Ask A Midwife – Breech, Sickness, Cycles & Loss

Editor’s Note: Good morning. The crew from Plum Midwifery is here this morning answering four very interesting and provocative questions about pregnancy and childbirth – all submitted by OBE readers (thanks to everyone for your fantastic questions).
The Plum Midwifery crew includes Joanne Daviau, Amy Kelly, Emma Gledhill and Jessie Shannon, as well as the [...]

When Birth Becomes An Inspired Resistance Movement

Editor’s Note: Happy Friday! This morning we have Deepa talking about the incredibly powerful and moving birth story that inspired her to become a midwife. Here she is:
They say that a mark of happiness is whether you get any pleasure out of the question, “what do you do?”
I often get asked why I became a midwife. [...]

Birth Stories – Conscientious Observation of Labor

Editor’s Note: Good Morning. Ah, life, how it evolves. Deepa’s column is evolving too. Today, we start the first of many amazing birth stories told through the experiences of Deepa. I’m looking forward to this change of pace, as we are set to launch a whole bunch of goodness around pregnancy and childbirth in early [...]

BUMPS – The Mystery of Being Born In The Caul

Editor’s Note: Happy Friday! This morning we have Deepa Upadhyaya bewitching us with tales of being born in the caul. Here she is:
Halloween month is upon us and within me several emotions are brewing. This witch’s cauldron has a heavy ladle for all the chunky matter that comes along with Winter’s upcoming arrival. To me [...]

Mindful Eating Roadblocks (Part 3)

Editor’s Note: The lovely and knowledgeable Esther Kane is with us today sharing tips from her latest book on practicing Mindful Eating. This is the third part of her Mindful Eating Roadblocks series. You can find the first two parts here – Part One & Part Two. Here’s Esther:

For this article, I will share with [...]

Five Tools for Overcoming Anxiety

Editor’s Note: Good morning, the insightful and lovely Esther Kane is here on OBE this morning to share with us a bit of her personal story about dealing with anxiety.
This topic is one that is close to my heart, as anxiety has stopped me from moving in a positive direction so many times in my [...]

Seafood to Avoid During Pregnancy

Editor’s Note: Happy Friday (I am sooooo happy). It’s date night at the 30-day Food Challenge HQ and we are off for an evening of adult conversation and some good food. The Great Escape, Bisque, Locals and Anderton Bistro-Pub are all hosting a great Friday night of local delights. So, make a reservation, round up [...]

Using Anti-Depression Meds in Pregnancy

I know the last few cool days of rain in the Valley are lovely, but the continuous sunshine just seems to be infecting us all with joy.  It is the start of the season of moist plums, laughter at the water park, sandy toes, breezy fragrant endless evenings, and picking out corn kernels from your [...]

Esther Kane – Mindful Eating Roadblocks (Part 2)

Editor’s Note: Speaking of mindful eating, get yourselves on over to the Today Party from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at Karen McKinnon’s studio, 4th Street and Cliffe Avenue (enter in the parking lot behind Brambles).
There will be cupcakes to decorate and take to someone special, not to mention a few to nosh on [...]

Overcome Infertility with Chinese Medicine

Infertility rates have increased dramatically in the last decade with one in six North American couples experiencing difficulties conceiving. This is an extremely difficult time for most couples, a roller coaster of emotions, frustration, anger, sadness and regret. Traditional Chinese medicine has been treating infertility for over two thousand years and has recently been gaining [...]

Monday Mom’s Poll – The Perfect Jeans

 
So, ummm, well, anyone who knows me knows for sure that the above photo is not representative of my current physique.
Marshall’s Clothing Company isn’t exactly selling these jeans to the average 38-year-old. I don’t suspect that my butt ever looked that hot in pair of anything.
There was a time when I felt great about my [...]

Dr. Amy Wells – Taking Charge of Our Fertility

Editor’s Note: Good Morning. Dr. Amy Wells is here this morning talking about a hot topic in our house right now – fertility. Plugging in to your body cues is an amazing way to feel empowered when working on getting pregnant.
On a couple of other notes, I posed the question over on our Facebook page [...]

Esther Kane – Mindful Eating Road Blocks (Part 1)

Editor’s Note: Good Morning! We are here today hanging out with Esther Kane.
But, if you are out and about, be sure to come on over to Simms Park and hang in the Our Big Earth Family & Kids Zone at the 2009 Earth Day Family Festival. It’ll be packed with projects like a community art [...]

All Maternity Leave Is Not Created Equal

Sometimes I think people who stay in one place for long periods of time are the smartest people I know. There is wisdom to just being happy where you are.
I have been bouncing around the world over the past decade and although we are broke and exhausted, there were some advantages. You gain some serious [...]

Digital Dating & The Single Mom

Editor’s Note: Esther Kane is back today to talk about digital dating for single moms and I have a quick digital dating success story to share – mine.
Ken and I had moved to Seattle within two weeks of each other eight years ago, and both of us for just about all the reasons Esther points [...]

Our Big Earth – Now with 35% More Content

Good morning! February has started off with its usual gray and rainy patina outside. But, it kicks off with a bright, lively celebration here at Our Big Earth.
Today, we unveil a new tab structure to make it easier to find the features you are looking for as well as some fantastic new features, columnists and [...]

Learning to Live With Loss – Together

 
Down a Friday post, Ken and I hashed through a whole whack of topics that seemed a perfect fit to jump into while we all piled into our bed for movie night with the kiddo yesterday.
Taking a look at your water usage and how critical it is to start reigning ourselves in terms of consumption [...]

Deepa Guides Us Through Loss

This is for Robin and her family and all of those who are grieving a child who died inside the womb.
It was Autumn last year, although the sun warmed us like it was mid-day July. The kids were jubilant after seeing, feeling, choosing, and weighing pumpkins at the Shamrock Farm. It was another [...]

Beating The Winter Blues

Editor’s Note: Registered Clinical Counselor Esther Kane is here with us again today to talk about one of the hottest Winter topics – Seasonal Affective Disorder.
For me, Winter is a real challenge – and families definitely go through it together. So if the cold and gray is getting you down, try a few of [...]

Friendship is Key to Managing Stress in Pregnancy

Editor’s Note: I have the most wonderful friends. Seriously, I couldn’t ask for better. They have enormous hearts and are entirely some of the most generous women I have ever known.
But, when I need them the most (ah, it’s the Cancer crab in me…or some serious issues, I’m sticking with astrology) in times of [...]