Linnéa Lovinsky, Author at Meridian Mama

Heal Baby Reflux Naturally

Linnéa Lovinsky — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 15:59:11 +0000

Does your baby burp up milk after every feed? Do you feel worried that he or she isn’t even getting enough milk, or frustrated that all that liquid gold seems to just be coming back up?

I hear you. Even a little spill of breastmilk always made me sad. It feels especially valuable when you’re the one making it, right?

So, let’s help your baby feel better and get more of that precious milk where it’s supposed to be.

Baby’s don’t squirm, burp, spit up and have gas just because… these things happen because they’re stressed, uncomfortable or reacting to something you’re eating.

With my first baby I needed to give up all dairy while nursing to prevent “witching hour” madness as my midwife called it. This is the time of day when babies are most likely to be fussy and hard to console. It’s usually in the evening hours and it’s often accompanied by some gas and tummy upset as their digestive system is adapting to drinking milk. She would get so uncomfortable and gassy if I had dairy products. A little trial and error with your eating habits goes a long way.

Giving up cheese was hard (especially at first). Once you establish new eating habits it gets easier and easier.

It’s worth cutting foods out that are wreaking havoc because everyone will sleep better and be happier– despite the sacrifice. I know!

Besides addressing potential food sensitivities, there are acupressure points that are very effective in treating all kinds of digestive distress. I have had constipated babies poop within minutes of using some acupressure, same with hiccups and reflux.

In the clinic we use a special tool called a Teishin “tay-shin” to treat babies and young children. A Teishin is an acupressure tool that has a small rounded tip. It allows us to gently stimulate the points with all the specificity we need (since we don’t have baby size fingers). Your own finger is just the right size to do acupressure on yourself, but it’s not ideal for your baby’s little body. You will get more specificity and better results using this tool to treat your baby.

If you’re interested in ordering a Teishin, keep an eye out for my shop that will have all my favorite products.

If you are interested in learning how to treat your baby’s Reflux, Constipation, or Gas, Sign up for my newsletter and receive my guide with photos and descriptions for your reference.

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New Baby and Your Toddler’s Making You Crazy?

Linnéa Lovinsky — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 01:15:59 +0000

After having our second baby, our daughter’s behavior went off the rails. We got into a sad cycle, sad for me and for her. I hated the nagging and feeling like I was being hard on her, and it was SO challenging. She was downright mean to me, kicking and screaming, pushing me away even when I offered hugs

I never imagined having a problem like this.

I honestly was at the end of my rope. I thought – wow – I never imagined having a problem like this. Three years with her and such a secure relationship, all the work and time and love and tears I had invested so far. I knew adding a sibling would be an adjustment, but I had NO IDEA that it could bring out the worst behavior we had seen so far in our firstborn child.

My Turning Point – and hers, too

One day I felt like crying. I love my girl so much and I hated seeing her unhappy and acting out. I knew there must be something I was missing and I was determined as her mother to figure out what it was.

My Ah-ha moment came in 2 parts. I thought about babies and how much love and touch they receive from the adults who care for them. There is so much softness and affection. Babies light us up! As I watched her watching us I saw how much she wanted the same kind of affection. She didn’t want to be “big sister” all the time, she wanted to be a baby, too.

My firstborn always needed - and still needs - lots of touch.

Then I thought about love languages and I realized (of course!) toddlers have a preferred love language, too! If you aren’t familiar with this concept, the 5 “love languages” are: quality time, touch, gift-giving, acts of service, and words of affirmation. My firstborn always needed – and still needs – lots of touch. And here I was working hard to keep the new baby nourished and content, while carving out time to do activities with my 3 year old when really what she needed was loving touch and hands-on play. She needed more reassurance than ever that there was more than enough love to go around, and even though I told her that, she couldn’t FEEL it.

As soon as I started giving her what she really needed from me everything shifted.

I’m not saying everyday is now suddenly easy, but I feel so much relief now that I have a remedy.

An Important Love Language for all Children

The more I have observed children, the more I have noticed how touch is a primary love language for all littles. Before they can talk, babies rely on loving touch to soothe their nervous system, relax and grow. I can say for sure that every child needs to receive enough loving touch to thrive. When I am meeting my toddlers touch-quota her behaviors are so much more lovable. We create a generative cycle of love creating more love.

Here are my Four favorite activities that connect me with my toddler using touch as the primary love language:

1. Sitting in my lap for stories or at dinner time (this really helps keep bad manners at bay).

2. Running and hugging games, where the receiving and hugging is the primary focus..

3. Dancing together to a favorite song and periodically holding your toddler. Don’t forget to make this fun for both of you.

4.Toss a cozy blanket over your toddler and then “find” them over and over. You can give them kisses or something to acknowledge them when you lift the blanket and see them. For example, “Oh a leg, I love this leg… a cheek, I love this cheek” and on and on.

Stress-Relieving Touch for Your Toddler Equals a Better Night’s Sleep

On days when there is enough touch, play and outdoor time, it doesn’t matter so much how the bedtime sequence goes, sleep comes quickly and easily. But, when these ingredients are not part of your day, I have a different recipe.

When my daughter was a baby I often did acupressure for her to help her fall asleep, and as soon as she could talk she started requesting it. It’s perfect because it helps her mind relax and provides the touch she needs to feel safe and loved.

Since the new baby arrived, I’ve added it back to our routine. It helps with overnight sleep (length and quality) and I swear our mornings go better. I notice a difference if I forget!

I use a short sequence of points with her at bedtime. These points send the message to the nervous system “ I am safe, I am loved.” The pressure is only firm for the soles of the feet, otherwise it’s just enough to gently stimulate the skin’s surface.

These points calm the mind and settle the heart. They also soothe the Kidney system, which is responsible for our fear response in Chinese medicine. The overall effect is grounding and makes way for a deeper night’s sleep.

If your bedtime routine needs an upgrade, or you need a solution to help your toddler calm down for sleep on a stressful day, I highly recommend you try these points.

The adjustment to having a sweet new baby in your home doesn’t have to make you or your toddler so crazy!

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Trying to Conceive? Become a Fertile Vessel

Linnéa Lovinsky — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 23:36:09 +0000

The good news is there is more you can do (or undo) than is traditionally talked about by fertility specialists.

The frustration and pain, the ‘what is wrong with me’ feelings. The most commonly neglected aspect of fertility is emotions. Yes, emotions. If even just thinking about your emotional life makes you uncomfortable, don’t worry, you got this. I’m here to help!

The Wisdom of Chinese Medicine

In Chinese medicine we can’t have physical health without emotional health. Each of our organs has a story to tell; each carries its own emotion and intelligence. The heart is the organ that feels all the emotions and most especially joy. If our spleen, lung, kidneys and liver are bogged down in the emotions of worry, sadness, fear, or anger they will not function optimally and they will inform the heart.

What does my heart have to do with my fertility, you ask?

Well, in Chinese Medicine a very important vessel (like a meridian but deeper) stores emotional energy and channels it between the heart and womb. Emotional stress, or old wounds that need processing change the environment of our body and directly influence our fertility. The womb has a direct line of communication with the heart, and the heart is the mediator of our entire emotional life.

Think about it… Have you ever been traveling and skipped your period, or had a tragedy and bled too much? Our bodies are super intelligent. It is not a good time to be fertile when emotional stress outweighs our feel-good hormones.

The source of stress that’s most often belittled is our emotions. It’s stressful for our bodies to carry old emotions, and most of us have them. We store them for when we “have the time” to deal with them. We push them down and keep going because they are too big or seem too unfriendly.

It is not a good time to be fertile when emotional stress outweighs our feel-good hormones.

Your emotions matter more than you think (or may know) . . .They send messages to your body that are keeping you in a state of stress. Often it is just enough stress to tip the scale toward infertility.

Having a baby is one of the most heart-opening experiences, so what better time to dive in and do some emotional unwinding. It’ll free up energy you didn’t even realize you had.

Ready to get started?

Here are 8 Ways to Clear the Emotions Keeping You from Conceiving

Note: You can start anywhere and pick the exercises that resonate most with you. Bear in mind though that we often resist doing the exercise that will help us the most. It’s easy to get used to feeling a certain way and want to protect ourselves from change. With that in mind, commit to doing 4 of these 8.

1. Download my Emotional Unwinding video and have a journal handy. Listen as many times as you like and write in your journal each time afterward to process.

2. Explore areas of your body where you typically carry tension or areas that you skip over. These are usually areas where we have emotional content stored. For example, if every time you do a body awareness exercise your pelvis feels murky, take some time to put your hands over your sacrum, lower belly and sit-bones. Can you illuminate or feel into these areas? If it feels impossible to you, think of this as an exercise in imagination.

3. Use your imagination to create a picture of what your body is feeling in the area you are attending to. Then, choose the medicine you feel is proper to clear out what you want to release. You could imagine a windstorm, thunder and lightning, a waterfall, any number of things. Then, envision your inner landscape. Ask, how can I help you flourish? Always infuse areas that you clear out or untangle with the energy you want to bring in.

4. Get acupuncture to help release places where emotional energy might still be physically stuck. It’s very helpful to have additional healing hands and kind attention along the way.

5. Take a vacation or book a retreat, and make sure to spend some time solo in nature while away.

6. Ask to dream about what you need to do next for your healing process. If you don’t have a dream or get a feeling about what you need to do then consider these options:

If your feelings are directed at a person, consider writing a letter where you hold absolutely nothing back. You could write and rewrite it as many times as you need without sending. Then, ask yourself whether sending it would do any good. Could it help facilitate your healing or help you feel resolve?
Create a ritual where you release something. This could be cutting your hair, breaking something, giving something away or cleansing something in water by letting it sit submerged for a day, or some meaningful period of time.

7. Consider how supported or unsupported you feel. What things do you have control over that would help you get the support you need? If asking for help is hard for you it is good practice. Being a mom definitely requires a support network!

8. Find a way to bring in the energy of new life. Perhaps a new plant you water and every time you water it you send out the nurturing energy you hope to be sending to your future baby and your future mom-self. For some people a new pet really helps because it truly does reduce emotional stress (and release oxytocin!) when we bond with our furry friends.

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Feel at-home in Birth, Wherever You May Be

Linnéa Lovinsky — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 22:37:20 +0000

I’ll help you process all those thoughts buzzing around in your brain and come out the other side feeling ready to meet your baby– your way.

I remember trying to make sense of what I wanted and how to go about it. There is so much to consider and not a lot of help to process what your plan is for the birth YOU hope to have. In my experience, dreaming up my ideal birth and “hoping for the best” wasn’t enough. Neither was saying “so long as we’re both healthy and survive.”

To have the birth I truly wanted I needed to get educated, dig down deep and work with my fears. Becoming a mother is one of the most meaningful rights of passage, and I believe it really makes a difference how it starts. Birth is a transformation that will leave you feeling empowered as a mother if you take the time to create what you want and prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for scenarios you hope to avoid.

Write Your Way to a Meaningful Birth

The first thing I recommend doing is writing. Here are some questions to get you started:

What is your #1 hope for how your birth will go?
Get specific about how you will feel, who is with you and how those people will support you.
What are you most afraid of when you imagine your birth process?
How do you respond to stress? How does your stress response change when you are exhausted or have reached your limit?
When new people are in your house how does your body respond? How do you respond to travel?
What type of support do you think you’ll need to emphasize? (Think spiritually, physically, mentally or emotionally)

Once you have taken the time to write, set aside time to process what you wrote by talking to someone (ideally your spouse or birth-support person) about what came up for you and any areas of concern. Your support person might get some good ideas about how they can help you most. This is an important part of helping them to help you. Surely they do not want to feel incompetent!

In my experience, how birth goes sets the tone for motherhood.

Start How You Hope to Continue

In my experience, how birth goes sets the tone for motherhood. If we enter this new role feeling empowered, we’ll feel more connected to our body and baby, and more trusting of our instincts. I knew that for me to be fully embodied in the process of birth I would need to minimize interruptions.

If this sounds like you, and you’re hoping for the least intervention possible, read on. I decided that I needed to create the feeling of being at-home even though I was going to give birth at a hospital. I needed to feel as comfortable as possible and turn my attention inward. If you would like to know how I successfully achieved the feeling of being at-home during my hospital birth download my “At-Home in Birth” guide now.

How to have a Hospital Birth and not feel like you’re at a hospital

Make a birth plan knowing that birth doesn’t usually go according to plan. I really liked using the template from Mama Natural, it was easy to edit and gave simple visual symbols for each of my wishes, making it easy to keep everyone on the same page. Know what kind of support you do and do not want to receive. Having a clear NO is necessary to create space for what you DO want!

Imagine your birth process unfolding: how do you want to feel? In my case I found the birth hypnosis recording from Curiously Present extremely helpful. I felt mentally prepared and more trusting of my body’s intelligence than ever. Birth can be a super empowering experience if we choose to follow our own guidance.

Choose a hospital most aligned with your values. Do a little research and take a visit. See what kind of props they have available for laboring, birth balls are very helpful and it’s one less thing to pack. Also knowing that there are birth balls on hand is a good sign that someone will be willing and able to help you use it to move labor along.

Releasing my need to know and going with the flow helped tremendously, and I ended up with someone that felt like the absolute best midwife for me!

Face your fears.
- I found myself feeling very insecure about the hospital because I couldn’t visualize myself in the space. Who would be on call that day? What would the room be like? In order to address this I looked carefully at all the staff members and read about them. I tried to meet as many of them as possible. I got to know their faces and smiles, and then I decided that whoever was going to show up for me when the time came would be the right person for me and my baby. Releasing my need to know and going with the flow helped tremendously, and I ended up with someone that felt like the absolute best midwife for me!
- I made time to visit the birth center at the hospital twice. The first time I got a feel for it, the second time I went on the table and learned about all the ways it could move and fold to support different laboring and birthing positions. I tried out some of the birth positions that I had learned about from my doula and the birth circuit she gave me.
- I asked about dimming the lights and playing my own music because I knew both of those things would allow me to create the environment I needed to feel safe. I made a birthing playlist and learned how to control the lights.

Decide if having a birth doula with you during the birth feels like one more person to manage. You can choose to have a doula to help you prepare for the birth, and have them on call, but not present when you’re having your baby. Do you want to feel like you are in your own bubble and spend as much of the labor on your own with as little communication or disturbance as possible? Or do you want someone right by your side? Most people want a little of both… Decide on the right balance for you. For example, if you’re the type of person that finally relaxes when everyone leaves your house or leaves you alone you might be better off having only one go-to support person who you know and trust completely (like your husband, partner, a parent, sibling or best friend).

Interview your pediatrician with any questions you have about how they can help and what their procedures are like. Do you feel content with the answers they give? It can be very stressful post-birth to end up in a situation with a pediatrician you don’t trust or who is pushing you to follow a plan you aren’t comfortable with. When you are tired after having a baby it is easy to default to a pediatrician’s authority, so make sure you have chosen someone that satisfies your need to understand what is going to be best for you and your family. Some hospitals won’t let you leave until that first check-up is scheduled.

Barring a true emergency, people can wait. If you get into a situation where you feel pressured to make a decision you can always ask what risks you are facing if you delay or decline. Often in medical settings decisions are made out to be urgent even when they might not be. Do your homework and decide what risks you’re comfortable with. Some of the standard medical procedures surrounding birth are made out to seem risk free and helpful when in reality any intervention comes with risk.

It is possible for birth to feel as seamless and natural as other life processes. Birth does not have to be a medical event or procedure. We can be grateful that life-saving medical interventions exist, and also choose to birth as free from them as possible.

The post Feel at-home in Birth, Wherever You May Be appeared first on Meridian Mama.

Your Golden Month: Your Best Health Yet Postpartum

Linnéa Lovinsky — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 22:35:21 +0000

Did you know that in Chinese medicine we can actually improve our health postpartum? Birth might deplete us, but we can choose to become even healthier than we were before baby.

Our body is primed to heal after birth, it wants to be stronger and healthier than ever before! Being a mom is a demanding and extremely important job, so let’s not take this lightly. It’s the “hardest job I ever loved” as they say.

So what’s this time period after birth exactly? Well, it’s called the “Golden month” in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and it’s a time ripe with opportunity.

The golden month is a period of time that lasts approximately 40 days

How we nurture and heal ourselves in this time period influences the rest of our lives. If we nourish ourselves properly and take precautions not to deplete fluids and overburden the kidneys, we gain short and long term benefits.

Short-term we are less likely to suffer from mood swings, anxiety, hair loss and low milk supply.

Long-term we can enter into menopause with ease; without suffering from symptoms like hot flashes or uncontrolled bleeding. Sound good?

Seven Ways to Supercharge Your Healing in the Golden Month

The golden month is a period of time that lasts approximately 40 days, but can be longer if you have health complications. During these 40 days you must give yourself the rest and other ingredients necessary to heal. Here are 7 specific ways to heal yourself postpartum so you can be stronger and healthier than before.

Keep it warm: In the golden month it’s necessary to go easy on the digestive system. In Chinese medicine we do this by eating warm, cooked foods. This is a way to add heat to our digestive process, which allows our body to give more energy to the important healing that is taking place. Choose warming spices that aid in digestion like ginger, turmeric and cinnamon. Keep in mind that warming is different than spicy, though.

Make fancy drinks: Find some electrolyte powder you like, or make your own blend! A basic way to make some at home is to add a pinch of high quality salt, a big squeeze of lemon and a drop of stevia or teaspoon of maple syrup. You can also make switchel (with apple cider vinegar) on a hot summer day. It is recommended not to add ice, and drink your beverages hot, warm, or room-temp.

Stay balanced: The best postpartum herbal formulas are well balanced and typically have at least 4 herbs, and sometimes more than 10. All of them nourish and move the blood to promote proper circulation and optimal healing. Many common ailments postpartum have to do with the drastic depletion of blood and fluids involved in childbirth. Stiffness, headaches, trouble sleeping, and anxiety are all related to blood deficiency. Here (insert clickable link to recipe page) are a few blood-building recipes to consider, and I also recommend having a virtual consultation so I can send you the best formula for you!

Turn up the heat: The process of birth takes the body from one extreme to another. We go from being very warm, with lots of extra blood and nourishing fluids, to relatively cold and dry. In order to prevent blood stagnation from cold and deficiency we need to add heat, especially to the womb. This accelerates healing, boosts fertility and prevents menstrual complaints once your period resumes. In the event that you had a c-section, this is even more important. Your uterus was exposed to the cold open air. Take hot baths, drink hot beverages, and put a hot pack on your lower abdomen. You can also ask your acupuncturist for a “mother warming treatment”.

Focus on building a new body now, one that is going to serve you even better in your new life as a mother.

Stress-monster management: Acupuncture is the perfect way to de-stress and recharge. It helps with the release of feel good hormones, can boost milk supply, reduces inflammation and improves circulation for optimal healing and a sense of wellbeing. In the very early newborn phase you can ask to bring your baby with you and they can have a nap on your chest or breastfeed while you are cared for.

Sleep to shine: If you already struggle with sleep, now is a great time to prioritize improving the quality of your sleep, because you will be getting less of it for a while. I recommend taking magnesium glycinate before bed and having a bedtime ritual that helps you unwind. A 5 minute yin-yoga style stretch or massaging my face and ears while I cleanse my skin are my personal go-tos. If I am really amped up or stressed I might soak my feet in hot water and take a small amount of melatonin 30 minutes before bed. Remember to keep the lights low and only use melatonin on occasion.

Slow and steady wins Rushing the process of postpartum recovery always backfires. Our bodies hate being rushed. Rushing produces stress hormones that counteract the hormonal intricacies of recovery. Remember how incredible everything that just happened is. Hold your baby and fully realize the miracle your body just made possible. Give yourself grace in the sense of resting when you need rest and eating well when you’re hungry. Don’t push to get your “body back.” Focus on building a new body now, one that is going to serve you even better in your new life as a mother.

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Heal Mastitis Naturally

Linnéa Lovinsky — Sun, 07 Jul 2024 13:38:43 +0000

I’ve had mastitis several times since becoming a mom. A few of those times with fever and chills, the whole shebang. I would not wish it on any new mother.

Usually mastitis happens when we are trying to do too much or are pushing too hard. Maybe a few nights of not sleeping well plus a teething baby, or the first day back at work with pressure to get back to things as usual. Stress is usually the trigger and it’s often paired with irritability.

I have not once needed to take antibiotics for mastitis, and I hope the same for you!

What are the First Signs of Mastitis?

Early signs of mastitis are not always easy to notice. Your breast might have a tender pink spot and your back, neck or hips might feel achy. Maybe you just feel super exhausted and you can’t quite get comfortable lying on your side because of breast sensitivity. If any of these things are happening to you, it’s best to act right away so that you don’t get full-blown mastitis with fever and chills.

If fever and chills do happen, don’t fret! There’s still a chance to heal naturally. You just need to have the right herbs and know what to do. I have not once needed to take antibiotics for mastitis, and I hope the same for you!

Don’t get me wrong, antibiotics definitely have their place, but if you don’t have to use them, you won’t have to deal with the toll they take on your gut and immune system. Antibiotics also increase the chances that you will end up with a recurring infection.

Make sure you are staying well hydrated, wearing comfortable loose clothing, and take some Vitamin C for good measure.

Four things you can do if you feel a breast infection coming on:

Take an Epsom salt bath and soak for at least 30 minutes without interruption “doctor’s orders” hehe (but really).

Breathe deeply with long exhales to stimulate the parasympathetic response, which will alleviate stress.

Very softly massage and press into upper pectoral muscles and the center of your chest, then down and around your ribcage. The idea here is not to be vigorous or force anything. We just want to promote the free flow of energy in the chest. Usually this is enough and we don’t even need to massage the tender breast tissue directly.

Order Wu Wei Xiao Du Yin from my online store to have on hand. This formula is a very effective alternative to antibiotics when taken consistently until the symptoms pass.

If you suffer from engorgement and an oversupply of milk, it can contribute to the development and recurrence of mastitis. Peppermint tea is very helpful in this circumstance as it will gently reduce milk supply. Peppermint leaves can also be applied topically for their cooling effect. Make sure you are staying well hydrated, wearing comfortable loose clothing, and take some Vitamin C for good measure.

This should save you a trip to the doctor for an antibiotic prescription, but don’t be foolish. If you get a fever that persists you should absolutely go right in to see your doctor.

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