Helping Hands and Heart Birth Services

*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...