Thursday, December 23, 2010

You know you have a toddler in the house...

When your Christmas tree is decorated from the waist up!
She's a happy tree-wrecker

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

New Bradley Class begins Friday, January 7th

Well today I just finished my last class with a great group of people! I look forward to hearing their birth announcements which will probably start coming in within the next two weeks or so :)

My next series will start Friday, January 7th from 7-9:30pm at No Sugar Added in Claremont. This series is good for mamas who are due late March through early May. To read more about class content visit http://learn2birth.net.

Note: For those couples who have already taken a Bradley course but would like to do a refresher for their next baby you can take the series at a reduced price. Please let me know if I need to reserve a space for you.

Jamie's email- learn2birth@yahoo.com

I hope you are doing well this Christmas season as we await the most miraculous birth of all!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Interesting Adoption Maternity Photography

I've never seen anything like this, but thought the photographer did a really nice job portraying the anticipation of a couple waiting for their adopted twins to be born.

To see more photos from the shoot and read a little about their story visit this site.

Doula Spotlight- Jennifer Lorelei Ortega


Tell a little bit about yourself outside of the doula/birth realm.

I've been married for 13 years, and I have a ten year old daughter and 5 year old son.   By day, I work as an English teacher at a small public high school which is known for its community atmosphere and project-based learning curriculum.  During my time off with my family, I enjoy camping in natural areas, planning hands-on learning activities, reading, and playing word games.  

How did you become interested in birth as a topic to learn more about?

I've been interested in natural birth since I was very young.  I must have been in fifth grade when I first heard of water birth, and I ran to the kitchen to tell my mother I was going to have one.  Later, my mom was pretty concerned when I'd bring home books at 12 and 13 with titles like, What to Do Now That You're Pregnant.  Incidentally, I did not have my first child until I was almost 27.   

How were you shaped by your childbirth experiences?

(I have great hips and bigger breasts)!  Like I said, I always felt like I was meant for pregnancy and child-bearing.  My number one goal for my births was being able to fully experience this life-changing moment without narcotics or anesthesia.  I was able to do this and felt such an amazing sense of accomplishment and pride.  Birth made me truly understand the amazing strength of womanhood.

Tell a bit about yourself as a doula. (training, how you view your role in the birth, goals for families---just whatever comes to mind.)

I'm toLabor trained, and have completed all of my certification births.  I have had positive feedback from every birth I've attended.

During births, I generally try to disappear (I wish I could be pocket-sized) when I'm not needed.  My goal is to create a safe and intimate atmosphere for my clients, to remind them that they are fully capable of an amazing birth, to shrink fear and grow confidence : )

Do you have any specific advice you'd give to expecting parents? 

My best piece of advice is to remind parents of their wedding day.  Often, brides are nervous wrecks before their weddings.  They are inclined to think that everything that does not go according to their plan is a disaster.  But on looking back, they usually feel like it turned out well anyway.

Birth can be like this.  No matter how many possibilities we've planned for, something always happens to surprise us in the moment.   A good birth team should work to keep the new family focused on all the things that are going well, and all of the options that are available to them at each stage of the birth.  This can make all the difference in the way a family feels during and after the birth.

How can families contact you?

My email is ortega.jen@gmail.com.  My phone number is 626-221-7957 although I prefer to connect first via email since I am in teaching or mothering a good deal of the time.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Welcome Baby Owen!

From Erica: "Owen was born Friday night at 11:11pm!!! When we got to the hospital I was dilated to 8cm and handling the contractions really well so I decided to forgo getting an IV and an epidural. After 4 hours and still at 8cm, the doctor came by to try to talk me into getting pitocin or something to get things going faster. I must have been in that transition stage 'cause I was so unsure of what to do and starting to worry that something was wrong when all of a sudden I felt that urge to push. Owen was born just a few minutes later.

He's doing great, sleeping nearly all the time except when he wants to nurse, and I'm trying to catch up on sleep."

Congratulations to Erica, Brian, and big sister Hazel. 

Sunday, December 12, 2010

CPM Bill to be Introduced in Congress this week!

Many moms in class have dreamed of a birth center or home birth with a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM). But, due to the cost and the fact that most insurance plans (other than PPO) do not cover any part of of the midwife's fee, they are unable to use a service they feel would best suit their needs as a laboring woman.

This week a bill will be introduced in congress that would mandate reimbursement to CPMs for those on Medicaid insurance. This is an important first step in paving the way for midwifery to be covered under all insurance plans.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Sophie's Birth- written by Laurel on Dec 3


The following is an excellent birth story that demonstrates how to follow your own instincts and strongly advocate for yourself if you need to. 

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I’M NOT EXACTLY SURE HOW TO SHARE THIS STORY, I’M STILL TRYING TO SORT OUT MY FEELINGS ABOUT THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE.  THERE WERE A LOT OF UPS AND DOWNS.  I WENT THROUGH THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF EMOTIONS PROBABLY MORE THAN ONCE.  HOWEVER, THE END RESULT IS WONDERFUL BECAUSE WE HAVE A HEALTHY LITTLE BABY GIRL AND SHE IS DEFINITELY WORTH ALL THE TURMOIL, THE WORK AND THE PAIN.

I THINK I SHOULD START MY STORY ON TUESDAY NOVEMBER 9TH, THE DAY I TURNED 36 WEEKS.  THAT WAS THE DAY THAT I LOST MY MUCUS PLUG. 

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Some tips on enjoying your children

I got a call yesterday from M. the very first mama to have her baby over four years ago. Anyway she has since had another baby who is almost two years old. She called yesterday because she is feeling so stressed with the work involved in caring for the two kids. She says to me, "How do you do it? How do you seem like you have it together?" [Enter big hearty laughter here.]

This is funny because of course no mother has it together all of the time. Families aren't mathematical equations, we're more like oceans that ebb and flow. When it's flowing, it feels great. And when it's in the ebb stage it can be stressful. However, here are some ways to make life easier.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Bradley Reunion Day

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate! Special thanks to Jenn and Andy for hosting in their home :)

Monday, August 2, 2010

Owen's birth

Saturday, July 17, 2010 at 9:44am


This birth experience was very different from my first. I had many days of false labor and pre-labor symptoms...lots of stop and go. I was beginning to think I was never going to have this baby! We were doing everything to try and get labor going consistently. Then on Tuesday everything continued and slowly began to build. I was having mild contractions in the late afternoon and decided to drive to Orange County to my chiropractor to get adjusted to see if that would speed things up. The car ride got things going for sure and the adjustment was exactly what I needed to get speed things up. By the time we got back my contractions were building in intensity and finally beginning to get closer together.

We labored at home as long as we could. This time around I wasn't as scared of the pain as the first time so I moved around a lot more. I alternated from the tub, to walking around, to leaning over the bathroom counter, to laboring on the toilet (this is a great labor place)! It helped immensely in dealing with the pain and I felt so much more in control. My mom arrived about 10:30 pm and things were moving very fast so Tim and my mom got me in the car to head to the hospital. At this point I just wanted to stay home and was already showing signs of transition....shaking nonstop, feelings of doubt, etc. We live about 45 minutes from the hospital so Tim sped there, blowing through stop signs and everything!

By the time I got checked into the hospital it was about 11:30 pm. I was already at 7 cm and 90 effaced. The nurses were great about leaving us alone and I continued to use freedom of movement to labor. By 2 am I was feeling ready to push. In flew the doctor and she checked...I was at 9 1/2 cm and I went ahead and let her break my waters. I immediately began to push and by 2:33 pm Owen was here!! Pushing was by far the hardest part...I wasn't in a very good position and the doctor I had wasn't very patient (my doctor didn't make it). But here is when I really felt God's presence and he helped me get Owen out! Thankfully Owen was positioned right and I didn't have to have an episiotomy! I had a minor tear which I would take any day over an episiotomy!!

Seeing Owen laying on my tummy was one of the greatest moments of my life. It is amazing how you can have so much love for someone. I praise God for the wonderful birth experience and for how healthy Owen is. I'm so thankful for my husband and my mother who were both essential to my positive birth experience. I'm so very thankful for all of you my friends and family who prayed for us and encouraged us along the way! We can't wait to see you all again!!