Laura Keller Birth Services

Building a Dream, Supporting a Community organized by Nikki Helms

https://www.gofundme.com/f/fcfec4-building-a-dream?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet

For anyone interested in supporting this project, it will be wonderful for our community. Nikki is working hard to open a Birth Center in central San Diego that will provide a safe, affordable, and welcoming option for birthing families.

Building a Dream, Supporting a Community organized by Nikki Helms First of all, thank you. Thank you to my community and my support network for hel… Nikki Helms needs your support for Building a Dream, Supporting a Community

Toting around my supplies is always a conversation starter. 😆

I spent the past few days at the Evidence Based Birth conference in Lexington, KY. What a remarkable experience! A big focus was how we can work to improve outcomes and experiences for people of color and other marginalized populations in birth (which are pretty dismal in the US overall). I also got to geek out about pelvic biomechanics and learned some great tools I’ll use to support people in pregnancy and labor. So grateful for the new perspectives and being able to surround myself with inspirational people doing such important work. 💗

Join us for a Holiday Diaper Drive - Birth Education Center

In the spirit of giving this holiday season, you might consider supporting this diaper drive for local families. We all know the cost of diapers really adds up, and some local babies do not have access to clean diapers when needed. One of many awesome things the BEC and Postpartum Health Alliance are doing to support families in San Diego!

Join us for a Holiday Diaper Drive - Birth Education Center The Birth Education Center and Postpartum Health Alliance have teamed up to gather donations of diapers and wipes for our local Father Joe’s Villages. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to join in the effort to keep these baby bottoms clean and dry! **Para obtener más información en español, v...

Had a wonderful time teaming up with Gaile and Gail from Made of Miracles Photography at this recent birth!

*second shooter Gail Edwards

This is what really happens behind the scenes of those cute newborn photo shoots.... 😜

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there. Wishing you love, health and happiness today. 💗

This was shared in a doula group I'm in and I can really relate to it as a mother. Birth is only the beginning of this wild journey. 💕

"The path of motherhood has a beginning, but no end. It’s constantly changing and constantly challenging. Along the way, we encounter our personal limits over and over. We fall in love over and over. We ride the sharp edge of hope and fear. On this path of discovery, as on any spiritual path, our pretensions are shattered, our minds are blown, and our hearts are opened. We cry, we laugh, we bumble around and make countless mistakes. Through it all, we are gently—or abruptly—poked into greater honesty, lovingkindness, and understanding. It is a truly joyful path.

The memory of [my child’s] birth has become a talisman that I hold in my heart as I journey deeper and deeper into motherhood. For these moments come again in every mother’s life—the times when we are asked to walk straight into our pain and fear, and in doing so, open up to a love that is greater than anything we ever could have imagined: all life’s beauty and wonder, as well as all the ways that things can break and go wrong…Again and again, motherhood demands that we break through our limitations, that we split our hearts open to make room for something that may be more than we thought we could bear. In that sense, the labor with which we give birth is simply a rehearsal for something we mothers must do over and over: turn ourselves inside out, and then let go."
~ Susan Piver

Gift to UC San Diego Will Establish San Diego’s First Mother’s Milk Bank

Lots of great news out of UCSD these days! Top notch new hospital with birth center open, $10.5 million new research project on health benefits of breast milk, now opening Southern California's first milk bank! I'm so excited to be teaching birth and breastfeeding classes
there. http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/feature/gift_to_uc_san_diego_will_establish_san_diegos_first_mothers_milk_bank

Gift to UC San Diego Will Establish San Diego’s First Mother’s Milk Bank This Week @ UC San Diego By Jade Griffin Sep 29, 2016 Subscribe Zachary and Hannah Johnson Gift to UC San Diego Will Establish San Diego’s First Mother’s Milk Bank Hannah and Zachary Johnson donate funds for launch of first milk bank in Southern California For newborn infants, research consistently…

What It Was Like Giving Birth in Every Decade Since the 1900s

https://www.facebook.com/UCSDHeartsandHandsVolunteerDoulaProgram/posts/819742948128847

What It Was Like Giving Birth in Every Decade Since the 1900s It's all to the same end — to get the baby here safely — but you'll be amazed at how many different (and, frankly, scary) paths we've taken to get there.

First Ever Breastfeeding Emoji Officially Approved - AND it's being Championed by UNICEF

I love this! Can't wait to use it 😃💗👍👏https://www.facebook.com/kellymomdotcom/posts/10155099377390139

First Ever Breastfeeding Emoji Officially Approved - AND it's being Championed by UNICEF It's official - breastfeeding has reached emoji-status. As one of the 30 most frequently requested missing emojis , the Unicode Consortium...

Thanks to Brianna at Buddha Baby for a fun and informative "Baby Wearing for Birth Workers" workshop! 💗 They have a ton of events and classes you can attend to learn all about the different ways to wear your little one safely and comfortably.

What women around the world take to the hospital when they give birth

This is so striking: http://mashable.com/2016/02/12/women-maternity-bag-world/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link

What women around the world take to the hospital when they give birth From a razor blade to cut the umbilical cord to plastic sheets for the hospital bed.

Creating Your Postpartum Plan

I had the privilege of being the "expert" panelist on a recent episode of the "Preggie Pals" podcast! Our topic was "Creating a Postpartum Plan". New Mommy Media has an app with some great podcasts for expecting parents! http://www.newmommymedia.com/episode/creating-your-postpartum-plan/

Creating Your Postpartum Plan In addition to caring for an amazing newborn baby, your postpartum period will almost certainly bring more stress and challenges than you anticipated. Preparing a postpartum plan can help make this transition into parenthood a bit smoother. So, what should you consider when creating your postpartum…

Doula Support For Pregnant Women Could Improve Care, Reduce Costs

Great article about doula support on NPR today! ❤️ http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/01/15/463223250/doula-support-for-pregnant-women-could-improve-care-reduce-costs?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20160116

Doula Support For Pregnant Women Could Improve Care, Reduce Costs Doulas provide emotional support for a woman through pregnancy and childbirth. A study finds that women with doulas are less likely to have cesarean or preterm births.

It's official! Laura Keller, ICCE =)

Orangutan dotes on zoo visitor's baby

I just love this little video: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/videos/orangutan-dotes-on-zoo-visitors-baby

Orangutan dotes on zoo visitor's baby A young mother shared a sweet moment with a captive orangutan when the ape took notice of the infant swaddled against her chest. [Video]

The Art Of Birth

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/30/world-birthing-traditions_n_7033790.html

The Art Of Birth The experience of giving birth is both universal and unique all at once. Although women have been doing it since the dawn of humanity, the process, politics and social norms around pregnancy and birth

Happy Mothers Day to all Moms and Moms-to-be! You are loved and appreciated every day.

What's Right About A 6-Year-Old Who Breast-Feeds

I was glad to hear this recent story on NPR about extended breastfeeding. The title is provocative, but it does put in perspective how little breastfeeding is encouraged in our culture, especially after your baby reaches the "recommended" age: http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2015/01/15/377384587/what-s-right-about-a-six-year-old-who-breastfeeds

What's Right About A 6-Year-Old Who Breast-Feeds A UK woman's breastfeeding of her school-aged daughter has caused a furor. Anthropologist Barbara J. King tells us why everyone should calm down — and why prolonged breastfeeding can be beneficial.

Why C-Section Rates In America Are Soaring

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/24/an-unnecessary-cut_n_5618150.html?&ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000041

Why C-Section Rates In America Are Soaring Currently, roughly one in three American babies are born via caesarean section. But according to The New Yorker's new short documentary, "An Unnecessary Cut?" this rate has majorly increased from the early 1970s, when only 5 percent of babi...

Just received my "broccoli" pin from UCSD - I'm officially a Lactation Educator! The broccoli is there because that's what the milk system inside a woman's breast resembles. :)

25 Of The Cutest Parenting Moments In The Animal Kingdom

Cute alert! Those otters get me every time. http://www.boredpanda.com/cute-animal-parenting/

25 Of The Cutest Parenting Moments In The Animal Kingdom A parent's love for their child knows no boundaries, and this is true both of us and of our animal friends. In these heartwarming photos of animal parenting, you'll recognize many of the same tender and stressful childhood moments that you may have also experienced as a parent or a child.

Fewer Women Are Having Labor Induced Early

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/06/18/322929144/fewer-women-are-having-labor-induced-early?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20140618

Fewer Women Are Having Labor Induced Early Government data show that fewer women are having labor induced before 39 weeks for nonmedical reasons. Advocates say that change is good for the health of babies.

For some, prenatal care is a community affair

Centering Pregnancy - great concept: http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-06-18/some-prenatal-care-community-affair

For some, prenatal care is a community affair Prenatal care consumes a big part of a pregnant woman's life. There are the monthly appointments, the tests — all on top of whatever is going on at home. And it can be overwhelming. But a new program, called Centering Pregnancy, tries to ease that burden by putting women in groups for their prenatal…

Newborn baby smell lights up same part of female brain as chocolate, study says | Deseret News...

There's nothing like the smell of a newborn baby, right? :)
http://national.deseretnews.com/article/1467/Newborn-baby-smell-lights-up-same-part-of-female-brain-as-chocolate-study-says.html

Newborn baby smell lights up same part of female brain as chocolate, study says | Deseret News... The Deseret News National Edition fills a void in the American media landscape through rigorous journalism for family- and faith-oriented audiences.

The lovely Erin Wilson and I will be co-teaching classes this summer! We are offering a Childbirth Prep evening series throughout the month of July, a weekend class in August, and an evening Breastfeeding Essentials. Check out sandiegobirthclasses.com for details. Join us! =)

Googling While Expecting

Here's an interesting little tidbit -top Google searches by pregnant women in different countries around the world:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/05/18/sunday-review/googling-while-expecting.html?_r=3&utm_content=buffercb3bb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Googling While Expecting Web queries indicate that pregnant women around the world tend to crave many of the same things: ice, salt, sweets, spicy foods. But searches (by anyone, men or women) also find differences among countries about pregnancy-related concerns.

Learn To Calm the Fussiest Babies with Singing | Bastyr University

Amazing video by Penny Simkin about singing to your baby in utero.....both fascinating and super adorable! http://www.bastyr.edu/news/health-tips-spotlight-1/2014/05/learn-calm-fussiest-babies-singing

Learn To Calm the Fussiest Babies with Singing | Bastyr University Penny Simkin describes a unique, simple, and effective trick to soothe a fussing or crying baby.