Jan 18 2013: Relationships

Jan 25 2013: Play

Feb 1 2013: Relationships 2

Feb 8 2013: Sleep

Feb 15 2013: Self Care

Feb 22 2013: Pumping

March 1 2013: Signing

March 8 2013: Crying

March 15 2013: Postpartum Wellness

March 22 2013: Elimination Communication

March 29 2013: NO CLASS

April 5 2013: First Aid

April 12 2013: Health and Fitness

April 19 2013: Guest Speaker

April 26 2013: Community Resources

May 3 2013: Massage

May 10 2013: Baby wearing

May 17 2013: Play

May 24 2013: Relationships

May 31 2013: Relationships 2

June 7 2013: Sleep

June 14 2013: Pumping

June 21 2013: Self Care

June 28 2013: Signing

July 5 2013: Crying

July 12 2013: Elimination Communication

July 19 2013: Postpartum Wellness

July 26 2013: First Aid

Aug 2 2013: Health and Fitness

Aug 9 2013: Guest Speaker

Aug 16 2013: Community Resources

Aug 23 2013: Massage

Aug 30 2013: Baby wearing

Sept 6 2013: Play

Sept 13 2013: Relationships

Sept 20 2013: Relationships 2

Sept 27 2013: Sleep

Oct 4 2013: Pumping

Oct 11 2013: Self Care

Oct 18 2013: Signing

Oct 25 2013: Crying

Nov 1 2013: Elimination Communication

Nov 8 2013: Postpartum Wellness

Nov 15 2013: First Aid

Nov 22 2013: Health and Fitness

Nov 29 2013: Guest Speaker

Dec 6 2013: Community Resources

Dec 13 2013: Massage

What causes nausea?

No one knows exactly what the cause is. It is believed that it’s a combination of the many physical changes taking place in the body, especially the higher levels of hormones during early pregnancy.

How long will it last?

Nausea usually starts between 5 and 6 weeks of pregnancy. Although common in the morning, “morning sickness” can actually last all day, or even be worse in the evening. For 80% of sufferers, nausea gradually lessens, with more and more nausea-free days, until it ceases completely around the 12^th week – although physical or emotional stresses can causes temporary relapses. The other 20% of sufferers will have nausea for a longer period of time, some even until the end of pregnancy.

Is it dangerous to me or my baby?

Nausea, especially if severe, can be emotionally draining. Many women find that it interferes with usual daily activities, making it necessary to find ways to cope. But the large majority of the time nausea isn’t physically harmful to mom or baby. If you were healthy before you started pregnancy, your body and your baby will draw on your nutritional reserves. There is even a theory that the minimal nutrition of the first trimester during the stage when the placenta is growing, essentially tricks the body to grow a larger, more efficient placenta.

What if I can’t keep anything down?

About 1% of women suffer from excessive vomiting in pregnancy, a condition called “hyperemesis gravidarum”. In such cases, the lack of food, fluids and nutrients may be harmful to their health and the well-being of their baby, if left untreated. Treatment usually includes IV fluids, as dehydration makes the condition worse, which in turn increases the amount of nausea, vomiting and fluid loss.

Nausea Survival Strategies

Low blood sugar

• Having low blood sugar can cause or worsen nausea, so eat small, frequent meals.
• Carry snacks such as raw almonds (which also minimize heartburn).
• When you first wake up, eat a snack, and then rest for 15 minutes before getting out of bed.
• Keep a few crackers or bowl of nuts in the bathroom, so you can keep your blood sugar up by snacking during those middle of the night trips.
• Until your nausea decreases, eat according to your cravings – better to eat something, than nothing at all

When to Call … Labor!

 Pomegranate 604-255-5556

Check the clinic answering machine for the name and pager number of the midwife currently on-call. Sometimes we have someone else cover our pager if we are unavailable for a few hours, or we use a different number than usual, so always check the answering machine. If you have call-display, you may have access to our home or cell phone numbers. We ask that you still use our pagers, as this is the most efficient way to contact us, as well as the least disturbing to our families.

Labor

Please page us day or night if you think you are in labor and have:

• Regular, strong contractions:

FIRST BABY: 3-2-1 Rule = consistent contractions every 3 minutes for over 2 hours that are over 1 minute long

SECOND or more BABY: 5-1-1 Rule = contractions every 5 minutes for 1 hour that are 1 minute long

• Not reached 37 weeks gestation
• Broken your water and you are GBS positive
• Broken your water and the water has a strong odor OR is any color other than clear OR baby isn’t moving normally
• Constant abdominal pain that does not go away
• Large amount of bleeding, more than mucousy “show”
• Persistent and severe mid-back pain
• A fever > 38^oC (if you feel hot or shivery, take your temperature)
• An outbreak of blisters anywhere around your genitals
• Blurry vision, double vision or spots before your eyes
• Concerns about fetal movement (less than 10 movements in 2 hours)

Check the clinic answering machine for the name and pager number of the midwife currently on-call for your team. If you have call-display, you may have access to our home or cell phone numbers. We ask that you still use our pagers, as this is the most efficient way to contact us, as well as the least disturbing to our families.

NON-URGENT Calls

Leave a message at the clinic.

SERIOUS Calls

Leave a message on the pager of the midwife on call between 9am & 9pm.

• Please respect that after-hours calls are welcome if they are for urgent concerns only. 

URGENT Calls

Anytime: if you have an urgent call, page the midwife on call and key in your number.

• If you don’t get a response within fifteen minutes, page again.
• If you still don’t get a response within another fifteen minutes, please page a midwife from the otherPomegranateteam. (Check the clinic answering machine for her name and number.) We make every effort to ensure service, but in the event of equipment failure they should know how to get in touch with us.
• If you have no response from any of us, call BC Women’s Hospital Assessment Room, inform them of your situation and ask for their help: (604) 875-3070.

LABOR Calls

Daytime (between 9am & 9pm):

• If you suspect you may be in labor, page the midwife on call. A heads-up call can help us to arrange our day so that we will be available when you need us later.

Nighttime (between 9pm & 9am):

• If you know you are in active labor and need a midwife now, please page us urgently!
• If you do not need a midwife immediately, please wait until morning.  We appreciate our chances to sleep through the night, and having a perky midwife when labor gets hard may be just what you need.

Bleeding in Pregnancy

What are the possible causes of bleeding or spotting?

ANYTIME

• Cervical friability (i.e. cervix that bleeds easily for benign reasons)
• Growth spurt (common around 12 weeks, again around 20 weeks – often with cramping)
• Irritation or trauma, especially if infection, cervical cyst or polyp present
• Hemorrhoids
• Unknown causes

FIRST TRIMESTER

• Implantation spotting (i.e. as the fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterus it may cause some irritation and bleeding)
• Ectopic pregnancy (i.e. the embryo is growing outside the uterus)
• Miscarriage

• Abruption
• Cervical dilation
• Early labor “show” (a sign of cervical dilation starting to happen)

When should I worry about miscarriage?

Obviously miscarriage is what everyone worries about whenever they see spotting.

THE GOOD NEWS

One in three women experience spotting or bleeding in pregnancy. Only 50% of these go on to have miscarriages, the majority in the first trimester.

While 40% of pregnancies end up in miscarriage, most of these are before 4 weeks of pregnancy (i.e. 2 weeks post conception, when you would miss your period). After 4 weeks, the miscarriage rate goes down to 15%. In addition, once your baby’s heartbeat has been heard, the chance of miscarriage goes down to 5%.

Part of the reason that so many pregnant women experience spotting is that there is a tremendous increase in blood volume, which means that capillaries in the cervix are easily disturbed causing bleeding. This is the equivalent of having your gums bleed after brushing or starting a nosebleed by blowing your nose – both things that many pregnant women also experience for the same reason. An average non-pregnant woman has about 4 litres of blood. The same woman when pregnant will increase her blood volume to over 6 litres! With this large increase, some of it may “leak” out sometimes.

THE BAD NEWS

Miscarriage cannot be predicted, only diagnosed. If you are having signs of a threatened miscarriage, your midwife may be able to send you for some testing:

• Ultrasoundwill be able to determine if the embryo is implanted inside the uterus, and once you are past 6-7 weeks, if there is a heartbeat.
• Early in the first trimester, bloodwork that is repeated every 48 hours will be able to demonstrate whether your pregnancy hormones are increasing at an expected rate.
• If you are beyond 10-12 weeks gestation, your midwife may be able to find your baby’s heartbeat in the clinic with a Doppler.

In any case, by the time the bloodwork results are returned or an ultrasound appointment can be made, the situation will often have made itself obvious (i.e. either the bleeding stops, or becomes heavier and clearly a miscarriage).

What can I expect if I do have a miscarriage?

What to expect depends on how far along you are, and how the miscarriage is diagnosed. Generally, the later your gestation, the more physically intense the experience.

Typically, the first sign may be spotting that progresses from brown to red over a few hours or days, then has a few hours of very intense cramping and heavy bleeding, subsiding into regular bleeding like a normal period. You may pass some clots or tissue.

Or the (impending) miscarriage may be diagnosed during an ultrasound. If this is the case, you have two options:

• EXPECTANT MANAGEMENT i.e. waiting for your body to complete the miscarriage on its own. Sometimes this happens immediately. Sometimes it takes days to weeks. Acupuncture and/or certain herbs are safe to use to hasten this process – if you are interested, the herbalists at Gaia Gardens Herbal Pharmacy can help.
• MEDICAL MANAGEMENT i.e. inducing the miscarriage. A medically-induced miscarriage may include using medication to cause the uterus to contract and expel its contents; or it may include dilating your cervix and evacuating the uterus with instruments, under either local or general anesthetic. This latter procedure is occasionally necessary when miscarriages don’t complete on their own.

Massage Bliss Day for Mamas and Mamas-to-Be

all massages are 30min for $40 (half of the fee goes to the fund, From One Sister to Another)

10am-12:45pm: Massage with Kristin Richards, RMT

10:00-10:30am…available

10:45-11:15am…available

11:3012:00pm… NOT available

12:15-12:45pm… NOT available

1:00-4:00pm:      Massage with Aimee Sturly, Perinatal Bodyworker

1:00-1:30pm… available

1:45-2:15pm… NOT available

2:30-3:00pm… NOT available

3:15-3:45pm… NOT available

To request a massage appointment, please send an email to: elle.spiegelman@gmail.com

Film Screening

4:00-5:00pm: Free Film Screening: Mother Touch – please register via facebook

Massage Classes

5:15-6:00pm: Couples/Birth Partners Massage for Labour class with Kashka Zerafa. Please contact kashka@pomegranate-midwives.com to register.

6:30-7:30pm: Parent and Child Massage with Kashka Zerafa. Please email kashka@pomegranate-midwives.com to register.

Massage Class Fees: By Donations (recommended $10-$15). Proceeds go to From One Sister to Another Massage Fund: http://www.pomegranate-midwives.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/S2S-Rack-copy.jpg

Kashka Zerafa, RMT

Kashka Zerafa is currently the registered massage therapist at Pomegranate and initiator of the From One Sister to Another fund which is built into the massage fee scale. She is looking forward to celebrating mothers as well as having the opportunity to meet the community she is now servicing by sharing the value of massage within the family.

This Mother’s Day, Kashka will be honoring the feminine principle of interconnected giving that touches us all, by teaching massage and offering the nourishment of relaxation massage. Guided breath work and active neuro-muscular relaxation can be tailored to ones individual body in a soothing Swedish flow. This approach provides an opportunity for the body and mind to be led towards a supple softness and self-nourishing calm.

Kristin Richards, RMT

After three years of experience at Pomegranate Midwives as the resident RMT, Kristin Richards is returning from her maternity leave with a huge appreciation for women during the childbearing years. Currently Kristin is massaging part time at Broadway Wellness in Vancouver and is honoured to be a part of the Pomegranate community for this Massage Bliss Day for Mamas and Mamas-to-Be!

With this being her second Mother’s day as a mother herself, she will be sharing calm and nurturing touch for mamas and mamas to be with an intention of relaxation in mind. Kristin will be promoting relaxation with Swedish massage, specific work to a problem area, Craniosacral Therapy, diaphragmatic breathing and sharing individualized self care for each guest for this Massage Bliss Day for Mamas and Mamas-to-Be. www.facebook.com/kristinrmt

Aimee Sturly, Perinatal Bodyworker

I’ve loved giving massage since I was a small kid, and I vividly recall the day that I found out that if I wanted, I could make it my living; I felt like someone had told me that I could have a job that paid me to go to the playground every day!

Fourteen years later, I had this experience for a second time while listening to a friend tell the story of the birth of her child. I felt like I had a tuning fork in my belly and her words vibrated in my frequency; I knew from head-to-toe that this is what I wanted to do in the world.

These elements have come together in my work with childbearing families. I consider myself very fortunate to have such stimulating, challenging and delightful work and I am very much looking forward to meeting the mamas who will come to enjoy some self-care at Pomegranate’s Mothers Day Weekend.

Saturday Yoga with Lynette, Sage Yoga

• 2:00-3:00pm: Pregnancy and Birth Preparation Yoga Class. Come and join us to stretch, strengthen and breathe in a community of amazing women. Takes place at Green Room Yoga
• please register by email: info@sageyoga.ca

Sunday May 13^th Green Room Yoga & Birth Continuum

• 1:00-1:30pm: Free Talk - Inside the Newborn Brain with Bonnie. Psst, hey mom!! Can you hear me? What’s going on inside that newborn brain anyway? Come join us as we learn how to create an optimal environment for your baby’s brain development.

• 1:45-2:45pm: Prenatal Ball Rolling with Alix: release your hips, low back and legs, and learn a few easy “at home techniques” to take care of yourself.    Fee: $10

• 2:45-3:45: New Moms class with Alix: reconnection to pelvic floor and some restorative yoga, enjoy some time away from your baby and nurture yourself while learning a few simple exercises to stabilize your pelvic floor and abdominal region.  Fee: $10

• 4-4:30: Free Talk on the Biology of Sleep with Bonnie. Is your baby sleeping through the night? Come and learn about the biology of newborn sleep, and what you can do to help baby sleep.

Please contact alix@greenroomyoga.ca or 604 318 4066 to register.

Alix Rodrigues has been teaching yoga since 2000, and has studied many styles of Yoga with world class and very inspiring teachers. Eventually she came into her own style, by getting on the mat and beginning a quiet and thorough exploration of both her physical and mental state.
She has a passion for anatomy and the form and function of the body, and it is deeply reflected in her teaching. Her focus is to educate her students, empowering them to stand with awareness and move with integrity, not just physically but mentally as well. She also believes that a good laugh and a great sense of humor while doing yoga are crucial to the practice. You can expect laughter, insight, flow and stillness all within your yoga class with her.
Alix is currently enrolled in a three year training with her longtime teacher Gioia Irwin, studying Vijnana Yoga. It is adding new focus and awareness to her own practice, which then feeds in to her teaching.

Bonnie Davis is a craniosacral therapist, birth and postpartum doula, and perinatal educator. Her focus and passion is supporting families to create a strong attachment bond in the primal period. www.birthcontinuum.com

Lynette Stockner founded Sage Yoga in 2005 and has been teaching prenatal yoga for six years. In her Pregnancy and Birth Preparation classes, she works with each woman’s changing needs throughout the progression of her pregnancy. In class she encourages women to listen to their body’s wisdom, to connect to their growing baby and to the community created in class. Yoga offers wonderful insight for birth preparation!

Baaad Anna’s Yarn Store

• Mothers Day Knit-In: Sunday 1 – 4pm

All mamas are welcome to come knit/crochet/felt/spin with us, and enjoy some tea and 20% off all yarn!

Baaad Anna’s provides affordable, diverse, and eco-friendly yarn, knitting supplies and classes. We strive to create a community space for diverse crafters, parents, artists and non-conformist knitters in the East Van Neighbourhood. Not your Mama’s yarn store! www.baaadannas.com

Magpie’s Nest Art Therapy

all workshops are at Pomegranate Community Midwives

• On the Day You Were Born… Sunday, May 13th Time TBA

Sunday, May 13, 9 am – 10 am      Cost: Participants may offer payment in our Karma Jar

A mother and tot art workshop on the theme of “On the Day You Were Born…”, using Debra Frasier’s much loved book as inspiration. We will remember each “birthday” with cut paper and collage creations. Welcoming children ages 18 months to 5 years.

Please Register at magpiesnest.art@gmail.com, Drop-ins are also welcome!

• I Became a Mother: Sunday, May 13th Time TBA

Sunday, May 13, 10:30 am to Noon      Cost: Participants may offer payment in our Karma Jar

An art workshop for mothers reflecting on the day they became a mother. The day each mother was “born” will be remembered through art-making and written word.

Please Register at magpiesnest.art@gmail.com, Drop-ins are also welcome!

Sarah and Jessi met while studying art therapy. They quickly realized that they shared a common interest in early intervention and working to help support healthy families. After graduation, they were inspired to work within their community (and chosen home) of Vancouver and build on the programs that they have admired. Magpie’s Nest is the product of a strong friendship, mutual respect and a passion to share the power of the arts and creative spirit with others.

http://magpiesnest.ca/

Terrific Transfer with Jill Pilon

Sunday, 3-5pm at Pomegranate Community Midwives Fee: $15

Let this sweet little class get your creative juices flowin!

I will be dishin’ out my secrets on my  technique I use to create quality image transfers. So start collecting those images you’ve always wanted to do something with!

SUPPLY LIST

10×10 cradled panel(wood) or canvas

3 tubes of your favorite colors plus titanium white and mars black (acrylic paint)

Acrylic fluid medium KROMA brand (located in the net loft on grainville island)

1″ paint brush and a couple extra Yogurt containers for water

Old rag

High contrast black/white photocopies copied from a photocopy machine

***** A great website for collecting images is *The Graphics Fairy LLC*

www.jillpilon.com

to register: info@jillpilon.com

All Weekend

Little Earth

Every purchase made over Mother’s Day Weekend will be automatically entered to win a Mother’s Day Gift Basket (value $100).

http://www.littleearthvancouver.com/

Families everywhere are looking for a local store that can provide unique, high quality and environmentally-friendly children’s clothing and toys at reasonable prices. Look no further!
If you’re expecting, our maternity section is sure to have something you’ll need. We also carry a selection of new organic clothes, cloth diapers, baby carriers and a variety of wooden toys. We try to support local designers and most of our lines are Vancouver and Canadian made.

Ongoing

Mama Goddess

From May 1- May 10, use the code “pomegranate” at check-out to save a further 25% on the Calming Mama Gift Set

http://www.mamagoddess.ca/products/calming-mama-gift-set

Relax and take a moment for YOU. The Calming Mama Gift Set reminds you to make time for yourself throughout the day – whether it’s 5 seconds, 5 minutes, or half an hour. You deserve it!

We are starting a Directory of Blogging Mothers! Get connected with other bloggers… and reach more readers.

www.legoodmama.com

http://bonappetitbrandon.blogspot.com/

http://brilliantchaos.wordpress.com/

http://delightfilledart.wordpress.com/

http://hippiehousewife.blogspot.com/

http://bluebirdmama.com/

http://coastalwaves.blogspot.com/

www.lunarale.com

www.jillpilon.com

www.sfufamily.blogspot.com

Stitchrabbit.typepad.com

http://tinystepsbigjourney.wordpress.com/

www.takeyourbabytowork.blogspot.com

http://prenatalcoach.com/

saadiaorganics.blogspot.com

nurturethefuture.wordpress.com

chasingdomesticbliss.blogspot.com

seeannerun.blogspot.com

cesareanparents.blogspot.com

http://mightylittleacorns.blogspot.com/

www.woodsidekitchen.blogspot.com

http://iaindavid.ca/

http://thefigpatch.wordpress.com/

http://thebabyandtheartist.wordpress.com/

http://rosieposiebaby.wordpress.com/

To add your blog to our directory, send an email to: lehe@pomegranate-midwives.com.

Check out this article on blogging New Mothers:

http://nyti.ms/wcFDej

Jan 13 Class 2, Relationships

Jan 20 Class 3, Play

Jan 27 Class 4,     Relationships II: Following Your Bliss & The Transition to Parenthood

Feb 3 Class 5, Sleep

Feb 10 Class 6, Self Care

Feb 17 Class 7, Pumping

Feb 24 Class 8, Communicating with your baby & Baby Sign

Mar 2 Class 9, Crying

Mar 9 Class 10, Postpartum

Mar 16 Class 11, Diapers and E/C

Mar 23 Class 12, Home Safety & Infant First Aid

Mar 30 Class 13, Health and Fitness

Apr 6:  GOOD FRIDAY

Apr 13 Class 14, Community Resources

Apr 20 Class 15, Guest Speaker TBA

Apr 27 Class 16, Massage: self & baby

May 4  Class 1, Baby Wearing

May 11 Class 2, Relationships

May 18 Class 3,  Play

May 25 Class 4, Relationships II: Following Your Bliss & The Transition to Parenthood

Jun 1  Class 5, Sleep

Jun 8  Class 6, Self Care

Jun 15 Class 7, Pumping

Jun 22 Class 8, Communicating with your baby & Baby Sign

Jun 29 Class 9, Crying

July 6  Class 10, Postpartum

July 13 Class 11, Diapers and E/C

July 20 Class 12, Home Safety & Infant First Aid

July 27 Class 13, Health and Fitness

Aug 3  Class 14, Community Resources

Aug 10  Class 15, Guest Speaker TBA

Aug 17 Class 16, Massage: self & baby

Aug 24 Class 1, Baby Wearing

Aug 31 Class 2, Relationships

Sept 7  Class 3, Play

Sept 14 Class 4, Relationships II: Following Your Bliss & The Transition to Parenthood

Sept 21  Class 5, Sleep

Sept 28 Class 6, Self Care

Oct 5  Class 7, Pumping

Oct 12 Class 8, Communicating with your baby & Baby Sign

Oct 19  Class 9, Crying

Oct 26 Class 10, Postpartum

Nov 2  Class 11, Diapers and E/C

Nov 9  Class 12, Home Safety & Infant First Aid

Nov 16 Class 13, Health and Fitness

Nov 23 Class 14, Community Resources

Nov 30 Class 15, Guest Speaker TBA

Dec 7 Class 16, Massage: self & baby

This is unique opportunity to participate in both a fundraiser for

This 100% by donation prenatal class is an extraordinary opportunity to prepare for the birth of your child while also supporting the important maternal-child health work of Shanti Uganda. The regular cost for a prenatal class with Dancing Star Birth is $260. We welcome donations of any amount for your participation in this class – suggested range $100 – $500. Whatever amount you are able to donate, we recognize that each of you is making a real and important contribution to global maternal-child health. All contributions of $280 or more will receive a tax receipt from Shanti Uganda for the amount beyond the regular class cost of $260. All course costs (instructor, supplies, food & location) have been donated by Dancing Star Birth and Pomegranate Community Midwives. 100% of your donation will go to support the work of Shanti Uganda.

To register for this unique experience, please click here.

Cost: 100% by Donation – all proceeds go to Shanti Uganda.  *All participants will receive a free postpartum booklet from Pomegranate Community Midwives.