Speaking of shopping local…

by Tracy Cooper

You’ve probably heard enough about retailing this holiday weekend — there’s no shortage of websites and ads telling you ALL of the hundreds of items available for you during and after your pregnancy. I wanted to take a moment to point out that Dar a Luz has a small retail space with the essential, helpful items that we’ve discovered over the past 10 years… for the newly pregnant, through the postpartum period, to the newly parented.

During pregnancy:

• Standard Process Ferrofood
  An organic and sustainably-made vitamin that maintains healthy blood production and supports cellular integrity. The midwives might also recommend this iron supplement for the postpartum period.
• Fem-Dophilis Capsules
  This refrigerated supplement promotes vaginal and urinary tract health. The probiotic strains are specially manufactured to survive through your stomach acid, so they can be effectively absorbed in the lower intestine.
• Fresh Test
  A new option for the 28 week glucose tolerance test. Fresh Test powder is used for the 50-gram glucose test. With only three natural ingredients, Fresh Test is a vegan product, gluten free with no artificial colors, flavors or pesticides.
• Red Raspberry Tea
  Organic Raspberry leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, and E, as well as iron, calcium, and potassium. This mild tea can improve uterine health by increasing blood flow to the uterus and strengthening uterine muscle fibers. This may help improve the effectiveness of contractions during labor. It also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are beneficial to your overall health.
• Castor Oil
  You probably already know, but this oil acts as a stimulant to the bowels, which irritates the uterus and causes contractions. Used at the recommendation of the midwives only!

Postpartum Period:

• After Birth Sitz Bath
  We mix organic Comfrey leaf & root powder, uva ursi, plantain leaf, shepherd’s purse, sage, witch hazel and rosemary leaf with Epsom salts to make a comforting, fragrant and effective bath that improves blood flow to the perineal area, which reduces swelling and inflammation and promotes healing.
• Nursing Mother’s Tea
  This is another house-made blend. We mix organic nettle leaf, anise, fennel and fenugreek seeds, blessed thistle leaf, whole hop and lavender flowers. We have found that these are the primary herbs with lactogenic properties that make a tea that stimulates and supports breastmilk production and promotes relaxation. Drinking tea is an easy way to reap the benefits from powerful herbs while providing the hydration necessary to create breast milk. *This tea is ONLY to be used postpartum — Fenugreek is NOT safe in pregnancy.*
• Lansinoh products
  We also sell these most essential products from Lansinoh: Nipple shields, Soothies Gel pads and LatchAssist Nipple Everter.
• Bio-Gaia drops with vitamin D3
  For you newborn, these probiotic drops for colic and digestive comfort are safe and effective.
• We also have available for purchase a small supply of frozen 4oz. bottles of pasteurized donor milk from The Mother’s Milk Bank.

Feel free to ask any questions about any of these products! We only stock what we truly believe in, and we’re happy to make recommendations!

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season —

Tracy Cooper, Receptionist

Tracy greets everyone with a warm and friendly smile. She is dedicated to excellent customer service, and her peaceful, calm demeanor puts people around her at ease.

Tracy is a long-time advocate of natural birth. She grew up surrounded by natural births, midwives and healthcare. Her mother was a birth assistant at the Southwest Maternity Center, which was the first and only freestanding birth center in Albuquerque before Dar a Luz. Tracy’s first child was born at home, as well.