Natural Lullabies Blog

Tulsa Birth Talks starting 2012

melissacameron — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:03:34 +0000

For nine years, Natural Lullabies has been working to educate, empower and support pregnant women and families. Throughout the years, we have continually evolved and transformed our presence but we have never completely gone away. Today, in fact, we are growing larger and larger every month. Adding new services to our long list, answering emails and phone calls from local families seeking out options and alternatives and exploring new ways we can continue in Tulsa.

Natural Lullabies founder, Melissa Cameron (Morrill), joined forces with local birth professionals in 2011 to create the new virtual birth center concept. ”Uniting together allows us to gain more momentum and impact more pregnant women and babies and that is our ultimate goal,” says Melissa. She hopes to continue to find creative ways to educate Tulsa families on all of their pregnancy and childbirth choices.

This year Natural Lullabies is beginning monthly discussions called TULSA BIRTH TALKS. Starting on January 22nd, 2012, the first Birth Talk is titled “The Pelvic Floor in Pregnancy and Beyond”. Giving the talk is speaker Christian McSoud, who is a physical therapist and owner of The Physical Therapy Room in Tulsa. Christian is a graduate of Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center. She has earned her certification in pelvic floor rehabilitation through Herman and Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute and is working on her manual therapy certification through Great Lakes Seminars. Christian hopes to provide education to women about the role of the pelvic floor before, during and after birth and how to prevent or treat pelvic pain and incontinence.

In February, Natural Lullabies plans to offer a talk on VBACs (Vaginal Birth After Cesaerean), exploring the options for Tulsa families who have previously had a C-Section. More topics are underway and will be released soon. The TULSA BIRTH TALKS are open to the public and any one can attend. The cost is $15/person. The talks will be located at 3 Points Karate studio at 71st and Lewis (behind Panera / Mazzios on the NE corner). The first talk scheduled for January 22nd is scheduled for 1:30 pm and will last until approximately 3:00 pm.

It’s time we begin some honest talks about pregnancy and birth in Tulsa.

Pure Birth Workshops coming in 2012

melissacameron — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 22:13:29 +0000

They’re Back!

In 2009 we explored the idea of one-day workshops to help prepare pregnant women and their partners for the glorious journey for birth. After taking a few years off, these delicious workshops are back and ready to offer another avenue to celebrate pregnancy, birth and motherhood!

Price: $75 for 1 workshop or $65 per workshop when registering for more than one. Optional vegetarian lunch is $15 per person.

To Register: Go online or call 918- 381-0828 or email info@purebirth.net. Pre- registration is necessary so we can accommodate everyone. DOWNLOAD the brochure for more information.

We Believe in You!

Our Vision

Each workshop is designed to independently offer insight, guidance and most importantly a safe space to explore your deepest fears and highest joys of pregnancy, birth and motherhood. Pure Birth founder and mother of three, Melissa Cameron Morrill offers these workshops as just another way to awaken the wisdom within. She has been teaching childbirth classes in Tulsa since 2003 and has attended more than 125 births as a doula. Her passion for birth mixed in with her deepest desire to inspire others is the driving force for offering these workshops. Some of the workshops are for pregnant women only and some offer a space for the partners. Please see the workshop description specifically to see which ones include partners. All materials are included and discounts are offered if you sign up for more than one workshop.

Location: The workshops are held at Isis Ranch, a private yoga studio located on a secluded five- acres in Jenks, OK. After registration you will receive directions to the studio and information about arriving. Our studio is equipped with yoga mats, floor pillows and blankets. If you would like to bring anything you might need to make yourself comfortable, please do so.

Lunch: All workshops will include a 1-hour lunch break. We are within 5-10 minutes of the Jenks Riverwalk area and many restaurants. You are also welcome to pre-order a vegetarian lunch that will be served at Isis Ranch for an additional $15 per person. In order to receive the lunch, you must pre-pay for this when registering for the class so we have enough available to serve everyone. Tea and water will be available all day throughout the workshop along with some healthy snacks.

Pure Birth Workshop: “Yoga & Meditation in Pregnancy”
Saturday, January 21st, 2012 9:30 am – 4:30 pm

In the midst of yoga, we often find ourselves resisting the intensity of what is going on in our bodies or fighting the thoughts that are provoking anxiety. Yoga is definitely a journey within the body while uniting with our mind and our souls. In yoga we can often meet with the rock and the hard place, learning how to embrace and surrender at will. The breath, the movement and the body awareness are exactly what helps a pregnant woman prepare for the journey through birth. We will spend some time talking about yoga but most importantly experiencing it!

Activities will include prenatal yoga, discussions on meditation and experiencing meditations, connecting to our bodies and breath and much more. You will be invited to transform ideas, fears and beliefs that you are ready to let go of. Truly experiencing the light within you, the knowing that guides you along life and connects to your baby.

This workshop is for women only!

Pure Birth Workshop: “EmPOWERed and Inspired Birth”
Saturday, February 4th , 2012 9:30 am – 4:30 pm

“I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I chose to risk my significance; to live so that which comes to me as seed goes to the next as blossom and that which comes to be as blossom, goes on as fruit. ~Dawn Markova

The time in our lives we transition through pregnancy and into motherhood is one of the most transformative experiences we encounter in a lifetime. This all day retreat offers a chance to step into conscious transformation, realizing your own power and truth comes from within yourself. We will be spending time connecting to your truth and hearing the voice of your intuition. To truly experience empowerment, we must feel as if we have a choice. Knowing that a choice is ALLways present reminds us that empowerment comes from within ourselves. Inspired birth happens in the moment we let go of thinking, rationalizing and analyzing and surrender into that inspired state. This inspired state happens spontaneously upon surrendering control, letting go of fears and melting into the present moment.

In this workshop, we will do a little meditation, light yoga and movement to keep the energy flowing, journaling, fear releasing, and joyful celebration of this blessed journey you are on. Our hope is that this workshop will begin or enhance the inner journey we walk through during pregnancy, birth and motherhood. To offer a safe place for discussing fears, allowing ourselves to remember we choose to hold on to the fears or release them into the universe. Join us if you’re ready to step into your own power and feel it within every fiber of your being!!

This workshop is for women only.

New initiative changes way OK women can deliver babies

melissacameron — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:54:44 +0000

http://kfor.vid.trb.com/player/PaperVideoTest.swf

Inductions are changing for women and healthcare providers in Oklahoma!

See the full story HERE

Free Community Childbirth Class

melissacameron — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:12:10 +0000

We are now offering a free community mini-childbirth class every month in Tulsa, OK. This mini-childbirth class will cover some of
your childbirth choice basics in getting started making decisions during your pregnancy, childbirth and beyond. As a service to our community, we wanted to begin offering this to anyone who is pregnant and seeking some answers and guidance. This does not replace the value of taking an extensive childbirth class, like Pure Birth, but instead is a good place to start on your journey.

What we will cove in this class:

Choosing your birth place
Caregiver Options
Basics Birth Choices
Hiring a Doula
Q & A

This class is FREE to all pregnant couples but we do ask for registration at least 24 hours before the class date. If you are not registered and show up, we cannot guarantee enough space or materials to provide to you.

UPCOMING DATES:

Sunday, November 6th 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Sunday, December 4th 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

LOCATION: 3 Points Karate located at 71st and Lewis (behind Mazzios & Panera on the northeast corner)

Changing Birth in Tulsa

melissacameron — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:50:26 +0000

Our little group of birth professionals met last week in a quaint coffee shop in Tulsa to discuss the ongoing question that resides within all of us, “how can we change birth for the better in Tulsa?”. First, we caught up on the latest happenings with each other, telling birth stories and updates on our families, then we got right into business. With our common goal of offering support, guidance and services for pregnancy and birth, we know that a challenge that lays in front of us is mighty big. To really make change in our birth practices in Tulsa often stops us in our tracks with the overwhelming feeling of too much to do.

However, we know that by gathering together and discussing our vision is one of the first steps in making change for our community. As our vision includes a virtual birth center, many of our ideas during this meeting surrounded the idea of offering more of our efforts online and through digital media. We also came up with the idea to offer a free mini-childbirth class every month. It is exciting to see so many people truly dedicated to honoring the sacred journey of pregnancy and birth and our determination and dedication is strong enough to overcome the obstacles that appear to be in place. We have hope and we know that is really all that is needed to make changes for birth in Tulsa.

The Business Behind Birth

melissacameron — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:04:46 +0000

As much as we would all like to pretend it’s not going on, there is indeed some business going on behind many of the decisions and recommendations made during pregnancy and birth. When the documentary “The Business of Being Born” released a few years ago it unveiled the curtain on many of the problems with the childbirth industry. Unfortunately, birthing mothers can and have been hidden from some of the facts about what their options may be and what the possible outcomes may arise from the decisions being made.

We are excited to share the latest documentary being released by the producers of “The Business of Being Born” at our film screening on Tuesday, August 23rd at 6:30 pm at Isis Ranch.

We are hosting a screening of the newest films being released from Executive Producer Ricki Lake and Director Abby Epstein at Isis Ranch. Held at Isis Ranch in Jenks, OK, this event is co-sponsored by the Natural Lullabies, Pure Birth, and Oklahoma National Association of Certified Professional Midwives. Due to limited space there are only 25 tickets available.

The Film Screening is from 6:30 – 9:00 pm on Tuesday, August 23rd.
The Two Films being played are “Down on the Farm: Conversations with Legendary Midwife Ina May Gaskin” and “Special Deliveries: Celebrity Mothers Talk Straight on Birth”.

We will have a short Q&A session after the film with some local midwives, doulas and birth professionals.

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE: http://mbobbjenks.eventbrite.com/
(a ticket is required to watch the film)

MORE ABOUT THE FILMS
Down on The Farm: Conversations with Legendary Midwife Ina May Gaskin
Follow Executive Producer Ricki Lake and Director Abby Epstein to The Farm Community in Summertown, Tennessee, where pioneer midwife Ina May Gaskin talks candidly about the latest birth trends. Gaskin, who was featured in the original The Business of Being Born, sparked Lake’s initial interest in home birth and has continued to inspire the filmmaking duo’s advocacy efforts. Also on the journey is pregnant actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who joins them in getting to know The Farm’s famous midwives and touring the picturesque birth cabins situated in the woods. Bonus features on the DVD include additional interviews with Gaskin, Williams-Paisley’s emotional birth stories and a conversation with Christy Turlington-Burns about her shared passion for improving maternal mortality.

And

Special Deliveries: Celebrity Mothers Talk Straight on Birth
Featuring celebrity moms Laila Ali, Michelle Alves, Gisele Bundchen, Sarah Wayne Callies, Cindy Crawford, Alyson Hannigan, Melissa Joan Hart, Kellie Martin, Alanis Morissette, Molly Ringwald, Christy Turlington-Burns and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Special Deliveries provides collected stories from a group fearless mothers. Their riveting testimonies speak to the power of the birth experience, whether they worked with midwives and/or obstetricians. They trusted their bodies and intuitions, taking control and trusting themselves instead of following “the experts” blindly. None of these courageous women has ever spoken on the record in such compelling detail, and, on this DVD, the filmmakers weave together these passionate narratives as a celebration of the journey to motherhood that will leave viewers with a renewed sense of amazement about the power of women.

Many Ways to the Same Goal

melissacameron — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:26:44 +0000

As a collective group, we have all identified one thing for sure. We believe there are many ways to achieve the same goal. Not only is our goal in childbirth to end up with a healthy baby, but we also believe it is important to empower birthing women and their families to feel supported, encouraged and most of all listened to. Regardless of the type of birth a mother chooses, we feel she should be supported in her decision. Far too long, women have been discouraged by their health care providers or made to feel like they were being rebellious or hard to deal with when choosing a birth outside the scope of “normal”.

Therefore, it is our mission to educate and empower the expecting families of Tulsa to know their options and to support them while making their decisions. From childbirth classes, to midwifery care, we all believe in honoring the many paths to an empowered, supported birth.

Meet & Greet Scheduled for August 11th

melissacameron — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:06:52 +0000

Calling all preggos or soon-to-be pregnant families! We are holding an event where you can come and meet some of Tulsa’s most dedicated birth professionals. We will be there to answer your questions, pass out information about our services and be a support system for you as you journey through the maze of decisions. There to answer your questions will be midwives, doulas, childbirth educators, yoga instructors and many more. Come with a pad and paper and get ready to start asking!

This FREE event will be held from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at Lafortune Community Center located at 5202 S. Hudson Ave., A • Tulsa, OK 74135.

Photos from our Open House – 6/9/11

melissacameron — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:26:30 +0000

Photos @ Open House

We celebrated birth in Tulsa by presenting options to families. Each of our groups offered small presentations on the services that our birth professionals offer. Faith Morie presented information on Midwifery Care, Melissa Morrill presented information on Doula Services, Celeste McNeal discussed childbirth education and Shela Tarwater talked about the other types of classes/services that we offer such as prenatal yoga, breathwork, placenta encapsulation and Mother Blessing Ceremonies.

Thank you to all of the individuals and businesses who sponsored this event! We are so honored to receive so much support from the Tulsa community.

The Silo Event Center
4501 W 41st St, Tulsa, OK 74107
www.thesilotulsa.com | (918) 447.2724

Isis Ranch Yoga Studio & Retreats
Jenks, OK
www.isisranch.com
(918) 381.0828

Dr. John Whitham

Alive with Energy Clinic

900 West Kenosha Street, Broken Arrow, OK 74012-8917

(918) 251-8889
Baby Emporium

3345 S. Elm Place

Broken Arrow/Tulsa, OK 74012

www.babyemporium.net
(918) 449-8884
Kathleen’s Kids

8212 South Harvard Avenue

Tulsa, OK 74137-1613

www.kathleenskids.com
(918) 742-2697

Lolly Garden

2046 Utica Square

Tulsa, OK 74114

www.lollygarden.com
(918) 742-6300

Inner Peace Yoga

7718 E 91st St # 160

Tulsa, OK 74133-6051

www.innerpeaceyogatulsa.com
(918) 809-4444
Sacred Feminine Rising
Tulsa, OK
www.sacredfemininerising.com
(954) 614.2957
3 Points Karate
6975 South Lewis Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74136
www.3PointsKarate.com
(918) 494-0800

Active Approach Chiropractic

8124 South Harvard Avenue

Tulsa, OK 74137-1611

www.ActiveApproachChiro.com
(918) 938-6801

Deena Licht, RN, IBCLC
9219 E 26th pl, Tulsa, Ok 74129
www.ssvmidwifery.com
(918) 770-8871

Special thanks to the following individuals for your donations and contributions:

Dave & Shannon Coman

Joe Robinson

Jennifer Schafer

Sarah Thomas

Dana DesJardins

Calista Firor

Faith Morie

Shela Tarwater

Brandi Stone

Lisa Vick

… and all of our Birth Professionals

The History & The New Vision of Natural Lullabies

melissacameron — Mon, 16 May 2011 13:42:15 +0000

History of Natural Lullabies

In 2002, a Tulsa mother experienced a natural birth that forever changed her path. She began a journey into how she could help others experience a different kind of birth. In 2003, Melissa Morrill attended a nationally recognized childbirth education training to teach natural childbirth classes in Tulsa. She began teaching in the summer of 2003 in her home and soon opened Natural Lullabies as a pregnancy and family resource center at 81st and Sheridan and later moved to 81st and Harvard. Offering prenatal/mommy and me yoga, breastfeeding support, parenting classes and support and natural baby care products, Natural Lullabies operated in a storefront for five and a half years. In May 2009, Melissa closed the storefront to pursue a simpler way to raise her 3 boys and continue offering services to the community. Today, she has taught childbirth classes to more than 400 families in Tulsa and attended more than 125 births as a doula which prompted Melissa to open another company called Pure Birth, LLC.

The New Vision.

In 2011, Melissa decided it was time to gather some of Tulsa’s finest birth professionals into a group where our voice could become more prominent and distinct. The vision of a Virtual Birth Center was born. A concept where bringing the joy of a birth center to our community without the financial hardship and insurance concerns of a birth center with a facility. Welcome to the next evolution of Natural Lullabies and thank you for your continued support over the last 8 years in business.