Lara Sodergren has been a home birth midwife of seventeen years and recently joined Thrive's midwifery team. Merging evidence based care and informed consent into every interaction with our clients, Lara upholds our vision for quality midwifery care through the childbearing years. We asked her to share her 5 favorite tips for a healthy pregnancy…
We are so excited to have a guest post by the mama who was voted "Best Acupuncturist in Sonoma County" five years in a row! Lorelle Saxena is a licensed acupuncturists who we continually refer to because, like her website states, she is a strong believer in “slow medicine”–that is, addressing the root cause of…
You might have read the recent article in the NY Times about microbes and the wondrous world of human milk, or you might have seen our Facebook post on the benefits of babies born through the bacteria dense birth canal. Let's dive in a little more, into the magical world of gut bacteria and pregnancy,…
With most births, labor starts slow and begins to build. Oxytocin and endorphins begin to flow, and mama can feel surges of euphoria between and even during intense contractions. Often, the birth room is quiet as the support team works quietly and mama works hard. Vocalizations,…
By Jasmine Maes, LM, CPM The first days and weeks after a baby is born are full of emotion, new experience and adjustment to life with baby. There are often tears of joy and frustration, limited sleep and new physical sensations. Caring for baby, healing after birth, and the arrival of breast milk all bring…
Mineral Magic; by Tessa Mancini Gillen, Holistic Nutritionist and Herbalist Preparing a nutrient rich mineral broth is an essential skill to be learned and utilized, as it brings healing and rejuvenation to your kitchen and every dish it compliments. Substituting mineral broth for water in many everyday recipes can truly transform your health. When cooking…
Finally, we made it. Six months. This milestone feels big, somehow bigger than the others. Life is starting to feel light again, and we have somehow transitioned from the deep and dark room of newborn land to a much sweeter space of existence. With all the light and joy that this milestone brings, introducing food…
With the upcoming screening of the locally produced documentary Why Not Home? The Surprising Birth Choices of Physicians and Nurses, we thought it was a good time to have a community conversation about the importance of birth location. In Part Three of this series, Melissa Wiseman, LM, CPM, looks at why the studies show us that…
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We are excited to launch our new blog series Where You Birth Matters. With the upcoming screening of the locally produced documentary Why Not Home? The Surprising Birth Choices of Physicians and Nurses, we thought it was a good time to have a community conversation about the importance of birth location. In this series, we'll take a…
Where You Birth Matters, Part One Oxytocin: the Hormone of Trust and Community By Kelly Gray You might already know that oxytocin plays a major role in the process of childbirth and breastfeeding. This birth-related hormone is responsible for the uterus pulling itself up to thicken the fundus so that the baby can be…
