- Guide to Childbirth: Ina May Gaskin
- Spiritual Midwifery: Ina May Gaskin
- The Business of Being Born: Documentary film on DVD from Executive Producer Ricki Lake and filmmaker/Director Abby Epstein
Friday, October 28, 2011
Inspirational brain food
For any woman interested in learning what her birth options are and empowering herself to make her own choices, the following books and one documentary are a must! All can be purchased on Amazon.com.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Nursery inspiration
No matter if we were having a boy or a girl, I wanted the nursery to be pretty gender neutral. If we're blessed to have two little ones pretty close together, then we may want to put them in the same room, so in thinking about designing the nursery, I wanted it to be as versatile as possible.
While there are "themed" nurseries that I love (two of my closest friends did an owl theme and they were awesome!), there are some that I'm just not partial to (mostly anything themed with Disney characters). So, when people ask me, "What's your nursery theme?", I tell them that I don't have one. I just wanted to create a space that was modern with pops of color like dark blues and lime greens offset with neutrals, tying in things that were meaningful to us as a family, like childhood books and family photos. I got a lot of inspiration from Ohdeedoh throughout this process.
Paint
To start, I've chosen a light wall color. I've decided to go with "white duck" by Sherwin Williams. Harmony, no VOC, of course.
Fabric Choices
After basking in the glow of radiant fabric choices in numerous stores, I decided on a curtain fabric with a small geometric pattern. My good friends recommended an awesome seamstress that is creating these beauties in no time flat.
I was having a really hard time picking fabrics for a custom bumper, crib skirt, crib sheets and changing pad cover (I couldn't find anything I really loved in the usual places-- Target, Land of Nod, Pottery Barn Kids, etc.), only to discover Hush Baby Co. on Etsy. This woman is so talented and I was able to pick fabrics I loved in a combination that I felt would go great together.
Rug
We actually have a pretty big room to work with, so I wanted a great rug with a pop of color. I fell in love with this roundabout rug from CB2 and can just imagine our little guy racing his little toy cars around and around the circles when he's older.
Furniture
We're really fortunate in that Rich's step-mother kept his childhood dresser to pass down when he had a child. It's this awesome art deco piece that was made in 1952 with the most modern looking hardware. We love it and we plan on using it as a changing table. She also kept a sweet little child's secretary desk and chair that was his in safekeeping, so we'll have that for our little one as well (when he's ready to color or play accountant).
While there are a lot of crib choices out there, I decided to go with something highly rated in the book that has become my steadfast companion in navigating through the sometimes ludicrous world of baby products, Baby Bargains-- the Graco Sarah Convertible Crib in Cinnamon. Simple, hardwood construction, affordable...right up my alley.
I fell in love with the Herman Miller Eames Rocking Chair-- it's such a classic design-- and was able to find one in Lime Green at a discount. Hurray! We also have a modern convertible sofa by Chiasso that we're going to keep in the room for those nights we just need to get vertical.
Decor
It just isn't a nursery without a mobile, and I found the most amazing mobiles on Etsy (of course). Ultimately, I decided to get one made by Baby Jives. This woman is uber-creative and talented! I cannot wait to see the finished product!
I asked family if they could help us pull together old family photos-- you know, the ones of grandparents and great grandparents in their younger years, all black and white and glamorous looking, plus baby pics of parents and siblings to add to the mix. I plan on grouping them on one wall in the nursery.
I am a huge reader and love so many of my books from childhood, so we're going to feature some on floating shelves (Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon, In the Night Kitchen) and have a healthy number in a bookshelf (I'm trying to find one that looks like a kids library rack) and in canvas cubes.
My sweet husband and parents are kind enough to help get all of this together and I can't wait to post pictures of the finished product! Should be a few weeks from now, so stay tuned...
While there are "themed" nurseries that I love (two of my closest friends did an owl theme and they were awesome!), there are some that I'm just not partial to (mostly anything themed with Disney characters). So, when people ask me, "What's your nursery theme?", I tell them that I don't have one. I just wanted to create a space that was modern with pops of color like dark blues and lime greens offset with neutrals, tying in things that were meaningful to us as a family, like childhood books and family photos. I got a lot of inspiration from Ohdeedoh throughout this process.
Paint
To start, I've chosen a light wall color. I've decided to go with "white duck" by Sherwin Williams. Harmony, no VOC, of course.
Fabric Choices
After basking in the glow of radiant fabric choices in numerous stores, I decided on a curtain fabric with a small geometric pattern. My good friends recommended an awesome seamstress that is creating these beauties in no time flat.
I was having a really hard time picking fabrics for a custom bumper, crib skirt, crib sheets and changing pad cover (I couldn't find anything I really loved in the usual places-- Target, Land of Nod, Pottery Barn Kids, etc.), only to discover Hush Baby Co. on Etsy. This woman is so talented and I was able to pick fabrics I loved in a combination that I felt would go great together.
Rug
We actually have a pretty big room to work with, so I wanted a great rug with a pop of color. I fell in love with this roundabout rug from CB2 and can just imagine our little guy racing his little toy cars around and around the circles when he's older.
We're really fortunate in that Rich's step-mother kept his childhood dresser to pass down when he had a child. It's this awesome art deco piece that was made in 1952 with the most modern looking hardware. We love it and we plan on using it as a changing table. She also kept a sweet little child's secretary desk and chair that was his in safekeeping, so we'll have that for our little one as well (when he's ready to color or play accountant).
While there are a lot of crib choices out there, I decided to go with something highly rated in the book that has become my steadfast companion in navigating through the sometimes ludicrous world of baby products, Baby Bargains-- the Graco Sarah Convertible Crib in Cinnamon. Simple, hardwood construction, affordable...right up my alley.
I fell in love with the Herman Miller Eames Rocking Chair-- it's such a classic design-- and was able to find one in Lime Green at a discount. Hurray! We also have a modern convertible sofa by Chiasso that we're going to keep in the room for those nights we just need to get vertical.
Decor
It just isn't a nursery without a mobile, and I found the most amazing mobiles on Etsy (of course). Ultimately, I decided to get one made by Baby Jives. This woman is uber-creative and talented! I cannot wait to see the finished product!
I asked family if they could help us pull together old family photos-- you know, the ones of grandparents and great grandparents in their younger years, all black and white and glamorous looking, plus baby pics of parents and siblings to add to the mix. I plan on grouping them on one wall in the nursery.
I am a huge reader and love so many of my books from childhood, so we're going to feature some on floating shelves (Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon, In the Night Kitchen) and have a healthy number in a bookshelf (I'm trying to find one that looks like a kids library rack) and in canvas cubes.
My sweet husband and parents are kind enough to help get all of this together and I can't wait to post pictures of the finished product! Should be a few weeks from now, so stay tuned...
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
A curve in our birthing path
My husband, Rich, and I found out we were pregnant in May of this year. We were thrilled with the news and by way of default, we started out on the traditional path of pre-natal care. I scheduled my first pre-natal visit, followed by monthly visits and two ultrasounds. At week 12, we saw our baby moving around (what an acrobat!), caught clear glimpses of his/her heartbeat, brain, tiny spine and we were in absolute awe. Rich got teary-eyed, but I was just floored with facination. Then in our 20th week, we found out that we're having a boy and were blessed with the news that he's growing healthy and strong.
Many of our closest friends have recently become first-time parents, so we're fortunate to be able to learn so much from them, but as I've gotten deeper into this pregnancy, I felt a void in connecting with women that truly desired and opted for a natural childbirth. Intitally, I never considered this for myself because my friends went the epidural or scheduled induction route, all with positive outcomes. However, I began experiencing an increasingly strong desire to be present during this birth and forgo the drugs. When I shared this with my friends, many (if not most) exclaimed that I was crazy, that I really ought to have a back-up plan and one in particular, knowing my typically wimpish tolerance of pain (I get light-headed when getting blood drawn!) made a sarcastic remark about my ability to truly handle the painful endurance of labor. All of this did a number on my confidence, making me feel more isolated from the "norm" of my friend's experiences.
Then one night, Rich and I were visiting with friends that had thier son seven weeks prior. They had gone through extensive Bradley Method childbirth classes and gave birth naturally with the Vanderbilt Nurse-Midwives. Hearing her talk about thier preparation and committment to a natural birth was so inspiring-- finally! Someone that understood where I was coming from and didn't think I was a looney toon. She loaned me a copy of Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth and in the two weeks it has been in my possession, it has changed my life.
The women-centered model of care makes so much sense to me and although I know not everyone will agree with our choice, we are now on a path of pursuing a home birth at The Farm in Summertown, TN, working with The Farm Midwives. In over 30 years of birthing thousands of babies, they have a less than 2% c-section rate and the birthing atmosphere is one of calm, encouragement, patience and competence. Our first pre-natal appointment is next week and we can't wait!
Now in my 28th week, Rich and I have begun Bradley Method birthing classes with Jeannie Casey and we will continue to work with our doula, Jolynn Lewis (she's fabulous!), in preparing ourselves for this intentional birthing journey. I am writing this blog to keep those of you that are interested and supportive up to date on our experience.
Many of our closest friends have recently become first-time parents, so we're fortunate to be able to learn so much from them, but as I've gotten deeper into this pregnancy, I felt a void in connecting with women that truly desired and opted for a natural childbirth. Intitally, I never considered this for myself because my friends went the epidural or scheduled induction route, all with positive outcomes. However, I began experiencing an increasingly strong desire to be present during this birth and forgo the drugs. When I shared this with my friends, many (if not most) exclaimed that I was crazy, that I really ought to have a back-up plan and one in particular, knowing my typically wimpish tolerance of pain (I get light-headed when getting blood drawn!) made a sarcastic remark about my ability to truly handle the painful endurance of labor. All of this did a number on my confidence, making me feel more isolated from the "norm" of my friend's experiences.
Then one night, Rich and I were visiting with friends that had thier son seven weeks prior. They had gone through extensive Bradley Method childbirth classes and gave birth naturally with the Vanderbilt Nurse-Midwives. Hearing her talk about thier preparation and committment to a natural birth was so inspiring-- finally! Someone that understood where I was coming from and didn't think I was a looney toon. She loaned me a copy of Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth and in the two weeks it has been in my possession, it has changed my life.
The women-centered model of care makes so much sense to me and although I know not everyone will agree with our choice, we are now on a path of pursuing a home birth at The Farm in Summertown, TN, working with The Farm Midwives. In over 30 years of birthing thousands of babies, they have a less than 2% c-section rate and the birthing atmosphere is one of calm, encouragement, patience and competence. Our first pre-natal appointment is next week and we can't wait!
Now in my 28th week, Rich and I have begun Bradley Method birthing classes with Jeannie Casey and we will continue to work with our doula, Jolynn Lewis (she's fabulous!), in preparing ourselves for this intentional birthing journey. I am writing this blog to keep those of you that are interested and supportive up to date on our experience.
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