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In This Issue
About Children
Listen With Your Heart
About Pregnancy and Birth
What Researchers in the Netherlands say
about giving birth at
home
World Breastfeeding Week
101 Reasons to Breastfeed
Charis Cuisine
Lettuce Wraps
Life in Ukraine
Educating Midwives and Doulas
Tidbits
from Ebony
Mammas Who Are Babies
To
enjoy past newsletters, visit the archives:
Newsletter Archives
Update
Our new address
Charis Childbirth, Inc.
P.O. Box 6900
North Port, FL 34290
Look us up
Charis and our
Midwifery Scholarship Fund
Mark Your Calendars
Charis “Labor Support” Workshop
Saturday, September 26, 2009
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
At the
Breath of Life Birth Center
1900 East Bay Drive
Largo, FL 33771
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
Register NOW!
Registration must be received
before September 1, 2009.
Register
early… Space is limited.
Childbirth
Preparation Classes
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Presented by:
Christi Jones (CCE, CD) and Aimee Roberts (CCE, CD)
Weekend Intensive Workshops:
Friday, July 24th, 6:30 pm -9:30 pm
Saturday, July 25th, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Friday,
September 18th, 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Saturday, September 19th, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Childbirth
Preparation Classes
Midlothian, Virginia
(greater Richmond area)
Presented by:
Kate McKinney, Charis Midwifery Student
Clover Hill Library
August 17th, 24th, 26th, 31st
September 2nd, 9th
Our
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Our
Director's Heart
“...it is by faith you
stand firm.”
2 Corinthians 1:24b
Dear
Charis Family,
Have you ever made a decision to accomplish something, only to
become discouraged, change your mind, or give up before you had
reached your goal? As childbirth professionals, our clients make
decisions and set goals with the intention of succeeding, but they
are often met with obstacles and opposition that have the potential
to keep them from realizing their birthing dreams.
Those obstacles may be cultural, wrong beliefs, changes in routine,
unexpected difficulties, etc; and opposition unfortunately often
comes from well-meaning friends and family members who either do not
agree with their choices or who resist change.
There is much birth professionals can do to help their clients stand
firm in their decisions and reach their birthing goals even in the
face of discouragement. One thing I have found extremely valuable to
my clients is helping them dig deeper and get to the bottom of WHY
they have made their particular decisions concerning their upcoming
delivery. This discovery process creates a firm foundation on which
to stand when challenges come and it leads to much greater success
as a result.
When people are asked “why” they desire a certain experience, their
initial answer is rarely the “why” that is big enough to keep them
on track. So we ask, “Why is it important to you to (whatever their
initial answer was)?” Continuing to ask “why” after each answer and
dig deeper will generally lead to the bigger reasons and values
behind the decision.
Sometimes the reasons are fear-based. When a fear-based decision is
discovered, it is time to explore other, more positive reasons to
continue moving toward their goal. In the childbirth classes I have
taught over the past 22 years, most of my clients choose natural
childbirth. Not all of them, however, have made that choice for the
right reasons. I have found that some decide not to have an epidural
simply because they are afraid of needles or afraid they will become
paralyzed. That is NOT the right reason to choose natural
childbirth. Very few who have made a fear-based decision have been
successful in accomplishing a natural childbirth and many of them
feel like failures as a result. I learned early on that I needed to
help my students revisit that decision, discover why they have made
that choice, learn more about the benefits and drawbacks of their
options, pray and ask God for guidance, and get to the deeper “why”.
Decisions and conclusions made based on faith (the leading
and guidance of the Lord and a knowledge of His promises in the
Word) are built on an unshakable foundation rooted in the assurance
of the perfection of God’s will. When we are challenged in that
area, we are confident in our God and His direction for our lives;
and, therefore, will not be swayed.
Decisions and conclusions made based on fear (an ungodly fear
based on circumstances and experiences that contradict the Word of
God or because of lack of trust in God or His Word), however, are
built on an unstable foundation that is resting on the sin of
unbelief. When we are challenged in that area, our decisions are not
firm and we can easily be swayed.
Keeping those deep, faith-based “whys” in the forefront makes it
much easier to successfully navigate the obstacles and opposition.
We know that challenges always come when we have made a quality
decision. We want our clients to be ready when those challenges
come.
Blessings,
Kristin Schuchmann
Executive Director, Charis Childbirth
“Jesus said, ‘Everything is possible for him who believes.’
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe, help me
overcome my unbelief.’” Mark 23b-24
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own
understanding; acknowledge Him in all your ways, and he will direct
your paths.” Proverbs 3:5
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
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.
-
Grants
and other funding for the expansion of the Charis ministry
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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
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For
our directors and administration: Wisdom, guidance, energy, and
provision from God as Charis enters this season of growth
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