First thing, today, Vic and I picked up my glass fusing pendants from Glass Endeavors and stopped out back of the 331 Club to hear The Roe Family Singers with Vic’s Kurt playing mandolin. Kim and Quillan Roe’s little 15-month-old girl, Elspeth warmed up with the band by grabbing the mike and imitating her mama.
Kim and Quillan stopped a moment with they saw Vic and I walk up and said how much they are recommending the Spinning Babies Website and how it helped them so much just before they had Elspeth. They mentioned that before, but as they are suddenly surrounded by pregnant friends their finding the site is useful to have as a reference for their friends, as well. That was fun to hear! And you should go hear them play Monday nights 9:30 at the 331 or first Friday and Saturdays at the Sea Salt right above the Minnehaha Falls. What a nice day. I continued on to take the glass and more Belly Mapping booklets over to Everyday-Miracles in the Waterbury Building.

Everyday-Miracles Doula Program enjoyed a busy open house today during the North East Minneapolis annual Art-a-Whirl. The center was filled with painted belly casts, oil paintings, craft and baked goods.
Lots of neighborhood art lovers strolled through, along with children, doulas, families and supporters. Meg Novak was there supporting their prison outreach doula program. Rae was everywhere and so were more volunteers for whom I wished I’d gotten their names.

My role was to offer individualized Belly Mapping sessions with pregnant women and their partners. Two women were already waiting for me though I came an hour early. I love the look on one father’s face when he felt the shape of his 30 week baby curled in side his Beloved. What a joy to give a little window into the miracle they carry within them everyday for nine months. We also demonstrated the Forward-Leaning Inversion with the parents and later, the Rebozo with Deb, who just got accepted into the U of M’s Master’s Program for Nursing with a goal of Nurse Midwifery. She was so excited to get a head start on a little midwifery lore.

Everyday-Miracles is a miracle to me, because Deb and Mary work so hard to serve high-need women and their families, whether the need is financial, social or even imprisonment. Most of the mothers, however, are healthy women looking for empowerment in the pregnancy and birthing process and during early parenting. Its so fun for me to pop over and do a bit of Belly Mapping with the pregnant women. What a gift to draw babies of the bellies of women glowing with wonderment.

Everyday-Miracles strengthens families through the parenting experience, by supporting and empowering mothers during pregnancy. They provide pregnancy and labor support as well as prenatal education in a supportive, non-judgmental community for at-risk pregnant women who desire pregnancy, birth and early parenting services, regardless of age or culture.

Everyday-Miracle Programs

Their clients receive (at no charge) pre-natal education, doula support, postpartum care. They offer:

• Group prenatal educational classes in English, Spanish and Somali
• Free doula services including prenatal and postpartum visits along with continuous labor support
• Breastfeeding support
• Car seat clinics and home delivery for Ucare, MHP and Medica participants
• Breast pump education and delivery for Ucare and MHP participants
• Prenatal Yoga on Tuesdays, 4, 5 or 6 pm. (Gail: I noticed that the 5 pm class often has Islamic chanting playing while the 6 pm has East Indian music.)