The Purpose of Childbirth Preparation...

...is to prepare mothers to give birth in awareness, not to achieve a specific birth outcome.

This Birthing from Within guiding principle was a real shift for me.  Before I became a Birthing from Within Mentor and Doula in June 2011, I was promising my clients a natural birth in the hospital. I had an intervention free hospital birth and at that time most of my doula clients where having the same type of birth. I was selling pregnant couples a 'good' hospital experience.  And of course couples were buying it.

My realization through my Birthing from Within training and experiences over the last year have helped me realize that truly birthing 'from within', has nothing to do with the type of birth you have and everything to do with where your head is at. Preparation is incredibly valuable, and it does not guarantee a certain outcome.

Research shows parents who receive support:

• Feel more secure and cared for
• Are more successful in adapting to new family dynamics
• Have greater success with breastfeeding
• Have greater self-confidence

These things are true for most parents who use doulas, regardless of the birth outcomes.  This is what I am now offering pregnant couples.  It is not a 'magic bullet', and sometimes it is hard for first time parents to understand how valuable building confidence and feeling good about the birth really is.

The DONA Website also mentions less interventions and cesareans.  While these statistics are valid over a large number of births, parents sometimes interpret this as: "If I hire you as my doula, I will not have an epidural or a cesarean." Promising this (even unintentionally) is doing a disservice to the parents and the doula. Doulas burn out because we take on responsibility for birth outcomes and then when it does not go the way we expect (and parents expect), we take it personally and it is emotionally draining.

Birthing from Within preparation and support includes preparing for every possible outcome and helps parents learn to be present in the moment and recognize their birth as a major rite of passage, whatever kind of birth they have.

Please take a look at my new website for more about what I can offer you.

Guacamole and Simple Quesadillas

Avocadoes are full of healthy fat that is so necessary for building a healthy baby and breastfeeding.  Toddlers generally love them too.

Guacamole
2-3 ripe avocadoes (cut them open and scrape the flesh out with a fork)
juice of one lemon
2 cloves of garlic (optional) - minced or pressed
1 teaspoon of cumin
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients in a bowl with a fork or potato masher.  You can use a blender too, but I prefer the chunky consistency from the fork. Serve on top of quesadillas or with veggies, tortilla chips or on sandwiches.

Quesadillas
4 tortillas
1 cup of cheese- mozzarella, feta, cheddar or a combination
1-2 cups of well chopped veggies - peppers, spinach and green onions are some favourites
1 cup of protein - precooked beans, chicken, shrimp or ground beef.
Hot sauce to taste

Fill tortillas with ingredients, fold over and bake in toaster oven or oven for 10 mins.  Smother with guacamole.

Hummus Recipe

I am going to post some recipes on my blog, as requested by my doula clients, Birthing from Within class participants and friends.  

Hummus

Hummus is so easy to make.  It keeps for about a week and is great to have in the fridge to give you the healthy calories you need when pregnant and breastfeeding.. It is one of the best foods for calcium absorption and is an excellent source of protein and fibre. Best of all it is easy to make and tastes great. Serve with pita, flat bread, crackers or raw vegetables or use it as a sandwich spread.

Ingredients:

1 large can of chickpeas, drained

¼ cup tahini (sesame paste)

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of 1 lemon

Sea salt to taste (pregnant women need more salt, to build amniotic fluid and increase their blood volume)

2-3 tsp zatar spice (mix of thyme, sesame and sea salt)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp sesame oil

Directions:
• Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth.

• Add additional olive oil if needed to achieve the right consistency.

• Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.

adapted from www.cookbooksandrecipes.com

Mothers

Julie and Ellie - Early Days

Happy Mother's Day.  What a lovely opportunity to take a few minutes to reflect on ourselves as mothers or mothers-to-be.

How do we let go of the judgement that we feel from the world around us, and more importantly the self-judgement?

Learning to say: "I am doing the best I can with the resources and knowledge I have and moving forward."

Learning to let go of the organic quinoa falafel cakes we saw on Pinterest, but never baked. Let go of the parenting book we didn't have time to read.


Let go of feeling guilty about yelling at our 3 year old for digging up the section of the garden we just planted and putting pine needles in the watering can -- eventually even letting go of the yelling (maybe).

Instead, how do we learn to embrace the early morning request for a group hug with mommy, daddy and 6 stuffed animals and hold on tight for an extra minute, instead of rushing off to make breakfast?

How do we give in and relax at the idea that our 3 week old needs to nurse for six hours straight, put up our feet and read a juicy novel, while he lies on our chest?

Julie and Ellie - Today

During pregnancy, how do we prepare for birth and motherhood in ways that nourish us, whether it is preparing a special place in our home for our baby, or in our hearts.

I am off to enjoy my daughter's company.  I hope that everyone has a wonderful day.