The cascade of intervention

I’m angry, I’m sad, I am frustrated as hell! I want to scream from the rooftops in complete and utter disgust for the misinformation women receive from Doctors regarding ignoring the spontaneous actions that occur in the natural process of childbirth. “Let’s induce you and get things going,” “You’ll be holding your baby within an hour if you let me…” Here it comes. Yes, here comes my stance on inductions for non-medical reasons. Here come the facts. The things your Doctor doesn’t tell you!

A due date is an estimated due date and can be off by as much as 2 weeks (in either direction – early or late). Women need to be prepared for what may happen during an induction. First of all, breaking your water will not speed anything along unless you are already in a good pattern of labor. So more than likely the Doc will break your water then want to give you drugs to force your body to have contractions (these drugs WILL NOT dilate your cervix). The drugs they use to induce labor only cause contractions, they do not dilate the cervix (which is what has to happen in order for the baby to come out). There is a risk of your baby going into distress from strong, chemically induced contractions without dilating. Babies will only be able to withstand chemically induced contractions for so long before it stresses their little system. You are putting your birth on a time table by agreeing to an induction. Once your water is broken you have roughly 12 hours (I believe it is 12 hours at most hospitals but it may be 24) to have your baby. If you haven’t had your baby within 12-24hrs hours they call it “failure to progress” and will perform a major abdominal surgery to remove them and call it an “emergency” even though they caused it by artificially breaking your water and trying to force your body into something it wasn’t ready to do.

Most Docs tell you they will induce you because it is easier for them - NOT for you. And that’s what’s up ladies. Birth is easier for them when they are in control.

So now in “labor” with artificial contractions you will more than likely receive pain management drugs because chemically induced contractions are much stronger and harder than the contractions the body naturally produces. The method used for relief will most likely be a catheter placed in your spinal cord, also known as the epidural.

I just want to say here that I am all about an informed decision. Every woman has the right to decide for herself how she chooses to birth her baby. But I have heard WAY too many stories from mothers saying their doctor never discussed these risks with them so I am putting it out there for all the world to see.

There are risks involved with the placement of a catheter into your spine (epidural). Yes it is common, yes it happens everyday but it is not without serious risks to you and your child!! Here are some things the doctors may not discuss with you before offering up this drug to you as if it were a simple Aspirin or Tylenol.

The epidural can cause permanent numbness in your back and other parts of your body. It, like the induction drugs can also cause fetal heart rate decelerations (fetal distress). This can occur following the use of epidurals because the mothers blood pressure gets so low that blood cannot be adequately pumped into the uterus to deliver oxygen to the baby. Also, trauma to blood vessels can occur as a result of epidural anesthesia. Bleeding in the spinal column and unintentional placement of the catheter into an artery or vein occurs in 67 women out of every 1000 epidurals. The catheter actually escapes outside of where it is supposed to go 1 to 6% of the time. Hemorrhages can occur around the spinal cord and even within the skull following epidural anesthesia. These are associated with persistent backaches or headaches. Failure to treat these problems usually results in permanent paralysis. Surgery must be performed within 8 hours of the onset of paralysis or the prognosis is poor. Chronic subdural hematoma has resulted from epidural anesthesia and has even presented as post-partum psychosis!!

Infections can develop at the site of injection of the epidural. Bacterial meningitis can occur from contamination during placement of the epidural. An abscess can also form at the site where the epidural catheter is placed. Backache after an epidural is a common complication. Back pain commonly occurs after epidural anesthesia (18.9% of the time). Upper back pain can happen at some distance from the site where the epidural is injected. The back pain can last very long-term. Nineteen percent of women have long-term backache after epidural anesthesia. It probably results from a combination of its effects on the nerves and from extreme postures and stretching that occurs after the epidural during labor. Low back pain after epidural anesthesia for childbirth is also frequently mentioned by moms I know that have undergone this procedure.

Also a hidden danger of epidural anesthesia is its interaction with medications commonly used to soften the cervix and “start labor” (prostaglandins). The use of prostaglandins is common at hospitals and creates a potentially dangerous situation in which the usual medications used to treat low blood pressure during labor will no longer work.

20-30% of women experience nausea after epidural anesthesia, while 3 to 7% have vomiting during labor and afterward and lemme tell you – puking in labor is NOT COOL!

Mothers can experience excessively slow heart rates (bradycardia), heart block in which the electrical activity of the chambers of the heart become dissociated and sometimes even stoppage of the heart (cardiac arrest)!

One last thing on the epidural and I’ll stop though there is sadly much more to be said.

Local anesthetics rapidly cross the placenta…you aren’t just drugging yourself, you are drugging your baby as well. There is scientific evidence that ‘caine drugs (yes epidurals are in the same family as cocaine), the family of anesthetics used in epidurals, do, in fact, profoundly disturb instinctive newborn breastfeeding behavior. ‘Caine anesthetics, whether given as a pudendal block, epidural block, or local injection for an episiotomy, enter the mother’s circulation and cross the placenta.

Surprisingly, Docs do not discuss the relationship between the birth itself and the early days of breastfeeding. We are just beginning to understand and appreciate how a woman’s body prepares for breastfeeding during pregnancy, how what happens during labor and birth sets the stage for breastfeeding, and how the first minutes and hours after birth affect breastfeeding. The way the birth proceeds powerfully influences the first hours and days of breastfeeding.

Normal, natural birth sets the stage for problem-free breastfeeding—what nature intended—while a complicated, intervention-intensive labor and birth set the stage for problems.

In addition, the babies of medicated mothers cry substantially more, which is often attributed to frustration. They also run significantly higher temperatures, which could be due to crying and this is disadvantageous in that it means a greater expenditure of calories. Calories are VERY important to a newborn baby.

The typical “problems” that plague early breastfeeding – difficult latch, sore nipples, sleepy baby, and engorgement are rare when the mother has had a normal birth and has not been separated from her baby. Epidural = sleepy baby that is difficult, if not impossible, to nurse or even to rouse awake to nurse. Once your baby can’t nurse the whole natural process is thrown off and again is a downward spiral. Baby can’t nurse, so the breast isn’t being stimulated, so you don’t make the milk the baby needs, so the baby is supplemented with formula which means you make even less milk because again the baby isn’t feeding from you (it’s a supply and demand type thing with regards to producing milk).

Who would sign a consent if it included the above language? The degree to which the facts about the risks of inductions and epidural anesthesia are hidden from women in labor is astonishing.

What About Dairy?

I am so over the dairy campaigns about milk and weight loss, bone health and calcium. Dairy is not a necessity in our diet people! I found this site and really wanted to share some interesting facts on how not only is dairy not necessary but how it is harming Americans everyday.

“There is no human requirement for milk from a cow,” says Suzanne Havala, RD, author of the American Dietetic Association’s “Position Paper on Vegetarian Diets” and several books on nutrition. “The use of milk and its products in our country is strictly a cultural tradition,” she notes. “There are millions of people around the world who never consume cow’s milk and are none the worse for it.”

What About Dairy?

While the question of whether dairy foods contribute to or detract from the well- being of our skeletons often occupies center stage, there are additional serious health concerns that might make you wary of dairy.

Allergies: Milk is the most common cause of food allergy. A recent study found that one way to reduce the number of allergies in infants is for the breastfeeding mother to avoid consuming, or make very limited use of cow’s milk.

Women’s health concerns: Studies indicate that osteoporosis, which afflicts 20 million American women, and ovarian cancer are most common in those countries with the highest consumption of dairy food and lowest in those countries with low dairy intake. According to gynecologist Christiane Northrup, MD, author of Women’s Bodies Women’s Wisdom, other health problems associated with the consumption of dairy foods include benign breast conditions, recurrent vaginitis, acne, menstrual cramps, fibroids, chronic intestinal upset and increased pain from endometriosis.

Anemia: Overreliance on milk in children can lead to anemia, as milk is very low in iron, and drinking large quantities of it can crowd iron-rich foods from the diet. In young infants, protein from cow’s milk can cause intestinal bleeding, another possible cause of anemia.

Colic: Sensitivity to cow’s milk can cause colic, a digestive ailment in infants. Colic can cause problems even in infants who aren’t drinking cow’s milk but whose mothers are.

Food safety concerns: Washington Post columnist Colman McCarthy chides that milk is tainted with so many that it should be sold by prescription only. Dairy farmers regularly administer drugs and growth hormones to cows to boost milk production. Investigations have routinely found residues of these veterinary pharmaceuticals in milk and other milk products, some of which may raise cancer risks. One compound approved for use in 1993 and now widely employed by commercial dairies is the controversial genetically engineered Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH). Many feel that this compound– which increases milk production in an era of serious milk surplus– poses grave potential health risks for consumers (including elevated antibiotic residue levels in milk) while favoring large-scale factory farms at the expense of small dairy producers. Unfortunately, producers who shun BGH are forbidden from labeling their products as such. Only organic dairy foods are certified to be free of antibiotic and BGH residues.

Heart disease: Dairy products are major contributors of fat, saturated fat and cholesterol to the diet. According to cardiologist Dean Ornish, MD, “Milk rates second only to beef as the largest source of saturated fat in the American diet.” Consider, for example, that one glass of 2% milk has as much saturated fat as three strips of bacon. Almost half the calories in whole milk come from fat.

Insulin-dependent diabetes: Recent research indicates that consuming cow’s milk throughout adolescence increases the risk of developing Type I diabetes. About 1 million Americans have this disease. (13)

Lactose intolerance: Many people cannot stomach lactose, the sugar in milk, because they lack the necessary digestive enzyme. Some people are also sensitive to milk protein. An estimated 50 million Americans experience intestinal discomfort after consuming dairy products. Symptoms include bloating, stomach pain, cramps, gas or diarrhea.

Such findings prompted breast surgeon Robert Kradjian, MD, in 1993 to review more than 500 medical articles written about milk since 1988. “How would I summarize the articles?,” Kradian asks. “First of all, none of the authors spoke of cow’s milk as an excellent food, free of side effects. The main focus of the published reports seem to be on intestinal colic, intestinal irritation, intestinal bleeding, and anemia, allergic reactions in infants and children as well as infections such as salmonella… In adults the problems seemed centered more around heart disease and arthritis, allergy, sinusitis, and the more serious questions of leukemia, lymphoma and cancer.”

More links to info on what’s really in that cow’s milk, what’s really going on with those cows and what it’s really doing to your body:
Dark Dairy Doings
Milk Sucks
Dairy Monsters

What you should know about treating ear infections

Here is some info I recently put together about why you should avoid antibiotics for ear infections and some ideas for how to treat them naturally.

Ear Infections – Alternative Solutions

In Childhood Ear Infections, Dr. Michael A. Schmidt presents over 16 scientific studies that show that many cases of chronic ear infections are due to food or airborne allergies or hypersensitivity reactions. Allergies can cause significant pressure changes within the middle ear, as well as obstruction of the eustachian tube. The most common allergens implicated in ear infection are cow’s milk and dairy products, wheat, eggs, chocolate, citrus, corn, soy, peanuts or other nuts, shellfish, sugar, and yeast. Dairy is the number one contributor to childhood ear problems. Proper allergy management, such as elimination and rotation diets, can produce dramatic recovery in allergic children with chronic ear infections.

We have been treating ear infections naturally (without antibiotics) for the past year successfully. I just wanted to share what we’ve done for them.

Wally’s Ear Oil has been a life saver. It’s a natural blend of herbs and oils that help soothe the ear. May provide relief from the pain and discomfort associated with ear aches, “swimmer’s ear”, infections, fungus and yeast.

Ingredients: Almond oil, essential oils of Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Garlic, Mullein, Echinacea Root.

It’s cheaper here. I bought mine at Whole Foods.

Herbs for Kids Willow/Garlic Ear Oil also comes highly recommended. I have also seen it at most WFS including Whole Foods.
Ingredients: Extra Virgin Olive oil, Fresh Garlic cloves, Calendula flower, Willow bark, Usnea lichen and Vitamin E oil.

Healing Ear Infections: Why Antibiotics Are Not the Best Treatment
The Problem of Bacterial Resistance

Although penicillin drugs such as amoxicillin, which is typically prescribed for otitis media, are less toxic than many other antibiotics, they can cause severe allergic reactions and gastrointestinal upset, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Also, any antibiotic can cause the overgrowth of bacteria or other organisms that are not susceptible to that particular antibiotic. This can lead to yeast infections or “superinfections” of staphylococci.3

More ominously, the increased use of antibiotics has resulted in the development of resistant bacteria. Bacteria that once were killed by a particular antibiotic, in other words, are no longer susceptible to that antibiotic. This makes infectious diseases caused by those organisms more difficult to treat.

For instance, the leading bacteria that cause infections of the middle ear, Streptococcus pneumonia, can also cause pneumonia, sinusitis, bronchitis, and meningitis. S. pneumonia was originally easy to treat with penicillin, but by the late 1980s a penicillin-resistant strain had emerged. In the past 15 years, the number of cases of penicillin-resistant S. pneumonia in the US has more than doubled. In Asia, cases of antibiotic-resistant S. pneumonia amount to 70 percent of total pneumonia infections; in the US such cases are as high as 25 percent. In US daycare centers, antibiotic-resistant S. pneumoniae can be as high as 61 percent.4 These resistant bacteria are passed from one person to another and are particularly high in children with otitis media.

Herbs for Ear Pain

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) has long been used as a demulcent to relieve congestion and inflammation. Components of mullein have also been found to have antibacterial, antiseptic, and pain-relieving properties. A few drops of oil infused with mullein can provide great relief for a child feeling the pain of ear inflammation. Use commercial ear drops containing mullein, or prepare your own ahead of time (making infused oil can take two weeks). To make the oil, cover a handful of dried mullein flowers with a carrier oil such as olive or almond oil. Let the oil set for two weeks, shaking it daily. If you are pressed for time, speed the process by heating the oil and mullein flowers gently on the stove for 30 minutes. Strain and use it when it reaches body temperature, testing it just as you would a baby’s formula, by dropping it on your wrist. The oil should be warm but not hot. Cold oil can be warmed gently by setting the bottle in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes. Use a few drops in the ear canal up to three times a day if necessary.

Garlic (Allium sativum) has both antibacterial and antiviral properties and is often used in combination with mullein in oil to treat ear infections. Again, either buy this commercially or prepare it yourself. To make it yourself, crush a garlic clove in a few tablespoons of olive oil and gently warm it over the stove for 30 minutes. Strain before use and put a few drops of body-temperature oil in the ear canal.

St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is another herb that may be beneficial for its antiviral, antibacterial, and soothing qualities. St. John’s wort can be purchased commercially, or you can make infused oil from the tips of the branches, including the flowers and leaves. Put a few drops of oil into the ear canal.

Essential oil of lavender (Lavandula officinalis) has antiseptic and soothing qualities. Dilute lavender oil in an equal amount of vegetable oil, such as almond oil. Use a few drops of this warmed oil in the ear canal. Lavender oil, either in the ear or rubbed behind the ear, can also soothe nerves and may help an anxious toddler to sleep.

Drinking peppermint (Mentha piperita) tea can be soothing to a child. Peppermint also has antiseptic and decongestant qualities that can help relieve the pain of ear inflammation. You can mix peppermint with chamomile tea, which also is anti-inflammatory and has slight sedative qualities that may help relax a child in pain.

If your child has reoccurring ear infections – Consider boosting his or her immune system. This can be done with echinacea (Echinacea) spp. extracts as well as vitamin C. With echinacea, use a formula made especially for children, or one-fourth the adult dose for children from two to ten, one-half the adult dose for children over ten. For vitamin C, approximately 500 milligrams per day is a good dose for children. If diarrhea develops, cut back on the dose.

What every mother should know about fevers

Here is some info I recently put together on fevers for a Moms board I help run. I just thought I would share since it’s the cold and flu season.

A lot of moms are concerned about how high a fever gets, febrile seizures, brain damage, etc. So what’s the real deal on fevers? What is a fever for? What are some natural ways to relive fever symptoms and the fever itself?

Some info on why you shouldn’t kill a fever.

Why is a fever important?

Fever is the immune system’s response in addition to sending T-Cells to fight antibodies. The T-Cells can kill bacterial pathogens. Those pathogens are killable by T-Cell attacks. Fevers are also part of the clean up process for toxic bacterial waste products.

Viruses are not living microorganisms that rummage about internally looking for food to scavenge, as bacteria do. A virus does not have a nucleus cell that divides to create more microbes, as bacteria do. The body’s thalamus/thyroid reaction raises the temperature slightly, and that stops viruses from replicating.

A snippit on piggybacking meds to reduce a fever and the percentage of children who get febrile seizures.

Only 5% to 10% of children under six get febrile convulsions, which usually last for a few minutes. The commonly misdirected concern is that a high fever in a young child can create brain damage. The actual situation is that vaccinations and other illnesses are the real causes of brain damage, not the fever itself.

The fever phobia has led parents and maybe some doctors to alternate Tylenol with Advil or any Ibuprofen in a desperate effort to reduce fevers. This effort has occasionally resulted in more serious damage, sometimes death. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against these desperate measures to reduce fever. They advise sticking with one medication, using conservative doses carefully.

Info from National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) on febrile seizures can be found here.

The vast majority of febrile seizures are harmless. There is NO evidence that febrile seizures cause brain damage. The degree of the fever has nothing to do with the seizure, it’s how fast it spikes. You can have febrile seizures at any temp, it’s all about how fast it spikes.

Vaccinations are causing impaired blood flow (Ischemia), Chronic Illness, Disease and Death for us all

Febrile seizures are not caused by “fever”. The fever expands the diameter of the tiny blood vessels so that more white blood cell infection fighting “soldiers” can traverse down the ‘roads.” When the blood vessel roads become jammed, by too many white blood cells, and altered fluid dynamics, there is ischemia. Ischemia causes a lack of oxygen to the brain.

What can I do to treat my child’s fever naturally without Tylenol, Ibuprofen or similar fever reducing meds?

Herbs – Elder flower and yarrow increase sweating to help manage hot fevers, while ginger has warming effects to help manage fever with chills. Tea is an excellent way to administer herbs while keeping a feverish child hydrated and nourished. Helpful herbal teas for fever include chamomile, red clover, rosemary and peppermint. Lemon juice or honey can be added to the tea (never give honey to infants under one year).

Essential Oils – Lemon, lavender, eucalyptus, thyme, pine, rosemary and sage essential oils are beneficial for feverish children and also help support the immune system to support the body’s defenses instead of suppressing them. Drop some lavender essential oil in cool water and use a washrag to wipe a child’s forehead for a cooling, relaxing effect.
Treating Childhood Fevers with Aromatherapy, Essential Oils, Natural Care for Infant or Child Fever

Homeopathy – Aconite, Belladonna, Nux Vomica and Pulsatilla are four common remedies indicated in childhood fevers.
Treating Fevers with Homeopathy and Choosing a Homeopathic Remedy for Childhood Fevers

Foods/Fluids – Many children lose their appetite when feverish, so parents can give nourishing fluids like fruit juices, teas, broth and juiced vegetables to keep a energy and hydration levels up. Whenever a child can eat try feeding them easy to digest fruits, vegetables and nuts to avoid constipation, provide plenty of energy and gently stimulate digestion. Let the child eat as much as they desire rather than purposefully “starving a fever” as the old myth goes.

Rest and Light Activity – While infants and children with a fever will often sleep more often, or longer than usual, parents should allow their children to be lightly active if they feel like it. A walk around the block in the fresh air can raise a sick child’s spirits.

Baby Bump #3

It’s so important to document this awesome time in my life. I know that one day all of this will be a distant memory and I will forever cherish these photos. Many thanks to my talented sister who took these pictures for me at 33.4 weeks during my third pregnancy. There will be more to follow as we have another shoot scheduled soon but here are some for now.

Giving birth and giving birth away

What does it mean to give birth? For some women the thought of childbirth is scary at best. It involves a hospital stay, IVs, drugs injected through a catheter placed in the spinal cord, and possible major abdominal surgery. It’s a big medical process with monitors and internal examinations by strangers who are professionals so they are blindly and routinely trusted. Often times it involves unnecessary interventions such as rupturing membranes (breaking of waters), Pitocin (a drug that magnifies contractions far beyond the tolerable pain of a naturally occurring contraction), episiotomies (cutting a woman’s vaginal opening even though it is designed to stretch), vacuum extractions (literally sucking a baby out by it’s head with a suctioning mechanism that can cause brain injury, bleeding and death) and forcep extractions (using special medical tongs to grab a baby’s head and forcefully pull the baby out). In many cases a woman’s body is forced into labor unnaturally when it is something that would have occurred all on it’s own. Birth is one big medical procedure. And this is normal birth in America. This is how women plan their births with their doctors. Electively drugging themselves and their babies through a pain that we were designed to tolerate, a pain with a purpose that guides us through the process. Yet we choose to be numb to it all, all because of fear. This is not giving birth, this is giving birth away.

Childbirth is one of the most empowering events in a woman’s life. It is an opportunity to trust in the nature of how we were designed and what we were created for. It is a time to revel in our beauty, our flawless construction for creating life. It is a time to celebrate, not to numb our bodies and our minds out of fear. Giving birth is a very special event that each woman should remember always as a pivotal moment in life. It should never be reflected on in regret. Yet so many women are experiencing mourning after their childbirth experience because they gave birth away. Birth is ours to hold dear, and even though we may not realize it at the time it is also ours to give away. So many women do not know that they are giving birth away and how it will effect them until it is too late. I want to encourage every woman out there reading this to consider what I have said. Birth is not an emergency or a medical procedure. I do understand that for some it must be this way but for the vast majority it is not. Women have been birthing babies for eons while being present mentally and physically. It’s something you can do! Is drug free childbirth hard work? Yes. Is it painless? No. Is it going to kill you? Absolutely not!

Many women lack the support and education for drug free childbirth. They hear horror stories and stories from drugged childbirth making it seem like a ray of sunshine. I am hear to tell you that the pain of childbirth ends, it does not last forever. It is a pain with a purpose, your body’s way of speaking to you about a very special event taking place that needs your presence. Do not run from the one thing that will bring forth life. Pain in childbirth is beautiful and miraculous, it isn’t horrific or intolerable. Give your body a chance to speak to you in a way that will forever change your life. Give your baby a drug free start in life. You can do it, and there are many people who can and want to help you do this.

For more more information on drug free childbirths and support for the process visit Natural Birth and Dona International.

Momfinitions

So I decided to enter this Momfinitions contest. Leave me a comment cause I get points for that, too! Thanks and enjoy.

Elastibreast (ee-las-tea-breast) n. – What your breast turns into after more than one pregnancy. Elastibreast, also known as elastiboob, is a condition accompanied by the ability to breastfeed a child in your lap without using your hands or arms for any type of support.

Poopdar (poop-dar) n.- Similar to the fartdar, the poopdar is the ability to determine when someone has dropped a load into their diaper.

The sensitivity of ones poopdar increases during pregnancy and is not always considered a blessing. The poopdar does not seem to be as effective in men, though, and this subject is extremely taboo in some households.

Binkinese (Bean-kee-knees) n. – The strange, almost English sounding language that comes from the mouth of of a pacified child. We call them “binkies” in our house. Some call them “pacies” so this momfinition may also be known as Pacinese (Passy-knees).

Snotcolate (snot-co-lit) n. – What evolves when a child who is scarfing down chocolate doesn’t take the time to breathe or let you wipe their runny nose.

Whinese (whine-ease) n. – Similar to Binkinese, this
strange language evolves when a child proceeds to whine in place of using actual words. All words become one long sound such as “MaaaaahhhhmeeeeIdooooon’twaaaaanttoooooooo,” producing Whinese.

Perfectly flawed

I never realized how okay it was to be myself.  I never knew it was okay to be imperfect.  I’ve always measured myself against others, a feat that only brought me despair and sadness.  I am not perfect.  And finally I have come to accept that and be at peace with it.  But here’s why…C H R I S T.  In the eyes of the Lord I am equal to all others.  Even those I hold in higher regard, even those I envy, and yes, even those I despise.  We are equal you see, because in the Lord’s eyes we are all sinners.  And what better way to be flawed than perfectly flawed?  How am I perfectly flawed you may ask?  Because just as I am equal to all others, I am also offered the same redemption and forgiveness.  My sins are forgiven, washed away, just as yours.

So if you ever wondered how to fit in in a perfect world, stop now.  Because you nor I will ever be perfect.  No one will ever be flawless.  Except he who can redeem us all.  So go about your merry way, flawed to the ends of all you do, our father will always be there, waiting to redeem you.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Galations 3:3 (New Living Translation)

For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God. Hebrews 7:19 (New Living Translation)

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

The Dreadlocked Mess Momster

***Disclaimer: This is a blog about my dread journey. I was misinformed, misguided and made a lot of mistakes in the beginning. Here is what I went through and how I finally got on the right track. DO NOT USE WAX on your dreads. You can scroll down to the 8 week update to see where the wax removal/unbraiding/untwisting process begins. It was a total PITA. Then on October 14, 2008 I started from scratch going natural doing nothing more than keeping the locks separated.

So after a little over 3 years of wanting locks, I went for it.  For me, dreadlocks are more than just an alternative hairstyle that looks cool.  I originally wanted dreadlocks because I thought they looked cool.  Then I discovered that after a few months of maintenance I would be free from a world of having to do anything with my hair!  For me that was fabulous.  As my spirituality has grown over the past year, I found even more reasons to have my hair locked up.  I have dealt with struggles regarding my image for years.   Allowing my hair to control how I feel about myself is unhealthy and silly, at best.  I have never known what to do with it.  Most often I ended up with it braided or in a pony tail anyway, never satisfied and always feeling less like less of a person because of it.  This is my freedom from those ways of thinking, this is my emotional freedom, a display of my struggle and victory over this issue.  Yes, I came to win this battle in an unorthodox manner, but I prayed heavily about this and it just seemed right.

I’ll post regular updates (mostly for Mecca, the lady who started the locks for me).

Getting started

Almost 1/2 way

All done!

1 week

2 weeks

3 weeks

4 weeks
I have been taking these pics myself with the exception of a couple. I’ll have my hubby get some good shots to show the length to add.


And because a few people asked, this is what I do before bed, every night. I wax my hair and wrap it up in a satin scarf. It’s not flattering at all. There are a lot of Miss Cleo and Chiquita banana jokes around here.

So Mecca came by this weeks to lock up the new growth. There was almost an inch of growth in only 4 1/2 weeks! She busted out her crochet needle as I downed 4 200mg Ibuprofen. In less than an hour she was finished. I got the green light to stop using wax everyday and after 4 1/2 weeks I finally took a shower without a shower cap! I had forgotten how relaxing a shower can be. At this point I can wash it once a week. After the lock up next month I should be able to bump it up to two times a week.
1st follow-up lock up @ 4 1/2 weeks

And after a shower


5 1/2 weeks

I tied it
Once out of necessity because I didn’t have a scrunchie or a clip (the 1st photo) and again just because I can…

7 weeks
I’ve stopped the wax. It’s been about a week with no wax at all and things are getting shaggy. I’ve found that I still have so much wax in my hair though from the first month that all I need to do is palm roll the frizzies back into the dreads. I love that I can wear my hair down and not be hot. I was never able to wear my hair down before.

8 weeks
Hello, I am a former candlehead. That is what the dreadlock community calls people like me who are unfortunate in having someone give us bad advice regarding wax and dreads. I recently learned that putting wax in my hair was counterproductive to establishing dreads. I also found out after spending over $200 that dreadlocks should never cost anything more than your time, patience, and commitment. Frustrating, yes. But there is hope. It’s been 2 weeks with no wax in the following pics. Ya dig how curly they are?

9 weeks
Next week I will be making a wax removal concoction that is known to aid in wax removal. I will let it sit on my hair for 1/2 an hour prior to boiling my hair. The only way to get the wax out is to heat it up and melt it out. My husband helped me with boiling it once but it’s clearly going to to take some extra effort.

10 weeks
Here some close ups taken with a really nice camera. I can’t wait to post pics after the wax removal this week!!

Showing underneath

Okay, so here it is a month later and it’s also the night of my 3rd dewaxing attempt…after the first round of dewaxing, which entailed me laying my counter top with my hair in the sink and my sweet husband pouring pots of boiling water over then length. I soaked the length of my hair in the pots of water in between pourings. Not much happened. My hair was softer to the touch but there was still a lot of wax in the twisted/braided parts.

An online friend recommended a concoction of baking soda, lemon juice and orange oil (with water of course) and I gave that a try. I mixed the ingredients up and covered my hair. My intentions were to let it sit for 1/2 an hour before rinsing but after 15 min my head was itching so badly that I felt like a rabid dog, I had to wash it out. Here are the results from those two dewaxings…

As you can see, the wouldbe locks are much loopier (which is a good thing)

I also learned that the micobraiding and twisty crap that was done to my hair to help “start” the locks was completely counterproductive. I’ve come to terms with it and even though it takes anywhere from 45min to an hour to unravel one, I am slowly but surely taking them all down. The parts that are braided can never dread, it’s impossible. The braids will create weak spots in the dreads, and braiding isn’t dreading, can not help hair dread, and is an absolute mess with wax on top. Some friends actually are helping me from time to time, thank God because there are 57 locks.

So we had Margarita’s at Chipotle and some friends helped…
This is how I feel about my hair

And here’s one just cause I think it’s a good pic

I sit here now with the concoction on my hair once again. It isn’t itching nearly as bad as I didn’t put it on my scalp this time and I changed the ratios a bit. It’s been soaking for 20 min. In another 10 or so I’ll scrub the heck out of it and continue the unraveling. I cannot stress enough, NEVER let someone twist, braid or wax your hair to start your dreads!!! I’ll post an update pic tomorrow.

Okay, so after some massive untwisting and debraiding here’s an update.  Sometimes I’ll get started taking one down and have to stop (because I have a life outside of my hair) and I’ve found that the bottom half (which is undone) is already starting to dread!  So I am undecided as to wether or not I should undo the new dreading to reach the top half of the lock so I can finish the unbraiding…UGH!!

And to boot I am so caught up right now. Dig this – one of the major reasons I decided to dread up was to escape my self-image issues. I have had some really bad ones and done different things over the years to try to truly accept myself just as I am. To prove to myself that I can love myself and I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I’ve even gone a year without shaving my legs in the past LOL Well, I never wanted to have to care much for my hair anymore. No more feeling ugly because of my stupid ponytail, fly-aways, naturally curly, oily hair, yk? But since all of the misdirection on my dread start I find myself obsessing over getting these stupid braids out, it takes so much time every day so I am always “fixing it”, and I look like a freak and I am back in a vanity trap. What I have taken from this is that I obviously needed to learn a few more things before I am truly freed from vanity.

October 14, 2008
This is where I started over from scratch – going natural with NO wax, no palm rolling – doing nothing other than keeping the locks separated.

Here are some pictures from today. I am having a friend wrap the locks that are completely unbraided because they are growing into every other dread and it’s way messy. Hopefully I’ll get them done tomorrow.

Okay so it’s been a while since I last updated. I combined some lock bringing me from 57 of them down to 42. The have combined so well that I can’t even tell which ones I combined. I’ve removed the wraps that a friend put in place for me and having them in was so helpful in keeping certain lock separated and helped with the combining process as well.
Here are some pics with wraps…

And now after much time with the wraps removed
6 months

Time for another update!
The loose wispy ends are being sucked up into the dreads so I am expecting some major length shrinkage over the next few months.

Approx 8 months

And another update – I am losing the wispy tips these days. I am 9 months in since I started over and here’s how it’s looking!

Just another update…I’ve lost over 2inches in length in the last 2 months! Here it is around 10 months since I took the waxy braided mess out and went natural.
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And @14 months

on

Mojo Saves The Willows

We moved in to The Willows in March 2008. Sometimes you never know how ghetto a place can be until you live there. A dear friend of mine lost her house to a kitchen fire that started from hot wings in the wok. This got me thinking. I searched my apartment only to find there is no fire extinguisher anywhere. Not only is there no fire extinguisher in my apartment but there aren’t any mounted in the breezeways or corridors, anywhere. When I confronted the management office it went something like this:

Me: There is no fire extinguisher in my apartment.

Lady: Oh, well, this complex is older and we’ve been grandfather clocked in so the law doesn’t apply to us.

Me: Well, I don’t think that because this complex is old means that it’s at any less of a risk for catching on fire.

Lady: Well, I think it may also be in part due to how close we are to the fire department.

I left there feeling completely unsatisfied with her answers. I moved to Alabama from Florida so I was unaware of the laws with regards to extinguishers, rental properties, etc. So I phoned the Fire Marshall. I filed a complaint and asked that he look into it. He called me back within 3 hours and told me that he came to inspect the property. The complex is in violation of the fire prevention safety regulations. The law as of 2005, states that all residential (R2, I believe is what he called it) buildings (new or existing) must have fire extinguishers within at least 75 feet. Seeing as how there are none, within any amount of feet they are clearly in violation.

So the verdict is that he ordered the complex to purchase 170 fire extinguishers by no later than Thursday, June 19th and that the installation begin ASAP. Every unit will have a 2 1/2lb fire extinguisher installed under their kitchen sink!

I am honestly baffled that I am the first tenant to ever question this or call to complain. Seriously, am I the only one who realizes that fire is dangerous? And as far as the responses I received from the lady in the office – I can’t believe she thought being in close proximity to the fire department was reason enough to overlook a life saving, required by law measure for the tenants here. But she say they were “grandfather clocked in.” That one had me LOL