The Weekly Newsletter for Heart of Houston Birth and Wellness Families
July 19th
Happy Monday everyone and Eid Mubarak to our friends celebrating Eid al Adha today. No new babies to report but check out the smile on Charlie! If you don't immediately smile back at him are you even human?! I'm loving these pictures of your little ones in the Heart of Houston onesies. Keep them coming!!
Over the Weekend
We had a full weekend at the birth center! Saturday was our Stretch and Dance class led by Joanna Zepeda of JZ Mindful Birth. It was a full class and a few of our mamas stuck around for the Mamas and Mocktails event that followed. The folks at Heirbloom Co. covered a range of topics like Traditional Chinese and Integrative Medicine, herbal yoni steams, breastfeeding and doula care. We loved having folks in different stages of their reproductive journey joining together in community. It was hard to leave at the end of the event but I'm certain we will see many of these folks again soon. Joanna will be back with another Stretch and Dance class Saturday August 7th at 10am. RSVP here Partners and support persons are encouraged to join the class on the 7th.
On Sunday Dr. Ploy Chotiratkul of West University Wellness shared the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy and beyond. We discussed optimal fetal positioning and how the body's alignment plays a big role during pregnancy and an even bigger role in labor. We practiced a few Spinning Babies moves for our expectant parents to try at home. Bodywork is one of the little cheats we've found to be helpful in preparing your body for birth AND we firmly believe that our bodies are designed to do this miraculous work. Sometimes we can benefit from little tweaks here and there but a great birth experiance is never dependent one specific thing. Do the things that work for you, your family and your situation!
Core Classes
One of the things Mary and I are working hard on is offering core classes on a rotating schedule. As much as we would love to teach you all the things, we believe that it is important for you to get your information from multiple sources. While we encourage all parents to take a complete childbirth education series, these classes are not “one size fits all.” Research a little about what we have to offer and choose the best fit for your family. Our core classes are designed to get you thinking about the information you may, or may not, want more of. Here is a list of what we will offer each quarter. These classes are free and open to folks delivering at Heart of Houston and our Whole Heart Collective members. Keep an eye on the events calendar for specific dates!
Get to know the Heart of Houston Staff!
Rowan TwoSisters, CPM
I met Rowan eleven or so years ago at a Spinning Babies workshop. The workshop was a bit a of a cluster*ahem*... but I did walk away with some great info and a new crew of birthy folks (now the TLC Doula Alliance) to nerd out with. Rowan was one of those people. Back then she was THE bodyworker everyone in the birth community turned to for all things pregnancy, conception and scar reduction. She's still a badass bodyworker and even a certified Spinning Babies® Aware Practitioner now, but the biggest change is that she's now catching babies as a Certified Professional Midwife. She's a perfect fit for a part-time schedule at Heart of Houston because she loves her self-care time as much as she loves midwifery (evident by her MAD pool crashing skills!) Here are a few facts about Rowan.
She is the Vice President of The Great Houston Midwife Alliance
She lives in a cool AF 1972 airstream with her dog Electra, Cohosh the cat and five chickens.
Favorite books are A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris and Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It by Kamal Ravikant.
Favorite song is Higher Love by Steve Winwood and Rainbow by Kacey Musgraves
Rowan's mantra is “I live to be corrected”
Rowan and her sister, Dr. B are two of the founding members of Preggers Can be Choosers
Every year Rowan throws a Positive People Party in lew of a birthday party. This year the shindig will be in Marfa where she and her sister plan on eventually living full time. Until then we will enjoy every second we get with her!
Upcoming Events
Latch Clinic: July 21st, 8/7 & 8/21, 9/1 & 9/15, 10am, Leah Jolly IBCLC will join our weekly postpartum support group to answer your feeding questions.
Dance and Stretch Class: August 7th 10am, Joanna is back to ease your mind and prepare your body for the movements of labor. This class is like a session with a doula, yoga instructor and therapist all rolled into one. Take a moment out of your busy schedule to focus on your changing body and growing baby. Class is $15 for Whole Heart Collective members and all Heart of Houston families and $20 for the public. Feel free to invite your friends!
Pregnancy Group: July 25th 4-6pm on Zoom Orientation: Things to Start Thinking About. Jessica will walk new clients through the various classes and programs offered by Heart of Houston and our Partners in Care. We will discuss which classes are appropriate at each trimester and how to begin preparing for a smooth postpartum transition. RSVP here for the link to the class.
Pregnancy Group: August 22nd Kim Jones LPC of the Center for Postpartum Family Health will join us for a SUPER helpful info session on the Gottman Method and the classes offered for pregnancy and postpartum. We highly recommend you and your partner attend this meeting to get an idea of things you should start thinking about before you baby arrives. Even if you already have a kiddo or two at home, these tips will be beneficial!
**Infant CPR & BLS: Saturday August 28th 10 am, If you haven't taken a CPR class in the last few years we highly recommend taking a refresher before you bring your new baby home. This is also a great class for grandparents and potential babysitters. This class is an American Heart Association approved class. Sign up here. (This course is appropriate for expectant parents and healthcare workers) ** Please note the date change**
Family Brunch: August 14th 11am, Come meet your fellow Heart of Houston families! Get to know all the great people in your HOH community in a not super awkward setting. This is a potluck style gathering so bring a dish to share.
Ongoing Events
Postpartum Support Group: Every Wednesday from 10-12ish. Come as you are, come late, leave when you need to.
Various Childbirth Education Curriculums starting soon: Rebel Birth weekly series or weekend intensive , Bradley Method with Anne Zwicky, Hypnobirthing with Sankofa Mama and Birth Without Fear with Joanna coming soon!
Next Bumpdate: Adventures in baby led weaning , Hard to say goodbye or Going back to work is not easy and get to know Midwife Bethany.
Have a great week, friends.
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