I see you!

Posted on by
4

photo by Tara Garner, location: Summertown, Tenn

How freaking awesome is this? The sweetest moment, captured by this photograph, when mom sees her baby for the first time, often remembering that her strong work of the past hours brought this baby here, it’s a timeless piece of joy.

Folks who are not used to birth maybe concerned about the baby drowning, so let me remind you that baby’s breathe when their faces feel the air, and right now connected to mama through the umbilical cord sweet bebe’ is receiving oxygenated blood, so there is plenty of O2 into baby.

Thank you National Geographic, for running this awesome contest.

And thank you strong mamas, especially this strong mama, for sharing your birth with us.

much love,

rowan

ps anybody notice anything about where this was taken?

Laughter to Labor

Posted on by
Reply

Howdy Mamas.

Ever thought of laughing yourself into labor? The Laugh until you Pee* method, a soon to be trademarked technique  just now coined by yours truly, is gaur on teeeed to work, well, not really but you WILL be in a much better mood.

Start with this website, Happy Place

 

 

So don't even bother bringing the beans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And if you aren’t contracting yet, go clear your bladder and read on….. Humor courtesy of our smart phones.

And thats what I got, cause many times going into labor happens when Moms feel safe and happy, babies are ready, and Dads have a beer.

 

xo,

Rowan

*Ha! I totally know its not hard for you to pee on yourself, but you get the idea. AND it may not be pee this time, so there.

Who Needs a Boobie Hat for their Newborn?

Posted on by
1

I’m talking to you, pregnant mama in Houston. I’ve contracted with supah awesome knitter Hoopin Kim (thats her, waaay down below) to knit up a bunch of these super cute cotton boobie hats for infants, some life like (looking like a real breast, gasp!) and some more abstract.

Blue Boobie Infant HatWho they for? Well, for you of course! I’m going to give ‘em to my mamas who come in for the Bring It Baby! Labor prep massage, to help them represent.

What be that, the fabulous Bring It Baby Labor prep massage you ask? This massage is where we do everything I can think of to get your body and mind ready for the most empowered birth possible. Some time labor starts right then and there, like a spontaneous natural labor induction, while other times labor takes her time, starting in the next couple of days.

So mamas leave me all relaxed, happy, ready to birth AND a newborn boobie hat.

Everybody wins!

xo,

Rowan

Hoopin Kim

she's so fly.

Happy Birthday Lola!!!

Posted on by
1

2 days before she went into labor!

Here is my girl Mean Kathleen Wilson, looking fly. See, she’s the rock star doula of Houston, Texas. Otherwise known as the SHIZ.

She has an amazing birth story, wanna read? Birth of baby Lola right here!

Not enough for ya? How ’bout some photos? Notice that as a self respecting massage doula, I’m only in two photos, one of which is my hands on Mean Kathleen’s feet.

FYI: Lola is named after me.* I went by Lola in the ’90s while working in a psych hospital in Florida.

L O L A …..Lola. Welcome to Earth, sweet girl.

xo,

Rowan

ps feel free to comment on how awesome the photography is, or her story, or whatever strikes your fancy :-)

* not really, but it still makes me feel good.

Talked Down Off the Ledge, the Financial Ledge.

Posted on by
2

Howdy~

Ever lost your sh!t over money? The major melt down that looks like, “Screw it, I’ll never figure this out, my next option is to throw my self off the 59 bridge.”

Below is an actual excerpt of a meltdown email, written by moi …..

      I got it last night (as I wept to myself in frustration and anger) that I don’t have enough money to manage. That I constantly scheme and move shit around to make things work, and that Im exhausted and cant seem to possibly work any harder, and didn’t want to face a brick wall of reality of oh shit Im doing everything I can think of, and its still not enough, oh fuck, what now.

What happened then? Cause this is pretty neat airplane nose dive, right? Going one way, and thats down. Crash and burn. Flames. Done.

I looked at my primary agreements around money…..

      My agreements seem to be that I will work nonstop and never change the outcome. 

Then I assessed the situation, without the emotions….

     I am a mess. 

And then I decided to change my mantra, and get healp (you know healing help, HEALP HEALP!!) ……….

 I have a vision. a series of videos on how to help women get preg, mind, emotion, body & spirit. bschool style.

 i can rock this. i can open myself up to more flow.

I am of tremendous value, and today I am showing myself that with money.

Thanks for holding my hand as I navigate this rough sea, rowan

 

Like who do you even send an email like this to? All full of typos, miss spellings and just raw PAIN? The I just threw up, I’m so not pretty, can you help me get the spew out of my hair email?!

I sent this to my girl Bari, with who I’m doing a program with, an online course to help me just start TRACKING my money, which has all let all my “I am financial loser,” feeling-a-thon rise up.

Wanna know why this is wonderful? Cause all this has been buried deep, so deep. And as it bubbles up, I can address it, look at it, lance that nasty boil, (ooooh, you so nasty!) All those (40) years of not good enough, thats not a real job, why cant you keep your money shit together like everyone else, what the HELL is wrong with you, that I have super squashed into a tiny little spot in my foot or some other place that hurts like hell.

I said LANCE THAT M@THERTRUCKER!! Get some massive RELIEF.

See what Bari sent back?

Rowan,

i hear you. i see you. i feel you. i understand.
hang in there...you are clearly on the brink of change here.
and the waters can be rough and then they will smooth out,
but the rough ones need to be ridden...as you know.
i have been there.
the slow movement will speed up...just continue...
And, hold the Vision...I love it. And, YOU would Rock it.
I will hold this with you.
The world needs you to do this and bring this to them!

with love,
bari

Is that just perfect or what? Like a cool compress on an angry bursting boil, easing the transition, and not afraid of the spew and goo. I adore this woman. Therapist turned financial maven.

She has a FREE four course video series, It starts tomorrow. Its a ’bout money and worth and something else and hell I don’t really know. I just know that I’ll be there, watching my little inbox and doing what she says.

Cause I’m totally over being poisoned by toxic money beliefs, and this the YEAR of getting it together.

So join me learning from Bari on her free four video course. That way you can see if you love her as much as I do.

I’m not going to suffer like this any more. Its painful. Join me in healing.

All in this together,

Rowan

beautiful Bari

Belly Wellness; Prelude to Fertility Take 2

Posted on by
2
Rowan and Annekea

Getting a Lecture from one of my Grandmothers, Annekea

Thinking about getting pregnant? Already “trying”? Great, cause I have news you can use!

I have been reviewing and going through~ing 25 years of notes from my grandmothers, senior midwives and notes on my own client successes, compiling more than twenty actions that can make a significant impact on removing obstacles to getting a bun in your oven.

There are lots of little things, kooky or straight up, that can promote your belly wellness and I wanna show them off to you BEFORE you get all overwhelmed and head out for medical intervention.

The hands off component will involve a look at common sense items like nutrition, what to watch out for if you’ve been on long term birth control, and then we will look at some far out ideas like what kind of knickers to sport to promote fertility, (oooooh and more!)

During the hands on component I’ll teach you places on your own body that when massaged, reflexed, and relaxed can create that critical difference. Ears, shins, bellies, feet! Think reflexology, belly massage, and acupressure, those lovely healing arts you can perform on your own self.

Come spend a Saturday evening with me and walk out this workshop in better relationship with your body and lots of ways to promote a healthy happy belly, including a mini daily self massage routine.

Early bird is $40 by Sept 17th, after that is $50, and worth every freaking penny. Register HERE.

What to bring? A blanket, a pillow, yoga mat (optional) and a shirt that can be pulled for belly exposure, and pants or skirt that easily exposes the leg from the knee down.

This class is perfect for ladies wanting to get pregnant, thinking about belly wellness, and is safe for those who have miscarried and are wanting more support. As a matter of fact I wrote this curriculum for a friend, cause these are all the things I told her,

Leave me a response down below if you have a specific question.
xo,
Rowan

ps there will be laughing. lots of it. and most probably crying. and curse words. REGISTER HERE, do it :-)

Well Belly, Prelude to Fertility

Posted on by
2

Whut whut?!

The ever gorgeous and fanciful Michelle McCuene asked me if I had ever considered doing a deal where I rent a hotel ball room or something big and fancy and teach a hands on course where to push on your foot to get pregnant? Well, nooooooooooooo, I hadn’t.

Let’s explore why:

1) That sounds a little bit like the medical profession would consider that either practicing medicine without a license (if  it worked), or selling snake oil (if it didn’t.)

2) I hadn’t really thought much about an in person workshop, but it makes a bunch of sense. I seem to tell folks the same info over and over, especially ladies who are ready to start a family.

3) The thought of renting a hotel space where folks will lay on the carpet gave me a flashback to when I did my Nia blue belt training in Colorado and the carpet was beyond le nasty. Like think vomitron. ugh.

So here’s the plan. I talked to my buddy Kristie Bryant at Studio Nia Moves and she has given me the thumbs up for Sat, Sept 24th, 2011 from 6-8:30. So save that in your google cal now!

No vomitron carpet, no practicing medicine without a license. Its a bit deflating, really, to be so compliant.

Instead I will share my grandmother’s wisdom for healthy fertility, I’ll show what I know for belly massage, and you will take home practical knowledge and a daily mini belly massage routine designed to heal the belly and get ready for baby having.

And so I don’t feel like i’m completely compliant we will laugh a bunch and talk about ways to notice your fertility, and maybe say fun words for our lady bits.

I’m planning on getting my working outline up here in a day or so, anything you’d like to see in this workshop? Leave me a little note in the comment’s section, and I’ll see what I can do.

xo,

Rowan

ps ignore my stupid hair in the photo, I was recovering from a back injury in 2005 and was therefore exempt from “leaving the house” hair standards.

 

Hello world!

Posted on by
Reply

Oh Hello,

There I am, showing off my blond eye lashes and looking down at my fantastic henna job from The Original Henna Company. So what’s so great about this picture? First, that my talented friend from Only Once Images had me sit still long enough to make the shoot happen. Second, I was looking fly from the henna and my dreads, courtesy of another friend, the helloween queen.

And you know what? I was way out of my comfort zone, but with my cool (pushy) friends whom I totally trusted I was able to have this magic result. Sizzle sizzle.

So what magic result are you looking for, even if its out of your comfort zone?  Is there a way that I can help you along that journey, which includes clapping and cheering and being your biggest fan? Did we already do something awesome that you’d like to give me reminder props for? Cause I’m all about getting jazzed about the accomplishment all over again.

Would you write me a little note in the comments section so I can see where our next adventure is going to take us? Yes?!

xo,                                                                                                                        Rowan