placenta encapsulation

25 things you didn’t know about Nicole

March 13, 2015

1- Last year I went gluten and dairy free because my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease (I feel amazing!)

2- at only 5’1 I play co-ed volleyball 2-3 times a week 3- I’m American, born in Indiana

4-I proposed to my husband and he took my last name

5-I was married in April because I love Cherry Blossoms

6- A good cup of coffee can solve just about anything

7- I’m a children who witness abuse counsellor in my other job

8-I’m a certified car seat technician

9- My mother-in-law lives with us and we get along!!

10- There is often a concert happening in my living room, my daughter and husband will be in a band one day, I just know it!

11- We have a Labradoodle puppy named Luna

12- I am a new age hippie (or that’s what my husband calls me) I like to garden, make tinctures and salves and try and heal most illnesses with homeopathics, herbs or Essential Oils.

13- I’m a beach gal, give me warm sand and an ocean any day.

14-My daughter was born at 42 weeks, induced and born in a hospital (we had planned for a home birth)

15- I collect buttons, all shapes and sizes. For what you ask? I don’t know yet!

16- I love beets, pickled beets, beet salad, roasted beets, beets in smoothies… Any and all ways

17-I breastfed my daughter for 31 months. It got easier, but the first 6 weeks I didn’t know if I would continue at all.

18- I LOVE placentas. Really! Before I process them, I stare at the complexities of the veins. They are referred to as the tree of life and I truly value the placenta as the life line.

19- I had cervical cancer in 2011 and had a hysterectomy in 2012.

20- I have a mad addiction to Grey’s Anatomy… Who’s idea was it to put a dozen seasons on Netflix?!

21- I could spend any sunny afternoon in the back yard with my husband, daughter and dog. Gardening, playing soccer, climbing the apple tree and giggling.

22-My husband is an actor and I spend many, many, many evenings watching improv.

23- I am not afraid to speak up, be an advocate or voice my concern when needed.

24- I want to feed my family as natural and organic as I can, but ice-cream (yes, im dairy free…. mostly) is my weakness.

25- I find peace in mandalas. I love them so much I have a tattoo on one on my shoulder (and 3 other tattoos!)

Happy Mother’s Day

May 7, 2014

I have invited 6 moms with children age 7 months-32 years old to take part in this questionnaire. Mothering is more than giving birth as one mother has an adopted child and mothering isn’t always smiles as one mother has lost her son shortly after birth. Mothering is something very special, emotional and loads of hard work and I would bet it doesn’t end when your child graduates, gets married or even sleeps through the night!

These moms are all special to me and I’m proud to have them impacting the way I mother my daughter. I appreciate all their emotions and heart filled answers.

1)How old are you children/child?

– 7 months NH

-Children are 3 years and twins at 5 months. LA

-4.5, 2.5 and pregnant LB

-I have 2 boys (16 and 18) years old. MB

– 18 3/4 SD

-23 and 32 LM

2) My family is…

-My everything NH

– One of the most important things in my life. LA

-Growing LB

-Better together. MB

-Amazing SD

-The most important thing to me LM

3) Bedtimes are…

– Snuggles, warmth and love NH

-Bedtimes are a relief and often don’t come fast enough LA

-Late LB

-A time when I have the best and deepest, most meaningful conversations with my kids…still my favourite time of the day.MB

-Random….(He’s almost 19….and puts himself to bed. If I were still in charge he would get the “proper” amount of sleep needed for this age group.) SD

-Early and getting earlier it seems LM

4) meal times are…

-Messy and fun. Experimentation NH

-Loud and chaotic LA

-Interesting with 20% on the floor LB

-Far too rushed with work and sports schedules but strive to eat together MB

-Regular, we like to sit down as a family and eat dinner together SD

-A time to reconnect LM

5) One mommy moment that stands out to me is…

-When baby first kissed me NH

-Hearing my son talk to his sisters and telling them all the things they will do together when they are bigger. LA

-When I gave birth to my son and felt an instant, overwhelming bond you can only understand when you are a mother. LB

-Earlier this year my 18 year old shared with me what he was submitting for his personal grad write up in his high school yearbook…it was a tribute to me as his mom and what I have meant to him…he fell into me crying as I read it…which in turn had me crying…great pair we are!!! MB

-The day our son arrived. I felt so happy and amazed that this incredible child would be my son. SD

-Camping trips singing in the car, being there through all their childhood illnesses and hurts; emotional and physical ones, first days of school, last days of school, dinners that flopped (I am remembering the failed salmon loaf recipe), pants that were too short, too long, too old, too loose, too tight or too great to take off to wash, friends and then girlfriends/boyfriends, soccer and scouts and blue hair dye and laughter and tears and all the things that make up a life LM

6) How often to do you recall your birthing experience?

-Never, I don’t remember it NH

-Whenever a friend has a baby LA

-Almost everyday- LB

-On my kids birthdays, whenever a friend or family member has a baby, at milestones my kids have reached over the years…and sometimes when I walk into their rooms late at night and see these young men sound asleep in their beds…I kneel by their bedside and say a prayer of thankfulness for them. MB

-Never SD

-Occasionally, always on my children’s birthdays I tell them the story of their birth LM

7) How do you feel on your child’s birthday?

–I don’t know yet! NH

-I feel excited and reflective LA

-It’s different for each child. because my son passed away after his birth I have a mixture of emotions. Sadness over the loss and that I couldn’t protect him. Mindful of how far we have come as a family. Thankful for the time I held him in my womb and a sense of wonder what it would be like when we meet again. For my daughter I feel joy that I get to watch her grow and blessed that we have her here. LB

-give me cause to be incredibly joyful and thankful…as well as a little melancholic knowing my time living under the same roof is coming to a close. MB

– Amazed (and a little sad) that the time has gone so fast. SD

-Grateful that I know this amazing person LM

8) Mothering is…

-Amazing NH

-Intuition, patience and a lot of prayer. LA

-A journey, I learn something new everyday. LB

-my greatest accomplishment, joy, calling and challenge in life…nothing could ever compare to the satisfaction I have in being a mom MB

-A beautiful responsibility that is colored by blessing after blessing SD

-A privilege LM

9) For Mother’s Day I would love…

-A quiet day with my family NH

-I would love to sleep in and spend some time at the spa! LA

-To be with my family LB

-I would love to have a nap and not have to cook dinner for my mom and mother-in-law every year…none of the men in my life can cook!!! MB

-A conversation SD

-to be with my family LM

10) My favorite Mother’s Day was…

-This one is my first! NH

-I loved when my husband made a homemade card from my son. LA

-The first one with my daughter to hold LB

-My very first one as a mom…I couldn’t have been prouder or more honoured to have been given the privilege of being a mom…still stands to this day! MB

-Last year. I got a homemade care with amazing words of affirmation about my motherhood from my son. I thought I might have actually done a few things right…. SD

-Too many to name just one LM

happy Mother’s Day to all the Mother’s out there!

How to make a Placenta Diaper Cake

April 8, 2014

Diaper cakes are trendy right? Tiered diapers stacked up elegantly with beautiful ribbons and baby good attached. This center piece for many babies showers in the last decade is a statement. One to give recognition to the creator who hand sculpted this beauty. As I was deciding what to get for a friend for her baby shower, I thought about her love (for my love) of placentas. Really it left me one option. I MUST MAKE A placenta diaper cake. I searched on Pinterest and couldn’t find a DIY so I’ve decided to make my own “Do It Yourself placenta Diaper Cake”

Supplies Needed:
-50 pack of diapers
-50 small elastic bands
-Round shallow bowl
-Red tissue paper
-Red ribbon
-Red streamers
-clear tape
-A love of placentas

Step 1- Roll up diapers and place a small elastic band around to secure them

Step 2- Line the bowl with red tissue paper, not too neat, stick tape where ya need to….

Step 3- Place diapers in bowl, it’s a little tricky balancing, but keep adding diapers until they are tight together.

Step 4- Ok, now we are making the veins of the placenta. Remember a placenta is called the tree of life, so spread out the red ribbon in a tree like formation. This step also requires the supply “a love of the placenta”. You know that placenta you have in your fridge? The one you are waiting to get in the dehydrator after the kids are in bed? Use the visual as a frame of reference and make a beautiful tree of life.

Step 5- take another piece of tissue paper and twist it up, this will be your umbilical cord. Using the streamers, wrap it around the twisty cord from the top towards the bottom. Secure both sides with tape. Now tape it to the bowl (near the base of the ribbons/veins)

TA-DA! Here we go, a unique conversation starter.

I did it, I hosted a table at a Baby Show (phew)

March 26, 2014

Saturday march 22nd was my first baby show. I was prepared… I had brochures, business cards, placenta prints, boobie beanies and my sparkling personality.

This show taught me many things: It prepared me for the million questions, positive and negative about being a doula.

“What is a doula?”

“You charge how much?”

“You only charge how much?”

“What is a placenta?”

“Ewww, you do what with it?”

My RANT: “We are educated people that have a passion for birth and know the strength of a woman. We know that birth is normal and natural, we stay calm and collected. We engage moms in relaxation techniques both physically and in grounding exercises.We prepare dads and moms in prenatal visits and check in after the baby is born. We prepare placentas because we know the importance of postpartum health and we have learned and studied the sacred organ and are intrigued by it’s beauty. We do this all with being on call for sometimes a month at a time! We go to bed early, we sleep beside our phones, we say things like “I`ll be there if I’m not at a birth” … And in the big scheme of things we likely make less than $25 an hour, but we do it because we are PASSIONATE and we believe every woman deserves a doula.”

Ok, so I didn’t say all that, but I wanted to. I wanted to shout them, I wanted to have a big sh-peal about doulas while on the little stage after the handsome tap dancing boy and before the sleep consultant. But instead, I handed out cards, I answered each question with respect and evidence based information. I answered everything from my heart.

Here is hoping someone heard me and wants to book me for a birth. All I can be is me, and I’m happy with that.

Please share. Feel like leaving a comment? I’d love to hear from you.

Are you on Facebook? Click HERE to like my page.

Baby, Belly and Kid Show

March 18, 2014

I was asked to host a table at the Belly, Baby and Kid Show at the Act in Maple Ridge. It was first a shock that someone knew who I was to contact me. I started my little business formally in May 2013. That’s when my website and blog went up and when I decided to try and turn this passion into a career. So for me to know in less than a year I have a) made enough money to afford a table and b) get recognized in the community makes me very proud I followed my heart.

Besides over 40 vendors a few other things are happening…

-interactive family fun zone
-stage performers (dance, karate, magician)
-mini seminars (sleep consultant and nutritionist)
-the Easter bunny!
-queen Elsa is visiting
-200 swag bags

Come out to support local businesses in our community and to spend time with family and friends.

Oh, and don’t forget to come by and say Hi… Maybe buy an essential oil or book a birth doula interview. My and my assistant will ready to help you!