In 1999, I found myself simultaneously pregnant and living with the internet in my home for the first time. I had a deep thirst for knowledge about birth, pregnancy, and also connection to other women with my experience. I found a unique community of women at the former hipMama.com bulletin boards.

Through hipMama, I formed connections with moms from all over the country, who gave me support in making my independent childbirth and parenting choices, amidst the vast voices of the media and consumerism. My hipmama friends mailed me packages of cloth diapers and baby clothes, zines and music. I gathered with these women in Portland and Seattle, New England and Baltimore, at the legendary HipMama gathering in 2001, and these mamas inspired me to become a writer and to share my words with creativity in many forms.

In the past couple years, with the explosion of Youtube and online video streaming, there are tons of videos online of births - both hospital, birth center, waterbirth, homebirth, unassisted births, twin births - you name it! There is so much information it can be powerfully informational and yet overwhelming in volume. It can hard to sort through the scary or mundane stuff to get to the powerful nuggets of golden inspiration.  

Lamaze recently reported that less couples in the US are attending childbirth education classes, with attendance dropping in recent years. Yet, families that attend natural childbirth classes have a higher success rate of healthy unmedicated labors and births. It has been shown that attending classes is beneficial for improving the healthy outcomes of both mother and baby. Instead, more pregnant women and expecting fathers are turning online for information.

This is how I was stuck with the idea of creating an online natural childbirth education classroom and community. I receive emails all the time from women interested and motivated to learn more about natural birth from all over the US, Canada, and beyond. I am creating the Co-Creative Birthing Circle - which includes a complete natural childbirth education program online with reading, videos, links, resources, birth stories, activities, printable PDF's, and a private birth circle discussion forum.  

I've been busy at work creating this program and the website for the last month and am anticipating opening enrollment in July. The Co-Creative Birthing Circle is the first holistic healing online learning circle at the Maia Institute of Co-Creative Healing, and following the release of this circle will be a Women's Healing Arts Circle, Co-Creative Energy Healing Circle, and more ideas are awaiting the time to bloom.

I am very excited about this new online learning circle model to fit the modern women's lifestyle - accessable, intimate, independent, empowering, holistic, and networked.

You are invited to take a sneak peek at the new website here: Maia Institute of Co-Creative Healing.

Blessings! Kara

"Warning: Using a mobile phone while pregnant can seriously damage your baby" 

Here is a fascinating and inspiring story of lobbying for state midwifery licensure in Colorado, despite some lunatic escapades by the oppossing politicians and lobbyists! This is the first installment of a three part series of articles by Jennifer, and I look forward to reading the rest.

As a mother who gave birth at home with the loving support of midwives, and as a birth activist, doula, childbirth educator, and midwifery assistant, I am so grateful for the tireless work of midwives around the world in ensuring that women and babies can receive the gentle, safe midwifery care that they choose.  I'm glad that there are midwife activists such as Jennifer out there making a difference in the United States and globally.

*** 

For more information on International Midwives Day - http://www.mana.org/IntMidDay.html

One discovery of his was that water that was polluted and most urban tap water around the world would not create any crystals. However more natural water, from less polluted water sources would create beautiful crystals when exposed to positive words such as "thank you" and "happiness", however the most beautiful crystals of all were created with the words "gratitude" and "love" together.

This illustrates the importance of thinking and feeling positive sentiments and intentions, for as humans we are water-beings. Babies are the highest percentage of water, showing our primal water connection, as they float in the waters of the womb. During pregnancy, parents can speak to the baby in the womb, knowing that the subtle vibrations from the emotion and meaning behind the words, regardless of what language it is, will positively affect the development and bonding of their baby.

For more information about water crystals: http://www.hado.com.au/crystals.htm

"At human conception, a fertilized egg is 96 percent water. At birth, a baby is 80 percent water. As the child matures, the percentage drops, and it stabilizes at about 70 percent when the individual reaces adulthood. In other words, we live our lives mostly as water. The essence of the human being is water.

We can also say that our lives begin with water and end with water. A fetus developing in a mother's womb echoes our own evolutionary process - from our origins in the sea to the present human form. The amniotic fluid has similar components to sea water.  The fetus awaits its time to be born in the mother's sea, breathing through the umbilical cord and placenta."

- The True Power of Water by Masaru Emoto 

Following is a video of one very talented birthing mama, who sings with her family to gracefully flow through her contractions.

However, the few articles I read about it mentioned unappetizing recipes such as stir-fried placenta with onions and garlic, blending raw placenta into smoothies and drinking it, or even just eating it raw and plain. None of these methods appealed to me. I happily planted my son's beloved placenta in the garden behind the home he was born in.

I wish that I had the information then about placenta encapsulation. I am delighted that now I have been guided to Placenta Benefits - www.placentabenefits.info - an informative website about the powerful benefits of placenta medicine for postpartum health and more. The founder Jodi Selander offers placenta education and encapsulation services. You can also order a kit with instructions and tools to dry, powder, and encapsulate your own placenta.

The reported benefits of placenta consumption include increased breastmilk, increase energy, prevention of postpartum depression, and less postpartum bleeding. Your own placenta capsules are also excellent to save in the freezer for menopause. Small amounts of one's own dried placenta can be given to the baby or child for separation anxiety, such as the first day of school.  

I believe the placenta is a powerful healing remedy for the mother and baby and I am glad to see more modern methods of bringing this free and safe home remedy back to women and families. Placentas have been honored by cultures around the world since ancient times. In fact, the word placenta comes from old English placent and it means a round, flat cake. Thus, every year on our birthdays, we gather round and celebrate around a cake - known in olden days as a placenta - and eat it.

There are still a couple more spaces left in Birth Arts Doula Training on Maui for February 8th, 9th, and 10th. This is an intensive three-day workshop including optional doula certification distance-learning work.

This is a wonderful opportunity to study to be a holistic trained labor support companion, providing nurturing care and encouragement to mothers, babies, and families as a birth doula. On your off time, enjoy tropical Maui!

More info about Birth Arts Doula Training in Maui here: http://www.maiahealingarts.com/birth-arts-doula-maui/ 

More info about Birth Arts International here: http://www.birtharts.com/

For inquiries or to register contact Kara at kara@birtharts.com or 541-520-0681