Spotlight on: BirthMom Buds

Check out this neat organization of birthmothers reaching out to support women making adoption plans:

From their website: BirthMom Buds was formed by 2 birthmothers, Coley and Lani, who found each other shortly after they each gave birth and relinquished a baby into open adoption.

Before finding each other, they desperately sought out someone who understood what they were feeling. After a little searching, they connected and became the best of friends, helping each other move forward and smile again.

As a result, Coley and Lani wanted to create a central haven where other birthmothers could go to meet women just like them without all of the searching they went through!

In Praise of Partners, Family and Friends

We all know that it would be nearly impossible for us to function as doulas if we did not have the assistance of our partners, friends and families. They support our work in a million ways--helping us rearrange our schedules when we are on-call, stepping in to do emergency childcare when we have to run out the door to a birth or keeping dinner warm until we come back home, exhausted, in the wee hours of the morning. Without their love and support, we wouldn't be able to be their for our moms.

Here's a partner perspective on birthwork. In this essay from Mothering, Tom Smith reflects on being "married to the midwife."

Don't Forget about Certification!

For all of our newer doulas, remember that it's easier to work on your certification requirements as you go along.
Don't wait until last minute!

• Try writing birth stories as soon as you come home from a birth, so that the details are fresh in your mind. If you have a difficult time getting started, try telling another doula the story of the birth you attended, while she transcribes it.
  
  
• Keep a copy of one of the required books in your purse or doula bag so that you can find a few minutes to read while you're on the bus, waiting for a client at her prenatal visits or during quiet moments at a birth, while mom takes a nap.
  
  
• More information about certification is available from DONA's birth doula certification page.
  

A Message from Cyndy

For all Birth Circle Doulas--

Please, please, make sure that we have a copy of your child abuse clearances and the first sheet of your current liability insurance coverage on file. If you don't have the chance to make copies, bring the originals, and we will make copies at the office and send you back your originals. We MUST have this paperwork completed and on file in the office in order for you to continue providing doula services.

The Birth Quilt

Sara, a PA mama and fiber artist, was recently in town for the Handmade Arcade Craft Fair. (Where our own Birth Circle doulas, Jamie and Courtney, sold their excellent hats, clothing and baby slings too!) Sara made this quilt over the course of 6 years as part of her own healing following the births of children. Note the text in the background, which reads "I am not afraid, I am born to do this." What beautiful work--if only we could hang work like this in our own L&D wards!

Read the story of her birth quilt here.

The History of the Pregnancy Test

All expectant women have a "how I found out" story to tell about their pregnancies. Taking a pregnancy test in the privacy of one's home is now a common thing, but it wasn't always that way.

The first home pregnancy tests were not available until 1978. This fascinating website tells the story of how a group of endocrinologists at the National Institute of Health developed the first tests available for women to buy over the counter.

Here's the link.

ALL women deserve positive birth support

Check out this story about how the Washington State Corrections Center has implemented a doula program for pregnant women in their facilities. The program is showing how having a positive birth experience not only gives babies a chance to start out right, but also helps incarcerated women to start over again.

Read the original article here.

Photo Credit: MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES