At the conference I spoke on two topics: ”Influencing Breastfeeding Behavior through Advocacy & Action” and also “Communicating with Health-Care Providers: How to Be an Effective Health-Care Consumer”. I was able to speak about several ways women in Pittsburgh can help accomplish our goal of having a breastfeeding culture. It was a fun conference and it was great to see so many mom/baby nursing dyads!

Two wonderful new conferences are coming. The first is the 12th Annual Family Centered Maternity Care Conference sponsored by “Heart & Hands” Doula Service. It will be on March 24th at the Monroeville Doubletree hotel. The day’s speaker is noted midwife and author, Tonya Brooks. She has caught more than 5,000 babies both at midwife centers and in homes. She is author of: “Giving Birth at Home” and “The Parent’s Guide to Perinatology”. She will speak about the home-birth movement, reducing inductions of labor, improving your chances of a VBAC more. Download the conference brochure here and sign up!

The second is the Western Pennsylvania La Leche League conference on April 28th and featuring La Leche League’s Co-Founder Marian Tompson. The conference is called: Mother to Mother Support:  Our Foundation Our Future. I will also be speaking at two sessions. The first is “Communicating with Health-Care Providers: How to be an Effective Health-Care Consumer” and the second is “Influencing Breastfeeding Behavior through Advocacy and Action”. Sign up for this conference here.

Both of these conferences will be fun and full of great information. Come to both and I’ll see you there!

I decided to make soup tonight. I had carrots, potatoes, beef, yellow beets, red beets and cabbage and I found myself making borscht. I don’t think it’s because I have no imagination, rather, I think I have fond memories of borscht and when I have the ingredients at hand, that is what I want to experience again. I  love using the vegetables from our CSA (community supported agriculture). Also, my whole family enjoys borscht.

I also really enjoy the experience when I am able to attend a birth for a mom I have supported in birth before. There is something so satisfying about the honor of supporting a mother another time in labor. Her births are not the same, but they often do have a familiar flavor. As a doula, I have already developed a birthing groove with her. Some of my fondest birth memories, are of being with a mom for her subsequent births. Those memories are treasures of my heart.

Ellen Huffmyer and I are the newly appointed co-coordinators of “Heart & Hands” Doula Service. We are very excited and happy about this new promotion. We hope to do more to help new mothers with births and breastfeeding and other doula support. We are starting a Beechview Breastfeeding Cafe and a special interest mothering group.

I wonder how many births Orson Welles observed? I would guess none. I have never yet seen a birth in which the baby being born was alone. There is always at least, his mother. Beyond her, there are usually many people caring for both mom and baby. No one is alone at their birth. Even if he is referring to being alone in the birth canal, it is his mother’s body and she is with him every step of the way.

I can’t speak for death. Many people have loved ones around them as they die. Some die alone. But no one is born alone. No one I supported as doula labored alone. We humans crave support and companionship. Doulas enjoy being a part of the miracle of birth.

September 2011 was a banner month for me as a doula. I was privileged to attend five births in September. Each birth had its beauty and interest for me. Each birth was the unfolding and beginning of a baby’s life. Each baby started its nursing relationship with its mom. None of these babies were born alone. Not one.

Major Milk Makin’ Cookies

Recipe by Kathleen Major

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 3/4 c. oats

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3/4 c. almond butter or peanut butter

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. flax

3 T brewer’s yeast

1/3 c. water

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs

2 c. (12oz) chocolate chips

1 c. chopped nuts of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.

In a large bowl, beat almond butter, butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, brewer’s yeast, flax and water until creamy.

Mix in eggs.

Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Mix in nuts and chocolate chips.

Add oats slowly, mixing along the way.

Place balls of dough onto greased baking sheets or baking stones.

Press down each ball lightly with a fork.

Bake 12 minutes.

Momma’s Milk Cookies

recipe by Danelle Frisbie

2 eggs

1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce

1 c. flax

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. melted butter

2 c. Agave nectar

3/4 c. walnuts (crushed)

2 c. chocolate chips

3/4 c. raisins

4 T water

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

4 T brewer’s yeast

3 c. oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

I have found greased cookie sheets work best, but you can also use parchment lined sheets or a baking stone.

In a bowl mix flax and water until thoroughly mixed.

In a large bowl mix flour, baking soda, salt and brewer’s yeast.

In another bowl mix together butter and ONE cup Agave nectar (the other cup will be used later). Stir well until the butter and nectar are completely mixed.

Add eggs to the nectar mix, stirring well after each one.

Add vanilla, stir.

Add the nectar blend to the flax and mix well. (A hand mixer or mixing bowl works best)

Pour the nectar/flax blend into the large bowl of flour and mix well.

Mix in walnuts, chocolate chips, raisins.

Mix in oats.

After everything is blended together well, add the applesauce and final 1 cup of Agave nectar and stir through well.

Scoop onto sheets, and press down each ball of dough lightly with a fork.

Bake 13-14 minutes.

Vegan options for both recipes:

In place of eggs – 3 tsp of egg replacer mixed with 4 T water OR 4 tsp of milled flax with 4 T water.

In place of butter – butter substitute like Earth Balance OR 3/4 the amount worth of Canola oil or Crisco (although Crisco is not a healthy option) OR 1/2 c. milled flax and 1/2 c. applesauce

Buddhism regards birth as one of the four inescapable sufferings of human life. The others being: old age, sickness and death. I hope that  I can ease the passage of birth for the mother or baby. I try to help the father and family through the birth. I assist mom and baby with breastfeeding. If I can help make this transition from pregnancy to family life a satisfying one, that I have done my job as a doula. Then I feel that I have added to the happiness of the world, one birth and one family at a time.

Save the Date! March 24th, 2012 the 12th Annual Family Centered Maternity Care Conference will be at the Doubletree Hotel in Monroeville. Featuring renowned homebirth midwife, Tonya Brooks of The Natural Birth and Women’s Center in southern California. She has caught over 5000 babies, and has devoted her career to making homebirth a safe option for mothers and babies, as well as researching risks and benefits of modern obstetric practice. It should be an amazing, and informative conference.

Pregnant mother showing us a forward leaning inversion.

After the mother inverts herself, she gently crawls down and then sits up fairly quickly. This helps her balance the round ligaments holding her uterus in place. If her uterus is in balance, her baby will find the optimal position for his birth! It was a fascinating class. I’m going to practice these elements so that I can offer them to the mothers that I help with birth.