WEEK 7 – IRIDOLOGY INSIGHT

Weekly Baby News

Embryo: 1.3cm – buba has doubled in size this week, about the size of a blueberry

Buds are now forming into little arms and legs, even fingers and toes are growing. The eyes and other facial features, like holes for the nose, are developing also… here comes the good-looking-baby making time 😉

This week signals the start of reproductive organs as well as the pancreas until week 20. The umbilical cord is visible and this week the gestational age can be defined. From 6-8 weeks is when the ‘conventional’ first ultrasound is performed. This scan is what confirms the age, due date and that the embryo made it to the uterus from the fallopian tube, and is not a ectopic pregnancy.

ECTOPIC PREGNANCY: is when the egg has been fertilised however it implants outside of the uterus in the fallopian tubes (predominantly) or cervix, ovary, or abdominal cavity. The incidence of an ectopic is 1 in 100 pregnancies. Increased risks of an ectopic are older maternal age, history of sexually transmitted infection, intrauterine device (IUD) use, and pelvic inflammatory disease. An ectopic presents with symptoms such as: vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, fever, severe cramping, diarrhoea, severe nausea, dizziness, and lowered blood pressure. Ectopic can results in the rupture of a fallopian tube, depending on the severity of damage whether the tube is repairable or will need to be removed. Please keep in mind that even with the removal of a fallopian tube most woman after a ectopic go on to have normal healthy pregnancies in the future. It is advised you give your body enough time to recover and also restore deficiencies.

Naturopath Advice

Your uterus is about the size of a grapefruit and you can experience some cramping and spasms in your abdomen. Initially your uterus is the size of your clenched fist so it does makes sense there will be some sensations as it expands to make room for your baby, nothing to be concerned about. If you haven’t realised yet, growing a baby brings about many super strange body feelings as well as thoughts. Acceptance of the process is helpful however if you are concerned call your midwife or naturopath for some clarification and peace of mind.

ECTOPIC PREVENTION: unfortunately there isn’t anything naturopathically we can do to resolve an ectopic however we can certainly prevent it. Especially if you have already had a ectopic in the past. The vitamins we ensure are not deficient are Vitamin D, B6 & Zinc (got to love B6 & zinc in pregnancy). The action is to reduce inflammation and support healthy blood flow. Your naturopath can ensure you nutrient status is optimal and advise a dose accordingly to presentations and history. It is highly recommended that if you have had a ectopic that you do seek naturopathic advice to reduce the risk of a second.

IRIDOLOGY can be used in pregnancy,

especially when it comes to finding out what sex the baby is which is a tiny bit exciting, from around the 7 week mark. When we look at the iris (the coloured part) we look as though there is a clock lying over the top. So we would look for 5 o’clock and then looking on the sclera (the white part) if there is a vein pointing to the 5 o’clock on the right or left eye. If it is on the right it is said to be a boy and on the left is to be a girl. Now I haven’t been able to check in enough people however we shall see for my pregnancy. Mine is in the right eye indicating a BOY!!

Comment below what yours suggests and lets do a trial to see how correct this theory is. You may need a friend to help as it can get confusing and back to front in the mirror.

Recommended Documentary: (see my notes below)

Click on –

The Business of Being Born  

My Journey

Ok time to actually get organised and call a midwife! On the Sunshine Coast there is a number of options whether you have private healthcare or not. Unfortunately the birthing suite, run by midwifes, in the new Sunshine Coast University Hospital won’t open until November, and while this would be my first option for my first bub, I’ll be 3 months too early. So more research needed to be done..

I found a private midwife association that sounds wonderful, however they don’t birth at private hospitals but can still be involved on the lead up and after birth. Or there is the option to have a midwife that is already associated with an obstetrician in the private hospital, however you still need to do a percentage of appointments with the obstetrician. Turns out even if you have private health insurance it will still cost a small fortune to have the baby privately. Then of course there is public option and also homebirth. So many decisions to make!! So I’ve decided to take one step at a time and I made an appointment with the private midwifery practice and go and see what my options are through them. One of the most important factors to me is minimal to no medical intervention, and to certainly not have intervention pushed upon me, being a naturopath the last thing I would like is someone telling me they think it is best for me to have a C-Section. However saying this I do have respect for medical intervention, WHEN needed, no time before. I have faith in the traditional birthing practice of midwifes that has been around for centuries, before they made birth a ‘medical practice’. A great Documentary to watch is called ‘The Business of Being Born’. I’ll keep you posted in my findings for my choices around birth.

I went back to my acupuncturist this week, and was funny when I told him I was 7 weeks pregnant. He was very supportive and we chatted about the benefits of acupuncture for pregnancy and preparation to birth. I had had diarrhoea that day which he explained was due to my spleen, which is quite common in pregnancy. So by treating my spleen he was able to calm my stomach and return my bowel motions to normal… Praise acupuncture! In coming weeks I will go into more detail around how beneficial acupuncture is for a holistic pregnancy.

Yours in Health,

Talita Sheedy