All Paths Naturopathy

Category: pregnancy

  • The Sun Shines On

    The sun shines on,
    Even in the darkest of times.
    Lighting the path,
    Illuminating the shadows
    We wait for you,
    We welcome you,
    We are blessed that you choose us.
    I open my heart to the possibility of you,
    That spark of potential nestled into the dark, quiet recesses of my being.
    Waiting and growing.
    Trying not to think of not seeing you soon.  Meeting the spirits who have chosen us,
    even after all these long years of waiting.  We have learned and made changes.
    So that we can do even better by you.
    No longer will our meetings be only in dreams.
    Soon my arms will be filled with your writhing, screaming perfect little body.
    At my breast you will be nourished as I share my very being with you.
    We come together to worship the fertile soil, the Mati Zera Zymlia from which we are nourished.
    As the fertile soil is renewed in the spring.  As flowers and fruits
    begin to proliferate, so too does the womb in which you grow.
    The living blood in my veins, used not just by one, but which now sustains us all for a time.
    That secret time between us.
    The space when you are unknown even to me.
    The time when others begin to notice,
    To start to wonder who you are.
    So many names you already have; inspired, teacher.
    Trial maker, for what we have been through in the waiting time is nothing compared to what is yet to come.  And with a love filled heart, we look forward to all the experiences and lessons you offer.
    You are loved and always have been.
    During the days when my heart felt ripped from its cage and crushed
    With the seemingly over whelming, all consuming pain at having lost you again.
    The realization that you were only visiting, not here to stay.
    Through the nights when we cried together, mourning you.
    There will be other times even after we meet, when tears of sadness are shed,
     yet there will also be the joy filled tears.
    Watching your adventures and explorations.
    The light illuminates even the darkest of spaces.
    Slowly the pieces shift, that which appeared to be and was immovable is never truly permanent.
    Not always with the desired speed, the transformation occurs.
    There is a crack in the glacier
    And urgent movements, the weight of sorrow falls
    Revealing vulnerable new surfaces.
    Not marred with pain and loss
    Free to feel love, joy
    To know the divine bliss completely.
    In healing,
    Amanda Hochman, N.D. 

  • Changes in the diagnosis of gestational diabetes and what you can do to change your risk

    Face made out of fruits and vegetables
    With the release of the American Diabetes Association changes in the guidelines for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes, many more women are likely to have this diagnosis.  This is due in part to recommendations to screen women for pre-existing diabetes that has yet to be diagnosed, as well as decreasing the cut off limits for women when they are screened between 24-28 weeks of pregnancy.  In addition, The American Diabetes Association is also recommending that women who were diagnosed with gestational diabetes be screened 6-12 weeks postpartum for diabetes type II.
    For some providers and pharmaceutical companies, these changes in diagnostic criteria mean more income through increased numbers of office visits and prescriptions for medications such as metformin.  For other providers, these changes mean more opportunity to educate and counsel patients regarding diet and lifestyle changes that will provide benefits both for mother and baby.

    It is already known that women who are diagnosed with gestational diabetes are at increased risk for developing type II diabetes in their lifetime, some research suggesting as much as a seven fold increased risk compared to pregnant mothers who were not diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Hospital based research performed by Kwak and colleagues found in their study of 370 women, 105 went on to be diagnosed with type II diabetes at 8 weeks postpartum, with another 80 being diagnosed within the first year. Additionally, their babies are also at increased risk for the development of type II diabetes.

    To help decrease the risk for developing diabetes mellitus following a diagnosis of gestational diabetes, breastfeeding appears to confer some protection to the mother.  This was seen in work performed by Jenum and colleagues who investigated the gestational diabetes rates in European Ethnic minorities who developed the disease even though they tended to be younger and have lower body mass index (BMI) compared to other Europeans.

    Here are 4 ways to reduce the risk for developing gestational diabetes:

    1.  Achieve and maintain a healthy BMI prior to pregnancy.  Women who are overweight or obese are at risk for impaired glucose regulation both in the pregnant and non pregnant states.

    2. Physical activity:  In pregnancy this does not have to mean training for a marathon level of physical activity.  Even a modest 15 minute walk can improve glucose metabolism to decrease risk.

    3.  Adopt a whole foods diet which includes minimal amounts of refined sugars.  Eating less processed foods provides increased amounts of dietary fiber which helps to stabilize blood sugar.

    4.  Increase protein from vegetable and nut sources while reducing protein intake from red meat.  Research published in Diabetes Care  found that by replacing 5% of protein from red meat with a 5% intake of protein from non-meat sources decreased the risk for developing gestational diabetes by approximately 50%.

    For more information please visit: www.all-paths.com, www.southernoregonbirthconnections.com

    In health and wellness.
    Dr Amanda Hochman, N.D.

  • Spring


    Spring is in the air on this, the day to recognize the spring equinox.  For some, spring has been making an early appearance for a few weeks. For others, spring may still feel weeks away as the ground is covered in many inches of snow. Here in Southern Oregon, crocuses, daffodils, forsythia and more are showing off their blooms.  There have been days interspersed with weather warm enough for pregnant women to show off their creations and new babies to be introduced to the warmer weathers.
    In spite of all of the splendor which surrounds, there may still be an ache.  A feeling of guilt that we do not feel as joyous as we would like at the announcement of pregnancies in our family and communities.  There may be a sadness when seeing the beautiful little babies who have blessed others.

    In these tumultuous days of spring, it as though mother nature empathizes with the pain which at times may feel encompassing and all consuming.  Maybe you feel that a physical affliction would be easier as at least then people can see what is wrong.  With the pains that we carry in our hearts such as the loss of babies too early to hold or see fully grown, we have to be brave and open in order to share.  The words may not come easy.  Even thoughts of sharing may lead to a throat lump, which can only mean that tears are not far behind.           For those who struggle with becoming or staying pregnant, particularly when it has spanned years of time, thousands of dollars and countless other sacrifices, it can be hard to always find the blessing and good in life.
    Work may be improving, living situations continue to be pleasant, yet it does not fill the void of laughing children in your family. It is however, important to step back from the pain so as to honor and recognize what is going successfully.  This can help you from identifying yourself only by your struggles with conception and pregnancy.

    It can be helpful during the transition time from struggling to achieving and maintaining pregnancy to connect with nature in a way that is nourishing and fulfilling. One option is beginning the garden indoors as they foretell of future food for your family.  Nurture them as they are also your children.  See them grow and connect to the energy of the growing things.  Let your tears water the growing seedlings as your suffering is released.  Allow nature to transform the heartache, the longing to feel the babe quickening in your womb; or to experience the right of passage which is labor and delivery and meeting your baby.  Put all of this into the garden.  Let the pain be transformed into something beneficial rather than be consumed with it.

    For more information please visit www.all-paths.com

  • Stress in pregnancy, bad news for moms and babies

    Pregnant woman being held from behind by a man
    Two new studies have been recently published investigating stress and its effects on pregnancy.  One study, published in Clinical Psychological Science by Hahn-Holbrook and colleagues investigated the effect of stress on the hormone placental corticotropin releasing hormone and risk for developing postpartum depression.  They found that women with more social support from family had the lowest concentrations of placental corticotropin releasing hormone and were also less at risk for developing postpartum depression.  Hahn-Holbrook and her team also noted that women who had less support, had higher levels of placental corticotropin releasing hormone in their third trimester and were at increased risk of developing postpartum depression.  

    In research performed by Tracey Bale and colleagues, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences used a mouse model to investigate the effects of O-linked-N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT) on the development of the fetal brain.  This enzyme was chosen because it is active both in mice and humans, is present in differing amounts in the the placentas of male and female babies and is affected by maternal stresses.  Through their work with mice who synthesized half the normal amount of OGT, they discovered aberrant behavior in more than 300 genes within the developing hypothalamus.  In addition, the placentas of boy babies, whose mothers experienced the most stress had the lowest concentrations of OGT.  Through maternal support, it may be possible to increase levels of OGT to protect developing brains.   


    From what this new research  suggests, and pregnant women and mothers have known intuitively, they need support in order to decrease stress during pregnancy.  To help decrease stress in pregnancy, consider participating in a group with other mothers.  If you, like many families, live far away from relatives, consider participating in a CenteringPregnancy® program.   This program utilizes a model of care which includes prenatal visits both privately and in a group format to facilitate support and education.   In Southern Oregon, the CenteringPregnancy® program can be found at La Clinica,  In addition, it is important to share how you are feeling with your pregnancy provider.  If you feel that they are not hearing you, or are not offering the care you are looking for, consider a change in provider or provider type.  There are alternatives to brief prenatal appointments, with options including Naturopathic Midwives, licensed midwives and nurse midwives.  Keep the lines of communication open between you and your partner so that each of you can feel cared for and that each partner feels that their needs are being met.  This may mean a change in responsibility at work or home or simply more time spent with empathetic and caring individuals going through similar experiences.  There is no need to suffer alone.

  • Coffee, caffeine and pregnancy: The new research

    babies,baby,body parts,embryos,females,healthcare,medicine,people,persons,pregnancies,pregnant,wombs,women
         A recent study published in Biomedical Central by Sengpiel and colleagues has found an association between coffee consumption and increased pregnancy length (5-8 hours / 100 mg caffeine).  Additionally, there was also an association between caffeine intake from all possible sources (coffee, tea, chocolate) and delivering babies with low birth weight and at increased risk for being small for gestational age.  This latter finding occurred even in women who did not consume caffeine in excess of the recommended limits (200 mg in Nordic countries and USA, 300 mg World Health Organization recommendation) and were not smokers.  This study included almost 60,000 participants most of whom were >25 years old and were in a partnered relationship.  Coffee and caffeine consumption was recorded in diet diaries at different time periods from the second trimester on wards.  
    To investigate the caffeine content of prepared beverages from restaurants, foods, tea and medications, The Center for Science in the Public Interest, has a chart which includes amount of caffeine per serving.  Another resource from the FDA entitled Medicines in my Home: Caffeine and Your Body includes a list of caffeine amounts and serving sizes provided by the University of Washington.  

    So, what does this mean?

    For women who are pregnant or are in the process of becoming pregnant, it is advisable to limit ones  intake of caffeine from all sources including, but not limited to; coffee, tea, and chocolate.

    For help with this or other pregnancy related concerns we are here to assist you on the journey towards parenthood.  More information can be found at www.all-paths.com 

  • Air pollution, it is not just hard on the lungs

    Air pollution smoke rising from plant tower

    For families who have suffered from pregnancy related conditions such as pre-eclampsia, preterm delivery and small for gestational age babies, there may never be a good reason for why these conditions happen.  This is often in part because many factors can contribute either singly or in tandem towards the development of conditions such as pre-eclampsia, preterm delivery and babies who are small for gestational age.  This week the list of risk factors was increased to include both particulate and molecular atmospheric pollutants.  For many years, scientists and environmentalists have been concerned with the effects of increased air pollution.  Research results from the ESCALA project have observed an increased risk of death resulting from increased exposure to particulate air pollutants less than or equal to 10 micrometers and ozone.

     David Olsson and colleagues published findings this past week in the British Medical Journal Open suggesting an association between exposure to ozone during the first trimester of pregnancy and an increased risk for preterm delivery and the development of pre-eclampsia.  This comes on the heels of a second study, published by Tracey J. Woodruff, PhD, MPH  in collaboration with the International Collaboration on Air Pollution and Pregnancy Outcomes (ICAPPO) in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.  The ICAPPO researchers  saw an association between particulate air pollution and delivering babies who were born small for gestational age.  With this new research, it offers another reason to care for the environment in such a way that promotes health and well being for all. 

    For more information visit: www.all-paths.com and www.southernoregonbirthconnections.com

  • New year, new beginnings

    The new year crept quietly into our house so I took some time to craft and create.  Taking time to be with art.  Little beads strung onto wire and stretch elastic.  Bringing together so many little individual components into the formation of a cohesive, unified object.  I thought about making a resolution, about what a resolution is and who I wanted to be in the next year.  In part, one of the things I realized is that I feel as though I am always thinking about the notions mentioned earlier.  I have decided that the time for thinking has drawn to a close.  The time for doing is at hand, the time for creation and living the life that is in line with my families ideals and values.  A number of smaller goals and personal experiences I desired for the next year can be summed up into the broad goals below.

    To reinvigorate my spiritual practice.

    Live up to my potential as a healer for the betterment of myself and others.

    To help in your journey towards wellness I would like to offer you a free 30 minute consultation to learn how I can assist you in becoming pregnant, our maternity services and beyond.

  • A late holiday gift

    A gift for those who  were not able to receive the gift their hearts longed most for most this holiday season.  I know it is not a replacement for a pregnancy or bring back a child.   I hope only to bring a bit of light to those dark places that the pain may be slightly more manageable.
    Be Filled with the Light
    For the hearts filled with sadness,
    Be filled with the light.
    For the heavy hearts,
    Be filled with the light.
    For the weeping hearts,
    Be filled with the light.
    For the broken hearts,
    Be filled with the light.
    For the hearts that are crushed,
    Be filled with the light.
    May the light of  love fill the cracks and holes.
    May the light of passion and joy fill the shadows and ease the pain.
    May the light of potential ease the sorrow and longing.
    May the light of empathy lift the heavy heart.
    May the light of love of the universe sustain and fill you in the darkest hours of despair.

  • The Heartache that is Hard to Share: 5 ways to help cope with unexpected pregnancy loss

         This week has been one of pain, and sorrow for many.  With the news of last weeks tragedy in Connecticut, the loss of my aunt’s dear sweet AndyCat, and the reminder of too much senseless gun violence in the Presidents press briefing on December 19, 2012, it may be hard to feel cheery right before the holidays.  One of the worst experiences for a parent is to no longer be able to hold and kiss their babies goodnight.   It is easy to share sympathy for those whose personal tragedies are well publicized.  There are however untold numbers of families whose sorrow is kept closer to the heart.  For some, the joy of achieving a pregnancy is weighted with the heartache at the realization that they are in the middle of having an miscarriage. In other cases, parents have already been designing the nursery, receiving gifts from friends and families only to experience a loss later in the pregnancy.  The pain of having to share with friends and family that the baby bundle of joy they had been expecting had unexpectedly died.  This black hole left in a family can take months or years to process, with family members expressing their pain and sorrow in different ways and often needing different types of support.  Some women may experience their pain as physical aches as their uterus contracts in the impending delivery of a child so loved and hoped for, who would not have a first birthday cake, prom, graduation and other monumental life events parents see for their children.  After the delivery there may be breast pain as the mammary glands which had been preparing to nourish the new baby begin to regress and milk dries up.  Partners have their own emotions to process, the feelings of loss, sadness as well as seeing their partner suffer and not necessarily knowing how to provide comfort when they are also in need.

    1. Give yourself and your family time to mourn the death.  Each family member will need time to pass through the stages of grief at their own pace.  It is often not necessary or recommended to jump immediately back on the trying to conceive band wagon.  The spirit, and body need at least 4 weeks to recover if not longer.

    2.  Honor the loss.  Depending upon your spiritual tradition and community, clergy, rabbi, priestess or imam can help facilitate a memorial service to remember and honor the death in your family.  If you are not a part of a religious community it may still feel right to mark the passing.  Options include planting a special tree or other living plant to remember that though their body is not here with us, the spirit still lives.  In Japan, families create Jizo dolls to honor those who died as a result of miscarriage, still birth or a termination of pregnancy.  Touching images of Jizo can be found at Sushibird.

    3.  Set aside time to be with your partner.  This is time when both partners have emotions they need to share with each other.  Go to a special place where you can be alone together undisturbed to cry, laugh, yell, be quiet and just be with each other processing and sharing.  During this time try not to feel anger towards each other or self, no one did anything wrong and no one is to blame.

    4. Connect with others who have gone through similar experiences. Here in the Rogue Valley, grief  support services for adults, teens and children can be found at WinterSpring.  Online resources include Share , Grieving Dads Project, Bereaved Parents of the USA.  Asante Medical Center in Medoford also hosts a monthly support group specifically for families who have suffered from a miscarriage or still birth.  This group
    Steps To Healing  meets on the first Thursday of every month at 7:30 pm in the Smullin Center on the campus of Rogue Valley Medical Center.  For more information about this group please contact Cheryl Lewis at (541) 789-4218

    5.  Recognize the growth and deepening connection with self and your family that has arisen as a result of your experiences.  It is during these times of great challenge that we learn the extent of our strength and potential.

    May the light shine brightly even on the darkest night.