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April is a happening month

Posted on April 5, 2013 by juliebyers

Just a sampling of some local events:

April 6:  Movie Day at the Hughes Main Library.  Watch “Born in the USA” and learn about birth choice in SC.  I’ll represent the doula perspective on the Q&A panel after the event.  10.00 donation suggested.

April 8:  The Spartanburg Babywearing Group meets at Labors of Love.  11am

April 10:  Greenville Cloth Diaper Group has a monthly meeting at the Taylors branch library.  10am.

April 11:  EarthFest at Greenville Tech’s Barton Campus.  I’ll be there working a table for Upstate BirthNetwork.  Stop by and say hello between 10am-2pm!

April 11:  Prenatal Yoga at I Love Natural Baby.  5pm

April 12:  Parent and Toddler Yoga at I Love Natural Baby.  10am

April 12:  Parent and Baby Yoga at I Love Natural Baby.  10:45am.

April 13:  Come hear the sexy-voiced Michel Odent, MD speak about birth.  Sponsored by the Bellies to Babies Foundation and the SC Birth Coalition.  Info here.

April 13:  Cloth Diaper 101.  A free class to introduce you to cloth diapers!

April 15:  La Leche League of Greenville meets at I Love Natural Baby.  7pm.  Other meetings throughout the upstate.  Check http://www.llli.org to find the meeting closest to you!

April 20:  Thrive:  A Conscious Health Experience in Clemson.  Looks like such a fun day full of exhibits, kids yoga, and special speakers.  10am-4pm.

April 20:  The Great Cloth Diaper Change is happening at I Love Natural Baby.  Come break the record with your baby!

April 23:  Meet the Midwives event at Greenville Midwifery Care.  6-8pm.  Registration is online through our home page on website or you can email to GMCmidwife@ghs.org.

April 27:  Blessingways:  A Gathering of New and Expectant Families.  April is Cesarean Awareness Month.  Join the discussion.  2pm.

April 28:  The Fair Exchange.  This is the third year that I’ve organized this amazing event to raise $$ for a cause.  This year, we’re raising money for the SC Birth Coalition as they lobby to protect birth choices in SC.  Stop by and shop gently used baby clothes, cloth diapers, babywearing products, etc and buy some raffle tickets for fantastic prizes.

This month, I’m teaching three Hypnobabies series and will attend two births, two postpartums, three prenatals, and meet with a few new couples for the first time.

I thought this was a part time job?  I love it so.

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Extraordinary Nurses

Posted on March 20, 2013 by juliebyers

Many families worry about which nurse they will get during their birth.  The nurse is a wildcard.  We can pick our midwife or doctor.  We can pick our doula, our birth photographer, our childbirth educator.  We can pick our hospital.  We don’t get a choice in our nurse(s).

I’m so happy that nearly all the nurses I’ve worked with in the last few years have been amazing.  Occasionally, one nurse really stands out and shapes the birth in extraordinary ways.  Like Beth two years ago.

This time, I’m bragging on Mona.  I adore Mona at Greer Hospital.  She’s been a rockstar for many of my clients.  Mona played a big role in this birth.   And she caught the baby before Dr. Polo Shirt could arrive at this birth.

So I knew I could relax when I saw Mona walk into the birthing room.

monaWhat made her support so extraordinary at this birth?

  • She kept interactions with the mama at an absolute minimum.  Mama stayed in the tub and the door to the bathroom remained closed 99% of the time.
  • She used a handheld doppler for quick listens to the baby’s heartrate while mom was in the tub.  She also used a handheld monitor while mom was pushing.  My client didn’t have anything strapped around her belly.
  • She ran interference when the doctor preferred that the mom get out of the tub sooner rather than later.
  • She stalled when another nurse prompted that the mom needed a hep-lock.  The mama never did get that hep-lock.
  • She applied hot compresses on mom’s perineum when baby was crowning.
  • She patiently and quietly guided this first-time mom and then called the doctor in a few minutes before the baby was born.
  • After the birth, she didn’t fuss with the baby or try to talk to the mother.  She stepped back.  After an hour, she still didn’t fuss with the baby or suggest taking her.  In fact, when I left, mama was breastfeeding her baby and blissfully devouring her own lunch tray.

I love this nurse.  She is a strong and quiet presence.  If you give birth at Greer Memorial and Mona walks into the room, relax.  You’re in very good hands.

(Also, I hope she doesn’t kill me for blogging about her!)

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Graduates

Posted on September 24, 2012 by juliebyers

I’ve been slack about posting pictures of my Hypnobabies students.  I add the pictures to this page but I forget to highlight them here.

Look at these adorable Hypnobabies!

This picture is from a recent class reunion.  One baby boy was not able to make it for the photo shoot.

Want some stats?

  • 100% of the babies were born without complications
  • 100% of the mamas gave birth without medication
  • 1 baby was born with a family practice physician at a hospital
  • 1 baby was born with midwives at a birth center
  • 1 baby was VBAC at home with a family practice physician
  • 2 babies were born at home with midwives
  • 4 of the babies were born in the water.
  • None of the mamas needed sutures
  • And THIS childbirth educator was not the least bit surprised by these stats!

Email me about classes beginning Oct. 16 and Jan. 27. ( j_byers@bellsouth.net)

 

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Play, Pauses, and Tropical what?

Posted on July 27, 2012 by juliebyers

I’m sorry I’ve been absent.

Life, you know.  Busy, but also lazy at times.  Beautiful and messy.  A July filled with birthday parties, sleepovers, camps, backyard snakes black and green, learning, meetups, birthy moments, teaching, a few meltdowns (me) and tantrums (kids).

Norah received her first kayak so we’ve spent some days paddling as a family.

School continues.   We do year-round to allow for slumps when we escape to beaches or mountains or simply spend days eating popcorn and watching movies.

There was a giant pause during the last two weeks when it was possible that I would go to Bangkok, Phnom Penh, or Singapore.  My brother-in-law‘s health was dicey and Noelle needed help.  Her sweet soon-to-be two year old was nursing like a newborn round the clock.  In the end, my mom was chosen to go to Singapore.  Her layover in Hong Kong coincided with Typhoon Vicente and after some delay, she arrived.

I have a bad feeling she’s going to inadvertently break a rule like spit out her gum and she will be  fined or caned.

Right now, it looks like my brother-in-law might have Tropical Sprue.  Have you ever heard of this?  Me neither.  I’m fairly certain it is something Ernest Hemingway coined.   Along the lines of malaise or consumption.  It is old-fashioned and tres missionary-esque.  Thankfully, it is treatable.

In the meantime, I attended a birth at which I was entirely superfluous.  While I want that to be the case, it is still hard to admit when I’m not at all necessary.  You know a birth is amazing when the doula isn’t needed.

Speaking of doulas, there is a local doula who needs to attend a birth in August to complete her certification.  Do you know someone who cannot afford a doula or would be willing to invite a doula to serve?

What else?  I have two spaces remaining for my Aug/Sept Hypnobabies class.

Come see me Saturday at the Blessingway!

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Upcoming Classes

Posted on March 17, 2012 by juliebyers

I am teaching another round of parenting classes for Natural Baby.  This series is so much fun!  It covers everything I WISH someone would have taught me before my babies were born.  Please let your expectant friends know about the series.  They can sign up for the entire six weeks for 80.00 or choose individual classes for 20.00.  The cost is per couple although many students come alone.  Schedule below:

March 21:   Try to See It My Way (Infant Communication) 
March 28:  Breastfeeding 
April 4:  Now What?  The First Six Weeks
April 11:  Sleeping Like a Baby
April 18:  Having a Baby without Breaking the Bank 
April 25:  Parenting the First Year 
 
My upcoming Hypnobabies class is full.  I’m accepting students for the next open series which begins Sundays (5pm-8pm) May 6.  Email me if you are interested:  j_byers (at) bellsouth (dot) net.
 
I’m teaching a Positive Discipline Class for Toddlers and Preschoolers March 31 from 1pm-3:30pm in Greenville.
 
 

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Any pregnant procrastinators out there?

Posted on January 30, 2011 by juliebyers

I have some last minute openings for doula clients.  I could add an additional February or March client.  I know I turned away many families for these months and hopefully you’ve found doulas to serve you.  But if anyone is still doula-less (oh, the tragedy!), do contact me. 

Because you know…a doula is a very good thing.  AND, her presence at your birth can lower your cesarean risk and increase your satisfaction. 

I love my work.

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