This is a fun event for you to hear and share birth stories and learn about how to view birth holistically.
This event will give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the work that I do as a holistic healer and insight into my book series on childbirth around the world through a holistic perspective.
You will understand more about the root cause of chronic conditions in the pregnancy journey and why birth complications happen.
This will empower you.
Read MoreI mailed some packages. It felt so great!
It feels so great to give and to know my package will bring some joy to the recipients and help women on their holistic health and wellness journey!
Yay!
If you have been following me for a while, you know that I celebrated 15 years in business this year and last year, I started season one of Holistic Me TV and that the swag giveaway was my way to celebrate.
The winners were:
Terina,
Irmina,
Colleen,
Alycia,
Trudy,
and
Amanda.
Congratulations!!
If you didn't win a prize, there will be more opportunities to win prizes with me.
In fact on 8/8, I will announce another prize winner.
Last December, I wrote a letter to the President of the United States and I mailed it.
Last week, I received a letter in the mail from President Biden.
My dad was so excited for me.
“You have a letter from the White House!”
It was in a fancy envelope.
I opened it.
Almost a year later from when I mailed it.
What would he say?
I opened up the envelope.
The letter was typed on thick stationary paper.
Not on common computer paper.
On cream paper, not on blanched white.
The letter read “Dear Khristee,”
He spelled my name correctly.
He wrote four paragraphs and signed his name in a black marker.
But it was a form letter.
A couple of months ago, I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Tu-Hien Le. She had a regular health and wellness series on Instagram for moms, but recently switched to creating a podcast to reach a wider audience.
Now, she has created The Mamaverse. The Mamaverse is a podcast, vodcast, a blog, and a health and wellness app for moms. The Mamaverse is a community to support moms.
Tu-Hien's mission is to make mamas feel valued and appreciated through a fun online community experience that fosters compassion and collaboration.
I am happy to say that I am a guest on The Mamaverse Podcast. Listen to episode 3 about how to heal chronic health conditions.
Hi Everyone!
It is the time of female empowerment and yet, there is one topic that divides women, childbirth. The Invisible Divide: Unifying And Empowering Women Around The World Through Childbirth is a book to empower and unify women around the world by giving an understanding of why there is this divide and informing women why it is important to be unified on this topic for women's health and wellness, as well as, the future of their children. Many women are silent on this topic while others are judgmental and shame mothers. It is important for women to speak their truth and share their stories, but it is also important to have empathy, to listen, and to see the full picture, to know the history of childbirth, and how it differs around the world. Also, it is important for more women to have empowered childbirth experiences.
Read MoreWriting my book about childbirth around the world has been so much fun! But so has being on podcasts! I have been on many podcast interviews the last few months and they have been so eager to hear about my book. So I have decided to start adding some short clips to YouTube! I know that moms are busy, so I just selected excerpts from the shows so that you can learn a little bit about my book.
Listen to these clips. If you enjoy them, listen to the full episodes and make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more updates on my book, the writing process, interviews and more!
Hi Ladies!
It seems that everyone who I have been connecting with lately is feeling overwhelm and it seems that moms who are about to give birth even if it’s not their first birth are experiencing a new kind of overwhelm. Many places in the world are still not allowing husbands into the delivery room due to the Coronavirus, many are afraid of contracting the Coronavirus at the hospital, and one woman I know is overwhelmed because she is not allowed off the military base and she doesn’t want to give birth in a military hospital again.
What do we do to release this overwhelm that we are feeling?
Yesterday, in my private Facebook Group, Empowered Joyful Empaths, I discussed this topic and let everyone know that they are not alone if they are feeling overwhelm. I also provided some coping skills to help at this time. You can watch the video in the group or read some of my suggestions here.
Try these coping skills. Pick the ones that are best for you. You do not need to practice all of them.
Meditate. (This can be listening to music, breathing deeply or following a recorded creative visualization.)
Spend time in nature. (Soak up the sun. Be surrounded by green and peace. Let nature support you.)
Obstetric violence was not a term that I was familiar with until I started doing research on my book about holistic childbirth around the world.
The first person who mentioned the term to me was actually an OBGYN in Peru, Antonio Lévano, who admitted that obstretric violence was prevalent in Peru. After my interview with Dr. Lévano, a doula in Peru, Ariela Waltzer also brought up this topic without coaxing, which made me realize this was not a term that they invented, but a widespread issue in Peru and many other countries around the globe.
“What is obstetric violence?” I asked.
“Obstretric violence means they do not see your needs. They see their needs. They are not listening to you. They are listening to their book and the charts and numbers and what needs to be signed…. Obstetric violence is very big in Peru especially in private clinics.”
She admitted that obstetric violence is common in Peru and that people have been talking about it for the last fifteen years.
I was shocked.
I asked her if she could share specific examples. She described how the large percentage of c-sections in Lima, Peru is the biggest example. In Lima, the capital, 90% of births at clinics are c-sections. She mentioned that it wasn’t just taking away a woman’s choice about how she would give birth, but that it happens every step along labor
Read MoreHi Ladies!
Are you about to have your first child? There are so many great books out there on childbirth, but here are some quick strategies recommended from WHO (World Health Organization) and Lamaze for having a safe and healthy birth.
Six simple strategies:
Let labor begin on its own.
Walk, move around, and change positions throughout labor.
Bring a loved one, friend, or doula you love for continuous support.
Avoid interventions that aren’t medically necessary.
Avoid giving birth on your back and follow your bodies urges to push.
Keep mother and baby together-it’s best for baby, mother, and breastfeeding.[1]
Are you a mother? What other strategies would you suggest?
Read MoreI was interviewed on Amberlee Jayde’s fabulous Australian podcast, Digital Village. We had great chat! Amberlee interviewed for my book about holistic childbirth around the world. Her transformation is amazing! I look forward to sharing her childbirth stories in my new book series, but until then, listen to our interview.
In this episode, you will learn:
· About my new book that will transform how you see and experience childbirth,
· My mission is to empower every woman around the world in regards to their health and wellness,
· My personal health journey overcoming my debilitating chronic illness,
· How & why I became a holistic healer,
· Universal health issues,
· The importance of healing and how every woman who heals herself, heals all the women who came
before her and heals all the women who came after her,
· We rise as women by uplifting one another,
· The definition of an empath and what one can do to protect oneself from taking on others energy,
· How law of attraction attracts circumstances/ events that surpass our expectations,
· And the importance of a healthy and functioning liver.
Read MoreHome births are illegal in Peru. With the pandemic many mothers in Cusco, Peru are electing to have home births over hospital births. Health officials in Cusco are aware of this new trend and that many are offering to assist women with home births at this time. No arrests have been made yet, but health authorities are greatly discouraging women from giving birth at home saying that it is not safe. They are trying to ensure that every protocol has been made to ensure their safety at this time with the virus and that they should refuse help at home and have their births in hospitals.
This is so sad! Home births should not be illegal. Home births are not more dangerous than hospital births. Women should have the choice where they want to deliver their babies. If they feel safer at home, they should be allowed to give birth with assistance in the comfort of their homes. In Peru people are still in lockdown. They are not allowed to go out unless it is necessary. Requiring pregnant women to leave their homes when they don’t feel safe is not right. This causes unnecessary stress and potential trauma to mothers and their babies. They are scared for their health and their babies health during this pandemic. Why would they want to go to a place where there are people sick with the virus? Women should have the choice. Women should not fear being arrested nor should the people who are assisting them to have a healthy birth.
Read MoreHI Everyone! It is the end of National Maternal Depression Awareness Month. On a previous blog, I shared a little of Carey’s story with her struggles with postpartum psychosis. Today I would like to continue the discussion of maternal depression awareness.
One recent study found that 1 in 5 women may suffer from maternal mental health disorders and 1 in 7 women may experience Postpartum Depression (PPD) in the year after giving birth. With approximately 4 million live births occurring each year in the United States, this equates to almost 600,000 postpartum depression diagnoses. Sadly, it is believed that postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety are much more common than these statistics reveal. Some medical experts believe that the rate of postpartum depression could be at least twice as much than what is actually reported and diagnosed. It is believed that while there are many diagnosed cases of postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety, only a limited number of women actually receive treatment, often because many women do not know they have postpartum depression/anxiety since they are simply adjusting to being a new mom.
Read MoreMaria De Los Ángeles Chero and Ariela Waltzer pictured above are the first doulas of Peru. Dr. Angela Brocker is a doctor and a midwife in Peru who learned about doulas from living in Germany (where she is from originally) and decided to bring this tradition to Peru. In Lima, Peru, of all births in the private sector, the c-section rate is 85-90%, which is much higher than the national average of 35 to 40%. As a doctor in Peru, Dr. Angela Brocker witnessed a lot of obstetric violence and was even encouraged during her training to do practices against women that she did not agree with. In 2005, Dr. Brocker created a doula training program in Lima; Maria and Ariela were some of the first ladies to learn this tradition from Dr. Brocker at her birthing center, Pakarii. Both ladies continue to be doulas today and love it.
Ariela admits that in Peru doulas are not popular (compared to other countries) and that many women still do not know what a doula is, however, over the past fifteen years, more and more women are becoming aware of obstetric violence. She is happy to be one of the pioneers to support women.
Read MoreAre you a new mother? Are you familiar with all the birth professionals who assist mothers during labor? If you are planning to give birth it is very important that you are aware of your options so that you can pick what is best for you. Keep in mind, every country does not have the same options. There are birth attendants, doulas, midwives, and OBGYNS. In some countries, midwives deliver most of the babies (such as in Europe, Australia, and African countries) and OBGYNS only deliver babies if there is an emergency which requires surgery. In other countries, (such as the U.S.) OBGYNs are considered more prestigious than midwives. But in truth, OBGYNs are not more prestigious, but are more common in the United States. While in other countries (such as Kazakhstan) women are still not allowed to have their husbands or birth attendants present during the birth of their child or doulas present (such as in public hospitals in Peru) .
Read MoreIt’s International Doula Month! This month we celebrate all the hardworking doulas around the world who assist mothers before birth, during birth, and postpartum. Through their love and attention, they help to improve the health of mothers and infants.
For my book about childbirth around the world, I interviewed Maria De Los Ángeles Chero, a well-known midwife in Lima, Peru. Maria was one of the first doulas in Lima. She is a pioneer in Peru helping women to have an empowered childbirth experience. Unfortunately, Lima, Peru is a place with a very high c-section rate. Some say the c-section rate in the city is 80 to 90%. Thankfully with Maria’s calming, empathic nature, she is able to assuage many women’s fears and help them to feel supported at this vulnerable time.
When I was in Peru, I interviewed a well-regarded OBGYN named Dr. Antonio Lévano. He is a pioneer in his county for natural c-sections. Natural c-sections originated in the United Kingdom in 2008, but in 2010, Dr. Lévano was the first OBGYNs to implement this technique in his home country of Peru.
It has been well-researched that babies that reach full-term are healthier than premature babies. Babies that are born premature may have respiratory problems such as sleep apnea or require ventilators, and may even have asthma and allergies throughout their lives. Mothers have a harder time breastfeeding babies which are born via c-section too. To remedy these issues, natural c-sections also called gentle c-sections were created.
Lévano described to me how he does natural c-sections in Lima, Peru. These c-sections are planned. Women decide ahead of time that they would like to have a c-section over a vaginal delivery. Unlike scheduled c-sections, after the mother begins contractions, not before, she arrives to the hospital to delivery her baby.
Read MoreIt is the last day of National Infertility Awareness Week and National Infertility Month. Did you know that one in eight couples experiences the pain of infertility, often in silence? That is a large number. Even though infertility has become common in the U.S. and other parts of the world, many mothers experience shame when it happens. National Infertility Week/Month raises awareness of infertility, helps couples cope with infertility, and encourages couples to “come out” with their friends and family without shame or embarrassment. We heal by expressing our truth, not suppressing it.
When I was in Lima, Peru, I interviewed Dr. Angela Brocker, a well-respected general practitioner and midwife in Peru. I asked her the difficult question, “Why is infertility so common today and how can it be remedied?”
Hi Ladies!
It is AYA (Adolescents and Young Adults) Cancer Awareness Week! This week brings awareness to those who currently have or who have had cancer between the ages of 15 to 39. Many people are shocked when they are diagnosed with cancer at a young age. Cancer is something many believe can happen as they grow older, not when they are still growing and developing. Women who are diagnosed young, not only fight for their lives, but they must make difficult decisions before they are thinking about having a child which may affect fertility later.
Some of the issues that AYAs face are isolation, debt, fear of death, problems with relationships, sexuality, infertility, and they often don’t receive the emotional support they need.
A friend of mine named Julia is a mother today, but when she was a young adult she developed leukemia and had to have treatment. Great news is that she beat leukemia and became a mother last year! Throughout her pregnancy journey, she felt great physically and emotionally. And in September, she had a beautiful, healthy baby girl. I was so happy for her!
Lauren is another woman who had cancer young and beat it. Lauren was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She beat it twice! But when she was 24 years old, she was told by her oncologist, when she had her relapse, that her treatment could prohibit for from having children.
Read MoreHi Ladies!
These are difficult times with the Coronavirus, but there are always steps we can do to empower ourselves and bring us back to balance.
One way to raise our vibes, clear our minds, release stress, and fear is to meditate.
Meditation can be easy. It can be as simple as breathing deeply. Inhaling and exhaling longer for several minutes. Or if can be listening to music, putting on headphones and simply listening to music that makes you feel relaxed. (If you can close your eyes and focus on your third eye chakra (in the center of your forehead) while you sit cross legged, breathe deeply, and listen to music, even better!)
Meditation can be as simple as watching water boil in a pan, to be fully focused on the bubbles coming to the surface, and not to be multi-tasking. Meditation does not have to long; It can be for 2 to 5 minutes or it can be for 15 to 20 minutes, if you have more time.
We should always meditate when we feel out of balance. Many people have the misconception that one has to completely clear one’s mind for it to be useful or that it requires a lot of time, but as I mentioned it can be as simply as breathing deeper, listening to music with your eyes closed, or focusing on an object and not thinking about anything else but that one object.
Last month I was interviewed on my first Indian Podcast, The Feel Good Factor with Susmitha Veganosaurus. I was delighted to be on her new podcast! Susmitha is a vegan chef and podcaster who loves to talk about health and wellness, female empowerment, spirituality, and healing. Her podcast, The Feel Good Factor, is all about consciously finding things that spark joy through every aspect of life. The podcast features contemplative talks, interviews and meditations, covering a wide range of topics from compassion to self-love, wellness to abundance, and so much more. Her podcast is so aligned with my values that I was ecstatic to be on her show.
This was my first interview talking about my new book, Shock and Awe: Unifying Women Around The World Through Childbirth and this new blog. On the episode, we spoke about female empowerment, the importance of supporting each other as women, my love for writing, and why I am so passionate about my book and this blog.
Read More
