Welcome Jennifer Davis of Birth Free Childbirth Education, thank you for being with us!
What are you doing in business and why?
I teach natural childbirth classes called Birth Free Childbirth Education. The classes are available in the classroom and on DVD. I began teaching the classes when I realized through my own initial pregnancy how little women really know about birth. I was blown away by how beneficial a class that wasn’t affiliated with a hospital was and wanted to make more opportunities available for other moms and their families. This past year I undertook the enormous job of turning the classes into a DVD series when I found myself getting inquires about my classes from couples who did not have any classes or teachers in their area (that weren’t affiliated with the local hospital) and yet they lived too far away to attend my own classes. Most hospital based childbirth classes gloss over, or never even touch, extremely important topics like nutrition, perinatal psychology (psych of the unborn baby), postpartum care for baby AND for mom, and the foundation for much of my teaching, helping parents truly understand that they are consumers and hiring a doctor, midwife or hospital is simply that, they are HIRING them and if they aren’t comfortable with the service provided, they have the right to seek another opinion or go elsewhere.
I also do placental encapsulation which means taking the placenta, steaming it, and then dehydrating it and finally crushing it into a powder that can be placed inside capsules and taken by mom like a supplement. To many this sounds odd at best, but to those women who have experienced postpartum depression, this service can be more than just life-changing for mom! The hormones from the placenta, when taken as a capsule has been shown to reduce or even rid mom of any postpartum depression that she may experience, it’s filled with iron to give mom energy and other hormones to help with milk production! It’s amazing how the placenta is life giving to the baby while in the womb and life giving to mom outside of the womb!
What would we find you doing in your downtime?
Reading a mystery, quilting or hanging with my family just watching a fun movie! I also home school my children and most days find it extremely rewarding and enjoy learning things all over again with the kids! I love to sneak in learning opportunities when they are least aware!
Would you mind sharing your family's core values?
We are a family of strong Christian faith. We truly believe that God has a plan and a place for each of us and when you open yourself to what that is, walk in faith to that goal, God will open the path and make the way possible in ways we could never dream possible! This isn’t to say there aren’t challenges, when you are on God’s path there are those who will oppose you, but sticking with His path is always worth it!
Let us into your world a little bit: In the spirit of fun, share with us, if you would, a favorite recipe, song, memory, or something fun we don't know about you.
Well, I said I enjoy a good mystery. A few years back I read a trilogy set in New Orleans and they kept talking about Red Beans and Rice. Well, I have to see if I could find a recipe to create this dish I had never had, but the story kept talking about it and it made my mouth water. Here’s one of our favorite recipes in our home. It’s great because there are so many ways to adapt or alter it!
New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 pound boiled ham cut, into 1/2-inch cubes
6 ounces smoked sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (1 cup)
1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted through, soaked overnight and drained
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
8 to 10 cups water
Steamed rice
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, cayenne, black pepper and thyme for about 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves, ham and sausage and saute for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the beans, garlic, and enough water to cover the contents in the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 2 hours. Add more water if the mixture becomes dry and thick. Use a wooden spoon to mash about half of the mixture against the side pf the pot. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the mixture is creamy and the beans are soft. Add more water if it becomes too thick. The mixture should be soupy but not watery. Remove the bay leaves and serve with steamed white rice. 8 servings, prep about 15 min, cook time 4 hours.
And, do you have a little something for our readers?
I’d love to give away 2 copies of the first class of my DVDs for free and offer a discount of 25% off the entire series to the first 5 buyers.
www.laborforlove.com
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