Upcoming Birthing From Within® Classes in Nanaimo

Next Weekend Intensive:

No intensive currently scheduled. Email Sarah for updates.

Next Six Week Series:

Mondays, 6:00-8:00pm, January 7th-February 11th. Snacks and all materials included.

The class is currently being offered free of charge through the Nanaimo Mother & Baby Society. A donation can be made to the Nanaimo Mother & Baby Society in place of payment.
Registration required.

To register, please email Sarah at being.born at yahoo.com

Birth, From Within.

All around the world women and their families gather to celebrate pregnancy and childbirth. They have traditions and customs that support them through their experience. In North America, where birth is a highly medicalized event, pregnant women seek an enriching and soulful way to celebrate their pregnancy and journey towards parenthood. Taking childbirth preparation classes is a common way for pregnant women to find a space in which to honor their pregnancy, while preparing for the birth itself.

Birthing From Within® childbirth preparation is a unique and dynamic series of classes designed to support you and your partner on your journey towards birth. Based on the revolutionary book by Pam England, this is a deep and rich approach to childbirth preparation. These classes prepare you both to navigate the medical side of birth through exploring the physiology of pregnancy and labour, while also taking a soulful look at birth through art, role-play and story sharing. Our pain coping practices will assist you to build a pain coping mindset and our exploration of the process of birth will help you to access your deep intuitive knowledge of how to birth. You will be truly prepared for what birth and parenthood will bring to you, and you will be able to birth in awareness.


Childbirth is a profound rite of passage. Childbirth preparation is also parent preparation and should honor the significance of this journey through pregnancy into parenthood. In Birthing From Within® we nurture the parents’ process and their own birth as parents. We recognize that every parent brings their own story to their experience, and that each woman’s experience of birth will be unique. Our classes are supportive of the varied choices women make for their births– choice of caregiver, location of birth, or whether they choose to use pain medication during labour.

Birthing From Within® classes are not just about education, but also an invitation to connect with other pregnant women and celebrate the experience of pregnancy and birth. We enjoy lively discussions on shared experiences in pregnancy and birth and we find that a casual, friendly environment enriches our classes for all the participants.

If you are pregnant and seeking enriching childbirth education, consider Birthing From Within®. You will find these classes to be not only informative but also transformative in your experience of birth and parenthood. Blessings on your journey to birth.

Written by Sarah Segal, local doula, Birthing From Within® mentor and mother. Sarah can be reached at being.born at yahoo.com

This article appeared in the Nov/Dec issue of The Nanaimo Mother & Baby Society Newsletter.

BEING BORN

After a year in Israel, my family and I have returned to my home of Vancouver Island and I am pleased to announce that I will be offering my services to the Nanaimo region! I continue to offer birth and postpartum support and am excited to share the addition of Birthing From Within childbirth preparation classes to the services I offer. I currently offer classes through the Nanaimo Mother & Baby Society, aswell as through Mid-Island Midwifery. I can be contacted at a new email address: being.born at yahoo.com!

A class schedule will be posted soon!

Warmly,

Sarah Segal,
Childbirth/Postpartum Doula &
Birthing From Within Mentor.

Family Centered Doula Services

MY BIRTH PHILOSOPHY
I believe that birth is a normal, natural, transforming and empowering experience in a woman's life. I have seen that the experience of birth has an incredible affect on women and their families, and that their experience is one that is never forgotten. I feel that women instinctively and intuitively know how to birth, and can learn to access this knowing within themselves. I believe that every woman is entitled to birth where, how and with whom she chooses. I believe in education for birthing women and their families, and in supported, informed choice in decisions relating to their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

AS YOUR DOULA
I see myself as your companion as you walk the great unknown path of labor to birth. I endeavor to provide you emotional and physical support as well as access to educational resources to encourage your ability to make informed choice in your pregnancy and birth. I will provide reassurance and assistance to you and your partner in the form of suggestions for relaxation, massage, visualization, focus, expression and varying positions. I feel my role enhances your partner's ability to focus on you and assist you to the best of his potential, within his comfort level. I endeavor to respect and embrace the relationship that exists between you and your birth partner.

Post-birth I see myself as a guide through the transition to parenthood. I support you and your partner as you unfold into your roles of mother and father. I provide information, reassurance and assistance with newborn care. I have extensive education in breastfeeding and can help you to overcome the initial challenges of learning this great art! I will help you around the home with light housekeeping, and I will be a listening ear as you process your experiences and new role. I aim to normalize the behaviors of new babies while holding sacred this very special time in the life of your family.

I do not perform clinical tasks, nor do I offer medical advice. I also do not make decisions for you, or speak on your behalf. I am your advocate, but I am not your voice. I will endeavor to provide you the information and resources you require to make informed decisions about your care, and I will support and honor your choices.

WHAT I PROVIDE
I will meet with you and your partner for an initial meeting to discuss my doula services and to explore your needs. At this time we can discuss your birth experience and preparation, your concerns, hopes and needs. We will discuss how you see me best assisting you and your partner during the birth of your baby. We can explore your ideas for your birth, your preferences regarding pain management, and how you anticipate you will respond to the experience of labour and birth.

Once you have engaged me as your doula, we will meet once more before your expected due date to discuss how you are feeling, and any further concerns or topics you might like to cover. I will be available to you by telephone and email and I welcome you to call me at any time you have questions or concerns and after your doctor/midwife visits. If you would like me to accompany you to a visit with your caregiver close to your due date, or you would like me to accompany you to a particular test or ultrasound, please contact me to discuss this possibility.

I would like you to call me as soon as you feel your labour has begun so I can make the necessary arrangements to be available to you when you feel you would like me with you. I will come to your home, or meet you at the hospital once you indicate that you would like me to. Except in extraordinary circumstances, I will remain with you throughout your labour and birth. Once your baby is born, I will remain with you and your family for one or two hours, until you are comfortable and ready for some time on your own. If you would like, I can provide initial assistance to establish breastfeeding.

We will arrange one or two postpartum visits at your convenience, or full postpartum care depending on which services you have contracted me for. During these visits, we will have the opportunity to go over your experience of your birth, discuss any questions or concerns you have, and generally provide any assistance that might help you in your adjustment to your new addition! Examples of ways I might help include helping to establish breastfeeding or overcome any challenges with infant feeding, providing resources, such as contacts to lactation consultants, local mothering support groups etc, helping with light household tasks, and providing a listening ear. Helping with infant soothing techniques, diaper changes and bathing, and providing insight on normal infant behavior and characteristics can ease the adjustment to having baby at home. During the postpartum period before our closing meeting you are welcome to call me any time with any questions or concerns you may have.

BIRTHING FROM WITHIN CHILDBIRTH PREPARATION

All doula clients will receive $25 off a Birthing From Within series, either the weekend intensive or the 6 week series. Private classes for doula clients can be arranged, and a fee for service would be negotiated.

MY FEES
Please contact me for current rates. My fees are always flexible, with no questions asked.