Big Belly Services

Birthing from Within, Childbirth Education, Parenting Preparation, DoulServices in Seattle

 

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TESTIMONIALS

What my past students have to say...

Childbirth Preparation Series:

 

"[My husband] and I thought there was no way we'd end up in surgery- but when we DID, I was well-prepared because of the time you spent talking about it in class- especially the suggestion of telling my baby the details of what was about to happen and that it would all be Okay. That "dialog" with [my baby] really helped me emotionally, and was the beginning of good communication between mom and baby. It really "saved" me, in a way, because I felt active and empowered, talking us both through it." - B.M.

 

"You, your approach to birth being so individual, and so perfect, and so uniquely you are just a few things i discovered in your class. I also realized that everything i was thinking and feeling whether expressed or unable to be expressed was ok. i walked away feeling like all the important stuff was answered, and what was left was to just be... and be comfortable in not knowing everything, and that what i needed to know would present itself when i least expected it and often when i needed it most. You are a tremendous educator, you made me feel the safety of letting go!" - M.H.

 

"In the midst of our busy lives, our Birthing From Within class was a way for my husband and I to put other things aside and focus on the upcoming birth of our child.  It became our weekly “date night.”  One of the most useful lessons I learned from Carrie’s class is the method of handling situations with medical personnel—she had a list of specific questions to ask any care provider, like: What can we expect from this procedure?  What are the risks?  And my favorites: What if we wait?  What if we do nothing? 

 THE ICE!!!!  How can I forget the ice?  I love Carrie for that!!!  Having previously been to a different childbirth class with our first pregnancy, where the moms laid out on comfy pillows and practiced relaxation, I can really appreciate the effort Carrie took to make our “contractions” as real and as annoying as possible, plus the fact that she encouraged us to try different methods to handle each one was a great relief.  There’s nothing like trying to deal with a contraction while simultaneously wondering, “Am I doing this right?”  The “ice” portion of the evening always had a somewhat experimental flavor to it, which I carried right into the actual labor and delivery of my daughter.  How freeing!

 The Birthing from Within “method” is by far the best out there because it draws from all the other methods like Bradley and Lamaze and lets the pregnant woman decide which works for her." - P.M.

"Your Birthing From Within class helped prepare me, not only mentally, but, more importantly, emotionally for birth. It helped me find where my strengths and weaknesses were. I remember after the last big ice/water bath

test, if you will, that I really finally believed I could give birth, that I didn't need to be afraid, that I was strong enough, that I could find it within myself to deal with what was coming my way.

 

I also met some of my now best friends through your class. We had similar desires for our births, parenting styles and our children. Becoming close to my classmates, during your class, and maintaining a relationship with

them has helped make me so much more confident in parenting my daughter. ' - E. P-P.

"I feel so fortunate that J and I were introduced to your birthing class.  It opened up so many doors for us during our pregnancy, and even today, 17 months after V's birth.  I think, like a lot of parents, when we first ventured into the realm of parenthood, we were not thinking of the practical aspects of birth and child rearing, we weren't aware of the many of the options available, and we didn't know about all the many choices would have to make by the time our child was born.  V was barely the size of a dime when we started your class, and we were still happily overwhelmed with the high of knowing we were pregnant.

Although we think of ourselves as progressive and open minded people, there were still many things we hadn't thought of.  We had already chosen to have a home birth, but your class helped to work out our concerns and help us further explore our options to prepare us for wherever our birth took us. 

I remembered that one of my big concerns was that I would get irritated with J while I was in labor.  You helped our class to fully explore fears like these, so that we could confront them, and in doing that, move forward to learn coping techniques so that when I was in labor, I knew I had many options to express myself.  I feel this helped me to allow my body to take over while in labor, and not have pent up worries that were exposed at a vulnerable time.

With the help of the other couples in the class, your class became a venue for new ideas and information that we could look into further: Elimination Communication/diaper free, vaccination choices, attachment parenting, baby wearing, infant massage, baby sign language, cloth vs disposable, breastfeeding.  We continue to incorporate all of these things into our lives, and it has been so enriching!  We are so happy that we are raising our daughter using these methods. 

Carrie, thank you so much.  You bring families together in the very beginning stages, and offer tools to communication that can be carried through to the birth and far beyond.  Your class is not just about birth, but about setting a foundation for parenthood.

Thank you for being there as an educator, and also for being our Doula!"  - N. L.

 

"carrie's class was so crucial to our pregnancy. my husband and i had so much other stuff going on that it was just so wonderful to enter that room and feel so supported and calm and able to really focus on what was important!

we had a ton of questions and carrie answered every one- it is amazing that we actually got other stuff done! and we did get a lot done. at the end of our session, i really felt like i had options for my birth. that if one

thing didn't work, another would. and that i'd be able to get through anything. thanks, carrie!" - A.A.

 

"We  (my husband and I) really enjoyed this weekend class.  It was the perfect opportunity to open up conversations about pregnancy, childbirth and our relationship as new parents that we hadn't talked about before.  We were able to get "outside" ourselves and learn great techniques for dealing with/assisting with labor and childbirth.  And after our reunion meeting the Mothers have formed a group where we get together bi-weekly with our babies to check-in with each other and be a support to one another." - E.G.
 

"The childbirth preparation class did an excellent job of preparing me for my long labor experience. It

afforded me the knowledge and terminology to be able to accurately communicate to my doula and midwife what

I felt my body was experiencing at the varying stages.  The pain management practice was essential!  With that experience I was able to go right to the tools (also learned in class) that  worked best for me during times of peak pain with confidence instead of playing around with a lot of things that would not have worked." - J.D.

 

Early Pregnancy Seminar:

 

Breastfeeding Class:

 

Doula Care:

"The other day [my husband] and I were discussing our great labor support and he said- "I LOVE Carrie"- which is unusual- he doesn't say that sort of thing very often." - B.M.