Cesarean Scars Shared

For mamas who have had cesarean births, on CesareanScar.com you will find a place to share your story and a picture of your scar. This is a website much like The Shape of a Mother but is dedicated solely to cesarean scars. The creator of CesareanScar.com started the site to provide a space for cesarean scars to find their voice. The pictures and stories, as the site creator writes, tell "tender, painful, wonderful, awful stories".

Parent Workshops

Parents are People Too: Reclaiming Our Personal Expression as Parents
August 22, 2-4pm $30
As a parent, it is so easy to get caught up in the flow of daily obligations, leaving little time or energy for expressing who we are and what captures our imagination. Yet this creative exploration is essential to feeling fulfilled in our lives, which in turn translates into feeling more relaxed and happy in our role as parents.

Also, our fall dates for this workshop:
Moving Beyond a Difficult Birth: Embracing Healing and Connecting with Your Baby
Two-part workshop: September 12 & 19, 2-4pm $45
Part One: Healing through Birth Story and Art
Part Two: Connecting Deeply with Your Baby
The experience of birth doesn’t always happen the way we imagine. Intense emotions from a challenging pregnancy or birth can make it feel difficult to be fully present with your baby. These emotions need and deserve to be expressed and acknowledged, before we can allow ourselves to release them and begin true emotional healing. Then we can relax more deeply into a heartfelt, intuitive connection with our children.

For more information, visit www.nurturepdx.com/workshops.html
To register, contact Sarah at 503.285.4906 or welcomewithlove@gmail.com,

About the presenters
Sarah Nuxoll: After several years of feeling frustrated as a parent, I began working toward deeper body-mind clarity and emotional and spiritual healing. Now I feel excited about engaging life, moving with my creativity, and allowing myself to feel happy as a parent. In these workshops, I share insights from my experience as a mother of two, as a spiritual practitioner, and as an apprentice homebirth midwife. I look forward to meeting you!

Mychelle Moritz: Having experienced the beautiful yet challenging transition to parenthood, I have developed a passion for helping women and their growing families. I am an artist, an art therapist, and a licensed professional counselor, as well as the co-founder of Nurture. My two active young children keep me very busy and I enjoy watching their creative antics.

Summer Parenting Workshop Series

Moving Beyond a Difficult Birth:
Embracing Healing and Connecting with Your Baby
Two-part workshop: June 6 & 13, 2-4pm $45
Part One: Healing through Birth Story and Art
Part Two: Connecting Deeply with Your Baby
The experience of birth doesn’t always happen the way we imagine. Intense emotions from a challenging pregnancy or birth can make it feel difficult to be fully present with your baby. These emotions need and deserve to be expressed and acknowledged, before we can allow ourselves to release them and begin true emotional healing. Then we can relax more deeply into a heartfelt, intuitive connection with our children.

So This is What it’s Like to Be a Parent?
Integrating Emotional Wellness with the Realities of Day-to-Day Parenting
July 11, 2-5pm $35
The reality of parenting a child can be frustrating, chaotic, and overwhelming. We may be surprised by the intensity of feelings such as rage, grief, or resentment. Without learning to truly take care of ourselves, it is difficult to move beyond these feelings toward emotional wellness as parents.

Parents are People Too:
Reclaiming Our Personal Expression as Parents
August 22, 2-4pm $30
As a parent, it is so easy to get caught up in the flow of daily obligations, leaving little time or energy for expressing who we are and what captures our imagination. Yet this creative exploration is essential to feeling fulfilled in our lives, which in turn translates into feeling more relaxed and happy in our role as parents.

Join us for all three workshops for $100, sliding scale available.
For more information, visit www.nurturepdx.com/workshops.html
To register, contact Mychelle at 971.344.7527, or Mychelle@nurturepdx.com

About the presenters
Sarah Nuxoll: After several years of feeling frustrated as a parent, I began working toward deeper body-mind clarity and emotional and spiritual healing. Now I feel excited about engaging life, moving with my creativity, and allowing myself to feel happy as a parent. In these workshops, I share insights from my experience as a mother of two, as a spiritual practitioner, and as an apprentice homebirth midwife. I look forward to meeting you!

Mychelle Moritz: Having experienced the beautiful yet challenging transition to parenthood, I have developed a passion for helping women and their growing families. I am an artist, an art therapist, and a licensed professional counselor, as well as the co-founder of Nurture. My two active young children keep me very busy and I enjoy watching their creative antics.

Nurture Welcomes (with love) Sarah Nuxoll

Nurture welcomes Sarah Nuxoll to our Family Wellness Collective. Sarah offers many services for the postpartum period. She will soon be hosting a new mama group at Nurture as well as a down-to-earth postpartum workshop series. This is what Sarah says about the services she offers:

I believe that what babies need from us most of all, is heartfelt connection with us. It is to be acknowledged and related to as the unique and conscious beings they are, to be welcomed fully and lovingly into our community.

Yet, having a child doesn't always happen the way we imagine. Sometimes intense emotions about our pregnancy, birth, or just the realities of parenting a newborn, can make it feel difficult to be fully present with our baby.

If we can ask for and allow ourselves to receive help from others during this intense time of transitioning into parenthood, we can then relax more deeply into this intuitive emotional connection with our baby.

I would like to help nurture you and your family, by offering:

• Ideas for welcoming your baby. I can help model ways of deeply relating to your child and welcoming them with love and consciousness.
• Tools for healing to help you identify and unwind difficult emotions from your pregnancy or birth that may block this natural connection with your baby
• Postpartum doula care, including breastfeeding assistance and help with your physical needs, to help you transition into parenting and allow you the time to bond with your baby
• Parenting workshops to help you embrace emotional healing and take responsibility for your own happiness as a parent

About me
After several years of feeling frustrated as a parent, I began working toward deeper body-mind clarity and emotional and spiritual healing. Now I feel excited about engaging life, moving with my creativity, and allowing myself to feel happy as a parent.

Welcome with Love family care was born from the interweaving of my desire to assist others with emotional healing, and my passion for helping birthing families. What I share with you comes from insights from my experience as a mother of two, as a spiritual practitioner, and as an apprentice homebirth midwife. I look forward to meeting you!

Scheduling information
Location: I am happy to serve families in their homes in the Portland metro area. I am also available for phone consultation for those who live further away.

Days/Times: At present, my preferred availability is from 9am-3pm Monday thru Friday, though other times or days may be possible by prior arrangement.

Rates: I offer the first half-hour of our initial meeting for free, to be able to relax and spend some time simply getting to know you and your baby. After that, I request $25 per hour for my services, with a two-hour minimum per visit. If I need to travel more than 20 minutes to reach your home, I may request a small additional donation to help cover my childcare expenses during that time. Please contact me so we can talk together and feel if what I can offer is a good match for your family's needs.

Sarah Nuxoll 503-285-4906 http://www.welcomewithlovefamilycare.com/

Birth Trauma On-Line Community Support

We have written about birth trauma and the on-line community support, Solace, before. Solace is relaunching their on-line support. Below is a letter from Solace.

We are pleased to announce the Solace for Mothers Friends and Advocates Online Community which provides a forum for those who support mothers who have experienced birth trauma, have been impacted by witnessing birth trauma, or want to connect with others to advocate for gentler birth practices.

Solace for Mothers is committed to providing resources and support to professionals and loved ones supporting women through the difficult emotions following a disappointing, hurtful, or violating birth experience. Spouses, family, and friends of mothers who have experienced traumatic births are offered a space to find information, support, and resources through participation in the Friends and Advocates Forum. Birth attendants are also provided with the opportunity to process their own emotions in response to births they have attended. Birth professionals and birth advocates are provided a space to discuss the causes of birth trauma, how policies and programs can be enacted to prevent trauma from occurring to childbearing mothers, and methods of treatment when trauma has occurred.

The Solace for Mothers Friends and Advocates Online Community welcomes birth activists, mothers, families, and professionals, all of whom are stakeholders in providing healthy, safe, and empowering births that enable families to successfully transition to parenthood. Users of the online community are invited to contemplate and discuss the current state of birth and what evidence based practices best support childbearing women, their babies and families. Advocates who are interested in becoming involved in organized efforts to promote these practices are encouraged to participate and share their thoughts.

The Friends and Advocates Online Community can be entered from www.solaceformothers.org/advocates-forum.html. The forum is made public for browsing and registration is required to post and respond to topics. To view the online community, go to: http://forums.solaceformothers.org/mb/birthtrauma

Mothers are welcome to participate in the Friends and Advocates role but they are invited to register and participate in the Online Community for Healing Birth Trauma (www.solaceformothers.org/forum.html) which provides peer support to women who have had traumatic childbearing experiences. Birth professionals, family members, and friends please respect the privacy of the Community for Healing Birth Trauma and register only for the Friends and Advocates Community.

If you have something to say regarding childbirth and want to be a part of a larger conversation, please join us. We are interested to read your stories, thoughts, hopes and goals for the future! Please also feel free to pass this invitation on to organizations and individuals who would be interested in the topics of birth trauma and improving maternity care.

Warmly,

Sharon Storton, Founder of Solace for Mothers, Inc.

Jenne Alderks, Creator and Moderator of Online Communities

Jennifer Zimmerman, Creator and Moderator of Online Communities

Wild Feminine Release Party

You are invited to Tami Kent's book release party...

A celebration for Wild Feminine

THIS FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 8 to 11pm
Soma Space, 4050 NE Broadway, Portland

Stories from Wild Feminine 8:30
Dance & celebrate 9:00
Babes in arms are welcome

Wild Feminine is hot off the press and books will be available for purchase $20(cash/check).

It makes a great gift too!

Can't make it to the party? Order the book from Amazon
More info about the book: www.wildfeminine.com

I have been excitedly awaiting the arrival of Tami's book, Wild Feminine. The description alone of this book sounds beautiful, powerful, and healing as do Tami's work and workshops. Connecting with the wisdom of our bodies, roots, and feminine energy brings forth balance and peace. Hurray for a book that contains so much potential for healing.

Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting After Abuse

When I was pregnant with my first child in 1999, I was a part of an online support group for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. It gave me so much strength at a very vulnerable time. My abuser was trying to reestablish contact with me after a few years of estrangement, since I had just moved closer to where he lived. I was not handling that well! The support group helped me recognize and establish boundaries. Seeing what other women did to make those boundaries effective, and having the support of my counselor, helped me have safe and sane results in that distressing situation.

Since about one out of three women are abused by the time they are eighteen, and a number of them have children later on in life, there are many survivors potentially dealing with the effects of abuse while they are childbearing. As a survivor mom, doula and childbirth educator, I am in a well-suited position to support these remarkable mothers. Not all women who experience trauma in their lives will struggle during the childbearing season, but for many, the experiences of pregnancy, birth and parenthood can precipitate intense reactions.

There are as many reasons for this as there are women who experience it. In regards to birth, I think that the intimate and sexual nature of childbirth can create a sense of vulnerability for a woman and when it is combined with the mainstream variety of obstetric care most women in the US receive, it can easily generate an atmosphere conducive to a traumatic response from a laboring mother.

The sensations, smells and sounds of birth alone can cause a survivor to be pulled back or triggered into an abusive memory and even forget that she is giving birth. Some women space out or leave their bodies. It is imperative that a survivor mother be treated with gentleness, respect and sensitivity. She needs to be given a sense of control during prenatal care, birth and postpartum. Every mother deserves this, but a survivor mother may be even more negatively affected without this quality of care.

It can be very perplexing for a care provider who is unaware of these issues to assist a mother who is experiencing a traumatic reaction. They might think that she is too demanding, controlling or emotional to deal with and in some cases too sensitive or unstable. Sometimes, like when I was in labor, the mother doesn’t even know why she is experiencing the sensations she is. I knew I was abused, but had no idea that it would affect my birth journeys, or my life as a mother of three girls for that matter!

At each stage of parenthood, I have revisited my abuse from a wider and different lens. When my children reached the age of my first remembered abuse, I asked myself how anyone could even imagine mistreating an innocent, defenseless child the way I was treated. There are so many layers and complexities to this and so much support is needed as we try our best to not allow our pasts to pollute our futures.

There is still so much to learn about the effects of childhood trauma on childbearing women, but current research shows that the stress often takes its toll on the mother and baby. Through the support group I belonged to, I heard of a book that was emerging as a result of the work of Mickey Sperlich CPM, MA and Julia Seng CNM, PhD. Survivor Mom’s: Women’s Stories of Birthing, Mothering and Healing after Sexual Abuse. It contains the most recent research on the subject and includes narratives that provide an earnest voice to the work. I was able to add my own experiences to the stories and research after I gave birth to my daughter in 2000, and the book launched in May of 2008.

More than anything, I want to share resources and be an advocate for survivor moms. I want us to have the best outcomes possible. It is good to know we are not alone and there is a greater awareness and openness about sexual abuse than in the past. It is good to know that there are more effective and safe healing modalities and therapies than ever before. It is good to know that our children can be a part of our own restoration. My daughters have helped me heal and become more grounded. They have also drawn me to my life’s work.

There are numerous books relating to the recovery of sexual abuse, but very few on mothers specifically. I hope that more resources become available to us since we have so much potential to reverse this course. We know what we are protecting our children from and the damage that abuse can cause. Many of us can use our talents to help heal and bring understanding to others and set a positive example for our kids. May we harness the pain and passion inside us, and respond in a curative way to the benefit of our children and the children yet to come.

General Recovery:
Outgrowing the Pain

by Eliana Gil

Outgrowing the Pain Together

by Eliana Gil (for partners)

The Courage to Heal

by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis

Allies in Healing

by Laura Davis (for partners)

Survivor Mothers:
Survivor Mom’s: Women’s Stories of Birthing, Mothering and Healing after Sexual Abuse

by Mickey Sperlich CPM, MA and Julia Seng CNM, PhD
http://www.squidoo.com/survivormoms

We Can Break the Cycle: A Mother’s Handbook for Sexual Abuse Survivors

by Marge Grevatt (this is a publication from the Center for Cooperative Action 216.651.1266)

When Survivors Give Birth: Understanding and Healing the Effects of Early Sexual Abuse on Childbearing Women

by Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus

**
Margret Crawford, CD (DONA), CCCE lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband Jimmy, and their three exceptional daughters. She is an aspiring writer, Certified Childbirth Educator, Birth and Postpartum Doula. Visit http://thejoyofbirth.com/. This essay was posted with permission from the author.

**

Mychelle Moritz, ATR-BC, LPC at Nurture provides counseling, emotional birth preparation, and support in processing a difficult birth experience for mothers and mothers-to-be who have a history of abuse. You can reach Mychelle at (971) 344-7527 or mychelle@nurturepdx.com

Eight Amazing Stories from Eight Amazing Women

This past weekend, eight amazing women (and several beautiful children) gathered to tell their birthing stories at Nurture's BOLD Red Tent...stories of strength, beauty, fear, empowerment, confusion, and healing. Each woman created a collage of their birthing story on strips of paper. After everyone had an opportunity to tell their story, the strips were woven together in a loom. The metaphor of the interconnectedness of women's stories and the strength of women supporting and honoring each other is inherent in the process of weaving. The birth story tapestry will become a part of the BOLD Library of Truths. (I will post a picture of the tapestry soon!)

I felt honored to hear each story and witness the power of silent supportive listening. Thank you to everyone who came and shared. I look forward to hosting the next BOLD Red Tent early next year.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

This month is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

I was reminded of the importance of increasing awareness about domestic violence after reading this post by Molly at Citizens for Midwifery (CFM). Like Molly, domestic violence was the first social justice cause to which I was, and continue to be, deeply committed. The work I did with women and children who had experienced domestic violence has changed my life in many profound and meaningful ways. Molly's post reminds us that violence against women is found not only within intimate partner relationships, but also within many aspects of women's lives such as medical care, pregnancy care, and birth care.

Domestic violence during pregnancy is a grave concern. For example, did you know...

• According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), in Oregon, 1 in 10 women reported experiencing intimate partner violence in a 2001-2002 survey.
• An estimated 8% of women are abused during their pregnancies.
• Physical abuse often escalates when an abuser finds out about the pregnancy.
• Homicide is the leading cause of death among pregnant women.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, there is help. No one deserves to be abused.

• Portland Women's Crisis Line (PWCL) 503-235-5333 or toll free 888-235-5333
• for more local resources, visit PWCL's resource list page

Share Your Birth Story

Calling all Mothers

Gather…tell your birth stories…gain support inside

the BOLD Red Tent

Hosted by Nurture

October 11, 2008 12pm-3pm

FREE

Pre-registration is required, space is limited

For more information, please visit Nurture's webstite

To register, please e-mail

or call Mychelle at 971-344-7527

You are invited to join us for the powerful experience of sharing your birthing story in a safe, intimate and nurturing space surrounded by mothers. We will share, honor, and preserve our stories by creating a collaborative birth experience sculpture. We welcome mothers to be part of this opportunity to speak, create, listen, heal, and celebrate themselves as birthing women.

Through the gathering of birth stories in the form of visual art, film, or written word from world-wide BOLD Red events, BOLD will create a traveling exhibit to educate, tell the truth and inspire people around the world to take action to make maternity care mother-friendly. The BOLD Library of Birth Truths will also be available for researchers to access.

Your story can be a part of the collaborative sculpture to be included in this library and help inspire change for mothers.

We are creating a special birthing stories book on our website. If you cannot make it to the BOLD Red Tent, you can share your birthing story by writing it out and sending it to info@nurturepdx.com

BIRTH: the Play

The Oregon Midwifery Council presents:

BIRTH a play by Karen Brody from BOLD (Birth on Labor Day)
on September 20, 2008 at 2pm
at the Delores Winningstad Theatre in the Portland Center for the Performing Arts.

All proceeds support the Oregon Midwifery Council.

If you are familiar with The Vagina Monolouges, BIRTH is similar but with a focus on childbirth.

Birth is a play based on over one hundred interviews Karen Brody conducted with mothers across America who gave birth between 2000-2004. It tells the true stories of 8 women painting a portrait of how low-risk, educated women are giving birth in America today.

To learn more about the play, visit BOLD's website. Watch a promotional video.

Tickets are $18 presale and $22 at the door.

Following BIRTH the play, Nurture hosts BOLD Red Tent

Calling all Mothers

Gather…tell your birth stories…gain support inside

the BOLD Red Tent

Hosted by Nurture

October 11, 2008 12pm-3pm

FREE

Pre-registration is required, space is limited

For more information, please visit Nurture's webstite

To register, please e-mail

or call Mychelle at 971-344-7527

You are invited to join us for the powerful experience of sharing your birthing story in a safe, intimate and nurturing space surrounded by mothers. We will share, honor, and preserve our stories by creating a collaborative birth experience sculpture. We welcome mothers to be part of this opportunity to speak, create, listen, heal, and celebrate themselves as birthing women.

Through the gathering of birth stories in the form of visual art, film, or written word from world-wide BOLD Red events, BOLD will create a traveling exhibit to educate, tell the truth and inspire people around the world to take action to make maternity care mother-friendly. The BOLD Library of Birth Truths will also be available for researchers to access.

Your story can be a part of the collaborative sculpture to be included in this library and help inspire change for mothers.

The Birth Survey

For years, consumers have enthusiastically shared online reviews of movies, restaurants, products and services, but readily available information about maternity care services was nearly unattainable—but no longer. The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) has developed The Birth Survey, a consumer feedback website where women provide information about the maternity care they received from specific doctors, midwives, hospitals, and birth centers. Families choosing where and with whom to birth can utilize this consumer feedback, along with data on hospital and birth center standard practices and intervention rates, to make more informed health care choices.

The Birth Survey began in New York and is now available in Oregon and nationwide.

Have You Given Birth in the Last Three Years?

If so, take The Birth Survey and provide feedback on your doctor, midwife, birth center or hospital at The Birth Survey.

Help Spread the Word about The Birth Survey!Forward this e-mail and download buttons, banners, and promo cards at http://www.thebirthsurvey.com/. Are you interested in helping to get the word out about The Birth Survey in your community or working to obtain official facility level intervention rates? To get involved, contact us at info@thebirthsurvey.com.

Support this non-profit project by the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) by donating or becoming a member and sign up for e-cims newsletter.For information visit http://www.thebirthsurvey.com/ or email info@thebirthsurvey.com.

Birth Trauma

If you have had a difficult or traumatic birth experience, sharing your story and connecting to other women with similar experiences can help you heal emotionally. At Nurture, Mychelle Moritz offers art therapy and counseling to help process your birth experiences in a safe and nurturing space to promote a new understanding and healing.

There is a new on-line forum through Solace. Solace offers a warm support line, resources, articles, and now an on-line forum for women who have experienced birth trauma. You can click on the image to go directly to Solace's website, and you can read the letter below from the forum moderators.


This message is to announce a new online discussion board called Solace For Mothers, An Online Community For Healing Birth Trauma. It is for women who have experienced trauma around the process of giving birth. For these women, giving birth has left them feeling deeply disappointed, traumatized, or even violated. We want these women to know that they are not alone, that birth trauma is very real, and that other women have had similar experiences and feelings. We have created an online community as a place for women to begin or continue their healing journey.

In the online community, there are different categories and forums, and the topics covered are issues that often come up for women dealing with birth trauma. It is our hope that women can virtually support each other on their healing journeys in this online community, and perhaps eventually connect with each other in the real world if they choose.


There is an introduction page and from this page you can register for the discussion board. Due to the very personal nature of this subject, we have made an effort to keep this community private, and women must register before being able to enter or view posts. If you do not fall into the category of a woman suffering from birth trauma, or if you would like to see a preview of the community before joining, you may visit this link to do so http://www.solaceformothers.org/preview.html This link is not the actual community and you will not be able to view members' posts from there, it will simply give you an overview of the topics covered.


We are sending this message out via email and posting it to online communities and to lists in order to reach these women. Please send this message to anyone who you feel may benefit from it.



Sincerely,
Jenne Alderks and Jennifer Zimmerman, creators and moderators of the discussion board
Supported by Sharon Storton and the Solace For Mothers team