The Weekly Newsletter for Heart of Houston Birth and Wellness Families
Happy First Birthday, Hattie!
When Mary and I were in the planning stages of the Heart of Houston, even before we'd decided on a name, we attended the AABC conference in Orlando where we had the chance to get to know some of our Houston peers a little better. One of those people was Mary Alice, a midwife with an incredible sense of humor and an highly infectious laugh. We all became instant friends! Mary Alice reached out soon after with the great news that she and her husband were expecting their first baby in December of 2020. Initially we had planned on opening our doors in November of 2020 buuuuut you know what they say about best laid plans. Being the super cool person she is, Mary Alice was just as excited to give birth at Texas Children's Pavilion for Women with Mary as her midwife.
More than once Mary Alice would say, "I hired Mary (Love) to be my midwife, I don't care where I give birth." And so, our very first official Heart of Houston family was born on December 15th 2020 with the birth of the sweetest little person, Ms. Harriet Martin Carpenter. This week she turns one and it's been such a joy watching her and her parents grow! Thank you to the Carpenter family for trusting us with your care and thank you for being such an important part of our Heart of Houston community. Happy Birthday Hattie!!
Why support groups so important
One of the many things I swore I would not do when I became a parent was allow my kids a lot of screen time. LOL, yeah that didn't last long. We tried to limit the amount of time they spent in front of screens in the early years but thanks to a global pandemic which shall not be named, both of our girls are now proficient in pulling up Netflix, Disney Plus and AppleTV. I have zero regrets. It helped my wife and I stay sane during the lockdown when we had to work from home with two young children. After watching pretty much every show appropriate for kids under 5, I think the Australian series Bluey is by far my favorite. The show follows the Heeler family, parents Chilli and Bandit and their two girls, Bluey and Bingo. The show is hugely popular with parents and kids, there is a line of Bluey toys and the show even has its own subreddit. Y'all, some of these episodes hit so close to home I've been known to ugly cry and scare my poor children. So what does a kids cartoon have to do with support groups? The spirit of the show is about real, everyday struggles of parents just trying to do the best they can and finding support where they can. They are flawed and funny, loving and patient, and they have a great community of friends. Their friends are also flawed and funny and willing to show up at their door when things are hard; which is exactly what we want for you.
If you are fortunate enough to have a close-knit group of friends in the same season of life, count your blessings. You probably know the power of a 3am nursing/pumping session text with a silly meme attached. It's life giving. To know that you are not alone in the struggle that is early parenthood is a gift many folks never get. This beautiful city of ours is full of transplants and we want you to find your people here. Our pregnancy and postpartum support groups are meant to be the stepping stones to life long friendships. This season of life should be celebrated with others and sharing the good, the bad and the ugly is the recipe that makes that magic happen So, if you haven't had the chance to join one of our groups we hope that you'll give it a shot. You might just find your people.
Speaking of Community
At our last postpartum group we decided that we should have our very first holiday cookie exchange! This will be a very laid back (unorganized) event. Bring a bunch of cookies and take a bunch home. How many cookies should you make? Who knows. Just show up with cookies and I'm sure it will all work out. AND if you don't want to bake your own cookies I for one will not judge you for bringing store bought cookies... Mary might judge you but I won't. Just be sure to label everything with ingredients for folks avoiding allergens. The exchange is scheduled for Thursday December 23rd 10am to Noon. All HOH and Whole Heart Collective families are welcome to join.
Start 2022 out right with a family hike in Brazos Bend State Park. Come be a part of Texas state parks annual First Day Hike. Trails are semi stroller friendly and definitely babywearing appropriate. Be sure to reserve your day pass for the 8-12 time slot and we will meet at the trailhead by the play equipment. There is a $7 per person park fee.
We've added a Yoga with Bee session! On Sunday the 26th come stretch out that tension from all your holiday cheer. Bee and her team will be raffling off surprise services and providing you with her usual tasty treats. Check out the event calendar to sign up.
Our friend Gail Gould is back for another Infant CPR/BLS class. Class is open to the public and $45 per person. Gail is a certified American Heart Association instructor and also teaches an online mini-course on how to How To Confidently Help Your Child During A Choking Emergency Masks are required to attend this in person class. Sunday January 23rd starts at noon.
Upcoming Events
Latch Clinic: Now on Zoom Wednesday 12/22 10am, Leah Jolly IBCLC will join our weekly postpartum support group to answer your feeding questions. We have breakout rooms now so you can spend a few min in private with Leah if necessary.
In Person PP Support Group Wednesday 12/15 10am all ages welcome
Take a Walk PP Support Group :Thursday 12/16 Houston Arboretum, everyone welcome
Newborn Essentials : Sunday 12/19 2pm Nina Spears of Baby Chick will give her top pick for new baby essentials.
Office closed for holiday 12/25 and 26th...unless of course you're in labor!
Sunday Yoga with Bee: Sunday 12/26 noon-2pm $20 at the door, donation based for HOH clients and Whole Heart Collective members. This event will have raffle items!!
Infant CPR/ BLS: January 23 noon - 2pm. $45 a person, masks required please email Gail Gould at cprandsafetylady at gmail dot com to make payment, RSVP here.
Ongoing Events
Postpartum Support Group: Every Wednesday from 10-12ish and Thursday 9:30-11:30. Zoom link has been sent to all HOH clients and Whole Heart Collective members. Email Jessica if you need more information.
Queer Parent Circle: Second Sunday of every month 3:30-5pm Open to the public!
Birthworkers Circle: Second Sunday of every month starting Jan 2022 time TBD
Various Childbirth Education Curriculums starting soon: Rebel Birth weekly series or weekend intensive, and Bradley Method with Anne Zwicky. Birthing from within.
That's all for now! Have a great week everyone.
