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In This Issue
Nutrition For The World
Echo - Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization
Becoming a Midwife
My
Calling - My Heart
Our Charis Family
Nikki
Zizak
Charis Cuisine
Moringa
Charis Around the World
Tidbits From Ebony
Childbirth in Kenya
To enjoy past newsletters, visit the archives:
Newsletter Archives
Mark Your
Calendars
Charis
“Labor Support” Workshop
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
at
Birthways Family Birth
Center
in Sarasota, Florida
For childbirth educators, doulas, midwives, or anyone
who would like to improve her ability to support
laboring women.
At our workshops, learning is interactive, hands-on,
fun, and interesting. All Charis workshops are taught
from a Christian perspective, giving God the glory for
His marvelous creation and how He so wonderfully created
women to bear children.
You will spend the day making new friends and becoming
more skilled in putting to use many techniques to bring
a woman comfort during each phase of labor,
understanding the science behind why the comfort
measures work, creating an environment conducive to the
natural progression of labor, recognizing when a woman
is beginning to panic and helping her regain control,
gently encouraging a woman to effectively push out her
baby while taking advantage of the natural physiology of
second stage, assisting a woman in breastfeeding for the
very first time, and so much more.
In addition to the valuable skills acquired at the
workshop, you will also take home with you a beautiful
“labor support bag” filled with an assortment of tools
to help you successfully support, serve, and bring
comfort to your future clients as they labor.
A delicious lunch will be provided for all the workshop
attendees to enjoy as you get to know each other better
during a midday break.
The cost is $200 for Charis members and $230 for
non-members (includes one-year Charis membership).
To
register, complete the
Registration Form
and mail it, along with payment, to:
Charis Childbirth
P.O. Box 6900
North Port, FL 34290
Childbirth
Preparation Classes
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Presented by: Birth InSight
Christi Jones (CCE, CD) and Aimee Roberts (CCE, CD)
six week class
Wed evenings from 7-9pm
July 27- August 31
Weekend Intensive
Fri. evening from 6:30pm-9:30pm and Sat 9am-3:30pm (lunch
included)
June 10 & 11
Cost
$200.00
For more information and to register visit our website:
http://www.birthinsightva.com
or call
757-270-0437
Childbirth
Preparation Class
Cookeville, Tennessee
Instructor: Corinne Henderson
Charis doula and
childbirth educator student
Where: The River Community Church, Cookeville, TN
When: Once a week for 8 weeks beginning Thursday,
June 16, 2011
Time: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Cost: This series is being offered free of charge.
To sign up or for questions,
contact Corinne at
931-319-1721
or email at I would love to talk with you!
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Grants and other funding for the expansion of the Charis ministry
-
For the Charis Childbirth Educator, Doula, and
Midwifery students: sharp minds to learn, opportunities for lots of
hands-on learning
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For the Charis CE’s, doulas, and midwives: rest, peace,
protection, wisdom, discernment
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For the Charis missionaries and
humanitarian workers: protection, peace, divine guidance, financial
provision
For our directors and
administration: Wisdom, guidance, energy, and provision
from God as Charis enters this season of growth
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Our
Director's Heart
Real Solutions

So much
attention is being drawn to the maternal and infant morbidity and
mortality around the world and there is quite a bit of effort going
into making pregnancy and birth safer for moms and babies these
days; but, unfortunately, much of the effort isn’t addressing the
real reasons for the problems. For instance, trying to snuff
out the traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in developing countries
will not improve outcomes; it will leave even more women with fewer
caregivers. Why not work with the TBAs? After all, these
are the women who live near the people and who are respected members
of the communities. One of the goals we are super excited
about at Charis is to begin working with the TBAs so that they are
better equipped to care for moms and babies. To me, that seems
like a much better solution than getting rid of the TBAs and
expecting women to travel a long distance to birth in an unfamiliar
environment.
Rather than belaboring what is not working, however, I prefer to
draw your attention to people and organizations who are doing great
things and are as committed to real solutions designed to improve
maternity care and birth outcomes around the world as we are at
Charis. A couple months ago, you got to “meet” my friend
Jennie Joseph and learn about what she is doing to address racial
disparities in birth outcomes and maternity care in the United
States. This month, I want to introduce you to
ECHO
(Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization).
A couple weeks ago, I visited ECHO’s “global farm” in North Fort
Myers, Florida, and was extremely impressed with the great work they
are doing toward providing effective nutrition solutions around the
world. I learned about plants I had never heard of before.
For instance, the Moringa tree packs tons of nutrition and can be
grown in poor growing conditions such as in locations of drought or
in sandy soil. The leaves are delicious! The tour guide
told me about health care workers in developing countries who are
recommending Moringa powder made from the dried, pulverized leaves
of the tree to be put on the food of mothers who are not producing
adequate breast milk because of malnutrition with great results and
babies thriving! I, of course, bought a pack of seeds and am
planting Moringa trees in my yard! If you come to my home for
a visit in a few months, you will get to sample our Moringa leaves.
Yes, they grow that quickly.
What does this have to do with Charis? Well, understanding
that most pregnancy and birth-related complications can be prevented
with proper nutrition, it is essential to address malnutrition and
come up with solutions for the problem in order to prevent and treat
problems in pregnancy and birth. We can’t just start with the pregnant woman,
however. We must start in that woman’s own childhood.
Malnourished children do not develop properly and that sets women up
for problems when they begin having babies. That is where ECHO
comes in. I invite you to learn more about ECHO in our
newsletter this month and also on their website. If you are a
missionary or humanitarian worker in an area where hunger is a
problem, you can order a free pack of seeds from ECHO. And if
you’re ever visiting southwest Florida, stop by the ECHO global farm
for a tour. You will be so glad you did!
Toward happy, healthy moms and babies,
Kristin Schuchmann
Executive Director, Charis Childbirth
Contact Us
Charis Childbirth
P.O. Box 6900
North Port, FL 34290
www.charischildbirth.org
Kristin Schuchmann ~
Executive Director
Cell (941)441-6410
http://happyhealthyliving.wordpress.com/
Susan Oshel ~ Director of Midwifery Studies
Update
Charis Membership
We at Charis are extremely grateful for our wonderful members. This
past year, your dues have made it financially possible for us to
creatively correspond with people in areas of the world where
internet is spotty at best. Having all forms of communication
available for us is essential if we are going to successfully train
birth professionals in the far reaches of the earth. As our
community of members grows, there will be more funds available for
even more world-impacting outreach. Thank you!
Several people have contacted us recently asking about when their
membership dues should be paid. Membership is due every December 31
for the coming calendar year. So, if you became a member on or
before December 31, 2009, your dues should be mailed by the middle
of December, 2010, to be sure it is received in time. If you became
a member sometime in 2010, then your membership is not due until
December 31, 2011.
You can send your
membership form and $30 dues to:
Charis Childbirth
P.O. Box 6900
North Port, FL 34290
Our address
Charis Childbirth, Inc.
P.O. Box 6900
North Port, FL 34290
It's
been over a year since Charis headquarters moved to
Florida. If you use our old Virginia Beach address, your mail will
not reach us as the post office is no longer forwarding mail.
Be sure to mail your yearly membership fees to the Florida address!
Look us up

Attention Aspiring
Midwives!
You will love the flexible, thorough,
distance academics course offered through Charis Childbirth!
Check
it out!
Want to serve childbearing families as a Certified Doula or
Childbirth Educator?
Become trained and certified through Charis Childbirth!
Take a look
at our unique certification process!
If you seek a school that offers the convenience of
self-paced distance learning, personal mentors for each student, a
commitment to the highest excellence in education, a family-like
network of students and birth professionals, and education from a
Christian perspective, Charis may be just the right fit for you!
For more information
Visit the Charis Web site
for course description and outline.
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