holdthepromise

Let's Talk about Birth

A Birthing Class that helps you get real about pregnancy & birth

• Are you wanting to experience a natural birth? 
• Perhaps you have heard that birth can be painful, orgasmic, chaotic, ecstatic, with lots of intervention or free and natural?
  
• Maybe you already know the benefits of a natural birth and/or home birth OR you are really wanting to avoid interventions of birth and desire a natural hospital birth?
  

There is definitely a trend towards natural birth in main stream culture. Natural birth and instinctive birthing is actually our birth rite and it is only recently, that we have intervened with pregnancy and birth all because of our need to control and our fear of death.

Ten years ago, home birth was still considered a choice that was 'way out there' and only 'hippy folk' had home births. How dangerous. Now, we find that more and more families are choosing to stay home, Midwifery is legislated and regulated, and movies are being produced to educate the public about the 'horrors' of the hospitals.

We are seeing a bit of a dilemma & backlash to the medical model of care. Women are afraid of the hospitals and losing their power to the 'system' and yet, we do not have enough midwives to serve the increase demand, Freebirth/Unassisted birth is increasing in popularity. Midwives are fighting against one another because of different perspectives on care and birthing and protocol. Nurses and OBGYN's are still feeling threatened by this 'new age' way of giving birth and rolling eyes at the women's desires to have a natural birth.

We are still hearing though, how many women wanted and tried for a natural birth and still found themselves, induced, drugged and/or given a cesarean section. What is going on? And how do we really prepare to have a natural instinctive birth?  

Have you felt this way?...

• Maybe you have felt stuck or confused about what is the 'right' choice or the best choice for you and your baby?
  
• Maybe you have heard of stories about the many women who wanted a natural birth, and ended up with a c section and epidural, in the end?
  
• Maybe you don't know who to trust, who to listen to, what to read, and which 'side' you should be on?
  
• Maybe you are afraid to tell people that you would rather a hospital birth, for fear that you will be shamed or shunned by your 'natural' birthing friends?
  
• Maybe you can feel the defensiveness or subtle shaming from the mothers tone as she tells her story about her birth, and you are afraid this will be you.
  
• Are you beginning to wonder if it is even possible to have a natural birth? Or if you have to be a radical natural birth 'junkie' in order to experience one?
  
• Have you been known to say "I want a natural birth, but I am okay with whatever happens as long as my baby is healthy'?
• Are you curious about what you can do in order for you to have the most optimal birth experience for you?
  
• Are you confused about who to believe and find that you are bombarded with too much information? 

• What if I told you that birth is one of the oldest, most natural and instinctive and transformative experiences you can go through; would this scare you? Or excite you?
  
• What if I told  you that the only think you need to be able to do is get your thinking mind out of the way so birth can just happen? Would you trust that or question it?
  
• What if I told you that there are important things you can do throughout your pregnancy to ensure a safe and natural birth? Would that relax you and help you trust birth?
  
• What if I told you that a healthy, happy, stress free pregnancy, with no complications statistically equals a safe, straightforward, natural birth? Would you believe me? Are you interested in learning more about this? 
• Are you curious about how to make the birth of your child a fully satisfying, loving and empowering experience?
• Are you curious about what you can do to 'show up' being fully engaged and present to the process? How to let your instincts take over? And how to ride the waves of contractions, coming through feeling fully of love, power, and fulfillment? 

Let's get together and talk about birth!!!

I love to talk about pregnancy and birth and have been doing just that for over 10 years now. I get excited to share stories with you and tell you about the mystery and magic of giving birth naturally.

Even if you are terrified of giving birth and want every drug imaginable, I promise you, you will leave this weekend feeling so much better about the idea of giving birth!

There is much that I would like to share with you, especially how you can tap into your personal power to give birth to your baby. And how, when you find this power, it never leaves you and carries forth into your mothering and life.

It doesn't matter which kind of caregiver you choose or where you choose to give birth, but it does matter that you believe in your ability to give birth, that you move from fear to excitement and trust. 

That you feel loved and nurtured and that you are ferociously determined to listen to your pregnancy and labor, surrender your mind and NEVER GIVE UP!

In this class, we will talk about all of that and explore how you can cultivate that kind of internal power.

We will also discuss:

- Birth Physiology (My favorite topic :)

- Birth as an altered state and a rite of passage

- Nurturing a healthy pregnancy

- The holistic stages of labor

- The role of the partner

- Birth as an ecstatic experience (at the same time one of the most intense experiences you will probably go through)

- What to have on hand

- What you can do to prepare ahead of time for labor and birth

- Creative expression... ie. birth art, visualizations, meditations, dancing and movement, journal writing

- Lets explore the concept of pain... fear tension pain cycle vs the trust love expansion

- Prenatal testing and what are the norms and protocols

- Protocols for labor and birth

- How to have an empowering hospital birth and/or home birth

- Why hire a doula

- Immediate postpartum needs for the mother

- Immediate postpartum needs for the newborn and newborn protocols

- Birth Stories

Dates:

Oct 14, 15 and 16

Friday  7-9pm

Saturday 10 am - 5 pm

Sunday 10 am - 3pm

Cost:

   $150 per couple

   $99 single mama

      $99 Doula student

Healing Birth Circles

This circle is for the sharing of your birth experience & journey.  I have had many women share with me their birth story and for some, the need to have it witnessed and honored has been deeply healing.  

It is intended that these sharing circles will offer a space for mothers to come together and hear one another, weep together, laugh together and gain a knowing that there story has been held in love. 

Often times we may have had a birth experience that has never felt complete, there may be lingering sadness or disappointment and for some, questions still remain.  This space is dedicated to helping you, the birth mother, find clarity, resolution and peace regarding your past birth. 

All births are to be honored! Come and have the circle hold that space for you. 

Next Circle: