Continuing Education: Holistic Reproductive Practitioner Training

“Education is not the filling of a pot, but the lighting of a fire.
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— W.B. Yeats

As you may know I support families in pregnancy and childbirth in Vancouver and the surrounding areas, as a certified birth doula and yoga teacher. I more recently began offering holistic fertility, postpartum and end of pregnancy support. Did you know that I am also continuing my studies? I am currently enrolled in the comprehensive Holistic Reproductive Practitioner training with Michelle Stroud, By The Moon.

So what is an Holistic Reproductive Practitioner?

An HRP is someone who supports the body, mind and spirit in all stages of life, with a focus on reproductive wellness from fertility to menopause and beyond. Our healing support is focused on all aspects of reproductive health including: people trying to conceive, those experiencing menstrual irregularities, have reproductive health conditions, and those who have experienced birth trauma or an end of pregnancy. Along with offering holistic birth and postpartum doula skills to support our clients, we utilize reflexology and energy healing to meet our clients wherever they are their reproductive journey.

I was called to train with Michelle of By The Moon to gain more hands on skills to support people with their reproductive health. Not only am I cross-certifying as a birth doula and certifying as a postpartum doula through this two year program, the certifications I am working towards in both reflexology and energy healing cannot be found anywhere else. Michelle has been a certified reflexologist for over 18 years, she is also a mother, Reiki Master, yoga teacher, and an experienced doula and doula trainer — and all around amazing human! She is sharing her professional experience and expertise in these all of these modalities, to expand our knowledge and give us access to indispensable tools for supporting fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, birth trauma and loss.

What does this mean for you?

I am currently adding on complimentary reflexology sessions for fertility clients that book into a three month support package, as well as offering this service to all birthing people that book into my Holistic Doula Care & Birth Support package.

Both my Holistic Fertility Support package and my Holistic Doula Care & Birth Support package include monthly two hour information sessions in your home. Our reflexology sessions will simply be included in a few of these two hour visits for birth clients and all three of our monthly visits for fertility clients. All you need is a comfy place to sit, a foot stool (or ottoman), and a towel.

Want to meet me?

I would love the opportunity to be apart of your family’s journey. It would be an honour to be the person in your corner, offering informed, compassionate support, wherever you are in your pursuit to grow your family.

If you would like to learn more about this training please check out By The Moon and connect with Michelle Stroud to get an information packet. The next HRP group starts in September.

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Intimacy + Early Parenthood

Committed partnership takes work. Add in sleep deprivation, regulating hormones, and a demanding third wheel who needs your nurturing 24/7 and you have an even bigger challenge. How do you carve out time for connecting with you partner in early parenthood? I have a few ideas:

When it comes to baby care, give each other grace. You will want to do things differently, it’s inevitable. Allow yourselves space to learn your own way of caring for Baby.

Carve out 5 minutes a day for mindful connection. Give each other eye contact and check in with one another.

Get physical. Remember to touch each other — cuddle, kiss, massage, hug. Make an effort. A little bit goes a long way.

Give relief. If there is a partner that is out of the house all day, remember to relieve the primary caregiver of their baby duties. Draw them a solo bath or take baby out for a walk.

Show appreciation to one another. Keep criticism to a minimum, share compliments freely and encourage each other.

Finally, please remember that in the long run, this is truly a short season. I promise you will sleep again, you will have more time together as a couple again, and you may even look back on this time with rose coloured glasses and decide to have one more.

The Benefits of Skin to Skin

Your baby has been nestled inside your warm womb for many months. He or she was receiving everything that they needed immediately. It takes time for babies to adjust to being earth side — suddenly there is light, temperatures are no longer steady, the familiar sounds are gone, and now they have to work to eat!

I encourage all of my clients to spend the first week after birth in bed, nestled skin to skin with their babies. It’s even better if you can extend this experience to two weeks. Yes, two weeks! This cozy time gives Baby space to adjust to life outside the womb and helps you recover from the birth process.

Better for Baby. Not only does Baby feel the same security they felt in your womb, it helps with temperature regulation, improves breathing and heart function and also reduces crying.

Reduces stress and improves mood. Resting with your baby reduces overall stress and may also decrease your risk of postpartum depression. 

Bond with Baby. Skin to skin gets the love hormone, oxytocin, flowing. This exchange of oxytocin assists with the establishment of breast/chest feeding. Snuggling also promotes healthy bonding with Baby for both you and your partner.

I urge you to have a solid postpartum plan in place, so you may be intentional about this special period. Ideally, have your nourishing meals and housework taken care of for the first month. I am occasionally available to add postpartum services to my holistic doula care and birth support, or perhaps consider hiring a postpartum doula to help with this. 

Soak up those newborn snuggles and rest like it’s your job, in your warm bed. 💛

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Sources and further reading:

• Early skin‐to‐skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants

• Temperature, metabolic adaptation and crying in healthy full‐term newborns cared for skin‐to‐skin or in a cot

• Skin‐to‐skin contact may reduce negative consequences of “the stress of being born”: a study on temperature in newborn infants, subjected to different ward routines in St. Petersburg