This is the face of postpartum depression and anxiety.

Here I am. Ready to lay it all out for you. Postpartum life... it’s a story filled with a plethora of emotions ranging from beautiful, perfect, pride, sadness, anger, loneliness. You name it, it’s been felt. It’s not always puppies and pastures. Its a wake up every day and make a decision to see the best in yourself even when you are rocking an adult diaper with a pad the size of Texas. #killingit

This go around, I am in a much better place. Those of you who know me well, know that I struggled with postpartum anxiety and depression with my first son. Let me let you in on a little secret... 100% of the time, it’s not just the hormones causing these scary confusing emotions. It’s circumstances like lack of sleep, feelings of inadequacy, and grieving your self centered life that make you incapable of dealing with the anxiety or sadness that was already there. When you don’t have kids, all these quirky things you do to manage the anxiety and sadness are easy and manageable because your life is about you. When a child comes, using the restroom by yourself is a luxury. So you have these hormones making you feel things very intensely and then add on feelings and issues that were already there but your coping mechanisms can’t be employed. This is where it gets dark. This is where they tell you it gets better... but does it ever? Take a shower, you’ll feel better. Go for a walk, you’ll feel better. It feels like the walls are caving in and you are drowning but nothing can help or save you. You wake up the next morning after no sleep and promise yourself, WILL yourself, that today... is going to be different. Today is the day that you will be the mom and person you want to be. But deep down in that dark pit in your stomach... no amount of wanting or willing can get you through this. It’s not a choice you push your way through. Que the shame... oh shame. My least favorite feeling... I don’t need anyone to shame me because I do it enough for myself. No one is harder on me than myself. So now, I feel shame. You are a terrible mother. You are a terrible wife. And the spiral begins. The hours seem like days and my inability to cope amplifies throughout the day. I become impatient, anxious, nauseated, weepy, angry, and hopeless. Thinking back about this time and who I was... I really wish I could give that Bree a hug. And say THIS IS HARD. You aren’t alone. You don’t hate your child or resent them. You are a good mom. You are enough. You are not alone as isolating as it may seem. I’m talking about this because I want you to know I am here. I want y’all to see my struggles even though I am pretty adamant about keeping my personal life personal. But this is what women need to hear. Even if one woman reads this and knows that I stand with them, this post and my naked vulnerability is worth it. Let’s be kind to each other and love each other. Let’s lift each other up. See a counselor. It changed my life. It helped me communicate what I needed to those around me. Here are some we love:
Dallas Postpartum Support- Kimberly Schieffer Kertsburg
Courtney Butts with Dallas Birth
Push Counseling & Coaching
Bina Bird- Haslet Counseling
​Behavioral Health Dallas-Katie Sardone and staff

We got so many questions about babies getting adjustments and what sort of training is involved in being a pediatric chiropractor. Let’s talk about this! The best way to change public perception is not to scream the loudest, but to quietly change one mind at a time by caring for your patients and getting them better. I don’t have to sell that...I DO THAT.

Simple answer: Being a licensed chiropractor in Texas, you can say you specialize in pregnancy and pediatrics yet have no unique or specialized training in the area. The ICPA (International Chiropractic Pediatric Association) is where the coined term “Webster Certified Chiropractor” was originated. But Webster Certified only means pregnancy/prenatally trained; not pediatric trained.

This additional training in pregnancy/ pediatrics isn’t part of the curriculum in the 3.4 year chiropractic program. In the Chiropractic program, you come out a general chiropractor with no additional training in children, pregnant women, functional medicine, nutrition, sports, neurology etc. Texas does NOT mandate that one have this training in any of the above to be able to say that you specialize in any of these areas. It’s easy to advertise on blogs and social media that you are an expert, but you can’t always believe what is on the internet. You have to research again and again!

So this is Uprise. Who we are. Our education. Our standards.
All of us have Bachelor degrees in various things. Dr. Bree (me) actually has 2! We all have a Doctorate in Chiropractic. Dr. Bree and Dr. Kerstin BOTH have training to treat infants/ adolecents and pregnant women via the ICPA (International Chiropractic Pediatric Association). This additional training is countless hours and thousands of dollars. You can visit this website to see if people have training in kids and pregnant women (Webster Technique) https://icpa4kids.com/. Some chiropractors we love who have inspired our path to continue our education are Loving Life Chiropractic, Bridge Family Chiropractic, and Turning Point Wellness Center. Check them out.

We are knowledgeable in many other things, but we never take the place of your PCP, OBGYN, Midwife, Pediatrician, Lactation Consultant, Pediatric Dentist, etc. This is why we at Uprise Chiropractic practice COLLABORATIVE CARE. I can be proficient at 10 things, or be the best at one thing. When you live it, breathe it, and practice it every single day, it becomes you. It becomes your skill and your identity, just like all of the skilled practitioners we refer to and collaborate with on a daily basis. We at Uprise want you to be with the BEST of the BEST. The masters of their trade. The purists. We want this for you so that the desired outcomes you have can come to fruition.

Things pediatric chiropractic care can help with:
Breastfeeding/ Latch issues
-Torticollis
-Head Tilts
-Flat head (Plagiocephaly)/ cranial molding
-Delayed crawling/ walking
-Generalized Tightness
-Wellness/ Maintenance care
AND many other things (reference our “what we treat” page on our website
( https://www.uprisechiropracticdallas.com/what-we-treat.html )

Transforming your life to be more conscience of the things you put ON your body was a much more difficult process than eating well and exercising! I feel that finding non toxic products that perform like our toxic counterparts was almost impossible! For over 3.5 years now, I have tried so many products and spent thousands of dollars... only to be able to help y’all out! I not only preach wellness and a non toxic lifestyle at my chiropractic office in Dallas (Uprise Chiropractic), but I wanted to live it! I wanted it to be safe for the pregnant/ prenatal moms that we treat as well as our infant/ child patients. This stuff isn't just for women, because my husband now uses everything non toxic and is included on this list. Most of the lines have men friendly products. If there is anything I have forgotten, email me at [email protected] and I can add it to this ever growing/ changing list! Below are the basics needed to transform your life!

Makeup:
-Ilia
-W3ll people (carried via Thrive Market, their personal website, and some Target stores).
-Dusty Girls
-Crunchi
-100% Pure
-Au Naturale Cosmetics (lip sticks)
​-Kjaer Weis
​-Lily lolo

Credo Beauty carries some of these brands and many more locally!

Body Lotion/ Body Butter:
-100% Pure
-Butter Babes (all time favorite)
-Weleda

Shampoo/ conditioner:
-100% Pure I use the kelp volumizing set.
-Innersense (this brand doesn’t work well for my hair but many patients I have turned on to the brand, love it).
-Flourish
-Prose (They design this exclusively for you and you can make it Fragrance free, gluten free, and silicone free)
-Under Luna

Body wash:
-Dr. Bronner’s (I use the almond body wash)
-Weleda (for my kid)
​-Bodywash: Aleavia

Toothpaste:
-Jason’s
-Theodent (Amazon) also use this for my son

Deodorant:
-Native (the seasonal scents are to DIE for)
-Piper Wai

Face cream/ eye cream/ Skincare:
-Weleda (I use the skin food)
-Nature Loves You (skin oils are AMAZING).
​-Kypris
-Leahlani
​-Eye cream: Agent Nateur

Perfume:
-Phlur Brand

Sunscreen:
-Badger (they also make a great bug spray)
-Babo Naturals

Nail Polish:
-Dazzle Dry
​
Diapers:
-Thrive Market Brand
-Bambo
​-Nest Diapers

Wipes:
-EcoPea (favorite)
-Thrive Market Brand
-Jackson Reece (Amazon)
-Water Wipes

Baby lotion and body wash:
-Weleda Brand EVERYTHING
- YoRo Naturals Organic Manuka Skin Soothing

Detergent:
-Country Save
-Wool Dryer Balls with your favorite essential oil for a little smell (I use orange essential oil).

Cleaners/ Hand Soaps etc:
-Force of Nature
​-Branch Basics
-Thieves Handsoap is amazing
​-Dishwasher detergent- Better Life Dishwasher Gel

Hey Everyone! Let's talk breastfeeding this week! The body is just incredible. Every single day I am constantly amazed and in awe of the capabilities of the body. This week while researching this newest blog topic, it wasn't surprising that studies are constantly being conducted on the body's ability to not only heal itself, but it is also able to provide the best inborn medicine against fighting illness.

Lets talk about breast milk. I am a huge proponent of breastfeeding. The World Health Organization says that a woman should breastfeed or formula feed for a minimum of two years. Exclusively breastfeeding/ formula feeding for 6 months before introducing solids.  Its crazy that in America, an average of only 32% of American women breastfeed beyond 3 months. Listen, life is hard. Sometimes, things don't come easy. Women have to work. NO JUDGEMENT HERE! All parents are doing their best. JUST LOVE YOUR CHILDREN! My goal in writing this blog post is to educate, not to shame. With that being said, lets talk about some exciting science!

Vanderbilt University recently published an exciting study about the non-toxic antibacterial properties in the sugar molecules (carbohydrates) in breast milk. In the past, most research has been done on the proteins in breast milk which are far easier to study as well as much more researched. So this study is pretty revolutionary because we are learning more about the different molecules in breast milk. The study started because the growing epidemic of antibiotic resistance that is happening all over the world. Researches decided to start by studying pregnant women because they often tend to be a natural host for the bacteria Group B. Strep (Streptococcus). They questioned that if because pregnant women were often natural carriers (30% of women) would these women's breast milk contain inborn and innate antibacterial properties to fight off this bacteria?? WELL...the body is so stinkin awesome because it did!! They found that the sugars/ carbs (not just the proteins) in breast milk contained NON-TOXIC antibacterial properties that enhanced the efficacy of the antibacterial proteins in the breast milk. Not only did the milk carbohydrates/ sugars attack and KILL the bacteria directly, but also attacked the biofilm that is used by bacteria to protect themselves (and is often not able to be killed by antibiotics). One of the scientists said, "our results show that sugars [in the breast milk] have a one-two punch. First they sensitize the target bacteria and then they kill them. Biologists sometimes call this 'synthetic lethality' and there is a major push to develop new antimicrobial drugs with this capability."

This is such a groundbreaking study because it shows that the body is just incredibly adaptable and responsive to invaders! It also shows that scientists are suggesting that pharmaceuticals should be modeled after the body's natural and inborn immune system,

***In no way is the blog post or article suggesting that one should replace antibiotics or ignore the advice of their medical providers. We are not giving medical advice or advocating for a non pharmaceutical approach when addressing Group B. Strep in mothers or infants. 

http://www.who.int/topics/breastfeeding/en/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12195733
https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2017/08/20/sugars-mothers-milk-antibacterial-agents/amp/

What...are we in junior high? I did just say PHAT. Bringing it back old school people! But lets cut to the chase. We live in a society that is constantly telling you what is bad for you. Fad diets full of fake sugars, non fat, cholesterol free, gluten free...essentially, everything is bad for you. HOLD UP...I am about to blow you away with some awesome facts...ready??? GOOD FATS ARE GOOD FOR YOU. WOMEN...DID YOU HEAR ME? Fats are essential in maintaining a healthy central nervous system. Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to do the following:
-Decrease inflammation
-Decrease asthma in children by 7% with the mothers that took a fish oil the last 3 months of pregnancy.
-Help regulate your bowel movements
-Great for you skin
-Increase memory in studies done on alzheimer's patients
-Help you lose weight
-Help regulate blood sugar
-And are essential brain development for babies in utero
-Help regulate hormones
-Help regulate your mood
-Help balance your cholesterols
-Decrease joint pain

If you relate it to pregnancy, it is suggested that women that women take 200 mcg daily in the third trimester of pregnancy. This is when the baby's brain is developing at such a rapid rate. Studies show that nearly 70% of women are not taking enough fish oil in their pregnancy! ALL my pregnant/prenatal patients at my practice (Uprise Chiropractic) are always encouraged to take a quality prenatal and a quality high DHA fish oil.

Moral of the story...EAT YOUR GOOD FATS! You can take a high quality fish oil (I recommend Douglas labs Opti-DHA). You can also eat the following foods to get your good fats in. Fish is really the highest source of Omega 3's.
-Mackerel, sardines, salmon, blue cod, hoki, john dory, monkfish, anchovies, and flounder.
-Walnuts
-Flax
-Spinach
-Navy Beans
-Mustard seeds
-Winter Squash
-Chia seeds
-Lentils
-Eggs

Until next time,
Dr. Bree

http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/news/article.cfm?mnarticle_uuid=96F5F129-167B-4BE7-99B5-0EF0C6A2AA8C


https://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/12/28/health/fish-oil-asthma-pregnancy.html?smid=tw-share&referer=

​https://draxe.com/omega-3-foods/

Well, you can say I have been on a bit of a health kick lately. Really, a lets get healthy with your diet and exercise kick. I know, I know. What does this pregnancy/ pediatric chiropractor in Dallas know about a healthy diet and its connection with the gut?  Well, I am a reformed fat girl.  Food and I have an intimate love hate relationship filled with the highest highs and the lowest lows.  I learned later in life that food is an emotional relationship but also a relationship that is created to make your body THRIVE. You can feed disease or fight it with the decisions you make on the daily. You can give your body life and longevity, or eat your way to the grave. That got really dark, really fast...but you get my point. I am about to lay down some truth bombs on how food can help you emotionally and physically (in more ways  than just fighting cancer).

What is this craze with "prebiotics" and "probiotics"? Prebiotics are what the probiotics (gut bacteria in your body) feed on. Probiotics are the gut bacteria the reside in your gut and aid in a healthy digestive environment. They are both super important.  Probiotics have been linked to modulating anxiety and depression in people which is why your diet and mental health are so integrally connected. Its called the enteric (gut) and the CNS (central nervous system/ brain) connection. Recent studies in rats are showing that prebiotic intake reduces the walking cortisol response and alters emotional bias in healthy specimens. In other words, prebiotics can help you physically and emotionally deal with stress better and has been shown scientifically to do so by decreasing cortisol levels when presented with an emotionally taxing situation. Cortisol is the "stress" hormone that is released when our body and mind undergo situations that we need to "fight or flight" through. Such as, running from a bear! Paying our bills! Dealing with a two year old! Fighting with a friend! Dealing with your husband! Finishing a work assignment on time! What does all this mean to you? It means, what you feed your body/gut can greatly impact your emotional state whether we are dealing with depression or anxiety or wanting to aid your body in dealing with the stressful situations of life. Prebiotics can be purchased at your local grocery store or you can get it from foods like garlic, raw leeks, onions, raw asparagus, baked wheat flour, and bananas. Check out last weeks blog to see what food options have probiotics!

Moral of the story, you are what you eat....emotionally and physically.

Until next time-
Dr. Bree

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4410136/

Listen, I love me some eggs. I am always encouraging my pregnant patients that come to me for prenatal chiropractic care, to have a balanced diet full of good healthy fats, protein, and veggies. Eggs are a wonderful source of good fats, good cholesterol’s, great protein, and CHOLINE. Choline is a macronutrient that’s important for liver function, normal brain development, nerve function, muscle movement, supporting energy levels and maintaining a healthy metabolism. Why do you need choline during your pregnancy? Choline is an important nutrient that helps your baby's brain and spinal cord develop properly. Some studies suggest it may also protect a newborn against neural tube defects (much like folate does). New research has shown that pregnant women that were given twice the RDA (recommended dietary allowance) for choline (930 mg/day) during their third trimester, had children with cognitive benefits including faster information processing speeds. That’s pretty awesome! Who doesn’t want a smarter kid... except when they start to argue with you! Just kidding!! Check out the link below for the full article and research relating to this blog post! Thanks for tuning in!

-Dr. Bree

​https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-01/cu-emf010418.php

Everyone who has had a baby fears colic. You hear horror stories about sleep deprived parents staying up at night with an inconsolable baby and feeling defeated with no answers or relief. Trying everything from car rides, specific sleep schedules, medications, feeding positions, only surrendering to the situation and feeling helpless and HOPELESS. Well, there is a silver lining here folks. Research has indicated that nursing mothers that supplement with a specific strand of probiotic Lactobacillus reuteriis for 3 weeks were twice as likely as a placebo to reduce crying by 50% in colicky babies who are exclusively breastfed. This is a great beginning to continued and much needed research in this area of health and how gut bacteria can significantly impact mom and baby's quality of life.

It is important to understand that the Lactobacillus bacterium has many different strands and that this specific strand (reuteriis) was the one that was shown to make a difference in colicky babies. This is a friendly bacteria that is found in the human digestive tract. You can find this strand in the following foods: Yogurt (far more than other sources), Sauerkraut (fermented), Kefir, Kombucha, Pickles (fermented), Apple Cider Vinegar, Kimchi, and Miso Soup. For those of you who would rather take a supplement or capsule for your probiotic intake, you may have a more difficult time finding this specific strand of bacterium in many probiotic supplements sold in stores. I looked high and low at the probiotics carried at Wholefoods, Target, and multiple pharmacies with no avail. Natures Way brand makes multiple products that have Lactobacillus reuterriis. Please see the link below for the full article and research.

Until next time,
Dr. Bree

https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/the-probiotic-hope-for-colic.amp