Recently someone asked me how I could possibly want to attend births. Why would I want to stand by and watch a woman writhe in pain for hours on end? What could possibly be gained from putting my personal life on hold for weeks at a time waiting for a woman to spontaneously go into labour? The financial gains could not account for the many sleepless nights awaiting the call. Or night after night talking to an anxious mom wondering if these contractions were actually the real thing, only to fall back asleep (iphone in hand) just before my kids come bounding into the room saying "Good Morning Mommy!" Sometimes I wonder myself what I signed up for. I've been squirted with amniotic fluid, been awake for 36 hours straight, walked empty cold hallways at 4am and will gladly do it again.
Birth is messy, exhausting, unpredictable and intense. Birth is beautiful.
I fall in love with birth again and again. I'm not a doula who is concerned with what choices a mom makes. A birth could never be measured in epidurals, episiotomies or emergency c-sections. The mother herself is the only one who knows what is right for her body and her baby in that moment. There is no good, there is no bad. Birth just is. There is no room for ego or pretending to be anything other than what you are - a beautiful, strong and powerful woman. Helping women find the strength to birth their baby, to look into their eyes when they weep "I can't do this anymore" and tell them "Yes, you can" and believe it with every fiber of my being means more to me than I could ever explain. I don't attend births for the money, most doula's would attest that the sacrifices far outweigh the financial gains. I attend births because women need someone to believe in them. During labour if she loses faith in herself, even for a moment, and looks outward for help - that is where I'll be.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Spring Planters!!
Alberta had a late start to spring so this month we kicked off summer making some gorgeous planters! We were lucky to have a beautiful day, fantastic company and delicious snacks! We are some multi-tasking mama's, having 8 babies in tow and coming out with beautiful planters to decorate our front yards and decks!
A Big Thank You to Shanna, our resident planting expert, for hosting and providing supplies!
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| Sarah, Joanne, Chani and Debbie get their gloves dirty! |
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| Isla gets to dig in the dirt! |
The babies have fun in the sun too!
All ready to take home!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Summer reading - join the club!
Sponsored by TD Bank, the reading program is launched Canada-wide at the end of June/early July in many communities*. The goal is to encourage children to engage with books throughout the summer.
Upon signing up, children usually receive a poster, stickers, colouring book, and a way to track their summer reading. When milestones are hit (say, 10 books read) kids receive a reward - such as a free ice cream from a local restaurant, or a pass to a local entertainment complex. Each year my kids look forward to the library reading program, and it's a great way to start off the summer!
The theme this year is Splash! Celebrate Summer and the website has lots of links to recommended book lists (ranging from pictures books up to teenage years).
An interactive kids website has been designed to engage kids in reading with online games and activities. Whatever momstown community you're part of, there should be a local library ready to engage your kids in reading this summer!
momstown has a strong literacy program as part of its educational curriculum for children aged 0-5. Our momstown book clubs, book reviews, and parent resources help families make reading a part of their every day.
Even the youngest child can engage with letters - momstown has a full range of alphabet crafts to get kids interested!
Click on your community for your local library information on the TD Summer Reading Club.
Click here for the link to our Edmonton Public Library Summer reading program!
By: Guest Blogger Ally Cooper
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