A Chair for Your Church

By Glenni Lorick, IBCLC
It thrills me to be able to help church nurseries have top quality, comfortable nursing chairs from the Best Chairs Storytime Series for their mamas and babies. This year we've been able to help a couple of churches do just that, and it was a blessing for us as well as for them!

Because my husband has been in the ministry for the last 30 years, and we have served in a variety of churches, I have seen how church finances operate. I understand the budgetary constraints churches are under, and I also understand the need to practice good stewardship of the resources God has provided.

My children have been in a variety of church nurseries, and I have nursed in comfy gliders, in rickety rocking chairs, and on hard back folding chairs. Of course, I've done my share of baby-wearing and nursing in the pew, too, but that's another story for another day!

That being said, we have put together a program just to help churches purchase the comfy gliders they need. When you use a church check to purchase your gliders, you will save 20% on the regular purchase price. You get to pick out your material and your chair style (we have gliders, swivel gliders and recliners). Your chairs will be here within 4 -6 weeks. We will even deliver your chairs, if you need us to (for churches in Madison County). This allows you to get top-quality gliders that will hold up to years and years of mama/baby use in your nursery at about the same price you would pay for a discount brand. All we ask is that you make information about A Nurturing Moment available to your parents. We will supply you with business cards and fliers to place in your nursery.

Make sure that whoever is in charge of your church nursery sees this blog, because we are excited about helping churches all over the Tennessee Valley have the BEST chairs possible!

A Long-Term Vision

If you've been around A Nurturing Moment very much, you know that I often say I have the best job in the world. I love getting to help mothers breastfeed their babies. I love holding sweet newborns on a daily basis! I love encouraging moms and seeing their excitement when baby latches on and nurses well!

You may have also noticed the cross with Jeremiah 29:11 sitting in front of the desktop computer on  our counter. It is there as a constant reminder to me that A Nurturing Moment doesn't belong to me. It belongs to my Lord.  Therefore, as I make plans for the future of this business, I want to make sure that I am simply following His leading. I want to reflect Him in my interactions with customers, vendors, creditors, my landlord...everyone I meet. I know I don't always do as good a job of that as I should...I'm definitely still a work in progress!! But I AM in progress...He is guiding my steps daily! In fact, He often uses you, the mothers I work with, to help me gain wisdom and direction.

A Corner Of Our Own 
I don't remember the exact day when I first felt drawn to consider the piece of property at the corner of Airport Rd. and Memorial Parkway. But I do remember getting chills of confirmation the first time I pulled in the parking lot and actually drove around it. I believe that is supposed to be the ultimate location for A Nurturing Moment! I've told a lot of you that in person, but this is the first time I have actually written it down for the whole world to see! It's one thing to talk about a vision for the future, but quite another to step out in faith and record it for all posterity. After all, what if it doesn't happen?  I guess that's just a risk I will have to take.

So here is the vision that I believe God has placed in my heart for A Nurturing Moment - I will bullet the various parts of it to make it easier to read (and digest!)

View Larger Map
• Purchase the piece of property on the northwest corner of Airport Rd. and Memorial Parkway.
• Tear down the abandoned and dilapidated restaurant that currently occupies that corner, and build a two story building there.
• The first floor will house A Nurturing Moment. Our actual storefront doesn't really need to be much bigger than what we have now. However, we will have a MUCH larger classroom area that will also serve as a Mom Internet Cafe and hangout spot. I also want a small separate classroom for prenatal yoga and infant massage. There will be a couple of offices for lactation consultation and a place for doulas to meet with their clients. The Mom Foundation office will be there as well.
• The second floor will be home to a Birthing Center owned and operated by an Ob/Gyn who employs midwives! It will offer a homelike environment with the security of knowing you are just minutes from the hospital in case of an emergency. Although they are very common in other parts of the country, there is not a single birthing center in Alabama. About 17 years ago, Crestwood actually did open a birthing center with a Certified Nurse Midwife as the administrator. It was phenomenal, as any mother who delivered there will tell you. It was, however, also very short lived. It just wasn't the right time! I also hope to have a chiropracter who specializes in working with mothers and babies in the office space there. 

Getting From Here to There

A dream is a wonderful thing to have. All too often, however, we look at our dreams and think they are impossible to attain, so we just give up. If I didn't feel so certain that this is the direction the Lord wants us to go, I certainly wouldn't think there is any way we can ever get there. But I am absolutely convinced that this IS the path we're supposed to be on. So I am taking the necessary steps to move in that direction.

We are in a 5 year lease that began last October. So we have 4 years to purchase our corner and build A Nurturing Moment there. The asking price for that corner was somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.6 million dollars the last time I checked. Then we have to demolish the building that is there and rebuild. And I really don't think that I am supposed to incur any more debt. In fact, the more I learn about business, the more I really hate debt.

That sounds like a pretty impossible order. Actually from a purely human standpoint it sounds just plain foolish. So how in the world are we going to get there? 

As I pray about it, several action steps stand out in my mind:

1. Be the very best at what we do. We provide education, information, support and encouragement for hopeful, expectant and new parents. We need to be the #1 resource in North Alabama for new parents. We need to make every mother who walks through our door know how special she is and how glad we are that she came to see us. If we don't have what she needs, we need to figure out who does and help her get it as quickly as possible.
2. Seek partners for The Mom Foundation. We are the only non-profit that I know of in North Alabama dedicated to providing professional breastfeeding support to low-income and teen moms. We have attempted to write several grant proposals, but don't really know what we're doing. We need someone experienced in non-profit fundraising to come alongside us and guide us as we grow the non-profit arm of A Nurturing Moment. On average we provide about $250 worth of lactation services a month right now to mothers who would not otherwise be able to get the help. We also give out numerous nursing bras each month to moms in the WIC progam.
3. Publish The Creator's Guide to Infant Feeding. Although many outstanding books have been written about breastfeeding, not a single one that I've ever read approaches it from a Christian perspective. So several years ago, I wrote this book. I have looked at several publishing options and even had a literary agent working with me for a while. Unfortunately the one deal we were able to get with a major publisher fell through. However, with renewed interest in breastfeeding in this country, I think it is time to publish.
4. Talk openly about our vision any time I have the opportunity. It is amazing how God puts the right people in your path at the right time. I have no idea who all will be involved in the project, but I do know that I certainly won't achieve it by myself! I've already met an amazing commercial interior architectural designer who I know will be instrumental in the design of our new facility.
5. Build a team of families who will become an integral part of this vision. We are already doing this
   
   through Team National, an innovative purchasing co-op concept that allows members to save money on the things they buy every day for their families. It also allows them to create a Plan B income that they can use as a college fund, retirement plan or to pay off debt. Many families actually find that the income will allow them to gain more time freedom to actually spend quality time with their children. I am convinced that without Team National, this dream would be nothing more than a pipe dream for me. However, Team National is giving me a way to earn the capitol I will need to make this vision a reality by October of 2017!

Get Involved 

The one thing of which I'm certain is that it will be impossible to achieve this dream by myself. Our Nurturing Moment family will accomplish this together! I need your input. I need to know what we're doing right and where we need to improve. As we get closer, I will put together a focus group of moms to help us design the ideal space. Your suggestions are our lifeblood!

As you read through the action steps, maybe one of them struck you. Maybe you have a specific talent that you would like to offer. It has been so exciting to see various ANM moms take leadership in different local outreaches to other moms that have come out of our store. Maybe you have professional abilities or a relationship with a foundation or corporation that would align well with our goals. Maybe you just like the idea of saving money or making money.

 Perhaps you don't feel like you have much to offer aside from your prayers; that is definitely our greatest need! Please pray for wisdom for me and for clear direction. Pray for God's provision, and pray that we would be a tremendous blessing to moms all over North Alabama.

I have really bared my heart  tonight. But I believe that this is the right time to do so. I'm excited about what the future holds for us and can't wait to see it unfold! Thanks for coming along for the ride!!

These Aren't Your Mamas Lullabies (or Maybe They Are....)

By Marley Phillips

The new generation of parents is so much more progressive than any other generation before us, per usual. We are way too sophisticated to drive around blasting Barney songs in our Prius. On the other hand, you probably don't want to lull your children to sleep with Metallica's "Enter Sandman." Or maybe you do. This is a judge-free zone.

If you happen to be one of those totally hip parents who plan on raising rockstar babies with an impeccable taste in music, I have made an amazing discovery. Ready to have your universe rocked? What about your mind blown? You sure? Positive? OK, I think you can handle it. 

This amazing company aptly named "Rockabye Baby!" creates baby-friendly versions of the most popular songs from your favorite bands. With over 50 different bands choices, there's most definitely a CD for every member of the family, including the grandparents (We all know how much Grandma loves Jay-Z, after all.) I've listened to about half of all of the samples so far, and I absolutely love it. If you happen to come into A Nurturing Moment and see me passed out at the desk, you can blame the Lullaby Renditions of the Beatles' album. And for all you country music fans out there, they have a new line of music called "Hushabye Baby!" with some popular country artists from every generation.

I'm going to list all of the bands available at the bottom of this so you can decide which CD's you're going to buym because they seriously are too cute and too awesome to resist. We have a few sample CDs at A Nurturing Moment, or you can go online and sample every album. We're making our first order next week, so you have the opportunity to pre-order CD's you want this week at a discount! The regular price is $16.98, but you can order one for just $14.98 this week. Want more than one? The pre-order price for multiple CD's is just $12.98! You can't beat that, so give us a call today to let us know how you want to rock your baby!

Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of:

Michael Jackson

Jay-Z

The White Stripes

Muse

Elton John

Nickelback

Rush

The Beatles (There are 2 Beatles' albums)

Blur

U2 (Also has 2 albums)

Prince

KISS

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Coldplay

Dave Matthews Band

Bob Marley

Madonna

Pearl Jam

Journey

Def Leppard

Queen

Metallica

Aerosmith

Weezer

Foo Fighters

Depeche Mode

The Police

Van Halen

Led Zeppelin

Kanye West

Bon Jovi

The Smiths

Guns N' Roses

Elvis Presley

The Flaming Lips

No Doubt

Pink Floyd

The Rolling Stones

AC/DC

Radiohead

Black Sabbath

Nirvana

Green Day

The Cure

The Smashing Pumpkins

The Eagles

Silverchair

The Beach Boys

Tool

The Pixies

Nine Inch Nails

The Ramones

Bjork

Queens of the Stone Age

Hushabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of:

Carrie Underwood

Dolly Parton

Garth Brooks

George Strait

Johnny Cash

Patsy Cline

Rascall Flatts

Vince Gill

Willie Nelson

Taylor Swift

Suds Diaper Service Offers Cloth Diapering Alternative for North Alabama Families!

About 7 months ago a nice-looking, professionally dressed man walked through my front door, shook my hand and said, "Hi, I'm Rich, Linda Sturmfels' husband. I want to talk to you about starting a cloth diapering service." Rich was not the first person to talk to me about this idea. I have encouraged two or three other people who have mentioned the idea to me to run with it. None of them ever did. Something about Rich's manner, though, told me that this time it might really happen!

Over the next few months we continued to talk, and I was thrilled to see Rich's plans come together. Here's what you need to know about Rich: he's an aerospace engineer. So when he makes plans, he is extremely detailed and meticulous! Therefore, I feel like I can recommend this diaper service to our moms with absolute confidence that you will be 100% satisfied with SUDS Diaper Service! 

Thirsties Diaper Covers are part of your package deal!

For parents who want to cloth diaper, but don't want to wash diapers every other day, SUDS will do it for you! The weekly cost is just $25, or you can pay just $100 per month. You can even get a 6 month package for just $499! You will receive enough prefold diapers to last your baby for a week. You'll put your dirty diapers in the bag they provide, and once a week they'll come by and pick them up, leaving you a new batch of fresh clean diapers!

The only thing you'll have to purchase is your diaper covers and fasteners - we're putting together a special package deal for Suds customers that will save you money on that. You may also choose to purchase a diaper pail that will accommodate the bag containing the diapers.

All Suds families will receive a sample of Magic Bum cloth safe diaper oil. Made right here in the Tennessee Valley, Magic Bum is composed of all natural ingredients that protect, soothe and heal baby's tender little bottom without damaging your cloth diapers or leaving harsh petroleum or chemical residues. Families that choose to continue using Magic Bum will be able to purchase it at A Nurturing Moment.

You will get to choose a Rumparooz Li'l Joey Cover, too!

How Do I Get Started?

It's easy! Suds has a convenient online sign-up form! Just give them your information, and they will be in touch with you! On November 12 they will make their first deliveries of diapers! You can even order before your due date so that you will have diapers on hand when baby arrives!!

If you already have a stash of cloth diapers, and you just want to get them refreshed, Suds has a service for you, too! For just $40/load, Suds will wash your diapers using their highly controlled wash cycle in a commercial grade machine. The Suds laundry process will leave your diapers clean and bacteria free; in fact, it is accredited by an independent lab!

Win One Month of Diaper Service!

A Nurturing Moment is teaming up with Suds Diaper Service to offer one lucky family one free month of Diaper Service! There are several ways to enter. Good luck and happy diapering! 

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You Can Make a Difference for a Nicaraguan Child!

Guest Blog

By Cari Worshek       

   

We often look at mission trips as something that only certain people participate in.  They are for people who have a certain calling on their lives and/or have plenty of money and time off from work.  They are for people who want to travel overseas and help those in other parts of the world.  While some of those things are true, we have ALL been given a global mission to love God and to love our neighbors beginning in our homes and neighborhoods and extending to the ends of the earth. 

            Compass Life began with a calling to unite all in the same mission…the mission given by God to ALL people.  One of the ways we do this is though our annual 50X Campaign.  We are collecting new to nearly new summer clothes for adults and children, toys, hats and shoes for the people of Nicaragua.  The items will be shipped in November 2013 and in February, 2014, a team from Huntsville will travel over as part of a team sharing the love of Christ through word and deed to approximately 4000 people.  In addition to sharing about God’s love through His Word and ministering to spiritual needs, the team will minister to physical needs through medical, dental, and vision clinics as well as a gift store where families are given beans and rice, Bibles, and the items collected through the 50X campaign. 

            50X is a great way for even the youngest child to participate in “the Mission” by donating toys, clothes, etc.  When discussing this with your children, remind them that the children in Nicaragua don’t need toys just like they don’t need toys, but it is a way for them to share a smile with someone who lives in a different country.  It is a way to be part of the mission team! When packing away your summer clothes, cleaning out your garage, closet, etc. please pack up those nearly new items and drop them off at one of our locations.  If you don’t have to drop them off, we’ll be glad to arrange a time to come and get them. 

            After “going” on my first mission trip last September, I see even more how important the entire team is to “the Mission.”  The team, made up of those sending, praying and going, is integral in the mission.  With a goal of 50 boxes to be shipped last year as well, God’s people blew us away as the “team” gave more than 100 boxes worth of donations AND a group of dedicated people to pack those boxes in the blazing summer heat.  God led His people to generously give money in support of sending people who felt called to go. The prayers of so many were evident as we arrived in Tisma, Nicaragua with many softened hearts eager to hear of God’s love for them.  God even rallied a group of people to provide meals to the families who had a member away on the trip.  The blessings go on and on!  I know that Jesus said to “go and make disciples” but I wonder if the ones “going, praying and supporting” are receiving the discipleship, training and blessing as much or more than they are giving it?!?! 

            These are some questions I pondered after spending a week there last year…What is it about being

in Nicaragua that allows you to love so freely?  What is it that allows a team to bond so quickly?  What is it that makes you so sad to leave a group of people that you have only known for a few days?  What is it that would make our dentist choose not to wear a mask while performing dental work because "with the language barrier, I would have nothing without my smile?"  What is it that would let a group of women use less than desirable bathrooms, sleep on pads on a floor with the potential of critters, etc. without a second thought?  What is it that would sustain a group of people to get out of their comfort zones to serve wherever they were needed and to do it all with overflowing hearts?  What is it that would allow us to sweat 24/7 and not get grossed out by the smells...or even notice them?  What is it that would allow a preteen to get back in the truck and notice that his soft drink had been consumed and say "oh well, he needed it more than me?"  What is it that would stir people on our team to give away the clothes and shoes they were wearing?  What is it that makes me excited that our supplies were held up in customs?  What is it that kept my children from complaining or whining about going to bed, getting up, or ANYTHING?  What is it that allowed our children to play for hours with children who spoke a different language and laid their heads to sleep at night on plastic bottles?  What is it that made them leave hats and sunglasses for their new friends and want to move there?  What is it that makes a ten year old so excited about the number of children that accepted their Creator’s love and forgiveness for the first time?  What is it that allows you to be so exhausted yet so exhilarated that you don’t really want to sleep?  What is it that causes you to want to hug every person you see no matter how dirty they may be?  What is it that makes you so content with a cold shower by a garden hose inside a metal box under the stars?  What is it that allowed a team member to work out in the heat with very little shade working with dirty animals and coming back for a few minute nap on the hard dirty floor before going out again?  What is that allowed my husband to “give up” on sermon preparation and let God speak through Him to convey His love for the lost and not skip a beat even with a translator in the middle?  What is it that still makes me tear up at the sight of the pictures?

           I have to believe it is our AWESOME God’s plan. I have to believe that it is God’s grace.  I have to believe it is being centered on His path...and that it can be in my home, in my community, in Nicaragua or wherever He has me.  I have to believe that it is loving Him and our neighbors globally.   I have to believe it is living with open hands and clean hearts remembering that nothing is ours and everything we have comes from Him and is to be used for Him.  I have to believe it is complete surrender to His will and trusting that His will is best.  I have to believe it is reminding ourselves that this life is not about us at all, but about His glory and the redemption of precious souls to our Creator.  I have to believe it is because He did not save us to merely survive in our comfort zones, but to live ABUNDANTLY--not necessarily with an abundance of things--wherever that may be!  I have to believe it is depending FULLY on Him.  I have to believe it is throwing all of our expectations and demands aside.   I have to believe it is the prayers of His people.  I have to believe it is because I can't, but He can...that with Him all things are possible!  I have to believe that it is His Holy Spirit in and through us.  I have to believe that His Word IS TRUE and that centered on His path there is JOY!

Blessings,

Cari Worshek

cworshek@mac.com

256-426-7838

For more information on 50X, go here or email Frances Walker at franceswalker1107@gmail.com.
You can bring your donations to A Nurturing Moment. We are a drop off location!!

Breastfeeding Support the Way You Want It!

One of the things that makes A Nurturing Moment different from any other baby store in North Alabama is our emphasis on providing you the very best lactation support possible. Whether you are looking for help with your baby's latch, your milk supply, sore nipples, pumping or weaning, we are happy to help you in any way we can! All of our services are provided by International Board Certified Lactation Consultants, so you can be confident that you are receiving the best care possible. Our staff of IBCLC's have over 30 years combined experience working with nursing moms and babies!

In - Home Consultation

Our in-home consultation service allows you to nurse your baby in the comfort of your home in the place and with the pillows you normally use. The advantage to this service is that it allows the lactation consultant to offer suggestions specific to your every day breastfeeding setting. Mothers of multiples often find it is much easier to have an in-home consultation because they don't have to load up two babies and all their gear! We also find that mothers who have had a Cesarean birth often prefer an In-Home Consultation.

Your lactation consultant will bring a scale so she can weigh your baby before and after the feed. She will also have curved tip syringes, hydrogel pads and nipple shields just in case you need them. If you need a hospital grade breast pump, she will have that available for you, as well! She will stay with you as long as it takes to complete a feed. If you're engorged, she will help you relieve the engorgement. 

The cost for an In-Home Consultation in Madison County is $100. If you live in an adjacent county, the cost depends upon mileage. We charge an additional $1/mile after the first 20 miles, so our LC will set her odometer when she leaves. Upon arrival she will subtract 20 from her mileage, and the remainder will be your additional mileage fee.

In-Store Consult

You can come into our office at A Nurturing Moment for a consult, if you prefer. We will still weigh your baby before and after the feed. In the comfort of our office, we will help you get baby latched on and work through whatever issues you might be having. Our lactation consultants will assess your baby's oral anatomy, positioning and latch, offering suggestions to help you have a successful nursing experience. We have a variety of nursing pillows, so we will do all we can to simulate your home nursing situation as much as possible.

We will spend as much time as it takes to get your questions answered and your situation resolved to your satisfaction. Whether we see you at home or in our office,  we will send a fax to your baby's doctor detailing our visit if you'd like us to. The cost for an in-store consult is $65. However, we offer a sliding fee scale. Because we want all mothers to receive the help they need, we will accept as little as $10. Basically you pay whatever you feel you can afford to pay. We don't ask for any documentation; after your consult, we will simply ask you what payment amount works for you.

NEW:  Skype Consult

We realize that those who don't live very close to Huntsville may not be able to afford a home visit and may not be able to come into town for a consult. So this month we are beginning to offer Skype Consults. We will set up an appointment to meet you via Skype. You need to have a good webcam because we will be assessing a variety of things via Skype, including baby's latch, baby's oral anatomy, positioning, and your nipples. We will offer you a variety of suggestions tailored to your situation and spend the time necessary to help you finish the feed. Because of the flexibility of Skype, these consults can be scheduled almost any time you need them! The cost is $45, and can be paid via Paypal to anm@knology.net when you schedule your appointment or by credit card at the beginning of the appointment.

Whether you choose a consult in your home, in our office of via Skype, you can be assured that you will be receiving top quality breastfeeding support. Our goal is to help you and your little one get off to the best possible start!