Melissa Cole, IBCLC, is looking forward to a dynamic evening on May 14th. She has prepared an interactive presentation that will allow the BSN meeting attendees to choose from a variety of lactation topics to discuss. Topics to choose from will be: lactation concerns in pregnancy/birth/early postpartum, new thoughts on positioning and latch, milk supply and supplementation issues, maternal nipple pain, tongue tie and more.

UPDATE 4/17: We are so sorry to have to cancel this event, but our hostess is not feeling well today…so keep your eyes open for a rescheduled New Doula Tea sometime soon!

Come join other new doulas at the lovely new Portland MamaBaby Center in SE Portland! Kate Donahue, founder of MamaBaby, will be hosting this tea. Just bring your lovely selves and any burning questions you may have about the life of a doula. Hope to see you there!

Date: Tuesday, April 17th
Time: 5-7pm
Location: Portland MamaBaby Center, 5528 SE Woodstock Blvd., Portland, OR 97206

No RSVP required

Our upcoming monthly Monday meeting will explore the geography of grief and loss in a doula/client relationship.  It’s often a challenging topic to talk about openly, especially in a culture that does not have a lot of language to talk about death, grief, or loss…but as doulas we do encounter this heartbreaking experience with families from time to time.

Come explore your own fears, share your experiences, hear other doula’s experiences, and learn about resources available to you and your families.

Date: Monday, April 9, 2012
Time: 6:30-9pm
Location: Alma Movement and Education Space, 1233 SE Stark, Portland, OR
Fee: $5 for non-members, free for BSN members!

Questions? Email Lena: lena [at] gmail [dot] com

Are you looking for doula support during your upcoming labor? Come meet a variety of doulas in one afternoon and find your dream doula! You will have the chance to meet other expecting families and receive a lovely goody bag too!

Day: Saturday, March 10, 2012
Time: 1pm-4pm
Location: Milagros Baby Boutique, 5433 NE 30th Ave, Portland, OR 97211
Cost: FREE to parents, but please register in advance so we know how many parents to expect!

Download the Doula Speed Dating Flyer

Doulas: If you are interested in participating in this event, please contact Beth Raby at beth [at] nerdydoula [dot] com for more details. Updated: The cost to participate is $15 for non-BSN members, $10 for BSN members.  We have space for 12 doulas, so sign up early if you’re interested. There are also numerous affordable sponsorship opportunities for allied birth professionals and local businesses!

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year!

We’re excited to kick off the new year with a great monthly Monday meeting on January 9…the featured speakers are Christa Billings and Maureen Roberts, from ICAN of Portland. They’ll be leading a discussion on supporting mamas through VBAC. We hope to see lots of you there!

Also, we still have space available in our January 18th Spinning Babies workshop with Gail Tully! The details are here, and registration takes place directly on Gail’s website. Update: Registration is now full!  Thanks to all who registered, we’re looking forward to seeing you on the 18th!

Finally, we’ve updated our membership directory…there’s a few more last minute additions being made (so don’t worry if you renewed in the last week and don’t see your name!), but otherwise, everyone who signed up or renewed this fall should be there!  Please contact us if your name or info is listed incorrectly.

Looking forward to a great 2012…as always, feel free to contact us with questions or suggestions!  We always love to hear your ideas.

At last count, we have 26 people who have signed up or renewed for membership…but we know there are more of you out there!  Please consider renewing or joining if you haven’t already.  For $35, you will:

• have free access to our monthly Monday meetings, a $50 value!
• be listed on our BSN website (which is still a work in progress)
• receive discounts on workshops and other continuing education opportunities
• support BSN as we grow our community outreach efforts to connect with more providers and parents

Our goal is to be the one-stop place for parents considering a doula, or looking for any other birth professional.  But getting our name and reputation out there takes time, and yes, money.  Your membership will support the BSN as we work to support YOU, our members, to be able to continue to do the work you love.

We’ll still be taking memberships at our December meeting, or you can begin the process online by filling out the online form and mailing it to the address listed.

Questions?  Contact us!  We look forward to seeing you all in December!

Yes, it’s that time of year again…the annual BSN December Holiday Potluck will be held on Monday, December 12, 2011, at our usual place (1233 SE Stark).

This year we are pleased to announce that there will be several experienced doulas attending to help us facilitate some small group discussions.  These discussions will offer a unique opportunity to meet doulas who have been doing this work for many years, hear their stories, and share your own as well!

Confirmed doulas attending include Kimberly Bepler, Joan Bryant, Rhonda Davis, Sadie Eck, Stacey Marshall, Brooke Noli, and Vicky York.  You don’t want to miss this!

Date: Monday, December 12, 2011

Time: 6:30-9pm

Location: Alma Movement and Education Space, 1233 SE Stark, Portland OR

Fee: $5 for non-members

Please bring a dish to share.   Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free items encouraged. Also, if you have an extra cushion or backjack chair, we’d encourage you to bring it, as we may not have enough if there’s a crowd! Thanks!