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Pregnancy and Birth – Keeping it REAL.

by Guest Blogger, Amy Peterson of Hound Hill Doula and Great Bay Doulas

“Every pregnancy is unique”. Women frequently hear this response when they share questions or concerns about their pregnancy.  But in truth, there are so many things about pregnancy that are universal, and it is important to know that you are not alone in the feelings, experiences, and sensations of pregnancy.  Just like young girls commiserate about boys, compare their developing bodies and dream about their futures; pregnant women too thrive in an environment of shared experience.

 

In an effort to bring pregnant women together in a relaxed social setting, the Great Bay Doulas began their popular Mocktail Parties in the spring of 2011 and they are going stronger than ever!  What’s a Mocktail Party?  It a big bellied girl’s night out, a cocktail party minus the alcohol; it’s an opportunity to get together with other pregnant women and share excitement, milestones, fears and questions.   Krista Maltais, Darcy Sauers and Amy Peterson, three seacoast area certified doulas and lactation counselors, host these fun events at local venues on a monthly basis.

 

Each event has a theme – whether it’s baby calming or breastfeeding; and the doulas come prepared to answer questions and facilitate discussion, as well as offering lots of opportunity for hands on practice.   With their realistically weighted Great Bay-bies in tow, the doulas tackle baby wearing, swaddling and labor positioning.  There are birthing balls to practice with and wraps and slings try.  Often the parties include moms who have just given birth and can share their fresh perspective on the experience. The doulas keep it real. From placenta pills to postpartum depression, no topic is taboo. The casual, fun atmosphere makes it easy to bring up difficult topics and to connect with the other moms in lasting friendships.

 

The Great Bay Doulas are honored to have the support of many local businesses including Baby-Go-Round and Healing Hands Community Chiropractic. With the support of many local and national businesses they are able to offer some amazing door prizes, samples, and special coupons or offers to all of the guests.

 

Come join the fun as their new series begins with “Breast Start”, on March 7th, 2013 at Baby Go Round in Hampton Falls.  Explore your options for birth in our area, and find out what birth is really like!   Visit the Great Bay Doulas website for more information at greatbaydoulas.com  and follow the conversation at facebook.com/GreatBayDoulas.

About Amy Peterson CD(DONA), CLC

Hound Hill Doula

With experience in Emergency Medical Service, infant group daycare direction, and specialized foster care for NHDCYF, Amy has been working with infants and families all of her adult life.  In 2009 she became a doula, and is certified in labor support with DONA International, and in lactation counseling with Healthy Children’s Center For Breastfeeding.  She is continually moved by how empowered mothers become when they take ownership of their birth experience. Amy strives to help women trust their instincts and their body’s ability to birth; instilling confidence and a joyful appreciation of the journey toward parenting.

About Healing Hands Community Chiropractic
Our mission at Healing Hands Community Chiropractic -Portsmouth, NH is to promote and support the overall health, well-being and highest quality of life of all individuals and families in our community through affordable chiropractic care.

Healing Hands Community Chiropractic is a health -care model intended to increase access to chiropractic care by offering adjustments in an open setting and fees on an affordable sliding-scale, without income verification.  By doing so, we offer the people of our community the opportunity to receive treatment as often as they need, to get the results they deserve with no insurance hassles -simply paying what they can for only $20- $40!

Click here to book now!

 

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Wag More With Wagging Tail Dog Walkers

by Guest Blogger, Jaimal  “Jackson” Warfield of Wagging Tail Dog Walkers.

“In times of joy, all of us wished we possessed a tail we could wag.”

W. H. Auden

 

It’s been over five years now that I co-founded Wagging Tail Dog Walkers, but when someone asks me what I do for a living, I still crack a smile when I say to them, “I walk dogs.”

 

I quickly became used to responses of disbelief or people thinking I was just joking around, because although the dog walking and pet sitting industry has been around for decades, it has been and largely remains an industry that is known to few. There is no formal training, no certification, no dog walking university, and probably the biggest reason, it is an industry that favors independent entrepreneurs over big companies.You don’t see dog walkers advertising on billboards, you don’t hear about them on the radio. When looking around for a dog walker or pet sitter, most people aren’t going to search on the internet or the yellow pages, they are going to ask around to people they trust, because trust is the most important factor in this industry.

 

While the actual walking part is simple, (though not always easy…ever been dragged down the street by a 100 pound Rottweiler who just wants to say hi to everyone and everything? Or tried to carefully pick up something stinky from the ground with two leashes in one hand, gloves under your arm and an umbrella supported by your neck and shoulder?) there is much more to being a successful dog walker.

 

You have to be trustworthy, reliable, flexible and available to meet the needs of your customers, which can and do change frequently. About 50% of my business is from customers who have set schedules and can therefore give me set schedules for walks, and the other 50% is made up of customers whose needs, workload and shifts change weekly.

 

Occasionally I get last minute calls, which I always try to accommodate, when someone gets stuck in traffic or wants to meet friends after work and not have to rush home or feel guilty for making their dog have to wait an extra hour or two to go out.

 

And every now and then there are “lock outs,” when somehow the dog walker is the only one around with a house key, haha. There are also house sitting visits, to bring in mail and packages, or swinging by to make sure the gas stove wasn’t left on. The benefits of having a dog walker go on and on!

 

I started Wagging Tail Dog Walkers with a friend in 2007 by stapling up 20 fliers around town. Soon after, I had the opportunity to do some traveling, which I have always loved, but I returned to Portsmouth in 2009 and have been running the business ever since.

 

Now, four years and thousands of walks later, I look back and realize how entwined I have become with many people, entirely through their dogs. Some older dogs have passed on and new puppies have taken their places, customers have married (even two separate ones to each other!), bought houses and introduced new baby members to their packs. I still think about dogs who I used to walk whose owners moved away and sometimes want to email them and ask how so and so is doing, and to give him a scratch behind the ears for me.

 

Along with looking back, I am also looking forward. Reactions these days, when I tell people I am a dog walker, are not as entertaining (often, “oh, nice! I want your job!” or “I’ve heard of that!”), and that’s because the industry is growing and becoming more widely recognized. Because of that recognition and demand, for the first time since starting out, I have hired help and have been enjoying introducing another walker to “my” dogs, whose tails just keep on wagging.

 

Along with walking, we are now doing more regular trips to Peirce Island and occasionally the beach in the off – season. I’ve always believed in the saying, “a tired dog is a good dog,” and I look forward to growing Wagging Tail and helping people with their dog walking needs.

 

About Wagging Tail Dog Walkers:

Wagging Tail Dog Walkers provides individual dog walking services to the Portsmouth area and group trips to the park.

 Please find us on Facebook under Wagging Tail Dog Walkers or email us at waggingtaildogwalkers@yahoo.com
About Healing Hands Community Chiropractic
Our mission at Healing Hands Community Chiropractic -Portsmouth, NH is to promote and support the overall health, well-being and highest quality of life of all individuals and families in our community through affordable chiropractic care. Healing Hands Community Chiropracticis a health -care model intended to increase access to chiropractic care by offering adjustments in an open setting and fees on an affordable sliding-scale, without income verification.  By doing so, we offer the people of our community the opportunity to receive treatment as often as they need, to get the results they deserve with no insurance hassles -simply paying what they can for only $20- $40!Click here to book now!

 

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V-Day 2013: Raising Awareness To End Violence

by Guest Blogger, Joi Smith of Back Alley Productions

 Eighteen thousand dollars: that’s how much money was raised last year for local organizations Sexual Assault Support Services (S.A.S.S.) and A Safe Place by Back Alley Productions’ presentation of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues. But for organizers Joi Smith and Danica Carlson, those numbers only fueled their desire to make an even bigger impact. This year, the company will be expanding its V-Day benefit production to two cities: Portsmouth and – for the first time – Rochester, NH.

Founded fifteen years ago as a global effort demanding an end to violence against women and girls, V-Day (www.VDay.org) raises money by way of hundreds of thousands of volunteers in 140 different countries producing benefit productions of playwright/founder Eve Ensler’s works. The cash funds educational programs that help women overcome the effects of violence, enabling them to support themselves and their families. It’s a crucial contribution in a world where one in three women will experience violence in their lifetimes.

Motivated by that staggering statistic, Smith and Carlson’s Back Alley Productions has taken part in the V-Day program for four years, helping to support both the global V-Day effort and local organizations dedicated to preventing violence against children and adults. It’s a truly community effort, with over 30 people involved in the production. All of them are volunteers, and many return to lend a hand year after year. In addition, local businesses and artists donate a wide array of treats, gift certificates, works and other products to help raise money for the cause.

As they expand their efforts to two cities this year, they’re taking a divide-and-conquer approach. Proceeds from the V-Day Portsmouth event, which takes place at Seacoast Repertory Theater on February 1, 2, and 3, will go to support S.A.S.S.’s efforts to end sexual violence by providing educational programs in Rockingham and Strafford county school systems. Meanwhile, the company’s V-Day Rochester program, taking place on Februay 22 and 23 at The Rochester Opera House, will raise cash for A Safe Place (www.ASafePlaceNH.org), helping them further their mission of providing free shelter and support services for those affected by domestic abuse.

The expansion into a new city isn’t the only change for Back Alley Production’s V-Day efforts this year. The company is also offering a compelling innovation on the traditional V-Day program by including a monologue from a male perspective. The piece, Rescue, was written by Mark Matousek for V-Day’s 10th anniversary. At first he wasn’t sure if he had anything to offer the movement. Then he realized the violence the women in his life experienced affected his life as well. The piece will be performed by CJ Lewis, who provided administrative support last year and after watching the show, wanted to get more involved.

“I think it’s great that they are getting a male voice. As I am sitting there watching the show it is clear that I am outnumbered as a male viewer. I believe that the experience is as important and powerful for men as it is for women,” explains Lewis. “The piece is a call to arms, to men especially. It is important that we raise new awareness. It’s not just a woman’s issue – it’s a human issue. I’m looking forward to being a conduit for other men to experience the piece.”

The move is part of Smith and Carlson’s desire to remind audiences that The Vagina Monologues isn’t just a “women’s show”. Hailed by The New York Times, Daily News, and Variety as funny, poignant, intelligent and courageous, the show was written and conceived for a both men and women to engage with.  

V-Day Portsmouth has only three performances on Friday February 1st at 8:00 PM, Saturday February 2nd at 8:00 PM, and Sunday February 3rd at 2pm, at Seacoast Repertory Theater on Bow Street in Portsmouth, NH. The audience is encouraged to bring cash so that they can participate in the sale of artisan wares and the raffle of gift certificates and other items. Tickets are $25 general admission, $20 for students & seniors. To purchase tickets online visit www.seacoastrep.org, or contact the Box Office via phone- 603-433-4472, or email- boxoffice@seacoastrep.org.

V-Day Rochester has only two performances on Friday February 22nd at 8pm and Saturday February 23rd at 8pm, at The Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield Street in Rochester, NH. Tickets are $20 general admission.To purchase tickets online visit www.rochesteroperahouse.com, or contact the Box Office via phone- (603) 335-1992.

The doors will open one hour before show-time at both venues for live music and cocktails. This production contains adult language and themes and may not be appropriate for all audiences.

100% of the proceeds for both productions will go to Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS), A Safe Place, and V-Day.

About Back Alley Productions:

Back Alley Productions has been creating thought provoking, quality theater for the seacoast since 2008. It’s founders, Joi Smith and Danica Carlson, share a passion for highlighting the amazing talents in their community, as well as raising awareness to social issues through the theater medium. Their next production, after both V-Day performances, will be an original, locally written show called Love, exploring the many perspectives of such an important topic. Love will be up at The Players’ Ring in Portsmouth April 19th – May 5th.

About Healing Hands Community Chiropractic

Our mission at Healing Hands Community Chiropractic -Portsmouth, NH is to promote and support the overall health, well-being and highest quality of life of all individuals and families in our community through affordable chiropractic care.

Healing Hands Community Chiropractic is a health -care model intended to increase access to chiropractic care by offering adjustments in an open setting and fees on an affordable sliding-scale, without income verification.  By doing so, we offer the people of our community the opportunity to receive treatment as often as they need, to get the results they deserve with no insurance hassles -simply paying what they can for only $20- $40!

Click here to book now!

 

 

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Wholesome Healthcare: Oriental Medicine as Preventative Medicine

By Guest Blogger,
Isabel Streichhahn-Demers, L.Ac., MAOM

“The sages of antiquity did not treat those who were already sick; they instructed those who were not yet sick…To treat disease that has already developed is comparable to the behavior of those persons who begin to dig a well after they have become thirsty, and of those who begin to cast weapons after they have already engaged in battle. Would these actions not be too late?”
-Huangdi Neijing

Prevention as a concept to take care of oneself on a daily basis and not only during a crisis is a growing phenomenon in North America. While many individuals do not seek out acupuncture until they are sick – as we are accustomed to, due to our western medical model, historically and methodically acupuncture and Oriental medicine have their roots in the importance of prevention. It is not uncommon to hear the response after inquiry about my profession that “I don’t need acupuncture right now because nothing is wrong.” Acupuncture and Oriental medicine has gained in popularity over the last twenty years, however, of the millions of people that have experienced it, only a small percentage understand it as a preventative medicine as well as an effective primary health care model.

Acupuncture and Oriental medicine are effective to treat illness, but its strength and complexity lies in prevention. The beauty of this medical model is to use it as maintenance of health rather than a quick fix, addressing the root cause of ailments. The disease process has layers of progression to it. Years before a physical manifestation can be detected on either an MRI or due to pain, energetic imbalances exist within the body. The symptoms may be as subtle as a mild headache and not until the disease has manifested at deeper levels will an individual seek treatment. These minor signals that your body expresses are not ones important to western medicine but are all taken into consideration by a doctor of acupuncture and Oriental medicine to diagnose and treat the imbalances present.

Oriental medicine works through more avenues than just acupuncture (the insertion of very thin needles at specific locations), incorporating nutrition, exercises, and herbal medicine for each individual’s constitution. Through this wholesome approach your body maintains harmony and has the ability to regain its full potential. Patients often discover that although they come in for specific conditions like low back pain other previous conditions also improve, they may experience fewer colds and if they do experience a cold that their recovery rate is greatly improved. With regular treatments (which are personalized and vary from person to person in terms of length and frequency) the state of health of the body is balanced. What this balance establishes is a strong immune system, more energy, life stressors and emotions are easier to handle and process, and your overall efficiency in daily tasks is increased.

Prevention is the most crucial factor in my practice. Traditional doctors of Oriental medicine were punished for letting their patients get sick and rewarded for keeping their patients healthy. As a practitioner of this 4,000 year old medicine, I honor these doctors through practicing prevention and staying in tune with my patients and their individual needs as we move from season to season and the interdependence of each entity in relation to the outside world.

As a society, as humans, we want to be healthy and to achieve our full potential. Practical solutions with simple steps that are offered through Oriental medicine will be a part in the solution to a wholesome healthcare system that will keep people healthy and in balance. Call an acupuncturist in your area to see how Oriental medicine can help you stay healthy and in tune with your body.

About the Author:

Isabel Streichhahn-Demers, L.Ac., MAOM, owner of Natural Entities: Family Acupuncture and Apothecary, is licensed and board-certified to practice Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in New Hampshire and Maine. Isabel’s gentle acupuncture style draws from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Japanese acupuncture and Kiiko Matsumoto style of acupuncture. Isabel has assisted Kiiko Matsumoto. In addition, Isabel has completed an assistantship with Dr. T. Koei Kuwahara who practices Toyo Hari style of acupuncture – specifically geared toward pediatric care. Working in a variety of healthcare settings, Isabel has developed the ability to design comfortable and effective treatments to suit the individual needs of all her patients. Isabel incorporates her background of Western herbalism, nutrition, psychology, and humanities to address each individual as a whole, focusing on a strong foundation to foster each persons full potential for health. Isabel has her private practice in downtown Dover, NH at Natural Entities: Family Acupuncture and Apothecary
90 Washington Street, 306C
Dover, NH 03820
941.681.6822
NaturalEntities@gmail.com
http://www.NaturalEntities.com

 

About Healing Hands Community Chiropractic
Our mission at Healing Hands Community Chiropractic -Portsmouth, NH is to promote and support the overall health, well-being and highest quality of life of all individuals and families in our community through affordable chiropractic care.

Healing Hands Community Chiropractic is a health -care model intended to increase access to chiropractic care by offering adjustments in an open setting and fees on an affordable sliding-scale, without income verification. By doing so, we offer the people of our community the opportunity to receive treatment as often as they need, to get the results they deserve with no insurance hassles -simply paying what they can for only $20- $40!

Click here to book now!