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Men going through infertility, you are not alone

Men going through infertility, you are not alone

Brandon is a licensed Social Worker based in Minneapolis, here to guide you through life’s most complex and difficult matters. Brandon truly care about his patients’ well-being and guarantee top of the line counseling and psychological services catered to your needs.

Since 2000, Brandon has provided several specialized therapeutic services to those dealing with grief and loss, Infertility, depression, anxiety, and even mental disabilities.

​It was after discovering that he was infertile, that he realized there was no one to turn to. The road was lonely. He began to wonder and research how many men were going through infertility alone. Knowing men are suffering in silence, he decided to take a stand.

​There is no need to be alone, you can walk this path together. ​

Empowering Parents with Acupressure

Empowering Parents with Acupressure

 Heather Smidt -VIP member

The youngest patient that I ever treated was 4 weeks old. I was completing my clinical internship at Boston Medical Center in pediatric acupuncture and my supervisor had connected us with the unit that cares for babies with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). These are the littles who are born addicted to some sort of substance. NAS is characterized by issues with feeding/ latching, slow weight gain, digestive complaints like diarrhea and/or constipation and gas. Needless to say, these symptoms make these babies incessantly fussy.

The nurse handed me this beautiful tiny little baby and I started the acupressure protocol that we had been taught. By the time I was finished, she had fallen asleep on the swaddling blanket. I wrapped her back up and set her in the bassinet. Her mother, also recovering, sat nearby and said she was so grateful to finally see her baby girl peacefully sleeping after a really rough day.

At the time, I had a 9 month old baby of my own at home. I started to use these same treatment strategies with him. If he had gas, I would use a point on his shin along with some gentle abdominal massage. If he was fussy and having a hard time falling asleep, I would rock him and gently pat his head to bring down yang and encourage sleep. If he was teething, I would use a point on his toe for his lower gums and a point on his finger for the upper gums. These strategies were amazing to use on my tiniest of patients but were even more empowering as a parent.

There is nothing so lonely as being up all hours with a fussy infant after you have worked so hard to establish a good sleep schedule. Whether it’s something physical or the overwhelming changes that occur for them as they take in the world around them, acupressure offers parents another tool in the toolbox to help soothe their little ones from the earliest of days and onward.

My last patient at BMC was a little boy with “failure to thrive”. He had come from a foreign country with his brave mama to seek out help. At the age of 3, he barely weighed as much as my infant at home. I would come in and work with him, playing games and making silly faces while gently massaging points that helped increase appetite, promoted peristalsis, and soothed the nervous system. As time went on, I came to the realization that I should teach his mother how to do this same protocol that I had tailored specifically for him. With the help of an interpreter, we went to work. As I showed her how to find the points on him and how to apply acupressure, tears welled up in her eyes and she thanked me for this gift that made her feel a part of healing her son.

It is for this reason that I adore this work almost more than helping people build their families. By teaching someone acupressure to use on their child, they are learning tools that make them more confident parents. It is said in Traditional Chinese Medicine that “The heart of the mother is the body of the child and the body of the child is the heart of the mother.” I feel this is true for both parents and it warms my heart to share these tools with others

Interested in working with Heather? Reach out to info@gentlegiraffes.com

Kristen Jeznach

Meet Kristen Jeznach

Bronze Ambassador at Pure Haven

We are excited to interview Kristen Jeznach!  After 15+ years of traveling for corporate work, Kristen knew she wanted more of a purpose in life. Being a wife, mom, and stepmom just wasn’t enough. She came across Pure Haven while she was assisting her sister recover from her bone marrow transplant where she was the donor and hasn’t looked back!

What do you do?

“Most people I know have been touched by cancer in one way or another.  When I learned the products I was using on myself and my family were filled with toxins, I was angry!  If I didn’t know all of this, most others didn’t either.  I have now made it my mission to share this with others.  I love making an impact in people’s lives each and everyday helping them and their families live healthier!”

Why is it beneficial to newborns?

“These products help with eczema, cradle cap, chapped skin, chapped lips, rashes, cuts, scrapes, bug bites, and more.  Many of the skin conditions babies have are related to the toxic ingredients being put on their skin and their reactions to them.”

Why is it beneficial to parents?

“Our baby care products bring together everything you need to care for your little bundle of joy.  Plus, you get uncompromising peace of mind that your baby is safe and protected because our special, extra gentle formulations are all 100% free of toxins. Guaranteed. Scented with lavender, which is calming to your baby!”

 

Interested in working with Kristen Jeznach?

Contact us at: https://www.gentlegiraffes.com/contact

Maria & Chuck Reiss

Meet Maria and Chuck Reiss

Founders of The Reissential Oils Team

Maria and Chuck began their natural journey about 6 years ago when their college daughter was ill with mono.  After learning about all the health benefits, they’ve made a lifestyle change to have, virtually, a chemical free home!

What do you do?

Maria and Chuck are Independent Distributors of Young Living Essential Oils and Wellness Products. Their extensive knowledge of the products can help you make the change to a more natural, healthier way of living.

How do I help newborns?

“Our hope is for you to start your newborn’s life in a toxin free environment using Essential Oils and natural household products.”

How do I help parents?

“Living a toxin free lifestyle with Essential Oils can provide better sleep, less stress and hopefully less trips to the doctor for you and your newborn.”

Interested in working with Maria & Chuck?!

Contact us at : https://www.gentlegiraffes.com/contact

Alexandra (Ali) Joyce

Meet Ali Joyce

Real Estate Agent at Jack Conway Cityside

A Massachusetts native, Ali moved to Boston to start a career in financial sales. This knowledge, coupled with her undergraduate’s degree in psychology from Holy Cross has provided her with valuable skills that she uses daily in real estate negotiations, working with buyers and sellers, and successfully marketing her client’s homes for sale. Her passion for both the business and her clients has made her one of the top 1% of agents at Jack Conway & Company.

What do you do?

As a REALTOR®, Ali believes her job is to make sure her clients are fully involved, fully informed, and have all the data needed to make the best real estate decisions for themselves and their families. Her clients often describe her as honest, thorough, responsive, and genuinely interested in making the whole process smooth and pleasant.

Buying or selling a home is one of the most emotionally charged and financially critical points in a person’s life. Ali is dedicated to customer service and the consumer experience. She understands both the people-side and numbers-side and is honored to have the skills to be a successful part of this process for her valued clientele.

Is it possible to find a house with a newborn?

“Newborns are always welcomed on showings, especially if I get to hold them. 😉 It’s truly up to the parents’ comfort levels and we work around that. Sometimes we will do staggered showings so one parent can stay behind with  the baby. We discuss all of these beforehand and create a customized plan that works for the parents.”

How do I help parents?

“I often work with parents who are looking to up-size because of a growing family. This process usually involves a simultaneous sale of their existing home and purchase of the next home. I strive to make it a stress free and seamless process by creating a plan ahead of time and being as proactive as possible so when the moment comes, we can mobilize and get their existing home on the market ASAP. I take care of the details so all the parents have to worry about is finding the right home to suit their families’ needs.”

Interested in working with Ali?!

Contact us at : https://www.gentlegiraffes.com/contact

Dr. Linda Hurley

Meet Dr. Linda Hurley

Founder of Magnetic Moment, LLC

Today we are excited to interview Dr. Linda Hurley! Dr. Hurley is professionally trained and certified as an Intuitive Chakra Energy Healer.  She currently resides in California with her husband and three daughters.

What do you do?

Dr. Hurley specializes in the navigation of third through fourth trimester energetic transitions. She nurtures and enables new mothers to establish healthy boundaries to help radiate their internal grace and beauty.

Dr. Hurley has trained extensively with Shila Moa in the healing modalities of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing. She has a PhD in Earth and Planetary Sciences with an emphasis on the Earth’s magnetic field. Dr. Hurley uses her academic background to make geoscience videos for elementary aged school children. The intention of these videos is to increase diversity in the sciences by providing high quality science education to children everywhere.

Why is it beneficial to newborns?

Energy healing clears the energy centers of birth related trauma. The lower three energy centers are present in babies at birth. These energy centers are linked to the development of emotional characteristics including creativity, a sense of belonging, empathy, and self-love.

Why is it beneficial for parents?

Parents need an emotional reset after a birth. Moms in particular will benefit from deep energy work focused on the muscles and tissues affected by pregnancy, birth, and caring for their new addition. Energy healing enhances the body’s natural ability to heal.

Interested in working with Dr. Hurley?

Contact us at: https://www.gentlegiraffes.com/contact

Newborn Care Expo

Newborn Care Birth & Postpartum Wellness Expo

This week on the blog I will be talking about my virtual expo that is quickly approaching this December 6th from 11 AM-4 PM. 

The Gentle Giraffes Newborn Care Birth and Postpartum Wellness Expo curates a one of a kind experience for new and expecting parents that will give them access to trusted professionals to cover every pre and post-birth need. This expo is the perfect opportunity to meet with professionals that will help you develop a rock-solid support system to ensure a healthy, safe, and smooth pregnancy.

For all new and expecting parents… 

This is a time of eager anticipation for the bonding experience between you and your baby. You may be feeling overwhelmed, confused, and exhausted. You may feel overloaded with information. This expo is not only for support after your pregnancy experience, but also during it. We are here to take you from the very first moment you thought of growing your family, to the first several months of postpartum. Mark your calendars because you do not want to miss this. This expo will guide you and support you through this process as well as help you find professionals that can ease your transition into the fourth trimester and ensure that you and your child are receiving top-notch care.

We have carefully cultivated a group of renowned professionals to fit your pre and post-delivery needs. We have navigated this process for you so that you can just show up and choose your support network. You will be in contact with acupuncturists, pediatricians, IBCLC’s, pediatric dentists, birth doulas, and pelvic Pts. We have curated this experience to become a one-stop-shop for all of your pre and post-delivery needs.

The expo will consist of raffles, discounts, question and answer periods. The cost of the expo will be $10. Register here to grab your spot now! Just show up and Choose your support network for your family and your baby!:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gentle-giraffes-newborn-cares-birth-to-postpartum-expo-tickets-124304697697

For all practitioners… 

There is no better feeling than working with expectant parents or babies who are there to support you and your business. Are you ready to level-up your business? Are you passionate about working with new parents or babies? The goal of this expo is to create a space for business owners who work with parents and babies and to rise together.

The Gentle Giraffes Newborn Care Birth and Postpartum Wellness Expo is your moment to gain exposure to your ideal clients: parents specifically seeking out what YOU provide. You will have the chance to network with like-minded professionals and to get in front of parents to be and babies who need your services. Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to create connections and to highlight what you have to offer.

We are currently seeking businesses who want to participate as sponsors and speakers. Click the link below to be a sponsor. (Space is limited)

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gentle-giraffes-newborn-cares-birth-to-postpartum-expo-tickets-124304697697

For more information on Sponsor Packages and Information please email: info@gentlegiraffes.com and put “Sponsorship Package” in the Subject line.

* For those sponsors who register for the VIP package there will be a surprise bonus!*

Interested in working with Erin?! Contact us at https://www.gentlegiraffes.com/contact

Gentle Giraffes Newborn Care Interview Series

Gentle Giraffes Newborn Care Interview Series

Today GG Expert of the Day is Marisa Fanelli!

Marisa graduated from NESA, the oldest acupuncture school in the US, with a Master’s in Acupuncture in 2010. After passing the MA medical boards, she opted to create her practice in the Metrowest area. She has seen thousands of women for all types of females issues and is grateful to be a part of their fertility and pregnancy journeys.

Ariana Witkin

Meet Ariana Witkin

Owner of Ariana Witkin, LLC

Today we are excited to interview Mama MD, Ariana Witkin! Ariana is a board-certified pediatrician Fourth Trimester Coach and Motherhood Mentor.  She started her business after experiencing firsthand the lack of coordinated care and support for new mothers.

When she isn’t educating, empowering and holding space for new Mamas you can find her examining Massachusetts’ newest and cutest residents in her local community hospital, chasing after her sassy toddler, spinning on her Peloton, or stargazing on the deck with her husband.

What do you do?

What is a Fourth Trimester Coach and Motherhood Mentor? Think: round-the-clock practical and emotional support of a postpartum doula combined with the expertise of a pediatrician who gets your needs and your baby’s needs.

Why is it beneficial to newborns?

What newborns need, more than anything else, is to have caregivers who are held and supported. When we, as a community, nurture the mother, we are nurturing the baby and their family.

Why is it beneficial for parents?

In a time that is often talked about as crazy, chaotic and the hardest thing you’ll ever do, it is possible to feel nourished and empowered moving into this sacred postpartum phase. The value of having someone in your corner supporting you and guiding you on your postpartum journey is immeasurable. I work with women in the transition from pregnancy to postpartum so they can feel equipped and empowered during the most important time of their lives.

Interested in working with Ariana Witkin?

Contact us at: https://www.gentlegiraffes.com/contact

Coronavirus and Newborns

Coronavirus and Newborns

This week on the blog we will be talking about Coronavirus and newborns. Mainly, how this new virus could potentially affect newborns, what symptoms to look for in newborns, and what precautions to take to keep you and your infant safe.

As Covid-19 is such a new virus to us, many questions may be unanswered regarding this virus, and I am sure that many people have questions.

What we do know is that Coronavirus is potentially dangerous to newborns but it seems to be much milder in children and babies than it is in adults. Serious illness is possible though, and parents should be on alert if their child tests positive or shows signs of any type of illness.

Children and adults may suffer from similar symptoms, but be sure to be on the lookout for more cold-like symptoms in your child like fever, runny nose, and cough.

The most common symptoms to look for in your newborn…

• Symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection, such as coughing, sore throat, runny nose, and sneezing.

• Fever

• Muscle Pain

• Muscle pain that may cause frequent crying, trouble sleeping, or moodiness in young babies.

• Changes in mood or behavior – such as sleeping more or less often, feeding difficulties, or more frequent tantrums-because of pain or a fever.

• Digestive problems, such as nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, or diarrhea.

• Loss of sense of smell that, in infants who are too young to express this symptom, may manifest as changes in eating habits.

• Dry cough in symptoms of mild pneumonia, such as more rapid breathing or shortness of breath.

 

If your baby starts to develop more serious symptoms these symptoms may include…

• Intense new shortness of breath that may cause a child to gasp for air

• Signs of low oxygen, such as blue lips or tongue, white fingernails or rapid heart rate

• Severe organ failure

• Oxygen saturation of 92% or less

The most common ways to prevent COVID in your newborn are…

• Avoid going out

• limit/ ban visitors

• Wash hands

• Wash hands any time you or your newborn come in contact with anyone

• Disinfect all surfaces like doorknobs and changing tables

• Wear a mask while out in public

• Practice physical social distancing

• Quarantining anyone in the household who gets sick in one room a frequently disinfecting any surfaces they touch

If your child starts to show any life-threatening symptoms get medical attention immediately by dialing 911.

Photos Owned By:

www.healio.com

www.huffpost.com

Interested in working with Erin?! Contact us at https://www.gentlegiraffes.com/contact