Giving Birth in the USA vs Netherlands

The memories just crossed my mind again of those two times: when I gave birth to my first baby girl in the US, and 2 years later, to my second one in Netherlands. Even if both did not turn out the way I had planned, they do make for great memories❤... plus interesting and fun stories to share.

There are definitely BIG differences with how the system works in each country. This post however, is not for the purpose to criticize either or make or a statement as to which one is better. The purpose here is just to share the experience and hopefully peak your interest on what else is out there... Before starting though I ought to mention that I can't make a personal comparison with the full pregnancy in the US since when I came I was already almost 7 months pregnant (before that I was in France - I know, what's up with us getting the jiggle when having babies😉).

1. The "Caretaker"

In the US, as I seemed to understand once I came, you either pick an OB/GYN that will follow you until the big day of your delivery at the hospital; or you go with a midwife, which means if everything is right, you will most likely deliver at the birthing center. Right?

In France, I actually chose the combination of both (which is pretty popular): I was regularly and mostly followed by a midwife, but would go to the OB/GYN at the hospital few times for the most extensive appointments. 

In Netherlands however, women are mostly followed by midwives. Whichever way you are expected to give birth, the midwife is the one who will follow you pretty much all the way. I was quite intrigued, as my 1st birth ended up in an emergency c-section, I thought that would call directly for a "doctor" care. I was actually told they would be the ones following me for the first 7 months, and then they will hand me over to the doctor at the hospital of my choice. Only the pregnancies with a certain "risk" for natural birth are getting this "special" treatment. That worked out great for me, so I was rather pleased with this "accommodation".

2. Caring for your pregnancy

Well... This was definitely different... See, even in France that I was followed by a midwife (VERY alternative midwife by the way - and I loooooooved her!), I was still given a series of blood tests at the beginning of my pregnancy and several times throughout. Those, in order to check for some histories, STDs, toxoplasmosis, my overall cholesterol, sugar, iron, white cells count etc, etc... This is just standard, for everybody. In the US, I did some too and I also had this gestational diabetic test (with this yummy drink to swallow - sarcasm here), this was also the case in France. And of course, I had regular gynecological exams to check how everything is down there - from the midwife and the doctors.

In Netherlands, I did not have ONE single gynecological exam. That was pretty scary for me. Not that I am looking for nor enjoying the process, but this was just something I was expecting, to kind of make sure that everything was "ok". I also believe I had only 2 or 3 blood tests (including the one to verify I am indeed pregnant, and the second being for the dawn syndrome probability check - all the standards). My appointments consisted of exchanging about how I was doing/feeling, check for questions and listening to the baby's heart. When I asked about all the other tests I was either answered by "do you have reason to believe you have an issue, like a STD? If yes, you need to go to you primary care physician to give you the test" or "well, everything was ok during your first pregnancy so there is no reason it should be different and you look in good health".🙄

I also did go to the nearby hospital for the regular echographies.

A funny story - 

For my first baby, passed a certain month, I was told by my midwife in France - or just any doctor in France or US - NOT to use the bicycle (because of the risk of falling and the vibrations). In Netherlands I was using the bicycle to go to work everyday (like most people), which used to take me 20+ min, and later on 30 min... Around 8 months, I was really starting to feel some strong tightness and low abdominal pains everyday, which I cared to mentioned to my OB/GYN at my regular visit. Her answer "Well, can you still bike?"...😳Me (thinking, what the heck does this have to do with my issue?): "Yes, but that was my concern, maybe I should not". Her: "Ahhh, no! You can definitely continue taking your bicycle until the end"... "However if you are feeling pains that means you should rest a lot more so you need to decrease your time at work, 5 days/week is way too much for you right now"...😳... on that note, I was basically to keep biking to work but for the last month I was only to work 4 days/week (keeping my regular paycheck).

3. The Birthing Plan

On this side of the ocean, we mostly deliver at the hospital, or for some, at a birthing center with the midwife. If you go to a hospital, you can choose to have natural delivery but in general, women will get the epidural as soon as labor is on its way...
In France, the general situation is that you deliver at a hospital, but when everything is right, the midwifes are the ones delivering the baby... Only when tough "situations" occur, the doctor is called (unless we specifically require for the doctor to deliver).

In Netherlands, I was pretty impressed... The standard is actually to deliver at home. Since you are followed by a team of midwives, they will be the ones on call to come over your house to deliver the baby. They will also do the basic baby check-up at birth. From that, you can imagine that pain medication is not as used... You just toughen it up. In case of complications however, you would be sent in emergency to the hospital.
To be honest, I cannot say for sure if this is something women really prefer... A few women I have talked to had some pretty scary stories... while others had a wonderful experience. What you have to understand though is that most insurance plans will not let you deliberately choose to go deliver at a hospital just because "you want to", if there is no medical reasons. Actually, I remember receiving that huge "home birthing package" by mail from the insurance when I was maybe just about 6+ months pregnant. It consists of all the things you and the midwives will need you to have at home for delivery: big night pads, mesh underwears, compresses, gauzes, alcohol, gloves, mattress protections, etc... It's a standard, delivered to every mom. Even though I knew I would not deliver at home, I got a little bit scared seeing all of this supply here, but at the same time, how nice is it to send all those necessities!!! 

Now, I personally had to go to the hospital. So at 7+ months, I went for a tour my hospital was offering with explanations of what to expect, what were the options, and overall how things work. It was all in Dutch by the way so I will take this opportunity to praise google translate and its amazing functionality that allows to translate real time PowerPoint slides 😁. The point I want to make here was my big surprise to how they presented the birthing process in terms of pain management. They presented first all the natural ways, then a list of increasing strength pain medications, and then at the very end, "If you are REALLY in excruciating and unbearable pain", at very last resort, you can ask for the Epidural... At that time, I was still planning on being able to go through a V-back (a vaginal delivery after a c-section), so this scared me a little to be honest as I remember thinking I hope they will not let me scream until I pass out before giving me something... or needing to go to an emergency C... But nothing of this happened... 

4.The Birthing Experience

Unlike I had hoped coming to such a "minimalist medicated" country, considering my own personal condition I was to have a planned C-section for this second baby. Pretty sad at first, but the doctors there never pressed me to choose this. I loved that they were so bold, direct and honest with the pros & cons and risks associated with each option, and how they will do everything to respect my choice. Considering the level of risk (mostly for my baby) in my case, it was clear to my mind which I had to choose.

But at least this enables me today to give you a pretty good comparison between the birth in the US versus NL. Moreover, the 2 hospitals we chose were pretty similar in terms of size (we chose the smaller size hospitals) and comfort (with the personal "suite" as they call those individual rooms & restrooms). 

I could tell you a lot of course about this part because it's my favorite part of the story when I get to hold my baby 💕, but I will try to keep it straight to what should be of your interest in the subject😉. 

In terms of the operation itself I will not go into details, I mean I am not a doctor... The only thing I will say I appreciated from the experience in the Netherlands are: 

• the fact that they offered to put the baby on my chest right after they checked her in, even though the operation was still going on. 
• the fact that my husband was sitting next to my head, next to the doctor, the full time (besides when they checked the baby he went with them).
• the fact that the team was ready to take pictures of us at birth, that my husband could take his Gopro... I mean don't get me wrong though, I NEVER want to look at those pictures he took of the birthing process, but the fact that he could do that was pretty nice. In the US, we were clearly told we could not take any videos of the birth (natural or not) - I am guessing it has to do with fear of law suits...? 
• the fact that once the operation was over we all directly went back to our room (not in the recovery room as I was in for a while in the US). I am not sure why this was... 

Time at the hospital

Like in the US, it was 3 days in Netherlands after a C-section. Actually even less, as on this third day they pretty much kicked us out early in the morning... They have moms waiting so they need to empty the rooms... If medically speaking you're good, then no reason to stay. I remember in the US however they did not mind us taking our time - we pay for it anyway 😜 (I will come to that money chapter in a little bit).

The medication part was maybe the most different part of it all! I remember being drugged so much in the US I had to tell the nurse to cut my drugs in half, to which she would answer that it's important I still manage low pain so that I can get up and practice walking with a straight bust as it was important for the healing- which I still did. However, as soon as I came back home I would barely take what they had given me... It was so strong for me... There was the combo acetaminophen/oxycodone, some ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory), and the stool softener. 
On the other side, in the old viking country, I had only acetaminophen and ibuprofen equivalent for the first 36 hours, and from then, only acetaminophen - to decrease every day from day 4 and finish by day 7. I was in such a pain... I was remembering how "I am supposed to get up and start walking straight", but each time I would the pain was so powerful I would almost faint on my way back to my room/bed. Actually this time around, on day 2 (that I was just getting acetaminophen) I even asked for a bit "stronger" medicine, to which I was clearly answered no. The reason for this is that I have a brand new baby and the most important is for me to have a clear head and not be "dizzy". The pain meant I had to take it easy... Baby steps...

Such different thinking🤔...The Dutch reasoning speaks to me a lot more... but each way makes a lot of sense because of what is in the next chapter...

  

5. Post Partum - Back at Home

US

The happy family leaves the hospital on its way back home and is now on its own with a brand new baby... Now if like us you do not have family living close and the mom just had a C-section, she's pretty "useless" - so to speak - as she can barely walk, can't bend and can't carry anything else than the baby and drugged up. Dad may or may not be lucky to still have a few days off and help around.

In our case, my husband was not given any days off, and bless his heart he still managed to be SO present, doing pretty much everything (house, baby, dog...), barely sleeping and working from home for a full week💙... Then we were very lucky to have his mom being able to fly in and come help us (a lot!) for a while as we were facing a pretty exhausting situation here...💛 

This is also the case for so many other families, getting back home exhausted, in pain and on their own trying to figure things out ... so now looking back at it, the "reason" of such high medication for pain management makes a lot of sense ("technically"). The mom just needs to be able to handle taking care of basic needs + her brand new baby. She does not have the "luxury" to be able to "just rest", and "enjoy baby time"...

NL

If you have not experienced it, what I am about to describe here will sound like a dream... ✨

As soon as we know when we are supposed to leave the hospital, we call the "kraamzorg" company previously selected. There is not an actual english translation for this but it would be best described as a service for a maternity nurse, even though that description is too limited.

This person comes to our house as soon as we come back from the hospital, or as soon as the baby is delivered when it was a home delivery. She usually come 7-8 hours a day for 3/4 days and up to 7 days in case of C-section. She a specialized maternity certified nurse so her priority is to help with mother's cares (personal, healing, medical follow-up...), baby's care (check on weights, developments,...), help the parents with how to take care of the baby in his environment at home or when going outside (bathing, making a safe bed/environment,..), how to breastfeed, make appointment for the pediatrician and midwife to come visit during her stay to check on us,...

But that's not it - she helps taking care of the baby so that parents can rest, she makes the bed, laundry, clean the the place (bedroom and shower everyday to make sure of no infection), cooks, can do the grocery shopping, pick up elderly at school/daycare,... basically everything we would need help with! 

Her help was very precious to us as we were not familiar with having a "winter" baby (first one was born in summer in Florida), but overall she made of that time being back at home a true enjoyable and absolutely marvelous memory. I had sent my first one with my parents in France, my husband had the week off, so we really got to relax and bond with our newly born... and freely watched movies... first time since our first one was borned we actually had such a relaxing time.

Bringing it back to the medication topic now, it makes sense that mothers can afford being on low medication as they are truly offered the opportunity to rest, take care of themselves, heal, to be able to be fully there for their baby.

Just for information, France does not provide for the same service as Netherlands does, however people are offered more days off as compared to US.

6. Maternity Leave

I am still unsure of the full rights mothers and fathers have (not) for the birth of a child. I understand that mothers can choose to take a 12 weeks unpaid leave, fathers do not have any privilege... I find this pretty tough.

In France, mothers get 16 weeks total of PAID leave (and more from 3rd child, or in case of multiples), they can then ask for unpaid leave (they may still perceive a small pension from the social security) or use their vacation time. Dad gets 11 consecutive days of PAID leave + 3 days for the birth.

In Netherlands, the maternity leave is similar as the one in France (16 paid weeks total) and 26 unpaid (depending on how long you've worked for the employer). The paternity leave however I found pretty low for such a country with only 2 PAID days but then companies have their own benefits - some pay 75% for 5 days... It is supposed to change to 5 days aid leave in 2017.

7. Money Talk - the cost💰

Huge difference on this topic as you may expect...

Our total out of pocket for the pregnancy (starting at 7 months) + birthing experience in the US ended up somewhere around $7,000.

In Netherlands, roughly 90 euros (~$100). Yes, you read that right, $100 for ALL the described above. $90 of this amount accounted for the hospital, which was actually the cost/participation for my husband staying with me 3 full days (change of his bed + his food) - that's pretty fair! The remaining, I am actually over-evaluating, as it accounts for our participation of ~$1/day for the maternity nurse...

The difference is pretty insane considering the comfort at the hospital was pretty similar.

And just in case you're wondering about the cost of our health insurance over there, it was about $250/month for the 4 of us (kids are actually "free"), but yes, there are considerably higher taxes there... but that would be a whole different conversation😉

I hope you enjoyed reading this (rather long) story and maybe discovered a thing or two of what exists out there... I would love to read any question or comment you have for me so do not hesitate to drop them below😊

As they would say over there - Tot Ziens! (Bye!)

Homemade Baby Soap/Shampoo

It took me a while to start doing my homemade bathroom products... Mostly out of convenience (or habit of just buying what I need). Then, because I thought something on the market - in the crazy entire library of baby and personal products - has to be great for a good price.  And I liked a few... But I realize that even out of those that do not have - too many- harmful ingredients, most are DEFINITELY not worth the money. NOT worth. The list of ingredients is clearly way too long for being gentle enough on my little ones' skin.
So I decided to make my own out of simple & natural products. Cheaper, healthier, gentler, EASY. SUPER EASY. Minimum Ingredients...💚

Ingredients:
- A (glass) jar or soap dispenser (I use THOSE for pretty much anything, love them)
- Boiled water
- Dried (Loose Leaf) Chamomile (You can find some HERE - I use chamomile a lot, particularly when the kids are sick or teething, or for good health in general...)  
- Castile soap (Unscented/Baby) - the base of this recipe. I use this ONE
- Sweet Almond Oil (because it leaves the skin so smooth 😍, you can use it straight on your face or body anytime too). HERE is the one I use.

I have learned to love Castile Soap as it is made from coconut, olive & hemp oil. HOWEVER, it is highly concentrated so you should not use it pure directly on your little one. Thus, this post 😉

HOW to Make it
Whatever the size of your jar, the ratio in your jar will basically be 3/4 water, 1/4 castile soap 
1. Boil the water
2. Pour water in about half of your container
3. Use the remaining  to steep 1tsp of loose chamomile for about 5 min (use a tea strainer if you have one, or just make sure your "tea" water is free of herbs before pouring it in the jar)
4. Fill in the jar with the chamomile tea to about 3/4
5. Let it cool down
6. Add 2-3 Tbsp of Sweet Almond Oil
7. Fill the last 1/4th of the jar with Castile Soap
8. Close it & shake it well - et voila!


Few Notes:

• This Soap is NOT tear-free, so just use with caution around eye area and rinse well with clear water in case some dropped in the eye
• This Soap does not foam as much as industrial soap do - and that's completely normal as it is free of foaming agents😉

🎇Don't hesitate to let me know if you tried it or share your own recipes!

Today I am GRATEFUL for…

 

Taxes… it means we have an income and assets to support our family needs

The mess in the house… it means I have joyful and active kids/husband playing around the house

The dirty dishes… it means we have food to fill our stomach

Laundry… it mean we have clothes to wear everyday

Bills… it means we have, and can afford, a phone / electricity / water / a roof over our head / etc…

The rain… as it reminds me that I do not have to worry everyday about water supply, and the reason I can enjoy my fresh veggies

The cold days… they give me  a good reason to cuddle with dear ones and enjoy inside family activities

Short/disrupted nights… it means I have children, a greater purpose than just myself to take care of.

The morning alarm clock… it means I have a job and an other day to celebrate life – better enjoy it as early as possible

Running after time… it means I have a life!

A Healthier (yummy) Thanksgiving dinner alternative (vegetarian)…

As a good French, I DEFINITELY loooooooooove food. For what is in my plate but also for the time I have sharing this meal with my family, friends, loved ones. For the memories this meal creates. And this is the reason why I have come to love Thanksgiving dinner: people have the day off, we meet with loved ones, share stories, laugh, hugs, dance, sing…. and gather around the table. I find that the table is very frequently at the center of celebrations – and I like that. However I can often feel guilty when leaving, thinking of how much I ate, and that it is not really a time of joy for my body…
So below is an idea for an alternative main course.
Salmon, cranberry sauce, crispy sweet potatoes and asparagus

The easy part is that besides the cranberry sauce, everything is cooked in the oven – so no need to stay over the stove.
1. The crispy sweet potatoes bites

This is maybe the most difficult part. Count about 1 sweet potato per person. Wash them, peel them and cut them into little “cubes” (or whatever shape you can as long as it is not to thick). Place all on a thin layer tray that goes in the oven (like a pizza tray). In order for them not to attach on the tray you can wipe it with coconut oil.
Sprinkle the sweet potatoes cubes with: coconut oil, a hunch of salt and cinnamon.
Those will cook in the oven at 390-400 F (or 200 C), for about 45 min / 1 hour or until desired crisp/cook is achieved.

2. The salmon

It is always best to pick a big fresh (wild if you can) piece of salmon. Cut it into as many portions as persons you have at the table. Marinate these in lemon juice, salt, a bit of black pepper and dill during the time your prepare the sweet potatoes.
Place each portion in an aluminum wrap, which will go in the oven. These will cook for about 15/20 minutes at the temperature given above.

3. The asparagus

Similar to the salmon, I wrap them into aluminum foil, and squeeze a lemon on top, add some salt and black pepper. If you have plenty of asparagus, divide them into several wraps (like 1 wrap / 2 persons) so that they cook better.
Place each wrap in the oven, same temperature than the potatoes, for about 15 minutes.

TIP: To make things easy, and have everything cooked at once, place first the sweet potatoes in the oven at the top tray. 20 minutes before due time, add the salmon (second tray is fine), and 5 minutes later the asparagus (can be at the lowest tray).
4. The cranberry sauce

I will leave this one up to your taste. On my side, I like the sour taste so I only put a couple spoons of brown sugar and some cinnamon.

You can eat this meal without feeling guilty so that you can indulge a bit more on the dessert, the wine, the cheese, or whatever is your “soft spot” :)


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Screen Time for Kids

 

As parents we all hear / know that too much screen time for our kids (or for ourselves for that matter) is not good. But why? And how much screen time is too much?

All researches seem to agree on the fact that we need to keep kids’ screen time to a minimum for health, psychological and educational benefits. However, recent studies seem to show that parents believe that technology and “gadgets” are of help to their kid’s development. Kids own tablets and/or phone at a very young age. Of course the reasons behind this are easy to understand (and fall for): convenience, keep the kid entertain, hope for him/her to be tech-savvy…The truth is, no matter the content, purpose, support (TV, educational, video games, homework, phone, etc.) ; screen time is screen time and should be limited as it is linked to several issues in children: 

• addiction
• lower academic grades
• lack of social connection
• increased incidence of illness
• decreased “problem solving skills” needed in real life
• sleep disruption (particularly if used before bed time)
• health issues (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease)
• premature mortality ???

Below the maximum screen time advised by different health organizations and experts:

AGE	Recommended Screen Time
<2 years old	None
2- 5 years old	<= 1 hour / day
5-18 years old	<= 2 hours / day

The French government recommends no screen time for children under 3, and has even banned TV programmed aimed at this group. Australia and Canada have similar guidelines. Some Asian countries even have legalized for parents to monitor how much time their kids spend in front of a screen (though this may be extreme measures)…

You might also be amazed to learn that plenty high techs leaders send their kids to school that exclude screen time until teenage! When a technology journalist suggested to Steve Jobs, in 2010, that his children must have loved the just-released iPad, he replied flatly: “They haven’t used it. We limit how much technology our kids use at home.”

Now, if you worry that by removing any screen time your kid may be bored, comfort yourself with the fact that many professionals agree that being over stimulated is worse than being bored. Children need to learn how to deal with boredom with healthy alternatives: Physical activities, Social activities, Hobbies …

Where my daughter goes to daycare in the Netherlands, they are true believer that over stimulation is not good for kids, the space is studied to limit the amount of colors, noisy/electronic toys: kids have fun playing with each others, educational toys using their imagination, arts and crafts, and playing/going a LOT outside (weather is not even that great there, but if it is not extra windy/rainy they spend time out). It is so nice as a parent seeing your kid having fun jumping outside, gardening, playing with sand…

Also note that background noise at home (TV/radio turned on in another room), also ruins your child’s concentration.

My last comment to close that topic: remember that parents set the example. So if your kids see you regularly turn on the TV when you get home, or while eating dinner ; they will take that as a standard and reproduce it. I know it’s a bummer, as honestly when I get back home home from work and walking the dog, or when it is grey and rainy outside, I would sooooooo feel like putting a nice movie and lay down – and honestly still do from time to time. So I am not saying you can never do that, just be aware of the influence you have on your child and what you are setting as standards for him/her.

 

Sources:

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/23/screen-time-v-play-time-what-tech-leaders-wont-let-their-own-kids-do

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/feature/digital-home/how-much-screen-time-is-healthy-for-children-benefits-3520917/

https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/pages/media-and-children.aspx

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2014/08/28/343735856/kids-and-screen-time-what-does-the-research-say

Introducing Baby and Dog for the 1st time

This is a video we made the first time we came back home from the hospital with
our baby girl, and how we introduced her to our dog (black Labrador).



As a note: I am not saying this is THE way to do it. We have put quite a lot
of training into him so his behavior may not reflect another dog’s. One good
advice we were given, is to bring every day from the hospital, one of the linen
used to swaddle our baby and put it in our dog's bed. This way he gets used to the
baby smell, and eventually understands when he sees her.

Shaving your Baby’s hair

My husband’s mother is Russian, and in Russia there is a tradition that you shave (= cut very short) a baby’s head when he/she turns 1 year old. She had it done to herself, and did it to her 3 kids (2 daughters, 1 son). Talking with different people from different backgrounds, I have learned that quite a lot of different cultures do it as well (some several times during the kids growth): eastern Europe, India, Korea, Vietnam, Greece, and many others… The reason for this? It may be a tradition, linked to religion or a particular belief, but they also all agree with the same outcome: shaving your baby’s head is supposed to help the hair grow evenly and thicker.
Hmmm… interesting… Beautiful thick hair, well that is definitely something I wish for my daughter! She has quite good genes already on that end, but I have to admit, when I see the result on my mother in law and sisters in law, I can’t help but think that if one shaved head at 1 year old is the price to pay it is definitely worth it! Now, it is not something we do in France so I have to admit I had quite a pinch in my heart cutting my beautiful baby girl’s hair (she had by far the longest hair of her age group and I was so proud of this!).
Putting some thinking into this, it also made a lot of sense to me: from my teenage time my mom kept on telling me never to shave but always to use wax or the epilator – as shaving would only make my hair grow thicker. And this is a true fact by the way, I shaved my legs a couple times and it took me a month of using the epilator twice a week (rather than once) to get my growth back to normal. It was awful and I hated it – and swore never to use the razor again lol. (I will write a blog entry about this). But if you do not believe this, then you can try shaving your upper lip, or you forearm for instance, and see how the hair grows back: my bet = thicker.

To sum up = I did it! My good (Greek) hair dresser friend trimmed my baby girl’s hair at around 1 year of age. Today, 1 year later, my husband and I think this was indeed a great decision and will do it as well for the second. Her hair have grown back so thick, nothing like those baby hair she had before – I think they are even thicker than mine! She beats all the kids of her entourage. At her daycare the nannies love to do her hair because she is the only one with such a head full of hair. The only inconvenient: she does get quite hot from the head in the summer time…
You can see below the before/after pics. Please let me know if you did it as well / or consider doing it or what you think about this, I would love to read your story.

// Recipe // Healthy & Filling Pancakes (coconut milk, almonds, berries, chia seeds) – no added sugar, no added fat!

Healthy, filling and yummy pancakes – perfect for those Family Sunday Mornings! They contain everything you need for a healthy meal without the guilt of splurging: protein, healthy essential fats and vitamins. No topping even needed as they are delicious by themselves!
And honestly, you will fill completely full with only 2 of those!

Ingredients for about 10 to 12 pancakes:

1. 175g of whole wheat – unrefined – flour or almond flour (1 1/4 cup)
2. If you did not use the almond flour, 1 cup of chopped raw almonds
3. Chia seeds
4. 4 eggs
5. 500 to 700 ml (2 to 3 cups) of coconut milk, depending on the consistency you like
6. 1.5 cup of chopped blackberries (and/or blueberries)

Mix Ingredients 1 to 3. Then make a funnel and add the eggs, mix with a fork. Add the milk slowly, while mixing, then the berries.
Make one pancake to test the consistency and adjust milk/flour if needed.
Tip: Use coconut oil on a paper towel on your pan to avoid sticky pancake (every 2 or 3 pancake should be enough if you have a good Tefal pan) –> no fat needed in your pancake mix!
Serving: either by themselves or with a touch of honey / maple sirop if you have a sweet tooth . Add these to your green juice and Udo’s oil and you have a great day ahead!

**Baby series** The 5 S System (from ‘The Happiest Baby on the Block’)

I think one of the best thing we did a couple days after coming back home with our 1st new born was to watch that video “Happiest Baby on the Block” from Dr. Karp.
It is quite scary to go back home, left alone from all those nice nurses who know everything about babies, to find your baby crying, not knowing why and what to do about it… This 5S System showed us how to calm our baby in at least 90% of the times!!! Unbelievable! The principle is easy to remember and easy to apply, and we just loved it. So here is the summary:
The first 3 months, a baby is not quite yet “in the outside environment”, what I mean by this is that to calm and reassure him/her you need to re-create the “womb environment” –> this is where he/she felt good. To do so here are the 5 methods that you can do, either one or a few or all of them at the same time. Each baby is different and you will find that yours may like some of those better than others

1. Swaddling – I loved that one. In the womb your baby used to be all tight and feel the warmth of mommy. By swaddling him/her you can re-create that feeling. For a guide on how to safely swaddle your baby you can check this video https://youtu.be/LLqfRQdUP7k. We particularly liked to use the receiving blanket.
2. Side/Stomach position – Hold your baby on his/her side (on your arm, head resting on the ear in your hand.
3. Swinging – In mommy’s womb, baby was used to be rocked all the time, as mommy moves around. By gently swinging/rocking your baby with small movements you can recreate that motion feeling. For our baby this was an important one, I guess because I was moving so much
4. Shushing sound – Ha! This is another good one. We always think that babies need calm and quiet, but actually in the womb it is pretty loud due to the blood flowing through the arteries by the baby “nest”. You can recreate that feeling by making the “shhhhhhhh” sound, quietly by your baby’s ear.
5. Suck – last resort, to my mind, but definitely a great one for a lot of babies I hear (including mine). Either by sucking a finger or a pacifier. “Sucking has its effects deep within the nervous system,” notes Karp, “and triggers the calming reflex and releases natural chemicals within the brain.”

Here you go! The golden technique! Try it at home, you will see the miracles it can make

More information on the website: http://www.happiestbaby.com/the-five-s-way-to-calm-a-fussy-baby/

Fun ways to announce pregnancy

We were looking at how to announce this amazing news to our friends and family and here is an example of what we did…
1. First we announced it to our close friends and family members with a riddle, that we sent by mail. You can see below the document we sent (click on each picture to enhance it)


2. Later on (when the12 weeks uncertainty period was over) we made a funny picture, to share publicly with all our friends and family.
We did not have too much time to have it professionally done but the idea was just to announce it in a cute and fun way, so we did what we could on a sunny day

Please share your announcements as well – it makes it easier for the rest of us when we try to figure out what to do

PS: I forgot to say... the answer to the riddle was
1. 28
2. October
3. Family
4. Upgrade
5. 5.0 (because 5 family members including our doggy)

Last chance hint: "A bun in the oven"

Ingest (essential) Fats to help you lose fat

Intro note: a lot of explanations from this blog entry has been taken from my Life (health) mastery seminar I attended at the Mastery University from Antony Robbins. The below mostly comes from Dr Udo Erasmus, Phd – authority on Fats, oils, Nature and Human Nature. For more information: http://udoerasmus.com/

As wikipedia truly states: “Only two fatty acids are known to be essential for humans: alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) and linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid)”. Studies have shown (1) that our body requires them both for good health, however we cannot synthesize them. This is the reason why it is essential to get them through daily intake.
Before taking you directly to the solution on how to get healthy fats, let’s have first a look at what are the different fats so you will be a better judge in the future of what comes to your mouth…

Unsaturated fats

“Unsaturated fats, which are liquid at room temperature, are considered beneficial fats because they can improve blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation, stabilize heart rhythms, and play a number of other beneficial roles. Unsaturated fats are predominantly found in foods from plants, such as vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds.” (1)
Omega 3 and 6 are present in these types of fats. Most people don’t eat enough healthful unsaturated fats. The American Heart Association shows evidence that eating up to 15 percent of daily calories of polyunsaturated fat—in place of saturated fat -- can lower heart disease risk.
They are also essential food for the brain. Recent studies have found far more good linked to those fats: decreased risks of Alzheimer or Parkinson diseases, decreased rates of depression, and of course good embryonic development (brain activity). They have also been linked to healthy skin and are an essential element to detox.
Great food sources of omega 3 and 6 include:

• Fish
• Oils: Flaxseed, canola, sunflower
• Seeds: Flaxseed, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin
• Nuts: almond, walnut
• Avocadoes

Saturated fats

“Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products. Although all foods containing fat have a mix of specific types of fats. Even healthy foods like chicken and nuts have small amounts of saturated fat, though much less than the amounts found in beef, cheese, and ice cream. “ (1)
A vast amount of studies recommend to limit the amount of saturated fats in the diet and to replace those with unsaturated fats to increase the ratio good/bad cholesterol – and thus decrease the risk of heart diseases.
Those fats are commonly present in: dairy products, meat products, pizza, cookies,…

Trans fats

The worse types of fats and the ones you definitely want to keep out of your mouth. Trans fatty acids are produced by high temperatures and hydrogenation that turns oils into margarines, shortenings, shortening oils and partially hydrogenated oils. A slight molecule change, but a drastic change of its properties, its performance in our body and its effect on our health. To pass on the chemical demonstration, the thing to retain is that our body’s capacity to break down acids is limited. When our intake exceeds our maximum, disease begins to manifest, because our body attempts to use altered molecules for vital structures and functions.

In a Nutshell….
Bad LDL cholesterol can be reversed by drastically decreasing these last 2 types of fats, and by increasing the intake of good (HDL) cholesterol (= Unsaturated Fats).

If you need to remember something:

• Ingest daily Essential fats/oils (= unsaturated fats) to cover your intake of omega 3 and omega 6. The recommended dose is 1 tablespoon/50 lbs (25 kg) of body weight / day.
• Oils are very sensitive: Light, Air, Heat –> buy them in a dark glass bottle (the reason for glass is that plastic can leach into oil faster than water, and plastic does not belong in the body), refrigerate them and consume them fast.
• Organic is the way to go! Regular oils are washed to remove pesticides then cooked to allow to be stored. This process actually damages considerably the oil and is harmful to our body.
• Oils are damaged (and become hurtful to our body) with high temperature – don’t cook them! Remember: Oils are vindictive: “If you fry them, they will fry you!”
• The ratio Omega 3 / Omega 6 is 2:1 – since it can be hard to measure, some oils already provide you with the needed ratio from different seeds. At home we are big fans of the “Udos’s oil – Omega 3-6-9”, since the process to manufacture them takes into account all the points mentioned above. You can find it in the refrigerate section of your health store, or, now that we moved abroad, on online stores…
• Tropical Fats, which include coconut, cocoa, shea nut,... used in their natural state are also very good to add to your diet as they are very high in vitamin E, tocotrienols, carotene and other nut-specific unique ingredients –>  try them at home!

Remember: “Its not FATS that make you FAT” – Udo Erasmus

My personal testimony: Since we started taking our daily “oil shots” (to make this fun we drink it in a shot glass), I honestly saw a big improvement on my skin: a lot less dry, looks hydrated and less  (to none) breakout – after all this money I spent all these years on expensive face creams, the thing that works the best is my oil shot!

(1) http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/types-of-fat/

15 Health Principles

A short post, just to share an idea that has shown some success at our house, with the hope you may find this useful…
After recently attending a “Life Mastery” full immersion program where health (= body, mind, spirit) was in the center, I took an action to define my husband’s and myself “15 Principles of Health”. This consist of a list of 15 principles that we commit to live by to the best we can on a daily/weekly/yearly basis.
This list is hung at our house, well visible and also at work. It fulfills us to look at it and each time we accomplish one of the line and motivates us as we feel we are working on what is the most important to us, a healthy and fun lifestyle for our family. Yes, health IS fun !
If you are interested, take a look, and don’t hesitate if you have any question!

Post Pregnancy – Back to shape : tough for everybody but achievable by anybody.

So it took my a while to post this one and feel comfortable about it because it was first tough to admit how much my body had changed (and by change, I mean weight/fat gain ) with pregnancy. And yes, I got back into shape, and I think even better than before actually. However because I have always been active and healthy people think it was “all natural and easy” for me. Yeah…. well, No….
To tell the truth, I believe it is even harder when all your life you have been rather active and fit, regularly exercising to stay that way or trying to get better, and all it took is just a few months during which you were not allowed/able to work out + hormonal changes that made you hungry all the time and BOOM! + 18kg (~40 lbs) accompanied with the loss of muscles, which I had worked my butt off so hard all all my life to get to the point I was – and still not fully satisfied.
I would have people telling me “don’t worry, you were fit before, you will get back into shape in no time” – yay, well I was not in shape just out of good luck and sitting on my butt, so for me I knew I would have to work harder than ever before. However I was always convinced I would get back into shape – I never had a doubt about it – the hard part was not to loose motivation and stamina realizing all the muscle/physical endurance I had lost and had to gain back, within a year (that was my goal). Why a year? People say 9 months to make a baby, 9 months to lose the weight, and I had to have a C-section, so unfortunately recovery takes a bit longer and you have to be more cautious when you start working out again. So 1 year sounded good and achievable.
Honestly it is a slow process. I did breastfeed for a year, but that makes me laugh when people say that breastfeeding helps you lose weight. It is true that you do spend a lot of calories doing this, but damn that makes you so much hungrier as well! And it is not like I wanted to munch on a celery stick to fill up this hunger… I mean some people might, (unfortunately?) I just prefer ice cream and cookies .
Also, I did not go on a diet. I was reading about some women loosing it all super fast by strict diet, but honestly this does not seem smart to me. You need to have all the essential nutrients when you breastfeed: to pass on to your baby but also for yourself to be able to recover fully after giving birth. Strict dieting can lead to weak heir/teeth/nails, for the least. But maybe the most important reason to me that dieting to lose weight has never been my thing. It does not make me feel happy at all drinking those shakes made out of processed food powder. I would much rather make my own fresh smoothies. I do love to eat pretty healthy with lots of fresh raw greens, vegetables, and home-made food. I was focusing on having a balanced diet – while keeping my desserts
I truly believe that a healthy balance diet is the first step towards getting your body in shape. Second one: work-out.
It is hard when you have a baby, as your personal time becomes considerably limited, and when you do have a few minutes, you just want to rest. But an intense 30 min work out 5 days a week will take you a long way, plus some walks, quick opportunities to do a few toning exercises here and there… all these will pay off. And I will keep on giving some tips in this blog of what has worked for me.
To conclude, no matter where you are with your physical shape, how fit you were/are, I truly believe the body is an incredible machine mother nature has blessed us with, and that as long as you give it the means, you can achieve pretty much anything you envision. The key point is to have full faith about yourself, have the vision of what you want to achieve and share it with your partner so that he can support you. Then holding on to it is easier and results will show.

Special Edition: Couple Work-Out

During your lonely times together when baby sleeps and you do not know what to do (**cough, cough!..) OR.... in case you want to take advantage of this time being free to have some fun and sweaty time with your partner! (Yay! That's the spirit!)

We actually had a great time doing this video :)

Slow down, take the time to eat...

Anyone who has ever visited France or worked there would definitely agree with that: French love their food and they take the time to enjoy it!
When we eat in France it is not out of pure necessity: it is a real pleasure! Each of the 3 meals is important.

1. People take lunch breaks at work of at least 30 min, usually about 45 min, and they very rarely eat at their desk (that is NOT normal). 
2. They also take the time to have a full meal (it is rare for them to grab a sandwich or quick salad), I mean at least a 2 course meal: a hot plate, or a real full size salad filled with protein and veggies, and a "dessert" (yogurt, fruit, both,..). Almost all big corporations have a very nice cafeteria where you have the choice between plenty of appetizers (most of these being raw veggies), healthy hot meals (a selection of fish and meat, and sides), cheese/yogurts, desserts (fruits, or sometime cakes ;)
3. They love company when they eat: it is really a time to share stories and connect with your closed ones/colleagues or even a time to make new acquaintances. Similar like when you go to bars in the US, just way healthier ;) One interesting note: they like to talk about food when they eat, which is actually a healthy habit as it helps stimulate the brain captors and send the signal to the body in order to engage the full metabolism.

So yes, whether at home, at work, or outside, french people do take the time to eat their meal.

So what are the benefits of eating slow(er)? Because time is precious and it is not like if we are swimming in abundance here... Actually the return on investment for your mental and physical health is undoubtedly worth it.

1. Eat Slow to Eat Less - It is usually the first reason invoked. If you eat too fast you do not leave time to the brain to send the signal of satiety. Our brain first needs time to receive the signals from the stomach to inform it that we are eating, and then it is said that it needs about 20 minutes to make us feel that we have eaten enough. This is also interesting as some people expedite their meal when on a diet because they feel guilty eating, while this is actually what makes one gain fat/weight.
2. Eat slow to improve digestion - The digestion process starts in the mouth, with the action of the saliva (1). Taking the time to masticate prevents stomach irritation and helps transit, as otherwise you will ask for the stomach to do most of the work. A good mastication also prevents bloating as it minimises the quantity of air ingested with our food. Good mastication + calm, 2 factors to improve digestion.
3. Eat slow to "meditate" and reduce stress - Focus on the present time, the different tastes, textures, smells, the various sensations. In meditation we call this full awareness. Since we have to eat, why not use those 30 minutes to make them a oasis of serenitude during our busy days? Turn off your TV, put away your phone or computer and turn your attention on your plate. You will find yourself a lot less stressed that way.
4. Eat slow to connect with your closed ones - Meditation is OK when you eat alone, but if at home or at a restaurant/cafeteria this is not the best time. However it is a GREAT time to setup good and healthy family practices (and teach this to your kids who will later reproduce them) by spending time together. Whether you are with your loved ones, friends, family, colleagues, it is the occasion to ask about how they are doing between mouthfuls. Laughs, complicity and trust are easily developed this way.

Points 1. and 2. are actually proven to be linked with obesity. So next time you eat with somebody who just seems to be taking his/her sweet little (TOO MUCH!) time, take a deep breath, relax, realize that he or she has it right and take him/her as an example :) I am telling you will find it a lot more enjoyable, and will put a lot more attention this way on what you put on your plate --> a great way to eat healthy.


(1) Amidon based food (e.g. bread, pasta,...) for instance, are half digested with the action of the saliva if you take the proper time. 

Wheatgrass: The Liquid Sunshine

You may have heard of this plant as it is gaining more and more notoriety as researches show more and more its healthy benefits.
Wheatgrass (herbe de ble) is the young grass from the wheat plant and is harvested very young when its nutrients and vitamins are at its apogee (1).

Nutritional benefits:

This Superfood is called "Liquid Sunshine" due to its high amount of chlorophyll (about 70%), which makes it a high alkaline food. Alkalines food are found to help balance the PH (acidity) in the body (blood, urine) and can therefore be used to prevent or even treat diseases. Researches have found chlorophyll to be of exceptional virtue to the body (cells and blood).
Wheatgrass is a complete food and an excellent source of vitamins A, B-complex, C, E and K. It also contains plenty of minerals and is extremely rich in Iron, Zinc, Copper, and Manganese.
This miracle grass also holds a long list of amino-acids and enzymes the body needs.

Where to find it and How to use it

So what do you do with this grass, you'll ask me, cook it? Well it would be a shame to cook it as you would lose a lot of those benefits, so it needs to be taken RAW. The best and easier way is to juice it. You can get it fresh of course, but nowadays you can easily find it in powder in major health stores. Check that it is raw and organic (not "natural" please, check for real organic certification label), preferably air-dried (frozen or heated will diminish its properties). It does not taste super good, so myself I usually mix it into my morning smoothie (see 'In The Kitchen' page for this recipe). Or just mix it with water and a bit of lemon.

Wheatgrass is thus a good superfood and an effective mean to clean, regenerate and energize the body. (2)
--> Try it for a month, every day, and you will see for yourself :)


(1) For this reason it is naturally Gluten Free (harvest before the gluten forms).
(2) Some (unproven?) well-known facts associated with wheat grass include: leaver purification, blood pressure decrease, elimination of medical drugs residues in the body as well as toxins, helps fight high-glucose in the blood, helps with constipation, acts like a disinfectant for the body, helps in slowing down the aging process.

The power of walking...

I will start this blog with a first post that might seems like "common sense" but I keep on being amazed by seeing how little people walk on a regular basis, and how much we love those cars...
French people are used to walk outside, go for a walk, it is part of a daily routine. Cities are made so that you walk to the center to do your grocery shopping, go to a restaurant, a museum, catch your bus, etc... and this is a big secret of why french women are skinnier in general.

Walking - and by walking I mean outside, not on a treadmill -  helps you maintain your cardio-vascular system and to gently tone your entire body. If practiced on a regular basis it helps you evacuate the stress and tension, purify the organism by improving your intestinal transit. This will also get you outside and breathe some fresh air: that office, the mall, that store is filled with that A/C that everybody is sharing and exhaling CO2 in such a limited area. Noting better than the fresh air, even if you live in a big city.

Now what kind of walking? I would say: any is better than none!!! Of course walking 30 minutes at a fast paced will get you a better exercise: idealistically  you should walk dynamically without being out of breath. What we are told all the time in France is that you should walk at least 20 min /day (dynamic walk).

I love to walk with my baby in the stroller and my dog - and they both enjoy it as well - whether it is with a target destination or just for the fact of getting some fresh air, I always come back home regenerated.

Bottom line: anywhere you can go for less than 30 minutes walk = put on your walking shoes and leave your car behind! (unless of course you have some medical contre-indication or you have to cross/walk along a highway ;) It can start by little things: go to your neighbor, go to that grocery store 2-3 blocks away to get your dinner, park you car further away when you go to the store, avoid going back to your car once your done with one store to drive 1500 feet to the other store. Just use those feet!!!
If if you tell me "I am not young, I am tired, I do not have time, I am not in shape enough" ; I will tell you "My great great parents were walking daily 2-3 miles until they died - around 90 years old, walking will re-energize you, make time for your health (and your kids': bring them along!), man was made to walk, turn it into a habit again". Plus, it might get useful when that Zombies invasion happens... lol.. just kidding ;)