Blossom's Brown Bag Lunch Series (formerly known as Blanket Babies)

This is a FREE group which hosts speakers of interest to new moms. It is geared towards precrawlers, but all are welcome. We meet on alternative Thursdays 1:15- 2:30pm at Blossom; speakers start at 1:30. If you would like to be on the list to receive upcoming speaker announcements, please email bbbabies@gmail.com.

Upcoming Speakers:

• February 24: Step Ahead Infant Development by Dafna Golan- Carbone

  Shedding new light on infant development through an innovative and holistic approach. In this introductory session you'll learn why it is important to be actively involved in baby's development in our modern, fast paced, accommodating culture. You'll come out with useful knowledge and equipped with a set of tools: why are experiences in the first two yeas of life so important and what are the implications for the future, how to calm a baby in a way that promotes a sense of security, how to make tummy time easier for both you and your baby, why is tummy time so important and why other positions are so important (and how to get there), fun and purposeful activities to practice with your baby daily to promote self-esteem and independence that goes with your child throughout life, and more. This is a safe place to learn new skills, ask questions and gain support in your effort to provide the best foundation for your baby's development.

  Dafna has come from the world of Music Therapy and her attraction to working with babies led her to pursue a career in infant development. Going back to her home country of Israel she delved into training in this unique method for infant development and fell in love with providing support and effective tools to new parents. As a certified infant development consultant she moved back to CA to bring this method to us and feels fortunate to be able to share it with you!

  For more information about Dafna and Step Ahead please visit www.stepping-ahead.com

• March 10: Mommy & Me Essential Oil Workshop

  Roxane Bybee, Essential Oil Educator and Mother of 3, will demonstrate how to apply certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils to relieve common physical and emotional issues.  Learn how to naturally heal ailments like diaper rash, fever, colic, sleep problems, earaches, coughs and much more.  This workshop will be hands on to allow you and your child a chance to bond and connect as you experience doTERRA essential oils together.  Roxane has 3 little boys who receive the benefits from these essential oils every day.  She has a wealth of knowledge from using essential oils and will be able to help with any questions you may have.

  www.mydoterra.com/askmarlies/

• March 24: Discovering Yourself in the Midst of New Motherhood by Susie Idzik, CPCC and Erica Pelavin, LCSW, PhD

  Motherhood changes us in fundamental ways. It is a role that requires us to give and give and give - sometimes at the expense of self care and self nurturing. The key to being the best mom we can be is to achieve a balance between meeting our needs and the needs of our new family. New motherhood can feel overwhelming even the best days and we can feel lost in the day to day work of balancing a family.

  Come talk with two moms who have been there and will help you find ways to reframe these times so you can be present for this once in a lifetime experience of new motherhood.

  Susie Idzik, CPCC is a life coach, spiritual director and mom to 3 kids. She works with parents on balancing parenthood and life. www.thisspiritedlife.com

  Erica Pelavin, LCSW, PhD is a Parent Educator and Family Psychologist and the mother of 2 boys.

Recent Talks:

• February 10: Dr. Anjali Agarwal of Family Chiropractor on Home Remedies for the Family

  Join Dr. Anjali as she introduces parents to healthy home remedies that can help to relieve their family's suffering without reaching for an over-the-counter chemical. Dr. Anjali Agrawal is Chiropractor and Digestive Health Specialist, specializing in Pregnancy & Pediatrics. For the last few years, Dr. Anjali has incorporated non-invasive treatments to help kids (and adults) live an allergy-free life!

  www.losaltoschiropractor.com

• January 27 : Improving Health with Reiki

  Can Reiki help you and your child achieve better health? Who can practice Reiki?

  Reiki, a Japanese hands-on healing energy technique, can help you reduce stress, enjoy relaxation, and improve your overall health. Using Reiki on babies and children is found to be very effective, improving digestion, strengthening the immune system, and alleviating various health problems and pains.

  Join Blossom Birth and Camelot Center in learning more this simple yet powerful healing method that can benefit you and your child.

  Michal Rinkevich, founder of Camelot Center and Reiki practitioner since 1997, will share tips and her experience, providing practical recommendations and demonstrations. If you would like to experience Reiki, please join Michal on Monday nights where she and the team at Camelot offer free Reiki sessions for the community any time between 7-8:45pm (no RSVP needed). Camelot Center is also hosting a special Kids Reiki Open House where and you and your child can come for free Reiki sessions on February 21 any time between 10am-12:30pm.

  For more information about the Open House, please visit www.CaemlotCenter.net or call 650-949-3332.

• January 13 : Infant Sleep Fundamentals: Getting off to a great start! with Elissa Gilbertson, CPD(DONA)

  This talk is geared towards parents-to-be and parents with infants up to 8 weeks old. We will cover the most common infant sleep roadblocks and how parents can navigate around them as well as tips and tools for improving sleep. We will look at sleep from the infant’s perspective, the parent’s perspective and, of course, the sleep educator’s perspective aka, the developmental perspective.

  From the time Elissa was very young she has been drawn to children and infants. She loved interacting with them and learning how they develop and the way they think. Elissa’s early interactions and observations of children have given her a unique eye and understanding of their world. To this day Elissa uses her background in psychology, sociology, child development and her many years working as a postpartum doula and sleep educator to help parents understand what children’s needs are, how they think, and how they learn.

  www.iqbaby.us

• December 9: Colicky Babies with Dr. Patricia Kiser

  Dr. Patricia Kiser is the owner of University Chiropractic. She has been a chiropractor for many years. She has helped thousands of people gain their optimal health and well being!

  Colic can be caused by spinal misalignment and with a few small adjustments your baby will find relief. The reason that chiropractic treatments work is because they address the cause of the symptoms, not just the symptoms. While some medical doctors recommend such treatments as Donatol, Buscopan, or Gaviscon to treat symptoms, they aren't really addressing what causes colic to happen in the first place. When you confront colic from a chiropractic point of view you are getting to the root of the problem, and many times you can extinguish it completely.

  www.universitychiroca.com