The following is the press release sent to the local media outlets this morning!  We will keep you posted of any articles or interviews that may follow.

Hello!  May and Mother’s Day are coming up fast.  I am a local doula (professionally trained birth companion) and would like to share a few potential human interest story ideas with you for the month of May and Mother’s Day.

1.) May is International Doula Awareness Month

·         DONA International

http://www.dona.org/news/events.php

2.) May is National Maternal Depression Awareness Month

·         Copy of the press release announcing awareness month:

http://www.postpartum.net/News-and-Events/Recent-Press-Releases.aspx

·         Postpartum Support International Home Page:

http://www.postpartum.net/

·         You Tube “Turn on the Lights” by Wade Bowen (Written for his wife)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=428VAOJ_ANE&context=C32c0542ADOEgsToPDskKEGUb3beFiFlSpFXamSOiq

3.) Chico Doula Circle – A new group providing shared-call doula services to expectant families in the Chico area and beyond.

http://www.chicodoulacircle.com/

Doulas provide emotional, physical, and informational support to expectant families during pregnancy, birth, and post-partum.  Chico Doula Circle was formed to offer a community building doula service.  Chico Doula Circle hosts free Mini-Workshops twice a month (next meeting is May 3rd) to talk about pregnancy, birth, babies and breastfeeding in a group setting.  The topics at each meeting are based on client needs and wishes.  The second half of each workshop allows the doulas to meet with signed clients on a rotating basis to discuss individual birth plans and concerns. 

Three of the Chico Doula Circle doulas recently attended a Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder Workshop.  1 in 5 women have some sort of mood or anxiety disorder in the perinatal period (pregnancy to one year postpartum).  Chico Doula Circle now has the tools to help screen for women that need extra help to have a happy healthy pregnancy, birth and motherhood.

In essence, doulas Mother Mothers.  And dads, grandmas, cousins, sisters, aunts, grandpas, siblings etc.  Doulas enhance existing emotional and physical support during birth by providing continuous birth support.  Doulas also strive to provide or obtain factual information, so that expectant families can maintain control of their birth experience.

Thanks for taking the time to read this!  I love being a guide down the path to parenthood.

We will be reviewing or introducing labor positions for your birth.  We will be getting down on the ground and using mats and birth balls!  Come wearing comfy clothes and prepare to do some moving.  Also, if you are a client, please feel free to comment on any topics you would like covered in the following weeks.

~Sorrell
Chico Doula Circle

One of our goals is to offer information to expectant families they may have a hard time finding on their own or realizing after reading a book.  Because of this, we are chaning our Meet and Greets to Mini-Workshops, open to all interested expectant families, for no fee.  We will maintain a tight schedule in order to meet the needs of our contracted clients as well as not waste your time.  Our Mini-Workshops will begin promptly at 7:00 with 45 minutes dedicated to the topic.  The remainder of the time is to connect individually with doula clients, and there will still be someone available to answer any questions expectant families may have about the night's topic or the Chico Doula Circle.

This week's topic is, Guided Relaxation.  Come see how it can help your labor!