I am standing in a circle of yogis, most of them pregnant women, stretching from the Lake Harriet Band Shell, around the benches, and up and down the grassy hills. I am squatting in Goddess pose, touching palms with the woman next to me. Well into her third trimester, she’s already had a mapping session today; her belly is painted with colorful designs and an outline of her baby’s position.
We begin to wave our hips in figure eights, chanting oms and sending out energy to women all over the world who are giving birth right at that moment. “Every birth counts,” the leader enthuses. “Every birth is a sacred act!” We chant and gyrate while she urges us on: “Send love to your uterus! And men, send some love ‘down there,’ too! We need you!”
Welcome to the current state of giving birth in Minnesota, a place where events like the second annual Bellyrama, which was held last September, can attract more than 300 pregnant women, new mothers and their friends, along with all the people who want to offer them products and services like the aforementioned belly painting, prenatal yoga DVDs, professional photography sessions of their nine-months-and-counting bodies (or their baby’s first day), upscale maternity lingerie, postnatal body therapy, postpartum in-home care and, of course, t-shirts.
The landscape for businesses that cater to expectant and new mothers is a rapidly growing one. In the past 10 years, an increasing number of local women have started businesses that are prospering and expanding. This Better Birth movement is based on the theory that women deserve a better pregnancy and birth experience, and a better entry into motherhood, than they’re currently receiving.
The capering, gyrating woman who was offering love to uteruses back there at the Lake Harriet Band Shell is one of many credited with bringing significant attention to that “something better” many women feel they deserve—and are willing to pay for—in their birth experiences. She’s Sarah Longacre, founder of Blooma, a “one-stop shop” for birth-related wellness services, education, and yoga. Longacre, a Minnesota native, left what she describes as a “nine-to-five gig with a 401K” at Nike in Portland to follow her passion and become a doula. She’s not only attended more than 500 births, but she’s also started a mini-empire that’s in the process of expanding as quickly as a nine-months-and-counting belly. Her business includes prenatal yoga and a larger menu of wellness and education services, supported by a staff of 60. With three locations, she has plans to enlarge the space in St. Paul, add a presence in the western suburbs, and potentially grow into other states.
She pulls all this off with energy, exuberance, and a style that embraces the silly and accepts the real. “Life is messy,” she says more than once during the Bellyrama practice, which also includes a mention of children lost to miscarriage or stillbirth. When someone arrives after the start of session and apologizes, Longacre offers a beatific smile. “At Blooma, we have a saying—no one is ever late, not even at 42 weeks.” Her playful, dance-inspired teaching is designed, she says, to help women loosen up and learn what their bodies can do, perhaps unleashing an inner goddess in the process.
“Mompreneurs”
Longacre is far from alone in her efforts to support these goddesses-to-be. Today’s older, well-educated moms may be planning to give birth just one or two times, so they insist that every aspect of the experience cater to their demanding consumer taste. One “mompreneur” who has built a successful business on this understanding is Sara Pearce, founder of Amma Maternity (now Amma Parenting Center), which offers prenatal and new mom classes that are, she says, “Miles away from the ‘drag your pillow through the basement of the hospital and watch some outdated VHS tapes-type of birthing classes” that earlier generations have endured. Pearce says her business has grown 80 percent in the past year, and she doesn’t anticipate a slowdown anytime soon. “We have a thriving and robust retail store in our Edina location, and plans are in the works to open a new center somewhere on the east side,” she reports. Amma is also now affiliated with three metro Fairview hospitals, Methodist hospital and also three HealthEast hospitals.
Rachel Swardson uncovered her own niche by providing a post-delivery in-hospital healing service. Feeling exhausted after the birth of her third child, she remembers thinking, “There must be a better way to bring a mother into this world.” After years of research and interviews, she reconstructed ancient postpartum healing rituals and launched Bavia, which provides Postnatal Body Therapy, a hands-on service designed to celebrate and restore new moms and dads, right in their hospital room. Says Rachel, “It’s a wonderful first family moment, without interruptions and distractions for the new parents, and it gives them a chance to bond with their newborn.” Clients can order the service as gifts, pre-order, or call in by 4:30 p.m. for same-night treatments. Her team of uniformed massage therapists are currently rolling their sanitized carts—equipped with LED candles, eucalyptus-infused steamed towels and sound systems preloaded with relaxing music—through the hallways of 14 Twin Cities hospitals, and one in New Jersey. The concept has garnered national attention, and Swardson, who just received more than a million dollars in venture capital, will be expanding to 40 additional locations.
The concept of in-room, boutique-style services has also been the foundation for Jessica Person’s business, First Day Photo. A mother of six, Person hit upon the idea of replacing the standard hospital newborn pictures with those that were artistically pleasing and ready to share online. Even better, the sessions take place right in the room, so mom and dad can be in the pictures, too. Her business is built around offering a high-quality product. “We complete the session in less than half an hour, and parents see the photos the same day. There’s no obligation to buy, and they can be shared online right away.” Her high-service, high-style photographs have caught the attention of hospitals in other states, which are on the lookout for ways to satisfy the increasingly demanding maternity market. First Day Photos are currently available in Minnesota, California, Arizona, and Missouri.
After birth
These businesses can help a family get through pregnancy, labor, and back home again. Another savvy businesswoman, Carey Lindeman, focuses on what happens after that return to the freshly painted nursery and the beginning of many long, long nights. Her company, Welcome Baby Care, provides professional, certified postpartum doulas for families with newborns. It’s a service that’s grown 80 percent in the past six months, Lindeman says, noting that busy or outstate grandmothers are frequent purchasers of gift certificates. “People would much rather give this service than another burp cloth,” she says. And when you consider one of her most popular offerings, the overnight visit from a doula with mom and newborn expertise, you can understand why. While parents are sleeping at night, the doula tidies the kitchen and bathroom, does laundry, and soothes the baby (or babies; the business sees a lot of multiples) until feeding time. Then she delivers baby to mom—who stays in bed—for nursing, and, when finished, returns the infant to the nursery for diaper changes and sleep.
If this sounds like a slice of heaven for new parents, the success of Lindeman’s business is understandable. And she insists that it’s an important factor in creating a healthier family all around. “Postpartum depression is the most common complication associated with pregnancy and childbirth. We take pressure off the family as it adjusts to this new reality.” She says, “The greatest gift a child can receive is parents who feel rested enough to enjoy their baby.”
One thing all these business owners agree on is that Minnesota offers an especially welcoming culture for their services. Pearce, the childbirth class maven, says, “I’ve only found one other company nationwide that outsources classes for hospitals.” She credits our metropolitan vibe as part of the reason, saying, “The Twin Cities’ lifestyle makes it easy to be a parent, given our good schools and decent cost of living. From a business owner’s perspective, working with hospitals is simpler here, because most of them are organized into multi-hospital health care systems.”
Those who have branched out into other states, like Person from First Day Photo, are convinced that their initial path was easier because they started their businesses here. “The Twin Cities has a unique trifecta. First, the community fosters entrepreneurial activity. Then, we have some wonderful people running truly wonderful hospitals. Finally, we have highly educated consumers, with sophisticated palates.” She adds with a laugh, “So all we have to do is fill their marketing desires and do it really, really well.”
Giving birth to something better
“We’re so lucky to be able to give birth with electricity, hands to help us, and medical equipment if we need it,” says Sarah Longacre of Blooma. “Birth matters to this community, and people want to be of service and put their money and time into the right places,” she adds. In that spirit, Minnesota Parent offers this guide to some organizations, global and local, that support moms and moms-to-be in need.
Advoca
What would you do if you couldn’t afford diapers for your newborn? Each year, thousands of Twin Cities moms come home from the hospital without even the most basic supplies. This group works with hospital social workers to provide supplies critical to bringing baby home, with no red tape or strings attached. Volunteers can contribute just a couple hours to organize and pack supply bags. Visit advoca-care.com.
Greater Minneapolis
Crisis Nursery
Overnight residential childcare for kids aged 0 to 6 years, in danger of neglect or abuse, is the focus of this Golden Valley-based group. Volunteers can donate new items, or can come into the facility to care for kids, provide enrichment activities or by prepare simple meals for the children. Visit
crisisnursery.org.
Jenny’s Light
This organization is committed to improving and saving lives by increasing awareness of perinatal mood disorders, including postpartum depression. Named in honor of a new mother who took her own life and that of her newborn’s, the group offers a number of resources, including local support groups. Visit jennyslight.org.
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Off the Mat Into the World
Founded in 2007 by yoga luminaries Seane Corn, Hala Khouri, and Suzanne Sterling, OTM’s mission is to use the power of yoga to inspire conscious, sustainable activism and ignite grassroots social change. Longacre was part of their recent trip to Uganda to help build an eco-birthing center. This year’s focus is on Haiti. Visit offthematintotheworld.org.
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Resources
Amma Parenting Center
childbirth and new mom classes
ammaparentingcenter.com
Bavia
in-room postnatal body therapy
baviahealth.com
Blooma
prenatal, postnatal and family yoga, wellness services, education and community-building
blooma.com
First Day Photo
in-room professional photography
firstdayphoto.com
Welcome Baby Care
postpartum home health service
welcomebabycare.com
