Child of the Nature Isle

Summer City Super Smoothie!

Terri — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:38:16 +0000

Smoothies are a fabulous way to get kids to consume a good portion of fruits along with other nutritious foods. Our little family is in the big city of London and as part of our healthy, natural regime we’ve all been drinking a nutritious, delicious smoothie every morning. I love going into the health stores to find things I can sneak into this daily drink to provide my little ones with a nutrient dense breakfast. This is one recipe that keeps us smiling:

4 Ripe Bananas
Bowl of Strawberries
1-2 Nectarines
2-3 Dates
1tsp Raw Organic Almond Butter (and/or 1 scoop Raw Organic Hempseed Butter)
1tsp Raw Organic Apricot Kernel Butter
1 scoop Milled Flaxseed with Goji Berries
Organic Rice Milk

Put all ingredients in blender, blend to a smooth consistency adding rice milk as necessary, enjoy immediately and feel the goodness flow!

Our Super Summer City Smoothie!

What smoothie recipes do you enjoy?

For fussy toddlers add a straw - it works!

An Eco Day Out at Monkey World

Terri — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 23:01:52 +0000

Today we spent a wonderful day at Monkey World - an Ape Rescue Centre that is home to over 230 rescued and endangered primates. The weather was glorious, the primates magnificent and both the children and adults in our group had an incredibly enjoyable time.

The reason I love Monkey World is that it is a genuine rescue centre which cares for and rehabilitates abused and neglected monkeys from around the world and enables them to live healthy, dignified lives in large social groupings. These apes are rescued from exploitation as performance animals, pets and experimental subjects in clinical laboratories. Many arrive at the centre with broken teeth, bones, addicted to drugs or socially maladjusted from years in captivity . Their backgrounds are often heartbreakingly cruel and so it’s a joy to see them healthy and content at a centre which has their care and welfare as the highest priority.

The spacious Chimpanzee enclosure which is home to a large group of these wonderful animals

Monkey World is home to the largest group of chimpanzees outside of Africa, living in 4 different social groups. There are 3 groups of orang-utans at the park and 7 species of monkeys and prosimians: capuchin monkeys, common marmosets, cotton-top tamarins, ring-tailed lemurs, squirrel monkeys (pictured), stump-tailed macaques and woolly monkeys.

Lemur

Most of the apes are kept in enclosures which can not be accessed by the public for Health and Safety reasons, but there is a woodland area that can be walked through where lemurs wander around freely offering very up close encounters with our creature cousins.

Up close with the Lemur

Monkey World also boasts fantastic playground areas for both young and not-so-young to play and explore. The swings and climbing frames set loose the inner ape in us all! The entire 65 acre centre is set in the gorgeous Dorset countryside and it comes highly recommended as an educational, enjoyable and eco-day out – perfect for the summer holidays!

Fun in the playground!

The centre is open every day, all year (except Christmas Day), from 10am to 5pm. During July and August, opening times extend from 10am to 6pm. There is so much to do at the centre you will want to arrive early and stay until late so be prepared for a full day!

K watching the chimps at feeding time

Address:
Monkey World
Nr Wareham,
Dorset,
BH20 6HH
Tel No: +44 (0) 1929 462537
Website: www.monkeyworld.org

Have you been to Monkey World? Do tell me what you think!

Brazen Breastfeeding – Celebrating International Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, 2010

Terri — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 22:50:48 +0000

“That baby is sucking your tete!” This was the astute and loudly proclaimed observation of a 4 year old watching me breastfeed my baby boy. For anyone not familiar with Dominican patois, ‘tete’ is the locally used term for ‘breast’. Some people may have been embarrassed by such public attention drawn to this intimate moment…but not me. I’ve joined the ranks of Brazen Breastfeeders – we feed our babies wherever, whenever and with whoever watching!

I first read about the concept of brazen breastfeeding in an article by Sundae Horn who chronicled her breastfeeding story ‘From Bashful to Brazen’. I loved her perspective and similarly resolved that the needs of my baby came before anything else, including the reactions of others. (see the end of this piece for her Brazen Breastfeeding Manifesto and link to the full article)

For the most part it’s not been that difficult to breastfeed publicly in Dominica – it is widely done and there is a supportive environment for breastfeeding. No one really bats an eye about breastfeeding in public and I never felt any need to cover up or hide away. This did change somewhat when I was pregnant with my 2nd child and still breastfeeding the 1st. I had comments from family, friends and even complete strangers. Some were intrigued that the human body was capable of sustaining breastfeeding throughout pregnancy while others more blatantly gave me warnings and instructions that I must wean my baby or risk harming the developing one. One person even approached me with the rather bold statement “YOU WILL KILL YOUR CHILD!!!”

Thank goodness for the book Adventures in Tandem Nursing which armed me with all the information I needed, to know that my babies and body could cope perfectly well with tandem nursing and gave me the relevant insights to prepare me to nurse two babies simultaneously. I used this information when questioned or confronted and, for the most part, was able to use these times as an opportunity to educate and broaden the horizons of what is possible. I have received some very positive feedback also, including nurses who congratulate my commitment to breastfeeding and others who encouragingly tell me of their parents breastfeeding their siblings until they were 4-5 years old.

My brazen breastfeeding resolve started to be more seriously tested when contemplating coming to the UK for a visit. Breastfeeding rates in England are amongst the lowest in Europe and only about 22% of women are still breastfeeding at 6 months. And it appears that many of these breastfeeding mothers are doing it behind closed doors! In a recent survey of 1200 women, “60% felt that the UK frowned on breastfeeding mothers. Two thirds maintained that feeding their baby in public had been a stressful experience, and more than half of these had been asked to move out of a restaurant, cafe or coffee shop when they were feeding.” - Yikes! I was also told by friends of the negative reactions they had received to public breastfeeding – so with two nursing children (2 years and 10 months) it was really time to put the brazen manifesto to the test!

It all began well when our transatlantic journey was made so much easier with breastfeeding. As well as knowing I could provide a source of food for my little ones, they were also able to find comfort at the breast when the stimulation of the new environments proved overwhelming and stressful. I breastfed my younger child on take-off and landing to counteract the effect of air pressure hurting his ears. With intermittent breastfeeding sessions, both children slept throughout the entire 9 hour flight! I could almost hear the sighs of relief from the other passengers that their cabin was not filled with the sound of screaming babies – hurrah for the breast!

Since arriving in the UK, I’ve breastfed wherever we have gone, regardless of the strange glances sometimes cast our way. The lactation needs of my children are my primary importance so I have remained brazen by necessity. The library, the park, the train and in shopping centres have all been places where my babies have needed milk and I have provided it to them without hesitation. In fact the most brazen breastfeeding session occurred a few days ago when at the end of long shopping trip my baby was agitated and wanting to feed whilst my toddler was struggling to get out of her stroller to get some of the same. To soothe both of them I popped the little boy on the breast while racing around playing hide and seek amidst the clothes with my girl as my aunt pushed her around the aisles! Other shoppers may have been surprised but both my babies were satisfied and calm.

Breastfeeding on the Train

Earlier during that same shopping trip I was in a large department store looking for some baby changing facilities. I was both amazed and disappointed that the baby changing room which doubled as a feeding room had, alongside the symbol of a baby changing, a symbol of a baby bottle! No breastfeeding symbol!! Well I went in to change my babies and then came out to breastfeed them out in the open. I would have done this regardless of the symbol on the door because I don’t feel it’s right that a baby should have to eat in the toilet?! I have been told by some other breastfeeding Mama’s in the UK that the bottle symbol is widely used and so I intend to forward the breastfeeding symbol to a few of these stores during my stay. The International symbol for breastfeeding can be found and downloaded on the Mothering website.

Breastfeeding is natural and nutritious and it needs to be the accepted norm in both the private and public arenas. I’m not an exhibitionist, I dress modestly and ordinarily I don’t bring undue attention to myself, but when my babies need me don’t be surprised to see a bare breast flashing by!

Breastfeeding in the Park

Indiscreet Breastfeeding Manifesto by Sundae Horn
•    I will nurse my child anytime, anywhere, no matter who is present or what I am wearing.
•    I will bare my breast with pride and confidence.
•    I will not apologize for nourishing and nurturing my child.
•    I will not smother my child with a napkin or blanket.
•    I will smile at everyone around me and ignore rude stares.
•    I will know that I am giving my child the perfect infant food from the most efficient, ecological, and economical delivery system.
•    I will know that I am giving my child the healthy start that is his or her birthright.
•    I will set an example for women and girls, educate the public, dispel breastfeeding myths, desexualize the breast, and make the world a better place, all through the simple act of feeding my child.
The full article can be read at http://www.mothering.com/bashful-brazen-indiscreet-breastfeeders-manifesto

An article on public Breastfeeding by Mothering Publisher and Editor Peggy O’Mara can be found here http://www.mothering.com/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-whose-public-quiet-place-peggy-omara

For more information on Breastfeeding Awareness Week visit http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/

Watch my You Tube video Breastfeeding is Beautiful http://youtu.be/Xc5py8KuN-Y

Child of the Nature Isle visits the UK!

Terri — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:59:29 +0000

Child of the Nature Isle has relocated to another island – but only temporarily! Until September we are in England enjoying the best of natural living in another environment. Over the next few weeks I’ll be writing blog posts with slightly more of a UK flavour along with some reviews and giveaways of British eco-products.

Wherever you are in the world, you can now ‘Like’ Child of the Nature Isle on Facebook! We have our own page which posts daily updates and links to interesting and relevant information. The page also gives readers a chance to interact and share freely so I do hope you will join us there too! Remember if you subscribe to the blog you will receive notifications of posts as soon as they are published.

Thanks once again to everyone who has read and commented on the blog so far – we have now had readers from over 90 different countries visit the site! It’s a joy to write and share our journey as it evolves.

Onelove

Wrapsody Bali Breeze: Review & GIVEAWAY!!!!!!

Terri — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 01:54:04 +0000

Most people who know me (and even sometimes strangers!) realise that I love to rave about the joys of babywearing. In addition to the great benefits for baby, I find using a carrier an essential way to manage my tasks in each day with two young children and I don’t even think about leaving the house without a carrier!

I have read many reviews on various carriers and tried a fair share. With my first baby I found my favourites to be the Ergo and a My Blessed Baby Mei Tai. However neither of these were suitable for newborns and last year while expecting baby-two I began searching for a new carrier that would be more versatile.

Looking at the range of baby carriers available I decided I needed to get a wrap; a completely unstructured carrier which can be tied in hundreds of different ways. This was going to take my baby wearing experience to a whole new level – I was ready for the challenge!

After researching the pros and cons of each type of wrap I felt that the Bali Breeze carrier from Wrapsody would be perfect for my needs. These wraps are made from a light cotton gauze and are said to be one of the coolest carriers around. With Caribbean temperatures to deal with, I needed something that wasn’t going to make us sweat-drenched within minutes! I purchased the Bali Breeze in Iris design - a beautiful rainbow striped carrier that looked gorgeous on the website and even more delightful in real-life.

Sleeping baby after a walk in the Wrapsody Bali Breeze

I’d already been studying wrapping techniques on You Tube but when the wrap arrived with it’s own booklet of step-by-step instructions and DVD I settled down to watch it like a feature movie! The DVD demonstrates a wide-range of wrapping styles and techniques as well as information on safety and troubleshooting. It is a handy reference guide that can be referred to repeatedly.

Although it takes a little time getting used to managing 5ft or more of material, after a few practices with willing babies and a mirror, it soon becomes second-nature. When I first started, I thought I’d never get my baby comfortable and safe with a back carry but now I just sling them over my hips, tie them up and away we go – simple! I love the variety of carrying choices with a wrap and it’s always fun trying new ones to see what suits me and the children in any given moment. My daily favourite is the back wrap cross carry with chest knot.

Amarii fast asleep in a back carry. After he falls asleep I unwrap him and lay him down to nap.

Using and wearing the Bali Breeze is really comfortable for me and both of my children – one aged 2 years and the other 9 months. I really like the non-stretchy material which is easy to handle. I tried a friends stretchy wrap before and felt it was always sagging and drooping but this one stays exactly where you put it. Another advantage I find with a wrap as opposed to the other types of carrier is that for the majority of wrap styles the cloth is kept out of baby’s sucking reach! Whilst my little ones suck away on the straps of the Ergo and Mei-Tai, the wrap stays saliva free!

2 year-old Keeyah in a back carry.

I’m also pleased that it certainly did live up to it’s cool reputation. I’ve walked around Dominica’s capital, Roseau (which is notoriously sweltering) with my now 9 month, 18lb baby wrapped to my front for 2 hours and we remained comfortable. The front wrap cross carry is especially good as it leaves the baby’s back a little exposed to catch a breeze. It’s definitely the coolest carrier I have tried.

The wrap comes with a cute little pocket bag to store it in but my wrap is always in use so storage is not necessary. However, I do use this bag to carry a few diapers, cloths and wipes when we go out and it’s perfect for that!

I feel really elegant in my Bali Breeze and think that wearing a baby looks sophisticated and stylish with these wraps. In fact the material is so lovely that I have a friend who constantly eyes it up as potential dress material. (You know who you are girlfriend and you are not allowed to enter the contest below to cut up the cloth!)

Terri and Amarii at the Health & Wellness Expo - hosting an event is a breeze with a baby in a wrap!

As well as loving the wraps I also admire the company’s fair trade and eco-credentials.Wrapsody is based in the US and is owned and operated by mothers. Bali Breeze wraps are hand batiked (with environmentally safe fabric dyes), sewn in Indonesia (hence the name) and fairly traded. The company makes many other efforts to run the business in a sustainable way which include: supporting local businesses where possible, becoming Green Office Certified and using natural or recycled fabrics in their products and office construction. Their brochures and business cards are printed on recycled paper with vegetable inks and the instructional DVD comes in a biodegradable corn-based plastic sleeve.

So yes, I’m one happy babywearing Mama! I do love the fact that we have several carriers that suit different occasions but if I were forced to choose just one carrier then the Bali Breeze would be it.

If it were within my means I’d buy one for every new mother. However in the meantime I have teamed up with Wrapsody to offer the opportunity to win one Wrapsody Bali Breeze in a design of your choice!!! Yes it’s contest time!

TO ENTER THE CONTEST YOU MUST FIRST SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG (enter your email address in the box in the left hand column of the page). NEXT VISIT THE WRAPSODY WEBSITE and find your favourite wrap. Let me know in the comments section that you have completed both of these actions, along with your wrap choice.

EXTRA ENTRIES: ( Leave a separate comment for each one!)

Become a fan on the Wrapsody facebook page

Write the following on the Wrapsody facebook page wall “I entered to win a beautiful Wrapsody: The wraparound baby carrier. Enter the contest at www.childofnatureblog.com”

Follow Wrapsody on Twitter (send me your twitter URL for verification)

Become a fan of Child of the Nature Isle on Facebook

Post the contest on Twitter with the following tweet text “I entered to win a beautiful Wrapsody: The wraparound baby carrier. Enter the contest at www.childofnatureblog.com” (send your twitter URL in the comments for verification)

Add ‘Child of the Nature Isle’ to your blogroll (send me the URL for verification)

Add a photo of yourself using a Wrapsody carrier (if you have one already) on the fan photos album on the Wrapsody facebook page

Vote for Child of the Nature Isle on Top Mommy Blogs

Giveaway ends August 1st. Open to contestants Internationally although a winner outside the US will need to cover US$15 towards shipping.

Although my comments are not numbered they will be counted in the order they are received and the winner will be picked using Random.org to generate the winning number.

If your profile page does not show your email address, please include it in your comment so that I may get in touch with you if you are selected as the giveaway winner. To avoid spammers automatically acquiring your address it is best to write it with the @ as (at) and the . as (dot) eg: terri(at)onelovelivity(dot)com Please respond within 48 hours, or a new winner will be chosen.

This was not a paid post and my opinions are honest. Thank you to Wrapsody who supplied the wrap for the giveaway.

More Locally Made Crafts

Terri — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 03:16:03 +0000

As well as the beautifully made toy oven, our lucky two-year old, received a few other handmade gifts for her birthday. We enjoy supporting our local craftspeople as much as possible and we hope you will be inspired to do the same.

Handmade doll in traditional dress - a perfect alternative to plastic, mis-proportioned, mass-manufactured dolls! Available from The Batik Shop, Old Street, Roseau

Keeyah with her own Mei Tai baby carrier! Made by Caribbean Apparels, 9 King George V St, Roseau, Tel :448 0118 (cute child and teddy bear not included!)

Child size dining table and chairs - great for toddlers who have grown out of a high chair but still need a special place to eat that is their size. Actually this is even sturdy enough for adults and I am really enjoying it too! This was made by a semi-retired carpenter and was a gift from Keeyah's Great-Grandparents.

Keeyah and her friend Naomi making some 'lunch' at the table just before the birthday cake was served!

Please feel free to share your locally made items - send me a comment and I will respond with an email address to send your photos to for a future post!

Locally Made Wooden Toys

Terri — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 02:04:01 +0000

In the search for natural toys for toddlers, I found an adorable looking wooden play oven. Since most young children love to mimic their parents (and I spend a lot of time in the kitchen) I felt this would be the ideal gift for my soon-to-be two year old. My only problem was that I saw it online and it would have cost me a small fortune to ship it to Dominica. After a few enquiries amongst friends I was gratefully directed to a carpenter by the name of Xavier who has a company in Dominica called Custom Wood Designs. He had me email an image of the piece I wanted and within a couple of weeks, called me to say it was complete.

For a few weeks we had our play oven covered up with a cloth in our back room as it was intended to be a surprise for Keeyah’s birthday. However the suspense proved too much for me and I gave it to her a month before her big day! She really enjoys playing with it, along with all her empty little containers and cooking utensils. One very positive observation I’ve made so far is that her other ‘big’ friends (7 and 8 years old) who come to play with her also love it too, so I know it is a toy with a good shelf life! (Oh and, truth be told, some adults have been spotted playing with it too – I won’t mention names!!)

Keeyah playing with her oven

Handmade Wooden Toy Oven

I am really impressed with our delightful play oven. Xavier is a very talented craftsman and I highly recommend him if you want customised pieces for either home furnishings or child’s play! You can contact Custom Wood Designs by filling out my contact form here.

I look forward to hearing of other natural handmade toys you have given to your children.

My Waterbirth, Homebirth & Hypnobirth

Terri — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:20:40 +0000

My second birthing experience was beautiful, peaceful, gentle, ecstatic and enjoyable. But it wasn’t exactly as I had planned…

The plan was to have a waterbirth at home, in our peaceful mountain village. I had ordered and shipped in an Aquaborn birth pool from the UK. I would be using Hypnobirthing techniques for a calm and gentle birth as I did previously. I had discussed all my requirements with my amazingly positive midwife, Nurse Lowe who despite never having facilitated a waterbirth before was very experienced in birthing and exuded a calm, non-nonsense confidence. My friends Katie and Mickey were on standby to pick up the nurse and bring her to my house when the time came. I had also asked three of my friends to be in attendance at the birth – Trudy was going to look after my 15 month old girl Keeyah, Martha was going to set the ambiance with essential oils in the burner and relaxing music in the background, and Celia would record the event with photos and video. It was a perfect plan!

Trying out the pool a few weeks before the birth!

In the weeks leading up to the birth I set up a baby guessing game on the blog and watched excitedly to see what people thought the sex, weight, date and time of delivery would be. I secretly favoured all those guesses who gave me an afternoon birth and jokingly chastised Trudy for guessing my baby would be born at 4am!

Because I had been charting my cycle using Fertility Awareness Method, I knew my date of ovulation and conception. By my calculations, baby was due on October 9th. However I also knew that only 5% of baby’s are born on their due date so was open to it being out by a few days according to the will of nature and my baby.

On Friday 3rd October my sister-friends and I made a belly-cast. That night I waited for Al to come home from work to show him the marvelous creation. From this date on he would be on leave to support me in the days leading up to the birth and to be home after baby was born. We still had a long list of things we wanted to get done before baby arrived so I was glad this time had come to get on with the final stages of nesting. The first thing that needed to be done was to get a plumber to come and fix in the water heater so that we had a supply of hot water to fill the birth pool.

Belly Casting complete!

That evening I spoke with Al on the phone at 6:30pm and he told me he had done most of our shopping, was just heading to the market for our fresh produce and expected to be back within the next hour. I bathed Keeyah, got her ready for bed and expected to see him after she fell asleep. When 8 o’clock came I began wondering where he had got to, when it was 9 o’clock I was a little concerned but continued to busy myself with all my nesting chores. By 10 o’clock I was vacillating between worry and annoyance…why wasn’t he answering his phone, where was he, what was going on??? At about 10:30pm I heard a scuffling noise on the porch and opened the door to see Al with blood on his face, clothes dripping with sweat and dirt. What had happened? After assuring me that he was not hurt, my dearest explained that he had just had a car accident and the vehicle was a write-off…it was a shocking event but after the initial distress I just gave so much thanks and praise he was still alive.

Unfortunately, despite his optimistic declaration of escaping without injury, by the time Al got to bed he was aching all over. I massaged him and lay nearby as he drifted off into a restless and painful sleep. Despite being really tired I did not sleep at all that night. In the morning it was worse, he could not walk or move but insisted he stay home and not go to the hospital. With lack of sleep, and the weight of heavy pregnancy I felt exhausted at having to look after both our 15-month old and him just days before our 2nd baby arrived - this was definitely not on my birth plan.

My friends Katie, Mickey and baby Nancy came up later that day to take me to the hot sulphur springs. It would have been perfect for Al to soak his injuries but the pain he was in prevented him from even getting down the steps of house so I left him to rest while I went out with Keeyah. I knew from past experience that a soak in the hot tub could really bring on labour in these last stages so I remained cautious by just soaking my feet most of the time.

A quick soak in the hot tubs at Ti Kwen Glo Cho

On Sunday 4th October I woke up gently with a sense of profound peace, wellbeing and beauty. This special tranquility was like nothing I had ever experienced - it was like being in a most delicious dream, floating away on blissful energy. I took quiet, deep breaths and lay there watching the sun radiating through the windows, savouring this unique moment of love and light. My sweet reverie then came abruptly to a halt as Keeyah woke up next to me wanting breakfast, Al woke up needing to be helped out of bed and I looked around the room realising that it needed a really good clean-up!

For the rest of the day I was busy with cooking and caring for my loved ones but I felt an urgency about making sure our bedroom was cleaned up with fresh sheets, tidy shelves and mopped floors. Martha kindly came up to assist me as Al still could not walk and needed much rest. Together we got the room refreshed and I was more at ease. I started feeling that the baby was coming soon but was sure that the very slight twinges I was having were just ‘practice’ braxton hicks. I certainly didn’t want anything to happen yet…we were not at all ready!

That evening I saw my neighbour, Diane as she walked home and we had a brief conversation. She had agreed to do my hair in braids before the baby came and I told her that we had better do it in the next few days because I was feeling some movement. She agreed and told me to call her if anything happened before then and we needed help. I then spoke with Katie on the phone who advised me to call the midwife to give her a little advance warning in case we did have to call her that night. Although I was adamant that my baby was not coming that soon I called her and she said she would pack her bags of supplies ready.

The rest of the evening skipped along quickly and although I was really tired I stayed up to complete some articles I was working on – there just seemed like so much to do. I saw Trudy on Skype and told her I was feeling some little movements but, I typed ‘of course it is just practice – not the real thing’. She said she could some in the morning if I needed her but maybe the baby would already be born! ‘No way’ I said laughing at the computer screen and typing, ‘it won’t happen that fast’.

Finally at 10:30pm the need for sleep got the better of me and I crashed into bed so grateful that Keeyah is an all-night sleeper. At last I was going to get some good rest. However at exactly midnight I was awoken by the first big contraction (surge) - my body and baby were telling me that we were going to birth soon! Yikes…so much for not being ready!

I woke Al and we lay for a while timing the surges…7 minutes apart and nothing strong. Together we began to quietly clear space in our room and went into the other room to blow up the birth pool with the electric pump that was quick but a little noisy. Outside a heavy storm pelted rain on the roof. During such tropical downpours our water sometimes gets dirty or even cut off so I sent up a prayer that there would be enough clean water for the pool. Oh yes the pool – we still didn’t have hot water connected so every pot we had was filled and placed on the stove to boil water.

I was still thinking that we had plenty of time so I went online to find out how long the water could stay in the pool and remain hot. However our Internet suddenly went down so I called my Mum to look it up for me. Since it was only about 5am in the UK at the time she did not answer her phone. I called Katie to give her an update but didn’t want her to get the midwife just yet as it felt too early. I walked around with surges getting stronger but not longer – still only about 30 seconds each and quite manageable. Even though they stayed very short in duration I could feel the surges heightening in intensity and once I reached a point where I could not talk through them, I called Katie again. It was just before 3am and she insisted that now was the time to get our midwife as it was at least a 45 minute journey. I agreed and asked Al to then call Nurse Lowe to tell her to get ready. As the phone was ringing I said to him ‘Tell her that I’m not sure I’m really in advanced labour yet so I hope she doesn’t mind waiting around for a few hours’. As soon as I uttered these words my waters gushed all over the floor, my baby’s head dropped down into transition stage and in a brief moment of panic I cried out and finally realised that this baby was going to be born before day break.

As soon as Al finished talking to the nurse the phone rang again. It was my Mum returning my call. All I could say was ‘Mum I can’t talk now, the baby is coming and we are by ourselves…call you later!’ My dear mother must have spent the next few hours pacing the floor wondering what was happening!

The transition phase of labour is a strong turning point and to manage the intensity of the feeling I dropped onto my hands and knees and sang loudly. Of course this woke up Keeyah who was initially dazed at the 3am wake up call but quickly adjusted to the confusing but exciting scenario. Her presence meant that Al now to carry her aswell as the boiling pots of water from the kitchen to the pool. He could still barely walk so after I crawled into the bedroom and rested comfortably on hand and knees at the foot of the bed, I called my neighbour Diane and asked her to come and help. What a blessing to have such a great neighbour, she was here within 10 minutes, carrying pails of hot water and even woke up our landlord downstairs to have him boil water for the pool too!

Amidst all the pool-filling action I chose to relax and go into my own meditation. I had read in the HypnoBirthing book that there was no need to push during labour until the baby reached crowning stage. I had watched videos of other women doing this and there really was no better time to try out the technique for myself.

Hypnobirth practice

Each surge of my body I met only with my breath. I relaxed, went within and was surprised at how quickly I was able to lose my ‘logic monkey mind’ and just go with the flow of my body. It was utterly amazing to feel this little being move further and further down the birth canal all by itself. As the baby descended slowly every few minutes, amniotic fluid would drip down and my body felt more and more expansive. I felt so privileged to be participating in the magnificently intelligent process of natural birth. I felt pressure in my thighs but there was no ‘pain’, instead ripples of pleasure pulsated through me as I got closer and closer to meeting my baby. At one point I looked at the time – it was around 3:30am. I smiled – Trudy was right I was going to have my baby at about 4am!

A car pulled up outside, the door opened and my midwife was finally here. Although I felt completely calm in my birthing process I relaxed so much more as she entered the room. I was now ready to give birth at any moment. I looked up at her, smiled and said excitedly ‘The baby is almost here!’ She wanted to examine me so after the next surge I turned over and let her confirm what my body already knew – I was fully dilated and ready. She told me that I could start to push but I felt that I wanted to breathe a bit more and continue to enjoy the process – besides, was the pool water hot enough yet?

A few more pails of hot water were poured into the tub and I got the green light to go ahead and get in. Aahhhhh….sweet, lovely, delicious! It felt so good to be in the water, even though the pool was not even halfway full it was enough to sit in and splash about. I continued in the same breathing relaxation mode for about another 10 minutes until suddenly I reached a point where every cell in my body instructed me to do something else – PUSH! So I began a push, not with effort or strain but as completely instinctual response. I reached down and felt the baby’s head bursting through into the world. In this split second my focus shifted and, even though I could have relaxed once again, I decided to continue the push with a more determined conscious effort. With that one big momentum, the entire baby emerged from my body, into the water and my hands. Nurse Lowe reached in and together we swiftly bought him to the surface to lay in my arms. What an incredible birth experience, so easy, and enjoyable that I wished it could have lasted longer to savour it! I hugged my sweet little baby and then peeked to find out that we had created a boy. ‘I knew you were a boy’ I whispered. ‘Welcome to the world’ we sang. It was 4am and Keeyah was held up at the edge of the pool to get a glimpse of her new baby brother – Amarii.

Big sister Keeyah takes a glimpse at her new baby brother.

Baby Amarii on the day he was born

Wordless Wednesday: Frog goes on Safari

Terri — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:14:36 +0000

A frog, seen outside my back door yesterday, enjoying a ride on our unused stroller!

Frog on Safari

The Frog & Giraffe

Sweet little frog - come back soon!

Raw, Vegan ‘Cheesecake’ Recipe

Terri — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 02:28:43 +0000

This ‘cheesecake’ is all-natural, all-raw, all-vegan and all-delicious! I made this cake for my birthday, using simple ingredients and my basic kitchen equipment - the end result was so superb I’ve been asked to share the recipe.

I recommend making it a day before you want to eat it as the taste and texture is so much better the next day. Even people who eat regular cheesecake will be amazed at how good this one tastes!

Ingredients:

1 dry coconut

2 cups cashews

1 cup almonds

½ cup sunflower seeds

1-1½ cups dates

2-3 limes or lemons

Mangos/Apricot/Berries or other fruit for topping

Equipment:

Blender

Fine mesh cloth

Pie dish

Soak the nuts and seeds overnight in separate containers
Break open and grate the coconut
Taking small handfuls of the coconut in the mesh cloth, squeeze the grated coconut to produce rich coconut cream. Save the remaining dry coconut for use in the base of the cake.
Place almonds, 20 dates, sunflower seeds and a spalsh of the coconut cream in the blender. Blend and slowly add water as necessary for the blender to work. This mixture does not have to be extra smooth in consistency but you do want to make sure there are no big pieces of nuts.
Remove your mixture from the blender and stir in the dry coconut until the mixture becomes firmer. Spread this base mixture into your pie dish.
Wash out the blender and add the cashews, juice from your limes/lemons, the remaining dates (add according to how sweet you want it) and the remaining coconut cream. Blend until silky smooth, adding water if necessary but making sure it does not become too runny.
Pour this mixture on top of the base and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight
When ready to serve, cut thin slices of fresh fruit to decorate the top
Enjoy the goodness!

Raw, Vegan 'Cheesecake' - you gotta try it to believe it!

This recipe was first published in Funky Raw magazine March 2010