Jan Tritten’s Holiday Message

Friends, I just received this email from Midwifery Today and Jan Tritten – her holiday message. It is beautiful. Please take a moment and read it. And then, let us each wonder: How can we make a difference in this world of birth – this subject so sacred to our very beings? Her words say so much – “Can we bring change? Yes, we can.” For each of you who are reading this note and feeling it deeply in your heart, blessings to you and all you do for mamas, babies, and families.  Namaste…

Holiday Message from Jan

Dear Friend of Birth,

You are receiving this newsletter because you are interested in changing childbirth ways. Many of us have fought this fight and watched things get worse. This season brings us a new hope. Can we bring change? To quote the incoming US President, “Yes, we can.”

Let’s take these two new slogans, “Change we can believe in,” and “Yes, we can,” as our own in this tough new world. Midwives, doulas and other change agents have a huge role to play. There is new hope in the world and there is new hope in birth care.

Evidence is on our side; cost of service is on our side. We are caring childbirth providers; indeed, service is our calling. Let’s renew our faith for bringing better birth to more mothers and babies. We can do it.

This season, where a birth is central and a new world may just be dawning, is our time to launch our new hope. All births are sacred and this is the time to go forward with energy and enthusiasm and carry out our calling, each as we have been called. In this effort, we can change the world. Imagine if each motherbaby gets the best possible start. That will really move mountains.

Toward Better Birth,
Jan Tritten

To read more about Jan Tritten or Midwifery Today, please visit their website: www.midwiferytoday.com

Read Full Post »

MamaTime! Personal Renewal Group

Mama Time! Self-Renewal Mother’s Circle is a group of women, who gather together one morning per month to “fill their own cup” so that it might overflow to all those around them. Based on Renee Trudeau’s book, The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal (www.reneetrudeau.com), mamas all around the country are investing in themselves, where they have the opportunity to:

Learn about the transformative power of self care

Care much-needed time out for themselves

Hear self-renewal ideas and strategies from other moms

Relax and renew with friends

All Mama Time! Self-Renewal Mother’s Circles are held in the Life Song Cottage space in the heart of Bellingham.

Read all the Mama Time! pages on this site for more information, or contact me at: maryburgess555@hotmail.com

Read Full Post »

Vampires & Natural Labor Stimulation

Well, this may be a bit of a stretch, but……..

It’s been well documented that “schmoozing it up” with your sweetheart tends to help labor along (you know, Ina May Gaskin said, The power that got the baby in there in the first place is the same power to get the baby out (or something to that effect). Anyway, sometimes, when a mama is in a long early phase of labor, it is suggested for her to get sweet with her guy, rent some schmoozy films, etc., as it “gets her juices flowing” and all thereby releases an incredible hormone cocktail that can start – or restart – labor. Now, without going into too much detail, I think you can probably understand my gist here. As a doula, I often try to set the scene for mom and dad to just be alone together for awhile, to dance, to hug and kiss, and all those good things that get that power to send the baby downward and into their waiting arms.

Well, I just finished a great book, “Twilight,” by author Stephenie Meyer. Though cautious at first (is this just a teenager romance novel??), I was immediately hooked. Totally. I couldn’t put it down, and read it in just about 4 days. What stood out in this book is its sustained, intense scenes of sexual precipice – you know, when two people really want to touch each other, but don’t, or when they do, it’s incredibly electric. And yes, while it’s about vampires, it’s not really scary, it’s just a great read.

My point? I think this would be an excellent book to recommend to a mama who is experiencing a lull in her labor, or a long early phase of labor, or is past her due date and wanting to try natural labor induction techniques – reading Twilight is perhaps a great tool to get her juices flowing and (re)start labor.

Let me know if it works for you!

Read Full Post »

mother’s poem

december – for mothers
early morning fog
chilly days
deciduous trees, stripped of their greenery, rest.
it is our sign
to do the same.

these silvery days
remind us to pull close,
spend quiet time
with family, friends,
and with ourselves, quietly
and honor our own breath.
simply breathing
in and out, in and out
in awareness
our heart slows
and our thoughts regain balance and perspective.

may you have peace this season…

love, mary.

Read Full Post »

Diapering Class – So fun!

“There is just something so sweet about diapering your baby…” – Anna Morin

The Cloth Diapering & Beyond Workshop with Anna Morin was so much fun! Several mamas brought their little babies, and all the mamas – both expectant and those with babes in arms, were able to see a wide variety of cloth diapering options, ask lots of questions, and have open, honest dialogue with a diapering guru.

“Thanks so much for this class. It was helpful hearing about other diapering options. It makes cloth diapering less scary!”

It was just such a natural class – full of pregnant mamas, breastfeeding mamas, mamas soothing their babies into blissful slumbers, talking – it just felt so good to be in this room!!

One mama said: “Thank you for this very informative and unbiased workshop. I appreciated local resource information.”

Anna also led a lively discussion about Elimination Communication, or E.C. (oh yes, we DO want our little ones to eventually be out of diapers, too!!).

One mama stated: “Honestly, I found this class so valuable. I appreciated learning about the washing patterns. I definitely enjoyed the E.C. discussion.”

There were lots of different diapering options, and each was explained and handed around so mamas could really feel them, see what worked for them, what they liked. Also, how to use them, special and hip things like the “diapering twist” were demonstrated, washing and care for cloth diapers, problem solving, and so much more! Mamas were encouraged to try all the different diapering options on “play babies” (thank you to my daughters for offering up their babies!!).

Another participant said: “Yes – this class was what I hoped and expected. I wanted to know the details of all the different diapers – I loved the E.C. part and personal stories about diapers and E.C. – it just helped me to visualize all these things. Very helpful – great class! Thank you!”

And: “I had lots of questions about cleaning/prolonging life of diapers, logistics of cloth, etc. I appreciated your willingness to share your own experience but honored everyone’s experience/philosophy (not “preachy” :0) . Thanks for the handouts with resources and all the examples to look at and touch.”

And the best news? Anna said she would like to offer this workshop again in February (details to come in early 2009). So if you missed out on this workshop, please come to the February one! I’d love to see you there! And another mama – Sara – a local sewer and cloth diaper designer has offered to lead a “Sew Your Own Cloth Diapers Workshop.” So, we’ll definitely be doing that in the upcoming months. Stay tuned!

Oh, and one more picture that is just too cute to NOT put int this post? Here it is… one of our sweet baby participants… what a cutie!

Read Full Post »

Birth Poem

Monday, 1 Dec, 2008

Connecting with N’s baby daughter

yet unborn, after 28 hours of labor…

Little one, I can feel your light,

from deep within your mama’s womb

I feel that you, too, are tired

ready for this journey to end.

But there! Your Spirit

little fireball!

So strong, indeed!

Willful, determined, bright little star!

You are already so much like your mama.

Come now – come see this day.

Out here, it is silvery, misty, soft.

A beautiful day to be born!

Can you hear your mama’s breath?

Can you hear your papa’s drums?

It is time, little wanderer, to be born.

Welcome!

love, mary burgess.

Read Full Post »