Quick update

So, I am officially in JP! My new home is amazing and I really love being there. I am looking forward to engaging the in JP community and embracing my new place. There has been so much going on in the last two weeks, but the nesting urge has arisen and I plan on spending as much time as I can in and around my new house over the next few weeks to get settled in.

Back from Idaho

These are the women who all participated in the Motherwise Midwifery Assistant Training Program. Nancy Draznin is on the bottom row, farthest to the left.

Wow, I think I have culture shock! Idaho was absolutely amazing, but being back in Cambridge feels like it's a different country. I stayed in Genesee, ID with Nancy Draznin, an ALACE trainer and homebirth midwife, attended the midwifery assistant training (which Nancy taught) and got a taste of the Idaho culture. I have to say, it was not necessarily what I expected. It was very dry out there, lots of hills of rolling wheat fields that are currently being shaved, burned and tilled for the season. Towns are small and far apart from each other. Genesee's population is 942 or something like that! I really liked it a lot. I felt relaxed and the pace of life is easy, slow. No one really seemed stressed or rushed out there. Life seemed pretty laid back...

It probably helped that all I did while I was out there was hang out with amazing women, lots of midwives and lots of pregnant women. I was so psyched to be a part of the training. I learned how to do maternal and infant vitals, how to take fetal heart rate with a fetoscope and doppler, how to chart, how to give injections and use sterile technique...Spending time with a homebirth crowd was really fabulous, too. Just so many empowered women all celebrating themselves, birth--not much is better for an aspiring midwife. I can't wait to tell everyone more about it. I am back in Cambridge and trying to pick up where I left off here, so I should run for now. I will write more and post some more pics when I get a second to spare.

Creative Birth Doulas welcomes Coleman Amory Pinkerton to the world!

Coleman Amory Pinkerton was born on Wednesday, August 30, 2006 to Corina and Ritchie. He is such a beauty (check him out!) and we are so excited for the family. Sara and I went to visit Corina and Ritchie on Saturday morning and we got the meet "Manny"- What a love fest! We showered him with praise and affection and helped Corina and Ritchie rest and get settled in. I returned today for some extra support and got to hold little Manny in a sling while Corina rested and Ritchie caught up on some emails. Sara returns tomorrow to bring them some breast feeding supplies, like the Breast Friend (highly recommended by Corina). We are so excited to be spending time with the new family and we can't wait to see how Coleman grows.

Corina and Ritchie are already exhibiting their awesome parenting skills and we are just so so so happy for them. Keep posted for further updates, as I am sure we will keep you posted on Coleman's growth and developtment in the time to come.

I am off to Idaho...Later.

Personal Gina News...

And on another exciting note, another Creative Birth Doula will be relocating to Jamaica Plain! I am moving on September 15th (or thereabouts) into a cooperative home near the pond. Somerville has treated me well for the past year now, but since my Simmons days, I have always had an affinity for the other side of the river, so I am excited to head back that way.

Have no fear, all of you Cambridge/Somerville residents, Corina and I are in JP, but Sara is still in Somerville, and, of course, I work in Central Square, so the whole area is covered. We are happily serving the Greater Boston Area, and because I have a car, I can go a bit out of town, too.

So, all of you Jamaica Plain residents, I am ready to be your doula!
-Gina

Website Official Launch

We have been working really hard to get our website, www.creativebirth.org up and running--And, today it is!

We are letting all of our friends, family and colleagues know that the website is a great place to check out what we are doing, our services, philosphies and our individual bios, so let us know what you think!