International Babywearing Week 2012

This week is International Babywearing Week so I thought I would write a little post on what babywearing has meant to me as a doctor and a mother. Babywearing was not a word I was familiar with until 2008. Before that I knew my mother wore me during walks and when she cleaned the house or when we went to the zoo. It was in a backpack style carrier (which now we know aren't safe for little ones hips).

I didn't know it had a phrase or following until 2008 when I had a patient come into my office named Paige and her daughter Maddi. Paige answered all my questions, and as a doctor who dealt with pediatrics I had plenty of them. Babywearing and all it encompassed passed my doctor approved activities. At the time I was not a mother (despite the on and off battle Brian and I were having with trying to conceive), but I knew that when the day came I would be in the market for a carrier (or twelve) of my own. ;)

Before my daughter Kyla was even born I had 3 different carriers ready to try out and couldn't wait for the opportunity. Kyla was 9 days late (go figure!) and she ended up in the NICU for a couple days pending some tests and observation (she was completely fine). I would have worn her out of the hospital if they let me, but they didn't. She was wrapped within 5 minutes of being home. I wore her tons during those first few months to bring back the bond I lost during those first few days. Here is a picture of Kyla the second day home.

Last year during IBW 2011 Kyla was extra fussy and I wrapping her was the only sure fire way to get a nap out of her. I ended up wearing her while adjusting 12 patients in a row. I considered this a score for multiple reasons ... 1. A NAP!! Yay! 2. Patients being understanding. I couldn't believe the compliance I received from them ALL! Amazing how in my line of work I can make people feel better while comforting my child at the same time. This is a picture of us after that long day about a year ago.

Can't wait for this weeks IBW. With a photo shoot and a flash mob, I'm sure we can spread awareness to even more families and patients ;)

Update :)

These last few months have been crazy in the "Life of a female chiropractor" ... Brian and I have taken the step and officially opened our own practice. This for me is a dream. It's exactly what I wanted when I originally picked my career as a chiropractor but somehow lost vision of throughout life and the dreams and pressures to make as money money as you can. Here is a description of what my new office ... Optimum Wellness Chiropractic ... Has to offer. Office hours based on patient visits, meaning the office is open to visits anytime on MWF, however I will not be there unless there is an actual patient scheduled. In home chiropractic care for patients who are unable to attend an office apt for various reasons. Prenatal and postnatal care, including attending births! Infertility counseling using natural healing supplements and diet changes. Food and household allergy testing through muscle testing using a food allergy panel and household items. I can't believe how real and exciting this part of my journey is. It allows me to spend more time with Kyla (my now 17 month old!), offer more direct and attentive care to patients, offer more variety, and really get to know my patients and hear what they need. The anticipation to be bringing more infertility treatments and prenatal care has overwhelmed me with joy and I can't wait to get rolling. Please share this blog with anyone you know who could benefit from what our new office has to offer. OPTIMUM WELLNESS CHIROPRACTIC 14362 N Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd, Suite B109 Scottsdale, AZ 85027 (602)904-5692

New Year!!! Welcome 2012

One of my New Years Resolutions is to get back on track with all my projects. I have been slacking ever since Kyla was born. Now that she is on a schedule and I am situated in the office I am ready to go!

One of the ways to organize was to write down everything I wanted to accomplish this year (wow it was a lot). Then I prioritized the accomplishments. This year I added something new into the mix, something I just was exposed to ... ACTION STEPS!

Action steps are simply "the actions you are going to take to get to the desired goal". Who would have thought these would be important??? However, when you stop and think more about it you realize that it is the most important part of goal setting.

Let's us the most common goal someone has when the new year rolls around ... loosing weight! When you start to think of goals and you think, "I want to loose weight this year. I've done it before and I went to the gym and ate better." And then you write it down on the list. Two months from now, when you go back to read those goals you see "loose weight" on there you then immediately start to evaluate yourself ... "is the weight coming off???"

If you used action steps that process would go more like this ... two months from now you look at your list and see ... "shop healthier with a list, go to the gym to lift weights 3x/wk, go for a 30min walk 3xs/wk, park the car further away, no dairy, no gluten, no sugar". Now you can evaluate yourself on a smaller scale. Such as, "Yes, I shop with a list, I do the exercise I stated, but I have been sneaking sugar and I need to get better at that."

The second route is a more mentally healthy way of living. Mental health and growth is something we ALL can strive for.