News
BEPE presentations are now available
on DVDs at the Nevada
County Libraries in Nevada City and Truckee, and the Yuba County Library in Marysville. See Calendar
for details.
Free public education programs (see calendar)
are videotaped and presented on Nevada County TV (NCTV). Many programs are available in the NCTV Archives: Video on Demand listed under Health. Programs are shown on Channel 11 every Tuesday night at 10:30 p.m. and Thursday at 8:00 p.m.
Tune into a monthly radio talk show, "Parents Connect," 3rd
Tuesday of each month at noon.
KVMR (89.5 fm), hosted by BEPE member Helena
McDaniel.
About Birth and Early Parenting Educators
We are a novel alliance of educators in Nevada City, California, with a common interest in the first frontier of human development from preconception through birth and breastfeeding.
Members of the group are childbirth educators, nurses, midwives, doulas, prenatal/Calm Birth yoga instructor, infant massage teachers, craniosacral therapists for babies and energy-body workers, counselors, therapist, lactation consultants. a film producer, a herbalist and a gemologist. Four members are authors of books on prenatal psychology and parenting. We are ready to educate parents about the special challenges of the first period of human development. Some of us are members of an international group concentrating on this period of development, the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health (APPPAH). Please explore the informative website: www.birthpsychology.com.
Some of the big ideas we want to share with the community are:
... parenting begins before conception when you can prepare body and mind
for the huge experience ahead;
... development of baby senses in the womb proceeds rapidly and there
are probably a dozen senses, not just five;
... emotion is not delayed until after birth but is expressed in body
language in the womb;
... babies and parents can practice talking to each other all through
the gestation period;
... birth is meant to be a transforming psychological and spiritual experience
for mother, father, and baby;
... ideal birth is holistic in respecting the true dimensions of all the
parties involved, not a disease to be routinely treated with drugs and
surgery; and
... following birth, breastfeeding is the normal way of nourishing a baby
for maximal safety and maximal health benefits.
Suggestions for Reading:
Block, Jennifer (2007) Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care, DaCapo/Perseus Group
Buckley, Sarah J. MD (2005) Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering, One Moon Press, Australia (www.sarahbuckley.com)
Cassidy, Tina (2006) Birth, The Surprising History of How We Are Born, Grove Press
Chamberlain, David B. (1998) (3rd ed.) The Mind of Your Newborn Baby, Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books
Contey Carrie PhD and Takikawa, Debby DC (2007) Calms, A Guide to Soothing Your Baby, Hana Peace Works
England, Pam & Horowitz, Rob (1998) Birthing from Within, Albuquerque, NM: Partera Press.
Evans, Joel M.D. (2005) The Whole Pregnancy Handbook, Gotham/Penguin Group
Gaskin, Ina May (2003) Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, Bantam Books
Hallett, Elisabeth (2002) Stories of the Unborn Soul: The Mystery and Delight of Pre-Birth Communication (www.light-hearts.com)
Harper Barbara RN. (1994, 2005) Gentle Birth Choices, Healing Arts Press, Rochester, Vermont
Kitzinger, Sheila (1996) The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth, Alfred A Knopf
Klaus, Marshall & Kennell, John, & Klaus, Phyllis (1993) Mothering the Mother: How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier Birth and Healthier Baby, New York: Addison-Wesley.
McCarty, Wendy Anne PhD (2009) Welcoming Consciousness: Supporting Babies' Wholeness From the Beginning of Life, Wondrous Beginnings
Mendizza, Michael & Pearce, Joseph Chilton (2003), Magical Parent, Magical Child: The Optimum Learning Relationship, (orders@ttfuture.org)
O'Mara, Peggy (2003) Having a Baby Naturally: The Mothering Magazine Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth, New York: Atria Books.
Peterson, Gayle (1999) (2nd ed.) An Easier Childbirth: A Mother's Guide for Birthing Normally, Berkeley, CA: Shadow & Light. (www.AskDrGayle.com)
Rhodes, Jeane (2009) The Birth of Hope, Create Space
Solter, Aletha PhD The Aware Baby, Helping Young Children Flourish, and Tears and Tantrums, Shining Star Press.
Spatafora, Denise (2009) Better Birth, The Ultimate Guide to Childbirth from Home Births to Hospitals (www.betterbirthbook.com)