02 Mar

Now Sponsoring: Hilarie’s Helpful Hints

Bay Bee Birth Services is a new sponsor for Hilarie’s Helpful Hints and the featured March business!!! Hilarie and her team provide information about a wonderful array of activities for over 2,500 families and mom’s-to-be in the Greater Bay Area including infant massage, baby-and-me yoga, music classes, gymnastics, toddler cooking classes, day trips, ticket discounts, playdates and much more! Later this month, I’ll be hosting my first informational class about doulas. More information about that here! – Jenny

10 Feb

Client Testimonial: Erika B. – Winter 2015

0055_editedLast month I gave birth to our second son and had the pleasure of having Jenny Bare as my doula. I had a home birth and may have not been able to stay at home if it wasn’t for her. My blood pressure was high when my midwife first arrived and I had a very short period of time to get it down to be able to give birth at home. Of course having contractions and bringing your blood pressure down at the same time is quite challenging. Thanks to Jenny talking me through it and performing the rebozo technique on me, I was able to calm way down and give birth at home. I’ll never be able to thank her enough for this. She is warm, gentle, calming, and very knowledgeable.

0123_edited2She helped with my son’s latch right after birth and was immensely helpful to my midwife too. The assistant midwife was unable to make it because my labor was so fast, so Jenny had to step in. Thank goodness she was there!

Jenny has about a million resources for everything and anything related to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. She has been so helpful since my son was born too. Checking in with me frequently and always just being a positive and encouraging force in a time that can be challenging. She is just wonderful!

I encourage anyone who is thinking about having a doula at their birth to give Jenny a call. She really will make your experience a beautiful one!

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Birth photos courtesy of: Shannon Stellmacher. Copyrighted 2015.

 

 

28 Jan

Client Testimonial: Katherine W. – Winter 2015

My husband and I chose Jenny Bare as our doula for the labor and delivery of our son at John Muir Medical Center in December 2014, and we could not be happier with our decision.

20141223_Wade_IMG_9746_edit_editedFrom the very start, Jenny presented herself professionally with clear and constant communication with us. She presented many resources that helped us as first-time-parents figure out what our preferences for what sort of birth we wanted. She did not push any sort of agenda on us, but listened to us with insight and empathy and offered helpful tailored advice. She was able to identify what sort of coping-style I had, personality-wise, and met my needs perfectly– often even before I was able to articulate them myself.

20141223_Wade_IMG_9742_editDuring my labor, she worked smoothly with the nurses and OB smoothly while still advocating for our birth plan. Her constant support (including physically supporting me in various positions during contractions) not only got me through twenty-five hours of active labor without an epidural, but freed up the hospital staff to focus on monitoring the baby and other vital medical functions.

20141223_Wade_image1Without her empathetic, positive, and practical support, I know we could not have had the positive birthing experience that welcomed our little one into the world. Jenny is a wonderful person and I highly recommend having her by your side before, during, and after your birth.

01 Jan

Just sayin’!

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You know, lots of babes are born in the fall…because people get all snuggly during these winter months. Today is especially brisk. So if you want to stay inside and…ummm…snuggle, that’s fine by me! Support your local doula! 😉

01 Jan

Happy New Year!

imageHappy New Year! I am thrilled to be entering 2015 with so many exciting things on the agenda! I love expanding my knowledge and services by attending more trainings, conferences and workshops. Why? Because I get to work with YOU, my wonderfully special families!!!

Sending blessings, wellness and love to each of you, whether you’re a current client, have graduated into being part of my birth family, my personal family, a dear friend or colleague. Happy 2015! May it be our best year yet and smooch those little ones for me!

30 Dec

It Takes as Long as it Takes: How do Affirmations Help You?

affirmation_smaller‘It takes as long as it takes.’ Such simple, yet meaningful words to me. I repeat these words every day. Multiple times as day. They are my mantra, my affirmation, and my saving grace with having two young children. I was comforting my daughter, who unexpectedly woke up after sleeping for a mere 30-minutes tonight. I heard her cry out to me on the monitor and sighed. I had work to do. Immediately upon picking her up, she melted into me. Her breath so soft, her cheeks so warm, she found her comfort in me and I found mine in holding her. My work can wait…again. It takes as long as it takes to soothe her, to help her fall back asleep, for me to just be there. At nearly 14-months, she wakes up multiple times a night. I don’t count anymore. I don’t look at the clock. I just repeat my affirmation and reassure myself that I cannot rush this process of her growing up. Her mind and her body are figuring things out, too.

My older child, my son, slept in 45-minute increments the first four months of his life. I most certainly did not always have this patience…err, attempt at patience…with parenting. Let’s be real. I was a sleep-deprived zombie mom and it took nearly a year for me to get back into my groove after having him. Read More