Local Pregnancy Resources

I have met and had conversations with all of the people I am recommending here, mostly in connection with the BABE Film Festival.  They all work here in the Augusta, GA area.  I only wish I had known them BEFORE I had my babies.  Enjoy!

Belly Casting – Elizabeth M. Barnes is a fine arts sculptor and painter whose business has migrated primarily to belly casting.  Elizabeth specializes in creating an original, personalized work of art for each client, although she also does “plain” casting, too.  To see her amazing work and get more info, visit Artful Expectations.

Birthing Information and Discussion/Support Group – Lynn Reed creator of BABE, Better Augusta Birth Experience, is always on the lookout for groups and businesses that support expectant and new mothers.  For an extensive list, see the BABE website.  Lynn also facilitates the discussion/support group Trust Birth Augusta, the local chapter of a (very cool) national initiative to get women talking to women about birth.

Chiropractic Care: Prenatal and Newborn – Tom Paris D.C. uses techniques that are extremely gentle and (for me at least) very effective.  By chance, I was a patient of his for several months before he presented at the BABE Film Festival as an advocate for natural childbirth.  It’s no surprise that chiropractic adjustments can help ease back pain during pregnancy, but I was surprised to learn that it has also been shown to reduce time in labor and delivery.  Learn more about chiropractic care during pregnancy in an article on AmericanPregnancy.org. 

Doula — Cherrie Newman is a Birth Doula and an aspiring midwife.  Cherrie is very gentle, sweet, and nurturing.  Her inspiration and passion come from her own experiences during the birth of her son.  To find out more, see Cherrie’s website, EmbraceYourBirth.com.

Doula, Childbirth Education, Custom Slings – Christen Phillips, a local Birth Doula, has a very calm and reassuring presence.  She also teaches the Hypnobabies Childbirth Education class here in town and makes custom baby slings–a remarkable resume for a mother of three young children!  To find out more, check out Christen’s business, A Birthing Intuition.

Photography: Prenatal and Newborn – Nicole Ryan Pitts loves to photograph newborns and pregnant bellies.  Capturing her own children on film inspired her career choice, so you can be sure that she knows how important those pictures are to you.  I could try to describe how fantastic her work is, but it would be easier for you to see for yourself:  Nicole Ryan Photography.

More to come!  Please contact me with comments and questions.