Loving Larkspur Doula Services, LLC

07/06/2026

06/26/2026

Dr. Brewer developed is well-known diet to help prevent and treat preeclampsia.

Now, I'm going to tell you right now that I am not an expert on the Brewer's diet.

From what I know, Dr. Brewer focused on protein, whole, nutrient-dense foods, adequate salt, and hydration to thirst.

The goals were:
1️⃣ High protein: (80 -100g/day) from meat, eggs, dairy, legumes, nuts, and seeds
2️⃣Higher calorie: often >2500/day
3️⃣Whole Grains: multiple servings of whole grains per day
4️⃣Dairy and Calcium Foods
5️⃣High focus on Vitamin A and Vitamin C-rich fruits and veggies
6️⃣Fats from butter, oils, avocado, and nut butters
7️⃣salting food to taste
8️⃣Drinking to thirst

Now, usually when I hear about people on this diet, all I hear is that they are doing "high protein" and that the goal of this diet is high protein....
..but I think it was so much more than that.

Brewer mentioned getting protein from a variety of sources...including eggs and dairy. Both of which contain forms of albumin (lactoalbumin and ovoalbumin). One of the Hallmarks of preeclampsia, and one of the causes of the pitting edema associated with it, is a drop in albumin. Albumin is a transport protein that moves hormones and antioxidants and helps to regulate osmotic pressure. By increasing foods with albumin, in a way, he was helping replace the Lost albumin

He encouraged consuming multiple eggs per day, along with milk and meat, which provided substantial choline intake. Some protocols recommend up to 6 eggs/day, providing 900 mg of choline from eggs alone... New studies show that higher maternal choline intake >900mg/day) in the third trimester reduces preeclampsia markers (sLFT1) by 30%.

Whole grains are high in manganese and many other minerals. Lower blood manganese is associated with preeclampsia across 18 observational studies, whereas higher blood manganese is associated with lower preeclampsia risk.

Calcium was also high in this diet. And we know through research that higher calcium intake in the first half of pregnancy is associated with a reduction of preeclampsia in later pregnancy.

He built a nutrient-dense pattern, not just a high-protein one, and I think we need to remember that as the world around us keeps pushing for ever-higher protein intake.

06/16/2026

06/11/2026

Due to the sudden closing of the North Carolina Birth Center, our wo… Andrea Fowler needs your support for Support Birth Center Staff’s Continued Patient Care

05/27/2026

If you want an unmedicated birth, preparation matters.

Not just a Pinterest birth plan.
Not just hoping for the right nurse on the right shift.
Not just crossing your fingers that your provider “lets” you labor naturally.

Preparation looks like:
• Choosing a provider who is actually skilled in supporting physiological birth
• Taking a quality childbirth education class
• Hiring a doula
• Understanding informed consent and your options
• Watching normal birth instead of only medicalized birth portrayals
• Surrounding yourself with people who believe birth is something women are capable of

Birth is physical, mental, emotional, and absolutely environmental.

Your provider matters.
Your support team matters.
Your education matters.
Your environment matters.

The women who prepare for birth differently often experience birth differently.

This is how we improve birth outcomes.

——

Midwifery care filled with grace.
kharismidwifery.com

🏷️ physiological birth | midwifery model of care | evidence-based birth | holistic maternity care | low-intervention labor | undisturbed birth | informed consent | water birth | personalized prenatal care | birth autonomy | vbac moms | north texas home birth | dallas

05/24/2026

Do formula companies sabotage breastfeeding?

These bottles of formula come in a packet of 6 marketed as a ‘First Baby Milk Formula Starter Pack From Birth’.

Although it comes with a disclaimer on the box that ‘Newborn babies may take only small amounts of infant formula to start with’ what sort of message does the size of this bottle send to parents worried that their newborn is having enough of their breastmilk?

Research tells us that on average in the first 24 hours a newborn’s feed will average about 7ml...meaning this bottle is 10 TIMES larger!

For many new babies 4-5 swallows of colostrum per feed is all they need in the first 24 hours.

The formula company also advises that once opened any unused formula be disposed of within one hour meaning a lot is going to be wasted in this kit making it an expensive and non environmentally friendly option.