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

Vegan Blueberry Banana Cake

It’s becoming a weekly tradition that I use up our very ripe bananas and make banana bread. Nothing beats that delicious smell filling our home.

This weekend we visited my in-laws out in the Fraser Valley. My father-in-law was kind enough to share with us a couple pounds of blueberries that he picked himself at a nearby farm. These berries are fabulous to eat as is, but I figured I could make something with them. Why not add them to my banana bread? 

The finished product was outstanding, though the berries added a lot of moisture, so I changed the name to cake and we ate it with a fork. Since it was such a hit with my family, I thought I would pass on my recipe to you and yours.

Disclaimer:  I am not the most precise measure-er, so I am hoping what I have for you below yields similar results! Please let me know if you try it.

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Vegan Blueberry Banana Cake

INGREDIENTS

Wet ingredients:

4 mashed very ripe bananas
1/3 cup  almond milk
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (or at least softened)
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Dry ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
1 1/2 cups flour of choice
2 cups blueberries, approximately 

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a bowl, mash the banana until almost smooth.
Stir the wet ingredients into the banana until combined.
Stir in the dry ingredients, add the blueberries last. 
Spoon batter into a pan. I use a 9 x 9 cake pan, but you could also use a loaf pan. Remember to coat the pan with a bit of coconut oil so it doesn’t stick. 
Bake the loaf, uncovered, for approximately 45 to 50 minutes (your time may vary), until lightly golden and firm on top. The top of the loaf should slowly spring back when touched.

Try and let it cool before cutting into it!

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This recipe for Vegan Blueberry Banana Cake was inspired by Oh She Glows recipe for Vegan Banana Bread.

No Bake Peanut Butter Bites

I made these last weekend as part of my breastfeeding support course, as a nutritious, energy packed snack for a lactating mom.  They would make great snack for anyone on the go and the perfect after school snack for your kids, too. 

RECIPE:

• 1 cup large flake oats 
• 1/2 cup peanut butter 
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed meal
• 1/2 cup vegan mini chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup maple syrup 
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast 
• 1 tbsp chia seeds 

Stir well and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Roll into balls. 

Enjoy! 

{I adapted this from a recipe by Doula Training Canada. Feel free to add your own twist!}

Chia Seed Gel: My go-to egg substitute

Chia seed gel

Our family loves pancakes for weekend brunch (or sometimes dinner!) and pictured above is a key ingredient: chia seed gel. Chia gel is what I use for an egg substitute and it's super easy to make.

Just add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds per cup of water. Stir (or shake if you have them in a jar) so the gel forms evenly. The gel formation takes about ten minutes. It will keep for two weeks in the fridge. To substitute one egg you'll need 1/4 cup of chia seed gel.

I prefer to use chia gel over other egg substitutes because of the added nutritional benefits. Not only are chia seeds a complete protein, they also boast a high amount of fibre, calcium, phosphorus, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants.

The chia gel is also great added to smoothies or freshly squeezed juice as an easy way boost the nutritional value. Or simply add the seeds as they are to your salad or top your morning oatmeal with them.