Placenta services~

I am available to assist in finding your own tradition and way to honor and utilize your placenta. There are many traditions to choose from including burial, eating pieces raw right after birth, charring, encapsulation, tincturing, making an alchemical spagyric tincture, and/or a homeopathic preparation of placenta.

I typically prefer to do preparations in your home so we don’t have to bring the placenta away from you and baby for long. Tincturing for example can be done right there and left to soak for weeks in your home in a safe place.

In many traditions the placenta is fed to mama and baby either immediately postpartum, and/or at times in their life when they may need extra strength, hormonal support, or to reconnect as mother and child when the child is straying too far from a healthy bond. Many also believe eating it can help prevent or heal from postpartum depression.

I also offer placenta readings, which is where we look at your placenta together sometime in the first several days postpartum, and I intuitively look at the way the placenta developed, with an eye on the side of the father, mother and the umbilical baby side, and I share whatever comes through. It can be an interesting, sometimes revealing look into the baby’s beginnings and relationships. And, a fun way to honor the placenta while also looking at it together and learning about how it worked.

Another fun way to honor the placenta is the painted placenta art print, basically a print made on canvas or paper for you of your placenta. This can be done as a part of other placenta offerings.

Each offering is curated for you specifically and may have different pricing depending on what all we do. We will come up with a price that works for us all. Some things such as making a homeopathic preparation or capsules are more involved and thus carry a higher price. Contact me for more info.

rebozo/faja belly binding and postpartum closing of the bones ceremony

Another ancient practice which is used in cultures across the world is the practice of belly binding during pregnancy and postpartum. This is the act of securing the womb and abdominal organs up and closer to the body, for the sake of protecting the back, helping bring the organs and uterus back into position postpartum (and preventing prolapse), and giving the woman the added support she needs for her belly that is now lacking in abdominal muscles.

The faja and rebozo are pieces of long cloth that women in Mexico and Central America traditionally used to wrap around their bellies during and after pregnancy. It is a super helpful modality I wish I knew about with my first baby, as it protects, helps hold the belly in a more comfortable and supportive position, and postpartum helps bring everything back into the abdomen and supports the now very vulnerable back from injury.

I also do a practice called Closing the Bones, which is derived from indigenous people of Mexico and Central America and is an ancillary practice to belly binding, but more involved. This is something I choose to do in a ceremonial fashion for a woman, as it is just as much about retrieving soul pieces and grounding back into the body after giving birth, as it is about bringing the whole body back into alignment, closing the hips and all things back inward after such an extreme opening outward.

This ceremony involves some songs, mostly indigenous, depending on my mood and what comes through, with drum and rattle, and a very warm and nurturing journey into the womb space, while being ceremoniously wrapped both at the hips and over the whole body, tightly but not too tight, with a very long cloth, then each part gently held and rocked from the head to the feet, and encouraged to move inward again to its resting position. I also am using my own ability with Cranio-sacral during this time while doing the body holds. Many women find it hard to fully reintegrate after the mind and body altering journey of pregnancy and birth. This is one ritual I find deeply integral to this recapitulation process.

The woman is wrapped tightly and carefully with a very long saree type cloth, and extra attention given to the hips with the rebozo, and then is softly held, swaddled in this way, for several minutes to half an hour or so. During this time I offer rhythm and song to guide the woman back out into the trance like birth space of Delta brainwaves, and then back again into her body, asking her to bring with her all the wisdom, parts of her spirit that may still be in the ethers, and parts of baby’s spirit that may need to return with her to the physical.

This experience can be a profound one, as I know it was for me, and greatly assist in helping a woman integrate the birth experience and come back to her Self to do the mothering she now must do, from a more stable base.

Finally, I will assist the woman again at the end to wrap her hips and belly with the rebozo or her own cloth, to wear for the coming weeks or even months on a daily basis. I offer various forms of nourishing and structurally balancing bodywork, as well as Mayan abdominal massage for the womb and belly. Mayan womb massage is offered as part of the Sopla sweat lodge experience, but also can be offered as a longer session on its own or as part of a full body massage.

I have had the honor of training in these techniques with several incredible Mexican and Guatemalan midwives over the years, and I can offer this as a pregnancy modality for support, or postpartum support.

This offering typically is combined with a Limpia herbal bath (either full immersion in bath or “sponge bath” style) and half hour postpartum massage. Included in my postpartum doula packages, this service on its own is $120, sliding scale for families in need.

I am always open to working out a rate for this ceremony without bath and massage, or for belly binding assistance alone.

temazcal sweat lodge and sopla

The temazcal or sweat lodge is a tradition of many native cultures, and I have been taught the way of the Maya, in the tradition of sweating and a practice called Sopla, which is to cleanse the womb with steam in the sweat lodge. Herbal decoctions are incorporated into the steam, and Mayan abdominal massage is also part of the Sopla technique.

This is a practice that is used for all women who have reached age of menarche, both prior to having babies, while pregnant, and again multiple times in the first 6 weeks postpartum. The predominant belief in Mexico and Central America is that a woman must protect her womb at all costs, keeping it warm, and not straining much, not lifting heavy objects EVER, and deeply nourishing and toning her womb with heat in the sweat lodge on a regular basis. It also of course is a powerful purifying agent on the body and soul of any person, regardless of gender. While we in America may have a hard time keeping this tradition fully, the temazcal and sopla are amazing healing forces for a woman who is pregnant or postpartum, and I am happy to offer these on a regular basis for my doula clients and others from the community. I am in the process of setting this up on my land in Marion, NC and sessions will be posted on my calendar here when available.

The temazcal and sopla sessions are a tradition of many indigenous peoples, but taught to me by indigenous Shipibo and Mayan midwives/shamancas.

Sopla is for women, involving the use of the temazcal herbal steam to open the womb and bring heat in. The Mayan women in Guatemala and Mexico use the temazcal at least once a week as a family, and do sopla for women prenatally and several times postpartum, as well as any time there are menstrual issues and so on. It can also help prevent a prolapsed uterus and bladder.

I offer these services either individually (massage only, temazcal and sopla or only temazcal), at a rate of $70 per hour massage, or $100 for temazcal. I also offer Mayan abdominal therapy as part of a longer full body massage.

Herbal limpia baths

The Indigenous people across the world use herbs in various forms, including in ritual and non-ritual baths, for cleansing the body, mind and spirit, and improving the physical and energetic immune system, or energetic boundaries, opening the heart, and healing. Various herbs are utilized for their varying properties, and in the postpartum period we may include herbs known for their antiseptic and wound healing properties, while also ones with other energetic properties helpful to bring the woman back into herself after her journey into the cosmos. Many women find it hard to fully reintegrate after the mind and body altering journey of pregnancy and birth. This is one ritual I find deeply integral to this recapitulation process.

These baths can take two forms:

One, in which I come to your home or you to mine, and we set you up in a nice warm bath, with or without your baby, and add certain herbs either loose or in a sachet for easy cleanup. This is your time, and you are left alone to soak and unwind, or if you like I can stay and massage and sing to you. The bath on my land outside is incredible, and you can be slung in a womb-like sling in the bath for deep release.

Two, is where we brew a tea ahead of time, and we typically go outside, preferably in a nice yard or land, and pour the water over your head and body, swipe your body with herbal branches, and sing songs of limpia release.

I am available to do one or both of these for a woman postpartum and it is included in all of my postpartum packages.

massage, mayan abdominal massage, and infant massage

I offer these services either individually (massage only, temazcal and sopla or only temazcal), at a rate of $70 per hour massage, or $120 for temazcal. I also offer Mayan abdominal therapy as part of a longer full body massage.

I also offer all 3 together, for the full healing experience for women of the age of menarche (not for maidens). This can be done for women who have not had children, during or after pregnancy.

Mayan belly massage is helpful for all sorts of menstrual issues, cystitis, congestion in the womb and abdominal organs, and womb distortion. I also have a degree of training in visceral manipulation which adds to my repertoire of ability to adjust the position of organs, such as in instances of prolapse or hiatal hernia. More info on Mayan massage HERE.

I also offer nourishing massages including a variety of modalities, including Swedish, deep tissue, myofacial release, and more.

I offer Abhyanga style deep tissue massage with warm oil and hot stones as well, for a nourishing pregnancy or postpartum massage that also brings warmth into the body.

Neuro-structural integration is incorporated to a degree into all my work, but is also a modality in itself, akin to Rolfing, but gentler. It focuses on bringing the structure back into alignment through the parasympathetic nervous system.

I also offer infant massage and training sessions for half an hour or so with parents, to learn the art of loving your baby up and helping comfort them, ease belly aches, and so on.

Please find more info about my massage offerings HERE

blessing ways

The blessing way is the new version of the baby shower… intended to not only bring gifts for baby but also for mama, family, and to shower her with blessings and nourishment in all forms in her final weeks of pregnancy.

I am available to curate a beautiful event with your friends and loved ones, focusing on helping everyone know what to bring, create ceremonies and little rituals to do together, making keepsakes, creating a meal train for the postpartum period, and nourishing the family with amazing food, massage, love and energy.

This is a sweet community building event and can be held in your home or on our land in warmer months. I’m happy to offer this to you at a very affordable rate of $100, as a true heart offering for those in my community. It also is offered as part of my extended doula package.

ceremonies and rites

Handfasting and Marriage Rites

Vow Renewal

Conscious Uncoupling Ceremony

Cord Cuttings

Blessing Way for Pregnancy

Calling in a Child

Self-Marriage and/or Death/Rebirth Rites

and more…

available on a case by case basis, for a price that feels comfortable for us both.

I call on my resources as Norse Völva seer, Celtic and Pagan Priestess, birth keeper, mother and counselor, wise woman hearth keeper and devotee of Krishna, Radha, the Goddess in all forms, Tara, Horned God and more, to curate sacred space for your pagan, earth loving, Vedic or generally universal spiritual rites of passage as a couple, calling on whatever sacred elements you hold dear. This can be a simple prayer, elaborate ceremony, or rite of passage, wedding, or cord cutting for you both or as individuals.

ayurvedic ghee and herbal honeys, etc

As part of the well woman continuum I have a variety of products in my store including Ayurvedic herbal ghee for women’s health, herbal honeys, and more.

You can find my growing apothecary HERE

And my specifically birth related products including Free Birthing Birth Kits, and herbal and homeopathic consults., etc HERE

ampcoil pemf sessions

The Ampcoil is an amazing modality I discovered when healing from Lyme disease and I love to offer it to my clients of all kinds for assisting in healing and balancing. It has frequencies for not only healing and detoxing from Lyme and other infections, but also nourishing frequencies associated with balancing the brain, nervous system, organs, nutrient uptake, sleep, and more.

For serious issues such as Lyme I offer sessions on a bi-weekly basis for clients in their home, at $60 per hour of use (this pays for my assistance setting it up and teaching you to use it, and the energy for driving to your home etc), and I also can incorporate it into hours we spend together doing massage, doula work, and so on at a lower rate.

Learn more about it at www.ampcoil.com