Dear Friends,

Spring is definitely in the air! The snow has melted and I’m looking forward to planting seeds in this year’s garden. It seems that not just the earth, but hearts are opening to receive seeds – seeds of compassion. I was deeply moved last week by the work of several former OmMama students, who found a way to respond to a visit by the WBC, a traveling hate group that came to Richmond last week to demonstrate their contempt for a number of our citizens, with kindness, by launching a fundraising effort called Pennies in Protest. In a matter of a week, they raised over $10,000 for groups targeted by the WBC. They planted seeds of compassion and as a community we helped them grow at the speed of Jack’s Beanstalk. Bravo Richmond! Never underestimate the power of mamas.

There are some other seeds I’d like to plant this spring: the seeds of self-advocacy, particularly with regard to maternity care. In the last couple of weeks, a number of news outlets have been covering the story of the United States’ abysmal maternal mortality statistics, which are getting worse despite our having the most expensive maternity care system in the world. The worsening stats coincide with a skyrocketing rise in the Cesarean rate, as well increases in other interventions in birth, while evidence-based practices that promote healthy birth are underutilized. We’ve been following these stories on our Facebook Page, as well as some articles that point the way toward possible solutions and a different approach to maternity care.

Never underestimate the power of mamas. Women in the late 1960’s and early 70’s, seeking a more humane approach to birth, charted a course toward many of the practices we see in today’s labor rooms, such as being awake for birth and having birth partners in the room with the laboring woman. The daughters and granddaughters of those women are creating yet another surge of activism, as they too seek birth with a higher degree of safety and satisfaction than what you see on the Baby Channel.

If you’re newly pregnant, the choices you are able to make with regard to your maternity care can have a profound effect on your birth experience. That is not to say you are in control – all of us are influenced by the culture in which we give birth and the options available to us in any given moment, as well as our genetics and the kharma of our past choices. Investigate. Ask questions. Explore your options. Learn about your rights as a childbearing woman. Do this earlier in your pregnancy rather than later, before you get pregnant if possible. Talk to other women about their experiences. Listen with an open heart for what resonates with you. Listen to your gut. Provide compassionate feedback to your care providers, so they can learn from you. Advocate for yourself, and in the process you’ll be advocating for the women and babies who come after you. Never underestimate the power of a mama. It’s all about planting seeds. And watching our gardens grow.

In love and light,

Leslie

If for any reason you do not wish to receive this monthly newsletter, please follow the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email.

Birth Announcements

Congratulations to the following mothers and their babies:

What's New

• We are delighted to welcome Mary Toombs, RN, LCCE as our new childbirth educator. Mary brings years of experience as a Labor and Delivery nurse, a doula, and a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator to her classes.  Welcome Mary!
• 2010 Spring Schedule Starts April 1. Click here to download a copy. Registration is now available on-line scheduler for any of our series classes and workshops in the spring schedule
• Upcoming Schedule Reminders:
• Conscious Birthing Workshop: Sunday, March 21 1:30 – 6:30 pm. Register on-line here.
• Saturday, April 10: Studio closed due to LGRA event. 
• Next series of Itsy Bitsy Yoga classes start the week April 12. Click here to register.
• Expecting the Best, our 6-week childbirth education series starts April 14th, 7 – 9:00 pm.  Click here to register.
• Save the Date: Saturday, May 8: Oh Mama! Bazaar to benefit Midwives for Haiti. Come join us for another afternoon of shopping, information, food, and fun as we work to raise awareness and funds for Midwives for Haiti. We’re rounding up a fantastic group of local vendors, artisans, and service providers that specialize in products and services for new and expecting families. Stay tuned to our Facebook Page for further updates.
• Register now for OmMama’s Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training, June 23 – 27. Are you a yoga teacher, yoga teacher-to-be, or pregnancy health professional who’s passionate about empowering women? Join us for a life-changing training that will provide you with the information and tools you’ll need to lead safe, effective prenatal and postnatal yoga classes. Click here for more information and to read comments from past participants.
• Yoga Props Sale: Love the bolsters in yoga class and want one of your own? Need to upgrade your yoga gear? Click here to purchase on-line or call in your order to 804-612-6366. Deadline for ordering is Monday, March 29th. We will call to confirm pick-up when the order comes in.
• Consumer Advisory Board Forming: We’re looking for a few good mamas to form a consumer advisory board to help us grow OmMama. In exchange for a $75 credit toward classes, we’ll ask for your help in promoting OmMama via Facebook, Twitter, local message boards, playgroups, etc. and seek your input about programming we’re considering. A one-year commitment is requested. Interested? Please email info@OmMama.com with Consumer Advisory Board in the subject line of the email.
• Gift Certificates for OmMama classes make great shower gifts. Click here to purchase.

OmMama Work/Trade Program

OmMama is looking for enthusiastic, reliable folks to help us expand our services. Work/Trade gives you an opportunity to earn some credit for any of our classes or workshops, while giving us a pool of talented folks to turn to when we need some extra help.
How do I apply?

• Send an email to info@OmMama.com with Work/Trade in the subject line, and your name, address, phone number, and email in the body of the email. If you have any special expertise, please be sure to let us know. Resumes are always welcome. You’ll then be entered in our Work/Trade contact list.
• We’ll periodically send out emails to Work/Trade contacts regarding work-trade opportunities as they arise. If you want to take advantage of the opportunity, just follow the instructions to apply.
• When you have completed the task, we’ll note your credit in your account.
• Trade credit is typically $12/hour in credit. Credits may be used toward any OmMama class pass, series class, or workshop purchase. Your credit never expires!

Thank you for trading your time for classes!

Referral Rewards Program

Send your friends free classes in March and earn a $5 credit for each one who registers.

Our students have always been our biggest promoters. Please help us grow our business by referring your friends and acquaintances to our classes. As a thank you, existing OmMama students earn a $5 credit toward future classes for each new student who registers for any of our programs. Refer 5 friends and earn $25. Refer 10 and you’ll have $50 credit.  Click here to send your friends a free class.

Birth Story

Zoe, born February 2, 2010

Zoe was born on 2-2-10 at 0634 in the morning after 22 hours of labor and 3.5 hours of pushing. I finally went in to have my water broken on the first because I was 41.5 weeks pregnant and she showed no signs of coming out on her own. (This is where my birth plan flew out the window.)...

Read Full Birth Story

Prenatal Article

First-Born Jealousy

By Elizabeth Pantley, Author of the No-Cry Sleep Solution and Gentle Baby Care

Question:  Our first-born is showing extreme jealousy towards the new baby. He’s obviously mad at us for disrupting the predictable flow of his life with this new challenger for our attention. How can we smooth things out?

Think about it: Before the baby entered your family, your toddler was told he’d have a wonderful little brother to play with, and how much fun it would be. Then the little brother is born and your toddler is thinking, “Are you kidding me? This squirming, red-faced baby that takes up all your time and attention is supposed to be FUN?” He then “plays” with the baby in the only ways he knows how. He plays catch. You yell at him for throwing toys at the baby. He plays hide-and-seek. You yell at him to get the blanket off the baby. He gives the kid a hug, and you admonish him to be more careful. Is it any wonder that your toddler is confused?

Teach: Your first goal is to protect the baby. Your second, to teach your older child how to interact with his new sibling in proper ways. You can teach your toddler how to play with the baby in the same way you teach him anything else. Talk to him, demonstrate, guide and encourage. Until you feel confident that you’ve achieved your second goal, however, do not leave the children alone together. Yes, I know. It isn’t convenient. But it is necessary, maybe even critical.

Hover: Whenever the children are together, “hover” close by. If you see your child about to get rough, pick up the baby and distract the older sibling with a song, a toy, an activity or a snack. This action protects the baby while helping you avoid a constant string of “Nos,” which may actually encourage the aggressive behavior.

Teach soft touches: Teach the older sibling how to give the baby a back rub. Tell how this kind of touching calms the baby, and praise the older child for a job well done. This lesson teaches the child how to be physical with the baby in a positive way.

Act quickly: Every time you see your child hit, or act roughly with the baby, act quickly. You might firmly announce, “No hitting, time out.” Place the child in a time-out chair with the statement, “You can get up when you can use your hands in the right way.” Allow him to get right up if he wants – as long as he is careful and gentle with the baby. This isn’t punishment, after all. It’s just helping him learn that rough actions aren’t going to be permitted.

Demonstrate: Children learn what they live. Your older child will be watching as you handle the baby and learning from your actions. You are your child’s most important teacher. You are demonstrating in everything you do, and your child will learn most from watching you. 

Praise: Whenever you see the older child touching the baby gently, make a positive comment. Make a big fuss about the important “older brother.” Hug and kiss your older child and tell him how proud you are.

Watch your words:   Don’t blame everything on the baby. “We can’t go to the park; the baby’s sleeping.” “Be quiet, you’ll wake the baby.” “After I change the baby I’ll help you.” At this point, your child would just as soon sell the baby! Instead, use alternate reasons. “My hands are busy now.” “We’ll go after lunch.” “I’ll help you in three minutes.”

Be supportive: Acknowledge your child’s unspoken feelings, such as “Things sure have changed with the new baby here. It’s going to take us all some time to get used to this.” Keep your comments mild and general. Don’t say, “I bet you hate the new baby.” Instead, say, “It must be hard to have Mommy spending so much time with the baby.” or “I bet you wish we could go to the park now, and not have to wait for the baby to wake up.” When your child knows that you understand her feelings, she’ll have less need to act up to get your attention.

Give extra love: Increase your little demonstrations of love for your child. Say extra I love yous, increase your daily dose of hugs, and find time to read a book or play a game. Temporary regressions or behavior problems are normal, and can be eased with an extra dose of time and attention.

Get ‘em involved: Teach the older sibling how to be helpful with the baby or how to entertain the baby. Let the older sibling open the baby gifts and use the camera to take pictures of the baby. Teach him how to put the baby’s socks on. Let him sprinkle the powder. Praise and encourage whenever possible.

Making each feel special: Avoid comparing siblings, even about seemingly innocent topics such as birth weight, when each first crawled or walked, or who had more hair! Children can interpret these comments as criticisms.

Take a deep breath and be calm. This is a time of adjustment for everyone in the family. Reduce outside activities, relax your housekeeping standards, and focus on your current priority, adjusting to your new family size.

Excerpted with permission by NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group Inc. from Perfect Parenting, The Dictionary of 1,000 Parenting Tips by Elizabeth Pantley, copyright 1999 http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth

The Pregnancy Connection Directory

Check out the new Pregnancy Connection Directory for local maternity care and service providers. It’s growing all the time.

Did you receive a forwarded copy of this newsletter?
Subscribe to the Pregnancy Pipeline to receive this newsletter monthly.