Seed Sale

As the season slowly begins to change, and cooler Autum days become a welcome relief to swelterting Summer, I have decided that it is time for a super stock clearout, to welcome in the new season.

First on the list are our Seed Naturopathic Baltic Amber teething necklaces.

Originally: $29.95 (+p&h)

Now: $14.99 (+p&h)

A must have for any happy bub or toddler and a secret weapon for mum.

Stocks are limited so please drop me at line at seednaturopathics@gmail.com with amber necklace in the subject line.

Megan Georgoulas

Why Mothers Kiss Their Babies

Article ‘Why mothers kiss their babies‘ from Birthing Magazine giving us the science behind nature. ..

Teething Troubles

Theos happy teeth

Teething is an inevitable part of babyhood and toddlerhood. It is just another of life’s little milestones that must be passed through, however some of us pass through more easily than others.

Teething in our family has become the usual suspect of many crimes… random tantrums, runny noses, acidic poos, mild fevers, irritablitly, sleepless nights, loss of appetite, oh and did I mention random tantrums?

Due to the fact that teething is a natural milestone for a child to live through, I have always tried to find natural alternatives to their discomfort without numbing it or suppressing it.

I have tried many different approaches to calming the boys during their bouts of teething, including herbal remedies and homeopathy with varying results.

Baltic Amber Baby Teething Necklace - Honey $29.95 + p&p

A traditional remedy that the Europeans use is beaded baltic Amber. The Amber is worn (not chewed or sucked) around the necks or wrists of teething bubs. The Amber is believed to be a natural anti-inflammatory and analgesic, so not only is it effective in teething, it is also useful for allergies, eczema and asthma.

Baltic Amber Baby teething Bracelet - Cognac $24.95 + p&p

The Amber beads need to be worn close to the skin, as the skin’s warmth releases healing oils from the beads which are absorbed via the skin into the bloodstream. Amber is a fossilized resin, not a stone, so it is warm to the touch, comfortable and light to wear. My 18month old wears his necklace permanently during times of teething and it doesn’t bother him at all.

The amber necklace has become a constant companion in our household and makes teething a much more calm and pain free time… Unfortunately however, I cannot guarantee it will decrease those random tantrums!

Baltic amber necklaces are a common treatment for teething in pharmacies across Europe and are becoming more and more popular in Australia. I will be selling the necklaces and braclets from Healthy Life Carindale, or for your convenience you can purchase online here for $29.95 +p&p

Here’s to happy teething!

Megan Georgoulas

Super Role Models

What is wrong with our current society when woman are judged for having natural births, rather than booking in for their ‘too posh to push’ cesareans?

As woman are we that far removed from what our bodies are designed to do, that we feel challenged, resentful even jealous of women who have attempted and achieved natural birth?

I am referring here to the recent birth of model Miranda Kerr’s first child. Miranda announced the birth of her son via her blog, and according to Miranda it was a drug-free, natural birth.

“I gave birth to him naturally; without any pain medication and it was a long, arduous and difficult labour”

Along with a beautiful picture of mother and child feeding.

Isn’t this the way birth is supposed to be?

Would it have made us all feel better if she had booked in the cesarean to fit around her ‘modelling’ commitments and her husbands career?

Personally I applaud woman such as Miranda Kerr and also Gisele Bunchen, who are in the public eye and are role models to young impressionable girls.

birth doesn’t have to be the scary, painful, unachievable event it is so often portrayed as in the media, and along with breast feeding, can be beautiful, and very rewarding.

As a mother of one natural and one interventional birth, I know natural birth is not always achievable, however it should never be discouraged or criticised.

Megan Georgoulas

Seed Naturopathics: Open for Business

So after a three year hiatus, I am headed back to the consultation room. I am very excited to be practicing once again, and am looking forward to being a part of all the beautiful and challenging pregnancy and birth stories ahead.

I feel very blessed that even though I am technically returning to work, the ‘work’ I have been doing as a mother has prepared and humbled me to work alongside mums and their families during their own journeys into life and parenthood.

I will be focussing on the pre-natal health of both mum and dad in the lead up to conception, support throughout pregnancy and birth, including HypnoBirthing classes, and will also be providing post-natal support for both mother and baby.

Becoming a mum is one of the most transformational times in a woman’s life which requires patience, understanding, love and unconditional support.

Unfortunately new mums can slip through the cracks within our current society and health model. With the main focus being on the babies health and milestones, our own health as mothers can suffer.

With the help of herbal medicine, correct nutrition, exercise and counselling, this time can be a joyous celebration rather than extreme fatigue and isolation.

As a mum of two toddlers I understand how important it is to care for yourself so that you can be the best mum, physically and emotionally for your children.

I will be consulting from Healthy Life Carindale on a Sunday between 10am and 3pm, and am also availale for online and telephone consultations.

Please contact me at megan@seednaturopathics.com for more info or to book an appointment.

Megan Georgoulas

Birth Markings

Isn’t it a shame that when a woman births a child, we all wait to see ‘how quick she loses the baby weight’. Our role as mother and woman seems to be judged on our ability to ‘shed pounds quickly’ or how many hours we can push ourselves at the gym.

The media doesn’t help the situation with constant images of celebrity mums with their stick figure bodies back in no time, and details of the extreme diets they put themselves through to have the ideal, pre-baby body back.

Apart from the fact that these near starvation lengths these women go to cannot be healthy for their newborn child, (although I doubt breast feeding is high on the agenda), what sort of message is this sending to the rest of us?

I was sent a link this evening to a documentary that has been made by Cambride documentary films, called Birth Markings. It is about ‘how giving birth transforms our bodies’.

How refreshing to see that we can celebrate the imperfect perfection of creation. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could view each woman’s stretch marks like the rings of a tree, telling a story of life changing journeys and the creation of new life.

I have also come across a website called The Shape of a Mother, which allows women to anonymously post pictures of their pregnancy and post-partum bodies, without airbrushing or plastic surgery. This allows women a safe place to express their new bodies with pride, and gives us a new bench mark of true beauty.

Megan Georgoulas

Holy Doula

When I fell pregnant with our second child, I knew immediately I wanted a different birthing experience than that of our first child, Max. I had wanted Max’s birth to be natural, calm and beautiful, however things didn’t go as planned.

When meconium was detected after my waters broke, the relaxed, calm birth we had planned for turned into beeping machines, monitors, bright lights, multiple strangers present in the room, needles, fear, and a lot of pain. I felt scared, unsafe and out of control. The staff were cold, rude and I felt that no one was listening to myself or my husband.

In order to have the birth I had always dreamt of with our second child, we did a lot of preparation. We took HypnoBirthing classes and through those classes met a wonderful student doula, Sandy. Sandy offered us her services as a doula, and we didn’t hesitate to accept. Sandy met with us during the pregnancy and made sure we were all on the same page, and by the time I went into labour we had developed a very strong bond and trust.

Having Sandy present at the birth, was invaluable. She became my comfort, reassurance and spokesperson. When both myself and my husband started to lose our cool, she kept the atmosphere calm and relaxed. She spoke to hospital staff when I couldn’t and helped us achieve the natural, calm birth that I felt I had been robbed of with Max.

Having a doula present during labour is very important with Australia’s current public hospital system, where you are usually sharing one of the most special and intimate moments of your life with complete strangers. The beauty of using a doula is that you have a support person with you who you are familiar with, and who is aware of your birthing goals and needs.

Having Sandy as our doula enriched my birthing experience and I could not imagine birthing without the support of a wise, compassionate, strong woman who has mine and my families best interest at heart. I would not hesitate in recommending the use of a doula during childbirth… I wouldn’t birth without one!

Sandy can be contacted via Holistic Birthing

Share the Love

I’m very excited that Theo’s birth story has been shared on the delightful pregnancy blog

Very happy to share the love and put out a story of empowering and positive birth.

Belly Armor… protecting your baby against radiation

Belly Armor by RadiaSheild is a blanket you can place over your belly while using your laptop etc, to protect your baby from the harmful effects of radiation.

You can drape the blanket over your bump if using a laptop, or go the whole hog and wear a tee everyday to shield your bump from everyday radiation.

Essentially, it is designed to create a lightweight textile barrier between bump and electromagnetic items like laptops and phones.

Gisele’s Breastfeeding comments

Isn’t it a shame when a celebrity tries to promote something worthwhile and the entire message gets lost in a wave of controversy because of misrepresentation…

well I wanted the real message that Gisele was trying to convey to be heard. Instead of critising her, we should praise her for being a celebrity who promotes breastfeeding and natural birth.

I find it to be a welcomed change to the usual celebs who book in for their C-sections and act as if their children are more fashion accessories than babies.

What Gisele really meant by her comments as posted on her blog

My intention in making a comment about the importance of breastfeeding has nothing to do with the law. It comes from my passion and beliefs about children. Becoming a new mom has brought a lot of questions, I feel like I am in a constant search for answers on what might be the best for my child. It’s unfortunate that in an interview sometimes things can seem so black and white. I am sure if I would just be sitting talking about my experiences with other mothers, we would just be sharing opinions. I understand that everyone has their own experience and opinions and I am not here to judge. I believe that bringing a life into this world is the single most important thing a person can undertake and it can also be the most challenging. I think as mothers we are all just trying our best.