Feeling served and supported were two major players that got me through my pregnancies. I can still feel the energy of our community seven and eleven years later, that’s how impactful the experience was.
I saw being pregnant as an opportunity. An opportunity to give myself even more self care than what was currently so for me and a way to expand into what I knew about myself more deeply.
Finding natural pregnancy resources in the Minneapolis St. Paul MN area was easy. Granted I had been practicing as a Birth Doula already for six years upon getting pregnant and knew who was who and where to go, I believe that if women know what they want, they will get out their computer and search tool to find what they need.
It’s the women who don’t yet know what they want, need or deserve that I’m interested in reaching. It’s for them that we need to speak loudly to, sharing our knowledge, resource and sense of community.
Every pregnant mama deserves to be embraced and held, loved and supported for She Is Creating Life.
Here are some of my favorite local resources to start with.
Acupuncture was a key player in getting my cycles lined up to 28 days, and once I got pregnant (which only took three months when we suspected it would take a year looking at where my hormones were), it was helpful in working with nausea and fatigue.
In St. Paul I recommend Stefanie Beniek over at Family Tree Acupuncture If you’re on the west side of town, Amy Nystrom is well known for fertility/pre/postnatal care and Nikki Vanecek at EastWest Acupuncture has cared for a number of my personal clients with those needs as well. Amy and Nikki serve the Minnetonka, Long Lake, Orono, Plymouth, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Golden Valley, Wayzata and Minnetrista areas, though are not limited to that.
Chiropractic is a practice of which I have been a huge support having had my first adjustment at age 12. Can’t say enough about keeping an open pathway of space and freedom in movement during a pregnancy. Studies show that women who receive chiropractic care prenatally have shorter labors and may experience less pain. Count me in, right? My labors were 7 and 10 hours long and I’d do them both again in a heartbeat. My chiropractors also came right to my house to adjust both baby and myself after each labor-how’s that for service? The piece to look for in a Chiropractor is that they are pediatric/maternal certified. There are many here in the Twin Cities and who I refer you to depends upon your location. Use the search tool over at the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association to find one with this additional education or reach out to me personally for a referral in your Minneapolis St Paul area.
Nutrition support (yes there is more to it than eating for two, my friend) is a must. Looking at immune challenges, food intolerances, and chemical sensitivities are important in understanding the body you are now sharing with another human. We can give the body what it needs on a cellular level to heal, feel a high level of energy and to happily support its growing space. Knowing what foods you might be sensitive to prenatally will help us determine if your baby has any intolerances that show up with breast or formula feeding postnatally. Nutrition Response Testing is a non-invasive and easy way to find out what your body needs. This work is changing the way my clients handle their pregnancies. Though I am based in Long Lake I see clients from Glencoe and Waconia, to Elk River and Blaine, to Bloomington, Woodbury and over to Hudson.
Craniosacral Therapy creates space and gently reminds the body of what it needs to do. With dynamic body balancing education from Dr. Carol Phillips, we can work with the changing needs of women’s prenatal needs. There are many more practitioners of this work than when I was going through training over a decade ago. Currently I work with mostly pediatric clients with this therapy though am open to moms I’m not currently working with as a Birth Doula or Nutrition Response Testing Practitioner by request. I will also refer you to another practitioner based upon your location.
Bodywork is a great way to connect with your body and offer it the downtime it needs to support the growth of a baby. The stress on the body both emotionally and physically creates for some interesting mornings as you try to roll through the mountain of pillows to get out of bed. Bodywork relieves stress, calms the mind and can restore the integrity of both our structure and function. Connect with Desiree over at Spark Wellness or Kimberly Hart over at Adagio Holistic Therapies.
Breastfeeding support: I know it seems early to take this on, but if you’re looking to breastfeed, connect with a La Leche League group near you. They are nonjudgmental, supportive and you will instantly feel at home in their space. The leaders are a wealth of knowledge and go above and beyond (in my experience) to see that you get the support you need. There is nothing like being in a room of mothers with babes through preschool naturally nursing away during conversation. Some are nursing two at a time, some are nursing a toddler and some are done nursing but can’t imagine not having that one on one mama support. Knowing what groups are near you and that you have someone to connect with on the outside world past those initial two weeks at home with your newborn is of tremendous help.
Prenatal Yoga is all the rage these days, and rightfully so. You can’t imagine how good it feels. From creating more space for baby to opening your heart chakra to grounding your experience to creating community, prenatal yoga is all about bringing more yummy to your pregnancy and getting rid of what’s not working. There are so many locations throughout the Twin Cities that offer this service, here are a few: Blooma, Minneapolis Yoga Mama.
A Spinning Babies workshop is a rich space to spend some time in, or work with a practitioner or Doula who is knowledgeable about working with your body in labor. Hard to imagine Gail Tully is the one who trained me as a Birth Doula years ago. She is a true gift to pregnant women in our community.
Natural Childbirth Education is important to begin putting in place by your early second trimester in order that you get the most education and time to implement physical exercises and nutrition that will support your entire pregnancy (not just labor and delivery!). I teach the Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth though this link will give you a more comprehensive look at what the Twin Cities has to offer. These classes are ideal for those in the following areas, though mamas come from all over: Minneapolis St. Paul, West Metro, Minnetonka, Long Lake, Orono, Plymouth, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Golden Valley and Minnetrista.
Your place of birth is a big decision to make. This post will do most of the homework for you in that all of your options are listed right here in one place.
