Equipping Birth Professionals Worldwide

 

 Charis “Teaching Birth” Workshop
will be held Saturday, February 25, 2012

For childbirth educators, doulas, midwives, or anyone who would like to improve their ability to communicate with and educate expectant families.

At our workshops, learning is interactive, hands-on, fun, and interesting.  All Charis workshops are taught from a Christian perspective, giving God the glory for His marvelous creation and how He so wonderfully created women to bear children.

You will spend the day making new friends and becoming more skilled in preparing effective introductions, asking powerful questions, creating a learner-friendly environment, capturing the attention of learners, helping clients embrace their responsibility of making informed decisions, and so much more.

In addition to the valuable skills acquired at the workshop, you will also take home with you an assortment of visual aids and other valuable teaching tools to enhance your future students’ learning experience.

A delicious lunch will be provided for all the workshop attendees to enjoy as you get to know each other better during a midday break.

The cost is $200 for Charis members and $230 for non-members (includes one-year Charis membership).

To register, complete the Registration Form
and mail it, along with payment, to:
Charis Childbirth
P.O. Box 6900
North Port, FL 34290

 

Charis “Labor Support” Workshop
was held Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Left to right: Paula Malcein, Susan Oshel, Jessie Biggs, Kate McKinney, Rachel Thompson, Kristin Schuchmann, Rose Schuchmann, Sheri Hunt, Bethany Stricker, Lauren Tardy, Carrie Hartman. Not pictured: Nikki Zizak, Hannah Johnson, Jennifer Goodman and Joy Schuchmann, who is behind the camera

 

We made new friends and became more skilled in knowing how and when to use many techniques to bring a woman comfort during each phase of labor, understanding the science behind why the comfort measures work, creating an environment conducive to the natural progression of labor, recognizing when a woman is beginning to panic and helping her regain control, gently encouraging a woman to effectively push out her baby while taking advantage of the natural physiology of second stage, assisting a woman in breastfeeding for the very first time, and so much more.

In addition to the valuable skills acquired at the workshop, we also took home a beautiful “labor support bag” filled with an assortment of tools to help successfully support, serve, and bring comfort to  future clients as they labor.

A delicious lunch was provided for all and we got to know each other better during our midday break.  
Read on to enjoy a pictorial journey and testimonies of the blessed and educational time we spent together.

 

What a wonderful time we all had at the Charis “Labor Support” Workshop in July!   It was such a treat to get to meet some of you face to face for the very first time and to see so many others again!   A HUGE thank-you goes out to my administrative assistant, Sheri Hunt, for making it all happen and to Charis’s Director of Midwifery Studies Susan Oshel, Charis Childbirth Educator and Doula, Rachel Thompson for her valuable teaching tools and Charis midwifery student Kate McKinney for once again helping us out on the day of the workshop so everything flowed so smoothly.  I know I have said it before, but I really do love surrounding myself with brilliant people!

 
~ Kristin Schuchmann, Executive Director, Charis Childbirth, Inc. 

 

The night before the workshop, Jessie Biggs finding "treasures" on the Gulf Coast. 

 

 

The workshop gave me tools to use during labor and helped me feel more confident.  It helped me understand why things work - seeing the model pelvis be more open.  It's great to be able to have so many resources here to ask questions and hear experiences.  Hands-on learning exercises are really helpful to experience doing it right and how to correct if you're not.  It's more comfortable applying these helpful touching tools on a mom after we experienced practicing on each other.
~Lauren Tardy, Charis doula and childbirth educator student 

 

 

 

Rachel Thompson teaching and demonstrating the benefits of pressure to various points in the body and how it can positively assist labor and birth.

 

This workshop provided me with the incredible opportunity to pass on my own knowledge and experience to future doulas and midwives. But even more than that, it gave me the privilege of getting to know a little bit of these gems of young women and receive richness into my own life from them.

~Rachel Thompson, CCE, CD

 

 

 

 

 

Paula Malcein and Jessie Biggs pondering the foot and it's pressure points.

 

 

What did I receive from this workshop?  Being a nightlight to births!!!  Learning pressure points and massages.  I love the classroom cooperation.  Learning the pointers on how to get on the hospital staff's good side.  I so need to get the focus off myself and, like Rachel said, to have a soft heart and thick skin.  I want the Lord to have my feeling.  Thank You my Father!  Hallelujah!  Amen!

~Paula Rose Malcein, Charis Midwifery Student

 

 

 

 

Hannah Johnson and Carrie Hartman practicing pressure points on their hands.

 

 

 This workshop was so much fun!  I loved that we got to practice what we learned and the  interaction between the teachers and students was wonderful.  One major "nugget" I will take home is the importance of movement.  I always knew in my head that it was important but the education and practice really made it come alive.

~Carrie Hartman, BSN, RN, Charis Midwifery Student

 

 

 

Lauren Tardy massaging Jennifer Goodwin's fingers.

 

 

We practiced using our labor skills while understanding pain,
the gate theory, sensory nerves, endorphins and catecholamines, and much more!

 

Paula Malcein and Bethany Stricker practicing.

 

Bethany Stricker practicing counter pressure on Paula Malcein's back.

 

~Bethany Stricker, Charis Midwifery Student

 

Jessie Biggs rolling a noodle and receiving comments
from Rachel Thompson that she is doing it so right!

 

Carrie Hartman comments, "Ahhhh",
when Hannah Johnson practices lower back pressure.

 

Jennifer Goodwin puts 'just the right pressure' in 'just the right spot'
on Lauren Tardy's lower back.

 

I feel much more confident about helping a woman through labor.  I learned a lot about discerning problems and how to solve them. By being around such knowledgeable and experienced people, I gleaned tried-and-true methods and new ideas that I never would have thought about on my own.  Also, it was nice to be around other believers who have the same passions for Christ and birth that I do.  Loved it and can't wait to attend a birth and use all these great techniques.

~Jennifer Goodwin, Charis doula and childbirth educator student

 

 

Hannah Johnson practices on willing Carrie Hartman.

 

 

Oh that flexible and moving pelvis!
How we restrict it's movement and how to allow it's optimal flexibility.

 

 

Everyone opening their labor support "birth bags" full of tools of the trade.

 

One of the tools is a Rebozo, now for the fun!

 

Carrie Hartman, Sheri Hunt, Jen (Birthways office admin getting lunch),
Rachel Thompson, Kristin Schuchmann, Bethany Stricker, Paula Malcein and Jessie Biggs

 

Bethany Stricker practices with Rebozo techniques on Paula Malcein.

 

 

Susan Oshel ended the day guiding us through the "Moving Babies" part of our education.  We learned about moving babies from posterior to anterior, correcting ascynclitsim, which techniques worked best in early labor and which were most beneficial in active labor.  Everyone practiced free gentle movement, hip swiveling, side lying, open knee-chest, lunges, hula dancing, lower back presses, duck walking, pelvic presses and the pancake maneuver and learned when each works the best.  Cameras were put aside while all hands practiced, so not many pictures during this full part of the workshop.

 

Rachel Thompson and Kristin Schuchmann demonstrating the double hip press on Carrie Hartman.

 

Jennifer Goodwin and baby Judah, during one of their cuddly moments.

 

Our awesome babysitter, Joy Schuchmann, caring for sleeping Judah Goodwin.

 

 

 

At our workshops, learning is interactive, hands-on, fun, and interesting. All Charis workshops are taught from a Christian perspective, giving God the glory for His marvelous creation and how He so wonderfully created women to bear children.

You will spend the day making new friends and becoming more skilled in preparing effective introductions, asking powerful questions, creating a learner-friendly environment, capturing the attention of learners, helping clients embrace their responsibility of making informed decisions, and so much more.

In addition to the valuable skills acquired at the workshop, you will also take home with you an assortment of visual aids and other valuable teaching tools to enhance your future students’ learning experience.

A delicious lunch will be provided for all the workshop attendees to enjoy as you get to know each other better during a midday break.

The cost is $200 for Charis members and $230 for non-members (includes one-year Charis membership.)