Sunday, March 22, 2015

Volume 2, Issue 2 - March 2015

Dear CBI Students,

Happy March to you!  This month I was able to travel home to the States for a week and a half.  As much as I would like to say it was for pleasure, it was purely for school purposes.  Though I was able to see my parents and one of my brothers, it was hard to only be able to spend three days total with them, and the majority of my time at a conference center in Utah.
One of the things I did in Utah was attend Karen Strange's Integrated Resuscitation of the Newborn.  If any of you ever get the chance to attend one of Karen's workshops, I would highly recommend it!  This was the second time I've attended one of her classes, and I always walk away feeling more grounded and more determined to advocate for the unborn and newborn.  One thing that really stuck with me from her workshop was the idea that our personalities are formed in utero more than any other time in our lives, and that babies not only gestate in a mother's emotions, but *marinate* in them.  I went from this workshop to spending a day with my own mom and her sharing her experience of her pregancy with me.  These two events together were incredibly eye-opening to helping me understand parts of my personality that I've always questioned.  And to be able to forgive myself and my mom for things we couldn't control.
Now, how I can apply this knowledge to the mothers I work with, this will be tricky!

Karen Strange explaining the transition a baby goes through at birth


Warmly,
Amy



Communication Paper

As the largest assignment tasked to all CBI students, and the cornerstone to the CBI philosophy, writing your communication paper can seem a daunting task to many.  Different students approach this assignment differently.  Some like to tackle it straight away, and get it out of the way.  Others tend to put it off while they mull over their topic and focus on other assignments at first.

This assignment is the topic of the majority of the emails I receive from students, so I'm writing this to cover some of the most common questions and concerns.



First, it is important to understand that written communication will likely be a large part of your initial contact with potential clients.  Being able to address their questions and answer in a precise and professional way will lay the foundation of a potential client's first impression of you and whether they want to pursue a relationship.  Therefore, working on your written communication skills is important.  Please, carefully read through the instructions.  They are quite exact and answer many of the questions I receive.  Verifying information is understandable, but asking a question that is clearly specified in the instructions often indicates that a student hasn't taken the time to thoroughly read through them.  Think about if you asked a client for information they just presented to you.  How might they feel about your response?

Second, I always recommend that, before you begin writing your draft, you do some pre-writing and write out a narrative of the birth or other even on which you're reflecting.  This allows you to first tell your story.  From there, you can then start pulling and picking the story apart and separate the descriptive parts from the feelings, from the actions and learning.

Read the sample paper.  It is an excellent resource and a great way to get a feel for how the paper should be constructed with content, word count and flow.

What should you expect from the feedback?  Every paper turned in will receive detailed feedback.  You can expect 2-3 pages of feedback on your draft.  Do not lament over the amount of feedback as it is intended to help you deepen your reflective skills, rather than state any inefficiencies.

In The News:

I'm sure you've all heard of the latest breastfeeding study that came out of the Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil that states that babies who are breastfed for a year are more intelligent, educated and wealthier at age thirty than those who are breastfed for less than a month.



Because this has to do with breastfeeding and intelligence, it will, and already has, spark controversy.  What do you think?  Do you think the results have to do with breastfeeding, or with socio-economic status?  With breastfeeding, or the attachment of mothers and babies?  What are your thoughts on this topic?

Welcome New Students!
Welcome to all of our recently enrolled students from around the world:


  • Erica C., USA: Birth and Postpartum Doula
  • Stefanie M., Germany: Birth and Postpartum Doula, Breastfeeding Counselor
  • Paige D., USA: Birth Doula
  • Eleni Z., Australia: Birth Doula
  • Shawn K., Guatemala: Birth Doula
  • Joti P., France: Birth Doula
  • Nicole S., USA: Birth Doula
  • Tiffani N., USA: Birth and Postpartum Doula
  • Mandy J., USA: Birth Doula
  • Lorraine H., USA: Birth and Postpartum Doula, Breastfeeding Counselor
  • Andrea Z., USA: Birth and Postpartum Doula, Breastfeeding Counselor
  • Teena H., USA: Birth Doula, Breastfeeding Counselor
  • Shereen Z., Dubai: Birth Doula
  • Lisa S., USA: Birth Doula
  • Jennifer P., USA: Birth Doula
  • Camille C., USA: Birth and Postpartum Doula, Breastfeeding Counselor
  • Caro L., Australia: Postpartum Doula


Congratulations Graduates!
Congratulations to all of our recent graduates and we wish you luck as you pursue your passion.


  • Rekha, India: Birth Doula
  • Donna K., USA: Postpartum Doula
  • Katherine D., USA: Postpartum Doula
  • Natascha O., South Korea: Birth doula
  • Grace V., Canada: Birth Doula
  • Megan H., USA: Birth Doula
  • Kim M., USA: Postpartum Doula