A time to dance

In church today, one of my dear friends bore a beautiful testimony of the Lord's timetable.

(She is the wife of the Bishop, who will be release today at 4:30 pm. Our stake is going through a huge change that is affecting every single ward and there is a meeting at the tabernacle to sustain our new leaders in just about 2 hours.)

Anyway, her words really stuck in my heart. She quoted a scripture that has helped her in the coming changes. In Ecclesiates 3:1 it states, "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." I am entering a new season in my life and feel moments of total peace that Heavenly Father is aware of me and the changes that are happening. However, this does not mean that it I won't cry when they announce that I am no longer in the ward with my dear friends. It doesn't mean that I don't question "Why? Why does this change come at a time where I finally feel like I belong? And why does a simple line on a map make me fear that I will lose touch with my friends." All it means is that the Lord is in charge.

I have had a wonderful "season" of being fully encircled by amazing people that don't know how much they mean to me. My Heavenly Father sent me and my husband here to learn and to grow, but also to feel of his tender mercies, as he granted me the companionship of friends that I had desperately longed for for many years. This season of perfection is drawing to a close today, and while I don't know what is in store for me, I know that it is time for another season to start. The scripture goes on to say, "a time to break down, a time to build up. A time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, a time to dance." Then it further states in verse 11, "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time".

So while I won't have the more constant companionship that I have enjoyed for the past year and a half, I know that the Lord will make everything, including this, beautiful in his time.

Why I love childbirth

I am finally sitting down to write a few thoughts about what has taken my focus lately. When I was pregnant with my first child, I knew that I wanted to have him come into the world without any drugs. I wanted to birth him "natural", this was more in part of my desire to prove that I was strong and capable than out of concern for how the drugs might affect him or me. (Kind of embarrassing to say that, but it is true) The time came for him to be born, and all of my stubbornness came out and he was born without drugs. I was not as prepared for it as I should have been so it was more uncomfortable than I wanted it to be, but I did it. It was this huge feeling of accomplishment and empowerment. I was truly amazed at myself and what I could do. This propelled me to make more natural calm decisions for the next three babies. I looked into childbirth hypnosis and was sold. The next baby was born drug and pain free. I still am in awe when I look back at the video and don't hear a sound until his little cry pierces the air. I was hooked, I knew that calm birthing was possible and was on a mission to tell everyone I could about it.



Without any training, and armed with only my love of childbirth, I was asked to be the doula for five different births. I still remember the very first one that I attended. When that little baby uttered his first sounds, I was overcome with emotion. What a beautiful moment that I was able to be a part of. This sealed the deal. I needed to be involved with childbirth in some way.



Last fall a whisper of an idea came to my mind. I was to look more seriously into this love affair that I had with birth. I spent one afternoon on my computer researching what I would have to do in order to become certified and within 24 hours I was signed up for training. I registered with DONA, the largest and most demanding, organization for doula training. Then I also registered with Hypnobabies to become a child-birth instructor. This happened so quickly that I was caught off guard with what this all meant. I just felt as if I was being led.



After signing up the real work began. I immersed myself in learning all I could about childbirth and pregnancy, and as of last week have finished my doula training. Now I am just waiting for my beautiful pregnant clients to have their babies. In the mean-time I have to stay focused and finish all of my requirements for Hypnobabies so that in July I can fly to California to finish that training.



This is a whirlwind of activity that I have thrown myself into, but I feel as if I am being led on a path that I am supposed to go on. I love every second of information that I have soaked up and am completely humbled each time a person asks me to join them in their birth.



I hope to be the best support that I can for these wonderful families, and pursue continuing education so that my services will be well received. I am now looking for doula clients and will be filling Hypnobabies classes in late summer. If you or someone you know would benefit from this, send them to my website for further info and how to contact me. (I will be finishing up my website in the coming week, so if you see an empty photo space, come back later and it should be filled)



http://www.peacefulbirthing.com/



Here's to following my dream and in the process helping families enjoy the moment of birth.

For those that are unfamiliar in what a doula is, let me explain. I am a trained labor support person that can help with the physical, mental, and emotional aspect of pregnancy and birth. I do this using a wide range of things such as: accupressure, aromatherapy, TENS machine, rebozos, positioning, childbirth education, massage, visual imagery, and breastfeeding help(to name a few). The benefits of having a doula include: reduction of pain medications by 35%, reduction in cesareans by 20-51%, reduction in forceps and vacuum by 32%, shorter labors, and an all around feeling of support and love. For more information you can research doulas at www.DONA.org