Grand Rapids Natural Parenting

November 6:
Meeting #4: Natural Environment
Holiday Shopping: Buying Local & Fair Trade with the owner(s) of Hop Scotch

December 4:
Meeting #1: Pregnancy and Childbirth
Healthy Pregnancy with Jodi Borsk, Bradley Instructor

January 1:
Meeting #2: Bonding
Emotional and Cognitive Development in Baby's First Year
with Gwenden

February:
Meeting #3: Natural Health
Topics/Ideas Welcome!

July 3:
Meeting #4: Natural Environment
A Naturally Safe Summer: Remedies and Prevention Strategies for things like insect bites, sunburn, and more!

August 7:
Meeting #1: Natural Pregnancy and Childbirth
Planning Your Postpartum Support
Come learn about all the postpartum support resources in the GR area. Learn about making a postpartum plan, and discuss natural measures for helping to prevent post-partum depression.

September 4:
Meeting #2: Natural Bonding
Cosleeping: The latest research from the Mother-Baby-Sleep-Laboratory

October 2:
Meeting #3: Natural Health
Introduction to Homeopathy

Meeting #2: Bonding
Topic: Tandem Nursing

Our next meeting will be Thursday, March 6.

Meeting #4: Natural Environment
Topic: Cloth Diapers

Bring your stash to show and tell. Bring diapers to sell or trade. Bring any questions you have about cloth diapers!

The meeting on Thursday, February 7 has been CANCELLED due to the snowy weather. Sorry for the inconvenience!

January 3
February 7
March 6
April 3
May 1
June 5
July 3
August 7
September 4
October 2
November 6
December 4

It is meeting #1 on pregnancy and natural childbirth. More meeting info is under "about" on the website.

Meeting #4: Natural Pregnancy and Childbirth
Topic: Menstrual Cycles and Fertility

We will be discussing how to recognize and chart fertility signs, trying to conceive, natural family planning, natural remedies for pms, and any other related topics people want to bring up.

Friends of Michigan Midwives is currently collecting birth stories from Michigan mothers to publish. All types of births and birth stories are welcome, whether at a hospital, birth center, or home; natural or including interventions; attended by a dr, midwife or UA. We really want a cross-section of birth experiences to capture what birth looks like in Michigan at the beginning of the 21st century. You may submit your stories by email to jessimat@gmail. com or to diaper_junkie@yahoo.com. Please include a contact address or phone number in your email, and let us know if you have pictures you would be willing to share.

The meeting on September 6 will be on the vaccine debate. Please come for this lively but respectful discussion. We meet at Hope Reformed Church at the corner of Burton and Kalamazoo at 10 am.

We will be talking about cloth diapers. Bring your stash and be prepared to talk about your favorites! There will be opportunities for swapping diapers too if you want.

Thursday, June 7, 10 am at Hope Reformed Church at the corner of Kalamazoo and Burton in Grand Rapids

Check out the Michigan Natural Parenting Forum: www.michigannaturalparenting.com/forum

Natural Health: Healthy snack choices. Bring your favorite recipes!

This is Meeting #1: Natural Pregnancy and Birth

Topic: The Joys of Homebirth

Our own CPM, Shannon, will be giving a presentation and answering any questions. Mothers who have experienced homebirth will be sharing their birth stories.

We meet at Hope Reformed Church on the corner of Kalamazoo and Burton at 10 am on the first Thursday of every month.

Bright Beginnings teacher Wendy Brokema will be facillitating a playgroup at Melissa's home on Thursday, February 22 from 10-11:30 am. She will be showing us some fab games and activities we can play with our children. There will be activities for babies through preschoolers.

You can get directions by attending the regular February meeting on the 1st or by joining the Michigan Natural Parenting Forum (see entry further down) and sending a pm to honeybee.

Michigan Natural Parenting Community

Check out the new forum! This is a private community for parents interested in discussing attachment parenting and natural parenting topics with like-minded people. This is a supportive and inclusive community, so you are welcome no matter what your current interest level. Come "meet" some local parents!