As we awaited the first mama to give birth I sat and thought about waiting. As midwives, one of our best skills is watchful waiting. As a woman enters the last few weeks of pregnancy there is the anticipation that it could be any day and the nesting urge to prepare space for the new arrival.
We nested while we waited. We stocked our shelves, checked our medications, swept the rooms, wiped down the tubs, reviewed our policies, cleared the space with sage, and set our intentions for the birth center. Then we sat and waited, wondering who it would be. The call came in early last Friday, our first mama was having early signs of labor and we were ready!
The mama was a power house, the room was joyful, after a few hours of hard work- out came a wriggling, squirmy, pink little wonder. Delia Joy announced her arrival with a cry.
A midwife student later pointed out that Delia is another name for Artemis, goddess of the moon, fertility, birth, and protector of children. She was also a huntress, protective and fierce when challenged. How fitting that this strong female energy be the first to enter birth center which will be filled with women supporting women, doing their fiercest work.
For her timeliness, Delia and her mom won the prize for the very first San Francisco Birth Center birth. They won some of our favorite products and services from companies run by women in our community with values that we admire. In the spirit of Artemis, fierce women and birth, we celebrate the first of many! Here is Miss Delia Joy with her stash of goodness.
Thank you to Earth Baby Compostable Diapers, Natural Resources for the Moby, Mommee Coffee, Mrs. Patel’s, Landscape for the SFBC onesie, and TinyT Scarves.
Here’s a little more about these local, women led companies.
Mrs. Patel’s Fenugreek Bars
Mrs. Patel’s bars enhance postpartum healing by strengthening the joints while boosting your milk supply.
Made with pure fenugreek flour along with ten other rich ingredients, these bittersweet bars will kickstart your morning and your milk supply. While the poppy seeds and fenugreek help you lactate, the ghee and coconut enhance the quality of your breastmilk (passing on their high nutritional benefits to your child) and the peepmarul (a root wildcrafted in India) and powdered gum (a resin from the axle wood tree) work to strengthen the joints, promoting muscle flexibility and energizing the body.
Mommee Coffee
The reason for Mommee Coffee is that you are a person who still loves/needs/craves coffee while also being pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive. And if you do choose to continue to drink coffee during any of these periods, you should have options that meet your physical and emotional needs without leaving you feeling worried or guilty.
Natural Resources
Natural Resources was founded in 1988 to serve new families through education, empowerment, and community. While specializing in natural and conscious parenting, we ultimately advocate for informed decisions that support the optimal development of each unique new person and their family.
TinyT Scarves
Just because you’re dealing with a mess doesn’t mean you have to look like one doing it. tinyT scarves are a stylish accessory and an essential disaster recovery device. Made with super soft double layered muslin cotton, these “thread-a-porter” scarves are machine washable and a must-have for ever-ready and ever-stylin’ parents and their darling mess makers. Impressively measuring in at 23” x 70”, you’ll always have a wipe within reach.
Earth Baby Compostable Diaper Service
Disposable diapers constitute the 3rd largest contributor (by volume) to US landfill sites today.* EarthBaby addresses this problem and closes the loop, ensuring that diapers stay out of the landfill.
Currently EarthBaby diverts more than 16,000 pounds of diaper waste from Bay Area landfills each week and converts it to nutrient-rich soil.
