Volume 4

~ News From "Your Birthing Family" ~

Issue 8

   

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 3429
0

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
 
Cost: $150.00

For more information or to reserve your space,
visit their website at http://www.birthinsightva.com

email: info@birthinsightva.com
phone: (757)270-0437 or (757)575-9363

 

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
 
For information and to register,
call or E-mail Kate McKinney:

804-363-7422
heartofadoula@gmail.com
 
 

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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
     

  • For the Charis Childbirth Educator, Doula, and Midwifery students: sharp minds to learn, opportunities for lots of hands-on learning
     

  • For the Charis CE’s, doulas, and midwives: rest, peace, protection, wisdom, discernment
     

  • 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

The Midwives Alliance of North America
and the California Association of Midwives present:

Midwives Alliance 2009 at the fabulous Asilomar State Beach & Conference Grounds near Monterey, California, October 22-25, 2009 (pre-conference sessions on October 22). Enjoy the warm fellowship of midwives from all corners of the world and in-depth educational opportunities that MANA has always embraced and offered. Click on the above picture to learn more and register.
 

The information in this newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not intended to take the place of medical care and advice from your health care provider.

 'Behold, I will bring them from the north country, And gather them from the ends of the earth,
 Among  them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and The one who labors with child,  together,
 A great throng shall return there...And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the LORD.'
 Jeremiah 31:8, 14
~~~
©2009 Charis Childbirth Services, All Rights Reserved
Feel free to forward this newsletter to friends in its entirety, leaving all attribution intact.
August 2009