I’ve had several families interested in placenta encapsulation recently and I wanted to pass on some links provided by them. The first is the humorous side of placentas in a Time magazine article and the second is a “how to put your own placenta in capsules” kit.

www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1908194,00.html

http://placentabenefits.info/services.asp

Bon appetite. : )

We had some excitement Friday night, July 3rd, when a fire started in the wooden window frame at the opposite end of the building from my little suite. It’s believed the sun acted as a magnifying glass through the window starting the wooden frame on fire.
I got to see the firemen in action because I was meeting one of my laboring moms that night. The halls were full of smoke, the gas was off, the power cut and the carbon monoxide levels were high so it wasn’t an inviting labor spot. Fortunately she had a psychic baby boy because her labor stopped and he waited until Sunday to be born in the cushioned tub at Great Expectaitons.
It smelled like a campfire mixed with burnt popcorn in the halls for a few days and they still have air cleaner machines running …but in my world everything was back to normal pretty fast.

Here’s Shad and his family showing off the outfit his mom created. As you can see Amber is very talented both in developing great kids and t-shirts. I’m very proud of of all her efforts!!!

I showed my 7 month old granddaughter this picture and got a HUGE HAPPY SQUEAL of approval.

In case you haven’t already heard, the following documentaries…

Orgasmic Birth
Pregnant In America
The Business of Being Born

…will be shown together on June 13, 2009 from 8am-2pm @ Towne Cinema Theatres in American Fork. Debra Pascali-Bonaro, producer of Orgasmic Birth, will also be attending as a Special Guest Speaker. Tickets are $25. See www.doulamelissa.blogspot.com for more details, or email moviescreening [Email address: moviescreening #AT# rawmelissa.com - replace #AT# with @ ] if you have any questions.

Mother's Day crown

After reflecting on my first Utah birth I was thinking how special that birth was… which got me thinking about my second birth and how special it was……and then my third birth….and how special it was.  Thankfully I don’t have to decide which birth is the “most special” and can savor each of them.  Each birth has it’s own story and I get to read so many chapters in the book of birth.  One of the unifying themes in my birth stories is the heroic love “my” moms have for their babies.  They wish to give them the most tender first birthday party possible.  Some stories have a big baby, some a moseying child, while others are about endurance and strength as moms dig deep to hold on for one more contraction.  Most have a supportive partner who gives them energy and support; a “DUDELA” who will only doula for this one-woman in his life.  A small few (Thank God) are stories which include a transfer to the hospital. It makes for extra drama and exciting reading…even though I love the wonderfully “boring” story the very most.  All the stories have a happy ending though and contain the joy of meeting these new little beings who turn women into mothers. 

Hopefully each mom is being appreciated for all her efforts today and treated as a Queen.  I’d like to add my thanks, praise and best wishes to all the moms I’ve labored with….as well as my own mom and my daughter Amber, who is celebrating her first Mother’s Day today.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the special moms in my life!!!!!!