Charis “Labor Support” Workshop

Was held Saturday, October 2nd, 2010 - A full and wonderful day! 

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. 

Back Row: Mary Ann Stoltzfus, Sheri Hunt, Corrine Henderson, Tara Thessen, Allison Brunett, Chantal Wilford, Celia Sorensen
Front Row: Ellen Smith, Kristin Schuchmann, Maggie McCarthy, Susan Oshel
Not pictured: Esther Smith, who is behind the camera. :)

Sunset on the pier in Venice, Florida.
The beautiful Gulf Coast where some of us gathered to enjoy dinner at Sharkey's Friday evening.

Saturday morning bright and early at Birthways Family Birth Center in Sarasota, Florida

The Labor Support Workshop was WONDERFUL! I enjoyed the speakers and the hands-on training. I learned so much this year! I especially appreciated the training on the nervous system as it relates to birth, the touch techniques that Maggie taught, the list of comfort measures, and the activities on “moving babies into favorable positions for birth”.   The workshop was also an opportunity to meet other like-minded childbirth professionals, which was a blessing in itself. I am so glad I went! 
~ Esther Smith, Charis Midwifery Student

Charis Executive Director Kristin Schuchmann, teaching about pain receptors and pathways.

The workshop was a great opportunity to be among women learning to serve women during childbirth, and chat with people that are on the same journey that I am. The information was helpful in understanding why comfort techniques work, and how to use them.  The hands-on experiences and demonstrations gave an added dimension to merely reading about them in a textbook, and it was a treat to hear and learn them from the pros.
~ Celia Sorensen, Charis Doula Student

Chantal Wilford, Allison Brunett (hidden in the middle) and Mary Ann Stoltzfus with manuals open and ready!

The Labor Support Workshop was incredible!! First, I had a wonderful time seeing my friends again. (Those that I met at the last workshop.)  And, meeting new ones! What a powerful group of women, wanting to make a difference in the kingdom of God!  The workshop was excellent! I walked away empowered, feeling confident that I could serve laboring mommas with excellence! 
~ Blessings, Mary Ann

Tara Thessen and Ellen Smith pondering the foot and it's pressure points with teacher Maggie McCarthy.

Our labor support workshop was fabulous.  It was more than just the workshop though for me... I learned much more than I expected, and I think that was because I really enjoyed and learned from time spent talking with the other students during the weekend meals and afterwards.  The workshop itself had great content.  I was surprised to learn that a moist compress may work better than warmth alone, and I really learned a lot about how to support the baby's movement towards birth with the various hip presses that Maggie McCarthy and Susan Oshel demonstrated.  The hands on practice with massage and the hip presses brought it home.  The whole weekend had some great content and great fellowship! 
Hugs ~ Tara Thessen, Charis Doula Student
 

Though I am not currently enrolled in Charis Childbirth, I attended the Labor Support Workshop with my daughter (who is enrolled).  It was such a blessing to me!  I learned so much, which will be helpful to me in the future as I attend my own daughters' births.  Much of the information will also be useful in areas other than childbirth.  I have already used some of the information and techniques.  I met other like-minded women through this workshop, and I especially appreciate the Christian perspective.
~ Blessings, Ellen Smith, Mother of Esther Smith, Charis Midwifery Student

Everyone opening their labor support "birth bags" full of tools of the trade.

I was excited to be invited to this workshop and thoroughly enjoyed it!   I've been a certified childbirth educator and doula for 5 years and I came away with great new information that I was able to incorporate into my classes and doula practice right away.  I enjoyed hearing from all 3 speakers who each brought wonderful energy and information to the group.  I think it's important to give people tools in hand with which to move forward and everyone left the workshop with something new to add to their labor support repertoire.  I liked that lunch was catered and noticed even the paper for the handouts was good quality.  These details may seem minor but they matter and I think Charis did an excellent, very professional job.   I left feeling inspired and motivated, so kudos to Charis, and thanks again! 
~ Chantal Wilford, CE / Doula

The Labor Support Workshop was fantastic!  Kristin has a way of capturing your attention when she teaches that you just want to know more and more.  Also, I was so amazed at the love, passion and dedication that the midwife and doula students have to serve others.  I felt so blessed to have met all of them.  I didn't want the weekend to end!  Thank you!
~ Sheri Hunt, Charis administrative assistant

Practicing using our labor skills while understanding pain,
the gate theory, sensory nerves, endorphins and catecholamines, and much more!

Attending Charis's Labor Support Workshop was such a delight.  Everyone there brought something unique and intriguing to the learning table.  I was thrilled to fill my head and heart with numerous ways to support a woman throughout her labor.  Getting to know the women that God has brought together through Charis whom all share the same passion for birth was a tremendous joy! 
~ Allison Brunett, Charis Midwifery Student

Kristin Schuchmann and Maggie McCarthy enjoying a very nutritious and yummy catered lunch.
During lunch all participated in a round table discussion about ways to 'best' interface
with doctors and other health care providers.

Maggie McCarthy, LMT, CD, HBCE, ND, CNC guides us through massage techniques, acupressure and hip presses.
We paired up and practiced massage techniques on each other.


Maggie McCarthy and Kristin Schuchmann demonstrating the double-hip squeeze.
Allison Brunett is a great laboring mamma model!

Thank you for the gracious invitation and hospitality offered at the workshop.  I thoroughly enjoyed sharing my passion for labor support with all the beautiful women there!  It was a lot of fun working on double-hip squeezes, light touch massage, talking about the importance of touch and intent.  I hope to be invited again and again, I am honored to have met everyone! 
~ Maggie McCarthy, LMT, CD, HBCE, ND, CNC

Susan Oshel guided us through the "Moving Babies" part of our education. She demonstrated effective ways to help babies "move" into favorable positions for birth. We practiced the pelvic press, pancake maneuver and more. We reviewed positive positions for "pushing" and the most beneficial ways to coach a woman while she moves her baby down and out.

Tara Thessen and Mary Ann Stoltzfus demonstrating the hula, a wonderful way to "move babies".

Below is a demonstration of the "Pancake Maneuver",
yet another way to encourage a baby to rotate into a more favorable position for birth.

I attended the “Labor Support” workshop in October and had so much fun and learned a lot.  I enjoyed getting to know other women who are pursuing the same goal I am – becoming a childbirth professional.   Aside from Charis, I have little contact with childbirth educators, doulas, and midwives, and it was refreshing to be able to discuss childbirth-related issues with these sweet Charis students.  Added to this was our fellowship with each other as sisters in Jesus Christ, which made our time all the sweeter!

I learned a lot at the workshop and came away feeling better prepared to serve childbearing women.  One of the things that particularly “stuck out” to me was when Ms. Maggie McCarthy talked about “intention”.   Having, as yet, had little experience with laboring women, my common question and fear in helping them is, “How do I know if she will like what I do?  What if she doesn’t want me to (rub her legs, massage her back, or whatever)?  How will I know if what I am doing is helpful”?  I think I expressed this concern while Maggie was talking with us about massage, etc., and what she said was quite helpful.  She said that one of the most important aspects of helping a laboring mom is intent.  My intent needs to be to help her – to make her more comfortable, to ease her pain, to help her relax, to calm her fears, etc.   Maggie said that my intent will make all the difference.  It’s OK if I don’t know if she will like something or not.  If I am confident in what I do, the mom will sense this.  If my intent is to help, I can be confident that what I do will help her.

Another thing I appreciated at the workshop was the opportunity to practice techniques on other people.  We got to massage each other, practice the double hip squeeze and pelvic press, and watch Susan Oshel demonstrate the pancake maneuver.  To me, these hands-on exercises were helpful both in helping me learn how to do particular techniques and in making me more comfortable actually doing them on real, live women.   I'm so glad I was able to attend this workshop, and I’m looking forward to the next one!
~ Corrine Henderson, Charis Doula Student
 

Aspiring midwife Rose Schuchmann attended the workshop,
providing valuable contributions, practicing maneuvers and asking pertinent questions.