Big Families in Ideal conditions
The Bible says that fields should lay fallow for 2 years in order for the soil to regain its nutrients. Is a womb no less precious than a field? It takes about 2 years for the womb, the bones and the body to optimally regain the optimal nutrients and bone density to order to carry out an optimally healthy pregnancy and birth.
God also prepares the body for this for when the body works correctly through on-demand breastfeeding for 2+ years, for the average length of time for the menses to be halted is anywhere from 12-34 months. The World Health organization, as well as many other health entities states that optimally a child should receive breastmilk for at least 2 years (or for as long as the mother and child wishes - the average age of weaning world-wide is from 4-5 years of age). This would naturally mean that children would be spaced 3 to 4 years apart. I believe that this is God's biological plan for the best possible health of mother and baby.
If you are having just 2 children, and you decide to have them around 18 months apart, well, it will be harder on your body, but it probably won't have any lasting detrimental effects. The problems start when women decide to have many children close together. Bodies and health break down and problems start to ensue either with the mother or the baby.
God also created the natural laws of fertility. The average woman becomes pregnant between day 12 and day 16 of her menstrual cycle. If you have an irregular cycle, then it is more difficult to chart. Charting though helps all women know and learn about their own bodies - not only to know when you are fertile, but also to know when something is wrong and if you might need to see a doctor. There are many books and websites on how to chart your own cycle. God also has created many plants and herbs that can help regulate your cycle, as well as heal the reproductive system. I have known many women who have healed endiometriosis, fibrous tumors, irregular 40 day cycles, etc. all through the healing properties of God-made plants.
Another issue to consider is that the first 3-4 years of a child's life are very important and needs a mother's full attention, care and training. This also allows a mommy to be a mommy, and not a delegator. I have noticed that as long as there are only 5 children/teens in the house at one time, a mommy can stay a mommy. More than 5 and often mommy becomes a delegator/facilitator, and the older siblings must spend a lot of their spare time helping to raise their mother's children. Also, if you do choose to place your children in school, you would never have more than two little ones not in school. This will help faciliate care and training.
If a woman begins having babies at 22 and continues through age 46: At age 46:
3 years apart: Children are ages 24, 21, 18, 15, 12, 9, 6, 3, Infant - Total - 8 Children 4 years apart: Children are ages 24, 20, 16, 12, 8, 4, Infant - Total - 6 children 5 years apart: Children are ages 24, 19, 14, 9, 4 - Total - 5 children
So according to God's plan, even if you started at age 18, you will most likely only have 10 pregnancies at most, and more likely to have only 5 to 8 pregnancies if you begin in your twenties. Another blessing to this is that there will always be a little one (age 5 or younger) in your household. For by the time your youngest is 5, you will be 51ish and your oldest three will be in their twenties and surely one of them would probably have provided you with a grandchild by then!
If you start your family in your thirties, it is still possible to have 4 or 5 pregnancies three years apart before becoming menopausal. And menopause is often delayed through both pregnancy and breastfeeding. And maybe God will bless you with twins! Or in the case of one supposedly infertile couple in their 40s that I know - they adopted triplet babies - and then became pregnant with twins! 5 babies in the family within the year - now that's starting a large family with a bang! God can provide a family in unexpected ways.
Sometimes your genetics or your environment or your diet or your breastfeeding methods warps the body and does not halt the menses for 12-34 months. It is still ideal to follow the natural laws God put in place and withhold from intercourse (while you are ovulating) for the first 24-36 months after birth. For more information, there are many articles and websites on Lactational amenorrhea and how to ideally achieve it. There is also a lot of information available about charting and ovulation through books and websites - remember, this is the method that God has put into place so that you can keep your womb fallow for at least 2 years in order to replenish your body with important nutrients.
I also know many women who tandem breastfeed (breastfeeding an older child and an infant), and so choose to breastfeed for over 30 years of their life. There are many God-made herbs and supplements that help enrich the milk to be best for your child/children, as well as helping the mother to maintain her health, energy, nutrients and bone density.
There are some women who are just truly made to be mothers and who truly desire a large family. If you stick with God's plan, and rest the womb for at least 2 years before becoming pregnant again, and if you educate yourself on the healing and energizing properties of God-given plants and herbs, then you and your babies will ideally lead a healthy and abundant life!
* Caveat: This is an optimal plan for an ideal way to plan a large family - this is in no way a judgement or bias against women who choose differently.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Essentials for Survival and Ways to teach your Children about Edible Plants
Ways to Teach your Children about Edible Plants
and
Essentials to have for Survival in case of Catastrophe
I love disaster movies. I've seen dozens. And I greatly enjoy the current disaster-based shows - Revolution and The Walking Dead.
Now, living in a great metropolitan area, I have always figured that my home will be nuked. But what if some other type of catastrophe happens? What then?
Watching these shows and disaster movies - well, they are always looking for food. And yet, food is all around them. They often step on it. Yes, I am talking about Wild Edible plants. There are so many plants that you can eat - either raw or cooked in a stew - that provides some major nutrients! And you have probably never heard of most of them.
Some ways to teach your children about Edible Plants -
1) Create your own board game with places or cards being edible plants. There are also some published games out there about herbs and other plants. Create Flashcards. Play Concentration/Go Fish games.
Print pictures from online, or xerox them from books to create your cards.
2) Sign up for classes - at your local Nature Center or Botanical Garden. There are often classes or nature walks on how to recognize plants. Your local Raw Food meetup group might have a class or two about edible plants.
3) Follow Charlotte Mason's educational materials, and create a Nature Journal. Take walks, draw pictures of the plants you see, and label/identify them when you get home.
4) Create Lapbooks of the pictures of plants you either drew or photographed.
5) Use Wild Edible Plants for the subject in your local school Science Fair.
6) If you are in a Home-school Co-op, have one of the classes be on Wild Edible Plants. Teach it yourself and learn right along with your students! Or have a one day Expo on Wild Edible Plants where the children make projects. Form a Wild Edible plant club at your child's middle, junior, or high school - or at church. Assign projects, go for Nature Walks, and fix food using the plants!
7) There are many camps on Survival out there - find a family-friendly Camp near you that will teach you how to light a fire, make a bow and arrow, find edible plants, and more!
8) And of course, go out and pick lots of edible plants, come home, and fix them in some of your favorite recipes (or find some new recipes online!)
9) Before you pick them, take a picture. Collect the pictures over time of all the Wild Edible Plants in your area, and then make a picture book online. (Winkflash for example has a flat rate for their 50 page book.) Make sure each child creates their own book.
10) Some Great books to have in your personal library on Edible Plants:
11) Some Great websites (don't forget to print out the relevant information in case of no electricity and/or internet):
Other ways to have food during a Catastrophe -
1) Learn how to keep Nanny Goats. People can survive on Goats Milk alone for a very long time. It has most of the nutrients a human body needs to thrive.
2) Keep some chickens. Eggs are a superfood and can keep you alive.
Most cities will allow you to keep goats and chickens in the backyard. Check your local city ordinances.
During a catastrophe of course, keep both goats and chickens in your old sound-proofed "media room." If anyone knows you have them, you will be looted. Figure out a way to get bugs and feed for the chickens to eat. Share your edible grasses with the goats. Don't forget to put a "diaper" on the goats and chickens, and figure out the best ways to get rid of their poop (as well as yours.)
Now, remember, if you have been eating plants and drinking milk for several months, and one of your goats dies, you are better off trading it for something you can use. If you are not accustomed to eating meat, it will just make you sick.
For Medicines:
Most essential oils (not citrus) last for years and years. So do most homeopathics. Raw Honey is suppose to last as well. Colloidal Silver 10ppm. Apple Cider Vinegar will keep for awhile. These are good things to stockpile, because you can always use them.
Best essential oil: Native American Naturals
Cheapest therapeutic grade essential oil: Butterfly Express
Homeopathics: you can often find these on clearance for half off or more - stock up!
Colloidal Silver - Dave's Healthy Solutions
Raw Honey - your local Farmer's market
Keep several books about Essential Oils on your bookshelf.
Remember, you will want several physical copies of survival books - Edible Plants, Maps, Survival Guides, Essential Oils, Home Cures, etc. If there is no electricity, Kindle unfortunately will not work!
There are edible plants, edible flowers, edible roots, and of course, edible bugs.
Your children need to know which ones are edible!
and
Essentials to have for Survival in case of Catastrophe
I love disaster movies. I've seen dozens. And I greatly enjoy the current disaster-based shows - Revolution and The Walking Dead.
Now, living in a great metropolitan area, I have always figured that my home will be nuked. But what if some other type of catastrophe happens? What then?
Watching these shows and disaster movies - well, they are always looking for food. And yet, food is all around them. They often step on it. Yes, I am talking about Wild Edible plants. There are so many plants that you can eat - either raw or cooked in a stew - that provides some major nutrients! And you have probably never heard of most of them.
Some ways to teach your children about Edible Plants -
1) Create your own board game with places or cards being edible plants. There are also some published games out there about herbs and other plants. Create Flashcards. Play Concentration/Go Fish games.
Print pictures from online, or xerox them from books to create your cards.
2) Sign up for classes - at your local Nature Center or Botanical Garden. There are often classes or nature walks on how to recognize plants. Your local Raw Food meetup group might have a class or two about edible plants.
3) Follow Charlotte Mason's educational materials, and create a Nature Journal. Take walks, draw pictures of the plants you see, and label/identify them when you get home.
4) Create Lapbooks of the pictures of plants you either drew or photographed.
5) Use Wild Edible Plants for the subject in your local school Science Fair.
6) If you are in a Home-school Co-op, have one of the classes be on Wild Edible Plants. Teach it yourself and learn right along with your students! Or have a one day Expo on Wild Edible Plants where the children make projects. Form a Wild Edible plant club at your child's middle, junior, or high school - or at church. Assign projects, go for Nature Walks, and fix food using the plants!
7) There are many camps on Survival out there - find a family-friendly Camp near you that will teach you how to light a fire, make a bow and arrow, find edible plants, and more!
8) And of course, go out and pick lots of edible plants, come home, and fix them in some of your favorite recipes (or find some new recipes online!)
9) Before you pick them, take a picture. Collect the pictures over time of all the Wild Edible Plants in your area, and then make a picture book online. (Winkflash for example has a flat rate for their 50 page book.) Make sure each child creates their own book.
10) Some Great books to have in your personal library on Edible Plants:
11) Some Great websites (don't forget to print out the relevant information in case of no electricity and/or internet):
Other ways to have food during a Catastrophe -
1) Learn how to keep Nanny Goats. People can survive on Goats Milk alone for a very long time. It has most of the nutrients a human body needs to thrive.
2) Keep some chickens. Eggs are a superfood and can keep you alive.
Most cities will allow you to keep goats and chickens in the backyard. Check your local city ordinances.
During a catastrophe of course, keep both goats and chickens in your old sound-proofed "media room." If anyone knows you have them, you will be looted. Figure out a way to get bugs and feed for the chickens to eat. Share your edible grasses with the goats. Don't forget to put a "diaper" on the goats and chickens, and figure out the best ways to get rid of their poop (as well as yours.)
Now, remember, if you have been eating plants and drinking milk for several months, and one of your goats dies, you are better off trading it for something you can use. If you are not accustomed to eating meat, it will just make you sick.
For Medicines:
Most essential oils (not citrus) last for years and years. So do most homeopathics. Raw Honey is suppose to last as well. Colloidal Silver 10ppm. Apple Cider Vinegar will keep for awhile. These are good things to stockpile, because you can always use them.
Best essential oil: Native American Naturals
Cheapest therapeutic grade essential oil: Butterfly Express
Homeopathics: you can often find these on clearance for half off or more - stock up!
Colloidal Silver - Dave's Healthy Solutions
Raw Honey - your local Farmer's market
Keep several books about Essential Oils on your bookshelf.
Remember, you will want several physical copies of survival books - Edible Plants, Maps, Survival Guides, Essential Oils, Home Cures, etc. If there is no electricity, Kindle unfortunately will not work!
There are edible plants, edible flowers, edible roots, and of course, edible bugs.
Your children need to know which ones are edible!
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