Protectors of the Perineum

For the last 5 years I have been called by midwifery. With every birth I attend the voice is clearer, the message stronger. On Thursday I was at a birth that went almost exactly the way my first birth went. The length of each stage was very close, accomplishing natural birth in the hospital, a doula, doubt, wonder, fear, safety...except one thing that was in abundance at the birth on Thursday that was missing from my birth was protection. We created a circle around this sweet mama, her man, her doula and her midwife...moving with her, bracing her, and staring the fear right out of her distance gaze. She knew every minute that this was normal birth. It was my first birth with a midwife, and it fills me with so much joy and inspiration to have seen a vagina and perineum trusted so completely. The patience at the crowning was so honest, so right. Barbara Harper told me that "A midwife is like a coyote...she sits by the hole and waits." I'm ready to join the pack.

Any Questions?

Almost every book about childbirth I've read has a section on questions to ask your care provider. I want to know how many women take the time to ask questions? In Fernie, it is very hard to find a physician who is taking new clients. Sometimes women here find out they're pregnant, and they don't yet have a local doctor. I think Fernie women feel like they have to take the doctor they're given. There are three doctors in Fernie who catch babies. All three are female, and lovely. I think the local women looking for prenatal care should schedule appontments with all three, ask the same questions to each, and choose the doctor they feel closests matches the quality of care they want to recieve. You have choices from the very beginning.



http://www.choicesinchildbirth.org/

http://www.motherfriendly.org/

Chamber of Community

An associate of mine came into the shop today. We we're discussing the state of the volunteer community in Fernie. She said " it seems like 10% of the people accomplish 90% of the work." I figured this could be adapted into a fairly accurate tag line for volunteer run organizations. Her latest experience trying to 'make change' happened to be directed at the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is excellent at collaborating and communicating amongst it's members, but somewhere along the way, I think, the community aspect has been lost. So I said "We need a Chamber of Community!" After much excitement at "my idea" and more brainstormnig I realized...this "idea" has been realized. Advocates for Local Living. You can check out their ideas athttp://www.allfernie.ca

"AH-HA"

I am so excited to start teaching! I'm only a third through this seminar and I have "PASSION FOR BIRTH" in a whole new way! here's one for you..
"encourage":
"en" - to put; "cour" - in the heart; "rage" - passion
"to put passion in the heart"

Passion For Birth

I'm in Calgary for the weekend. I'm participating in a Lamaze Childbirth Educator Training Seminar called 'Passion For Birth' You can check out what it's all about at
http://www.passionforbirth.com/ I found the website late one night and I thought...hmmmh this is the kind of childbirth educator I want to be. Then I realized it was a Lamaze accredited program...and I was immediately unsure. I never thought a perscribed method of breathing could work for every woman. So I did some homework and found out that Lamaze International has changed! They are determined to get the word out that today's Lamaze is not the Lamaze of the 60's. Women's experience of normal, natural birth has provided the proof needed to spearhead the gradual but dramatic change of Lamaze being a method of giving birth to a philosophy of birth. You can learn more about these changes in their position paper: Lamaze for the 21st Century at http://www.lamaze.org/Portals/0/Policies/3_Lamaze21stCentury.pdf

Better Babies

I came to the centre today and I felt like I was "home" It's a beautiful thing to be a part of such a great place...and they pay me too! At the moment I'm in the main room with 17 pregnant women, & mothers with children under 1 years old, who participate in the Better Babies Pregnancy Outreach Program. For more information check out http://www.ferniewomenscentre.com/
We hope to see you there!

To Write Their Names in the Sand

Today is remembrance day...I will take my children to the ceremony in town, we'll give our thanks to those who were so brave, by bowing our heads in a moment of silence. Many will be remembering a life..a loved one lost. Today I am sending love to the mothers who have lost a child. For her every day is remembrance day...

"To Write Their Names In The Sand" began in the early hours of August 19th 2008. In her sleep on that cold winter's morning, Carly dreamed of her son Christian for the first time since he was born sound asleep on January 26th 2007.

Carly dreamed that she was walking along the beach when up ahead of her she saw three children playing together. They were laughing and really enjoying their time under the sun. When she got closer to them they ran away up into the sand dunes. When Carly reached the point where the children were playing she saw that they had written their names in the sand.

The children's names were Noah, Bella and Christian. Carly had dreamed of her son. Even though she did not realize it was him until he was gone she felt overwhelmed with love. Christian was there, he was healthy, whole and happy playing on Heaven's beach with his two little friends that left this Earth only a short time before he did.

Carly woke from her sleep at 3am. Her mind was ticking over. She knew this dream would change her life forever. She knew it meant something amazing. That evening at sunset Carly went to the beach, she kept her dream to herself and told no one. She wrote the three names that had appeared in her dream. After she had taken the photo's she stood in the water and prayed. Carly asked God for strength and love as she was going to embark on a mission to create a children's memorial website where people from all over the world could request their child's name to be lovingly written in the sand, photographed and be made into a memorial. A world of lost children memorial.

Carly kept the memorial page a secret from Sam. She showed it for the first time to him on Father's Day. Sam and Carly had no idea that this dream would become something so amazing. They receive on average 100 name requests a day.

Their dream is to bring warm light back into bereaved families lives. They wish for everyone Hope and Peace.

Miss Piggy for Natural Birth

I found out this morning that Sesame Street is 40 years old today! Thank you Jim Henson! My family tuned into The Muppet Show every week...it was so special to us that my sister's nickname became "Muppy" (I think she was the biggest fan) Now that I work within the birth community I tend to relate all things to birth. I know Jim and Jane Henson had five children of their own...I wish I knew those birth stories. I found a quote from Jim
"One of the nice things about puppets is that it's your own hand in there. You can make it do anything you want it to."
After I read that quote I wondered if Jim could have that affect on humans? I know a few obstetricians I would have introduced him to.
Ofcourse then I wondered which muppets Id like to have around for a birth. Since I believe birth is women's work...right away I thought of Miss Piggy. She'd have made an amazing doula. Somewhere along the way I've read
"Uninhibited Birth-it ain't pretty but it's beautiful." and Miss Piggy once said
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye."

Prime Time Preemie

Kangaroo Mother Care on Grey's Anatomy!
Praise to the writer's of this popular TV Series! Bringing Kangaroo Mother Care to the attention of millions of viewers including many Physicians, Pediatricians and Obstetricians. I may just reconsider cancelling my cable...
Check out 0-48 sec. & 2:06 - 2:45