Grow Parents Madrid

does exist!

Unfortunately here in Spain, as in most other countries, obstetric violence does exist.

Thanks to many strong men and women this is luckily changing, little by little. One of those people is Marina from . She was my midwife during my first birth, and ever since she gained a fan. She does the heavy lifting. Not just the incredibly important support before, during and after birth, but the impactful awareness she campaigns through here ig account is key to changing the birthing protocols, standards, culture and expectations on all levels.

In an ideal world, it would be amazing to just be able "to go with the flow" when baby wants to come out and trust our care team to advocate in our best interest. Unfortunately, in reality a lot can go wrong when we put our trust in "others" for such an impactful event. Both emotionally and physically the parent(s) and baby are never-seen-before vulnerable during labour. And in such a delicate moment traumas are easily formed.

Things you can do:
🔸Inform yourself about the protocolos of your care team and hospital
🔸Talk to other parents who gave birth in that place and ask about their emotional experience (rater than asking only about the observable facts)
🔸Reflect on what your images and expectations are about your birth. Ask yourself where they come from (movies, mother's stories, ...) Do you like this images? How realistic are they?
🔸Inform yourself on what obstetric violence and respected birth means (a tip: it has nothing to do with wether it is a vaginal birth, a cesarean, medicated or all natural delivery. It is all related to the treatment of your physical and emotional needs during labour!).
🔸Hire a doula, coach or therapist that can help you with the emotional preparation. ( is an amazing doula in Madrid that can help you out!)
🔸If you did have a traumatic birth, seek help. You can contact me for more info and resources. Or if you prefer a therapist is a great place to start!

📷 Photos taken by my 4 year old, with the enthusiasm of my 2 year old loving the t-shirt.

We're back with extra support for new & not-so-new-moms that might benefit from sharing & caring with other moms about the emotional challenges that come with motherhood. With the extra professional support from psychoanalist and mental health coach .life.coach

Contact us or reply to this post if you're interested!

We (re)start at the beginning of every month, so the timing is perfect to join us now for the February group!

Are you a dad and also want a group like this? Or ar you a couple and want to join us together? Contact us so we can start a new group!

A must read for all tired moms and dads! A little laugh, and most importantly a great reminder we too need to be cared for 🍰😴

𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐲 is coming up. Wouldn’t it be nice if we used this day as an opportunity to mindfully connect to our mommy spirit? ⁣ ⠀⠀⁣

May your baby's kisses and hugs fill your heart with joy. ⠀⠀⠀
May your baby's smiles give you wings to fly. ⁣
May you feel that their unconditional love warms your whole being. ⁣
May you register how unique it is that they call you mama. ⁣
May you realise how much they look at you and see a super hero.⁣ ⁣

Even if this day isn’t your day to feel it, there will always be tomorrow. And the day after. And the ones thereafter. ⁣ ⁣

Our Grow Parents’ team wishes all the incredible mamas a happy mother’s day!⁣ ⁣

This is a little reflection of our founder and Life Coach, who is at home with her husband, baby son and toddler daughter:

***
“My phone gets bombard by activities to do with kids at home, guidelines on how to stay healthy, jokes about the coronavirus and videos of professionals talking about all the detailed info they know until now about covid-19. I receive check-in messages from friends and family and see other professionals blooming during this strange quarantine period. My mind involuntarily creates millions of “I should” thoughts, triggered by the outside world. Although all of it is well intended, it somehow stresses me out.
After the 10nd day of quarantine at home, I came to a conclusion: "I need to do quarantine in my unique way, and I’ll adapt constantly according to my own experiences." This is a lesson I learned when I became a mother, and It’s a lesson I need to constantly remind myself of in life.

Quarantine is difficult. We're not always happy. We are faced with new and complicated challenges. And at the same time, we are doing great:
- my son learned to roll over, so he’s happily discovering the floor space of our apartment
- my daughter is rapidly developing her two home languages and I get to know her inner world as she can explain it better each day
- my husband and I are learning to be together again 24/7 and it’s showing us we are discovering a better way of communicating.

Can we use this period more efficiently, more constructively? Sure.
Though for me, when I’m being honest, I feel like we're actually doing GOOD ENOUGH!
So, why stress about the “should’s”? It’s a strange and unknown period. Accordingly, our days are weird and different. And, you know what? I think that’s totally fine!“
***

What makes your quarantine unique? How do you personalize this period? What works for you and your family? We invite you to look inside and stay close to your own well-being. Whatever that means for you is the only "should" you'll listen to.

Share your "mind vs reality" experience in the comments or private message and we'll share it as an image for other parents to read and feel reinforced in how normal and good enough they are.

Happy international women’s day, mamas (to be)!

On many levels we could strive for equality. Reality is only a woman’s body can grow an other human being. That is something unique and marvelous. Luckily it has been understood and appreciated a little bit more each day. And it's important to point out there's still room for growth. A day like this is a great reminder for it.

It is hard work being a woman, being a mama (to be). Let's remind ourselves there is always someone out there who loves you. And above all we'll celebrate womenhood and motherhood today!

Sweet parents(-to-be) of Madrid: we'd love to recommend the guided meditations by Char Tamason. Her Thursday sessions for parents and babies are true self-care moments to recenter and connect with yourself and your child. The Monday sessions, on the other hand, are perfect for winding down your body and mind. For those pregnant moms: the techniques she teaches will come in handy once you start your labour and want to stay connected to your body's wisdom!
https://www.facebook.com/healthbyintuition/

Health by Intuition Health by Intuition offers guided meditation classes, intuitive healing, intuitive coaching, and workshops online and in Thailand. It is for people who are ready to take action to improve their overall health and well-being in mind, body, and spirit.

At this workshop we will guide you to create your own unique postpartum care plan. We'll take a closer look at your needs, your support network and your relationship. Based on your personal aspects, you'll create a plan that you can share with your network and apply to your life. This workshops aims to make sure you get the support and care you need to be the thriving parent you can be.

Making a postpartum care plan is a helpful tool for expecting parents to realistically prepare for the postpartum period. Parents of small kids will be happy to get space and guidance to think about what is missing for them to feel good and enjoy their parenthood even more.

*At the event a photographer will be taking pictures of you and your baby/belly. These pictures will be used for marketing purposes for the Grow Parents emotional support groups. By partaking in the workshop you agree with these terms. All participants will gain access to the pictures for personal use after the event.

Pregnancy feels like a count down and you made it once your healthy baby is lying on your chest. The truth is, that moment that most pregnant parents consider to be the finish line is only the beginning of a whole new adventure.

Prepare yourself, not only for the birth, but very importantly for the post-partum period. You're going to be a new parent, overloaded with new information and unknown challanges.

We help you to prepare for the expected and unexpected changes that "life after giving birth" will bring you.

The January edition starts next Wednesday: 6 weeks of guided group conversations with a preset topic. You can register for all or single sessions: [email protected]

More info: www.nurturetogrow.com/growparents

Parents often feel overwhelmed by the newness of having a little baby joining the family. New information and experiences are torpedoed at you with no time to process it all.

We offer a safe space to hear yourself think and observe your feelings. Our experts, life coach and psychotherapist will help you navigate through the newness so you can discover your new identity as a parent.

Starting next Wednesday: 6 weeks of guided group conversations with preset topics.

Join all or single sessions. Register through [email protected]

More info: www.nurturetogrow.com/growparents