Why Is Birth Sacred? 10 Tips to Grow a Thriving Family. (1/10/2019)- Birth is widely discussed amongst Westerners as a sacred experience. There is a felt sense to it, and many parents arrive at this conclusion simply through living it. Likewise, traditions around the world have and continue to revere birth, which further validates the notion. So what exactly makes birth sacred? These ten tips help to explain why birth is sacred, and why a sacred birth is a necessary ingredient to grow a thriving family. Birth is about change. Change is an undeniable fact when it comes to birth. From growing a baby to becoming a parent, these changes offer… Read More
Why Herbalism, Why People, Why Midwifery (1/5/2019)- In many ways, I know my peers and family see me as a strong woman. Outspoken, hard headed, and committed. However, there is always this little corner nagging at me, dragging my confidence down, turning me away from difficult conversations, and sending my own head into doubt. The truth is, I’m afraid of being perceived with all my truest beliefs out and shining, because I know that still, in our culture, that which I am could be labeled a witch, a woo-woo practitioner, a hippie spiritual freak. I am afraid of these words enough to not fully embody my passions. … Read More
BLF Reviews: Landscape with Headless Mama (12/9/2018)- Jennifer Givhan’s debut collection of poems, Landscape with Headless Mama kicks off with lines in the vein of “I was a grave/digger then. A rat fleeing ship. Mama,/who hadn’t sung to me since I was a baby &/never would again, was the lynchpin—/I’m still turning & turning the screw” and continues to mine the vein of family and the longing for it, the relational dynamics of motherhood and daughterhood, markers and destroyers of identity, all layered around its central theme of fertility/infertility. Givhan addresses these themes with an unflinching eye and a brave language. This material is ripe for cliché… Read More
Shooo Eeee Breath (11/12/2018)- Here's a simple idea for when you feel anxiousness and stress building in yourself or see it building in your little one. Sometimes we don't even realize we're a ball of stress, so this practice is great to use on a regular basis, to soothe, calm and ground ourselves, even when we may not think we need it. I've used this breath for myself A LOT - and I've taught it to my boys - who have found it helpful when they are upset, have hurt themselves or feel sick with a stomach ache or headache. If your babe… Read More
A Midwife Assistant’s Journey as a Dog Midwife (11/2/2018)- We’re not your average dog owners.Our six-year-old white German Shepherd mix is cared for by a rotating group of people: me, my fiancé Nicholas and his first girlfriend Savanah, with whom he got Akira five years ago.Akira loves her many parents and we’ve been there for all the parts of her journey into motherhood. Savanah and Nicholas have always wanted Akira to have puppies, as they imagined (rightly so) that she would make a noble alpha dog matriarch. Over the years, however, finding the right mate, and the right mate at the right timing, had not proven easy. This past… Read More
