About The Alternative Parent:

The Alternative Parent seeks to empower and educate parents to make decisions outside of conventional parenting anywhere along their parenting path. It is my mission to create Resources Beyond the Mainstream as a fabulous digest of information for all things alternative.

The Alternative Parent offers guidance to parents in areas such as:

• conscious conception
• mindful pregnancy and birth
• breastfeeding
• attachment parenting
• alternative education
• self-sustainability (living and working)
• alternative health and wellness
• living life with purpose and passion

Group classes and workshops, as well as thought provoking conversation (in person, blogsite, and radio appearances) are available to parents seeking alternative resources.

Projects and workshops:

• BirthRhythms – Rhythms of the Earth to Support Your Birth(tm) – a movement and dance class focused on preparing the body for a strong, healthy pregnancy and easier birth. The movement will be based in the traditional and tribal music and dances of the Earth’s cultures, as well as the elements of nature. Women were designed to be mobile and vertical for their births, and the focus of these classes will help women build the strength and flexibility to make that choice. Discussion of optimal positioning for mother and baby will be offered at every class. Classes are inspired by master dance teacher, Rosangela Silvestre (www.silvestretraining.com), my teachers Yarrow King and Jade Beall. One day a friend of mine posted on Facebook that they took a “Dancing for Birth” training. As soon as I saw those words, I was inspired to take what I had learned and combine it with this training. I flew to Boulder, Colorado for my Dancing for Birth training (http://www.dancingforbirth.com/) with Stephanie Larson. I am available to teach classes in this specific format as well as my BirthRhythms format. Please check here for my teaching schedule
• TribalBirth – Knowledge of the Earth to Support Your Birth(tm) – COMING SOON! ~a different kind of childbirth class! Couples and their support persons are included in the class. We will expand on the optimal positioning for mother and baby shared in movement classes, with the emphasis of how partners and support persons can be of help. Basic knowledge of pregnancy and childbirth will be offered and discussed with the added information of tribal knowledge on pregnancy, birth and parenting from cultures around the world. Exploration of innate ability and knowledge will be emphasized through discussion, visualization, art and story telling. This class is highly focused on natural childbirth, and is geared towards empowering parents to have that experience, at home, at a birth center, or in a hospital. Inspiration for this class is based on my work with women in a clinical setting (hospital), attending births as a support person, and the work of Penny Simkin, Marshall Klaus, Ina May Gaskin, and many others. This class is a working digest of the latest as well as timeless knowledge that has supported natural, biological birth. It is ideal for those interested and seeking a midwifery model of care, as well as empowering parents and birth support people to advocate for this type of birth in medical setting.
• Mamatribe – Your Sisters, Your Circle, Your Support – Mothers learn best from other mothers. It is a time honored tradition and has been the backbone of cultures since society began. Mamatribe circles are for sharing your experiences as a mother, a daughter, a birther, a nuturer (especially including breastfeeding and attachment parenting) a partner, a grandmother. Each week we will focus on a life stage and open the circle to those both seeking and willing to share knowledge. We will each take turns and talk about our current experience and take what works for us and leave the rest behind.

About Jaimie