You’ve heard it said, ‘too many cooks in the kitchen.’  I think there must be another saying about Russian grandmothers, ‘too many бабушки in one house’ and in birth, ‘too many eyes in the labor room.’

After I had my first baby, with no one there except the dr. and staff and my husband, I was sure that birth #2 would be a perfect opportunity to invite anyone who wanted to see a birth.  There are so few opportunities for women to view normal birth these days.  ‘Normal’ being one that begins on its own, when baby is ready, one that progresses naturally (doesn’t necessarily mean progressing regularly) and one when the momma and daddy call most of the shots.

I wanted to give all of my baby-less friends the opportunity to view birth as it should be to give them confidence in birthing naturally.  But when the day came and I went into labor with baby #2, I didn’t feel the same.  In fact, we called no one until after Fiona was born!  I felt that I needed to focus on me and my family during labor  and didn’t want to entertain any guests.  I did not want any extra ‘eyes’ on me.  I did NOT predict my last minute change of mind, but for us it was perfect.

I am so thankful for moms that allow other women to attend their births.  As a doula, I am thankful for the opportunity to be a set of helpful hands in an intimate family moment.  It’s a sacred blessing to be granted entrance to a birth!

I challenge moms to take time during their pregnancy to really evaluate their OWN desires for their birth day and how many eyes that they want on them.  Note that these desires may change last minute and even during the labor, mom might change her mind.  If you are attending a birth, check your own emotions and desires at the door and take on the mama’s wishes.  If she asks you to leave, don’t be offended – just leave!

Taking the time now to prepare will give mom confidence to say ‘there are too many eyes on me right now’ if she is laboring with friends and needs a moment alone.  It takes a truly confident mom to know what helps her labor and what slows it down. I’ve attended births where the mom really knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to tell us.  It helps the labor to go much more smoothly and give mom the environment that SHE needs.

If you need tips on how to prepare for your birth, email me: lauren@birthisfun!  I’ll be thrilled to talk to you about options and brainstorm what will be best for your birth and your family!

Sometimes a hand is all mom needs to get through a contraction. Skin to skin for pain relief and assurance that she is not alone.

For those of you that are attending a birth as a friend, mother, sister, doula here are some tips on how to be a ‘quiet presence’ instead of an awkward spectator:

-When you enter the room, be quiet! Mom might be in the middle of a contraction, do NOT disturb her rhythm.  When she is done with a contraction, you may approach her and reciprocate the mood that she is in. If she is laughing, laugh, if she is quiet, stay quiet.

-Don’t ask lots of questions.  The laboring moms is working… HARD.  She doesn’t want to answer questions about when her water broke, about contractions, etc. Just observe.  If she seems open to sharing, she’ll share.

-Give her options that are easy to understand and quick to answer.  When mom is in full swing of labor and has little time in between contractions, she can not always decide what she wants. Give her options such as, ‘Do you want counter pressure or no pressure’, ‘Do you want to lie down or get on hands and knees’?

-Keep her hydrated.  The best way to keep mom hydrated is to keep a drink FULL and handy with a straw in it.  Put it up to mom’s lips in between contractions.  If she wants a sip, she’ll take it.  If she doesn’t… she won’t.

-Respect mom’s wishes for quiet and dim lighting.  If you want to carry on a conversation, play video games, watch t.v. or talk on the phone LEAVE THE ROOM.  Remember it is not about your entertainment but what mom wants!

-Lastly, remember to thank mom afterwards for allowing you to come.  You are not entitled to see her birth – doesn’t matter if your the best friend, the mother or her favorite sister… you are not entitled.  Be thankful and tell her that she is amazing, she is beautiful and her baby is perfect.

Thanks to a lovely student of mine, Angie, I am enjoying a delicious glass of ice cold tea.  This is no regular tea, though.  It’s Mint and Lemon Tea!

My last birthing class was a really fun group and one couple was organic farmers of Pete’s Sake Farm in Lexington.  They were a sweet couple that brought much fun to the class and also brought plants!  Each week we would all discuss our current gardens, swapping stories and sharing tips and recipes. One week, to our surprise, Angie and Mike had brought us all a big flat of plants: heirloom tomatoes such as Pineapple and Black Krim, Roma and more.  She also gave us three variations of basil: Holy Basil, Lemon and Regular.

It’s been so fun to add these beautiful plants to my small garden and watch them grow, remembering this wonderful couple and all the zest that they have for life and the great respect that they have for their earth.

Tonight, thanks to some Sweet Basil and Lemon Basil, I hosted a small dinner party with my parents with ice cold black tea infused with Lemon Basil and my own peppermint leaves alongside homemade toasted bread with a slice of freshly picked tomatoes, a sliver of Holy Basil and mozarella.  It was divine!

Thanks to my beautiful students for bringing more to my life than I’m sure that I could ever bring to theirs.  Each birth journey that I am invited to participate in, whether during pregnancy as the childbirth educator or in labor as the doula brings me a slice of heaven here on earth.

In short…I LOVE my job!  Thanks to my students and mamas for making my life so much richer… and my tea that much sweeter!

For the past 6+ months a beautiful piece of fabric strewn haphazardly across the curtain rod has been patiently waiting for this mama to make things look nice and neat.  Alas, yesterday I did it… I finally made the curtains for the bathroom! I know that it seems like a small feat, but as a very busy working, studying mom of two it’s a cause for celebration!

So, I hope that you enjoy this picture and that it inspires you to take a few moments today to do something that helps you to relax, that reconnects you to your souls and makes you smile!

I’m not one to like fads and really kinda cringe at the thought of last year’s fashion fads that included plastic neon and black sunglasses that you’d see Tom Cruise or John Cusack wear in some 80’s movie.  I remember going to a David Bazaan concert in Cincinnati earlier this year and there was so much flannel paired with skinny jeans and oversized glasses that I was sick to my stomach.

But I have to say when a fad goes beyond ‘me’ and really is has a positive message, I drink the kool-aid and hop on the bandwagon.  So, that being said, here’s the next pair of shoes that I’m dying to get on my feet:

Toms states that for every pair of shoes that they sell, they will donate one to a child in need.   As I mentioned before, ‘No Shoes on April 8th’, I don’t know what it is like to really truly want and need shoes.  I cannot image the blessing that a pair of shoes will be to a child that has none.  And for that reason, and because the shoes are cute… I support Toms!

Here’s what I will reward myself with if I, in fact, can loose these last 10 pesky pounds from baby #2 born March 2009!!!  It’s about time to get exercising and spending time on my health and body… these cute jeans (or something similar) will help motivate me for sure!

I just had a delightful little conversation with E about the meat that we eat.  I try to teach her that we should be thankful for our food, especially for the meat which must shed blood so that we can eat.

Me: We’re going to have chicken for dinner.

E: I like chicken.

Me: We eat lots of chicken and meat. We eat cows…

E: Their milk.

Me: Yes, their milk and also their meat.  We eat birds too.  The farmer kills the cows and chickens and we get to eat them.  That’s why we thank God for our meals, because that animal had to die so we could get our vitamins and protein.

E: (Figuring it out) But we have to leave some birds so that we can say ‘Hi little birdie’.

Me: Exactly

I love teaching that our meat, that is packaged so neatly in plastic wrap and labeled so brightly comes from an animal that lived, breathed and loved.  I hope she understands that almost  impossible process that a farmer must go through in order to have dinner on their tables (and ours).  How else can I impart the respect for God’s creation and the gentle structure of our earth if I cannot teach her the basics of food?

Ahhhh, I love summer for the meaningful talks that arise over fresh produce and scribbles with chalk on the sidewalk.

I’ve posted before on the necessity for a pregnant woman to get 75-100 grams of protein a day but didn’t elaborate on how to count.  So, I decided that today I would make a running count of all the protein that I eat (as a non-pregnant lady) to give a fair example of just how to do it.

Breakfast:

2 fried eggs = 12 grams (about 6 grams each)

Lunch:

Annie’s Mac & Cheese with added cream cheese, milk  and canned salmon =26 grams

Mac and Cheese is about 10 grams a serving

Cream cheese is about 9 grams for the bar, I used 1/3 of the bar

Salmon is about 40 grams for the can, 10 grams a serving

Milk is about 8 grams for 1 cup, I used about 1/3 of a cup

This puts me at 38 grams of protein by noon and it wasn’t hard at all… and very tasty.

Stay tuned for my update later and how I finished my day out!

This is my 5th attempt to grow a garden.  I’ve told you about it before, Baby Worm Fiona and Conversations about Dirt.

Each year I put seeds in little pots with the hope that I might just manage to grow something edible.  Each year my plants die.  I usually have a ‘black thumb’.  But this year is different.  Maybe it is the soil at our new home, maybe it is the seeds, but maybe it is the extra loving attention that these plants receive from an excited little 3 year old!

So to all of you ‘nay’ sayers, eat your heart out… or eat my salad and kale! Woohoo!

Almost the right size for eating... and to think I started as a seed!

And here’s a picture of my entire ‘plot’ where I have loads of salad greens and kale planted. Yummy!

Salad and Kale from seeds but the tomato plant at the end was a gift and had already sprouted flowers.

While teaching my Hands on Baby Class yesterday we came up with a good mantra: “When in doubt, skin to skin”

Problem: Baby is cold.

Solution: Skin to skin regulates temperature for both mom and baby!

Problem: Baby won’t latch and nurse.

Solution: Skin to skin to familiarize baby with mom’s smell and let the mom’s body work with baby’s to promote health bacteria.

Problem: Baby doesn’t know how to breath air yet, only amniotic fluid.

Solution: Hold baby Skin to skin and rub on her to stimulate first breaths, keep cord attached (only long enough to put baby on mom’s belly skin to skin).

Problem: Baby is overwhelmed with new surrounding.

Solution: Skin to skin, baby’s head to your heart, to breast for comfort and sound of mom’s heart beat.

See… parenting is that easy!

I wanted to pass out the word on a great website for moms.  Check it out!!!