What better way to learn about pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and newborn care then through a trained and experienced doula, health educator, and mom of four! I recognize and respect that women have many options for birthing. I make sure to teach a full spectrum of options. It is my goal to inspire couples/individuals to approach birth and upcoming parenthood with confidence and calmness. I have taken the Lamaze and Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth courses and have used the Birthing from Within materials, which then enables me to teach you the best of these approaches to childbirth education.
Topics Covered: -Nutrition & Exercise -Optimal Fetal Positioning -Overview of Labor and Birth -Pre-Labor Signs, Stages of Labor -Coping Strategies for Labor: Early and Active Labor -The Three R's: Relaxation, Rhythm, and Ritual -Positions for Labor -Role of the Labor Support Partner -Technology and Pain Medications -Preparation for Pushing and Birth of Baby -Birth Plans -Postpartum Health, Breastfeeding, and Newborn Care
Lending library of pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and newborn care books/videos/journal articles available.
Each individual/couple will also receive a Mama Beginnings Childbirth and Newborn folder. Reading/video assignments will be given, as well.
The best time to start this class is anytime between the 5th and the 7th month of pregnancy. Though it is certainly never too late to start!
Fees Private In-Home Four 2-hour Childbirth Classes: $85 per couple or $45 per individual
If you'd like to invite other couples/individuals to join the class, a discount of $10 will be given to each person: $65 per couple and $35 per individual.
A $10 discount is given to all doula clients!
Fee to be paid prior to the first class. I accept cash, check, or credit card (processed through PayPal). Contact me today to schedule your customized private childbirth class!
What is a pregnancy belly cast?
A pregnancy belly cast is a plaster cast made of an expecting mom's beautiful pregnant form. The pregnancy belly cast kit enables moms to create a lasting memory of their pregnancy in just 30 minutes. Photos and video can't capture an expecting mom's shape the way our pregnancy belly cast can. A pregnancy belly cast enables a mom to forever remember how she looked during her pregnancy and the special nine months she shared with her growing baby.
As one mom aptly put it, "It is a really cool way of capturing your pregnant body. You can show your child later that this is what mom looked like when you were inside!"
The pregnancy belly cast kit includes:
• 5 rolls (4 inch wide by 5 yards long) of premium-quality, extra-creamy artist's (not medical grade) casting material. This is equivalent to a 5 foot x 5 foot sheet of material. The casting material conforms to the health requirements of ASTM D-4236.
• All-natural Belly Rub Lubricant
• Plastic drop cloth
• Pair of Nitrile (safe alternative to latex) gloves
• Sanding screen
• Easy-to-follow instructions written in English, Spanish & French
• Color decorating sheet with hundreds of decorating ideas
• Beautifully packaged with the use of full-color printing
Is a pregnancy belly cast hard to make?
Making a pregnancy belly cast using the kit is easy. No mixing of messy materials is required and the end result is a perfect 3-dimensional memento of an expecting mom's belly or torso.
You can wear a tube top, or make the cast without one on. Your belly will need to be exposed and you will need to wear some cheap shorts/pants (covered in plastic wrap).
If you wear a tube top during casting, the lines of the tube top may show through, and the cast won’t be as smooth and detailed in that area. But it’s completely up to you. Do what makes you feel comfortable. Figure out what position you want to be in for the casting, preferably a sitting pose. You can include your hands, your partners, or other children's hands in the cast by placing the hands on your belly.
A pregnancy belly cast is created by applying several layers of wet plaster strips to the front of mom's body. After the strips have set, they will hold her shape and the cast will come away from her body and she will capture how beautiful she looked during her pregnancy. And after a pregnancy belly cast is made, it can be left as is for a simple, yet elegant look, or it can be painted and decorated in anyway imaginable!
Creative Ideas for Your Belly Cast
So, now what? After your cast has had time to dry over several days, you may want to carefully sand the rough edges. Then, if you like, you can apply a couple layers of Gesso, an acrylic paint primmer available in craft or art stores, to the entire cast. After that dries, you can either leave the cast as is, or decorate it!
“I gesso it after it has cured for at least a week,” explains Teresa Howard, doula and belly casting expert. “Then, I sand it with a piece of wire screen, and then, I gesso it twice. Then, it is ready to be painted.
“Although,” Teresa continues, “I prefer to paper it with raw paper, and use Modge Podge to seal it in. You can use matte or gloss depending on the finish you want. I then make two small holes on both sides that a ribbon can go through, and you can hang the cast.”
Another neat idea is to write a message to your unborn baby and glue it to the inside of the cast. Or, even better, imbed it into the cast as you make it! “Before we started,” Kelly says, “my one friend cut out a heart and had me write a message to my baby to put under a layer of the strips, to always be a part of the cast.”
Once the baby is born, parents often take pictures of their newborn baby nestled inside the belly cast as a momento.
Some women make the cast a week before their baby shower or their Blessingsway Ceremony, and ask guests to help decorate or sign the cast. “At my Blessingway last pregnancy, we decorated it with markers, pens, messages, [and] stickers,” explains Kelly. “My kids got involved as well. This is my fourth baby, and I've found it to be such a fun thing to do, to include my kids in the pregnancy. They love to feel the baby move, so having this solid reminder for them of what it was like to live with a pregnant mama (not the grumpy bits, but the fun bits!) is such a neat thing.”
Whether you decide to leave it as is, paint it yourself, or make it a family or baby shower decorating project, you’ll always treasure your belly cast. Have fun! Check out www.proudbody.com and view the gallery of belly casts!
When should I have the cast done?
The optimal time to do a pregnancy belly cast is around 34-38 weeks. The longer you wait, the larger the cast will be, of coarse!
What better way to learn about pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and newborn care then through a trained and experienced doula, health educator, and mom of four! I recognize and respect that women have many options for birthing. I make sure to teach a full spectrum of options. It is my goal to inspire couples/individuals to approach birth and upcoming parenthood with confidence and calmness. I have taken the Lamaze and Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth courses and have used the Birthing from Within materials, which then enables me to teach you the best of these approaches to childbirth education.
Topics Covered:
What is a pregnancy belly cast?