 Image via Pixabay Hospital Bag Essentials For Expectant Parents Amid the excitement of preparing to welcome a baby into the family, expectant parents shouldn’t forget to pack a hospital bag. It’s generally recommended that your bag is ready to go by week 35 of your pregnancy, but life can sometimes bring the unexpected, so prepping earlier is probably wise. Some parents start packing hospital necessities when the third trimester is beginning—around week 27. If you need to shop for additional items, especially online, give yourself extra time. For tips on what to pack, nurturing YOU naturally offers the following. Start with the basic necessities. There are some items you simply must have with you. You need your ID and your health insurance cards. Make copies of your identification and health care information for your hospital bag or create a reminder to bring them before you set off. If you have made a birth plan, include a copy in your bag as well. Don’t forget to bring a phone and charger, both for taking photos and for keeping in touch with loved ones. Important items for new moms. You will be provided with a hospital robe when you check-in, but if you prefer to wear your own delivery gown, choose one that is comfortable, allows for easy movement and access, and suits your style. Also, remember that childbirth can get messy, so your gown may not remain pristine for the duration of labor. For after labor and delivery, you will want clothing that is functional and comfortable. A nursing bra and nursing gown are at the top of the list of must-haves. If you prefer pajamas over gowns, get ones with loose, stretchy bottoms, since your belly won’t deflate immediately, and might be tender. The hospital will provide socks as well, but you may prefer to bring your own, as well as slippers with good traction for when you are able to get up and walk around. Other items conducive to comfort during and after labor include lip balm, moisturizing cream, earplugs, an eye mask, and some form of entertainment, whether a book, a tablet with games or shows on it, or music. You may also want to bring your own toiletries. When it’s time to go home, new moms will want comfortable underwear and a going-home outfit that allows for ease of movement. Remember that sometimes you will be going home with heavy pads for any post-partum bleeding, so the more undies, the better. Birthing partners may want to be prepared as well, with snacks, bottled water, a change of clothes, and their own toiletries. If you have room, pack a pillow, in case the labor progresses slowly and you need periods of rest in between supporting your partner. Important items for baby. While it may be tempting to pack all the adorable infant outfits you’ve picked out over the past few months, all you need is a simple one-piece outfit that allows for easy diapering. In hot weather, dress your baby in a onesie to avoid overheating. In colder weather, put them in long-sleeved footies and swaddle well. The hospital will probably give you blankets, but you might want to bring your own swaddling blanket. Additionally, no matter the weather, you will want to have a hat to protect your baby’s head. As for diapers, the hospital will also provide these, unless you are planning on using cloth diapers. In which case, be sure to pick some out that are designed for newborns, and that have leak protection. While much about labor and delivery is beyond your control, you can still be prepared and alleviate stress by ensuring that you are equipped with items to help childbirth and your time at the hospital go as smoothly as possible. nurturing YOU naturally doula services provides Middle Tennessee families with pregnancy, birth, and postpartum support. Connect with us today!
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 This has been another wonderful year of serving families in the Nashville and Middle TN area. It's especially fun to be able to work with our repeat clients, and we had several this year. Here are our practice statistics for 2020.
BIRTH LOCATION
GENDER
BIRTH TYPE
BIRTH OPTIONS
There were lots of girls this year but all of our babies were 100% precious and healthy! We're looking forward to meeting new families in 2021! 
Shopping for your naturally minded friends can be tricky. To make things easy, we've put together a list of items that any naturally-minded individual would love.
This handy guide offers 20 suggestions for both men and women, including stocking stuffers, with gifts in every price range. UPDATE: I've added TEN more items! Now, you'll get 30 gift ideas!
What about a water filter that removes Fluoride, Lead, Chromium 6, PFOS PFOA, Heavy Metals, Microorganisms, Pesticides, Chemicals, Industrial Pollutants & More?
ON THE LIST! Or maybe she would like a beautiful natural bead necklace for mom that also serves as a teether for baby? ON THE LIST! Blue light blocking glasses? Safer soy candles? Ceramic, non-toxic cookware? Natural perfume? ON THE LIST!
Best of all, we've made it super easy to shop by adding links that will take you directly to each item! Enter your email below to receive the nurturing YOU naturally gift guide!
Can't wait? Go ahead and check out our Amazon Wish List for Natural Gift Giving!
 Nashville Cesarean Rate By Hospital - Data Current as of November 2019.
Please note: The information on this site is derived from hospitals’ voluntary submissions of The Leapfrog Hospital Survey. For more survey results, visit: http://www.leapfroggroup.org/compare-hospitals Click here to see our 2018 Nashville Cesarean Rate Infographic. Click here to see our 2017 Nashville Cesarean Rate Infographic. Click here to see our 2016 Nashville Cesarean Rate Infographic. Click here to see our 2015 Nashville Cesarean Rate Infographic. This is my 5th year to compile these figures into an infographic. We still have 4 big hospitals with rates under 30%. St. Thomas Rutherford has a rate of 22%, which is the lowest I've ever seen in Nashville in the last decade. It's interesting to note that the St. Thomas Hospital group has consistently had numbers below 30%, while the TriStar group has some of the highest rates in Middle TN. In fact, Centennial has shown a large increase 2 years in a row (combined jump of 7.6%). They were once as low as 30% in 2017. I do know that Centennial hired a new Chief Operating Officer at the beginning of 2019 who is also a Certified Nurse Midwife and she has been working extremely hard to make positive change. It's honestly been exciting to watch her jump into this role and I will be eager to see the impact she has over the next year. One of the biggest factors in preventing a C-Section is to have a doula. Research shows that using a doula for your labor & delivery can lower your risk of a Cesarean birth by as much as 39%. Taking a comprehensive childbirth education class can also lower your risk for a C-Section. Please contact us if you are interested in hiring a doula or need a childbirth preparation class. Feel free to share this infographic with credit given to this link. http://www.nurturingyounaturally.com/blog/2019-nashville-c-section-rate-by-hospital  Nashville Cesarean Rate By Hospital - Data Current as of October 2018 and compared to July 2017.
Please note: The information on this site is derived from hospitals’ voluntary submissions of The Leapfrog Hospital Survey. For more survey results, visit: http://www.leapfroggroup.org/compare-hospitals Click here to see our 2017 Nashville Cesarean Rate Infographic. Click here to see our 2016 Nashville Cesarean Rate Infographic. Click here to see our 2015 Nashville Cesarean Rate Infographic. This is my 4th year to compile these figures into an infographic. Last year we saw big progress in the numbers and I was encouraged. I'm still encouraged that we have 4 big hospitals with rates under 30%. Overall, these hospitals held their numbers steady over last year. However, I do have a huge concern for Summit Hospital, which jumped almost 10% in a single year. Combined with their 5% increase from 2016 to 2017, their C-section rates have risen 15% in the last 2 years. They also now have the highest Cesarean rate in the area.
One of the biggest factors in preventing a C-Section is to have a doula. Research shows that using a doula for your labor & delivery can lower your risk of a Cesarean birth by as much as 39%. Taking a comprehensive childbirth education class can also lower your risk for a C-Section. Please contact us if you are interested in hiring a doula or need a childbirth preparation class. Feel free to share this infographic with credit given to this link. http://www.nurturingyounaturally.com/blog/2018-nashville-c-section-rate-by-hospital  If you haven't heard of CBD oil yet, just wait! A quick Google search today reveals over 13 MILLION web pages and 158 THOUSAND news articles. It's unheard of for a natural product to overwhelm the mainstream market this quickly. In fact, Forbes predicts the industry to grow 700% by 2020. Here are a just a few articles that address the popularity, health benefits, and safety of CBD Oil.
WHAT IS CBD OIL? CBD is an abbreviation for cannabidiol which is extracted from the hemp plant but contains no psychoactive characteristics. IS IT LEGAL? In 2014, the Agricultural Appropriations Act permitted the growth of industrial hemp so long as it contained no more than 0.3% of THC by dry weight. WHAT DOES IT HELP? CBD oil has been shown to help with a variety of symptoms and conditions. PubMed has over 23,000 studies that include CBD. A quick scan of these articles shows it has helped to alleviate
 WHERE DO I GET IT? I purchase my CBD oil from Your CBD Shop. They offer a variety of products including CBD oil drops, pain relief cream, and pet treats. They source their products from a US-approved hemp farm in Kentucky. It's organic, non-GMO, and they use a CO2 extraction process that retains important benefits from the plant.
MORE QUESTIONS? Please don't hesitate to reach out if I can answer more questions for you. I love helping people find natural ways to manage their health and I've been thrilled with the testimonials coming in from people using CBD oil! This stuff is AMAZING!!! WANT TO HELP OTHERS TOO? Let's talk. Not only is this a high-quality CBD oil that's changing lives, they also offer income-producing opportunities for individuals and businesses. Contact me for more info or take a quick tour of the compensation plan.
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. MyDailyChoice, Inc. assumes no responsibility for the improper use of and self-diagnosis and/or treatment using these products. Our products should not be confused with prescription medicine and they should not be used as a substitute for medically supervised therapy. If you suspect you suffer from clinical deficiencies, consult a licensed, qualified medical doctor. You must be at least 18 years old to visit our website and make product purchases. We do not make any health claims about our products at MyDailyChoice. Before taking our products, it’s wise to check with your physician or medical doctor. It is especially important for people who are: pregnant, chronically ill, elderly, under 18, taking prescription or over the counter medicines. None of the information on our website is intended to be an enticement to purchase and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. The use of any of our products for any reason, other than to increase general health & wellness, is neither, implied nor advocated by MyDailyChoice, Inc. Affiliate Links are included in this post.
 St. Thomas Midtown is opening a birthing center. Here's what we know so far.
At first I was really skeptical about a birthing center being attached to a hospital. We saw this last year with a different hospital and it was basically a bait and switch marketing tactic. They announced "birthing center" but they really meant "remodeled hospital rooms." I'm excited about the things I see listed for the St. Thomas Midtown birth center, especially the full sized-beds and labor tubs along with all of the other natural friendly options like ladders, diffusers, and wedges! Over the last 5 years, STM has really made some major changes to their program. They are once again becoming THE hospital to deliver at but not in the "baby factory" way they were known for in the past. They are currently the ONLY hospital in Middle TN to complete the 10 steps required to achieve Baby Friendly status. I'm looking forward to seeing our city continue to make headway in our birth culture and hopefully continue to improve birth outcomes. 
Staci Bishop, CD, HCHD is a certified birth & postpartum doula serving families in and around Nashville, TN. She has been working in this field for 6 years and enjoys helping mamas navigate all of the options to find the best fit for her goals. Contact Staci today at nurturingYOUnaturally@gmail.com.  Nashville Cesarean Rate By Hospital - Data Current as of July 2017 and compared to August 2016.
Please note: The information on this site is derived from hospitals’ voluntary submissions of The Leapfrog Hospital Survey. For more survey results, visit: http://www.leapfroggroup.org/compare-hospitals Click here to see our 2016 Nashville Cesarean Rate Infographic. Click here to see our 2015 Nashville Cesarean Rate Infographic. On a personal note, these numbers are really exciting to me! The main hospitals that my clients deliver at have gotten their Cesarean rates under 30%. A couple of these hospitals have had a reduction in rates 2 years in a row! My hope is that these numbers will continue to fall. I truly believe these lower rates are a direct result of parents advocating for evidence-based care. When patients demand better care, the system has no choice but to improve. Many moms have switched birth locations or even care providers to get the care they deserve. Others have had tough but necessary conversations with their providers or hospital staff to advocate for their needs. This is huge! I'm also thankful for the amazing community of birth professionals we have in Nashville. We work to educate ourselves, our clients, and healthcare providers. It's been fascinating to see how the Nashville Birth Culture has improved over the last decade. Keep up the strong work, everyone!
We are constantly bombarded by articles warning us of the dangers of everyday toxins in our home. As a busy mama, you may not have time to make homemade products or even time to do the research to figure out what to buy instead. I have been in both situations over the years and this article is just for you.
Below you will find 8 quick and easy switches I've made in my own home over the last few years. Here are my criteria when selecting pre-purchased natural products.
Many of these products are also eligible for Subscribe & Save so they can be delivered automatically to your door on whatever schedule you set up. It's one of my new favorite life hacks! Laundry Detergent
Dishwasher Detergent
NOTE: I absolutely love Grab Green products. If you are hesitant to try a full size package, I'd suggest this hand soap and sample pack. This gives you an opportunity to try out several of their products.
Deodorant
Sunscreen
Nail Polish
Toothpaste
Feminine Hygiene
Shampoo
When switching to natural products, I encourage families to take it one product at a time. It has literally taken me years to find products that work for us and switch over. But these products and tried and true and I feel a lot better about the amount of toxins my family is exposed to. Next on my list is to tackle fabric softener and dryer sheets. I'm planning to give these wool dryer balls a shot. What's next on your list? What are your favorite natural products? Comment below.
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 Thanks to the mild winter we had, ticks are BAD this year! Here's a quick, easy, and all natural tick spray that's safe for you and your dogs.
Combine all into a spray bottle and shake well before each use. I purchase my essential oils direct from Plant Therapy. They are quality oils at an affordable price and free shipping in the US. They are also available on Amazon Prime (yes!!!) Last week I pulled waaaaay too many teeny tiny ticks off my dog. We had also found a few here and there on myself and my daughter. It's just part of living on our new farm, I suppose, but since we've been using this spray I haven't found another tick. I spray the dog's feet once in the morning and again in the afternoon. I've also been using it on myself, my husband, and our daughter's shoes before we go outside. It works really well! UPDATE: Now the we live on a farm we are outside constantly and I got tired of remembering to spray ourselves each time we went out. I found an alternative that's been great - RAW AMBER! I bought a bracelet for me, a collar for my dog, and an anklet for my daughter. We still see ticks (that's just the nature of living on a farm) but none of them have bitten us. It's been amazing and super easy. *affiliate links included
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AuthorStaci Bishop, CD, HCHD 
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