NurturePDX

Nurture Welcomes New Acupuncturist

2011-11-28T22:07:00.000-08:00

Nurture warmly welcomes our newest Family Wellness Professional Member, Amber Hincks. Amber is an East Asian Medicine Practitioner with a special interest in women’s health. Read on to find out more about Amber and all that she has to offer:

Amber Hincks, L.Ac.

Vital Moon Healing Arts
www.vitalmoonpdx.com
971.267.2229

Greetings! I am a licensed acupuncturist in the state of Oregon, and acupuncture is one of the many services I will be offering now at Nurture. Chinese medical theory provides the foundation for a holistic view of health that sees the individual as a unique and complex whole person. While I look at symptoms and how to resolve them efficiently, I also seek to bring the person back into balance with themselves, as well as with nature and community.

Along with acupuncture and its associated modalities, I use Chinese herbal medicine, massage, and dietary and lifestyle counseling. I am also a trained birth doula. I love working with women or couples who are starting new families, wherever they are in that process. It is such an important time to feel supported and have the resources you need. I also enjoy working with digestive disorders (herbs are great!), musculoskeletal conditions (tuina massage is incredible!), and emotional wellbeing.

Chinese medicine has so much to offer at any stage of life, and I look forward to adding my skills to the wonderful community at Nurture. Please contact me with any questions at 971-267-2229 or vitalmoonpdx@gmail.com. I look forward to meeting you!

Luna Lactation June 2011 Newsletter: Wakeful Nights

2011-06-08T23:22:00.000-07:00

Please view our June 2011 newsletter:

http://www.lunalactation.com/June2011.pdf

Also, consider checking out the new Nurture Heartwise Mamas Program

This unique and supportive program is:
for women who are pregnant or postpartum and having a rough start on their journey of motherhood. One of the most helpful ways to decrease feelings of being overwhelmed, depressed, or anxious is to get out of your house and connect with other mothers who understand what you are going through. This program helps you to do just that and more. You can feel better and we are here to help you.

More details at: http://www.nurturepdx.org/tend-family-wellness/heartwise-mamas-program/

Melissa Cole, IBCLC, RLC

Board Certified Lactation Consultant

tel.360.830.MILK(6455)

fax.360.695.6193

www.lunalactation.com

Playing in the dirt

2011-06-06T00:22:00.000-07:00

This weekend was full of sun and so much dirt-- rich, deep, delicious two yards, two truckloads full of dirt. Naturally, with the arrival of the dirt came the creatures who love dirt! Abby's boys wholeheartedly helped move the dirt. Oh, the joy of the freedom to embrace soil. Then, following the dirt came the seeds, the tiny capsules of plant just waiting to spring into action.

Nestled in all of that lovely dirt are:

pumpkin seedlings (Thank you, Eden!)

chinese lanterns

two varieties of cucs

peas

lots of beans

giant sunflowers

enough salad greens to fill a bowl the size of Alberta St. (or maybe that is a wee exaggeration)

chard (Thank you, Heather!)

kale

nasturtiums (heart)

beets

carrots

Indian corn

zucchini

yellow squash

tomato seedlings (Thank you, Heather!)

some other beautiful seedlings (Thank you, Heather! what else did you give us?)

basil

garlic (Thank you, Meg!)

peppers

hops for the teepee (we still need a few bamboo poles)

and we still have to build and plant the strawberry wall & plant the artichokes out front

Abby also created a fairy ring planted with cosmos, sunflower, lupine, viola, and daisies. And, we now have a little treehouse play structure and outdoor kitchen set and a few ride around cars, thank you to Sierra! Behind the stage-gazebo we can trim the bushes a bit and create a sweet little nature house.

Maybe Heather can concoct some brilliant garden art projects to add a little sparkle and shine to the mix. I love our garden.

Thank you, Abby and Dave and kids for all of your dirt moving muscle and gentle seed planting. Thank you Heather, Eden, Meg & Josh, and Abby for the plants and seeds and such. Thank you, Sierra for all of the outdoor toys.

Come out and play in the garden!

Little corners of the garden

2011-05-22T22:55:00.000-07:00

The magic of a few days of fabulous weather brings big garden plans. Have you seen our yard? There is so much potential out there, a blank canvas waiting to be painted with life. Four raised beds, a stage-gazebo, lots of sun, lots of shade, lots of room...

Nurture members (more about that soon) are welcome (children and adults) to join us in the garden, get your hands (small or large) dirty, harvest goodies, play, rest, grow, and enjoy the abundance that will soon be.

Abby Wyers is our garden queen (queen Ab-bee?); she will be out there when she can to give the garden a little love and build community by growing food and beauty together with Nurture families in our seedling Growing Together in the Garden Program.

On Friday, to get things started, Abby, her two boys, me, and my two children planted 15 raspberry plants donated by my wonderful neighbors, Meg and Josh Prewitt. We also planted a few lily-like plants (not sure exactly what they are yet), and we have garlic waiting for a little corner. Strawberries and garden beds are next...

What would you like to see out there? Drop by and join us, bring a start or a few seeds or just come over to enjoy the development of a garden from scratch.

We have a little garden wish list if you have these things sitting around looking for a home:

dirt (organic)

small sandbox (with cover)

sand

a few small shovels

bird feeder

old mail box

logs/stumps

critter-free compost bin

chairs

Music of Motherhood

2011-05-11T23:04:00.000-07:00

Kate Bush is back and has remade her album The Sensual World. The new album is titled, The Director's Cut, and you can read the interesting story about the remake and hear the new album on NPR's First Listen.

Hearing the new album, particularly the song This Woman's Work, brings me back, way back; for me it touches a deep place of mystery about the work of mothering as well as the anguish in the outer fringes of anticipation. This Woman's Work was paired well with the cesarean birth scene in the movie She's Having a Baby. Up until I read the book, Baby Catcher, this scene was my only vision of birth; I think, while I was about to birth my second child, I even said the same thing that "Kristy Briggs" says in that scene.

This is the scene and the song; it may be a trigger for you if you have had a traumatic birth experience, so use your judgement in deciding whether or not to watch.

Also on the She's Having a Baby soundtrack, though not by Kate Bush, is another favorite song of mine about the tenderness of mothering--Apron Strings by Everything But the Girl. Sigh...I love this song....

Introducing a few new little corners of our new home

2011-05-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

Luna Lactation May 2011 Newsletter: Mothers

2011-05-08T16:25:00.000-07:00

Please view our May 2011 newsletter and Happy Mother’s Day!

http://www.lunalactation.com/May11.pdf

Melissa Cole, IBCLC, RLC

Board Certified Lactation Consultant

tel.360.830.MILK(6455)

fax.360.695.6193

www.lunalactation.com

a big thank you

2011-04-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

We are moved in to our new home! It looks wonderful, especially on a lovely day such as today with the cozy sun glowing throughout the house.

I wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who came out to help us move. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jennifer Green from Green Bean Books (I am so happy that we will still be neighbors), Silke Akerson, Melissa and Bryon Cole, Sierra Ansley, and Sarah Dykes (I will miss you). You are all amazingly strong, energetic, handy, and helpful! We accomplished so much today!

There is so much to be thankful for, I don't even know where to begin. I am looking forward to sharing it all with you soon. Please pardon our dust as we fix the last few bits.

Joyfully,
Mychelle

our new home

2011-04-28T15:55:00.001-07:00

And now for the big announcement ...our new space location...

You will never believe this, but our beautiful new home is right next door to our old space. Our new address is 1626 NE Alberta St. It is a lovely old refurbished four square house that has been vacant for some time. We are putting a few finishing touches on the inside, and will be open to start seeing clients this weekend.

We have a lovely, large backyard with four garden boxes, and we will have a gardening program for children and families back there. Also in the backyard is a little gazebo for tea parties, seasonal celebrations, creative activities, and other wonderful events.

We will have the whole main floor available for drop-in for parents to gather and little ones to play. We will have the wellness library set-up, teas, coffee, and chocolate, and the home goods library will be in the basement! And as soon as the kitchen is set-up we can pop a loaf of bread in the oven or some other goodie and share. The space will also have workshops, classes, and groups starting this summer.

There is still a lot of work to be done, but it is all coming together and is very exciting! Thank you for all of your love and support throughout this transition. If you love to help with little house projects, let me know, we can always use an extra hand.

A housewarming celebration is in order very soon!

Change is good!

2011-04-25T22:43:00.001-07:00

There are a lot of exciting changes happening with Nurture (how very fitting for spring)! As you know we will be in a new space soon, and the new space will bring all sorts of new goodies for families. Ideas are incubating right now.

Sadly, we will be saying goodbye to some of our friends, but they won't be far. And we will be welcoming new friends, which is heartwarming...the ever expanding circle of friends.

Many things will be different, the most exciting of which is that we will have the space to ourselves, and with that we will be able to have regular open hours to offer wonderful opportunities for families. I know that is vague, but the wait will be worth it.

We really appreciate all of your support, patience, and love as we are getting settled. Our new location will be unveiled next week.

Cheers.

Luna Lactation April 2011 Newsletter: Breastfeeding Stories

2011-04-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

For easier viewing, visit the link to a PDF version of our newsletter, enjoy!

http://www.lunalactation.com/April11.pdf

Melissa Cole, IBCLC, RLC

Board Certified Lactation Consultant

tel.360.830.MILK(6455)

fax.360.695.6193

www.lunalactation.com

The Mural!

2011-04-03T22:59:00.000-07:00

At long last, the complete mural. I would like to send a big hug and thank you to all of the creative and inspiring women who participated in this project; I have enjoyed this process so much! Now we just need a new home to in which to hang it (smile).

Ta da...

Participants in order from the middle piece to top left corner and around clockwise:

I would love to do another one as soon as we are settled in our new space. Is anyone interested in joining in? Any suggestions for a theme?

Sunny's Spring Treatment Specials!

2011-04-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

Sunny's Spring Treatment Specials

As I plant seeds to grow a bountiful garden this Spring, I also nurture the growth of my flourishing practice!

Weekly acupuncture and/or shiatsu treatments can help manage stress, relieve pain, and address virtually any ailment by bringing your body into balance. In Chinese medicine, Springtime is seen as the season of the Liver and a good time to make changes that bring more movement and energy into your life.

Shiatsu is a Japanese bodywork that is based on the same healing philosophy as Chinese medicine. By accessing energy through the body's meridians, Shiatsu is able to naturally help restore balance in the body, relieve pain and stress, and create lasting change emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I am hoping to increase this style of treatment in my practice in conjunction with my new position as an instructor of Shiatsu bodywork at Oregon College of Oriental Medicine.

New Client Special:

4 Acupuncture Treatments for $100 (to be used in one month's time)

3 Shiatsu Massages for $100 (to be used in one month's time)

This is an introductory offer designed to help support people as they jump into Spring with a focus on health and wellness.

Returning Client Special --- Because I love and appreciate all of you so much!

3 Shiatsu massages for $100 (to be used in one month's time)

and

I would like to thank you for referrals -- enjoy a $10 treatment for any new referrals from you

Sunny Jaynes, LAc.

503-422-5417

1614 NE Alberta St.

--
http://www.nurturepdx.org/tend-family-wellness/sunny-jaynes/

We need to move!

2011-04-01T23:44:00.001-07:00

After three wonderful years of being in our lovely space, it is time for us to find a new home. We are excited about all of the possibilities that a new home will bring and are searching for a space that will allow us to continue to blossom.

We are all continuing to provide services throughout this transition, and will keep you updated. We welcome your support and ideas as we search. If you hear of any possible spaces, please do let us know. We would love to stay in this fabulous neighborhood or very close by if possible.

With warmth and hope for the perfect space,
Nurture

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 9

2011-03-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

Last but not least, the lovely Lena Wood's piece to wrap-up the 9 piece mural. The next post will have a picture of the completed mural.

Lena Wood is a labor and postpartum doula, and soon to be a infant massage instructor. Lena is also soon off on an adventure to finish her Master's degree in Montessori Elementary Education. Go Lena!

When I am not working with clients, I can be found at home with my husband, working in the vegetable garden, delighting in new recipes in the kitchen, or hiking around our NE neighborhood. I also train in an Indonesian martial art form, Poekoelan Tjimindi Tulen, and have served as an assistant instructor in the after school and summer youth programs at One With Heart Tulen Center in SE Portland.

(as you will soon see, this picture is not upside down!)

Stay tuned for the unveiling of the complete mural...

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 8

2011-03-28T00:55:00.000-07:00

The 8th piece highlighted in this project was created by Melissa Cole, IBCLC, RLC of Luna Lactation. Melissa is a mother, a nurturer, and a healer. She is passionate about all things birth, baby and breastfeeding; she is a very knowledgable, caring, and highly recommended lactation consultant. Some of her other interests include: natural living, textile/fiber arts, gardening, Japanese culture, herbs, holistic medicine and life learning.

Melissa's piece was created with felted wool.

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 7

2011-03-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

Everything moves at a snail's pace now that I have two active children to keep me busy, but things always get finished eventually!

Now for the last 3 pieces of the Art Tree Project before the whole mural is unveiled. This piece is my humble offering to the project. I wanted to create something that goes with the Nurture theme and that fits with our style. It is my first attempt at paper cutting with actual paper.

Grandmother

I crave the nurturance of my grandmother so much these days. To be snuggled on the lap of her and embraced by our roots sounds like the most comforting thing I can imagine.

Posted by Mychelle Moritz, ATR-BC, LPC

Mychelle is an art therapist and licensed professional counselor with a special place in her heart for supporting women throughout the transformative journey of motherhood. She is the mama of two active children and enjoys watching their creative antics.

Herbal Support for Radiation – Wise Words from Dori Midnight

2011-03-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

Kristen Dilley is sharing this: it is reposted from her other blog, The Urban Field Guide. Please repost widely and I hope that you benefit from it:

A few weeks back I wrote a post about the ever so lovely and wise Dori Midnight. I feel honored to have received a guest post from her to share with you today. In lieu of her regular full moon letter she has sent the following letter to her West Coast friends. It is reprinted here in full. I am hoping that Dori will continue to share her insights and adventures here at The Urban Field Guide. To visit her blog for further reading please go here. And please share this letter widely, the content is important and poignant.

Hi West coast friends,

We are living in some intense times- the earthquake and nuclear failings in Japan is just part of it. This is not my usual full moon letter (it’s not the full moon!), but a just little peep about things you can do to help support your body (and spirits) right now. As you’ve probably heard, there may be some radiation moving across the pacific in the next weeks heading towards the west coast from Japan. To keep going, be alive, and not shut down, we need courage, nourishment, and support- make a pot of soup! (and can I be a grandma for a minute and say if you haven’t made an emergency kit, please do?)

I will be posting more recipes and some herbal first aid/community healing basics on my blogthis week. If you have friends or family in Japan or Hawaii, you can pass this along to them too.

Your friends:

1. SEAWEED: eat nori, put wakame, kombu, and hijiki in your soups and stews. The iodine in kelp helps draw out the radiation and protect your thyroid from radioactive uptake.

2. MISO: good medicine full of live cultures, amino acids, minerals, and protein. I’d recommend making a big pot this week, having a bowl everyday and feeding it to all your friends- recipe follows.

3. MUSHROOMS: strengthen your immune system with some shitake mushrooms, sauteed or in soups.

4. Eat vegetables, especially DAIKON radishes and BURDOCK root- stick them in your soup too or make a shredded salad (recipe below). Daikon has been used for drawing out radiation, post nuclear fall out- it’s cooling and detoxifying.

5. BATHS in epsom salt and baking soda (1 lb of salt, with a bit of baking soda 2x week)

6. DRINK lots of WATER

7. IMMUNE support: do the things you know boost your immune system- sleep well, eat garlic and Vitamin C rich foods, and go easy on the sugar.

8. LOVE: send prayers, love, healing thoughts for those who need it most. Instead of freaking out or shutting down, let your anger, fear, and grief flow- it’s what makes us human and feel connected to what’s going on in the world right now. Crying is a potent way to detox, friends.

9. HERBS: if you want to get herbal, some great allies are nettle tea, cilantro (eat a lot of it or take a tincture- it helps draw heavy metals out ), and milk thistle (helps your liver process toxins). Also Yarrow Environmental Essence from FES is a beautiful formula to support the body in environmental disasters.

RECIPES:
Magical Medicinal Miso Soup
Saute one onion, sliced thin, til translucent. Add water, seaweed of choice (I like Kombu and Wakame), shitake mushrooms (dried or fresh), burdock root, carrots, and any other hearty roots you like. Simmer for 25 minutes.
I like to add shredded or sliced ginger near the end, so it’s strong, and some garlic, which I like really strong. You can also add greens, like kale or spinach. Simmer another 5 minutes.
Because you don’t want to boil your miso, I usually put a large dollop of miso paste in my bowl and then pour the broth on top to dissolve it.
Drink and offer bowls to all your loved ones and neighbors, kiddos and pets, family and friends.

Get your Daikon
Easy Shredded Salad
Shred carrot and daikon radish (2-3 roots)
Mix with sesame oil and a little umeboshi vinegar (also a great medicine!), sesame seeds, whatever fresh herbs you’ve got on hand (I love mint or cilantro), and a little tamari. Eat and feel alive and well thanks to the plants, the sun, the water and the farmers.

Take good care, my lovely friends!

With love,
Dori

Equinox Meditation and Creation

2011-03-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

Equinox Meditation and Creation

Renew, Rebirth, and Rejoice!
Community Hour at Nurture ~ Growing Families and Community.

WHEN: Sunday March 20, 11am-12pm
WHERE: Nurture at 1614 NE Alberta

The Spring Equinox is the beginning of the astrological new year when the sun enter the zodiacal sign of Aries and begins its 12 month cycle around the wheel of life. It is a time when day and night are balanced, lending you extra support from the cosmos and the earth, to begin again in a state of perfected harmony. It is a time to create and bring form to your dreams and rejoice life anew.

Mychelle Moritz, Art Therapist and Couselor, along with Elaina Beam, Spiritual Guide and Astrologer, will come together to offer an hour of Meditation and Creation to welcome the coming of the new and rejoice in the birthing of the season.

Please bring a pillow or blanket to sit on, a friend, and a symbol of growth or rebirth as an optional addition to the fulfillment of your experience.

This is an open no fee event. For more information contact Elaina at 503.290.8851

May the Blessings of Divine be yours…

spring: seedlings, pollen, and your...liver?

2011-03-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

Although the temperature and steady downpour of rain here in Portland may not exactly feel spring like, the plum trees, forsythia and daffodils remind us otherwise. As I’m sitting here writing I can see a bright pink plum tree bursting with buds and flowers against the grey sky. It’s a reminder that with the oncoming of the new season, that it is a good idea to reflect on the past winter and start preparing for spring.

As an acupuncturist and herbalist, I have a specific perspective on spring. Spring is traditionally associated with the Liver and Gall bladder; in this post I will focus specifically on the Liver. The Liver is represented by the fresh green color of a plant’s new growth, wind, sour taste, muscles and tendons and anger. Knowing this information can help inform some easy and positive changes you can make during this spring to better enjoy the changing season.

The Liver responds to sour tastes like lemon. A good routine to put into place is drinking a glass of room temperature or warm lemon water in the morning. The sour taste of the lemon helps to alkalinize your body, which is a nice counterbalance to the typically acidic conditions a lot of us have built up during the long winter months, especially with the many fine places to order up comfort food here in Portland!

Eating fresh greens like kale, chard, nettles, dandelion greens and chickweed also help the body recharge a sluggish metabolism. Too much raw food at this time is not a good idea however since it can be too cold for the digestive system, so it is optimal to lightly steam them, or make an herbal tea.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the Liver is associated with muscles and tendons in TCM. If you have found yourself to be less active this winter try to implement some stretching and exercise into your daily routine. How we nourish and support the organ systems associated with each season determines not only our current health, but carries over into the next season. Start off slowly with your routine, and remember it’s not summer yet, so dress warmly to avoid catching a cold!

On a recent walk in the woods I saw nettles beginning to peek up from underneath the layers of leaves. If you are a spring time allergy sufferer nettles can be one of your best allies against your body’s response to pollen. In my experience it is good to begin building up your system with strong batches of nettle tea during the winter, but if you haven’t don’t fear! But do begin to take freeze dried nettles immediately. There are specific acupuncture points and techniques that can also help alleviate allergy symptoms. Dietary approaches should include avoiding mucus producing foods in the diet like dairy, sugar and cold food/drinks.

The predominant emotion of the Liver is anger. Springtime is an explosion of life, color and productivity and while that is amazing and welcome, it’s also tricky. Too much movement too quickly whether it’s a longer to do list, or a pulled muscle from not stretching properly, can cause frustration, which in turn can cause anger. Take on the new season slowly and with a still partially inward consideration of what is good and nourishing for you. Take some time to yourself to go for a walk, get a massage or some acupuncture, maybe plan out your garden.

If you find yourself needing some assistance this spring or want to talk about any of this further please contact me. And in the meantime, Happy Spring! We’ve made it!

This is a post from nightingaleacupuncture by Kristen Dilley, MSOM, LAc.

We can learn a lot from anger

2011-03-10T01:41:00.000-08:00

Spring is the season of the liver, so I am told. A time to prepare, clean out the dust accumulated over winter, and bring forth a fresh start. If you had a chance to read Melissa Cole's informative March edition of the Luna Lactation newsletter, you already know that nourishing your liver can support lactation and how to do so.

What does the liver have to do with emotions? Kristen Dilley and Sunny Jaynes, Nurture's gentle and wise acupuncturists, both told me that the liver is known to be related to anger.

Anger gets a bad rap. It seems to be the villain of all emotions and it is often associated with violence, intensity, frustration, hate, feeling out of control, bad, negativity... It is an emotion that can certainly wreck internal physical damage, especially if it is bottled up. But our fear of anger, itself, is out of proportion. Anger is a normal emotion, we all experience anger. And it can actually be a very useful emotion, if given a chance.

Anger is a good indicator that something is not right, that something needs to shift or change. It is a protective emotion; we have all heard a new mother talk about their mama bear feelings of protection for their babies. In our wise minds, anger can be understood in this light, as a barometer, a check engine light, a tap on the shoulder.

When we are supported, healthy, and balanced, we can notice anger, experience it without reacting in ways that we will later regret, and search for the meaning behind it. When we are not feeling supported and balanced, anger can seize us, holding tight clenching deep, and build up. It is when we are not balanced that we try to ignore and push away anger. We push it down and it seeps out or makes our brains feel itchy with anxiety or mutes our spark causing hopelessness and despair.

So what can we do about anger? Well, first we need to take care of ourselves so that when we notice anger we can have the fortitude to accept it. We need to slow down and examine our fears about anger. When we are no longer afraid of it and trust that we will not do something rash, then we can be open to experiencing anger by feeling it and then work to find an honest understanding what it is trying to tell us. With this knowledge, we can let it go with a promise to shift or change something in our lives. Maybe this job is too demanding, maybe I need to connect with other parents, maybe I need to have a direct and open conversation with my partner, maybe I need to take care of my body.

Anger can also be a sign that something is not right physically. Perhaps a chemical imbalance, chronic pain, low or high blood sugar, or exhaustion. Anger impacts our hearts, and I now know that it originates in the liver. These two organs are closely tied, and are said to be the only organs that generate emotions. Kristen will be continuing this discussion about spring and the liver, so I will let her expound upon these concepts from here.

This is a post from Heart Stories by Mychelle Moritz, ATR-BC, LPC

March Newsletter - The Liver-Lactation Connection

2011-03-03T20:09:00.000-08:00

For easier viewing we decided to just send a link to a PDF version of our newsletter, enjoy!

http://www.lunalactation.com/March11.pdf

Melissa Cole, IBCLC, RLC

Board Certified Lactation Consultant

tel.360.830.MILK(6455)

fax.360.695.6193

www.lunalactation.com

Rest and Renew Hour

2011-02-28T23:52:00.000-08:00

Rest and Renew Hour

Do you ever feel like you just need to get out, even if it is only for an hour, and nurture yourself?

Come to Nurture on Sundays from 11am-noon and relax and renew your energy and spirit. We will have tea (coffee?), company and conversation or a quiet spot to just sit, books, and occasional specialized support as announced. You can make the hour be what you need it to be; feel free to bring whatever you need to do just that (knitting, snacks to share, a book, your journal, a pillow?). This is your hour.

Sundays 11am-noon at Nurture

A Third Birthday

2011-02-25T23:02:00.000-08:00

Three years ago a little seed of an idea, that had been stored away, was planted in this lush garden we call Portland. Now it is a sweet little sprout with tiny leaves and roots and a stem, reaching out towards the sun and starting to form a bud.

So many have formed a loving circle around this sprout to tend to its growth--the sun, rain, gardeners, friendly creatures, and companion plants--all nurturing the seedling along.

Happy 3rd birthday, Nurture. Let's gather soon to celebrate.

Luna Lactation February 2011 Newsletter: Intimacy and Fertility During Lactation

2011-02-02T20:56:00.000-08:00

http://www.lunalactation.com/Feb11.pdf

Melissa Cole, IBCLC, RLC

Board Certified Lactation Consultant

tel.360.830.MILK(6455)

fax.360.695.6193

www.lunalactation.com

Portland, the Land of Many Resources for Families

2011-01-23T22:52:00.000-08:00

Did you know that we have a community resource list? Actually, it would be more precise to say that we have several resource lists. While they are by no means exhaustive, they each contain a wealth of links or contact information for many resources both in Portland and a bunch that are national yet still relevant. If you are searching for something, check out the lists. Please let us know if you know of a resource that should be on the list (info@nurturepdx.org)!

Community Resource List(s) Directory

The resources listed within these pages are of businesses, organizations, or people we know, know of, or have been given information about. The lists are meant to be resources not endorsements for a particular provider or business and are in no way exhaustive. We believe that finding the right fit is very important when it comes to finding a provider or service that is related to your health or well being. That is why we want to provide as many links to resources as we can. There is a wealth of services out there for growing families in our community. Many of the sites listed also have resource pages with additional resources listed.

Be Resourceful!

2011-01-19T22:41:00.000-08:00

Share your story. Find local resources. Learn from others. Be Resourceful.

One of Nurture's four values is sharing. Portland is a fabulous city with so much community support for families to share resources. The City of Portland's program, Be Resourceful has a wealth of creative tips, resources, and opportunities for sharing.

Be Resourceful is about sharing stories, ideas and resources and connecting with others through closely held values. It’s about thinking differently around our relationship with our stuff.

Be Resourceful highlights the new opportunities and experiences you can create when you choose local resources to borrow, share and repair the things you need, and choose to buy for value, durability and utility. By shifting priorities and focusing on more experiences over stuff, we can enjoy healthier lifestyles and more time with friends and family.

Share your story. Find local resources. Learn from others. Be Resourceful.

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 6

2011-01-17T13:06:00.000-08:00

The 6th painting in the mural was created by artist, landscape designer, and expecting mama: Alissa Hartman. Alissa creates indoors and out. Her beautiful artwork is currently gracing the stairwell at Nurture and is for sale; stop by and see her work. Outside, Alissa creates magic in landscapes throughout Portland through her business, Seed Landscape Designs.

Nurture Welcomes Kristen Dilley

2011-01-03T22:01:00.000-08:00

Nurture warmly welcomes our newest Family Wellness Professional Member, Kristen Dilley. Kristen is an acupuncturist and an herbalist with a special interest in women's health. Read on to find out more about Kristen and all that she has to offer:

nightingaleacupuncture.com
503-953-0933
the urban field guide blog

I am a licensed acupuncturist in the state of Oregon and California as well as nationally certified. I’ve completed over 2000 hours of coursework and over 1000 hours of clinic in my academic program at the Acupuncture and Integrated Medicine College in Berkeley, CA. I specialize in women’s health, autoimmune disorders and stress reduction, but enjoy working with a wide range of people to provide some relief to what ails them. …. Or better yet, to prevent anything from ailing them in the first place!

I have been working professionally with plants either in the garden or training as an herbalist for over a decade. My love of Western clinical and energetic herbalism led me to further my plant studies within Traditional Chinese Medicine. I am a strong advocate of plant medicine being integrated into one’s daily life, whether in the garden or in your medicine cabinet.

I am so happy to be working at Nurture and to be able to offer healthcare services on a sliding scale, and I look forward to meeting you! Please contact me with any questions or to book an appointment at 503-953-0933 or through the contact page at nightingaleacupuncture.com.

Luna Lactation Newsletter January 2011: Resolutions and Affirmations

2011-01-02T20:25:00.000-08:00

http://www.lunalactation.com/Jan11.pdf

Melissa Cole, IBCLC, RLC

Board Certified Lactation Consultant

tel.360.830.MILK(6455)

fax.360.695.6193

www.lunalactation.com

Nurture Welcomes Cobalt Coy

2010-12-28T15:06:00.000-08:00

Nurture warmly welcomes Tara "Cobalt" Coy as our newest Family Wellness Professional Member. Cobalt is a massage therapist offering group Bowenwork at Nurture as well as massage and craniosacral work at her other office. Read all about her work below. Welcome, Cobalt!

LMT #15170
asimplebalance@gmail.com
503-545-6248

I love helping people. I've been that way since I was young. I'm fasinated with how different people or groups transform and heal. I'm always looking for ways to follow my river's current and assisting with others if they need help. "Don't push the river" is the line I love. Through the last 14 years of my practice, I've been looking for the way of least resistance. Massage teaches me to become aware, get in my body and participate. Craniosacral teaches me to listen for the subtle messages underneath the storm and follow. And Bowenwork teaches me that when you send a simple message to the healer within you, your body responds thru your breath, finds balance and begins again.

I'm excited to be a part of the Nurture collective. I love when people come together to unite great ideas. I am practicing Group Bowenwork Monday's 4-7pm at Nurture for $30-50. sliding scale, by appointment only. Group Bowenwork is where 2-3 people can be treated at a time, so bring your friends or family. Bowenwork is a gentle modality that uses minimal touch with precise moves, to create a resetting of the body's various systems. It elicits a deep relaxation and subtle or powerful re-alignment. I also practice at my home studio monday-friday, you can check out my prices and info at www.asimplebalance.net.

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 5

2010-12-23T00:33:00.001-08:00

Where were we? Oh yes, the fifth piece!

The fifth piece to be featured (by the way, these are not being featured in any particular order) was created by Sally Peters. Sally is the founder and director of Speak Artloud, an (amazing) innovative social-profit organization that uses the arts to empower women and improve communities. On the Speak Artloud blog, Sally writes about her connection to art:

I do not consider myself an artist (I know, I know – we are all artists) but I do know that having art in my life makes me a better person.

Art helps me to better understand the world, others and myself, and art helps me feel connected to something larger and completely individual and unique all at once.

I do like drawing with pastels and making collages, I can get lost looking at art books and visiting museums feels like a sacred activity. I also really enjoy movies, theater and music.

Give the Gift of a Doula

2010-12-14T09:28:00.000-08:00

Cross-posted at: http://cascadiabirth.com/2010/12/01/holiday-special-2010/

Cascadia Birth Services is pleased to offer a special holiday gift certificate for new or soon-to-be new mamas. While new baby clothes, diapers, and wraps are all lovely, sometimes the best gift is simply another compassionate, competent person to lend a hand and offer encouraging support. At Cascadia Birth Services we offer the best in postpartum care: lactation support, newborn and sibling care, meal preparation, and light housekeeping, all delivered with compassion and non-judgmental support.

For the month of December, we are offering gift certificates for a three-hour postpartum session, for only $40. Certificates can be printed at home, or we can print and mail them to the special mama in your life for no extra charge. Certificates have no expiration date, so they can be saved as long as you like! The certificates may also be applied towards an 8-hour overnight session.

If you would like to purchase a certificate for a friend, please contact us [www.cascadiabirth.com/contact] and we will email you directions on how to make a payment.

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 4

2010-12-12T21:17:00.000-08:00

On to the next three pieces from the mural!

This fourth piece was created by Amy Watson founder and director of Whole Mama~Whole Child. Amy is a joyfully married mama of three young children; a chiropractor for moms, babies, and kids; and a free-spirited gypsy at heart.

The Last Leaf

(I took this picture at an angle because it has a glossy finish. I wish my photographs of these paintings were better, then you could see the beautiful flecks of gold in this painting. You will just have to see the mural in person when it is up!)

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 3

2010-12-07T09:27:00.000-08:00

Collaborative projects bring several people together, and as the coordinator of this project I have the honor of connecting with each artist personally. I made a few new friends and was able to see friends whom I had not seen in awhile. Although I have had contact with Crystal Burgoyne via Nurture forums, I did not have the pleasure of meeting her in person until this project provided a reason for getting together.

Crystal Burgoyne is a mother of two young children and a multimedia artist. I would like to add that she balances, with such grace, motherhood and her passion for creating art; she is an inspiration to me as I work to find a balance between the two in my own life.

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 2

2010-12-05T21:54:00.000-08:00

The second piece featured from the mural was created by Vicky York. Vicky is a veteran provider of new mother/infant care as a lactation consultant and postpartum doula. She was the first postpartum doula in Oregon! She has served more than 600 clients as a postpartum doula in Portland, Oregon, since 1992. Vicky is also a sculpture artist who creates figures, baskets, rattles, lights, wall hangings, and more using sea kelp. You can see some of her work here. Vicky had, by far, the most challenging medium to work with for this project!

Community Mother Art Tree Project: Collaborative Mural part 1

2010-12-03T23:04:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the film screening of Who Does She Think She Is?, nine women collaborated on a 9-piece mural. Each of the nine women are quite busy, yet determined to create more time in their lives for art. Each woman who participated in this project committed to complete one piece of artwork, using media of their choice, with the only guideline of staying true to the minimal, central outline in order to preserve cohesion among the pieces.

The mural is a patchwork of beauty simultaneously symbolizing community and individuality. Each piece is strikingly different yet together they form an integrated portrait of strength. A tree was chosen as the theme for this mural because of the rich metaphor that trees hold: family, roots, growth, fruit, life, seasons, strength, nature, shelter....

Over the next two weeks, I will be sharing each piece one at a time with you, culminating with the mural assembled in all of its glory (please forgive my lack of photography skills).

I struggled with the decision of which piece to feature first, determining where on the tree to start. I have decided to start with the heart of the tree, the center piece, and then work my way around from there.

The center piece was created by Renita Christle Gerard:

I create because I have to. Something within me isn't happy unless I'm creating something be it a special meal, a painting, singing a gift for a friend.

I love trees and the spaces between the branches as well as the textures of the bark. The bark picks up colors as the light changes so trees are a ever fascinating subject.

Luna Lactation December 2010 Newsletter: Breastfeeding Through the Holidays

2010-12-02T15:25:00.000-08:00

http://www.lunalactation.com/Dec2010.pdf

Melissa Cole, IBCLC, RLC

Board Certified Lactation Consultant

tel.360.830.MILK(6455)

fax.360.695.6193

www.lunalactation.com

Giving Thanks

2010-11-24T15:22:00.000-08:00

There is so much to be thankful for each year, and Thanksgiving is the time of year that I most like to take a moment to reflect on the abundance of love and joy to be found in my life.

My family, a warm home, friends, my work, the privilege of knowing that I can feed my family and take care of their needs, the beauty of my children's souls and creative hearts, the quiet spaces in-between all of the creative activity in our days, and so much more. Abundance.

I would also like to honor the gratitude I feel for the amazing people who are a part of Nurture and our community. Over the past three (almost!) years I have met so many brilliant, talented, kind, gentle, passionate, and caring people through my involvement with Nurture. To all of the women and families to whom I have had the honor to provide support, thank you for allowing me to be in your lives. To all of the professional members of Nurture's Family Wellness group, thank you. I am continually inspired and amazed by each of you. And to all of the business owners, professionals in the community, and other organizations who have collaborated with Nurture, supported Nurture, supported Nurture families, or all three; thank you for all that you do and provide to our community.

Here's to a cozy, safe, and joyful Thanksgiving 2010. Cheers!

Warmly,
Mychelle

Nurture Welcomes Kimberly Smith

2010-11-18T21:57:00.000-08:00

Nurture warmly welcomes Kimberly Smith. Kimberly has actually been a professional wellness member of Nurture for several months and has brought warmth and energy to our group and space. Kimberly is a massage therapist and also teaches infant massage classes. Read more about Kimberly below!

Kimberly_cosmos@yahoo.com
Kimberly@nurturepdx.com
503.341.0049

I am a licensed massage therapist with ten plus years of experience, as well as a middle and high school teacher with my Master of Arts in Teaching. I’m happily returning to the healing arts after a five year sabbatical. During this time, I was healing from a major health crisis, which I call, my “universal time-out,” working on a new career path of becoming a teacher and becoming a mama for the first time! All of these experiences have been fruitful and meaningful leading me to where I am today at NURTURE!

I look forward to reconnecting with past clients and building new clientele. My style of massage is a mixture of both eastern and western styles. I don’t have a specific name for it, but I tailor each session with what you need on that particular day. I have a background as an athlete, so I can focus attention on sports injuries and/or sore muscles from a good workout or I can just give you a time-out relaxation massage. I loved Shiatsu and learning about the meridians and ancient healing methods, so I often combine shiatsu with deep tissue and myofacial work. I believe that giving yourself time to be connected with your body is healing within in itself. I love helping people take time outs in this busy world we all live in. Hope you can come take a time out with me soon!

Client Testimonials:
"I’ve gotten quite a bit of massage therapy and Kimberly has my vote for the best Oregon has to offer. Though not a big person, her strength is consistent and surprising. Her hands find tension and knots like they are color-coded. She manages to make a very intense and healing massage also completely soothing and enjoyable. And to top it off, she uses wonderful products, has a happy energy about her and will make any sort of day your having much better. She’s a treasure for all her clients.”

“Kimberly is a natural healer. Not only do her hands find every bit of tightness and stress in your body, her gentle way of getting in deep without hurting you is astounding. She fixes things all over your body without you realizing it. You just walk out thinking you should visit her far more often.”

Hours: I am currently available for massages on Fridays 10-6 and some weekends.

Rates:$70.00/hr. & $90.00/hr. and a half

Packages: $180.00 for (3) 1-hour massages & $240.00 for (3) 90-minute massages Gift Certificates available upon request!

INFANT MASSAGE: I am happy and eager to announce that I have found a way to combine my love of massage with my passion for teaching by becoming an Infant Massage Instructor. Excited to get classes up and running in December 2010. More information coming soon!

11/19 Breastfeeding class reminder

2010-11-17T21:43:00.000-08:00

Still class space left, feel free to share ….

Get the Best Start with Breastfeeding

When: Fri, November 19, 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Where: Cotton Babies 106 Grand Blvd. Vancouver, WA 98661 (map)
Description: Please join Melissa Cole, IBCLC, RLC for an informational class on how to set yourself up for breastfeeding success. Melissa, a board certified lactation consultant, has spent nearly a decade supporting families as they work towards their breastfeeding goals. Class topics will include: preparing to breastfeed, what to expect in the early days, milk supply, position/latch, support partners and more! There is a $25 registration fee for this class, after completion of the class you will receive a $5 store credit. To register or get more information, please call 360-258-0644.

Melissa Cole, IBCLC, RLC

Board Certified Lactation Consultant

tel.360.830.MILK(6455)

fax.360.695.6193

www.lunalactation.com

The Story of Electronics

2010-11-11T21:47:00.000-08:00

The Story of Stuff's newest--The Story of Electronics.

Learning to Sign with Shira from Tiny Talkers

2010-11-07T21:05:00.000-08:00

You can read all about the benefits and joys of signing with your baby on Tiny Talkers website. I know it has been a uniquely connecting experience for many parents and babes.

Sign of the Week = JUICE! Thank you, Shira!

Nurture Welcomes MaryJo Monroe

2010-11-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

Nurture warmly welcomes MaryJo Monroe as our newest Family Wellness Professional Member. MaryJo is a home organizing consultant with a heart for helping expecting families and new families create peace within their homes (what a great gift). Read all about her work below. Welcome, MaryJo!

Home Organizing Consultant
www.respacedpdx.com
respacedpdx.blogspot.com

What does home organizing have to do with health?

Home organizing is about recognizing that our environment affects our physical and emotional health profoundly. I work almost exclusively with moms, and for the moms I work with, their clutter is affecting their relationships, parenting, finances, physical health, mood and self-esteem. My work involves transforming spaces into functional, healthy, comfortable and simplified environments.

How I can help

I help moms figure out their goals and priorities. Then we work together, going through each room and getting rid of whatever doesn’t fit with those goals and priorities. Moms learn to consciously choose what to allow into their lives. They learn how to make room for what is truly important.

I create new ways of storing things and new systems for home maintenance, like new ways of processing mail or doing the laundry. My goal is to buy as few organizing products as possible, and to create systems that are down-to-earth and simple. I steer clients away from trying to create magazine-perfect homes. And I never force anyone to throw anything away.

Rates

$45 per hour. All sessions are a minimum of 3 hours and a maximum of 4 hours.

Appointments

Call 971-226-6055 or email info@respacedpdx.com to book a complimentary one hour consultation

More resources

Get organizing inspiration and practical how-to knowledge at my blog: www.respacedpdx.blogspot.com. Visit my website at www.respacedpdx.com.

Change is Inevitable - Luna Lactation Nov 2010 Newsletter

2010-11-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

http://www.lunalactation.com/Nov2010.pdf

Melissa Cole, IBCLC, RLC

Board Certified Lactation Consultant

tel.360.830.MILK(6455)

fax.360.695.6193

www.lunalactation.com

Feeling stressed out at home? Your house may be affecting your mood

2010-11-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

How does your house make you feel? Secure, relaxed, content? Or do you get that anxious or overwhelmed feeling when you look around your home?

When our home is disorganized, it affects our mood. We are profoundly affected by our environment, which we may not realize. Our disorganization creates stress – stress because we can’t find our keys, stress because the bills don’t get paid on time, stress because there is not much room for the kids to play, stress because we spend our weekends trying to catch up on housework rather than enjoying the time with our family.

Our clutter suffocates us.

But organization

liberates us. When you have clean counters in the kitchen and you can find all of your cookware, you are free to create healthy, yummy dinners for your family each night. When you have nothing stacked on your chairs, couches and coffee tables, you are free to entertain guests and your children will want to bring their friends over. When you have a dedicated craft space and a clear work table, you are free to feed your soul with your creativity.

If your home causes you frustration, exhaustion and stress, it’s time to reassess what you have filled it with. It’s time to ask yourself, have I made room for what is important to my family or has our stuff crushed our priorities?

MaryJo Monroe is a home organizing consultant and owner of reSPACEd, an organizing business that helps families regain control of their home. She is the newest member of Nurture and mama to a beloved 4-year-old.

MaryJo Monroe

Home Organizing Consultant

www.respacedpdx.com

respacedpdx.blogspot.com

PCC Film & Lecture Series: When the Bough Breaks

2010-10-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

BRIDGES To BACCALAUREATE
Free Film & Lecture Series

Friday, November 19, 2010
12:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Cascade Campus, MAHB 104 (Auditorium)
Film: 12:00p.m.
Dr. Kent L. Thornburg, PhD: 12:30pm
Film: When The Bough Breaks

When The Bough Breaks explores reasons for the high rate of infant deaths among African Americans (nearly twice as high as for white Americans) and why even well-educated Black women have birth outcomes worse than white women who haven't finished high school.

Some neonatologists believe that African American women and infants are at increased risk not because of their biology, but because of the cumulative impact of racism they experience over their lifetime - an impact that can outweigh even the benefits of higher social and class status

Lecture:
Good Nutrition Now, Good Health Later
Dr. Kent L. Thornburg, Director of OHSU’s Heart Research Center, presents compelling new research linking maternal and childhood nutrition to vulnerabilities for diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer later in life AND in the next generation.

Dr. Thornburg, PhD in developmental physiology, leads clinical studies to determine the role of maternal diet and body in regulating fetal growth in women. Dr. Thornburg holds professorial appointments in Physiology, Pharmacology, Biomedical Engineering and Cardiovascular Medicine. He has published over 125 papers on pregnancy and fetal development and co-authored a leading book on placental physiology.
· Question and answer session following lecture.
Light refreshments served.

For information on the Portland Bridges to Baccalaureate Program go to www.pcc.edu/resources
or contact
Shari Rochelle at srochell@pcc or Marlene Eid at meid@pcc.edu

Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex

2010-10-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

The topic Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER) came up recently in a professional group of which I am a member. Carol Gray shared a blog post that she wrote about this condition, and I want to share this information because it is really important that mothers know what it is and what causes it. I have known several mothers who have experienced it, and it can be very distressing especially if a mother does not know what is happening. Please share this information.

D-MER is a flood of negative emotions (including helplessness, anger, dread, anxiety) and often nausea that occurs right before the Milk Ejection Reflex (right before the milk is "let down") when nursing. The overwhelming negative feelings only last for about 30 seconds to 2 minutes and the mother feels completely fine before and after.

D-MER is caused by a hormonal drop in dopamine right before the Milk Ejection Reflex. It is NOT a postpartum mood disorder, repressed trauma, or or poor bonding with your baby but can occur concurrently. D-MER is treatable and/or manageable. If you or someone you know is experiencing D-MER, you are not alone and you are not doing anything wrong. You can get help from a Lactation Consultant or other healthcare provider. If your healthcare provider is not familiar with D-MER, find someone who is.

www.D-MER.org explains that D-MER can go unrecognized for many reasons:

since 1) some mothers have so many closely spaced letdowns per feeding that the feelings do not have a chance to dissipate before the next D-MER is upon her, making her feel that she experiences on long D-MER through most of, if not all of, the feeding 2) many mothers do not physically feel a letdown in their breasts and so does not connect the feeling as to being just prior to letdown and 3) given the fact that D-MER happens with spontaneous letdowns as well, a mother may not immediately connect the way she is feeling to being a breastfeeding phenomenon.

For more information about D-MER, visit www.DMER.org and this post on Ask Moxie and this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2UITtz50ec&feature=player_embedded):

Lactation After Pregnancy or Infant Loss Survey

2010-10-20T23:48:00.000-07:00

The Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth (Mexico), Me, and Senor Xolotl ~Frida Kahlo

Melissa Cole's friend is doing a survey on lactation after pregnancy or infant loss. Replies will be used to create training materials and support programs for professionals and families that support mothers after infant loss. She writes,

When you lose a baby you suddenly discover you are a part of a secret club. Many people do not talk about their experiences until another mother has lost her baby. However, the fact that most women will lactate after losing a baby, even early in pregnancy, is the even bigger secret. Once you have lost your baby, you are given lots of resources on how to deal with the emotional grief but no one warns you about the physical grief. Pat Schweibert’s book, When Hello Means Goodbye, given out in many hospitals, says it well, “My body had its own grief. And its tears were white.”

If you have experienced pregnancy or infant loss and would like to contribute to helping other mothers going through a similar experience, please consider taking this confidential survey.

Here is the link to the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/D6LD933 Please feel free to pass it on.

Who Does She Think She Is? Screening Party this Saturday!

2010-10-19T23:44:00.000-07:00

Screening Party of Who Does She Think She Is?

October 23rd at 1pm!

Please join us.

We will have a community art project for those who are interested.

About the film:

In a half-changed world, women are often forced to choose: Mothering or working? Your children's wellbeing or your own own? Responsibility or self expression? Who Does She Think She Is?, a documentary by Academy Award winning filmmaker Pamela Tanner Boll, features five fierce women who refuse to choose. Through their lives, we explore some of the most problematic intersections of our time: mothering and creativity, partnering and independence, economics and art. Along the way, the film invites us to consider both ancient legacies of women worshipped as cultural muses and more modern times where most people can't even name a handful of female artists. In the end, the diverse women in the film demonstrate that our creativity and our caregiving are not mutually exclusive, but deeply connected. In fact, their co-existence might just be the key to finishing the job.

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day

2010-10-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

Light a candle tonight at 7 pm with love for all of the families whose babies who didn't stay but are carried in their hearts. Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day, and my heart is sending out hugs to all of the hearts who are holding their babies there.

Learning to Sign with Shira from Tiny Talkers

2010-10-10T22:30:00.001-07:00

You can read all about the benefits and joys of signing with your baby on Tiny Talkers website. I know it has been a uniquely connecting experience for many parents and babes.

I am thankful for Shira of Tiny Talkers for once again having a fruity Sign of the Week (mmmm....): GRAPES

If you know anybody who is pregnant, or recently had a baby within the last year and a half and might be interested in learning some sign language, spread the word about Tiny Talkers Portland- Baby Signing Workshop.

Luna Lactation October Newsletter: Breastfeeding Benefits Moms Too

2010-10-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

months, their rates of breast cancer would drop by 11% and if these moms lactated for 24 months or longer the cancer rate would decrease by 25% or more. The greatest
benefits seem to be for premenopausal mothers that have delivered a baby and have lactated but there is also some
protection offered just through lactation. This opens up the possibility of
induced lactation, even for women that have not been pregnant, offering some degree of cancer
protection.

There are several
theories out there about why breastfeeding
reduces the risk of breast and other forms of cancer. Some theorize that
prolonged breastfeeding decreases the estrogen circulating in a woman’s body, some speculate that during lactation the
inner breast ducts are bathed in the

The knowledge that breastmilk cures ailments is not new. However the focus
usually tends to be on the benefits of human milk for babies. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so it is a good time to focus on just how vital breastfeeding is in the prevention of breast cancer (and many other
cancers and diseases).

There are a variety of
research studies that
examine the relationship of breastfeeding and breast
cancer rates. A common thread found amongst the studies is that the longer a woman lactates, the lower her chances of developing breast
cancer are. For example, if premenopausal mothers were to lactate for just 4-12

Contact: www.lunalactation.com Tel.360.830.MILK(6455) or Email
Have you received support from Luna Lactation? Email Or Click here to take survey .

Our First NE Home Goods Library Lend

2010-10-03T22:20:00.000-07:00

On September 30th I posted an announcement about our NE Home Goods Library being ready to lend; the very next day we had three reservations booked! Wow. Our first lend was today, merely three days after the announcement. Suffice to say that there is still a lot of organizing to be done, but the hand-off was successful.

Tessa came by to pick-up 40 place settings for an event at the Portland Fruit Tree Project, and was gracious enough to let me snap some pictures to commemorate this historic Nurture event.

I would like to thank our generous grantors, City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. And I would also like to send out a warm thank you to two large donation sources Community Warehouse and a dear midwife friend. Thank you!

NE Homegoods Library is Ready to Lend

2010-09-30T22:40:00.000-07:00

At long last, the NE Homegoods Library is ready to lend! Please visit NE Homegoods Library page for more information about the library. We will have an on-line reservations system up as soon as we can, but until that happens you can reserve items via e-mail (see below).

We are also excited to be supporting the wonderful work that the Portland Fruit Tree Project does with food preservation workshops by offering coupons to access the library for Portland Fruit Tree Project class participants. The Portland Fruit Tree Project offers classes, gatherings, and support for growing trees, harvesting, and preserving foods. Their mission is to increase equitable access to healthy food and strengthen communities by empowering neighbors to share in the harvest and care of city-grown food resources.

Reserving and picking up equipment:
For the time being, we ask that you send an e-mail to info@nurturepdx.org stating which item(s) you would like to reserve and which days you will need them (you may check items out for one week). We will send to you the guidelines and paperwork (via reply e-mail). Pick-up and return days/times are currently on Wed mornings between 9am-12pm and Sundays by appointment.

Thank you to our sponsor City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability!

Nurture welcomes Lena Wood

2010-09-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

We would like to warmly welcome Lena Wood to Nurture. Lena is a doula with Cascadia Birth Services, and she has a special interest in supporting families who are adopting. Lena is also involved in many other projects and organizations; read more about all of her activities below! Welcome, Lena!

Cascadia B i rt h Services, LLC

lena@cascadiabirth.com
503.307.8614

Welcome!

I am thrilled to be a part of the Nurture community. As a doula and Montessori-trained educator, I love collaborating with families to support the full potential of human development.

I offer labor and postpartum doula services, with a specialization in adoption support. I am available to attend births for women who are considering or planning on placing for adoption, and for adult adoptees who may be processing emotions around the experience of pregnancy and birth. I also provide post-placement support for adoptive families in both domestic and international adoption. As a trans-national adoptee, I believe strongly that all members of the adoption constellation benefit from compassionate, non-judgmental support as they move through their experiences around adoption.

I came to doula work through several close friends who are midwives. Their excitement and passion for serving women’s birth needs resonated deeply for me. The more I learned about their work, the more I considered how I might be able to use my skills and experience as a Montessori teacher to give individualized support to new families. I completed my postpartum doula training with CAPPA, and my labor doula training at Birthingway College of Midwifery, in Portland, OR. I am also completing the Certified Lactation Educator program through CAPPA, to better serve the needs of my breastfeeding postpartum clients. It is an honor and privilege for me to be able to provide support to women and their families during such an intense and intimate transition of their lives.

Aside from my own practice, I am the Portland coordinator for Full Spectrum Doulas, which will provide abortion doula services based on the model of the Doula Project, in NYC. Currently I am collaborating with Adoption Mosaic to develop training opportunities for doulas interested in working with birthparents and adoptive families. I also volunteer as an advocate for Backline, a locally-based nation-wide pregnancy options counseling phone line.

When I am not doing doula work, I train in an Indonesian martial art form, Poekoelan Tjimindi Tulen, and instruct in the transported after-school and summer youth programs at One With Heart Tulen Center in SE Portland.

For more information, visit my website [www.cascadiabirth.com], or email me at lena@cascadiabirth.com

Heartwise Mamas: Supportive Group for Mamas Having a Difficult Time Settling into Motherhood

2010-09-26T20:17:00.000-07:00

This supportive group is:
For women who are having a rough start on their journey of motherhood. Through rich guided discussions, story-healing activities, and gentle interactions with their baby, mothers become attuned with emotions, thoughts, and needs and engage and bond with their baby.

If you are:

traumatized from a difficult birth experience

feeling Motherhood shock (this is not what I expected)

feeling disconnected from your baby

feeling isolated, stuck, unsure, exhausted, or overwhelmed

searching for the missing you that you barely remember

...then this group is for you.

This group starts October 24th and will meet weekly at 12:30pm-1:45pm in 5 week segments. $20/group meeting or $90/5 group meetings. Please call or e-mail Mychelle Moritz to register 971-344-7527 or mychelle@nurturepdx.org

The Birth Mother Experience: A Panel Discussion

2010-09-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

Adoption, and rhetoric about adoption, is finding its way into mainstream media more often these days. The recent airing of several documentaries on adoption and its impacts on all members of the adoption constellation are raising challenging questions about the ethics of adoption as well as the very real impacts it has on individual families and children. And yet, even with all the recent media attention on adoption disruption, or the challenges that adoptive families and adoptees themselves face, the missing voice of birth parents rings loud and clear.

Consider joining Adoption Mosaic for its second annual Birth Mother Panel, held at OHSU on Saturday, October 2, 2010. The birth mother experience is an integral part of gaining a better understanding of adoption and the impact relinquishment may have on all members of the adoption constellation. Four local birth mothers, ranging in age from twenty-nine to sixty-eight years old, will tell their stories and share how their experiences have affected their lives in the past through the present. A question and answer session will follow the panel.

Here are some comments from last year's panel:

"I found it most helpful to see the change of how Birth Mothers are treated over the decades. it was also interesting to learn how giving up their child impacted their lives over the years." Professional

"There was integrity and openness. Really engaged and respectful audience. Great!" Birth Mother

"I think this is something that everyone included in adoption, including agencies, needs to hear." Adoptee

"These are voices I haven't heard before and I would like to hear even more from them and others like them. This was unbelievably helpful and useful." Adoptive Parent

"Invaluable information! You can't relate to these stories by reading only? This has to continue!" Adoptive Parent

"I felt it was very moving to hear the stories. It really made me feel for Birth Mothers when it is generally not something I think about. I wonder if my Mother's story is similar?" Adoptee

"I expected regret, but even in the Open Adoption experience the regret that was experienced was helpful to understand/hear." Prospective Adoptive Parent

"Wow, I am so glad that we are educating ourselves now before the process." Prospective Adoptive Parent

REGISTER VIA PAYPAL HERE (https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07e30xwd4d93c5816a&oseq=)

For more information, email Shelise at info@adoptionmosaic.org

Green Sprouts 2010

2010-09-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

It is time once again for the Green Sprouts Organic Baby and Family Fest. Come on over to Peninsula Park this Sunday, September 26th from 10am-5pm. A $3 suggested donation supports ICTC and the amazing work they do empowering families and healthcare professionals to support maternal and infant wellness.

This year, Nurture will have two featured activities at the festival. Mychelle Moritz of Heartworks together with Stephanie Sandmeyer of KAIROS Narrative Facilitation will be over at the Story Book Nook hosting the workshop: Telling Your Baby's Story. Melissa Cole of Luna Lactation will be hosting the Luna Lactation Station for breastfeeding mamas to relax and nurse their babies at any time during the event.

Story Book Nook: Telling Your Baby's Story
What stories of your baby and your experience as a new parent do you want to preserve? Which stories from your own babyhood do you wish you knew? What do you wish you knew about your parent's experience of new parenthood? Join us at the Story Book Nook at the Green Sprouts Festival to sift out, piece together, and begin to hold on to the stories about your baby that you want to preserve for now and share with them someday.

Luna Lactation Station: Sponsored by Luna Lactation
Need a comfy place to sit down and nurse your little one while enjoying the festival? Swing by Luna Lactation’s cozy booth to get off your feet, nurse and visit with other moms! Luna Lactation will have a lactation consultant on site, a raffle, games, handouts and more!

Less is More

2010-09-12T21:20:00.001-07:00

Cross-posted at: http://cascadiabirth.com/2010/08/30/less-is-more/

This is a lesson I continue to learn, in various ways. Sometimes it might mean going through my closet or bookshelf and letting go of things I no longer use. Sometimes it means looking at my various commitments and deciding to cut back a bit, creating more time for myself and my family. I think it's a common goal for many, especially parents who are already overwhelmed with so many expectations.

Over the next few blog posts I'd like to explore this idea of less being more, and how it might help your family regain a little balance. My first offering is actually a blog post by a fellow Montessori teacher, Marcy Hogan, down in California, who wrote a wonderful post about cutting back on the number of toys she has available for her young son. Marcy writes:

I know I've noticed a difference in the quality of play in my toddler when I keep the number of available toys low versus the days when I try to buy myself "extra time" by bringing out more toys. If he only has a few toys out, he'll choose one or two and play with them for much longer periods of time. When I bring out a boxful of toys, he'll get excited about all those toys to play with… but then quickly tires of them and looks for something else to do.

photo by Marcy Hogan

I notice the same thing for myself. My husband sighs knowingly when I come home from the library with a stack of twenty books. Although I'm a voracious reader, it's inevitable that I will start reading three at a time…and maybe, if I'm lucky, finish one. Paring down on the options makes decision-making much easier, allowing for a deeper level of engagement. It's a process for sure (as anyone who comes over right now to see my night stand will tell you), but definitely something to work towards.

Check out Marcy's article, then come back and tell me what you think. Share your ideas for simple toys, or strategies for cutting back when the toy box starts overflowing. If you're in Portland, you might consider participating in this toy and clothing swap at the Green Sprouts Family Fest on September 26th.

Lena Wood, labor & postpartum doula

Cascadia Birth Services, LLC
lena@cascadiabirth.com

www.cascadiabirth.com

503.307.8614

Time Windows: A Workshop honoring story sharing, oral history and assemblage art

2010-09-11T18:14:00.001-07:00

Would you like to create a piece of art using the junk of everyday life? Have you wanted to record your story, but haven’t made time yet to do so?

Please join Stephanie Sandmeyer, owner of KAIROS Narrative Facilitation for a three-part workshop that will utilize both oral history and assemblage art as vehicles for not only the preservation of life experience, but as a tool for emotional growth and empowerment. Participants collect common objects from their daily lives for inclusion in their assemblage art shadowbox between sessions.

The orientation session is Sunday, October 10^th from 2:30-3:30. In the second session we’ll create our Time Windows on Sunday, October 24^th from Noon-3 p.m. Both sessions will be held at Nurture at 1614 NE Alberta, Portland, Oregon 97211.

In the third session, participants will have the opportunity for a private, recorded oral history interview focusing on the objects they chose for inclusion in their assemblage piece. Interviews will be scheduled at the participant’s convenience.

For more information regarding KAIROS and Stephanie, please visit: www.kairosnarrative.com and to sign up for the workshop, email Stephanie at: kairosnarrative@spiritone.com or call (503) 234-2111.

Workshop cost is $50. Join us for this unique family and community building event!

Luna Lactation September Newsletter - Milk Banking, Survey, Green Sprouts

2010-09-10T13:08:00.001-07:00

If you are having difficulty viewing this newsletter, please click here.

*News & Events

Client Satisfaction Survey

We are honored to support families and feedback helps us
better serve the community! If you have received services from Luna Lactation,
Click here to take survey

(pretty please...it is short, just 10 questions...we promise!)

Green Sprouts
Organic Baby and Family Fest

Sept.26th, 2010

10AM-5PM

Peninsula Park, Portland

Luna Lactation will be the official “lactation station” atGreen Sprouts! So, enjoy the festival fun and then swing by our booth to get off your feet, nurse and visit with other moms! We’ll have a raffle, games, Q&A, handout goodies and more!

On Sept. 23rd, the NW Mothers Milk Bank will be hosting a fundraising event
that will help establish a milk bank here in the Pacific
NW.

What is a milk bank? We are all pretty familiar with donating blood to blood banks and milk banks are pretty similar. A milk bank collects and
dispenses donated human milk which goes to premature or sick babies whose mothers may not have enough of their own milk. Some milk banks also provide milk for other therapeutic, medical uses like
treatment for adult patients with Crohn's, etc.

Why should you care aboutmilk banks? As a society, we should care very much about the health of our medically
fragile patients and babies that could benefit from
human milk. There is a
documentary being made called, “Prescription Milk”. I urge you to watch the
educational, inspirational film trailer about this critical topic.

A premature baby’s
hospital stay can cost up to $2000/day and babies that receive human milk are usually able to get discharged much earlier than their formula fed counterparts. So, you
better believe that breastfeeding saves lives and money. Donated human milk matters!

We are all pretty familiar with the benefits of breastmilk but the cost of sick or premature babies not getting breastmilk is
even more staggering. Less breast milk for these fragile patients means more hospitalizations,
more illness/disease and higher health care costs that impact us all. There are many opinions
surrounding healthcare
these days but the bottom line is that affordable healthcare begins with breastfeeding! On average
the US could save $3.6 billion by simply
increasing the rates of babies exclusively getting breastmilk.

When babies have a
medical need for
supplemental nutrition
beyond what their
mothers can provide, we are lucky to have feeding
options. A much safer
option over infant formula exists, donor human milk!
Unfortunately there is not enough donor milk for all
babies in need so here’s how you can help:

· Support the NW
Mothers Milk Bank; get
involved, donate time, money, milk!

· Read about milk banks, and donating and/or using donor milk

· If formal milk donation isn’t an option, consider Milk Share, a site
dedicated to informed
consent milk-sharing.

Contact: www.lunalactation.com Tel.360.830.MILK(6455) or Email
Have you received support from Luna Lactation? Email Or Click here to take survey .
If you do not wish to receive emails from Luna Lactation, unsubscribe now

Cesarean Scars Shared

2010-09-10T00:53:00.000-07:00

For mamas who have had cesarean births, on CesareanScar.com you will find a place to share your story and a picture of your scar. This is a website much like The Shape of a Mother but is dedicated solely to cesarean scars. The creator of CesareanScar.com started the site to provide a space for cesarean scars to find their voice. The pictures and stories, as the site creator writes, tell "tender, painful, wonderful, awful stories".

Pearls passed on

2010-09-08T00:22:00.000-07:00

A candle loses none of its light by lighting another candle. ~Unknown

International Plastic Quilt Project

2010-09-04T22:04:00.000-07:00

Nurture is joining the challenge to avoid single use plastics for 1 week by participating in the International Plastic Quilt Project#E82010. Any plastic that makes it into our lives during that week we make into an art piece that will be added to the quilt and displayed during First Thursday in the Pearl District.

Who will join us?

Join by registering at the International Plastic Quilt Project page (by October 17th). Make sure you list Nurture for the group, and then send an e-mail to us info@nurturepdx.org to let us know that you will be participating. Bring your artwork to Nurture on October 23rd at 12:30pm (right before the Who Does She Think She Is? screening); we can get a group photo of all of our pieces, and then I will deliver them to Create Plenty by the due date (October 25th).

Nurture is a gathering of families, wellness professionals, and community members who are coming together to promote the wellness of growing families and community. We believe that families are healthier when they are informed, connected, and empowered. Healthy communities grow healthy families, and we are working together to enhance the existing resources in Portland, OR.

We are participating in this project because we are concerned about the amount of toxins that our children are exposed to through plastics and the impact that plastics have on our planet. By decreasing the amount of plastics we bring into our homes, we are decreasing the exposure to those toxins and working towards eliminating the "need" for plastics in this world. This project is a great first step!

The International Plastic Quilt Project opening in Portland will be on November 4th.

Learning to Sign with Shira from Tiny Talkers

2010-08-31T22:27:00.000-07:00

You can read all about the benefits and joys of signing with your baby on Tiny Talkers website. I know it has been a uniquely connecting experience for some of my friends with their babies.

I am thankful for Shira of Tiny Talkers for allowing me to share this Sign of the Week: PEACH.

More pictures from the Big Latch On

2010-08-18T00:28:00.000-07:00

Learning to sign with Shira from Tiny Talkers

2010-08-16T21:22:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to learn sign language, it is such a beautiful way to communicate. Beyond communicating with pre-verbal infants, I think sign language is an important language for children and adults to learn. When my son was 2 years old, he was really smitten with the alphabet. I taught him how to sign each of the letters, and he was doubly smitten. I think both of my children, even though they are older and talking, would love to learn to sign. So, I will be sharing Shira's videos and hoping to learn them myself and teach them to my children.

You can read all about the benefits and joys of signing with your baby on Tiny Talkers website. I know it has been a uniquely connecting experience for some of my friends with their babies.

I am thankful for Shira of Tiny Talkers for allowing me to share her Sign of the Week each week. (By the way...If you haven't met Shira, you really should! She is such a witty mama; her musings never fail to provoke a good laugh!)

And We Latched...

2010-08-14T00:04:00.000-07:00

Raise your hand when you are latched!

Last week, 21 nursing mothers, 3 witnesses, and many little ones gathered at Nurture for the Big LatchOn. At 10:30am, with Timeanddate.com's help with synchronization, we joined 498 other Portland mamas in latching. One of our nurslings was not interested in latching, so we had 20 latches, making the official total 518 mamas all breastfeeding at thesame time in Portland.

We had a great time connecting with each other and sharing stories about our breastfeeding experiences. My favorite story of the day was from this mama who told us that her grandparents owned the house we are in! She told us that when she heard about the Big Latch On, she checked out the venues site list and was surprised when she saw that Nurture was at 1614 NE Alberta! She told me that the house still smells the same, which is amazing as our sense of smell is the strongest memory-inducing senses. I loved hearing about the memories of when she would be invited to visit her grandfather in his study, which was a privilege. His study is now one of our massage and acupuncture rooms. She came to join us with her daughter bringing a new generation to her grandparent's house, and so the great-granddaughter has been welcomed into the house.

A special thank you to our witnesses: Sarah, Juliette, and Lindsay and my Nurture co-organizer, Melissa Cole! Thank you to Joanne Edwards fro organizing this city-wide event. And most of all, thank you to all of the mothers and babies who came out to make the first Big Latch On in Portland such a fun and successful event.

I will post more pictures when I figure out how to connect my camera to this computer. And...in case you are wondering, the Got Breastmilk? t-shirt in the picture above is on sale at Milagros. They also have bumper stickers.

Who will be latching with us on Friday?

2010-08-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

Happy World Breastfeeding Week!

If you are a nursing mama, join us at Nurture for the Big Latch On on Friday.

Please arrive at 10 am so that we can get everyone registered and settled for the big count!

We will have yummy treats, tea, and goodies for the children and mamas.

You don't have to be nursing to support breastfeeding! Breastfeeding is not always as easy as it might seem. Here are just a few ways that family and friends can support nursing mamas:

Encourage health care providers & communities to support the 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding
Play with siblings to allow mom and baby some quiet time to get comfortable breastfeeding
Offer a pillow to help with good breastfeeding positioning & posture
Offer a glass of water, breastfeeding makes moms thirsty!
Offer a snack
Offer resources, if needed, such as contact information for lactation consultants, local La Leche League groups, Kellymom.com, Nursing Mother's Counsel, MOBI, local milk banks
Know the laws and breastfeeding rights and stand up for a breastfeeding mom being harassed in public
Encourage your workplace to become a "Breastfeeding Mother Friendly Employer" (don't make them pump in the bathrooms, please!!!)

Another Belated Welcome, Welcome Krista Arias

2010-07-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

I am still playing catch-up: Krista also joined Nurture during the great website migration. Krista also provided baskets full of love and support with said website journey. Thank you and welcome, Krista.

*Nurture Outreach Committee*

Mamas:

You can mother from a deep place of peace and knowing…… without all the worry.

You’re loving being, or becoming, a mama and you want to nourish your whole being: emotions body mind spirit. You want the best for your children. You want your family to be radiant. You want your community to be collaborative and connected. You are excited about connecting with the natural rhythms of your body and the earth, and finding harmony in the midst of a chaotic and disconnected world….

And yet, you have these niggling (or downright naggling) worries that you can’t shake completely, no matter how much advice or support you get….. I know how easy it is to feel overloaded by even the best advice and information. Its no wonder many women resign themselves to doing it all and neglecting their own needs, or give up, feeling isolated and inadequate.

So, wanna-be Earth Mamas….. I promise you, there is another way. A way in which you are the heroine of the story and your worries are attended to rather than dismissed. Where you grow effortlessly into your own rhythm, and that blossoms outward to your partner, your children, your community….. to the whole world.

Sound like what you long for??? learn more

MamaMuse is for:

expectant, new, and seasoned mothers
daughters and future mothers
working mamas
empty-nesters
grandmothers

and people who value:

Family and Community
Honesty and Healing
Commitment and Connection
Traditional Earth-Based Wisdom
DIY Simplicity and Sustainability
Inquiry and Contemplation
oh yeah, and Butter

get my newsletter: THE weekly WORRY STONE

learn more: www.mamamuse.com

Nurture Belatedly Welcomes Sunny Jaynes

2010-07-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

Sunny joined Nurture during the long period of website transition, so we haven't extended a proper welcome. Sorry about that and welcome, Sunny!

sunnyprojects@gmail.com

503-422-5417

*Nurture Center Coordination Committee*

I am an acupuncturist, herbalist, and shiatsu practitioner certified by the Oregon Medical Board and National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. From my lifelong love of nature, I was drawn to become a healer. Chinese medicine has affirmed my intuition that the earth’s body is our body and that healing happens naturally.

I feel grateful that this work draws on her creative side. Meeting with each patient is like starting a new song with two composers. It is my firm belief that practitioner and patient walk the healing path side by side.

As a free school teacher and a nanny and a midwifery school dropout and now acupuncturist and herbalist, I have always felt connected to my work with families. I am especially interested in women’s health as it pertains to fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum and ongoing mother care.

I find balance in hmy own life through being a musician, connecting spirit with nature, being in active community, and growing her own organic, vital food.

Papas against violence = love

2010-07-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

Violence against women is an issue near and dear to my heart. The Real M.E.N.'s Project based in Jackson, MI has been working to spread the message that fathers need to teach their children that "Real men don't hit." This year, centered around Father's Day, The Real M.E.N.'s Project held a photography contest that combined heartwarming photographs of men showing love to their children with a pledge to claim responsibility in being a crucial factor to end domestic and sexual violence. Powerful stuff. Here is to ending all forms of violence against women.

Nurture Welcomes Brittney McAlmond

2010-07-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hi and thanks for checking me out on the Nurture blog!

I became interested in massage therapy after studying alternative medicine recreationally for some time. I love the body's amazing ability to heal and grow and wanted to work in an environment that supported that. Combined with a love of working with my hands, I found massage therapy to be the perfect way to express this support of wholeness in the individual.

I graduated from the Massage Therapy program at Everest Institute in Tigard, Oregon in 2009. The schooling consisted of 800 hours of training; bookwork as well as hands on. I received my license in the state of Oregon soon after, and became a professional member of the American Massage Therapy Association. I was practicing massage early in 2010 as well as continuing my education through the Oregon School of Massage. Recently I created the company Phi Massage, and you can visit my website at www.phi4massage.com.

I am excited to become a part of the Nurture family and to work with its members! Right now new clients receive a $15 discount off my regular prices and I also offer a free 30 minute consultation for those who would like to know how massage can benefit them personally before they commit to seeing a therapist.

Brittney McAlmond LMT #16777

(503) 720 - 5698

www.phi4massage.com

A Year of Mandalas

2010-07-12T02:15:00.000-07:00

Mychelle Moritz of Heartworks is excited to announce the availability of A Year of Mandalas!

A Year of Mandalas is a journaling experience for you to express yourself by creating weekly mandalas for one year (with a few extras just in case you need them).

This journaling experience will bring creativity forth from your heart. The journal is for you to use in whichever way you feel moved; feel free to alter it inside and out. As you embrace this year, I invite you to step inside your sacred circle. Within the circle there is a center, there is balance, and there is containment, all of which reflect wholeness, healing, and growth.

If you would like to share parts of your journal, please send a picture in .jpg format 164 x 164 pixels to mandalas@heartworkspdx.com. Mychelle will be creating a mandala gallery page to display any mandalas sent in.

Celebrate Breastfeeding and Break the Record for the Most Women Breastfeeding Simultaneously!

2010-07-10T20:54:00.000-07:00

Are you a nursing mama? Join us for Portland's Big Latch On, and help break the record for the most women breastfeeding simultaneously!

All over Portland, OR nursing mamas will be celebrating breastfeeding and World Breastfeeding Week together as we have fun while making history. We will be putting Portland on the map as one of the world's most breastfeeding-supportive cities as we try to see how close Portland can get to the world record of the most women in one city breastfeeding at the same time. To add to the fun a bit, our first goal is to see if we can beat New Zealand's record of 1299 mamas breastfeeding at the same time. I think we can!

Nurture is one of the many registered venues; find one close to you and join in the fun! There will be refreshments, prize packages, and an opportunity to connect with other mamas. If you feel shy about breastfeeding in public, this will be a wonderful event to get out and give it a try with support all around! Melissa Cole of Luna Lactation will be at Nurture providing her warm encouragement and breastfeeding wisdom.

The Big Latch On is on Friday, August 6th, 2010

Please arrive at 10am so we can register and get settled before the big count down at 10:30am.

For more information about the Big Latch On: http://biglatchonpdx.weebly.com/

Latest News

2010-07-07T21:56:00.001-07:00

Whew. There is so much going on over here at Nurture; I feel like the my brain is riding the Tilt-a-Whirl. Here is a mini-update for anyone who has been missing our posts:

The Family Wellness Lending Library has almost 200 items. We are searching for the perfect shelves to house this fabulous collection. The inventory list should be up next week. Keep an eye out for it!

The NE Homegoods Library is almost ready to launch too! We have 1/2 of the inventory from the designated grant funds and way, way, more than I ever expected from generous donations! I met with Tom over at the NE Portland Tool Library today, and he had many words of wisdom and a check-out system program to share. Thank you, Tom and NEPTL!

Our website is finally making the BIG migration to a new host. There have been a few bumps in this transition, but everything should be smooth by next week (fingers crossed, feel free to join in the finger crossing!). In the meantime, the almost complete new site is up at www.nurturepdx.org Thank you for your support and patience as we move everything over. If you have sent an e-mail to one of the Nurture addresses and have not received a reply, try the same address with .org at the end.

Some other exciting news is that we just registered with Supportland and are eagerly awaiting cards to hand out to you! If you haven't heard about Supportland yet, you should check out their website for all of the fabulous details and get yourself pre-registered soon!

There is more up our *crafty*resourceful*community-minded* sleeves coming soon, but that is enough for now. I do not want to Tilt-a-Whirl your brain.

Honeybee Doula Meeting

2010-06-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

Calling all Doula's :)...are you a doula who is interested in becoming apart of a community of doulas? Honeybee Doula's was founded by two beautiful Portland women who are interested in helping women have the births they desire. Just as bee's work together in community, Honeybee Doula's is a growing community of doula's who share similar view's on birth and who trust the birth process. As a community of doula's, we can help support one another, educate one another and reach more women!

If you want to Bee :) a Honeybee Doula or if you are interested in learning more about what it will look like working together as a community of doula's, please join us at Nurture...

When: Sunday June, 27th from 1:30-3:30 pm
Where: Nurture 1614 NE Alberta St. www.nurturepdx.com
Contacts: Serena Lynch 971-221-6251 or Leah Hansen 503-730-3577

Nurture Membership & NE Homegoods Library Volunteers

2010-06-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

Hello Nurture Community,

Over the past two years, we have been growing and working towards realizing our vision for community. As a group, we have decided to create a formal membership to make the community more inclusive and to provide a way for our members to benefit from all of the resources we have available. We are finally ready to launch our formal membership!

For Nurture families, the membership benefits include

free access to our family wellness library (with already 176 books, CDs, DVDs, etc.)
free access to our Homegoods Library
free/exclusive discount access to special workshops, special promotions
Community Partner discounts.
We are working on a system for a child helper to help parents during appointments; this service will also be for members only.

Family membership is only

$30/yr. OR
$20/yr + 1 Timedollar/year OR
$10/year + 3 Timedollars/year OR
become a Nurture Volunteer and receive free membership (minimum commitment is 5 hours/month for each membership month...you are also eligible for Timedollars for time you contribute above and beyond).

*If you do not know what Timedollars are, please visit the Timebank website (www.pdxtimebank.org) or e-mail Molly Fitzpatrick at Molly@nurturepdx.com*

To become a Nurture Member, please contact us at info@nurturepdx.com or call Mychelle (971) 344-7527

If you own a local business and would like to become a Community Partner, please e-mail us at info@nurturepdx.com for more information.

AND...

We have received our grant award and many donations for the Homegoods Library, and I am looking for volunteers to help get it set-up and going.

If anyone is interested, please send me an e-mail mychelle@nurturepdx.com

We specifically need help with listing inventory, organizing the inventory, setting up the check-out system, and volunteers to help with library pick-ups/drop-offs.

Relating Joyfully with Children workshop

2010-06-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

Relating Joyfully with Children

Sunday, June 27, 2010, 2-4 pm.

Free workshop. Any donations will go directly towards BirthMatters.info educational and outreach efforts.

In this interactive workshop, we aim toward the goal of relating with children in ways that are joyful, present, mindful, respectful, and supportive of both our own and children's needs. Through discussion and exercises, we'll work together on actively engaging in healthy, nonviolent relationships with young people, including:

being a good ally for children (our own or others'),
identifying needs,
being in touch with our needs,
playfulness using tools for support,
recruiting resources,
being a good ally for parents,
and handling tantrums and other "uncomfortable" parenting experiences.

We welcome all adults who would like to relate joyfully with children, including parents, grandparents, teachers, and other caregivers.

Presenter:

Ryan McAllister is a long-time parent- and child-advocate. He co-parents a child with a rare genetic variation and significant developmental differences. Ryan has co-founded several relationship building organizations and projects, including:

NotJustSkin.org, an all-volunteer organization that supports the physical and emotional well being of parents, children, and communities.
Maitri House, a family-inclusive intentional community in the DC area that operates by values- based consensus.
The Human Support Group, a twice-monthly practice and support group for people of all ages.

Ryan has over six years of experience in Nonviolent Communication, mindfulness, peer counseling, and parenting by connection. He also serves as research faculty at Georgetown University studying the biophysics of invasive cancer cells.

This free workshop is hosted by BirthMatters.info and Nurture PDX, two Oregon based organizations.

It will be held at:

North Winds Canvas 7911 NE 33rd Dr. Ste 390 Portland, OR 97211

The space is directly across from the Oregon Food Bank, and is being provided by North Winds Canvas. Pre-registration is recommended so that we have an idea of how many people to expect. You do not need to create an account to register, simply click on the link in the Register for Events menu.

http://www.birthmatters.info http://www.nurturepdx.org

Honeybee Doula Meeting

2010-06-09T19:10:00.001-07:00

Spread the word...missing child Kyron Horman

2010-06-07T22:35:00.000-07:00

Kyron Horman has been missing since Friday. He is a classmate of my friend's daughter. Please help spread the word...the more people who see his picture, the better chance that someone will recognize him and be able to help.

Endangered Missing

KYRON HORMAN

Case Type: Endangered Missing
Missing since: June 04, 2010
Age: 7

D.O.B. Sept 7, 2002
Location: Portland, Oregon
Height: 3'8"
Weight: approx. 50 lbs
Gender: M
Race: White/Caucasian
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Blue

Case Number: NCMC1149070

The second-grader and his step-mom were at Skyline Elementary before 8 in the morning Friday. She took him around the school to look at the various science fair projects. At 8:45, Kyron said he was going to his class so his step-mom left. She told police she last saw him walking toward his classroom.

He was last seen wearing a pair of black cargo pants, white socks,
black Sketcher sneakers and a black CSI t-shirt.

Anyone with information of Kyron is asked to call the Multnomah County Sheriff

tip-line at

503-261-2847

You can help the police.

They have requested that anyone living in a 5 mile radius search their yards and property.
Check outbuildings, under porches, automobiles, old appliances. Anything that a child may crawl into. If you find anything out of the ordinary "do not touch it".

Contact the police immediately.

They request the public do not come to the search area.

*******

If you have a facebook account please add Kyron's photo as your profile picture.

The more people that see his face the better the chance he is found.

You may click the facebook link here to get the photo. Please add his facebook page.

Missing Kyron facebook page

Nurture Open House: May 29th

2010-05-18T22:41:00.001-07:00

We welcome you to join us for our open house on

Saturday, May 29th

from noon to 3:00 pm

Come and meet our community

Learn more about our new programs

and ways to get involved

Enjoy delicious brunch eats

Raffle prizes and demonstrations of

acupuncture, massage, and more...

P.S. Bring a new or gently used children's book for the May book drive!

Book Drive...Easy ways to give

2010-05-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to bring in any new or gently used books with you to Nurture when you visit. Just drop them off in the box on the stairwell landing. If you aren't planning on being at Nurture anytime soon, you can also bring your books to Green Bean Books or Milagros!

Green Bean Books is offering a 10% discount on any books purchased for the book drive.

Art Hop is next weekend, May 15th! Join the festivities, see great art, and drop off some books!

Sunday Parkways is the next day, May 16th! Nurture will be at Wilshire Park (NE Shaver & 33rd) with a diaper changing station, nursing area, and a box for book donations! Get out with the family, ride, stop by to say hello, and drop off some books!

Miscarriage stories

2010-05-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

May 2nd was International Babylost Mother's Day. For all the mamas out there whose child/ren have died...you are a beautiful mother!

Courtney at Full Moon's Daughter shares about her experience with miscarriage and inviting others who have experienced miscarriage to share art, poetry, and stories on her blog. For more information or to share a piece, e-mail Courtney at courtney@fullmoonsdaughter.com

May Day Book Drive

2010-04-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Community:

Do you have gently used children’s books that your family has outgrown? Would you like to see those books in the hands of children who do not have their own books?

The Children’s Book Bank is a charitable organization whose mission is to provide gently used books and literacy support to the children of low- income families in Portland. The Children’s Book Bank is aimed at preschool children in Head Start classrooms and the books are available to the children free of charge.

The Children’s Book Bank is appealing to communities in Portland to help it build and sustain its inventory of books by donating gently used children’s books. Milagros, Green Bean Books, and Nurture have teamed up to host a May Day book drive to continue New Season’s Earth Day Book Drive efforts for the Children's Book Bank. The May Day Book Drive will run from May 1, 2010-June1, 2010. Our goal is to collect 1000 books!

Please help us to support The Children’s Book Bank by donating your gently used children’s books. Please take care to ensure that the donated books are gently used and are suitable for early readers and preschool aged children. No teen novels or adult books please. There will be drop boxes at Milagros, Green Bean Books, and Nurture.

Thank you for your interest and support!

For further information on this drive contact Jennifer Green at Jennifer@greenbeanbooks.com or Mychelle at Mychelle@nurturepdx.com

For further information on The Children’s Book Bank you may contact Shannon Schrecengost at shannons@childrensbookbank.com or visit its website at www.childrensbookbank.org.

Moving on over...

2010-04-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

As our new website takes shape, everything is being moved over to the new site. This blog will be moving over there too and can be found at this address. If you receive the posts via e-mail, you will also automatically receive the posts from the new blog. Our new website is not complete yet, but we are starting to use it now because several of our new projects are being started there. The new site is being built on www.nurturepdx.org, but as soon as we have everything moved over both our new and old (www.nurturepdx.com) web addresses will go tot he same place. Thank you for your patience during this transition! We are really excited about all of the changes taking place.

This blog will remain active for archive and resource purposes.

NE Family Household Goods Library...coming soon!

2010-04-07T21:52:00.000-07:00

Nurture will soon be opening a household goods library, thanks to a generous grant award from the City of Portland's Planning and Sustainability Portland Recycles! Grant Program! Also thank you to Dre Davey at Swap-n-Play for her mentorship in getting our library seed planted and sprouted.

What is a household goods library?

Good question! Inspired by Swap-n-Play’s North Portland Preserve and Serve as well as the local Tool Libraries, we have been gathering equipment and supplies to create a sister Household Goods Library for NE Portland neighborhoods .

To start, our Household Goods Library will have:

A Serve Collection: 100 place settings (dishes, bowls, cups, forks, spoons, knives, cloth napkins, etc.), which can be checked out when you have a party or large function to encourage you to forgo using disposables.
10 food dehydrators,
2 steam juicers,
8 canning kits (4 pressure canners and 4 waterbath canners + utensils),
food preservation books.
Our e-village Feeding the Family forum is designed to provide a space for recipe exchange, nutritional information, green living practices, and a place to provide education about preserving and sharing resources.
We will also be offering at least two classes per year on food preservation.

We hope to expand our inventory, in and out of the kitchen-related supplies, through donations and other funding sources. If you would like to donate an appliance, gadget, book, or other related item that is in good working condition, please let us know (info@nurturepdx.com). Items on our wish list include:

sewing machines
large mixers
food processors
bread machines
ice cream makers
small spinning wheel and hand spindles
table top looms

How will it work?

We are creating an on-line system for reserving the equipment. This will be located on our website when the library is opened. (We will post an announcement!) Members (more info. coming soon) of Nurture, Community Partners (more info coming soon), and local non-profits will be able to access the library at no cost.

NE Portland community members are welcome to use the

library with a sliding scale fee of $5-30 or 1-5 Timedollars. You will be required to register with the library prior to borrowing.

Accepted donations of equipment will allow free access to the library for 5 years. The fees will help us to maintain the equipment and further our inventory, and we hope to eliminate all fees eventually. Upon return of the equipment, you will be asked (via e-mail) to fill out a simple questionnaire to help us quantify the waste prevention benefits the library is fulfilling.

More information about accessing the library will be available on our website when the library opens, but you can peek at Preserve and Serve's Borrowing Rules to get an idea (although we will have slightly different rules, you will get the picture).

Why do we need a household good library?

To paraphrase Dre's beautiful explanation: By offering this resource to the community, we will be significantly reducing the amount of paper plates and cups, plastic cutlery, and disposable napkins that end up in our landfills. We anticipate that approximately 100 NE Portland households will access the library per year. With 100 place settings in the Serve Collection, we estimate that 2 events per week will be covered. That equals 5200 less disposable cups, plates, cutlery settings, and napkins in our landfills each year.

As more households learn to preserve food and have access to needed equipment, fewer cans, jars, and plastic containers will be disposed of because canning jars can be reused year after year and dehydrated foods and juices from the juicers can be stored in reusable containers and bottles.

And sharing is good for you, our community, and our fabulous planet!

Thank you City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability!

Midwifery and Maternal-Child Health Educators Conference

2010-04-04T22:44:00.000-07:00

Midwifery and Maternal-Child Health Educators Conference

Hello!

We are happy to announce our upcoming midwifery conference, "Keeping the Heart of Mother Care," which will be held in Portland, Oregon from June 16th-June 20th, 2010. This conference is going to be a delightful event, with featured speaker Bonnie Gruenberg, CNM, WHNP, MSN. She is the author of the award-winning books, Birth Emergencies Skills Training (BEST) Manual for Out of Hospital Providers and Essentials of Prehospital Maternity Care. Also featured at our conference is Melissa Cheyney, Ph.D., LDM, CPM, author of the upcoming book, Born at Home: The Biological, Cultural and Political Dimensions of Maternity Care in the United States. We really have an amazing group of speakers. Please take a look here for more information on our speakers.

This conference is a great opportunity for continuing and initial education, with three different tracks. The first is for midwifery and birth educators, and includes classes such as "Training Doulas," "Technology in Education," and "Teaching Research Methods to Midwifery Students." The second track is for practicing and student midwives and includes such classes as "Baby Done a Bad Thing: Common Neonatal Problems," "Herbs for Childbearing," and "Twins and Breeches Emergency Review." For the third track, we have focused on lactation and birth professionals. It includes classes such as "Optimal Start in Breastfeeding: Teaching Through Touch," "What is New in Postpartum Mood Disorders?" and "Therapeutic Communication." Don't forget to update your certifications with "Neonatal Resuscitation", "Legend Drugs and Devices," and "CPR." For detailed information on our sessions click here.

You don't want to miss this fabulous event, held at the Downtown Portland Embassy Suites, a beautiful hotel within walking distance from a waterfront park, world class shopping, art galleries, and a multitude of restaurants and cultural experiences.

We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at this exciting event! Please pass the word along to anyone who might be interested and visit our website here for more information. For the conference early registration rate, please register by March 15th, 2010, here.

Thanks for your time!

Sincerely,

Cortney McIntyre

Conference Coordinator

Midwifery and Maternal-Child Health Educators Conference

www.educatorsconference.com

cortney.mcintyre@educatorsconference.com