Indigo Forest, P. O. Box 1068, Ann Arbor, MI (2025)

12/18/2025

💙Women have always benefited from an experienced mother present during their birth, and still do. The profession of Doula developed in part ( opinion) from the lack of those near-by and experienced relatives for many modern women, not to mention the increasingly complex medical experience mothers and fathers are having to navigate.

💙Doulas provide labor support (into a large degree, education) during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. They bring support for the mother emotionally and physically, and for the couple as a unit as well. (Dads/partners are also having an experience, and need support and info!)

💙There’s tons of good information about doulas available online now, and plenty of wonderful, passionate and devoted Doulas eager to help! They bring their personalized blend of information, pain relief measures, positioning insight, explanations of medical procedures, and and net work of local resources. Their value for smoothing the path to parenthood cannot be overestimated.

✨ I personally would not consider giving birth in a medical setting without one under any circumstances, from a planned “natural” birth to a planned C-section.

💙Fun fact: I worked as a Doula before labor support adopted the name. I remember the days of explaining the word over and over again to everyone we met.😄

12/15/2025

✈️ Should you fly in late pregnancy? This question comes up in holiday prenatal appointments ALL the time!

Well, it depends….

💙MOST IMPORTANTLY:
Please use common sense and your own longing as your guide,
NOT the feelings, expectations, or holiday politics of your extended family! 🙄

✨ Under most circumstances, not after 36 weeks.📆

✨ DO factor in that you will need a longer runway for recovering after traveling than when you are NOT pregnant.
- There’s a longer time in the sky, multiple plane changes, perhaps time zone chances or a short turn around which all amplify the drain on your energy.
- The normal window for birth is roughly 37-43 weeks. You want to be as RESTED as possible when you go into labor.
- Going into labor exhausted increases the risk of a longer labor, higher experience of pain, and postpartum bleeding. Who needs that?
BECAUSE labor will be smoother, safer, and honestly more pleasant if you are rested!

Still can’t decide?
💙 If this trip fills your cup and you “can’t wait”, then this is in the trip’s favor.
💙 If you are dreading it, if you sigh telling me about it…, then I urge you to back up and look at traveling right now with fresh eyes.

✨If you have a midwife or doula on your team, talk to them about this! They’ve seen this story many times, and can bring their insight to your own unique situation. 🥰♥️

how has your holiday travel worked out when YOU were pregnant?

🌟Merry Christmas!🌟

12/10/2025

The transformative year of pregnancy through postpartum is unlike any other season of our life. It’s not just what gets written on Hallmark cards, but it’s the opportunity that unfolds for a woman to truly become more of herself in new ways while she does challenging, exciting, and new things.

It’s hard to talk about in social media sound bites… But truly responsive and respectful maternity care - and one that prioritizes informed consent - is much more likely to create the opportunity for women to grow into motherhood in self-assured and empowered ways. Is that everyone’s goal?

I am offended by maternity care that presumes that vital signs, labwork, and ultrasounds are all that matter. Pregnancy is an opportunity to learn, to have support in getting to know your baby, and to take advantage of the learning window to grow healthier and more informed about raising a healthy family.

What are the three things you most found lacking in your maturity care, if anything?

Or, what are the three things that most fed your well-being and mother’s heart in your maternity care?

♥️

12/10/2025

🍃This Boneset plant invited itself to the garden party, and it has grown taller than me 2 years in a row now. And I’m SOOOO glad!

🍃Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) is extraordinary herbal medicine, and I have now experienced its marvelous pain relief just as described. It’s cherished for relieving the horrible aching bone pain that is so common in influenza, especially when your patient is alternating between fevers and chills.

🍃 Master herbalists write that it’s quite safe with no contraindications. I would feel comfortable with most clients using it pregnant or nursing, especially considering how effective it is and the other risks of OTC meds. You could also look to its homeopathic preparation, Eupatorium perfoliatum, as another resource.

Have you ever used boneset? Tell us your stories! We only needed it after it volunteered in our yard (which is one of the reasons I’ve learned to be warm and curious about volunteer plants!). It’s AMAZING in how well it works!

12/08/2025

Some babies really get a long lasting and dramatic case of cradle camp. It can be really annoying, but your natural health toolbox has a number of effective approaches.

from understanding its origins and how to treat it carefully with a warm bath, you can make some headway. You’re wonderful, postpartum, herbal bath can do wonders in this situation, nursing mothers can add subtract a few things to their diet, and I’ve included four great homeopathic remedies here that often will help you turn the corner.

You experienced moms, did any of your children have cradle cap?
Do you think it ‘runs in families’?
How long did it last and what tricks worked for you?

11/25/2025

🍃Pregnant mamas can be so miserable with heartburn! Unfortunately, antacid labels direct pregnant users to an absolute max of 5-6 pills/day for no more than two weeks! Tums is wrongly encouraged as safe for pregnancy, and this unhealthy form of calcium is poorly absorbed and tends to result in dramatic calcification of the placenta where it collects.

The ingredient list for antacids include many toxic items such as talc, aspartame, aluminum hydroxide, and artificial colors, flavors and additives. The side effects are unbelievable during pregnancy, and include constipation, kidney stones, lowered thyroid function, increase in anxiety and depression and inhibit iron supplement uptake.

🍃There ARE healthy alternatives that are both effective and safe, such as:

1. Less slosh. Stop drinking a half hour before meals, and drink only a few oz. max during the meal to keep digestive enzymes concentrated for more efficient digestion.
2. Up stomach acid (really!). Fresh lemon first thing in the morning, or a cap of raw ACV sipped in water throughout the day.
3. Up fermented and live cultured foods, and/or probiotics. A healthier microbiome digests better.
4. Increase digestive enzymes, as supplements or through fresh pineapple or papaya tabs or fruit
5. Find a chiropractor or older midwife-in-the-know to ‘pull down your stomach’ from where it’s bulged up through your relaxed diaphragm into your lower esophagus. You can do it to yourself, but usually need someone to show you the first time.

🍃Comment ‘HEARTBURN’ for the link to my blog with 22 alternative suggestions to TUMS!

11/25/2025

Your birth starts with your prenatal care relationships. Maybe even before that with your health. But it definitely starts before the OB or Midwife walks into your room when you’re in labor.

You have every right to expect a respectful and positive relationship. And yes, you’re right that this is not currently standard of care. And almost any of the fields.

Comment “questions“ and I’ll DM you directly my blog with “the questions you need to ask in your first prenatal“

Great prenatal care is very empowering, uplifting, and improves your safety and experience of health and well-being! Let’s help you find a good match!

11/18/2025

“Charley horses” and leg cramps are agonizing in pregnancy; luckily they are preventable and treatable! They are most often linked to low mineral levels, and low sodium diet are especially linked to cramping!

Here are the suggestions that have my clients breathing sighs of relief THE SAME DAY:

1. MORE unrefined salt, Celtic or Redmonds. NOT others like Morton’s Table Salt. (See my reel on salt if this freaks you out.)
2. MORE magnesium - it’s the mineral responsible for relaxation (including of individual muscles), and it’s depleted during dehydration and high stress. Whatever magnesium you prefer is fine - or can try Magnesium Theonate, lactate, or even citrate (citrate will loosen stools at higher doses.)
3. Epson salt bath or foot soak.
4. Mag Phos 6X tissue or cell salt - a homeopathic magnesium mineral blend; this is micro-dosing and helps the body pick up and use magnesium. It helps prevent, and also helps to quickly resolve a cramp in action.
5. 20 minute daily brisk walk to improve circulation in legs and body.
6. Jin Shin Jitsu - an energy system to access with your hands. While seated, place your hands behind your knees and hold. Often bringing quick results, it’s a great resource to know (and share) because it can be used anywhere, anytime (on public transport, the airplane, waiting room etc.)

Do you have other ‘go-to’s’? What works for you?

-medicine

11/17/2025

Sometimes natural births are derailed when the amniotic bag of waters breaks around the due date but labor does not begin within the time window the health care provider or medical facility prefers. This often brings concern for infection and pressure to induce labor, and may bring an unanticipated series of interventions as well.

Here are four common sense approaches that help protect the bag until it releases on its own (usually in active labor or during birth). This also helps keeps the baby cushioned, with plenty of fluid to adjust their position, and protected from the outside world until they’re ready.

This time window to labor/birth is a moving target, and a hot topic. Yes, preborn babies can be at greater risk for infection once they’re no longer sealed in the amniotic bag. Also yes, there ARE practical approaches that help to minimize risk of infection. I’ve had women safely go 5 weeks (yes, dripping all the time) before their baby was safely and swiftly born. NO - I’M NOT RECOMMENDING THIS TO YOU, AND NO, WE WERE NOT CASUAL. I have a protocol and she followed it to the letter, and yes, everyone’s health was monitored. I’m not suggesting this is the right approach for everyone, I am suggesting there are options beyond routine, immediate, fearful, and aggressive action.

PS. My natural birth program where all of my protocols are covered in detail will (finally ) be out at the beginning of the year! Comment BIRTH and I’ll personally send you the clickable link for the waitlist info. Looking forward to seeing you there!

11/14/2025

🍃Have you had an herbal bath? Once you’ve even seen it and especially once you’ve had the sublime pleasure of soaking in one, you’ll never be without an herbal bath! So here you go- this video is from the actual bath a dad and I prepared for a postpartum mom and their baby.

🛁The clean tub, medicinal herbs, and SALT make it antiseptic, safe, and wonderfully healing for mom’s sore, postpartum tissues and newborn’s stinky cord. (And skin healing of any kind, scrapes, post-surgery, etc). If you are not using my baths (recipe I evolved over my career and hand make for you), then MAKE SURE YOU ADD SALT to the baths you use to keep it safe! (Often missed in the cute Etsy options.)

💙Running the herbal bath (FOR the pp mom, not BY the pp mom!!)

1. The tub is freshly cleaned with chemical-free products.
2. Make the herbal “tea” with a big pot of water + whole bag of Indigo Forest herbal bath (loose). Simmer for 1 hour or soak overnight.
3. Draw a shallow bath, STRAIN “tea” into the bath.
4. Mom and baby can BOTH enjoy!
5. Yes it is SAFE for postpartum mom or newborn, because of a good amount of both medicinal herbs and antiseptic salt.
6. Soothing, immediately pain-relieving, dries cord, smells fabulous.
7. FULL DIRECTIONS and ordering at www.IndigoForest.com, link in bio, or comment ‘BATH’ here and I DM you the easy link directly.

PS. BLACK FRIDAY SALE IS ON AND INCLUDES BATHS FOR THE FIRST TIME!!

shealthylives

11/12/2025

This is only the start of conversation, not the punchline. In this modern age, the postpartum window tends to be seen as a time to be moved through as briskly as possible. “Get back to real life“. And there’s so much to do, right?

Unfortunately, this modern age has also normalized lingering problems, bleeding for many weeks or months after the birth, and debilitating depression, anxiety, exhaustion, fatigue, and all the rest that is epidemic.

There’s a lot of shaping healthy, satisfying and beautiful postpartum. It includes help lining up and finding support, it involves nourishing foods that are warming and easy to digest, it includes honoring the slower pace of newborn babies and recovering mothers.

How was YOUR postpartum? Doulas and Midwives, what is the main postpartum advice you find most helps your clients?

11/11/2025

I know, it’s exciting to FINALLY be in labor! However, IGNORE LABOR UNTIL YOU CAN’T IGNORE IT! (Honest!)

The most common mistake made by first time parents is to intensely and enthusiastically lean in to labor at its very first sign. However, labor is very rarely like TV with babies flying out by the next commercial!

Early labor can last a few minutes, or even a few days! It’s not usually super strenuous, though it can seem physically overwhelming, especially if it’s not understood. Keep a great attitude, and prioritize rest. Respecting the work of early labor makes things more fun, more efficient, and more safe!

The length of labor is measured from this Active labor/~ 5 cm threshold. Until then, staying cheerful and doing what you would normally be doing is the way to go. Eat/walk/rest/bath or shower/laugh at a funny movie/make cookies with the kids/make memories. AND GO TO SLEEP OR AT LEAST REST if it’s dark! Strategize for needing to conserve your energy, said no parent ever, “I was too rested.”

Respecting the work of early labor makes things more fun, more efficient, and more safe! So do not ramp up in early labor, REST!

If it does seem like the contractions might find their rhythm if the baby was a in better position - try the Reset Position. IT’s AMAZING. Can be done in every setting, anytime.

Comment ‘RESET’ and I’ll DM you the clickable link directly or see it below (www.IndigoForest.com/blog/Reset)

Indigo Forest

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