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Pics & Vids

NYC Tip! | Gorgeous Children’s Photography And Free Photo Workshops At Stale*Bread

by Andrea Crossman, RN, BS, BA on July 21, 2010

in HDNYC,NYC Local Resources,Pics & Vids

Photo by Stale*Bread Photography, a great source for children's photography and free photography workshops! Click to the pic to go to their site!

Stale*Bread reached out to Holistic Doula NYC via our Meetup Group–Holistic Mamas NYC–thinking that we may have some synergy. After checking out their site I totally agree that we do! First of all, their pictures are glorious. And second of all, this company seems really amazing. Here is their mission statement:

Stale*Bread is a community-oriented and socially-conscious photography collective. We value creativity and believe in social impact. We offer services for children’s and wedding photography, pro bono work, and free photography workshops open to the general public. A portion of all proceeds go to New York City nonprofit and charitable organizations.

A few years ago my sister Angela and I launched our own social entrepreneurship venture, Lovemore, a love-infused green clothing and gear line. So I know first hand how challenging it is to commit to being a socially-conscious business, and I am always happy to throw my support behind a venture on the same path. Another thing that I really like about Stale*Bread is that in addition to taking amazing photos, they want to help you do the same. To that end they offer free workshops to help you find your inner Ansel Adams. Here is what they have coming up:

*Natural Light Workshop: August 04, 6:00 PM*

This is a hands-on workshop on shooting in natural light. It will cover several aspects of working outdoors, including how light affects both nature and people. Emphasis will be placed on found light and how to work with what is there, though there will be limited discussions of light modifiers and working with flash.

*Composition and Timing: August 11, 6:30 PM*

Composition and timing are the essential of photography. We will review different ways to use composition to communicate, and how timing affects the dyamics of the picture.

*The Point and Shoot Workshop: August 16, 6:30 PM*

Think you need and SLR for good pictures? Think again. See how much you can do with simple tools, and the advantages of working with the basics.

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Great Salad for Fertile Mamas! Video | Diana Stobo’s Aphrodisiac Salad

by Andrea Crossman, RN, BS, BA on March 10, 2010

in Fertility,Holistic Health,Nutrition, Food & Recipes,Pics & Vids

From the website of Diana Stobo, raw foods advocate and chef.

This salad looks fantastic, and immediately made me think of my mama-wanna-be clients. If you’re working on nurturing your fertility, what better way than with a delicious and nutritious Aphrodisiac Salad? And of course it would make a healthy meal for everyone else too–men and women alike–with or without near-term pregnancy aspirations. The balance of healthy fats, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber is certainly impressive, but that’s merely a bonus, as I’m certain this salad tastes fantastic! I’ve added a salad-a-day to my own diet and wellness plan, and will absolutely be making this one very soon. Bon appetite!

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Video: Conscious Breathing | Quick & Easy Intro to Yogic Breathing for Pregnancy and Beyond

by Andrea Crossman, RN, BS, BA on March 9, 2010

in Holistic Health,Labor & Birth,Pics & Vids,Yoga, Acupuncture, and Other Healing Traditions

Finding rhythm and sense of calm through yogic breathing is one of the best tools for life in general, and definitely something I recommend to my pregnant clients as well as those who want to become pregnant (more peace = more fertility). Every laboring woman I have worked with has relied largely on her breath to carry her through the intensity of a contraction, and to center herself in the moments between. This short little video has just enough information to give anyone the tools to do the same. Enjoy…and exhale!

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Video & 6 Ways To Make Sure You Have a Healthy Birth | ABC News Reports on Increase in Maternal Death in the US

by Andrea Crossman, RN, BS, BA on March 5, 2010

in HDNYC,Labor & Birth,Midwifery,Must Know Info,NYC Local Resources,Pics & Vids,Pregnancy

Necessary cesarean sections can be life saving for mama and baby, but like any surgery, they carry risks. A cesarean section is a major abdominal surgery, and taking steps to decrease the likelihood that you will have one is incredibly important. You may think there is nothing you can do to influence this outcome, but indeed there is. Here is a short list of some of the best ways to boost your odds of a normal vaginal delivery.

1) Deliver in a setting with a reasonable cesarean section rate. If you deliver in a hospital with a 40% cesarean section rate, there is a 40% chance that you will have a cesarean section. For NYC mamas you can research the cesarean section rates (as well as episiotomy rates, epidural rates, rates of midwife assisted births, etc…) for New York county here, and Brooklyn (King’s County) here.

2) While you’re at it, research to find a provider with a cesarean section rate you can live with. Midwives often have lower cesarean section rates than ob/gyns, even when adjusted for the fact that ob/gyns take higher-risk patients. While ob/gyns are specialists in high-risk pregnancies, midwives are specialists in normal physiological birth. So if you’re not sure what kind of provider you would like, definitely look into these highly skilled birth professionals.

3) Hire a doula. Research shows that women with doulas are 50% less likely to have a cesarean section. Want more info? Here’s my Doula 411.

4) Avoid induction. Induction increases the risk of a cesarean section significantly. Tons more info on induction here.

5) Stay healthy. You need to exercise regularly (everyone loves prenatal yoga!) and be well rested, fed, and hydrated throughout your pregnancy to be at the top of your game for the big day. Staying healthy is also important because if you do end up having a cesarean section, it will decrease your risk of complications and increase your ability to heal quickly and completely. Want some tips for how to stay healthy in pregnancy? Check out this post: Tips for a Holistic Pregnancy and Birth.

6) Educate yourself. Take a childbirth education class with your birth partner, watch videos like The Business of Being Born and Orgasmic Birth (both available on Netflix), read a book by Ina May Gaskin. All of these things will help you make the best decisions for your birth and empower you to trust in the process.

Based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization, Lamaze International has created a similar list of ways to support normal birth (much of which you saw echoed above). To find out more visit the Lamaze International website.

Lamaze Care Practices That Support Normal Birth:

Labor begins on its own

Freedom of movement throughout labor

Continuous labor support

No routine interventions

Spontaneous pushing in upright or gravity-neutral positions

No separation of mother and baby with unlimited opportunities for breastfeeding

Here’s wishing you a healthy, happy birth!

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Labor Ball Tips and Video Demo

by Andrea Crossman, RN, BS, BA on January 4, 2010

in Labor & Birth,Pics & Vids,Yoga, Acupuncture, and Other Healing Traditions

I love this video from prenatal yoga teacher Penni Thorpe showing how to use the ball in labor. Many of her recommendations are great for the weeks leading up to the big day as well, for optimal fetal positioning, opening the hips and pelvis, and receiving support (and endorphin releasing touch!) from your birth partner. Do what feels good and tune in to your inherent wisdom!

Birth ball tips

Unsure of what size to get? Select a 65cm ball if you are 5’8 or shorter, and a 75cm ball if you are over 5’8.
I researched to find the most environmentally friendly ball and choose it for the HDNYC store. Unlike every other stability ball I’ve seen, these are non-toxic and phthalate* free. This is a great find and important as you may use this with baby later on.
General fit tip: when sitting on the ball, with your feet flat on the floor, your hips should be raised approx 10cm above your knees. This raised sitting position brings the weight of the baby forward, giving relief from back pain and general discomfort felt in pregnancy. This position also keeps the pelvis open and pressure off your lower back during labor and contractions.

*Want to know more about why to avoid phthalates? Click here.

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Video | Taye Diggs Talking About Doulas (how awesome is that?)

by Andrea Crossman, RN, BS, BA on December 29, 2009

in Labor & Birth,Pics & Vids

Congratulations to Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel who had a baby boy in October. I previously posted a video of Diggs talking about the birth on Ellen, but just came across this Jimmy Kimmel clip today. At about 4 minutes in, there is talk about doulas in general, and how valuable the couple found their doula who both supported the couple during the birth, and taught their childbirth education classes. How fantastic to have this dialogue on the airways and that Diggs and Menzel had a wonderful birth experience.

Are you curious about the placenta pills mentioned? We have 2 interesting posts (that are both funny and informative) about the topic: this one references an article written by comedian Joel Stein on the topic, and here is his home video of the placenta encapsulation when his wife gave birth.

By the way Taye and Jimmy, here’s the low down on the word “doula” from DONA:

The word “doula” comes from the ancient Greek meaning “a woman who serves” and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.

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Baby Wearing, Hollywood Style

by Andrea Crossman, RN, BS, BA on December 16, 2009

in Pics & Vids,Preparing for Baby

Baby wearing dads = a very good thing

{via:shiningstar:sade}

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Video | Bellevue Birth Center Closing & More

by Andrea Crossman, RN, BS, BA on December 12, 2009

in Labor & Birth,Latest News,Must Know Info,Pics & Vids

This video from GritTV was inspired by the recent closing of Bellevue Birth Center, the only birth center in New York City serving women on Medicare. Bellevue Birth Center had a <4% cesarean delivery rate vs. the greater than 30% rate in other New York City hospitals. In addition to discussion of the birth center, this video includes discussion of induction of labor, our topic of the week, doula labor support, and many other topics that are popular here.

Key takeaway (one of many): Inductions don’t work if the cervix isn’t ready anyway. (Google “Bishop Score” for more information on how cervix favorability is measured)

Great quote from Elan McAllister, president and founder of Choices in Childbirth when describing a natural birth center, ”You’re gonna be surrounded by a staff that fully supports your choice to birth naturally….Every face that you look into believes in you. Everyone who’s in that room knows that you can birth this baby. Culture of confidence and belief and faith that is, I believe, the single most important ingredient. You can pretty up a room, and that’s one thing, but it’s that culture of faith…”

By the way, the movie clip at the very beginning is from the documentary Orgasmic Birth, an HDNYC top 6 book and dvd pick. It is an amazing film with great information and positive, realistic images of natural childbirth.

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