Ongoing Events

Meet the Doulas Night

Join other expectant parents once a month to learn about doulas (birth support and newborn assistance professionals). Each Meet the Doulas Night includes an overview of what doulas do, the benefits of doula services, and how to find the right doula for you. Birth and postpartum doulas from the community participate to answer parents’ questions. Time will also be provided for parents to meet individually with doulas.

Offered the 2nd Friday of every month, 7:00 - 9:00 pm at Blossom. Suggested donation $15. Please RSVP to 650-321-2326. Let us know your due date, your phone number, and if you are interested in learning about Birth and/or Postpartum Doulas.

Meet the Doulas Night is a community service provided by Blossom. Blossom does not endorse specific doulas. More about Doulas.

Pregnancy Lunch Lounge

Fourth Wednesday of every month, noon-1:30pm.

Come chat with other pregnant and hoping-to-get-pregnant women: share info and resources, encourage and be encouraged!

Free. Bring your lunch if you like. Informal and unfacilitated.

Home Birth Lunch Lounge

Second Wednesday of every month, noon-1:30pm.

Planning a home birth or maybe just considering the option? Join us for this informal, unfacilitated group to compare notes, share support, and simply chat about birthing at home.

Free. Bring your lunch if you like.

Pregnancy and Post Partum Moods and Challenges

Wednesdays 10:30am-11:30pm, Included on our Parent-Baby Group Card: $85 for 3 months or $15 drop in. (Payment taken at group time)

Join this drop-in discussion group on the challenges and mood changes that you may be feeling in your pregnancy and after birth. You will find a relaxed and welcoming environment at Blossom for discussing these unexpected feelings.

Many of us find it helpful to share our experiences in a group setting with an experienced facilitator to guide the discussion. Some women in the group may have a diagnosis of prenatal or post partum anxiety or depression while others may just find the challenges of motherhood different than expected.

Experienced therapist, birth doula and social worker, Eva Roodman, will be leading the group in discussions about your feelings and strategies for coping and thriving during this unique transition time. You may join in the group at any time on a drop-in basis. If you have questions, feel free to contact Blossom Birth's private voicemail at 650-321-2326.

Breastfeeding Support Group

Wednesdays 1:00- 2:30pm, Included on our Parent-Baby Group Card: $85 for 3 months or $15 drop in. (Payment taken at group time)

Struggling with Breastfeeding? It's not easy, especally when you are first starting out! Join us for this informal breastfeeding support group, where you can exchange ideas with other breastfeeding moms and get a little one-on-one help from our facilitator, Cindy Howard, IBCLC.

Cindy Howard is a Board- Certified Lactation Consultant, La Leche League Leader, Breastfeeding Basics class teacher, and Mother.

BabySpirit Meditation

First Saturday of the month, 11:00am- 1:00pm

Pregnant or want to be pregnant? Want to connect with your child's spirit? Having fertility or pregnancy challenges and want to be in a more joyful and connected place? Join Elisabeth Manning, spiritual coach and founder of Conscious Conception for an hour and a half of an inspiring and uplifting "BabySpirit" Meditation.

This is a place to just "be," to enjoy and explore becoming and being pregnant, and to find comfort with the idea of being a mommy, afterall the journey to parenthood is challenging even when it is chosen. Gather with like minds in a safe environment for self exploration and "soul nurturing" in this significant time of your life. Dissolve fears (motherhood, miscarriage, birth, being enough, etc.) that block you from fully being present with your life and your child. Connect more deeply to your process and find out what you can do to maximize the quality of your current experience and listen to what it is telling you. Connect and communicate directly with your child to learn what it needs from you. Be in a space that allows you to celebrate and "be" in your pregnancy!

Come away feeling energized and awakened to greater possibility and purpose. Learn how your own thoughts and energy affect your experience and how to work with them to empower your life. Have fun with your process and learn to receive it more fully. Allow your highest potential in this sacred and miraculous time. Looking forward to your presence with us!

Drop-in: $17 per mom or $25 per couple/ family; Pre-pay for 3 sessions: $45 per mom or $65 per couple/ family

Moms To Be Fertility Support Group

Join Blossom Staff Member Rachel Cooley to share experiences, information, and emotional support on your journey to becoming pregnant. Rachel is excited to be facilitating this group as she went through her own fertility journey with her husband three years ago on the road to becoming the parents of their now two and a half year old son.

We meet the third Monday of every month from 7:00 - 8:30pm here at Blossom. Upcoming meetings: January 19, February 16, and March 16. Please join us!

International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) of the Peninsula at Blossom

Come join us the second Tuesday of every month from 7:00- 8:30pm for a gathering to meet the needs of birthing women. Share experiences and knowledge in a safe and supportive atmosphere. For more information, please call Suzanne Andrews at 650-322-4834.

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 1:30- 3:00pm (note new day and time) at Blossom; speakers start at 2:00. If you would like to be on the list to receive upcoming speaker announcements, please email bbbabies@gmail.com.

Upcoming Speakers:

• February 12 : Fun with Happy Hands and Hearts

  Join Gene Muto to learn fun and effective self-help energetic techniques to help the whole family. Using a combination of Jin Shin Jyutsu, Acupressure and Craniosacral therapies you will be able to ease stress, increase energy and improve your overall sense of well being. Gene will hand out free CDs with examples of all the techniques she will discuss with the participants.

  Gene Muto, BA, MA, CMT, CBD, is a certified massage therapist and birth doula. She specializes in working with women and children to promote wellness using a variety of modalities such as Craniosacral Therapy, Acupressure, Therapeutic Massage, and Jin Shin Jyutsu. Gene is also a Master Herbalist and incorporates the healing properties of plants in her practice.

  www.genemuto.com

• February 26: Consuming Kids:The Commercialization of Childhood

  Join Julia Chen, owner of The Playstore in Palo Alto, and a local leader for the Campaign for Commercial Free Childhood for the screen of the recently released parent education film "Consuming Kids" from the Media Education Foundation that exposes the youth marketing industry's controversial tactics and explores the effect of hyper-consumerism on the actual experience of children.

  Julia will be sharing her ideas on how to choose toys, the harmful effects marketing and commercialization have on children, and how and why we should all be advocates for our children's play. Julia is a mother of two and founded The Playstore in 1994. The Playstore is the local source for quality wooden and natural toys for creative and imaginative play, offering a full range of items for infants to toys that will engage older children.

  Consuming Kids is written & directed by Adriana Barbaro & Jeremy Earp. The film throws light on the practices of a relentless multi-billion dollar marketing machine that now sells kids and their parents everything from junk food and violent video games to bogus educational products and the family car. Drawing on the insights of health care professionals, children's advocates, and industry insiders, the film focuses on the explosive growth of child marketing in the wake of deregulation, showing how youth marketers have used the latest advances in psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience to transform American children into one of the most powerful and profitable consumer demographics in the world. Consuming Kids pushes back against the wholesale commercialization of childhood, raising urgent questions about the ethics of children's marketing and its impact on the health and well-being of kids. For more details visit:

  www.mediaed.org/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=134

• March 12 : Chiropractic Wellness Care for your Baby

  Patricia Kiser of University Chiropractic with a practice in Los Altos will discuss chiropractic wellness care for infants. She will cover topics such ear infections, the effects of the birth process on infants, the immune system, baby wellness and more. Patricia will also be happy to answer questions you might have about chiropractic wellness care for your baby.

La Leche League

If you're a breastfeeding mom, do check out La Leche League's lunchtime mother's circle at Blossom. Bring your baby/toddler or bring your pump!

Second Friday of each month, 12:30 PM. Next meetings: January 9, February 13, and March 13.

Create It "Ladies Night Out" Fundraiser

Join us every third Friday night at neighboring Create It Ceramic and Mosaic Studio fo a fun night out! Relax with your friends and express your creativity and Blossom gets 25% of the proceeds! $15 per person, includes drinks and hors d'ouvres. Minimum $10 pottery purchase required. Drop-ins welcome, but register early and receive $5 off!