When friends need soup

Someone has a baby.   Another person breaks her leg, finding herself confined to her home for months.  The neighbor down the street is on the couch with the flu.  What this means to me is a call to action for "love soup."

What is love soup?

Did anyone ever see the movie "Like Water for Chocolate?" where any creation made turns into a magical feast of yummy?  That's the idea I have in mind each time I make my love soup.

I know that it works, because people ask for the recipe and I'm not sure how to answer, because the ingredients change from time to time.

The only constancy that rings true is the idea that when I think of the person I'm offering the soup to, I stir all of the ingredients, and send love to him/her.  It also might help that I use Maidya Mishra's ayurvedic herbs, such as Moringa Leaf Soup Mix, Soma Salt and SVA Mum's Super Spice.  All of those products are imbedded with herbs that heal the body and soul.  Even my kids "drink" this soup up, and they're not always fond of my "healthy" meals.

What should you do the next time you feel called to make a creation for someone you love?  Take out your crock pot (or go buy one).  Throw in Bob's Red Mill Soup Mix, or dried black, pinto or kidney beans (or all of the above).  Add in butternut squash, garlic, onion, carrots and any other vegetable that you have waiting to be part of this loving creation.  Add in the herbs and wait.

Each time I make the love soup, it turns out differently.  Isn't that what life is about anyway?  We have a plan going in, and sometimes the plan works.  Other times, the plan works better than our wildest dreams could ever imagine.

I hope that the soup will help the new mom find the time to snuggle her little even more.  I hope that my friend with the broken leg gets to relax and find peace instead of worrying what to serve her family for dinner.  I hope my neighbor down the street heals soon enough to join us outside for our sun-filled days.

I hope you'll spread the idea of cooking with love and share it with your world.

Blessings,

Lisa

P.S.  To order the ayurvedic herbs, go to www.chandika.com
++I have no affiliation with this company.

A team approach to a cesarean birth should include a doula's presence

Yes, there’s a new baby in the world!   I’m usually very quiet when it comes to sharing about my doula services because I want to ensure privacy for my clients.  I’m not going to post details regarding a most recent birth that I attended, but about the health care team in general.   This recent birth had all involved working as a team when their was a (much needed) cesarean delivery on the horizon.  As a doula, I was invited to be part of this team and  I’m grateful that the obstetrician from Cedar Sinai Medical Center acknowledged the relationship I had with my client and consented to my being in the operating room (OR).  I know that Cedars doesn’t generally allow for such.

My question is WHY NOT?

When a doula is in the operating room it’s  ”win-win” for all involved:  1)  the mom, because she has continual emotional support to mitigate any anxiety 2) the health care team so that they can focus on the tasks that they have been skilled and trained to do, without worrying about any kind of emergent situation ensuing 3) the baby, who enters the world in a more peaceful way.

From their coaches that lend an encouraging word, to trainers stretching and nutritionists hydrating, athletes delivering babies shouldn’t miss out on the team approach to birthing, even win it comes to a cesarean birth.  Generally, women do not want to feel alone at this critical juncture, and research shows that feelings of isolation can lead to problems with postpartum depression in mom, which ultimately sets up a disconnect in bonding with her baby.

My post today is a plea to all hospitals:  please allow doulas in the operating room.  As long as they are aware of their place in the team, the “winning run” can be scored; the “prize” is the baby.  Let’s ALL be part of that home run.

Fighting, yelling, arguing in siblings leads to intimacy

I believe that if I could go back in time, the YouTube clip I'm sharing below would have been a glimpse into my childhood.  This mom, Katie Crank, sings praises and craziness for raising her 4 sons.  Being the oldest in a family with 4 brothers, I saw lots of fighting, heard lots of yelling.  The one thing that has wrung true throughout those days of the past, and now as a mom to two sons:  this is contact.  This is a way of connecting, and without it there are no opportunities for intimacy.

Wouldn't it be nice if, years earlier,  one of my brothers would have walked up to the other and said, "Hi, I missed you today.  I'd like to play some catch of the football with you."  That's usually not how it went down.  Instead, there was the almighty throw of the brown leathered ball, without the receiver knowing it was coming, and sometimes hitting him smack in the head or stomach.  The result?  A big 'ole "Mmmmoooooommmm!!!!" And there my mother would step in, trying to discern how to foster a sense of safety amongst her children, without losing her own cool.

Yikes!

This has been my world for the last 10+ years.  When I'm in a "good" place, I can recognize that with the mere throw of the football lies an opportunity for communication and an understanding into what my children's needs are in that moment.  Generally, it is a desire to connect.  It's not the way I imagine connection, but it is their way.  With this awareness comes a conscious shift in my own energy, which results in a sense of peace returning to my life, especially amidst the chaos.

Today, I celebrate all parents who find themselves resonating with what this mom sums up best at the end of her video clip:  the fighting can (and does) lead to intimacy, and that love will ALWAYS prevail.