Marianne's Musings

Our sweet Margaret Eve was born on November 30th at 4:02 AM weighing 7 lbs 12 ozs. We are all in love with her, and so far Lucy loves being a big sister. My due date came and went, and I wasn't too surprised or troubled. Lucy was born at 40 weeks and 5 days, so perhaps this baby would come around that time too, I thought. Besides, due dates just mess with your head! They have a two week margin of error and I wasn't going to let myself worry yet. And yet, I felt impatient! I wanted this baby to come. I also slightly feared needing to be induced. Induction has risks, including an unwanted C-section if your body doesn't respond and your water has been broken for over 24 hours. I also was hoping to have an unmedicated birth. However, I knew that I would be willing to undergo any medical procedure if it was for me or my baby's safety. To understand my perspective, it should be known that I read the books, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and The Gift of Giving Li...

Since being diagnosed, I have learned more about Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome and I am becoming increasingly interested in this health issue. I want to share some resources that have helped me and some supplements I have discovered in case it helps anyone else with this condition. PCOS affects an estimated 116 million women worldwide and the numbers are going up. Unfortunately there is no "cure." The only thing that most medical doctors can/will do is (1) prescribe birth control or metformin to manage symptoms or (2) recommend dietary adjustments. The first resource that has been a big game-changer for me is the book, "8 Steps to Reverse Your PCOS" by Dr. Fiona McCulloch. I recommend it highly! She outlines 8 areas of health that are affected by/or have affect on the PCOS experience. Inflammation Insulin Resistance Adrenal Imbalance Excess Androgens Hormonal Imbalance Thyroid Imbalance Unhealthy Environment Imbalanced Diet As a result of her boo...