Tuesday night, I hosted the “Be Thankful and Biodynamic” event at the Jurlique concept store in Soho. With Thanksgiving just next week, and all of the wonderful new mothers I have been meeting of late, I was inspired to celebrate and connect the brilliance of biodynamics and motherhood.

I created this workshop to establish a dialogue & platform, for mothers to be and women in general, to try on a biomimicry/holistic thinking cap. I chose to hold the event at Jurlique for the company and their products are truly at the top echelon of environmentally sound, holistic and ethical companies. From sustainable packaging, including vegetable based inks and plastic made from corn, the Australian based company sees to it that all of the ingredients used to make their products are grown by the principles of biodynamic farming.

I gave a brief lecture on the benefits of a selected collection of Jurlique’s biodynamic essential oils and how they can enhance or support a mother in her 2nd or 3rd trimester; as well as those oils to refrain from during these times. The delicious Babycakes NYC, provided ridiculously amazing vegan brownies and chocolate chip cookies for the guest and the incredible staff at Jurlique- Soho gave guests biodynamic facials and hand massages. Guest walked away with wonderful Jurlique products for mother and baby as well as useful information on essential oils, mayan abdominal massage & resources for sustaining a baby/child’s creativity and expression.

Pregnancy is not only a transformation of a woman’s body, but her emotional state-of-mind as well. Doctors and scientists have confirmed that a mother’s emotional state significantly influences the health of her child. A baby’s birth weight and stress level can be influenced by an overly stressed or anxious mother. The hormonal changes that the female body undergoes during pregnancy can lead to many discomforts — from morning sickness, body aches, swelling to stretch marks.

The majority of all over the counter medicines and traditional remedies are off-limits to expecting moms. Though, during childbirth, a new category of sensations, ache and pain arises and in this case a variety of medicines are commonly administered. I ask myself, why? Women deserve the right to have access to the knowledge and options of natural alternatives to alleviate their discomforts, aches and pains throughout pregnancy and childbirth. The history of aromatherapy dates back to about 4500 BC and it is my opinion that a resurgence of attention to the practice of aromatherapy(essential oils) and botany, would do our healthcare system good (the ingredients would have to be grown sustainably of course).

Visit these links to learn more about essential oils and how they may be incorporated into your holistic pregnancy and lifestyle. Please do consult with your doctor before adopting any routine into your overall pregnancy and make the right choice for you:

Overview of Essential oils for pregnancy & childbirth
Some beneficial oils for pregnancy
Oils to abstain from during pregnancy
Perineum Massage
Lavender oils’ potential estrogenic effects on pre-adolescent infants & boys (DO KNOW WHERE YOUR LAVENDER IS COMING FROM AND WHAT OTHER INGRIDENTS ACCOMPANY THE PRODUCT THAT YOU ARE USING? )
Blend Recipes
More Blends
Aromatheraphy Practioner Certification

I am still in a euphoric state. As the incredible reality starts to settle in, I am realizing the proper space now exists for a chance for change. In the realm of women’s rights and healthcare, I am anxious to see the next steps that both Barack Obama, Joe Biden, along with amazing Michelle Obama & Jill Biden take. It has been evident that this new administration will not let these issues fall thought the cracks on there watch.

Now that we finally have someone’s attention, I think that it is important to wave the flag. As much as the topic of healthcare is on the minds and tongues of many, it is not often discuss openly the excessive fiscal waste and inefficiencies evident in our systems.

I am going to start talking about it as much as I can. I truly believe the lack of supported advocacy for women’s health is a direct correlation to the state of our health care system. There are approximately 6 million pregnancies every year throughout the United States, more than 19 million women are uninsured in this country and up until this point, sex education ( & quite frankly anatomy) in this country has not been given the attention it disserves. We need to pursue a sustainable healthcare system which connects the dots and get women to speak up.

99% of births occur in hospitals. The average cost for a normal delivery held at a hospital is $6,378 and $10,638 +for a cesarean. Many hospitals are reporting caesarean rates of more than 40%. The estimated cost of a delivery and prenatal care at a birthing center is about $3,000 – $4,000. Insurance coverage for the choice to have one’s birth at a birthing center is not yet as easy to obtain as a hospital birth unfortunately.

Of course the healthcare industries as yet are not going to fully disclose where that extra $3,000 to $7,000 + cost comes from. Could it be from the HIGHLY common use of pitocin, epidural and other analgesics, the high cost surgery fees emergency and elective c-sections. I ask you to investigate for your self if these all to common procedure are sustainable. Truly looking at the lifecycle of our health care system can reveal mind boggling revelations about the long term effects on our bodies and our children’s’ , both mentally and physically & our wallets. Transparency needs to be revealed as to why these statistics are what they are and truths need to be shared.