Hello friends!
Today I'm officially launching my business, Baby Time! But the best part of it is celebrating by helping out a great charity in Families Helping Families of Iowa!
We still have a couple spots today and tomorrow for mini sessions with Angie from Jungling Photography! Don't forget the cloth diaper resale tomorrow from 9-3 too! I have a feeling things will be picked over early - so stop by early to get the best stuff! Only $5 to sell your items - for more details see Baby Time.
Finally - I'll have a table full of Baby Time products that you can see and purchase! Great deals on Planet Wise snack and sandwich bags as well as GroVia AIOs.
Hope to see you there!!!!!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Changes are a'comin'
I love this blog - It was my first attempt at sharing my doula journey and document some of my birth stories. It was also my first point of contact for several of my clients! But I'm feeling the need to change and update this blog layout, and possibly even the host.
The biggest change is my new business. Baby Time has been so exciting to see grow! I have enveloped my doula business with a retail store of items I use and love. Some of the things I currently offer are cloth diapers, slings/carriers, mama cloth and reusable wet/dry and snack bags. I seem to be adding to my inventory every week with new finds!
However, I still love my Mamatoto blog. I love that something I read when I was 17 was planted in my head and has grown into Baby Time and my calling as a doula.
So we shall see.....
Another event that Baby Time and my friend over at Jungling Photography are collaborating on:
We'd love to have a very full schedule on the 27th (1-7pm) and 28th (9-3pm) and lots of participation in the cloth diaper resale! Just $5 for a spot at a table, you keep all of your earnings and you get a $5 gift certificate to Baby Time to buy new diapers, or to give to a friend!
I still have a very open doula calendar, so if you are local to the Cedar Rapids/ Iowa City area, please give me a call!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Welcome Baby A!
Thanksgiving 2011 was special this year. Not because I got to eat an entire meal cooked by my husband (pie included) but it also included a birth. And a VBAC, no less!
Starting around Midnight on Thanksgiving Eve, my client called to let me know her water broke and she was on the way to the hospital. A few hours later it was confirmed she was a centimeter dilated, and so I decided to rest as much as I could (and urged her to do the same) until active labor began. I arrived at the hospital around 10am and labor progressed with the help of a little Pitocin.
After several hours of labor and an epidural for comfort, Baby A was born! It was great to work with the midwives again, and see how supportive they are of a VBAC. The hospital worked very hard to get the baby turned so she could be birthed vaginally. What a wonderful Thanksgiving and so very much to be thankful for.
And yes, the hubs did a GREAT job on dinner. My plate of leftovers around 8:30pm hit the spot!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Always a joy!
Even though I'm not updating the blog very much, I'm still working! As both a doula and as a full-time stay-at-home mall to my kids this summer.
My last birth included several firsts for me - including laboring in the water. My clients have usually progressed too fast to get into the tub, but my client was able to get into the water right away, and even start her pushing while in the tub. She progressed very quickly, with help from me and her husband to apply back pressure during contractions. The only minus was getting OUT of the water later so we could change positions to work on the final lip of the cervix to get out of the way so the baby could move down. Another first, is it was my first birth I attended where we didn't know the sex of the baby.
And being it was a birth of firsts, it was also my first to attend at the University of Iowa Hospitals with the midwives. I did have another birth with the midwife service, but she wasn't able to get to the hospital in time, so the resident caught the baby. Based on this experience, I have nothing but great things to say about this midwife in particular. I actually found myself wondering why she was so keen on letting my client take so much time to labor down (wow, guess what doula, it's not on your time table!) as well as participate in giving back pressure and massage when she was closer to my client than I was during position changes. I was wowed by her care!
Right after sunrise a beautiful baby girl was born! Again I was amazed by the quick recovery and quiet alertness of the mother and baby with an intervention-free birth. After getting to help establish nursing, I was on my way just 9 hours after I arrived. And helping with some postpartum care it has been a JOY to watch Baby E grow!
My last birth included several firsts for me - including laboring in the water. My clients have usually progressed too fast to get into the tub, but my client was able to get into the water right away, and even start her pushing while in the tub. She progressed very quickly, with help from me and her husband to apply back pressure during contractions. The only minus was getting OUT of the water later so we could change positions to work on the final lip of the cervix to get out of the way so the baby could move down. Another first, is it was my first birth I attended where we didn't know the sex of the baby.
And being it was a birth of firsts, it was also my first to attend at the University of Iowa Hospitals with the midwives. I did have another birth with the midwife service, but she wasn't able to get to the hospital in time, so the resident caught the baby. Based on this experience, I have nothing but great things to say about this midwife in particular. I actually found myself wondering why she was so keen on letting my client take so much time to labor down (wow, guess what doula, it's not on your time table!) as well as participate in giving back pressure and massage when she was closer to my client than I was during position changes. I was wowed by her care!
Right after sunrise a beautiful baby girl was born! Again I was amazed by the quick recovery and quiet alertness of the mother and baby with an intervention-free birth. After getting to help establish nursing, I was on my way just 9 hours after I arrived. And helping with some postpartum care it has been a JOY to watch Baby E grow!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Great news!
I got the call a couple weeks ago that I passed my DONA birth doula certification! So now I get the spiffy Kristen Mead, Doula(DONA) behind my name.
To see what it takes to become a DONA certified doula, check out the requirements here.
Thanks again to all the families who let me helped me work on my certification with their births and all the great feedback they gave me!
***
I will also be at the MAC Customer Appreciation Day on October 14 from 4-8. My friend Lauren, of Mama Bear Childbirth Care, and I will share a table to talk about and share information about my doula business as well as Lauren's Birthing from Within courses she offers.
You can find out more about Birthing from Within here and on Lauren's website.
Please stop by!
To see what it takes to become a DONA certified doula, check out the requirements here.
Thanks again to all the families who let me helped me work on my certification with their births and all the great feedback they gave me!
***
I will also be at the MAC Customer Appreciation Day on October 14 from 4-8. My friend Lauren, of Mama Bear Childbirth Care, and I will share a table to talk about and share information about my doula business as well as Lauren's Birthing from Within courses she offers.
You can find out more about Birthing from Within here and on Lauren's website.
Please stop by!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Updates
Hello there! The summer is wrapping up and I'm excited to take on new clients for the fall and winter!
I have added myself to the doula registry on the Birth, Baby and Beyond website for doulas in Eastern Iowa. Not only is BB&B a great place to find a doula, but your one-stop-shop for specialty baby items such as cloth diapers and accessories and baby slings and carriers. Please stop by and check them out!
Also - I should hear back from DONA any day now regarded my certification as a birth doula through their organization. This took two years for me to complete, with many components including a 3 day class, being the primary doula for at least 3 births, breastfeeding class, I took a one month Lamaze course as a non- pregnant mother (or so I thought, found out I was pregnant a few weeks after I finished the course!), as well as various essays and a large resource list. It was pretty intense! Once I pass, I will be officially: Kristen Mead, doula(DONA)
If you know of any pregnant friends, please pass along my card! I can't wait to hear from you!
I have added myself to the doula registry on the Birth, Baby and Beyond website for doulas in Eastern Iowa. Not only is BB&B a great place to find a doula, but your one-stop-shop for specialty baby items such as cloth diapers and accessories and baby slings and carriers. Please stop by and check them out!
Also - I should hear back from DONA any day now regarded my certification as a birth doula through their organization. This took two years for me to complete, with many components including a 3 day class, being the primary doula for at least 3 births, breastfeeding class, I took a one month Lamaze course as a non- pregnant mother (or so I thought, found out I was pregnant a few weeks after I finished the course!), as well as various essays and a large resource list. It was pretty intense! Once I pass, I will be officially: Kristen Mead, doula(DONA)
If you know of any pregnant friends, please pass along my card! I can't wait to hear from you!
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