The Joyful Tree Placenta Encapsulation & More

Indigenous Peoples Day

IxChel (pronounced ‘ee shell’) is the Mayan Goddess of the Moon, Water, Weaving, Midwifery and Fertility. She rules over the cycles of life and death. As the ‘Keeper of Souls’, She is constantly evolving from a young beautiful maiden into an old lady who shares the wisdom of the ages with her people. If you would like to learn more about her you can find a ton of information online. . #ixchel #mayan #maya #goddess #moon #luna #midwife #life #death #water #crops #maiz #corn #indigenous #indigenouspeoplesday #motherhood #fertility #nativeamerican #supportindigenousartists #womensupportingwomen Thank you @soni_artist for your bad ass IxChel!!

There is no place in the world more sacred than our native land . #native #motherearth #land #spiritual #art #strength #chingona #indigenous #indigenousart #atribeofwomen #spiritdaughter #girlgaze #womenempowerment #womensupportingwomen #goodvibes #yaqui #justgirlproject #thejoyfultree #pachamama #protectourland Thank you @soni_artist for your inspiring artwork

Indigenous Peoples Day#fuckcolumbus I am appalled that the United States still recognizes & celebrates Columbus Day as a national holiday. #wtf This land we walk on and take for granted, whispers the stories of my ancestors before & after the colonizers came. The resilient strength of indigenous people is with the Mother! We are still here, we are thriving and we aren’t going nowhere! I have mentioned this before; when I look into my daughters face I see t...he strength & fortitude of my ancestors looking back at me. I am always reminded that I am related to greatness and connected to everything. Support indigenous people and help/share in the current active struggles that they must deal with. Never forget that the land you walk on is paved in the genocide of Native American people. Do better. Be better. Come from kindness. Come from love. #honoryourancestors #yaqui #indigenous #indigenouspeoplesday #supportindigenousartists #indigenousart #native #landback #motherhood #resilience #family #ancestors #thejoyfultree Thank you @soni_artist for your beautiful artwork. This is indigenous motherhood See more

Can I be honest guys? I want to talk about the first few weeks of postpartum. The breastfeeding, the connection to your baby, the new life you enter.. not the beautiful parts but the ugly. The media shows mothers after birth as fully groomed, well rested, happy as ever with their new baby & their new perfect life. But that isn’t the case for most moms. I imagined second time around would be easier but it in fact was harder. Labor was longer with ...excruciating pain, my body took longer to heal, breastfeeding second time around was more painful than I could ever imagine & the connection to my baby... was faint. This is a picture of me mid meltdown on my 2nd week. I just got done breastfeeding for what feels like the 100th time & Doug had just entered the room asking if I needed anything & I said no. When he walked out, I just broke down. Because there were SO many things I needed. I needed breastfeeding to get easier, I needed my nipples to stop bleeding & heal, I needed SLEEP & I needed to feel connected to my precious baby in my arms. I needed to stop feeling guilty for not being the perfect ideal mom and for not being the veteran mom I thought I was. I needed to be less harsh on myself. I needed more than my husband could give me. After a long prayer, I took the photo bc I knew this time would pass & wanted to be reminded later what I had overcome. And now I’m sharing it with you mommas that need to hearYOU ARE NOT ALONE & THESE HARDSHIPS WILL END The days of painful breastfeeding has ended for me and I feel like a natural now. Jace has been sleeping 6+ hrs for his first stretch of night sleep (Hallelujah!). Also, with more sleep & less stress I could finally feel connected to my baby. I am totally COMPLETELY obsessed and in love with him! Things are looking brighter on my end & it will for you guys too. I’m okay now and you will be too. Stay strong mommas. Repost @invasian_ See more

OCTOBER Finally Fall! My favorite time of the year! Autumn Halloween Samhain Noticing the veil thinning and feeling my departed loved ones more and more each day. My wedding anniversary, Dia De Los Muertos and my birthday. Witchy vibes all around This years Halloween lands on a BLUE MOON IN TAURUS Lighting candles for sure this year. What creative things will you be doing with your babies & kiddies this year? This year my daughter and her neighbor friends will be having a Halloween celebration since the Rona is kind of ruining the door to door trick or treating fun. #manifesting #honoryourancestors #sacred #ancestors #halloween #samhain #witchyvibes #autumn #seasonofthewitch #lanadelrey #thejoyfultree #placentaencapsulation #birth #baby #motherhood #pregnancy #womensupportingwomen

As you approach or pass your expected due date, you may notice that your Braxton Hicks turn into contractions, which may become intense and then fizzle out. You may feel discouraged (or exhausted) by this starting and stopping of waves. You may notice this happen once, twice, three times. Well, this is completely normal. But, this early early labor pattern may confuse you into making choices that can affect how the rest of your labor turns out. Often, first time moms (having... never experienced the entirety of childbirth yet) might depart too early for their birth place, insistent that they are in fact further along in their labor than they actually are. Once they reach their birth place, undergo an exam, they may come to find they are not yet quite in active labor or maybe their waves have all but disappeared. So what should you do if this happens?- Firstly, before the end of your pregnancy, you need to decide on your birth plan. What are your needs and desires? Do you want an unmedicated/intervention-free birth? Do you want an epidural? Do you want to avoid an induction? If you answered yes to any of these, you need to communicate with your provider. It is true that most OBs have never attended an unmedicated birth. Your care provider has a huge influence on how your labor can pan out (ex: most want you to go to the hospital if your water breaks, regardless of if you’re having contractions). Find a provider that is supportive of your wishes. Next, hire a doula. She can help you navigate where you are in labor. Lastly, trust in your body. The starting/stopping of labor can be worrisome for some mamas, especially if you have not seen any dilation. What you must understand is that every contraction is serving a purpose: whether that be to tone/strengthen your uterus, thin your cervix, move your baby (because the position of your baby is arguably the most important thing), etc. So these waves (even though inconsistent) are doing something. Having an educated birth team can help you understand your labor pattern and help make it both more efficient and more consistent with a variety of different measures. Repost: @downhomemama See more

Announcement This Certified Placenta Specialist is #obsessed with #placentas Just an FYI. #thejoyfultree #placenta #placentaencapsulation #birth #baby #motherhood #postpartum #crunchymama #womensupportingwomen #womenempoweringwomen #doula #midwife #orangecounty #losangeles #ladybabycake #pregnancy #holistichealth #grateful

MADRE INDIGENA See the strength in her eyes, the roots of her heritage that she wears with pride. Her abundance is not in what she has but in her visions and sight. ... While others migrate to the city, she finds ways to be triumphant and survive. You can’t tell if she’s afraid, but you can see courage in her stride. She may be invisible to many but her presence you cannot hide. Her hands and feet look weary, and even the winds with her plight seem to collide. Wanting the best for her baby even in the face of uncertainty is a desire that she can’t subside. From her very own milk her child drinks resilience and a sense of pride. No mater the hard pressures and life tides, this mother is determined to nurture with tender love regardless of her strife. Poetry by @chichihualli lactation specialist Mireya Tecpaxochitl Art by Santos Laroj #chichihualli #chichihuallipoetry #Indígenalactation #breastfeeding #breastmilk #lactation #lactationconsultant #womenempoweringwomen #womensupportingwomen #indigenous #indigenouswomen #strength #motherhood #sacred #birth #newborn

Lactation Cookies Note to self: Don’t be shaking your phat ass listening to @princessnokia while making lactation cookies. #shakingmycakes One of my cookies fell on the ground. Thank Goddess I made extra! #lactationcookies #lactation #lactationconsultant #cookies #breastmilk #breastfeeding #breastfeed #breastfeedingmom #breastfedbaby #breastfed #breastfeedingsupport #postpartum #placenta #placentaencapsulation #princessnokia #lalecheleague Song by: Princess Nokia, Flava.

Placenta Magick Look at those bi-lobes. #puremagic #ladybabycake #firstbirthdaycake #placenta #placentaencapsulation #thejoyfultree #motherhood #baby #birth #postpartum #doula #midwife #homebirth #losangeles #orangecounty #holistic #crunchymama

It’s international breastfeeding week and what better way to celebrate then a montage of my tit-tastic bellendary over the last year. I fucking love boobs and I’ll forever be in awe of their spectactular lactational capabilities. However, I’m no naive nip nancy and I know too well how unbelievably challenging breastfeeding can be. For a lot of us women it’s about as ‘easy’ and ‘natural’ as trying to feed a fucking slug with dentures. Neither of my breastfeeding experiences ca...me easily, Oliver more so than Edith so I just wanted to give a little areola love tonight and remind you to rejoice in whatever your breastfeeding journey looked like, however difficult or complicated or easy (if you were one of the lucky bitches) it was. I am now trained as a mindful mother to mother breastfeeding supporter with @mindfulbreastfeedingcoach but don’t worry, I’m not a breastfeeding nutter who thinks you’re a cunt if you don’t milk the tit factory - I support all women, however they feed their babies, with no question or judgement. But tonight I just wanted to say a big yes to the funbags and say that whether your baby fed solely at the nork or you exclusively pumped or, like me, you did a combination of the two as well as using formula, be proud. One hour, one day, one week, one year - time is irrelevant because you fucking did it. P.s that is not my real tit. I fucking wish Repost @victoriaemes #internationalbreastfeedingweek #internationalbreastfeedingweek2020 #breastfeeding #normalisebreastfeeding #breastfeedingandpumping #breastmilk #motherhood #postpartum #birth #milkies #lll #lalecheleague #breastfeedingmom #breastfeedingjourney #lactationsupport #lactation #lactationconsultant #lactationcookies

In Home Encapsulation This is the last In Home I did before the Covid broke out. I currently stopped all In Homes temporarily until the time is right. I am currently missing the In Homes though but grateful for what I got. #placenta #placentaencapsulation #thejoyfultree #birth #baby #motherhood #postpartum #pregnancy #midwife #doula #crunchymama #holistichealth #orangecounty #losangeles

Being educated and knowledgeable is absolutely vital ; informed consent and informed refusal are both so important in a birth setting. Informed consent is NOT telling you what is going to happen, it is INFORMING you on the benefits and risks of your choices and letting you make an informed decision.... There are topics that need to be discussed and researched before you give birth, that way you are aware of everything that is going on and educated on the choices that may be presented to you. You have choices; you have options. Things to research: - Cervical checks - Membrane stripping - Breaking of water bag - Intravenous fetal monitoring - Continuous vs intermittent fetal monitoring - Hands-off birth - The epidural and it’s benefits, risks, & side effects. - Pitocin and it’s benefits, risks, & side effects. - Foley bulb/vacuum/forceps - Episiotomy vs. naturally tearing - Coached/Purple pushing vs. following your instincts - Fetal Ejection Reflex - TDaP & Flu shot during pregnancy (not tested for safety on pregnant women) - Vitamin K & Hep B for baby moments after birth (Vitamin K has a black box warning & Hep B is a sexually transmitted disease) - Erythromycin - The Golden Hour/ skin to skin/the breast crawl for breastfeeding, if you plan to - Placenta encapsulation - Your hospital’s c-section rate - Non-medicinal pain relieving techniques - AND SO MUCH MORE! This is just scratching the surface, but the main point is YOU HAVE CHOICES. Are you educated on all of these things? Do you know your options? Do you have support? . . Find a great childbirth education class and/or a doula to help support you during this magical period in time #doulasupport #doulawork #chicagodoula #doulathis #informedconsent #placenta #placentaencapsulation #thejoyfultree #birth #baby #pregnancy #motherhood #empoweringwomen #thebirthiwant #birthing #laboranddelivery #midwife #holisticdoula #herbaldoula #holsiticbirthingservices #crunchyandsweetmama Repost: @crunchyandsweet_mama