Blooma Blossom: Baby Ella

Baby Ella Jacqueline
July 30, 2008
7 pounds
19 1/4 inches

Mama says: "Ella was born after a very fast, two-and-a-half-hour beautiful birth experience. Thank you all for your love and support."

"During my labor, I pictured myself on my yoga mat."

Talk about music to our ears! If you're wondering how yoga fits into pregnancy and then again when baby arrives, check out this lovely blog from Blooma mama Melissa. We do love our Blooma cheerleaders! Thanks, M!!

Blooma Blossom: Baby Sasha

Baby Sasha

July 29, 2008
11:33pm
6 pounds, 10.5 ounces

Mama says: "We had our baby at HCMC last Tuesday. It was an absolutely incredible experience, 5 hours from water breaking to baby arriving. Megan was our midwife and Karen was the on-call doula. I could not have had such a wonderful birth without them, I feel so lucky. I really appreciated the massages from Carey and Sarah's advice, especially about HCMC. Carey once commented that labor would be easier for me because I knew how to relax, and several of the nurses and the doula said the same exact thing after seeing me labor. If anyone is looking for a midwives practice, I could not recommend HCMC more highly. I feel completely indebted to them. Also, I had Sasha while squatting, and the doula had never seen anyone do that. She was really impressed. I'm pretty proud of myself! Thanks again, and we're looking forward to the BYOB classes in the fall."

Blooma Blossom: Baby Ryder

Baby Ryder James
July 29
1:53am

Dad says: "The little stud weighed in at a masculine 5 pounds 14 ounces and a length of 19 1/2 inches long. We don't predict a career in the NBA, but are confident that he'll impress us all as he continues to grow!"

You Oughta Be in Pictures: New Photo Session Packages Available!

your best bet: the baby & belly session
Blooma's favorite photog Tanya Villano is now offering families more options than ever for capturing those magnificent baby and belly moments. Here's what's new with our You Oughta Be in Pictures (YOBiP) program:

1. The Basic YOBiP Session: In a 30- to 45-minute session at Blooma, we'll capture your beautiful, third-trimester belly. Or we can photograph your tot, up to one year. Take your pick!

• Fee: $125 (includes sitting fee, online proofing and ordering, and one 8x10 print).

2. The Belly-to-Baby Package: Capture your gorgeous belly in one photo session, then come see us again with your newborn to get the perfect "hello, world!" new baby shot that's ideal for framing, scrapbooking, and baby announcements. (Not to worry about timing: We'll work with you to schedule a convenient time during those first few newborn weeks for your baby's first photo shoot!)

• Fee: $199 (includes sitting fees, online proofing and ordering, and a 5x7 print from each session).

3. The YOBiP Upgrade: So you've shot your belly, and now you realize you'd like to get baby's pic, too. No problem; we all know how the hormones can mess with a pregnant mama's mind! We can upgrade your original Basic YOBiP session to a Belly-to- Baby special. Upgrade anytime from the date of your original YOBiP shoot until you view your initial proofs.

• Fee: $99.

To make photo shoots easier & more fun than ever: We've compiled a handy list of frequently asked questions on the web site, where you'll get answers to questions like:

• What should I wear?
• What should I bring to the shoot?
• Can I have someone in the photo with me?
• When will I get my proofs?
• How do I order photos?

More questions? Let us know, and we'll answer them & add them to the FAQ list!




all photos: Tanya Villano Photography

Blooma Blossom: Baby Campbell

Baby Campbell
July 18th at 8:45am
9 pounds, 3 ounces

Mama says: "After an entire day of back labor (in which many cat-cows were done!), three trips to the hospital and a blessed epidural, Campbell Lincoln popped out after only 10 contractions!! My doctor and the nurse were very impressed that I was able to get him out so quickly, and they both attributed the short pushing time to yoga. Thank you so much. I think yoga really taught me how to focus and send my breath to the 'right' spot.

Campbell and the rest of us are all doing well. He's feeding like a champ and we are looking forward to returning to Blooma in 6 weeks time for more yoga fun.

Thanks for all of the support. Yoga not only helped me physically, but mentally, it was a true life saver!"

TM@B: This Month at Blooma, August 2008

Workshops & events for August 2008

* You Oughta Be in Pictures: 1/2-hour photo sessions for expectant mothers & tots under 1 year. $125 for the basic session, or $199 for the two-session Belly-to-Baby package.
~Sunday, August 3, 12:30-4pm.
~Monday, August 18, 6-9pm.

* Family Yoga, Sunday, August 3, 3-4pm, $30/family

* HypnoBirthing, Thursdays, August 7, 14, 21, 28. 7-9p. $350

* Enlightened Mama childbirth education
Saturdays: August 9 & 16. 12:30-6:30pm, $175

* Prenatal Yoga Intensive for Couples, Sunday, August 10, 1-3:30pm, $75

* Belly to Belly prenatal yoga & discussion group Sundays: August 10, 17, 24. 5:30-7pm, $48

* BYOB*Crawlers, Sunday, August 17, 3:30-4:30pm, $18 or class pass

Shining Jenny's Light: Blooma's Charity Sale Guidelines

We've got the biggest love affair going with bellies and babies here at Blooma, but we know too that there can be some incredibly tough times in pregnancy and parenthood. One amazing organization that has inspired us to stay mindful of the shadows is Jenny's Light.

Jenny's story is heartbreaking: She quietly suffered with postpartum illness, and then suddenly took the life of her newborn son, Graham, before taking her own, too. It's painful beyond words to consider, and we are so moved by the strength, courage, and grace of Jenny and Graham's families and their decision to create a nonprofit foundation to raise awareness about perinatal mood disorders.

We're hosting a charity sale from 12:30pm to 6pm on Saturday, August 23, at Blooma to help raise money for the foundation, and we'd love for you to be part of the light.

Here's how you can help:
1. Shop! Saturday, August 23, 12:30pm til 6pm. Bring a friend!!

2. Volunteer! Help out with the sale. Contact Julie K. for details on how you can participate by emailing her (blooma.julie AT gmail DOT com) or calling the studio at 952.848.1111.

3. Donate! Bring your gently-used stuff to the Blooma wellness room on Friday, August 22, between 12:30pm and 6pm. We'll accept clothing (especially for babies and kiddos), toys for tots, small appliances, books, and other items you'd feel good about handing off to a neighbor in need.

Please be mindful of our limitations: There are many wonderful donations we can accept, but for the sale, we will NOT be able to accept:

• Answering machines
• Appliances, large
• Artificial Christmas trees over 3'
• Baby equipment- cribs, strollers, car seats
• Bicycles, Building supplies, Carpet
• Cell phones and regular phones, Computers and computer equipment
• Drapery and curtain rods, Encyclopedias and text books
• Exercise equipment
• Furniture in poor condition - ripped, torn, stained or in need of refinishing
• Items that require cleaning or repair
• Mattresses, box springs and bed frames
• Medical supplies, Paint or chemicals, Pianos and organs, Printers
• Rugs, large
• Speakers, Skis, Stereos, Telephones, TVs, VCRs

See you in August!

Blooma Blossom: Baby Lucia

Baby Lucia

July 12th, 2008
7:44 P.M.

8 lbs. 10 oz.
20 1/4 inches

Mama says: We learned that we were pregnant the morning of Blooma's Open House, which I felt was a sign of wonderful things to come. Being a third-time mama, doula, and childbirth educator, one would think that I didn't need much preparation for this birth. However, Blooma gave me things I didn't even know I needed. From the physical, mental, and spiritual strength I gained in prenatal yoga to the unending love and support of everyone at Blooma, I couldn't have asked for a better pregnancy. By 42 weeks, I was very ready to meet our little one. After an incredible (even orgasmic!) 3 1/2 hour labor, my husband, Chris, received her in the tub and laid her on my chest, although it was almost five minutes before we realized that she was a girl. My entire pregnancy, I was convinced we were having a boy, so my little Lucia became the greatest surprise I've ever gotten!

Blooma Blossom: Baby Milena

Baby Milena Ione
July 12, 2008
3:30 PM

Blooma Blossom: Baby Averie

Baby Averie
July 11, 2008, 11am
7 pounds 11 ounces

Mama says: "Our little princess, Averie Michelle, was born on 7/11, weighing 7lb, 11oz. Labor was rather short: we arrived at the hospital at 7am and she came at 11am!"

Yoga with a Pal

If you haven't yet signed up, now's the time!

PARTNER YOGA AT BLOOMA with Jessie Rosenberg
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Yoga from 8pm-9pm ... wine and treats to follow!
$30 per couple

Partner Yoga is for everyone (friends, yoga buddies, loved ones - partner, sibling, parent, child).
Practice this unique and uplifting form of yoga where you and your partner work together to build postures.
*No experience is necessary.

Partner Yoga is a creative sequence of mutually beneficial partner stretches fully integrating both people into each movement to connect body, mind, and spirit. It emphasizes trust, compassion, and joy in your relationship while exploring strength, flexibility, and balance in your physical practice. We will also learn some Thai Yoga Stretches that you can use at home.

This workshop presents a FUN challenge and creates strong connections.

Protecting Our Birthing Choices

At Blooma, we support moms & families in whatever birth choices they make, and that speaks to one of our most-cherished beliefs: Women have the power, the privilege, and the responsibility of choice during pregnancy and birth. So this petition at Mothering magazine caught our attention, and we feel it deserves all of our support. Whether or not you personally would choose a homebirth, we hope you'll support the rights of women to choose how to bring their precious babes into the world. Here's the call to action from Mothering:

"Now is the time to support homebirths and professional midwives. Sign this petition to tell your representatives that you want to be in control of how and where you give birth ..."

The petition:
Whereas, women maintain the basic human rights of privacy, bodily integrity, and the rights to choose their care provider and place of birth;

Whereas, the practice of giving birth in hospitals attended by doctors has coincided with rapidly rising rates of cesarean section, induction, epidural, and surgically assisted vaginal birth;

Whereas, many of the physicians attending births in the hospital setting have contributed to the rise of the use of the aforementioned interventions, and have been unable or unwilling to change their training and practices to reverse these trends;

Whereas, the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' positions against home birth are not based on scientific evidence, but on the financial and professional concerns of the physicians that participate in their organizations;

Whereas, for the past century certain physicians have carried out campaigns to eradicate the practice of home birth to support their own professional gain;

Whereas, home birth with either a Certified Nurse Midwife or a Certified Professional Midwife in attendance is scientifically proven to have outcomes equal to or better than hospital birth with fewer interventions and higher levels of satisfaction;

Resolved, that the undersigned concerned citizens object to any legislation, either at the state or national level, which restricts a woman's right to choose her place to give birth, including her right to choose to birth at home.

Blooma Blossom: Baby Drexel

Baby Drexel
July 7, 2008

Mama says: "Just had to say 'thanks' for steering my birth to what it turned out to be. We labored at home from Sunday to Monday afternoon. My doula arrived at 12:30 pm when my husband was ready to go to the hospital. Since I was still acting and feeling pretty well, my doula thought we probably had a good long time left and encouraged me to move around at home a bit more. Of course, using some of our yoga positions that you taught us. (Although the first time I had a strong contraction I held my breath and DH found that pretty amusing :) We left around 3:30 and arrived at St. Joes at 4:15pm (what a drive!). The midwife checked me right away and I was 8 centimeters! I cried I was so happy. They put me in the waterbirth tub asap and Drexel was born at 7. It was so amazing, and all natural. What an experience! We're home now and doing great. We'll see you in a month or so for baby yoga!

A Day in the BYOB Life

New Blooma mama Alisa posted this wonderful slice-of-life tale about our BYOB classes. If you haven't tried a class with your little bundle just yet, check this out, then get yourself to Blooma!

Our BYOB classes, ideal for newborns to wigglers, are offered four days a week:
Mondays, 12:30 to 1:30pm
Tuesdays, 11am-Noon
Thursdays, 11am-Noon
Saturdays, 11am-Noon

We offer child care during all of our BYOB classes for your older child, too!

Tasty, Healthy Eats for Your Tot

For mamas wanting to give their tots the healthiest first bites possible, Sweet Cheeks baby food sounds like it could be the highlight of baby's menu. Blooma hears that long-time Twin Cities nanny Lori Karis has started a homemade baby food company that features Minnesota grown organic produce. She's licensed through the state, and the moms at the St. Paul Farmer's Market absolutely love her. She'll be selling in Kowalski's grocery stores by the end of summer. You can read more about Lori and Sweet Cheeks in the St Paul Pioneer Press and the Woodbury Bulletin. Better yet, check out her web site -- www.sweetcheeksbabyfood.com -- where you can get more information, place orders for delivery in the Twin Cities, and buy gift certificates. Bon appetit!

Blooma Blossom: Baby Beckett

Baby Beckett
July 2, 9:43am
8 pounds, 5 ounces
20.75 inches

Mama says: "Labor went smoothly, and baby and mom are healthy. Beckett has been a beautiful and wonderful addition to our happy family. He looks very much like his sister, and is identical to Dad's baby pictures! Big sis Maren adores her little baby brother and enjoys being mom's helper."