One Moment

One Moment.

One photo.  No words.  A moment I want to capture and remember forever.

New Winner for the 100 fan giveaway...

Sadly, we didn't hear from the previous winner - So I just randomly picked another name (from classtools.net), and the new winner is Jessica Johnson Pace!!!

Congratulations Jessica! 

Comment hear with your e-mail so that I can get your address.  I will keep you updated on when the product is ready and on its way.  :)

We're in a Real Big Mess

The first thing you see under the description of most OBs, is SURGEON.  Why in the world are we going to surgeons when we are pregnant?  What about pregnancy makes us think "knife"?? 

I am sad, and sick, and angry...and baffled by the way our society thinks!

Did you know that pregnancy and birth is a NORMAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL process???  Cuz it is.  In 97% of births, there is absolutely NO NEED for a cesarean.  But they are cutting us up like we are pieces of meat.  33% of births end in cesarean in the U.S.  And the number keeps rising.  We have some of the HIGHEST infant and maternal mortality rates in ALL THE WORLD.  What's wrong with this picture? 

Women and babies NEED vaginal births.  We have to stop this epidemic before it kills us. 

Arm yourself with knowledge.  Stop putting your trust in others and trust yourself.  Educate yourself on your options.  You DO have options!  Protect yourself.  And my God, Protect Your Babies.

This isn't a joke.  This is serious.  We're messing with Nature...and there is always a backlash when we mess with Nature.

We're in a real big mess...

And We Have a Winner!

Yay!  I am so excited to announce the winner of the 100 Fan Giveaway!

I used ClassTools.net to randomly pick a name, and the winner is Jennifer Saleem!

Jennifer, please comment on this blog or on our facebook page with your e-mail address.  I will contact you through e-mail to get your address and keep you updated on when the salves are finished and shipped.

Jennifer has until Thursday, 12:00pm EST to contact us.  If we don't hear from her, another name will be drawn.

Congratulations, Jennifer Saleem!

One Moment

One Moment.

One photo.  No words.  A moment I want to capture and remember forever.

I'm not green. I'm better than green!

Who woulda thunk it - I walked away from a cesarean birth feeling positive.  Was it a necessary cesarean?  That is for each individual to decide on their own and in their own time.  The soon-to-be parents knew all of their options (including the options that the hospital staff did not give them), and because of certain situations and personal reasons, they opted to stay where they were and see how everything turned out.  As they neared the "deadline" the doctor gave, they started to really prepare emotionally for a c-section.  It was incredibly uplifting to see the transformation of planned natural childbirth to cesarean, but never giving up hope that maybe just maybe she had dilated enough to continue laboring.  Their time ran out and a cesarean was agreed upon.  We talked long and hard about how mom's state of mind could affect the environment to which the baby was born.  Dad and I encouraged peace and relaxation - even though we both knew how difficult it was. 
After they brought her into recovery, she told me how successful she had been - She listened to her headphones and imagined herself on a warm beach near the water.  Because of this, their baby was brought into a peaceful and loving environment - and you could tell as soon as you saw him.  As soon as he started to get hungry and root for his mother, Mom was ready to begin nursing.  It was a beautiful moment to see baby latch perfectly and Mom gain confidence in her body and as a mother.

I have one more "free-of-charge" birth coming up any day now, and I am desperately looking forward to watching this couple unfold in the labor and birth process as new parents.  The transformations I witness in just a few short hours is incredibly breath-taking.  Nature is truly amazing!

My birthday was earlier this month, and my sister-in-law and brother really gave me a touching gift.  They had talked to another well-known doula, with whom they are taking childbirth classes and hypnobirthing classes from, and put together a beautiful basket full of necessary things for my doula bag.  It really meant the world to me.  I can't wait to put some of the stuff to use!

I'm really looking forward to finishing up this certification.  It will be a great sense of accomplishment for me.  As soon as I am done, I am going to start the CBE certification and the Women's Herbal and Aromatherapy course.  I'm sure I won't move through these courses as quickly because I have so much to do around this house over the summer.  We have a side room that used to be a garage, that we are turning into our master bedroom with a full bath.  Once the weather warms up and we can turn off our heat, we will get started.  I am so looking forward to having a little more privacy in our house.  I'm planning on setting up my tea station and sewing table in there as well.  We also have got to finish off this chicken coop.  Our chickens are rather large and are escaping into our house.  I can't wait until they start laying.  I know we will get more eggs than we need, so I have put together a ton of recipes for custards and such so that I can use them up.  I also vowed to no longer buy pasta - looks like I will be making my own.  And then there's the garden.  I'm beginning to get a little overwhelmed with how large it is going to be, but I can't wait for harvesting time and starting the preservation process.  And who doesn't love watching nature at it's best - growing from tiny little seeds, flowering and fruits, and then dying off and feeding the soil with its nutrients.  It is almost as exciting as watching a mama's belly grow with a beautiful baby.  Oh yea, and the bees.  The unassembled hive just came in and the bees are getting picked up in a few days.  Thankfully my dad is helping out and putting the hive together for me.  He's going to start the bees at his house and transfer them over here once Mike's birthday rolls around.
Ahhh, the busy life we live.  Hopefully I'll be able to add a few births to this mix as well.

Mike and I have really been daydreaming about opening our market.  We've been working so hard to educate ourselves and get better at what we already know how to do.  We definitely have learned from our mistakes after running that first business.  Now all we have to do is come into a massive amount of money to start the business...  Sounds so simple.  Anyone have a massive amount of money??  :)

After all of this craziness leads us back into yet another winter, I am hoping to enter that season with baby #3 on the way.  I know we have to have a lot of things come together before we can take that next step, but I'm praying like crazy it all does.  I'm really itching to add another member to the family.

So this is my somewhat boring update on my life right now.  As I read over what I have written, I realize one thing.  We're a pretty cool family.  We are definitely survivors.  We're strong, competent, smart, healthy....and what the hell - good looking.  Haha. 

Please keep sending positive thoughts and prayers for this upcoming birth. 

Nurturing Nature Salve and Tea Giveaway!

Nurturing Nature Doula Services is so excited that we have reached 100 fans on our facebook page!  As promised, we are doing a giveaway to thank you for your support and love.

We have tossed around a few ideas of what we wanted to giveaway, and the salve seems to be the most popular.  I have "warned" everyone that if you are the lucky winner, you may wait a little while before you receive your gift - I am still in the process of infusing the oils.  And because you are so patient, I am adding tea to the giftpack as well.  :)

The only way to enter this giveaway, is to be a 'liker' of our facebook page.  www.facebook.com/nurturingnaturedoulaservices
No need to comment, you will automatically be entered.
If you would like the opportunity to enter your name in for a better chance at winning, there are two ways you can do this:
1. Share our giveaway link on your facebook page
2. Follow us via Google Friend Connect (you'll find the link to do this on the right side of the blog)
After you have done one or both of these, leave a comment under this post stating which ones you completed.  This will get your name in the drawing 1-2 more times.

I will draw a name Saturday, April 23rd.  Good luck!  And thank you again for your support!

One Moment

One Moment.

One photo.  No words.  A moment I want to capture and remember forever.

Tribute to Dads - A Project

Even though my husband disagrees about the month I am picking, I am going to dedicate the month of May to the Dads.

There is so much we can learn from the men who were by our side through the pregnancies, labors and births.  Birth affects our lives as women so much - but it changes our partners' lives too. 

I want to gather as many birth stories from the man's perspective as possible, and post them throughout the entire month of May.  How important it is for them to be heard!  As mothers, we can learn what we did and didn't do that made them happy and sad.  As doulas and other careproviders, we can learn how better to support the partners through the birth process as well.  And for soon to be dads, they can learn to prepare for what lies ahead and how they can be helpful to the process.

My husband has written down his experiences and I am so excited to read them and post them for others to read (and I know he is too).  If anyone is uncomfortable with their name being attatched to their story, I would be happy to post it as an anonymous letter.

I will be taking entries until May 14th.

Thank you, and I hope you participate!

Please send your birth stories to deperro@windstream.net

A Letter to my Midwife

I did it!  I had a vaginal birth after a very traumatic cesarean section!  I pushed my baby out into my husband's arms and rolled over in my own bed and went to sleep with my family.  I gave birth!  I am a powerful woman!

You are right.  Every bit of this is true.  But I could not have done it without you.  The education, the support, the confidence, and the gentle touch you provided were the reasons I was able to do this.

You will forever hold a place in my heart.  In my whole family's heart.

I wish I could find something that would repay you for what you have done for me.

For now, this is all I can do:

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.  Thank you.

One Moment

One Moment.

One photo.  No words.  A moment I want to capture and remember forever.