Awful....just Awful

I have to post a link to this website. Oddly enough, I just attended my first birth as a doula (more to come on that), and the couple had to switch doctor and hospital the day before their due date, for a similar reason than on that story..it's just sad and maddening that full term mommies and even laboring mommies have to fight for their rights and to be listened to.

Each Thing on its Own Time

I feel really bad, because I won a contest a long time ago and I never publicly thanked the person who did the contest and gave me all kind of goodies. Nicole, over at Bellies and Babies asked expectant parents, new or aspiring doulas to write a post and link it to her blog "in an effort to raise awareness about birth rights and to promote active birthing" since her blog talks about just that. Well I won and this what I received:

This is my very own Birth Ball!!!

You can see the birth ball, some Luna bars, a pregnancy wheel, a doula pocketbook, 2 tennis balls, hot hand packs, a mini rebozo, a cool bag to carry all of this in and more...(I love my dog's nose and my niece's foot on the picture!)

A close-up of the Doula pocketbook

Thank you so much again Nicole!

I must admit that I felt a little like a cheater, because even though it's been my dream for years to become a doula I hadn't signed up for anything and didn't know if I could ever do my job and be a doula at the same time....fast forward to the end of March. One Friday night I was alone at home and really thinking about becoming a Childbirth Educator (CBE). I went online to do some research (for the thousandth time) and found Passion for Birth. It really caught my attention and I loved the fact that with their training I would become a Lamaze CBE.

To help me make a decision, I decided to contact Barbara Hotelling, who is the CBE who will be doing the training in my area in September. I didn't know what to expect, but I found a real jewel. She is a relly awesome and inspiring woman with a HUGE heart. After my first e-mail she offered to meet with me (if I had known at that time that she was at one time Lamaze International's President and at another DONA's President I might not have sent her an e-mail!) I have been to a few of her classes already and needless to say that I have signed up to follow the Passion for Birth's training.

I am really excited about it all. I really believe that things happen for a reason, and only when a person is ready for it. I have been waiting for this for many years and I am trying to just take it all in and enjoy it.