Allyson Frances: photography & birth services

19/04/2018

Are you afraid to express who you really are?
Is it that you think no one will have you as you are or you’ll be swatted down?
All of us are hiding in our human skins at some point in our lives. But we’ve all got some kind of beautiful something to express in the world. It’s the deserving part that keeps us from shining.
YOU DO DESERVE TO EXPRESS TOUR CREATIVE POWER. let us see it. Let it shine.

Via - I see a lot of stretch marks, and these are some of the most beautiful stripes I’ve ever seen. Thank you for sharing 😻

17/04/2018

09/04/2018

Let’s talk self care. How do you self care?

Self care has always been a struggle for me especially as s mother and partner.

Honey & Sage truly cares about helping woman become better woman through the love and care they put in all their products.

I love ALL my products from them. They have helped my self care routine daily. In small doses through the day. From Morning body oil to mid day and evening tea. They support the whole woman.

“SELF CARE FOR CAREGIVERS. •
Do you care intensively for people? Do you parent small children? Do you breastfeed a baby? Do you nurture challenging relationships? Do you strive for a healthy marriage? Are you more than ONE kind of caregiver, like me? (nurse, mother, doctor, doula, midwife?) If the answers are yes, then I would love to hold space for you right now. You may or may not have chronic fatigue syndrome. But either way it probably feels like it. It’s just not possible to give and give and give, physically spiritually and emotionally without replenishing ourselves. In my journey of healing myself - so that I could enjoy being a wife, have a healthy s*x drive, and truly relish the moments raising a young child - I’ve realized some things. Because I am giving so much to others, self care must become a full time job. Every third thought I have must be how I will take care of myself better today. When will I rest? When will I move my body? When will I be able to sit in sunlight? What green leafy thing will I eat? How will I get warm when I’m chilled, or cool off when I get fired up? What am I reading? What am I drinking? I know this sounds like so much work. But I plan on serving my humans, loving my humans, and being a fully alive, vital woman for many years to come. So I can and I will. Shout out as always to my beautiful who so intimately walks this journey with women and all of us constantly depleted caregivers, teaches us about herbs and yummy healing things, thank you to my friends who listen so we can work these things out. Art 1) ~ via 2) myself, the morning after two babies in one night.”-
Wisdom via

05/04/2018

All of this ❤️.

She take a stand in a male dominated society and has helped over 15,000 girls since.

05/04/2018

❤️

17/01/2018

Black women are three times more likely to die from complications of childbirth than white women in the U.S. Racism, and the stress it causes, can play a leading role in that disparity.

17/01/2018

“I’m pregnant with my rainbow baby,” she whispered. “And I feel so guilty.”

29/08/2017

Sangodele-Ayoka said that ultimately the week is all about celebrating the act of breastfeeding and being able to “take a step back and just sort of fly the flag for black breastfeeding, fly the flag for all the people who are doing the work, fly the flag for the moms and say, ‘You are so great, you are so beautiful and what you do is important.’”

Yes! ❤️

PARENTS 08/25/2016 12:37 pm ET Why Black Breastfeeding Week Is So Important A group created a community to help fix the low breastfeeding rates among black moms. By Shonitria Anthony Black Breastfeeding Week Black Breastfeeding Week was created by Anayah Sangodele-Ayoka, Kimberley Seals Allers and K...

12/02/2017

Much to the surprise of the medical community, a recent study showed that pitocin is linked to postpartum depression. The mothers aren't surprised.

15/07/2016

This is Sacred. I would love to see if there are any pregnant mamas who might be interested in a class this Fall.

Anni Daulter has started a movement to help people "live in more conscious awareness."

29/04/2016

My sister-in-law shared this with me. She is always thinking of me. This is too beautiful not to share. https://www.instagram.com/p/BEvuMJBIv37/

See this Instagram photo by • 227 likes

25/04/2016

By James J. McKenna Ph.D. Edmund P. Joyce C.S.C. Chair in Anthropology Director, Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory University of Notre Dame Author of Sleeping with Your Baby: A Parent’s…

08/04/2016

The Rhythmic Red Thread

All the eggs a woman will ever carry form in her ovaries while she is a four month old fetus in the womb of her mother,

This means our cellular life as an egg begins in the womb of our grandmother.

Each of us spent five months in our grandmothers womb, and she in turn formed in the womb of her grandmother

We vibrate to the rhythm of our mothers blood before she herself is born, and this pulse is the thread of blood that runs all the way back through the grandmothers to the first mother.

~ Layne Redmond, "When The Drummers Were Women"

Katharine Krueger ~ Journey Of Young Women
Learn to mentor girls, guide Girls Circles and offer Coming of Age
JourneyOfYoungWomen.org

Art: "The Midwives" by Lucy Pierce
lucypierce.com

04/04/2016

We still have some work to do..."The UK guarantees 40 weeks. Canada offers 17 weeks. Ireland provides 26 weeks. Mexico offers 12 weeks. Japan guarantees 14 weeks. Even Bangladesh, a country criticized for poor worker treatment, offers 16 weeks' leave.

In fact, the U.S. is still the only highly developed country in the world that doesn't offer federal paid maternity leave."

It's the first -- and only -- policy in the United States that guarantees 12 weeks of paid leave for women and men.

31/03/2016

Women who are pregnant at age 35 or older are often referred to as “advanced maternal age.” These women may be told that they should have a labor induction or C-section at 39 weeks, solely because of their age. In this Evidence Based Birth® article, we will cover how many women give birth over the a…

31/03/2016

Pretty neat.

28/03/2016

Home birth is rapidly becoming a more popular birthing option in the U.S., but it is often misunderstood. These lesser-known facts shed some light on the practice.

28/03/2016

Something we have lost along the way having our tribe of women during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. This is what I LOVE about what I do. Sacred Pregnancy classes help build a tribe of women who support, empower ad encourage each other while creating a safe space to share. Postpartum is honored through ceremonial baths, "closing of the bones", and belly binding to continue supporting your body after all the work it has doen the last 10 months. http://birthwellbirthright.com/2016/03/27/snowball-a-new-mothers-guide-to-postpartum-wellness/

Coming home from the hospital with your first baby is probably one of the scariest things we will ever do. Suddenly, the reassurance of having round-the-clock support from the hospital seems very far away indeed. Sadly, in modern Western culture, many new mothers feel immense pressure (either intern…

24/03/2016

It is important to know that we are not alone. This can be a part of pregnancy (or multiple pregnancies). Our bodies are where we nurtured and protected out children. Even after pregnancy weight loss we can still have the reminder that our bodies have changed. THIS IS OK.

Around town here in CU I see billboards for a "Mommy Makeover" and it featuring a very firm and tight belly shot. Every time I see this I am disgusted that women are being made to feel that we should have those bodies even after having children and if it doesn't happen naturally we should get plastic surgery to fix it. Our daughters are also seeing this image and message of body shaming. WE can do better. http://www.scarymommy.com/professional-runner-shares-post-baby-body-photos/?utm_source=FB

Stephanie Rothstein Bruce is an elite runner who wants moms to know even pro athletes experience post-baby body changes.

22/03/2016

I LOVE nestling my nose into my baby's neck and breathing in all his sweetness. I would do it all day if I could. It makes me HAPPY! http://globalnews.ca/news/860084/newborn-babys-smell-is-as-addictive-as-drugs-or-food-study/

For women, smelling a newborn baby feels as good as drugs are to addicts or cheeseburgers to those just breaking a fast, new Montreal research suggests.

22/03/2016

This isn't new news, but woman and the expectations of how they should birth are being measured by a much out of date standard. It is so important to talk to your provider about YOUR expectations for your birth are and to be well informed about about our choices. This is another great reason to have many supports attend a birth. A doula especially is a great way to help remind you of your choices and wants as you are in labor and to help you advocate for yourself and your baby.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/new-evidence-that-we-just-need-to-give-women-more-time-to-labor_us_56ec4f66e4b084c672203418?

When moms in a recent study had one more hour to push, the C-section rate was cut in half.

22/03/2016

Milk Monday
Milk Moment with Sacred Milk:
Milk.
Babies need it. Mama’s need it. Milk is.
Milk is more than a substance that contains nutrition, fat, calories and hydration for a baby. Milk is drawn from a mother, it is an experience, a relationship. Milk is a journey, as much as it is baby food. Milk feeds mothers.
Doesn’t that sound beautiful? Here is the catch. Anyone who spends a little time talking Milk with me will soon realize that outside of creating beautifully flowing words and images for the Sacred Milk programs, I am a blunt and raw mama. I stand powerfully in this philosophy;
Milk feeds mothers AS it feeds babies.
This will look different for each mother and baby pair, it isn’t always sunshine and roses and tasting like sweet treats. Milk will feel different for each individual. Sometimes the feelings are soft and joyful and other times raw and rough and grating.
Our goal with all things Milk is to encourage women to EMBRACE their WHOLE experience in whatever way it plays out.
Much LOVE to you all today!

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16/03/2016

Birth Trauma is real. YOU are heard. YOU can heal.

17/01/2016

fight for each other

14/01/2016

Look at these stunning needle felted figures. A sweet gift for any special someone who is expecting. xoxo

Do you have a friend that is expecting a new bundle of joy? These are made in different sizes to your specs.

13/01/2016

I love this. Khalil found my breast almost instantly after he was placed on my chest even after the c-section. Have you experienced this?

12/01/2016

11/01/2016

imagine this......

A Texas school started giving kindergarten and first-grade students four recesses a day, and parents and teachers love the results.

08/01/2016

this is all too familiar! LOVE xoxo