old baby, never got the whooping cough. You can read more about how we treated whooping cough here.

During this time I began to read up on and really study essential oils. My friend had given me several little booklets as well as a Reference Guide for using essential oils and I was fascinated by their many uses. My kids also caught on quickly and started using oils all on their own. We now use oils every day for all kinds of things- headaches, growing pains, poison ivy, rashes, concentration, relaxation, sleeping, burns, warts, sore throats, allergies, sore muscles, skin care and the list goes on. As the saying goes, there's an oil for everything! My 11 year old daughter is the oil expert in the family and the go-to person when someone needs her to rub some oils on! She even learned to do the Raindrop Technique, a great cleansing and healing technique using a variety of oils on the spine.

So what exactly are essential oils? They are the life blood of the plant. They are called essential because they are necessary for the plant to stay alive. In plants, these oils regulate growth (like hormones), help with plant metabolism (like enzymes), and help ward off diseases when the plant is damaged or cut. These life giving oils do much of the same thing when introduced to our human bodies. These oils consist of tiny molecules that can easily pass through all of our tissues and into our very cells- right through our cell membranes. Any essential oil placed anywhere on the body can reach every part of the body within minutes!

So, how do they compare to man-made pharmaceuticals?

                           DRUGS                                                         ESSENTIAL OILS

Druggists & Doctors want a drug to have no variation and to be very predictable. They strive for consistency.	Oils have variations from batch to batch making resistance to them impossible- there are too many variables, which make them work so well.
Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics and new, stronger drugs have to be formulated. Eventually this cycle will end- their days are numbered!	Oils are as effective today as they were thousands of years ago when used by ancient civilizations.
There certainly is a place for man-made drugs, especially in emergencies and life threatening situations. But their benefits are temporary, not causing true healing.	Oils can help boost the immune system and help our bodies bring true and lasting healing.
Antibiotics cannot fight viruses, so they are helpless against things like the common cold and flu.	Many essential oils are not only antimicrobial, but also combat viruses in the body making them very beneficial in fighting off colds and flu.
Most drugs don’t work well together and many contradict each other. Man-made pharmaceuticals confuse the body.	Oils can work together well in the body to achieve overall harmony and health.
Thousands of people die from physician administered drugs and procedures every year.	There is no recorded case of anyone ever dying from an essential oil that was administered according to common sense precautions.
Antibiotics kill all bacteria- both good and bad. This often causes more problems in the body.	Essential oils, by God’s design, kill only harmful bacteria and viruses, while leaving the friendly and useful ones alone.
Drugs are generally used for one specific use.	Oils can help with many functions in the body- for example; an oil like peppermint can clear the sinuses, relieve a headache, relieve heartburn, break a fever, take away itching and reduce inflammation, among many other things.
Drugs have many side effects.	Essential oils have no side effects and are safe to use. Many can be used during pregnancy.
Drugs make one dependent on the medical system, often for a life-time.	Using essential oils promotes health and often brings freedom from the medical system.

What sets Young Living oils apart from other companies? Many other companies add chemicals to enhance aroma or make their oils stretch. Young Living is the only company I know of that has the Seed-to-Seal guarantee. They grow their plants from seed, cultivate, distill, test and seal all their own oils.You are even welcome to tour a distillery. Young Living oils are so safe that most single oils can even be taken internally. It is vital that the oils you use are pure.

If you're ready to enjoy the amazing benefits of oils, you have 2 options. You can either purchase them at a retail price here. OR you can become a Young Living member and enjoy all the oils at wholesale pricing. You can find more information here.

{There is a great testimonial website where you can search what oils help for varying conditions OR you can type in the name of an oil to see how other people have used it. You do have to register, but it's free! The link is here}

Turning 5: A Baking Birthday Party!

Eva loves to help make things, especially in the kitchen. I decided to throw her a little baking party for her 5th birthday. The challenge I faced was that everything had to be gluten free, dairy free, sugar and dye free. It took a little effort, but the results were amazing. I love knowing that even a birthday party can be healthy! On the menu- fruit pizza..

We decorated aprons for the occasion. For the girls we added red flowers to cream colored aprons, while for the boys we added whimsical mustaches onto red aprons. Then we used fabric paints to add each child's initials. These will need to be made ahead of time in order for the paint to dry (I had to stick a fan on them to get them to dry faster!)

Next we made baker's hats. We used poster board for the bands and stapled tissue paper to the inside. We added flowers made out of paper cupcake liners and stapled those on as well. These were a lot of fun!

I made a banner out of burlap triangles and used fabric paint to write her name...

The girls and I made garlands out of cupcake liners and strung them onto thread from the ceiling, as well as Christmas lights.

For our fruit pizza crust I used a gluten-free oat cookie recipe (included below). The kids had fun rolling out the dough. We baked these on parchment paper so it was easy to transfer back and forth without taking the risk of the crusts breaking. The crust looks dark brown because we used coconut sugar...

They enjoyed a glass of dairy free milk while their crusts were cooling off. We served milk inside pint sized mason jars with red & white straws.

Each child had their own foil tray covered with a doily (found inexpensively at the dollar store). I placed the topping ingredients in small serving dishes. I made an orange icing out of cashews to put on the pizza crusts. You can find the recipe here. I only used the icing part of the recipe. The only substitution I made was that I used an orange instead of a clementine. I also doubled the recipe so that I would have plenty of icing to go around. For the toppings I used sliced strawberries, kiwis and mandarin orange slices as well as mini chocolate chips (we use Enjoy Life brand because they are dairy and soy free).

The kids enjoyed making their own pizzas. They could lick and make a mess, because they got to eat their own pizzas! 

One of the finished pizzas. They tasted SO good! 

Our littlest baker watched from the sidelines :)

The following recipe is adapted from Nourishing Meals Oatmeal Heart Cut-Out Cookies. The original recipe can be found here. I doubled the recipe to make 6 good sized fruit pizzas. You could probably easily get 8 made. Any more than that and I would make a third batch. Even though I doubled the recipe, I recommend only making one batch at a time in your food processor. I made the dough the day before and refrigerated it. I took it out of the fridge for a while before I had the kids begin rolling the dough out.

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Fruit Pizza Crust:

1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
scant 1 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup organic coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla

Place all the ingredients in a food processor fitted with a "S" blade. Process until mixture forms a ball. Remove from food processor and finish kneading with your hands. Place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes before using.

Preheat oven to 350. Place dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Roll into a round disc to about a 1/4 - inch thickness. Bake for 15-16 minutes. Let cool on wire rack before icing.

Losing That Baby Weight!

I've never met a mom yet who doesn't want to shed those baby pounds and get back into pre-pregnancy shape. I know all of us are different- we have different metabolisms, eating habits and exercise routines (or lack thereof!). I remember shedding many tears after my first daughter was born- how was I ever going to lose all that weight? Nothing fit, I was wearing 2 sizes bigger then when I got married just 18 months earlier, and to top it off, many well-meaning friends assured me that this is how it would be now that I was a mom. I had gained close to 60 pounds during my first pregnancy. I was the maid of honor (make that the whale of honor) in my sister's wedding just 4 weeks before Laina was born- I was huge! I never did lose all the weight before I became pregnant again with my son, although I tried to exercise like crazy and watched what I ate. My focus back then was on fat-free foods. I had learned in nursing school that fat was my enemy- so instead I consumed large quantities of fat-free, high sugar foods (after all, they have to make it taste good somehow, right?) I read labels for fat and was a calorie counting fanatic. Not fun...

Fast forward 18 plus years later. I am now the mommy to 10 children, with the youngest just 11 months old. I weigh what I did on my wedding day, and yes, my wedding dress still fits perfectly. I usually lose most of the baby pounds by 3 months and all of it before 6 months. So what am I doing different?

For one, I no longer count calories. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, we should not be trying to limit calories! In fact, breastfeeding moms should consume more calories than while they were pregnant, but make those calories count. Focus on eating nutrient dense foods. In fact, our whole family eats only whole foods- nothing processed or refined. I also eat plenty of fat, good fats, that is- like olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and avocados. We use raw honey and maple syrup for sweeteners and avoid all refined sugars. I eat sprouted grain breads (like Ezekiel bread or Trader Joe's sprouted breads). We eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables. We eat beans, brown rice (most of the time), small amounts of healthy poultry, fish and beef. We try to eat foods that don't come with an ingredient list. If you can't pronounce it or don't know what it is, don't put it into your body!

Also,  I breastfeed as long as possible. If you eat well, you will produce good milk and in turn you will have a healthy baby. Often when a mom is struggling with her weight because she doesn't eat well, she in turn has a baby that is thin and doesn't gain well. I try to breastfeed exclusively for as long as possible, which is usually around 9 or 10 months before introducing any foods. The food I consume is being passed onto my little girl, allowing me to maintain my weight while she continues to grow.

Lastly, stay moderately busy, which shouldn't be hard if you have kids. I like to do the "10 Minute Solution" workout series, which allows me to exercise in 10 minute increments, picking the workout I want to do that day. These are available at stores like Walmart and Target. These are simple to follow, allow you to focus on problem areas and don't take a whole lot of time (my favorite part!). Of course, walks with the kids down to the mailbox, vacuuming and carrying a baby around also count towards staying active. It is important to build muscle, because muscles burn more calories at rest and helps increase our metabolism.

I'm often asked what I eat on a typical day. This will look different for each of us, but here is just a sampling. Notice that none of the things I eat has an ingredient list- they are all natural foods made by God for us to enjoy...

Breakfast: 3 slices of sprouted grain bread, coconut oil and raw honey, 2  farm fresh scrambled eggs OR cooked millet with coconut oil, maple syrup and some fresh fruit- and I love my coffee when I wake up!
Snack: green apple with almond butter and raisins OR several cashew date balls
Lunch: sprouted grain bread with sliced turkey breast (Applegate), avocado slices, tomato and lettuce and a few baby carrots OR homemade lentil soup and raw veggie sticks
Snack: Fruit smoothie (I use frozen berries, almond milk, kale or spinach) OR banana and a handful of raw almonds
Dinner: Brown rice, black beans, shredded chicken, shredded romaine, tomatoes, fresh corn, olives and homemade salsa OR beef and quinoa meatballs in tomato sauce over brown rice pasta with a garden salad
Snack: homemade yogurt made from raw whole milk with frozen blueberries and sliced almonds

I drink only water and often add fresh lemon juice which tastes great and helps keep my body alkaline. I also take Juice Plus Garden, Orchard and Vineyard blend every day.

I know many people that meet me today think that I am simply a thinner person by nature. I was actually pleasantly plump as a child, and I weighed quite a bit more in high school then I do today. I also gain plenty of weight (between 40 and 50 pounds) with each of my pregnancies, and I have had no problem losing the baby pounds since switching to this way of eating. I do, however, have to be disciplined. I know there are people who can eat anything and not gain weight- I'm not one of them!

I love the motto that says eat to live, don't live to eat. If you eat what your body needs to stay healthy and well, the baby pounds should come off and stay off. You also won't crave sugar or junk food if you are getting the nutrients your body needs to stay well. That's the best part! You actually won't crave donuts or cake anymore, instead you will be hungry for real food. I believe we shouldn't diet to lose weight, instead we should make healthy eating a way of life and we will reap the benefits of maintaining our weight and feeling well, as well as having plenty of energy. Don't we all want that? It's hard to be a good wife and mother when we don't feel well.

If you have a history of having a hard time losing weight, despite trying to eat healthy, you may need to increase the healthy bacteria in your gut by taking a good probiotic. The good bacteria in your gut are often compromised, especially if you have eaten a diet rich in processed foods, taken antibiotics or even if you have had surgery or a colonoscopy. I recently heard a doctor speak who believes this may be the reason so many people struggle with their weight. Their whole digestion is compromised because the gut isn't functioning the way it is supposed to. Remember the gut is our second brain and controls so many of our body functions. They are even doing experiments where they take the bacteria from a healthy, thin person and placing them inside an obese person. The result? The obese person becomes skinny! How cool is that!

Pertussis In Our Home

Although we had planned to go apple picking, eat a picnic lunch at the park and finally start Eva’s therapy, we ended up in the throes of dealing with pertussis instead. Not fun.

Eva was the first to come down with a cough. It lasted for about 2 ½ weeks and I didn’t think too much of it. It was dry and annoying and I chalked it up as an allergy. No cold symptoms and none of the other kids got  it. After 2 ½ weeks, she started to have episodes (called paroxysms) of intense coughing during the night that would wake her up. A few times she would spit up mucous. She would have a few episodes of this during the day as well, but otherwise she was just fine- playing and running around as usual. A family we are friends with had the same symptoms with their children and she contacted me and said that there was a chance they had pertussis. It all started to click…

I spent hours researching whooping cough as I wanted to know what I was up against. It is not my purpose to tell you everything about whooping cough. There are many great websites available that can fill you in. One that I like in particular is www.whoopingcough.net. This sight has links available to allow you to listen to a whooping cough- one with the whoop, and one without. Fifty percent of kids don’t have the characteristic whoop. Eva did not present with the whoop either. But I found it helpful to listen and realized she sounded just like the recording, confirming in my mind that this is what we were indeed dealing with.

We’ve only had our oldest 2 vaccinated and our third had whooping cough when she was 15 months old (12 years ago), although it went undiagnosed for weeks. I finally determined that it was whooping cough, because she would only “whoop” during the night. She appeared totally fine and healthy when I brought her to the doctor’s office. My experience has been that the cough is much worse at night. It picks up in intensity as the sun goes down!

Exactly 21 days after Eva started her cough, Edmond and Ashlyn woke up with the same dry, annoying cough. The immensity of having 7 children as sick as Eva hit me and I broke down. Nights of little sleeping didn’t help, of course. I wanted to have a diagnosis, so that I wasn't quarantining our family for no reason. On Monday I tried to find a doctor to see her, but the office I occasionally go to was 2 weeks out. In God’s providence I ended up going to a really nice doctor at a local office- one who believes playing in dirt and eating whole foods is much more important to one’s immunity than vaccinations. What a gift from the Lord! He was not at all judgmental. He agreed that Eva seemed to be presenting with pertussis and placed her on an antibiotic. He also saw Edmond the next morning and had both of them swabbed at the health department. That was an awful experience. A big metal scalpel thing up the nose and inserted way, way up- cringe! Three days for the initial results and 2 to 3 weeks for the cultures to return… and a round of antibiotics for the whole family. The initial PCR test came back positive for both kids. I wasn't surprised...

We chose to only put the youngest 7 on antibiotics (our 10 year old on down to the baby). I’m certainly not big on taking antibiotics as I prefer to treat things naturally. We decided for it for 2 reasons. One, because it shortens the time we will be contagious. In a family our size, we could be contagious for weeks. Second, because those without symptoms could possibly be spared from getting it. Antibiotics will kill the pertussis bacteria but will not, however, cure it or alleviate the symptoms. Long story short, they can still cough for weeks, thus the term “100 day cough.”

I was determined to do everything possible to build up my children’s immunity to fight this bacteria as well as to rebuild their bodies, particularly their lungs. We cut out all dairy (besides a little butter) which is known to increase mucous production and reduced our grain intake, for the same reason. We already don't eat sugar, and I tried to encourage fluid intake by filling up a large do-it-yourself thermos for the kids to help themselves to lemon water. We also added many natural remedies to our daily routine. This is what we are doing and will continue to do for the next few weeks:

1.       Vitamin C: I give each of the kids 2 packets of Emergen-C a day. You can go up to 4,000 mg, but my children couldn’t handle that much (loose stools). Some of my kids are also eating dried goji-berries, a powerhouse of nutrients and high in vitamin C.

2.       Healing Carrot Bisque: one of the recommendations is to increase your intake of beta-carotene, the precursor to Vitamin A which helps heal the mucous membranes of the lungs. Since I don't believe taking vitamin pills is as beneficial as consuming whole foods, I came up with this healing soup rich in beta-carotene and immune boosting mushrooms. Don’t worry, your kids won’t taste them, promise! We are eating this soup every day for lunch. See recipe below…

3.       Garlic: raw garlic is nature’s antibiotic. We eat raw garlic spread on bread or crackers (with a little butter) every day with our soup. The kids love it! I also made some garlic syrup (just Google to get a recipe)- but this was very time consuming as I had to peel and chop a pound of garlic and let it steep for a few days. No matter how you decide to take it, garlic is very effective both in prevention and healing.

4.       Teas: I gave the coughing kids Herba-tussin tea (by Traditional Medicines) which contains beneficial herbs to soothe the lungs and help expel the mucus. My favorite homemade tea is Thyme Tea. Steep a few twigs of thyme leaves in a quart of boiling water for 15 minutes. Discard leaves and add raw honey to taste. Drink a half cup 2 times a day. Thyme is an expectorant (helps the mucous to be coughed up), a sedative (for sleep) and an anti-spasmodic (relaxes the lung muscles). This is great to drink before bed. We had great success with this herb. My 8 year old "farmer" found this remedy in one of his books and shared it with his mamma! Can also be used for other lung conditions such as asthma or bronchitis. (Note: pregnant women should avoid this herb as it may cause uterine contractions).

5.       Natural cough syrup:  there are many variations to this recipe. I mixed 1/3 cup honey, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons turmeric and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Give with a little bit of melted coconut oil (also strengthens the immune system) You can also drink warm milk mixed with 2 teaspoons of turmeric to help with coughing. I prefer canned coconut milk, but any milk will do. Turmeric is a yellow spice often used in cooking that has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties and is a natural antiseptic and natural painkiller.

6.       Daily probiotic to replace healthy bacteria in the gut, especially when on an antibiotic. Make sure you take the probiotic at a different time of the day as the antibiotic. I use a powder form and mix with a spoonful of applesauce.

7.       Daily intake of fresh vegetables and fruits, especially berries. We drink smoothies made with canned coconut milk, raw honey and strawberries and/or blueberries or freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit juice. I also open up several capsules of Juice Plus to boost nutrients...

8.       Zinc: zinc is recommended to promote healing. I gave the little ones a natural product called “Zarbees” before bedtime. It contains honey, Vitamin C, Zinc and Melatonin to promote sleep. I found this worked especially well for the initial dry, hacking cough. You can buy this in the cold care section at Wal-Mart.

9.       Essential Oils: this is probably my favorite natural remedy! My friend, Anna, gave me a crash course on oils that help with whooping cough. I hope to write a post soon explaining how essential oils work and bring healing to the body, but for now, here are the ones we are using and they REALLY work:

·         Thieves: rub on chest and on feet several times a day. Alternate at times with other essential oils like frankincense or eucalyptus globulus. I added 2 or 3 drops to a little coconut oil and rubbed onto chest and bottoms of feet. Thieves is a blend of cloves, lemon, eucalyptus radiata and rosemary officinalus. Thieves has a very high action against viruses, bacteria and fungus.

·         Lemon oil: a drop or 2 inside a glass of water helps to cut mucus. My one son also really was helped by a drop of peppermint on his tongue. It helped him open up when he felt like the mucus was stuck in his throat. Caution- do not use just any essential oil internally. The only company (that I know of) that makes essential oils that are safe to consume internally is Young Living.

·         Diffuse: we took turns diffusing different essential oils (using a Young Living cool mist humidifier). I moved the diffuser to different rooms throughout the day and even moved it between bedrooms at night. I wish I had more than one! Diffusing Thieves helps to clean the air and builds up the immune system. Diffusing Frankincense helps fight infection, stimulate the immune system, relax muscles and ease congestion (among so many other things).

·         Peace & Calming is good for both massaging on feet before bed and for diffusing to bring calm to both mind and body. This blend is a combination of blue tansy, patchouli, tangerine, orange and ylang ylang.

Each evening the children lined up to receive their oils before bedtime. I found Thieves to especially help the baby, since I couldn’t give her many of the other things I was giving the older kids. One night she was a little raspy in her chest, and the next morning she was totally fine. I found she took her longest naps when I diffused Thieves or Frankincense by her bed during nap time.

Here is the recipe for the soup… I add a package of cremini mushrooms (baby portabellas) to this soup because these mushrooms contain an antibody that has been found to reduce harmful bacteria and viruses and boost immunity for several days after eating them. This soup is pureed, great for little kids- even the baby likes it...

Healing Carrot Bisque

Coconut oil (I use Spectrum for cooking) or olive oil

1 large onion

3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 8 oz. package of cremini mushrooms

1 pound of organic carrots, washed well and sliced

4 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 quart homemade chicken or beef stock

Water

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Herbs to your liking (rosemary, thyme, parsley) or leave out

Coat large pan with coconut oil. Sauté onion, garlic and mushrooms until soft and fragrant. Add carrots, sweet potatoes, herbs, salt and pepper, stock and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 1 hour or longer. Puree with an immersion blender adding more water if necessary. Add more seasonings if needed. Enjoy!

We are 1 month into this sickness and so far we have one on the upswing from a few really rough nights. (This is the child that won't take garlic, drink thyme tea or many of the other natural remedies we are doing.) I have 1 coughing pretty badly , especially at night and 2 that are coughing occasionally around the clock with just a dry, hacking cough. The baby has been raspy a few times during the night (I would explain it as a heaviness in her chest), but is generally happy and has been sleeping more than usual. The other 5 kids have no symptoms at all. Apparently we still have 3 weeks in which all of them could come down with it or get worse! Praying that the Lord will spare my precious children in the weeks to come and that He will bless my humble efforts in helping to build their bodies to fight this.

Will keep you posted!

Super Easy Homemade Stock (in the crock pot)

Homemade stock used to seem like too much work for me. A few years ago I learned the many health benefits of homemade stock using chicken and beef bones and so I set out to find the easiest way to make it. Of course you don't have to use your slow cooker, but it really is the simplest method.

I usually cook a whole roasting chicken in the crock pot as well. Simply remove the innards (I know, gross) and place the chicken inside the pot. Then season with salt, pepper and anything else you like (garlic powder, herbs). Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours until chicken is done. No need to add any liquids.This is my family's favorite way to eat chicken- super moist! Then save the bones and carcass to make your stock. I usually do this the next day, but otherwise just toss them inside a container or ziploc bag and stick them in the freezer to use later.

Since we don't ever eat beef with bones, I buy organic beef bones in the freezer section at Whole Foods for a few dollars.

Adding apple cider vinegar to your broth helps to extract the minerals from the bones. The addition of sea vegetables, like wakame, also adds beneficial minerals without altering the taste.

This is really just a guideline. You can really add almost anything to your stock. There is also no need to make this look pretty- just chop veggies into large pieces.

organic beef bones or chicken bones/carcass
large onion and/or leeks or scallions
several organic carrots, rinsed and chopped (peel if not organic)
several ribs of organic celery (celery is one of the "dirty dozen" that you should buy organic)
a clove or 2 of garlic, peeled
a few shreds of wakame or other sea vegetable
a splash of apple cider vinegar
a few sprigs of fresh herbs or dried if you don't have fresh
sea salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in the crock pot and cover with filtered water to the top. Cover and cook on high for at least 8 hours, up to 24. The longer you cook it, the higher the mineral content will be.

Strain the stock and discard the solids. Ladle into glass mason jars and allow to cool if freezing. Otherwise refrigerate until ready to use. Use to make soups or stews or anytime you need to use broth in a recipe.

Going Gluten & Dairy Free (with a 4 year old)

Cashew Orange Date Balls

I have to admit that the thought of cutting out gluten seemed difficult to me at first. I was familiar with going dairy free, as I have had to cut out all dairy while breastfeeding my babies because all of them have had milk protein sensitivities. But this dutch girl likes her bread, and I couldn't imagine feeding my family without this staple that I was so accustomed to! Even though gluten was only affecting Eva (aged 4), I decided to try to involve our whole family in order to make her more compliant. I realized that it would be easier for her if we were all eating "her way" until she got used to this new way of eating.

I started out by making bread using Pamela's gluten free bread mix in my bread machine. I ordered this in bulk from Amazon at the recommendation of several friends. The taste and texture weren't bad, but I was disappointed at the size of my loaves as they often resembled hockey pucks (possibly due to my bread machine). Even if a loaf came out nice, it would cave in as it cooled. Thankfully Eva didn't seem to mind and she quickly owned this bread as her own. After going through all of the mixes, I switched to Udi's bread, available at most health food stores, as well as Trader Joe's (much cheaper). It came to about the same price as the bread mix by the time I added the oil and eggs to the mix. Because the bread was only for one family member, I decided this was the easiest course. I know if we all had to eat this bread, I would have to make my own from scratch due to the cost.

I also stocked my pantry with tapioca starch, potato flour, arrowroot starch and different kinds of rice flours. I put together different gluten free flours (some I found online and others recommended by friends). But I have to tell you, I hated how my baked goods turned out. They looked inferior and even worse, they tasted "off." I also felt like they sat like a brick in my stomach; I didn't like how I felt after I ate my new gluten free recipes. All that starch wasn't agreeing with us. My family was complaining and I felt discouraged.

And then I discovered a different way of baking. A friend told me about a website called Detoxinista, and I love making recipes from this site. I now make cookies and cakes using almond flour, almond meal or almond butter, farm fresh eggs, coconut oil and natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup. Another website I really like is The Spunky Coconut, another gluten free, dairy free site that also uses only natural sweeteners. Although I don't agree with all of their food philosophies per se, there are great recipes for smoothies, homemade ice cream, cookies, bars, raw cheesecake and lots of other desserts. And they all use whole food, healthy and readily available ingredients. Many of these recipes are super easy as well and require only one bowl or a food processor. For years I have struggled on how to feed my family healthy snacks and desserts, and many of my attempts have been flops. Now I can make healthy raw and baked goods which are good enough to eat any time of the day because they supply protein, nutrients and healthy fats.

My favorite gluten free, dairy free cookbook is  Nourishing Meals by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre, MS, CN. 

Some of our new family favorites are almond butter pancakes, coconut raisin cookies, cashew date balls, grain free pumpkin bars and coconut banana cake. I continue to experiment and learn new recipes weekly. I have found that these baked goods freeze well. In fact, I usually put them in the freezer on the day I bake since they tend to be moist and get softer if left out. They can be eaten right from the freezer, and that is the way my kids prefer to eat them.

With these recipes breakfast and snacks are easy to take care of. Breakfast for Eva can even be a few coconut raisin cookies and a smoothie made from canned coconut milk and berries. Lunch is usually Udi's bread or a wrap with turkey and some fruit, or a nut butter sandwich with banana; rice crackers with hummus or egg salad and some veggie sticks or even an apple spread with almond butter and raisins. Dinner is not too much different when it comes to going gluten free. The only switch is regular pasta to brown rice or corn pasta. It was harder to cut out dairy with dinner- Eva likes cheese and sour cream on things like spaghetti and Mexican dishes.But over time she has gotten used to the idea that she cannot have these things. (Even dairy free versions contain casein, which she cannot have).

Although changing our diet seemed like a big hurdle in the beginning, I can honestly say that the change has been good for our whole family. I feel like I am more careful than ever before about what I feed my family, and I love knowing my family is eating wholesome foods. I am so thankful for the resources available to us (many free of charge) to help us learn to better nourish our family.

Below is one of our new favorite snacks. This is my version of a recipe found in Nourishing Meals, mentioned above... Cashews are high in protein, full of nutrients including good amounts of magnesium and copper, high in fiber, and a good source of phytochemicals and anti-oxidants.

Cashew Orange Date Balls

1 1/2 cups raw cashew pieces
1 cup pitted whole dates
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
pinch sea salt
1 teaspoon pure orange extract
unsweetened shredded coconut

Place cashews into a food processor  and process until finely ground. Add dates, coconut oil, salt and orange extract. Continue processing until dates are finely ground and mixture resembles a ball.

Form mixture into small balls and roll into shredded coconut. Transfer to a container and store in refrigerator. Let cool for several hours before eating. Will keep for 2 weeks (if they last that long!)

makes approximately 18 balls

Our Journey With Eva

I am writing my story here on my blog. In my search for answers over these past few years, I have found it so helpful to read the journeys of other moms. There is so much mixed advice out there. The doctors and medical professionals who say there is no connection between diet and behavior, and then there are the passionate stories of mothers who say that there are things that can be done to help your child. The road is different for each of us, but it is my hope and prayer that others may be encouraged by some of the things I have discovered along the way- things I wish I had learned and been able to put into practice much earlier...

We've been traveling down a hard road with our 4 year old. Although as a baby she was similar to the other children (natural birth, breastfed, no vaccinations), sometime after her first birthday, my mother's heart became concerned. Eva was different. The biggest difference we saw was Eva's delay in speech. At age 3, she still wasn't talking. She had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep and always seemed to sleep in a restless state. She would wake up extremely agitated. Because she couldn't speak, she had to show us what she wanted, thus getting into lots of trouble, and I mean lots. She also developed eczema patches all over her body, particularly on her face, from infancy on. She has always been a good eater, although she tends to shovel her food in and doesn't spend too much time chewing.

She walks to the beat of her own drum. She doesn't like clothes touching her skin, or hugs or kisses for that matter. She snips and shreds and tears and takes things. If you can't find it, just check one of Eva's many bags she lugs around- it's sure to be there! She exhibits toe-walking and w-sitting. She either loves people or greatly dislikes them. She thrives on routine, and we generally manage okay at home, but take her to new surroundings, and she melts. Her senses become overly stimulated and a different child emerges- one that babbles, drools and falls apart or becomes a little wind-up toy that cannot be stopped.

In God's providence I met a new friend (all the way from Indonesia!) who had a son with similar symptoms. She opened up my eyes to see that Eva had a lot of sensory integration issues. I still didn't know what was causing it, but it pointed me in some direction. I really wanted to have her tested, but didn't know where to go. No one seemed to be able to give me any answers.

At age 3 1/2 we put her on Juice Plus because our whole family began taking it, and we saw a lot of improvements in her speech as well as her eczema clearing up a lot, although not completely. (I later learned from Dr. Sears  that high levels of antioxidants are very beneficial in treating autism/behavioral issues). A few months later, we had a family over for dinner and they brought store-bought cookies for dessert. While the older children played outside, my little girl was given several double stuffed mint Oreo cookies to keep her happy. The next 3 days Eva didn't talk. It broke my mother's heart. She was back to pointing and nodding. It was like she was locked up inside of her head and couldn't express herself. After doing extensive research on the Internet, I realized that she was extremely sensitive to food dyes. We already knew that sugar made her aggressive, now I had another piece to the puzzle... Food coloring is found in so many products, even hand soap (think of the pink soap in all public bathrooms!). Thankfully we don't consume these products often, but now I am even more vigilant.

Fast forward a few more weeks, and I was visiting another friend who's children have some severe food allergies. I mentioned to her my struggles and how I feared that Eva might have autism. She pointed me to some books she had where children with autism and behavioral issues were healed by going on a gluten free, casein free diet. Although I had researched gluten allergies, I had only come up with stomach issues and digestion problems. Now I had new things to look into. I was excited to finally be closer to some answers.

I  read everything I could get my hands on at the library on autism. I began by looking on Amazon and reading the reviews people wrote, then tried to find them at my local library. I highly recommend the book "The Autism Book" by Dr. Robert W. Sears. (It is also very reasonably priced for what you get). I really like his biomedical approach that focuses on diet changes and supplements that often cause dramatic improvements. His book is a very thorough, easy to read approach to treating autism and related behavioral issues- steps parents can work through without a prescription.  I came away realizing that nutrition plays a big part in developmental and neurological/behavioral disorders.

According to Dr. Sears, the single most common medical problem shared by children with autism is food allergies. Most children are helped by going on a GFCF (gluten free, casein free) diet. According to this theory, there are 3 distinct ways that food proteins can contribute to autism: 1. through direct allergic irritation of the intestines 2. through internal allergic stimulation of the immune system and 3. through chemical effects on the nervous system. (The Autism Book by Robert W. Sears, MD FAAP, page 178) He describes all of these in much more detail in his book.

After reading Dr. Sears' book, we placed Eva on a gluten free, casein free diet- cold turkey, no easing into it. I figured if this was causing her behavior problems to be worse, we'd just get at it. Needless to say, the next week was probably the worst week I ever had with her. Apparently she was having die-off symptoms, where the gluten/casein was actually being released into her bloodstream. She also had the worst flare up of eczema I had ever seen on her. I stuck with it, and a few days later a much sweeter child emerged. We were used to a monster child every morning and about a week after the diet changes, Eva walked into the bedroom where I was nursing the baby, smiled and kissed me on the cheek. I was shocked! Another thing we noticed shortly after this is that she actually left her sleeves down. This may not seem like a big deal, but all of her life she had been either taking her clothes off or hiking up her sleeves as far as they would go up. Overall, she was much more sweet and compliant. Her speech also improved, as did some of her cognitive skills. For the first time she recited colors, some letters and even learned how to write Eva and Mom. I was thrilled! Her eczema has completely disappeared as well.

Another mom got talking to me at church a few weeks later and told me about a place called Brain Balance, a place a friend of hers was using with her son. She emailed me a coupon for a much discounted rate and I called immediately and made an appointment. At Brain Balance they do extensive testing on 2 different days, one on sensory-motor skills and the other day focusing on cognitive skills. After that we met with the director for over 2 hours, going over the results they found. I was so grateful to finally be in a place where someone understood what was going on with my daughter. Although they don't like to label your child with a diagnosis, we came away realizing that she fits the criteria for PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified). This means there are enough autistic symptoms and developmental delays to warrant therapy, but things aren't bad enough to actually diagnose autism yet.. It's on the same spectrum. Although she is 4 1/2 years old, she was testing at a 2 year old level, in some areas even lower. She has retained many of her primitive (infant) reflexes, has weak core muscles, has heightened sensory issues, auditory processing issues, and many visual processing delays. We came away feeling overwhelmed, but at the same time very hopeful that all of our daughter's problems could be worked on and resolved, given the proper therapy. And yes, therapy comes with a hefty price tag! I was also very pleased with the fact that they will do blood work for Eva to test for food allergies and that nutrition is a huge piece of their therapy. I am hoping she is not allergic to eggs, nuts and /or corn, which are the other common allergies seen in these children.

I came home and read the book "Disconnected Kids" by Dr. Robert Melillo, which I found very insightful. He is the doctor that founded Brain Balance and set up their program. Dr. Melillo encourages parents to try many things at home. I am slowly beginning to work with Eva, although it hasn't been as easy as I had hoped. She is very easily distracted and has a hard time doing what I ask. One of the things she has to do is wear an eye patch to strengthen the weak side of her brain, building up to 2 full hours a day. I'm lucky if I can get her to keep it on for 5 minutes! The one thing Eva really enjoys is the mini-trampoline. Physical exercise is very important for all of our children, but especially for those with developmental delays.

Having children has stretched me in ways I didn't think possible. I see before me a beautiful little girl with so many strengths- she is focused (although not always on the right thing), she has a compassionate spirit that hates to see others hurt or sad, and she has an exuberance about things that she loves- like bags, play-dough and frozen cookies. But there are also many days filled with heartache and tears, frustration and exhaustion. We pray daily that the Lord will heal her completely so that she may come to know and love the Savior. We long to be able to break through the wall that so often confronts us. For now we are encouraged by the slow progress Eva is making. And so our journey continues...