​ You know how some people have homes where you can tell that the first thing they did when they moved in was get all their gorgeous art hung on the walls? And, you can tell that that was the only thing it took to take their house/condo/dorm room from space to dwelling place in ten minutes?

This is not me.  My family has lived in our current home for upwards of seven years, and we are just finally starting to get things hung on the walls.  Part of my challenge is finding things that we want to hang on our walls.  It’s not that I’m picky, per say, more that I have made bad wall art choices in the past I am trying to escape the Bad Art Curse.  Recently, I think my eye has started to get honed in on what represents our family and our home well.
 
When Jennifer from Modern Map Art offered me a print of Evanston, I jumped on it.  I knew that a map of Evanston, our current city, was a wonderful representation of who my family is and what we want our home to be.  I love being able to live locally, being able to walk to almost everything we want or need (if it’s not one of the 8 month of winter and three out of three kids are game).  I love our lakefront, our tons of parks and green spaces, and the community feel that comes from knowing our little city well.
 
The first thing I did when I opened up my map was try to track down my block.  There are no street names or other indications of where things are or what’s what, but I’m happy to say it only took me a minute or two to locate our home stretch.  I plan to ask my kids if they can do the same, and turn it into a mini-geography lesson one day soon!
 
I especially love that this map depicts the city where two of my three children were born (I’m waiting for a Göteborg map, where my first was born, but that hasn’t surfaced quite yet). Whether we stay in Evanston for the rest of our lives or move on from here at some point, Evanston will always hold a big part of my heart. I’m thrilled to have a piece of art that depicts that.
​
If you’re looking for a great gift for a nursery, or a housewarming present, or just a way to remember where a piece of your heart lives, consider a city print from Modern Map Art.

Full Disclosure: I received a free map of Evanston from Modern Map Art (https://www.modernmapart.com/) in exchange for a review.  
Find Modern Map Art on Instagram and other social media with this handle: @modernmapart
 

Evanston's only kids consignment store, Threads Boutique, opened just over a year ago and it's become my go-to for my kids' shoes, boots, and pretty much any item I need to round out their wardrobes. This super cute shop, specializing in kids' upscale consignment, is tucked next to several other super cute shops on the corner of Chicago and Dempster and is part of the Main-Dempster Mile. Next time you're walking to Starbucks or to the lake make a quick stop to check it out! Owners Anna and Chaya were kind enough to share about Threads - I hope you enjoy!  
​Threads is located at 1304 Chicago Ave, Evanston and you can follow Threads on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest and see their latest styles at threadsevanston.com.

​I am a certified HypnoBirthing® International practitioner/childbirth educator, postpartum doula and NEWLY a birth doula-in-training! I also plan Mother Blessings and Women’s Red Tent gatherings; and am working toward a Breastfeeding Educator certification. I have backgrounds in business, including degrees in Economics, International Business, and Human Resource Management; and in education as a Teach for America Corps Member in Houston’s refugee neighborhood schools.
I am a mother to two wild and lovable boys. I live in Skokie, IL aka Chicagoland; but have lived in Utah, Houston, and Ecuador (sí, hablo Español).  I love to laugh and I adore the outdoors. I have come to love all the quirky little traits that make me who I am. I make a mean meatball sandwich and chocolate chip cookies that’ll probably change your life. Music is a huge part of my life and my heart beats to Indie, Rock, 80s, Bachata, Louis Armstrong and Folksy stuff.
Also, I’m in love with the idea of everyone having support when they need it and a friend to share life with. To sum up me- someone recently put it like this, “you’re a thinker, a feeler, creator of joy; a happy wanderer enjoying the journey and finding beautiful distractions along the path”.

​I guess my first intro to birth work was when I met a HypnoBirthing instructor that lived in my neighborhood. Happy coincidence! I was pregnant with my second child and looking to do things a little different than the first time around. She became a friend and guru of sorts. All of a sudden I learned what a midwife and doula are; learned about home birth, placenta encapsulation, evidenced based birthing choices, my rights as a birthing woman and how to claim those rights, what an IBCLC is and how amazing they are and on and on. I was a sponge to every new thing. And best of all I felt free to decide for myself what I did and did not want to embrace. Knowledge became an addicting power. All of this combined to be the catalyst for me having the most transformative and transcendent birth experience- everything I had imagined it could be. It consumed me. All women should be allowed (who’s allowing anyway??) to know and then make decisions for themselves. It was only natural that I begin by becoming certified to teach and inspire others the way I had been and the rest is history.

​Current offerings at Graceful Birth & Families:
            -Comprehensive HypnoBirthing Childbirth Education (group and private series)
            -Postpartum Doula Support
            -Mother Blessing planning/officiating services
            -Birth Doula Support (as part of my path to certification)
            -Breastfeeding Education (also part of my current training process)
My approach:
Every pregnant person, each family, has its own needs and desires. My approach is to listen, educate, empathize, and then empower. My goal is always to work myself out of a job so that each client can take the reins and never need me again. This whole process is not about educators, doulas, care providers; it’s about babies and their families. Hands down- respect for where they are coming from and where they are going.

​Good question! There can be so many things! Sometimes moms are looking for a way to heal and find strength and positivity to press forward. Sometimes, very enlightened parents know just what they want from birth and postpartum but know that our societal systems don’t effortlessly support that.
Expectant families taking HypnoBirthing are looking for pregnancy and labor comfort measures, to empower partners, familial connection in the process. Sometimes due to legitimate medical issues that arise they want to know how to use self-hypnosis and relaxation skills in their journey and add good decision making skills to prepare for whatever turn birthing may take. Some moms are just terrified of the whole process and don’t know where to start, this actually happens a lot, the fear of labor and a deep desire to overcome it.
Postpartum families are looking for an extra set of hands, emotional support, someone to facilitate rest and healing.
Women looking for Mother Blessing services want to connect to their own power, feel love and strength on their journey from Maiden to Mother (the first or seventh times). They are searching for something to ground them and a support system to hold space for them while they carry forward ultimately alone, but certainly not lonely.

​My experiences: I’ve lived both the trauma of unnecessary intervention and experienced the euphoria of a med-free, intervention-free, natural birth.
My belief: Birth is a normal function for healthy women and babies; our bodies are designed to do this. It is each woman’s inherent birthright to be made to feel like a goddess warrior in change of her own path and destiny. Couple that with unwavering support from caring experts and you’ve got a great thing going
My mold-ability: I want the key players to be the families. I want to be invisible.
My intuition: I am an empath. With this gift of discernment, I can read a room, and person’s emotions, the unspoken and the unseen. And I know that each person—we’re not just crossing paths for a moment but our interactions will leave an imprint. Birth changes people. Forever. And I approach everything thing I do with this most present in my mind.

​The evidence of childbirth education and doulas is clear:
-Less unnecessary interventions (epidurals, Pitocin, inductions, c-sections)
-Less PPMDs (perinatal and postpartum mood disorders, like postpartum depression)
-Less instances of regret about birth outcomes
-More empowered, knowledgeable, and overall happier with their providers
From Mother’s Blessings moms are more connected, infused with energy and positivity, and supported by her loved ones. Moms and their families have both a clear vision and the tools to carry it out.

​My goal is to become a clinical hypnotherapist and holistic family psychotherapist. That will not happen in five years from now, nope, no way. Haha. But on my way to that goal, I will have completed my birth doula training and started supporting more women during birth, not just before and after. I would like to think that in ten years from now I’ll have started my degree path and be researching postpartum care and maternal mental health issues inherent in the systemic failures in our society. BUT, in the next year, you’ll see me expanding Graceful Birth & Families to include birth services, breastfeeding education, hosting more Red Tent groups and more Mothers Blessing services.

​All the words! Things are going to be so, so amazing! That knowledge is power. This will be/can be your greatest achievement; a whole rebirth of you. You already have everything you need inside of you. In your labor experience, it will matter a lot how you were made to feel, maybe even more than the outcome or little details. It can inspire you to do and accomplish anything or crush your very self-worth. Educate yourself- own your experience. You will remember these moments forever. It can be and was meant to be so powerful, so good, so sacred. You deserve respect and support. It’ll take preparation and dedication, and you and your baby are worth it. 

Quotes I will always love:
“Change the way you view birth and the way you birth will change.” –Marie Mongan
“Giving birth should be your greatest achievement, not your greatest fear.” –Jane Weideman
“A woman in birth is at once at her most powerful, and her most vulnerable. But any woman who has birthed unhindered understands that we are stronger than we know.” –Marci Macari
 
My favorite birth book right now is The Gift of Giving Life by Austin, Allgood, Axman, Farrell, and Ripley (no, they are not a law firm, but rather the most amazing group of women you may ever meet!)
 
Ok tied for current favorite is The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother by Heng Ou. It’s an amazing resource for nourishing your soul (and your body) for moms.

​I haven’t always been a crunchy lady.

Years ago, before I’d met my husband and most definitely before the thought of having a baby crossed my mind, I proclaimed that I’d take the epidural in the parking lot, duh!
 
I took all the pills for all the things (legal OTCs here, people, please) and gratuitously rubbed lauryl-everything all over my body daily while laughing maniacally. 
 
Fast-forward 15 years. 
 
I now wash my face with olive oil and wash my hair with baking soda.  My first baby was born in front of my freezer which makes it safe to say there was no parking lot epidural.  I’ve only recently consented to Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning products instead of a baking soda-vinegar-essential oil combo and I went a nice long time using something called soap nuts in my laundry.
 
What in the what happened?
 
I’ve seen this happen enough times to know it’s not just me, though I know better than to say this is everybody.  (If it’s not you, please read along and roll your eyes. I get it.)  There is something about preparing to greet such a pure, clean being at the complete beginning of his or her journey that made me re-evaluate. If couldn't bring world peace to fruition and undo the Earth's pollution, then by golly at least I could make our home a sacred utopia of peace and coconut oil.
 
Looking down at my firstborn, I was acutely aware of his clean slate.  I was also acutely aware of how I now had a lot of say in how that slate got painted.  Trading shampoo for baking soda made sense.  Soap nuts instead of laundry detergent made sense.  (Chocolate as a food group made no sense, but you’re not here to judge, right?)
 
And then, as we added to our family and various other sectors of life have grabbed our attention, some of this crunchiness has softened.  We cloth-diapered 2.5 kids, but this last year we chose to just let it go.  I 'joke' that my oldest and my youngest – five years apart – both ate their first hot dogs on the same day. It was a big day when I decided to buy the detangler for my daughter from Target instead of trying to make do with coconut oil.  Now, isn’t that a crazy sentence?
 
Dear Reader, make room for the changes you feel nudged to make, in either direction of the crunchy spectrum or any other spectrum you find yourself on.  There is a time for everything and we are not stagnant in our parenting nor our personhood. Don’t feel badly if you find yourself living up to a new measure rather than the one you were aiming for last year or last week or this morning, as long as you are the holder of the measuring stick. It is okay for our values and priorities to shift and change as we are ever-evolving.  What bores we would be if we weren’t!

You wake up after a sleepless night.  You feel a mess.  You look a mess.  You, my friend, are a hot mess.

The fourth day of new motherhood sneaks in after a few days of optical illusions.  The first day, your baby sleeps.  She's a great sleeper! Hallelujah! What do people mean their babies don't sleep?

The second day you are feeling good. You've showered, maybe a little Sephora action on the eyes. You're so enamoured by that sweet thing, navigating the breastfeeding, the cuddling, maybe heading home from the hospital or birth center. "Let's do this!" is your mom-on-fire mantra.

Day three you feel like you should be on your feet, so let's go, Sister! Diapers here, baby there, so much laundry, and you finally can eat like a normal person again, so why not try out that new, super-complicated recipe you saw on the Food Network in the hospital?

And then, The Fourth Day.

Oh yes, you're a mess.  Your hormonal shift from Pregnant to Not Pregnant is at its peak and your body and mind are reeling from it. Everything feels hard.  Like, harder than trying to get pregnant for months. Harder than 1st trimester morning sickness.  Harder than 3rd trimester heartburn.  Way harder than labor, and that was Crazytown.  Your milk supply is trying to jam two years of milk into your breasts at once, it seems.  Your body is suddenly a foreign tomb and you wonder what purpose this stretched out cavern of yourself is supposed to serve.  And your emotions? All the emotions, all at once, all day long. You cry, you laugh, you weep, you pass out exhausted.  Repeat.

This is The Fourth Day.

Take hope, dear one.  The Fourth Day, while feeling an eternity, is but a blip.  Know that this, too, shall pass.  
Knowledge is power.  Know that this day is coming, and prepare.
 
Prepare to spend this day in bed.  Skin to skin with your baby, nursing as best you can not only soothes your little one but it soothes you. Let your body heal, let your mind rest.  Sleep the sleep of the godly, watch the Netflix marathon of your life, and be so kind to yourself. Schedule all the helpful help you can for this day.  Postpartum doula?  Yes.  Best friend to sob with?  Definitely.  Planning a visit from a lactation professional?  2:30pm on Day Four, please!  If ever there was a night for take-out this is it.  You won't regret it. ​  You, my friend, are worth this and so, so much more.

And, know that day five is just 24 hours away.  A new lease on life, a chance to try everything again with the wisdom you've gained, and baby who is one day older and ready to try again, too. 

​Because most things are worth trying once, I’ve branched out into Attempted Homeschooling with my kids.  I call it “attempted” because even after a year we are still very much trying lots of things, including finding our groove.  It’s been nuts. And fun.  But mostly nuts.  Kidding! No I’m not.
 
You might notice that I’m experiencing a bit of conflict about our journey.  I’m not embarrassed by this, not worried.  I’ve talked with my friends who have their kids in traditional school settings and I know that they experience tough transitions and conflicts as I do.  Bless all the parents. This job is cray!
 
I recently listened to a homeschooling podcast, passed on to me by a friend who is much more organized than I am when it comes to assembling her homeschool thoughts and dreams.  In it, Ainsley Arment, homeschooler and founder of the online community Wild and Free, is interviewed and asked the $1,000,000 Question: What piece of advice would you give your younger self?
 
Her answer struck me because of her use of one word: Intuition.  Ainsley’s piece of advice centered around not worrying if you, as the homeschooling parent, are doing enough.  Trust yourself to know yourself, and your kids, and what they need.  Trust that you are doing a great job and that you don’t need to stress out about this, that, and the other thing.
 
Before you get your number 2 pencils and throw them at me, know that this is not actually a persuasion piece to get you to homeschool.  What I want is for you to really get in touch with this idea of trusting your intuition.
 
Natural birth advocates often talk about how women have been birthing for a bajillion years and our bodies know what to do.  I’m a firm believer that  - no matter the birth you choose (biting a stick in the woods by yourself, or hooked up to Every Machine Ever & All The Drugs) – your intuition can be your best companion – if you’re able to tap into it.
 
Intuition, to date, has not been scientifically figured out, and this causes all sorts of trouble.
At some point our culture became fixated on trusting “the experts”, and somehow birthing women lost the title of “expert” when it came to their own bodies.
 
Similarly, as a homeschooling parent, we may encounter all sorts of thwarts as we attempt to remain the experts on our kids.  “Are you a teacher?” “I could never spend that much time with my kids!” “How do you even know they’re learning?” “It’s really hard, you know!”
 
With Ainsley’s advice, I was so encouraged to hear intuition being lauded as “enough”.  When we are in the practice of knowing ourselves (or our bodies or our kids or [insert any area where the status quo is to hand over the reins to “an expert”]) I believe our capabilities expand.  Don’t misread this as advice to eschew what anyone else, especially the experts, suggests, because they’re knowledge is important as well. But don’t be afraid to check in with yourself and what said self is saying to you. 
 
Consider the following as they pertain to your birth and early parenting decisions:
Does this test/intervention/preventative measure make sense with what I understand the circumstances to be?  If not, what information do I need to make a decision?
 
Do I feel like I have been part of the decision-making process and my voice has been heard and respected?
 
What do I feel in my gut and how does that confirm or deny the other factors of my decision making?
 
Let me give you some concrete examples.  A question that often comes up with my doula clients in prenatals is, “How will I know when it’s time to go to the hospital?”  As a doula, there are some markers that I’m on the lookout for that suggest it’s getting close to time to go. But often, it’s the birthing woman that makes a declaration, sometimes sudden, that “It’s time!”  I’ve repeatedly seen how this is spot-on, whether because the baby is very close to being born or because the shift in environment is a needed element to the labor. 
 
Here’s another example.  In talking with people about placenta encapsulation I am often asked about the evidence to its effectiveness.  To date there is no hardcore scientific evidence to convince someone that is looking for it that encapsulation is worth it.  What we do have, in addition to evidence that supports aspects of encapsulation (such as knowing that iron supplementation is helpful for fatigued women), is literally countless anecdotes of women that have ingested their placenta and experienced benefits.  Science loves to discount the experiences of women but that doesn’t make it right to do.  My intuition tells me that the experiences of so many women (myself included) regarding encapsulation make it something that is at least worth exploring.  If it’s something that speaks to you, wonderful. If it’s something that makes you gag, your tuition might be suggesting you move on.
 
Intuition will serve our parenting as well.  There are so many decisions and choices to make, though one of the most common illustrations I see has to do with baby sleep.  Have you ever read comments on chat boards that a parent tried this or that sleep method, but it was so hard and they –the parent!  - ended up in tears?  It is my strong personal conviction that there is no decision to be made in early routine parenting that should induce a parent to tears.  This is, if I may be so bold, a telltale sign that the decision bringing you to your knees is not right for your family at this time.  Don’t make the tears your bar, however.  If something still feels off to you, take a step back, ask yourself the same questions from above, and try again.
 
Dear mothers, bless you.  This job is not for the fainthearted, so it is a good thing that you are not that.  Trust your inner compass and reach out to your tribe.  Intuition is here to guide us, if only we can take a breath and listen.
 
 
 

You just a baby and received your placenta capsules.  You are so excited (like really, really excited!) and also tired (like so, so tired!) and not only do you not retain anything your encapsulationist told you about your caps, you also misplaced the instruction booklet amongst the hundreds (literally, hundreds!) pieces of paper that accompany a new baby (coupons, baby cards, gift cards, weeks of unopened mail, medical docs... you know what I mean, right?).

It's three months later, you're returning to a new normal (maybe? sort of? at least pretending to?), and you come across your leftover placenta caps.

Now what?

I always tell my clients that I hope they'll use up their caps in the first 6-8 weeks postpartum.  My opinion is that this is when they will be of most benefit to new moms, as their bodies are undergoing the huge adjustment from being pregnant to not being pregnant.  This is not to say that they will not be useful later than that, just that I suspect the benefit is greater when they are used closer to birth. (I regularly use my placenta tincture from my last baby, who is almost two, with great benefit.  Excuse me while I go mourn the loss of his childhood.)

That said, things happen.  Sometimes capsules get forgotten in the crazy.  Sometimes a placenta is amazingly ginormous and there are just more caps than are needed. Whatever the reason for leftover caps, there comes the inevitable question: How should I store my capsules long-term?

Once you are not taking your capsules regularly I suggest double-bagging them in freezer bags.  I always include a desiccant pack in my clients' capsules so be sure to include that if you have one. Then, store in the back of the fridge (or, a deep freezer if you have one).  This minimizes the risk of capsules being subjected to temperature changes. This is important because the one thing that will make them unsuitable for use is the presence of mold. If caps are subjected to lots of temperature change (as can happen in locations like freezer doors, bathrooms, our the kitchen) this can lead to moisture from condensation and, given the opportunity of a warm climate, mold can develop. Freezing temps will suppress mold growth but it doesn't kill mold. 

Assuming your capsules have been processed properly (this means absolutely no oven drying and making sure they have been dehydrated long enough), mold will not magically occur.  

Oh no!, you say.  I've had my caps in my fridge for the past three years!  Or, they've been sitting in my cabinet for the past eight months!  Are they ruined?

I will always advise you to inspect your caps.  Open one up if you need to.  If you see mold, toss 'em.  If they smell spoiled, toss 'em.  But if they look and smell fine and you feel comfortable to take them, use those babies.

One final note:  We suspect that the quality of the caps will degrade over time, especially at colder temperatures.  Think of meat that is stored in the freezer for a year or more.  You can still eat it with freezer burn, but it probably doesn't taste so great.  So again, focus on using those caps within a few months of giving birth to experience greater benefits.

1. First things first - let's get to know you a little bit! What world destination have you never been to but hope to get to one day?
I've always wanted to go to Morocco. I love the architecture and art of that region.

2. And, what's a favorite quote / book / song of yours?
 Live a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear. -Elizabeth Gilbert

3. Tell us a little bit about your practice.
Chiropractic First is a light touch chiropractic and energy medicine practice that focuses on helping people heal physically, mentally and emotionally. Our specialties are bodymind concerns like anxiety, depression and stress relief. We also help a lot of pregnant women and babies to heal and have more ease and less pain. 
We have been helping pregnant women in Evanston for over 25 years. 

4. What makes your practice special?
Chiropractic First is a wonderful community. We have many generations of families who come in for care together. We help not just mothers and children, but grandparents and even great grandparents. 
People refer their parents and children because we help them heal their physical pain and their emotional pain. People who come to Chiropractic First report being more calm, more patient with their children, better able to communicate with their spouse.  What makes Chiropractic First special is that it is a place where families come to heal.

5. When a pregnant woman finds her way into Chiropractic First, what are some issues that she's likely encountering?
Women come into Chiropractic First often either because they have back or hip pain or because they want a more natural birth. Chiropractic has been shown to help decrease labor time by 24% in first time pregnancy and 33% for women who have given birth previously. Chiropractic care relaxes the pelvic floor muscles in pregnant women. This makes birth a much easier process. 

6. What kind of help do you offer that is unique to pregnant and/or postpartum women?
Patients at Chiropractic First receive a light touch form of chiropractic that is incredibly gentle. For pregnant women this is especially appreciated. Because their bodies are changing so dramatically, they do not need a lot of force. We can be gentle and still facilitate major improvement.

7. What kind of responses do you see when you work with a newborn?
Newborns sleep better. They are less fussy. They nurse better, have stronger latches and digest more easily. Newborns also heal very quickly. And so we can often make big changes in very short periods of time.

8. How do you see your practice serving pregnant and postpartum women five years from now?
Chiropractic First has been helping women and babies for over 25 years. Some of the first babies we helped are now in their 20s and still coming to Chiropractic First. In 5 years I hope we will be helping the women give birth who's mothers came to Chiropractic First 25 years ago when they were pregnant. We have women in our practice who have been coming to us since they were newborns, and I am really excited for the time to come when we help those women start their own families. 
And so, in 5 years I hope we will be doing exactly what we are doing today. We will be helping pregnant women, postpartum women and babies to more fully embrace the major physically, mental and emotional changes they are experiencing. I look forward to strengthening relationships with the doulas, midwives and OBGYNs who refer to us, and also the relationships we with the families we have int he practice today.

9. What's something that you wish you could tell every woman on the brink of experiencing pregnancy and childbirth?
I'd tell them how transformative chiropractic care can be if they start early. So often women come in midway through their pregnancy for pain. Then they realize how much easier it makes the entire process. On their next pregnancy they start chiropractic care early in their first trimester, because they have experienced how significant the benefits are. Pregnancy doesn't have to be painful, it may not always be easy, but it can probably be far easier than you expect.

10. Anything else you want to say that isn't covered here?
Here are some links to the research I mention in the above responses: 
1. http://chiropractic.ac.nz/index.php/about-us/college-news/101-new-zealand-research-shows-benefit-of-chiropractic-care-during-pregnancy
2. https://spinalresearch.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Haavik-Pelvic-Floor.pdf

Chiropractic First: 1609 A, Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL  
Phone: 847-869-1313
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Chiropractic1st