Juniper Birth

I'm excited to announce that I'm gathering folks for another session of the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class for Single Parents by Choice. This class offers a special opportunity for single parents by choice to learn about childbirth (comfort measures, advocacy skills, and the most up-to-date evidence) surrounded by others on similar paths. Students will enjoy camaraderie and hold (virtual) space for each other as they embrace the joys and challenges of their journeys. The class is 100% virtual and starts July 31st, 2021 (link in bio for tickets and more details). It'll be more than you imagined a birth class could be! Also, *it would be incredible if you could share this announcement* far and wide to help me reach the most SMBCs and their friends so that we can fill the class (limited to 6 birthing people). Thank you so much in advance!! xo - Jen

Those of us entrenched in the birth world know that a visit to new parents with a baby should be quick and include helping out with a chore around the house, but it's challenging to figure out how to communicate that in a gentle way to people who, by no fault of their own, don't think of these visits like that. In this country, we expect new parents to hack it all on their own and when visitors come over they get to sit back, hold the new baby and chat, often disrupting sleep and routines... and then hand the baby back when it cries or needs a diaper change. They might even expect you to have snacks available for them. In other cultures, it is much more common to respect and support this tiring transition, but we have a long way to go in the US (ahem, how about 6-12 months paid leave for BOTH parents?!).

In the childbirth class that I teach, I recommend that my students consider giving visitors a job to do (dishes, laundry, cook a meal, watch the baby while they go out for a walk, etc), but in reality, figuring out how to do that in a gentle way is challenging for them. Yesterday however, I was looking through a great book called, The Fourth Trimester, by Kimberly Ann Johnson, and found the above sample note to attach to the outside of the new parents' front door. I love it and think it explains what new parents need in a gentle, loving way.

Do you have any other suggestions? What guidelines might you add to a note like this in the way of Covid safety expectations?

.me