I recently came across a blog post on the subject of birth plans and whether it’s worth writing them. (Full disclosure: I now can’t find the original post, or I would link to it here…). As a doula, I have always encouraged my clients to write birth plans and I believe that there are very real benefits and little to no risk, as long as you recognize why you’re writing it and acknowledge both your hopes and your fears while doing so. Continue reading
I am offering another weekend prenatal course in Toronto in August. This is a two-day intensive course designed to help you feel confident, calm and prepared as you approach your birth and new parenthood. It will also provide your partner with skills and knowledge that will aid them in supporting you during labour and birth, as well as postpartum.
Join me on Saturday, August 17th and Sunday, August 18th, 2013 from 10am to 5pm at the Centre for Social Innovation (Annex – 720 Bathurst St.).
To register, email register@labourdoula.com with the following information:
This course is ideal for those expecting a baby between September and November. The course is $240 per couple. Discounts are available for doula clients.
Topics for the course will include (but are not limited to):
Wondering why you should take an independent class instead of one offered by your local hospital? 9 great reasons here.
Wishing a very happy Mother’s Day to all of the mamas out there! To those of you who honoured me by having me at your births, I’m thinking about you in particular today. It is truly a privilege to be present at the moment when a child is born and a woman becomes a mother, whether for the first, second or eighth time.
I hope that you’re all being spoiled today and that you’re being reminded of the value and importance of the work that you do every day.
To my own mom, I miss you every day. Thank you for being the inspiration behind the work that I do. I love you.
After the tremendous success of last year’s BirthFire, we have decided to make it an annual event! I hope that you’ll join us on May 10th as we share our fears, past experiences, expectations and frustrations about birth. This event is a wonderful opportunity for anyone with an interest in birth and a desire to let go of something associated with it to do so in a supportive, respectful and safe environment.
Learn more about BirthFire 2013 here. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about the event.
Related: Is Birth Fire For Me?
This is a brief, but interesting interview with Maureen Corry, MPH, Executive Director of Childbirth Connection on the subject of shared decision making.
Right off the bat, Corry mentions exactly what came to mind for me when I was confronted with the term “shared decision making”. She says,
…we’ve heard some concerns from women that shared decision making means giving up some control of decision making to the care provider – essentially a move away from informed consent and refusal. Because of the history of childbirth in the United States, and many troubling practices that still happen today, childbearing women are justified in being concerned about their rights.
There are spaces available for my May/June Prenatal Class at the Centre for Social Innovation. This is a six week course designed to help you feel confident, calm and prepared as you approach your birth and new parenthood. It will also provide your partner with skills and knowledge that will aid them in supporting you during labour and birth, as well as postpartum.
Classes will be held on Monday evenings, from 6-8:30pm, beginning May 6th, 2013 at CSI Annex (720 Bathurst St.). This series is ideal for those expecting to give birth between late June and August.
**Please let me know if you are interested in the course but not available on week nights.
To register, email me at heather@socialinnovation.ca. The fee for the course is $240 per couple. Discounts are available for doula clients.
Topics for the course will include (but are not limited to):
-natural pain management and coping strategies for labour
-the physiology of labour and birth
-positions for labour and birth
-risks and benefits of common interventions (including pain medications)
-self-advocacy/informed decision-making skills
-breastfeeding
-postpartum care
-newborn care and characteristics
Wondering why you should take an independent class instead of one offered by your local hospital? 9 great reasons here.
Happy Family Day to all of my fellow Ontarians! I hope that you all get to enjoy spending time with your families today – whether they are your blood relatives, a family-of-choice or something in between!
“Life’s most urgent question is, what are you doing for others?”
-MLK, Jr.
Too busy to attend a six-week prenatal series? Then you’re in luck! Due to popular demand I am now offering weekend prenatal courses at CSI Annex (720 Bathurst St.). Email me now to register!
The first weekend course will be held Saturday March 16th and Sunday March 17th, 2013 from 10am to 5pm.
The course is $240 per couple.
Topics will include (but are not limited to):
-pain management and coping strategies for labour
-the physiology of labour and birth
-positioning for labour and birth
-risks and benefits of common interventions
-breastfeeding
-newborn care, characteristics and abilities
-parenting options
Education is the key to having a birth experience in which you feel confident, calm and in control.
I have another upcoming prenatal series starting at the Centre for Social Innovation, in the Annex, on March 5th. This course will run Tuesday evenings from 6:30-9 pm for six weeks.
If you are expecting a baby between late April and early June, this is the class for you! I cap my courses at six couples, so that my students can get to know one another and start building those new parent networks early. This course will give you and your partner the information and skills you need to cope with labour and birth; self-advocate effectively with your healthcare providers; know how breastfeeding should look and feel; know what to expect of a newborn; and make decisions about parenting that will work for you and your family.
The course is $240 per couple. Discounts are available for doula clients. Email me for more information, or to register.
Topics for the series include (but are not limited to):
-pain management and coping strategies for labour
-the physiology of labour and birth
-positioning for labour and birth
-risks and benefits of common interventions
-breastfeeding
-newborn care, characteristics and abilities
-parenting options
Education is the key to having a birth experience in which you feel confident, calm and in control.
I will have two new prenatal education series’ starting in the new year for those expecting a baby between late February and early April, 2013. Classes at the Centre for Social Innovation (Annex) will be on Tuesday evenings, from 6:30 – 9pm, beginning January 8th. Classes at Women’s College Hospital will be on Wednesday evenings, from 6:30 – 9pm, beginning January 9th. Both courses are six weeks in length. You can choose the series that best suits you in terms of day and location.
In taking the role of prenatal instructor at Women’s College, one of my top priorities was that I would be able to use my own curriculum and that there would be no imposition of a hospital agenda upon my prenatal course content. In other words, these two courses will be identical in content and will focus on preparing for birth as a normal, healthy experience that can be anticipated and experienced without fear and in a calm an relaxed manner. We will also cover topics related to the postpartum phase and parenting.
To register for the course at CSI Annex (Tuesdays), email me at heather@socialinnovation.ca. To register for the WCH course (Wednesdays), email janelle.noel@wchospital.ca or call 416-323-6494.
For more info on topics that will be covered, hit the jump! Continue reading
Empowered Birth 