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Charis "Labor
Support" Workshop
Was held July 12,
2011, and everyone went home enriched!
Dinner at Sharky's Monday evening
Left to right: Paula Malcein, Susan Oshel, Kate McKinney, Jessie Biggs, Rachel Thompson,
Kristin Schuchmann, Rose Schuchmann, Sheri Hunt, Bethany Stricker, Lauren
Tardy, Carrie Hartman.
Not pictured: Nikki Zizak, Hannah Johnson,
Jennifer Goodwin and Joy Schuchmann,
who is behind the camera.
What a
great time we all had at the recent Charis “Labor Support”
Workshop! Childbirth Educators, Doulas, Midwives, Aspiring
Midwives and others gathered from many states at
Birthways Family Birth Center
in Sarasota, FL, improving our abilities to support laboring women
with excellence. The day was filled with interactive, hands-on,
fun, and interesting activities.
We made new friends and became more skilled in knowing how and when
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, we also
took home a beautiful “labor support bag” filled with an assortment
of tools to help successfully support, serve, and bring comfort to
future clients as they labor.
A delicious lunch was provided for all and we got to know each other
better during our midday break.
Read on
to enjoy a pictorial journey and testimonies of the blessed and
educational time we spent together.
What a wonderful time we all had at the Charis “Labor Support”
Workshop in July! It was such a treat to get to meet some of you
face to face for the very first time and to see so many others
again! A HUGE thank-you goes out to my administrative assistant,
Sheri Hunt, for making it all happen and to Charis’s Director of
Midwifery Studies Susan Oshel, Charis Childbirth Educator and Doula,
Rachel Thompson for her valuable teaching tools and Charis midwifery
student Kate McKinney for once again helping us out on the day of
the workshop so everything flowed so smoothly. I know I have said
it before, but I really do love surrounding myself with brilliant
people!
~
Kristin
Schuchmann, Executive Director, Charis Childbirth, Inc.
The night before the workshop, Jessie Biggs finding "treasures" on the
Gulf Coast.
Carrie Hartman and
Lauren Tardy enjoying the water
Rachel Thompson, Jessie Biggs, Susan Oshel, Bethany Stricker,
Kristin Schuchmann, Carrie Hartman, Lauren Tardy and Paula Malcein
Sunset on the Gulf Coast in Venice, Florida
where some of us gathered to enjoy dinner at Sharky's Monday
evening.
Tuesday morning bright and early at
Birthways Family Birth Center
in Sarasota, Florida
Charis Executive Director Kristin Schuchmann,
teaching about pain receptors and pathways.
Hannah Johnson, Carrie Hartman and Rachel Thompson, manuals open and
ready!
I
absolutely LOVED all of the hands-on skills we learned. One of
my favorite things was getting a birth bag with supplies in it,
including a rice sock and Rebozo, and the learning techniques for the
new Rebozo I received. It is so beneficial to hear the
birth stories shared on all the topics covered.
~Hannah
Johnson, RN, Charis Midwifery student
Lauren Tardy looking through her manual
The
workshop gave me tools to use during labor and helped me feel more
confident. It helped me understand why things work - seeing
the model pelvis be more open. It's great to be able to have
so many resources here to ask questions and hear experiences.
Hands-on learning exercises are really helpful to experience
doing it right and how to correct if you're not. It's more
comfortable applying these helpful touching tools on a mom after we
experienced practicing on each other.
~Lauren Tardy, Charis doula and childbirth educator student
Rachel Thompson teaching and demonstrating the benefits of pressure
to various points in the body and how it can positively assist labor and
birth.
This
workshop provided me with the incredible opportunity to pass on my
own knowledge and experience to future doulas and midwives.
But even more than that, it gave me the privilege of getting to know
a little bit of these gems of young women and receive richness into
my own life from them.
~Rachel Thompson, CCE, CD
Paula Malcein and Jessie Biggs pondering the foot and it's pressure
points.
What did
I receive from this workshop? Being a
nightlight to births!!! Learning pressure points and massages.
I love the classroom cooperation. Learning the pointers on how
to get on the hospital staff's good side. I so need to get the
focus off myself and, like Rachel said, to have a soft heart and
thick skin. I want the Lord to have my feeling. Thank
You my Father! Hallelujah! Amen!
~Paula Rose Malcein, Charis Midwifery Student
Hannah Johnson and Carrie Hartman practicing pressure points on
their hands.
This
workshop was so much fun! I loved that we got to practice what
we learned and the interaction between the teachers and
students was wonderful. One major "nugget" I will take home is
the importance of movement. I always knew in my head that it
was important but the education and practice really made it come
alive.
~Carrie Hartman, BSN, RN, Charis Midwifery Student
Lauren Tardy massaging
Jennifer Goodwin's fingers.
We practiced using our labor skills while understanding pain,
the gate theory, sensory nerves, endorphins and catecholamines, and
much more!
Paula Malcein and Bethany Stricker practicing.
Bethany Stricker practicing counter pressure on Paula Malcein's back.
This Labor Support workshop was extremely valuable to me because it
outlined in a concise way all the many options that are available to
moms who desire a natural birth. As a very new doula, I heard
and saw things that I had only read about. Susan, Kristin and
Rachel helped cement these things in my mind and introduced new
valuable tools also. One thing that will really stick with me
is the understanding that every woman's labor is different.
Knowing that the sensations every woman feels are different and
unique to her also helped me grasp my place and purpose and how I
can help as a doula and student midwife without having had my own
children yet. Truly priceless!
~Bethany Stricker, Charis Midwifery Student
Jessie Biggs rolling a noodle and receiving comments from Rachel
Thompson
that she is doing it so right!
Carrie Hartman comments, "Ahhhh", when Hannah Johnson practices
lower
back pressure.
Jennifer Goodwin puts 'just the right pressure' in 'just the right
spot' on
Lauren Tardy's lower back.
I feel
much more confident about helping a woman through labor. I
learned a lot about discerning problems and how to solve them.
By being around such knowledgeable and experienced people, I gleaned
tried-and-true methods and new ideas that I never would have thought
about on my own. Also, it was nice to be around other
believers who have the same passions for Christ and birth that I do.
Loved it and can't wait to attend a birth and use all these great
techniques.
~Jennifer Goodwin, Charis doula and childbirth educator student
Hannah Johnson practices on willing Carrie Hartman.
Rachel Thompson demonstrates the proper way to do the hip press.
All of us practiced on two model pelvises, and on each other.
Oh that
flexible and moving pelvis!
How we restrict it's movement and how to allow it's optimal
flexibility.
Everyone opening their labor support "birth bags" full of tools of
the trade.
One of the tools is a Rebozo, now for the fun!
Rachel Thompson demonstrates the awesome uses of the Rebozo.
Carrie Hartman, Sheri Hunt, Jen (Birthways office admin getting
lunch),
Rachel Thompson, Kristin Schuchmann, Bethany Stricker, Paula Malcein
and Jessie Biggs
Bethany Stricker practices with Rebozo techniques on Paula Malcein.
Hannah Johnson and Carrie Hartman using the Rebozo technique for
pushing
while Rachel Thompson explains the process and Jennifer Goodwin observes.
Susan
Oshel ended the day guiding us through the "Moving Babies" part of
our education. We learned about moving babies from posterior
to anterior, correcting ascynclitsim, which techniques worked best
in early labor and which were most beneficial in active labor.
Everyone practiced free gentle movement, hip swiveling, side lying,
open knee-chest, lunges, hula dancing, lower back presses, duck
walking, pelvic presses and the pancake maneuver and learned when
each works the best. Cameras were put aside while all hands
practiced, so not many pictures during this full part of the
workshop.
Rachel Thompson and Kristin Schuchmann demonstrating the double hip
press on Carrie Hartman.
Jennifer Goodwin and baby Judah, during one of their cuddly
moments.
Our awesome babysitter, Joy Schuchmann, caring for sleeping Judah Goodwin. |
