Helping Hands and Heart Birth Services

Hard to believe it has been over a month since I last posted! I have had to replace my laptop-- and have found how much I rely on my computer every day! I have files to review, contacts to make, emails to send and receive, people to stay connected to. It has been our discussion of late, we wonder what we did before we could stay in constant connection! Letter writing. I still have all the letters Andy wrote to me while we were dating, letters written under tall trees north of Prince George, beside a meandering stream, from inside a tent. A lonely, dirty, hungry tree-planter letting his girlfriend in on all he was learning and doing. Before he left to plant, I bought some great stationery so I would know when his letters were in the mail. Self addressed and pens included, off the paper went to be used when he was finishing his day. In fact, some of those letters have him drifting off to sleep while he pens his thoughts. He spoke of log cabins and sustainable living, in-ground homes and...

*Disclaimer* This blog post is merely discussion and does NOT represent any medical research or knowledge! It is a what if thought process. For many years, I was very interested in research and education around Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. I soaked up as much as I could from gifted educators such as Dr. Nancy Poole and  Diane Malbin. I had opportunities to create documents for others to learn from as a collective with amazing women who knew so much more than I ever would. I contributed to a research team for a number of years that spanned across the Western Provinces of Canada. The reason I begin with this is simple: I did what I could to help myself understand more about the disorder and what I could do to help others who were involved with people, either directly or indirectly, that were living with it. One really big piece I took from all that I learned is this: language is powerful! In fact, those 3 words frame much of what I say or do in the public forum! Language is pow...

Happy NEW year! It is an exciting time. So many possibilities laid out ahead, NEW lives in the making, NEW joys to witness, NEW families made. My day to day life celebrates NEW. Today, I awoke to a violet hue in the fresh morning sky, the moon's last crescent hanging over the tall peaks that flank this small town. Pink blush in the scant clouds are a promise of fresh cold, continued clear. As this NEW year continues, I am reminded once again how I thrive in routine, in order and predictable. Funny enough, for a doula, I really prefer to KNOW what is coming and to plan for it. Birth simply does not happen that way! I can, however, be always prepared. Setting up routine and planning and order help me to live precariously, always ready. Having my 'go' bag packed, my car fueled and meals planned, laundry caught up, house in order and plans loosely made all help just a little. Yesterday, I spent the afternoon re-ordering my office space. That space is shared with a spare bed an...

I think, really, they are linked. Linked through the brain, a long journey, but linked. Hands carry out that work of heart. And the heart hears, listens to find out which tasks the hands need to accomplish. So, six years ago I began a journey of gratitude. I didn't know it at the time. In fact, it really started out as a journey of difficulty, of unknowing, of disbelief. The news was earth shattering, all shades of sad and anger. All shades of regret and shame and guilt and wishing I had done better. But over this lifetime, I have learned, there is always something...to learn! So, as I embarked on the very darkest journey, I became aware of the light. The light of belief. The light of trust. The light of joy! And I have to tell you, that joy-light, it shines brightest of all, next to hope! When you can believe and trust, you have hope, which in turn leads to joy. Joy permeates the darkest spaces and places and tidies up messes as it washes through. And I learned that gratitude al...

I often find this title in my head- while on call for a birth, I am in a space, a holding pattern. I am not at all still, or simply quiet, but I am preparing my heart and hands for the work ahead. On call is usually a set time, from 37 to 42 weeks, marked off on my calendar. During this time, I am doing all the usual things, but have everything loosely planned in case I need to get up and go. I have bags packed and notes taken, my gas tank sits at full. I remember a day in particular, 7 years ago. I got the call, that things had progressed from watch and wait to needing assurance. A quick visit with ideas for comfort and then off I went to take care of outstanding needs before the imminent birth. We took some time, went to the weekly doctors' appointment, wandered the snow-laden streets of town, mama riding her waves gracefully and with purpose. She was mentally and physically prepared for the work ahead of her. Visits with friends helped fill her love tank, family gave her a warm...

I just went for a walk. A long walk! The snow is piling up, about 8 inches or so (is that 20 cm?) and it covers this town! Maybe I will change my background for this blog!! I have given myself a new goal, at least 30 minutes outside for at least 5 days per week.  In my coursework, we had a great exercise, Making Shift Happen. It challenges our reasons for making things work--or not! The questions are: What improvement goal would you like to work toward?  What are the obstacle behaviours?  What are competing demands?  What are your hidden life-beliefs (those words inside your head, like " I will never lose weight, it never works")  What alternatives can you come up with to overcome these so they are not excuses? So, I have decided the goal will be a small one. Fresh air for 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week. I think it should be an attainable goal. I really didn't want to begin weight loss or exercise that would get messed up with the holidays coming up-...