Winter Newsletter
Touch & Go
Editorial: Touch & Go
During these days of social distancing, when many of us are craving human contact, we have decided to focus our newsletter on Touch: touch during labour, and touch for baby. You can read about how touch can be used to improve your birth, how babies respond to touch, touch during infant massage, and touch as social connection. Right now, our opportunities for contact and touch are limited. We hope this issue provides some insight into enjoying forms of touch we do have available, and how important it is to our babies. We all need social connection: for our babies this is a physical need, and they need it most of all.
In this Issue:
News & Announcements
ONLINE CLASSES!
We are delighted to be able to offer all of our inspiring, empowering classes online via zoom! Experience our high-quality classes from the comfort and safety of your own home. The classes are taught live, in real time, with interactive programming, and opportunities for questions and making social connections. Even after regular, in-person programming resumes, we will continue to run a selection of classes online. Check out the schedule on our website and register today!
LIVE CLASSES!
We are aiming for September for our gradual re-launch into live, in-person, on-site classes. Our inaugural live class will be the Fall 3 Series. We will limit the size to 5 registrations. Note that if the health and safety guidelines revert between now and then, we will switch this class to zoom.
POSTPARTUM CIRCLES FREE OR BY DONATION
Social distancing is very hard on new parents. For the duration, the childbearing society invites you to join us for postpartum circles every Monday from 12:30 – 2pm (except holidays). Instructors are facilitating these friendly, informative circles on a volunteer basis. You are welcome to attend for FREE, or by donation. To pay by donation, click here. Open to anyone with a baby or expecting a baby. See our schedule of topics here, and simply click on the zoom link at 12:25 to join.
Rent our Space!
Our cozy & comfortable studio space is available for rent when we’re not using it. To learn more about renting, click here.
Black Lives Matter
On our website, we will be doing our best to post up-to-date links, information, and donation options for supporting people of colour. We aim to amplify black voices and will be using this page to do so. Please read through the information below to learn more about disparities in healthcare and more specifically how birthing spaces affect black people and their babies and families. Then, donate through the numerous organizations we’ve linked to below and pledge to do more. Share this page to make it easy for your friends to learn more, do more, and take the burden off of the BIPOC people in your lives from having to explain their experiences.
Birth work is political & racial disparities in healthcare exist and are prevalent today. Black women experience added barriers and obstacles to accessing healthcare, prenatal care, and end up with worse outcomes.
One of the reasons that racism persists in Canada is because our commitment to the perception of racial tolerance and harmony seems to be prized above the actual lived experiences of people.
-Author Robyn Maynard on Anti-Black Racism, Misogyny, and Policing in Canada