I have great news to share! My new Ebook titled, “The Psychology of Natural Childbirth,” is now online and ready to be shared with everyone.

I wrote this book to share with other women how it is possible to give birth free of drugs or unnecessary medical intervention. I believe the information I share will be able to help any woman who may be pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant. No matter how much knowledge you have about the labor process, you will learn something from this book.

So, to honor Pregnancy Awareness Month, visit my site at www.NaturalChildbirthTips.com.

Here is some great information about how Pregnancy Awareness Month was created…

(from www.PregnancyAwarenessMonth.com)

Declared and founded by author & holistic lifestyle expert Anna Getty, and co-founded by LCSW & mompreneur Alisa Donner, May 2010 marks the 3rd year of Pregnancy Awareness Month(TM) (PAM). Through PAM, Anna & Alisa aim to empower pregnant women and new parents with information, “how to” ideas and inspiration to incorporate PAM’s four key initiatives – education, exercise, nutrition & wellness and nurture – into their life routines and to show how easy it can be to make healthy changes in their lives, for themselves, and their children.

“My life was altered not only by the birth of my daughter, but by the experience and choices I made as I prepared my body, mind and spirit to become pregnant and the incredible inward journey of pregnancy itself. In PAM we have adopted the tagline: “Motherhood Begins Now,”(TM) and I really believe that. I took that message to heart before I actually became pregnant as a way to prepare my mind, body and household for this fabulous moment of creativity, and my life literally turned upside down, for the better.” (Anna Getty, March 2008)

Desiree was in the prime of her life (mid-20s) and she was an avid runner and athlete. Apparently, she received a flu shot and quickly began to develop a neurological problem called Dystonia.

During this time, she was unable to breathe and suffered seizures every minute. Her family was preparing for her to die!

Fortunately, Dr. Rashid Buttar came to the rescue with Holistic Medicine at his Center for Advanced Medicine.

Desiree was detoxified from the heavy metals her body encountered from the vaccine and soon her body began to heal itself and life came back to her.

Soon she was able to talk, stand, eat, and breathe on her own.

To the rescue…

Before meeting Dr. Buttar, two different hospitals had diagnosed Desiree with the incurable Dystonia as a result of the FLU SHOT! Yet the mainstream medical community denies that this impairment could EVER be from a vaccine. Dr. Buttar has even been threatened for a loss of licensure because of his medical practices. These forms of treatment are far from the standard practices in hospitals across the U.S. and Medical Boards do not want any part of it.

Dr. Buttar focuses on removing toxic substances and heavy metals through chelation, antioxidants, nutrition, natural antivirals, and much more. Top physicians had no hope for this girl as modern medicine does not focus on the natural ability of the body to heal itself. Instead, it is a game to find the prescription to cover up symptoms or just replace them with another symptom in order to pretend the problem has gone away.

The great thing about holistic medicine is the value it gives to the human body. Our creator made us this way so why not begin with the body? Or even better, how about preventive medicine like Chiropractic care and basic education?

In Closing…

The main point I want to make about this amazing story is that education can really change your life. I never knew so much about natural living until a few years ago, so I can understand why people just don’t know…

Desiree was an avid athlete and she probably took great care of her body. But, like so many Americans, she believed the lies the media feed us when it comes to vaccines and health. She decided it would probably be best to receive a flu shot because everyone else was getting one–even though she probably had NO IDEA what was in it? How about a heavy-metal cocktail???

In the end, this story had a positive ending. Somehow Dr. Buttar came into her life when there was no hope and then he restored that hope to her. I truly hope this girl’s life will totally change and that she will become an advocate for Holistic Medicine.

To Your Well-Being,

Olivia Johnston

Halloween '09

I have discovered how to make this frozen treat at just the right time!

Joel has been teething a lot the past few days. Right now, at almost 9 months, he has two lower teeth and 2 top teeth coming in quickly(and boy is he crawling!). He has seemed to be a lot less fussy with these top teeth in comparison to the lower ones.

I have occasionally used the Baby Safe Feeder and inserted frozen sweet potato puree, broccoli, and banana. He loves to chew on this and massage his gums while enjoying these new tastes.

Today I ran across a site, Mother-2-Mother, where I found a recipe for frozen breastmilk popsicles.

What is better than a frozen teether that is also nutritional?

For younger babies, you can pour expressed breastmilk into ice cube trays (just like making baby food) and let it freeze. Then, just place it into a Baby Safe feeder (mesh teething bag) and let baby enjoy and teethe on it.

Or, you can use a cap from a Gerber bottle and a soft pacifier. Just pour a bit of the expressed milk into the cap, put the paci on top, and freeze. The milk will freeze to the pacifier like a tiny popsicle!!

Eventually you can add other ingredients to make a healthy, delightful treat for your child.

What methods have you used to help your child through the teething process?

Read more about this cool treat at Mother-2-Mother.

To Your Well-Being,

Olivia Johnston

This summer, my husband Jeremy and I decided that it would be great if I wrote an eBook on my experience with Natural Childbirth. I learned SO MUCH while I was pregnant with my son Joel, so why not share all of that great information with other newly pregnant women who want options available with childbirth?

So, I spent about 6 weeks

I began going to my Chiropractor at about 6 months of pregnancy due to some back pain from the pregnancy and my job as a dog groomer. Early one morning, at about 3 AM, I could not sleep because of a sharp muscular pain in my back. I decided to look for a Chiropractor in the area while surfing the internet to pass some time.

I found one very close to me and she was on my way home from work. I read many different articles on how important Chiropractic is to a pregnant woman and even a newborn infant!

I have been adjusted regularly at the Chiropractor for almost a year now and I have never felt better or learned as much as I have by Chiropractic.

My Chiropractor performed a special adjustment on me while I was pregnant called the “Webster Technique.” This technique that reduces interference to the nervous system, balances out pelvic muscles and ligaments which removes tension in the uterus so the baby can remain in the best position possible.

When performed regularly, the Webster Technique has a 94% success ratio in turning a breech baby to allow for an easy delivery. Many births by C-section can be prevented by this technique as many babies who are breech must be delivered by C-section. With regular prenatal Chiropractic care, the need for medical interventions during labor is greatly decreased.

Pregnancy is very hard on the spinal cord. Excess weight from the baby creates spinal misalignments (subluxations) and changes in posture which affect the whole body and well-being of the mother and baby.

To decrease common pregnancy complaints such as:

• heartburn
• rib pain
• pubic pain
• headaches
• sinus congestion
• low back pain

Take advantage of chiropractic adjustments throughout pregnancy!

Chiropractic care is necessary for optimal development of the baby growing inside mom’s belly. Pregnant women receive specific attention and education during pregnancy so as to provide a great health potential for both the mother and baby.

Pregnant women also experience problems in the pelvic area. A lifetime of stress to the area, plus pregnancy, creates a great deal of misalignments which greatly decrease the pelvic opening for labor. The woman’s pelvis supports her growing uterus with specific ligaments. If the pelvis is unbalanced, the uterus cannot enlarge symmetrically with the growing baby and thus reduces the maximum amount of room for the baby.

If you are pregnant, I urge you to find a Family Chiropractor who is trained in Prenatal care and Pediatric care.

My son’s birth went very smoothly and I know a big part of that was due to regular Chiropractic care during my pregnancy. If you want to know your developing baby will stay in the best possible position for labor, then you must begin getting special adjustments now!

If your goal is to have a safe, natural birth (without medication) you can greatly increase the likelihood by getting adjusted so the baby is ready to come out!

Search for an International Chiropractic Pediatric Association member in your area. Doctors in this group are dedicated to you and your child’s well-being from a holistic perspective.

Here is a great informational video on the subject:

Please feel free to email me on any questions you may have about Chiropractic and to hear more about my experience.

To Your Well-Being,

Olivia Johnston

Here is an article from “The Natural Family Site” on Natural Childbirth

Natural Childbirth

A natural birth (also known as an unmedicated birth) is just that – it is the delivery of a baby without using drugs or surgery during birth. A common phrase heard when talking with people about natural birthing practices is, “birth is a natural process, not a medical procedure.” In today’s society this is definitely a radical concept for most doctors, but it is true nonetheless. You really can have a beautiful, drug-free experience in childbirth even if you have your baby in a hospital. You simply need to know it is possible, you need to find a doctor (or midwife) who will support you in your point of view, and you need some training to help you prepare yourself so you can let nature take its course.

The advantages of a natural childbirth are huge. You learn about all of the advantages when you take a natural childbirth class such as those offered under the Bradley method. Here are the three big advantages:

1. Natural childbirth is much better for the mother. The mother has a completely different experience during birth if she is not drugged – a significantly more fulfilling and beautiful experience. She also feels much more in control of her body and the health of her baby.

2. Natural childbirth is much better for the baby. The baby arrives in an undrugged and therefore much more active and alert state. It is amazing to see videotapes showing the differences between drugged and undrugged babies immediately after birth. Undrugged babies are active and responsive. Drugged babies can barely move.

3. Natural childbirth is much better for the family. When an alert and active (undrugged) baby is placed on the abdomen of an alert and undrugged mother, an amazing thing happens: the baby and mother bond in a significant and real way. The baby will naturally find the breast and begin feeding. The baby will make significant eye contact with the mother and father and respond to them. This simply does not happen when mother and child are drugged, and as a result breastfeeding starts off on a much rockier road.

Make no mistake about it – you cannot have a natural childbirth in today’s society unless you take active steps to make it happen. You and your spouse must decide in your own minds that you want a natural birth. You must find a doctor or midwife who supports that decision. You and your spouse must train for the birth so you know what to expect, how to manage pain and what to do at different stages of the birth. You also need to prepare a birth plan so that you can state your desires about a host of variables including: drugs, fetal monitoring, episiotomies, IVs, birth positions, etc. The first time you look into birth plans, the number of options is bewildering. It is amazing how all of these options actually make sense once you have done the research into the type of birth you want.

There are a number of different ways for you to have a natural birth. Here are the five most common:

* With an “enlightened” doctor at a hospital
* With a midwife at a hospital
* With a midwife at a birthing center
* With a midwife at home
* Unassisted at home

You can look at these options, weigh the risks and benefits, and choose the style that works best for you.

If you are considering a natural childbirth, you should definitely start reading up on the subject, and you should consider taking a Bradley class or similar natural childbirth class.

Find a Bradley Class here