Resources

Houston Resources
Birth Networks  

• BIRTH - a local birth network for women and their families

Midwives & Birth Centers

• Greater Houston Midwives Alliance
• Association of Texas Midwives
• Pasadena - Bay Area Birth Center
• The Woodlands - Nativiti Birth Center
• Pearland - Rite of Passage
  
• North Houston - North Houston Birth Center
• Kingwood - Reunion Birth Center
• Katy - Katy Area Birth Center
  

Homeopathic & Herbals

• Texas Medicinals - a great source of information and shopping for herbs and homeopathics
• Center for Alt. Medicine - massage, acupuncture, acupressure, chiropractic care
• The Center for Healing - a Family Practice that is holistically minded and supportive of alternative options in health care.
• Heights of Health - natural health store, clinic, nutritional counseling, thermal imaging, allergy treatments, and ion foot baths
• Integrative Health - a holistic approach to all areas of health care and life stages. Located in Galveston.
  

Chiropractic

• Lessenger Chiropractic - chiropractic care and acupuncture
• West University Wellness - chiropractic, acupuncture, nutrition, and pediatrics
• Malott Chiropractic - acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal shop, homeopathics, full spectrum and dietary assessment
• Animal Crackers - veterinarian chiropractic care for your pets
• Pregnancy Acupuncture - Jennifer Johnson specializes in prenatal, birth, and postpartum acupuncture. Located in Clear Lake
  

Breastfeeding

• A Woman's Work - Breastfeeding, Shop for Mother and Baby, Bookstore (866) 660-1966
• La Leche League - Houston area peer groups and support for nursing
• Mother's Milk Bank - a non-profit organization that accepts breast milk donation for ill and preemie infants
  
• The Breastfeeding Shoppe-  for all things breastfeding related.

Home & Baby

• LaundryTree - soap nuts for laundry care. 
• MommySwami - local organic baby bottom oils to protect and nourish their baby skin
  
• Sama Baby - luxury organic baby and children's clothing
• Fussy Butt - cloth galore! Breastpads, pantyliners, diapers, wipes, etc...
• Young & Restless - a consignment boutique and community support resource 
• Diaper Change - a local woman who offers cloth diapers as a home based business.
  
• Children's Carousel - consignment and cloth diapers
• Earthy Babes - lots of eco-friendly and green-conscious living items for mom and baby.
• Cloth Baby - a local online-store with cloth baby items
• Belles & Beaus - consignment and locavore boutique
  
• Houston Baby Wearing - a Houston babywearing group, includes information to their online community
  
• Pure Baby Organics - luxury organics for mother and baby
  
• Baby Holdings - slings and information on babywearing
  
• Little Lamb Boutique - I love that they offer Earth Mama Angel Baby, as well as Spa Baby baths
  
• Nurtured Family - organic clothing, cloth diapers, baby care items, organic baby and mama care items
• Fluffy Little Tushies - cloth diapers, diaper covers, swim diapers, and more.
  

Misc.

• Prove - Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education - PROVE provides information on vaccines, and the immunization policies and practices that affect the children and adults of Texas.
• Pat Greer's Kitchen - raw/vegan cuisine - sold at her kitchen and retail locations throughout Houston
  
• Pregtastic Online Radio - expert information, discussions, and birth stories to educate and empower.
• Whole Mother Radio - discussion with members from B.i.r.t.h. each Monday on KPFT 90.1 from 11:30-12:00
  

Yoga Studios/Massage

• Sundance Yoga Studio - prenatal yoga, mommy & me yoga, and many other options
• The Yoga Haven - gentle yoga (appropriate for prenatal) and many resources for pregnant women
• InfanTouch - ran by Cynthia Sara Friend, specializing in preterm & full-term infant massage. 281.451.8844
  

Housekeepers

• Island Domestic Goddess - a green housekeeper on Galveston Island
• GreenMaids - a Houston-based business of home cleaning specialists using all eco-safe products.

Photographers

• Alisa Murray, pregnancy and newborn photographer
• Lindsay Harrell - birth photography
• Home Shade Photography - pregnancy, birth, and newborn photography
• Lifes Images - pregnancy, birth, newborn, and children's photography
• Glimpses of Soul - pregnancy, birth, newborn, and children's photography.
• Jamie Kutter - birth and family photography
• Wendi Schoffstall - birth and life photographer
• Lerin photography - birth and family photographer
  

Forms & Articles
of Interest
Client Forms
Client Information

• FAQ - a list of frequently asked questions regarding doulas
• Intent For An Unassisted- the contract addendum used for families considering an unassisted birth
• Free/Reduced Services - a run down on my free and reduced services requirements, as well as an application
• Promises - my promises to you, mom, during this time

Pregnancy

• Changing Your Care Provider - helps you to understand to evaluate when you might want to consider a new care provider, includes worksheet.
• Unassisted Birth - the packet of information for all things related to unassisted birthing.
  
• Nutrition and Health - information on healthy eating habits for pregnancy, including a worksheet for watching your intake
• Healthy Pregnancy Recipes  - a small collection of healthy recipes for pregnancy and birth
  
• Read This, Not That - an article giving options for different books/reading material

Labor and Birth

• All About Due Dates - a review on the due date and the way it is calculated
• All About Inductions - information on the process, alternatives, and reasons.
• All About Medications - information on the different labor/birth medication options and risks/benefits
• Water, Water, Everywhere - how to know if your water has broken
  
• Guided Imagery - a relaxation exercise
• Love Script - a relaxation exercise
• Meditation Worksheet - a relaxation exercise
• Informed Choice - knowing your legal rights as a childbearing woman, along with how to be assured you are giving informed choice
• Partnering in Birth - suggestions for partners for during labor and birth

Cesarean/VBAC Specific

• Doulas and Vaginal vs Cesarean Support - a look at how a doula helps both in a vaginal and cesarean birth setting
• VBAC vs ERC - a run down on the risks and benefits of a Vaginal Birth After a Cesarean and an Elective Repeat Cesarean

Newborn/Baby Care/Family

• Holistic Breastfeeding Help - different options for holistic remedies of common breastfeeding concern and complications
• Increasing Milk Supply - a run down on easy ways to increase your milk supply, along with a 'who to call' worksheet for help
• What About Afterward - a list of options for immediate postpartum care and newborn procedures. Includes links for additional research
• Refusal Form: Eye Prophylaxis - a standard form of refusal for this newborn procedure
• Refusal Form: Hep B - a standard form of refusal for this newborn procedure
• Refusal Form: Vitamin K - a standard form of refusal for this newborn procedure

Articles of Interest
Pregnancy

• Choosing a Caregiver - a great resource for finding out which type of caregiver would best fit your choices and beliefs.
  
• Stages of Pregnancy - a wonderful rundown on the stages of pregnancy
• Pregnancy Discomfort - information and suggestions on common discomforts of pregnancy.
• Healthy Pregnancy - a printout on how to minimize toxic exposure during pregnancy
  

Labor & Birth

• Having a Baby, 10 Questions to Ask - great resource on questions to ask your health care provider
• MFCI - I adhere to these policies
  
• Am I In Labor - a great resource on how to know if you are in labor.
• Dads and Doulas - a great article on how doulas help partners during birth
  
• GBS - Group B Strep fact sheet and treatment form
• Emergency Childbirth - published by the the ACNM
  
• Healthy Birth Practices - an amazing 18-page guide to safe birth practices. **
• Positions for Labor - a great handout for upright/active labor positions. **
• Is My Doula Mother-Friendly? - a great questionaire to bring with you to interview doulas.
  
• Coping Styles - What Comforts You? a nice handout that helps parents to evaluate which types of comfort will be most beneficial to you in labor and birth

Newborn/Baby Care/Family

• Breastmilk and Breastfeeding - a paper on the risks of formula feeding and benefits of breastmilk
  
• What's Your Love Language - a quiz for new parents on how to bond and show affection to one another after baby is born
• When Baby Cries - a review of the dangers of letting babies 'cry it out'
  
• Baby Wearing - a great sheet on the benefits of baby wearing and how to do it safely
• Baby Wearing 101 - a great printable guide to the benefits of baby wearing as well as the different types of babywearing
• How To Baby Wear - a simple guide to safety in baby wearing
  
• Cloth Diapering - a great article on the benefits of cloth diapering
• Positive Parenting - API talks about positive discipline
  
• Benefits of Co-Sleeping - a great list of the benefits of co-sleeping when done safely
• Sharing Your Bed - UNICEFs booklet on safe cosleeping
  
• Safe Co-Sleeping - a printable safety checklist of how to make co-sleeping safe.
• Healthy Nursery - a printout on how to minimize toxic exposure in the nursery
  

Online Resources
Birth & Postpartum Supplies

• Mama Goddess Birth Shop - birth essentials for home or hospital birth
  
• Midwifery Supplies - all things home birth and midwifery supply related 
• Doula Shop
  - for doulas as well as moms-to-be
• In His Hands Home Birth Supplies
• Earth Mama Angel Baby - timeless essentials for the pregnant, laboring, and postpartum mama/baby
  
• BamBoobies -  nursing pads
• Happy Green Baby - complete baby care with eco/organic products
  
• GreenBaby - ecowear and organic baby clothing. Some bath products
  

Hypnobabies

• Hypnobabies Home Study Course for Expectant Mothers Plus 2 Bonus Cds - the course which I recommend and work with as a hypnodoula
  
• Hypnosis for an Easy Pregnancy CD Set - a great supplement for an easy pregnancy

Midwives

• MANA - online resource for midwives and listings 
• Homebirth Dads - a video. Dads are interviewed and give their perspective on the event.
• My Midwife - online resource on nurse midwives and advocacy of this childbirth option
• Bring Birth Home - an online resource for homebirth and safety information.
• ACNM
• Citizens for Midwifery
• NARM

Birth Centers

• AABC, resources and listings of U.S. based birth centers

Unassisted Birth

• Unassisted Childbirth, Laura Shanley's website and forum

Doula Directory

• Doula Match

Childbirth Education

• Baby Body Birth
• Birthing From Within
• Bradley
• Hypnobabies
• Hypnobirthing
• iCAPPA
• ICEA
• Lamaze 
• Wonderfully Made

Pregnancy and Birth Resources

• Childbirth Connection -  evidence-based information on pregnancy, birth, and post-partum.
• The Brewer Diet - balanced diet and decreasing your chances of Pre-Ecclampsia or Toxemia. 
• CIMS - advocating for safe maternal practices. Including your birth place/practitioner.
• Spinning Babies - all about babies position and how to get baby into the best position for an easier labor.
• Pregnancy Corner - a newer site with MW, doula, and CBE listings and lots of great articles.
  
• Waterbirth International - information on hydrotherapy as well as information on how to get a birthing pool. 
• Sarah J Buckley - resources and articles on conscious pregnancy, birth, and parenting options.
• Henci Goer - resources and articles on options in pregnancy and birth.
• Pregnancy Directory - a resource guide to internet businesses and organizations related to pregnancy.
• Sheila Kitzinger - resources and articles from social anthropologist and birth guru, Sheila Kitzinger.
• American Pregnancy Association - information for more mainstream resources and articles of interest. 
• Giving Birth Naturally
• Pushed Birth

Cesarean and VBAC information

• ICAN - international cesarean awareness network brings legal, medical, ethical, and practical information to consumers regarding cesarean rates and VBAC.
• VBAC.com
• VBAC Facts
  
• Cesarean In Awareness

Healing Mamas (mental/emotional help)

• SOLACE
• TABS
• Birth Crisis

Poor Prenatal Diagnosis

• Not Afraid
• First Candle
• Glow
• NILMDTS
• SHARE
• MISS

Breastfeeding/Milk Sharing

• La Leche League
  
• Kelly Mom, online resource
• Jack Newman, online resource
• Breastfeeding.com, online resource
• Milk Share
• Eats on Feets - community milk share
  
• Human Milk Banking
  
• Breastmilk Counts - a resource for women choosing to breastfeeding
• MOBI Motherhood International - a community and resource for women who are grieving a failed breastfeeding or other breastfeeding issue.

• Attachment Parenting International
• Baby Wearing International
• Dr. Sears
• Mothering, Online forum, website and magazine
• The Natural Child Project