Int'l Doula Month - Giveaway #1

I am very happy to announce the first giveaway of many for this month! Our first donation is from Jacquie, aka Wild Mother Arts.

Jacquie is donating a Unakite Pregnant Goddess Necklace. Unakite, also called epidote, derives its name from the Greek epidosis, meaning "growing together". It is a combination of red jasper and green epidote solidly bound together. From this we get the meaning that what comes together belongs together.

Unakite (or Epidote) can be used to draw off negative energy and is said to lift your spirits when you are feeling down - this is the gemstone to help you to see the beauty in life.

This Mama Goddess necklace is made from unakite and features ample breasts, a very pregnant belly and has a cute little bum! Unakite with its green and pink swirls is considered to be the childbearing stone and is said to facilitate an easier labor, increase your self esteem, and pave the way for a joyous birth. It is the one stone I would not labor and birth without and you will see it a lot in my birth jewelry.

Jacquie is an amazing artist who sells her items on Etsy at Wild Mother Arts, while marketing her doula services on her private website. She is very active online and you can Fan her on Facebook or follow her on twitter.

Here is a little more about this amazing and multifaceted mama:

I'm a mama of three, a doula and breastfeeding counsellor, jewelry artisan, moonwise woman and wild mother! I'm definitely on the crunchier side, and love herbs and aromatherapy, babywearing and co-sleeping. I'm a science-fiction geek, and also love to write both fiction and non-fiction, and I'm working on a book. Several, in fact.

I fell in love with pregnancy and birth in my twenties and stumbled upon a labor support course when I was pregnant with my first baby. Around the same time, I saw a beautiful bracelet that inspired me to start making my own jewelry, and I decided to mix the two and thus Wild Mother Arts was born.

What makes your heart skip a beat, hold your breath, or sigh with happiness:

Without a doubt, nursing my three babies did all three. Watching them sleep is a very close second, too. Oh, and chai tea!

If you had to choose one item that you sell, what is your favorite and why:

I love the symbolism in my Labordust Wish Necklace! Unakite for a joyous birth, moonstone for feminine energies, red jasper for protection, amber for pain and a tiny fine silver bell for focus... It combines my favorite gemstones with the miracle of birth. And I also love the pregnant mama goddess necklaces - so empowering!

When you think of a doula, what do you think:

I think of of wonderful, unique women with different backgrounds and experiences - but all with a similar goal of assisting women through one of the most important experiences and transitions in life. I believe that doulas make such an amazing difference to every woman and every birth they attend.

Consequentially, what do you think of birth practices in the U.S. right now:

It's so complicated, and it shouldn't be. So many unnecessary inductions, interventions and complications. We should have more choice in how we birth, and although we actually do compared to 50 years ago, sometimes it's so frustrating I want to cry. However, I am thrilled every time I hear that a woman is making a choice to be informed and to make the choices that are right for her. I'm even more thrilled when women choose midwifery care or hire a doula!

Anything Else that you would like us to know about you:

I am extremely passionate about honoring and celebrating all the transitions in women's lives, beginning with the first journey to the red tent. I believe that we need to pass on a healthy and positive attitude toward menstruation to our daughters and be moonwise women!

Thank you Jacquie for your donation and for your wonderful contribution to the birthing community! It has been a delight getting to know you through email and I am ecstatic to bring more awareness to your site and your services.

RULES FOR ENTERING:

Remember, EACH OF THESE count as one entry. To have them counted as one entry each, they must each be fulfilled with their own, separate, comment. Be sure that your comment contains your email either in the body of the message, or through your profile.

• For your initial entry, you must, go to her etsy shop, then come back and comment with which of her items you like the most.
  
• Post a link to this giveaway on your FB. Then, copy and paste a link to that in a comment here on my blog.
  
• "Like" her FB page.
• Create your own blog post regarding this giveaway, with a link to this post, then comment with a link back to your blog post.
• If you took advantage of the Early Bird Entries, you can add any/all of your Early Bird entries to this giveaway by commenting with the words "EB Entry".
  

Entries will be closed on May 29th, at midnight, and the drawing will occur on May 31st, at noon.

Happy entering!!!