• Skin Care Essentials: the benefits of facials plus special offer!
• Plan your next Baby Shower or Party at the Spa!
• Pregnancy Massage
• New Spa Packages
• Overview of  Class Offerings
• The Children’s Room is Different!
• Parenting Article of the Month
• Ask the Lactation Consultant
• Naturopathic News
• What is HypnoBirthing?
• Special Offer! Girls Night Out pedicure party

If you have never experienced a facial before, or even if you have, you might not be aware of the myriad reasons to consider getting one.

Our skin is continuously bombarded by sun, free radicals, wind, the drying effects of indoor heating, and pollutants, in addition to experiencing the cellular degeneration related to aging.  Regular facial treatments provide a wide variety of benefits for skin of any type.

The benefits of a facial fall into two general categories: Preservation and Correction.

Corrective Benefits

• Strengthening weak muscle tissue
• Correcting certain skin disorders
• Improving skin texture and complexion
• Relaxing the nerves

Preservative Benefits

• Deep cleansing
• Preventing wrinkles and aging lines
• Increased circulation
• Increased glandular activity
• Maintaining muscle tone

Regular facials result in noticeable improvement in skin tone, texture and appearance. Autumn is here, with all of its attendant assaults on the skin. It’s a great time to treat your face with a Yam and Pumpkin Enzyme Peel, or a custom tailored facial using an array of luscious fruit, vegetable, and herbal skin care products, handcrafted by Eminence Organic Skin Care of Hungary!

For a refreshing alternative to the typical baby shower, consider a uniquely memorable party that includes a customized spa experience for all the guests (with extra pampering for the guest of honor!)

Party package options include:

• Spa services for all guests OR a deluxe spa service package for the guest of honor only (a cost saver).
• Use of our group room for refreshments, gift giving, shower games or ceremonies, and socializing.
• A gift registry discount option that provides a discount to guests on gift purchase AND to the party planner on the entire party package.
• A party coordinator to help everything run smoothly, give catering suggestions, and help set up on the day of the party.

To book a shower party (or any group party) contact us at (503) 238-mama or zenana@zenana-spa.com.

At Zenana Spa and Wellness Center we specialize in pregnancy massage. 

We use The Body Cushion, which physiologically supports pregnant women throughout their massage, maintaining proper body alignment and ensuring the safety of both mother and baby. 

Pregnancy massage offers many benefits to women, including:

• Relief from anxiety, stress and depression caused by pregnancy's hormonal changes
• Enhancement of self-image
• Reduction of edema and pain associated with pregnancy
• Strengthening of muscles in preparation for labor and delivery
• Help with controlling blood pressure
• Relief from pain associated with pressure on the sciatic nerve in the gluteals and hamstrings
• Maintenance of posture and body balance
• Strengthening of the immune system

Are you pregnant or do you know someone who is?  In all the excitement about baby, don’t forget the mother!  Give yourself or a friend or relative the ultimate in pregnant mama support!  Try one of our spa packages designed just for pregnant mamas!

• Ultimate Mama’s Day Out
• Happy Mamas = Happy Babies!

Save money and receive more services when you purchase a package.

The Queen Bee - 5½ hours of luxury!  Includes the Ultimate Spa Facial, Hot Stone Therapy Massage, Spa Pedicure, Spa Manicure and lunch prepared just for you! More Details »

Ultimate Mama’s Day Out -  3½ hours of luxury!  Includes the Spa Facial, New Mama or Pregnancy Massage, Spa Pedicure and lunch prepared just for you! More Details »

Baby Blues Bye-Bye - 2½ hours of luxury!  Includes New Mama Massage, an hour-long acupuncture session, and complimentary childcare services if you book from 10am to 2pm Monday thru Friday. More Details »

Happy Mamas = Happy Babies!  2¼  hours of luxury! Includes Pregnancy Massage and the Ultimate Spa Facial.   More Details »

The Radiant Goddess -  2¾ hours of luxury! Includes custom tailored Mini Facial, Spa Manicure AND Spa Pedicure! More Details »

Mother’s Milk Spa and Lactation Package - 4½  hours of services plus 6 hours of support groups! Prenatal AND a Postpartum visit: Prenatal visit includes Private Prenatal Breastfeeding Education Session, a Pregnancy Massage, and your choice of a Brow and Bikini Wax OR a Spa Pedicure.  Postpartum visits for a lactation consultation with Beyond Birth, and 4 weekly breastfeeding support groups.   More Details »

Liquid Gold Spa and Lactation Package - 3 hours of services plus 6 hours of support groups!  
Includes Private Prenatal Breastfeeding Education Session, a Mini Facial, Spa Manicure AND Spa Pedicure, and 4 weekly breastfeeding support groups.   More Details »

Join us in our classroom for a variety of classes and groups led by skilled, knowledgeable and professional instructors. These instructors share their expertise on topics such as health and wellness, childbirth preparation, parenting, breastfeeding, yoga and more.  Read more about each of these classes!

Please call or visit our web site to register for any of our classes.

The Children's Room at Zenana Spa and Wellness Center has at its core a commitment to compassionate communication, which is designed to create safety, connection, and joyful resolution to the inevitable conflicts that arise.

The Children's Room is Different!

We know that some of these ideas may be new to many parents, and we appreciate that each family is unique and ideas that resonate with some families will not feel right for others. We are committed to sharing information with families about our approach to working with children, and we hope that anyone interested will gain valuable information from this sharing.

If you are interested in learning more about this philosophy, and how to apply it in your everyday life, consider registering for the Connected Parenting Class at Zenana Spa and Wellness Center. More Details »

Children's Room Article of the Month:
Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job!" By Alfie Kohn http://www.alfiekohn.org/parenting/gj.htm

HypnoBirthing® - The Mongan Method is as much a philosophy as it is a technique. The concept of HypnoBirthing® is not new, but rather a "rebirth" of the philosophy of birthing as it existed thousands of years ago and as it was recaptured in the work of Dr. Grantly Dick-Read, an English obstetrician, who first forwarded the concept of natural birthing in the 1920s. The method teaches you that in the absence of fear and tension, severe pain does not have to be an accompaniment of labor.

You will gain an understanding of how the birthing muscles work in perfect harmony, as they were designed to, when your body is sufficiently relaxed. You will learn how to achieve this kind of relaxation, free of the resistance that fear creates, and you will learn to use your natural birthing instincts for a calm, serene and comfortable birthing.

When you have your baby with HypnoBirthing®, you will not be in a trance or asleep. What you will experience is similar to the daydreaming or focusing that occurs when you are engrossed in a book or a movie or staring into a fire.

You will be conversant and in good spirits - totally relaxed, but fully in control. Awake throughout, you will be aware of your body's surges; but because you will have trained yourself to reach complete relaxation, you will be able to determine the degree to which you will feel the surges. You will experience birthing in an atmosphere of calm relaxation, free of the fear and tension that prevents the muscles of your body from functioning as nature intended them to. In this calm state your body's natural relaxant, endorphins, replaces the stress hormones that constrict and cause pain.  Hypnosis has been shown to reduce the length of labor as well as the need for chemical analgesics and medical interventions.

Kristen Olberz  has worked as a Labor and Birth nurse for the past ten years.  She's always been very interested in supporting families and helping them achieve low interventive, joyful births.  She has practiced hypnosis on and off since she was a young girl, but became a Certified Hypnotherapist through the National Guild of Hypnotists in 1998 after reading about hypnosis helping birth.  She then met Mickey Mongan and became certified in HypnoBirthing the same year.  Kristen teaches HypnoBirthing to families in a playful manner, using lots of stories to illustrate the techniques learned in the class.  She supports families seeking all types of births.  Kristen divides her time between nursing and teaching and her private hypnotherapy practice at ZSWC.  She lives in Portland with her two cats, Jupiter and Gryphon.

A Beyond Birth lactation consultant answers families’ questions about breastfeeding.  To submit a question, go to http://www.beyondbirthservices.com/.

Q. What is a Lactation Consultation and Why Would I Want One?
A. A lactation consultation is a wonderful way to gain confidence in breastfeeding, get answers to any questions your family might have, and help resolve any problems you might be having with breastfeeding. 

What will happen at a lactation consultation?
Each consultation is customized to meet the needs of the particular family, however every consultation includes certain features:

• A thorough health and birth history of both mother and baby
• A naked weight of the baby
• An evaluation of baby’s tongue, palate, suck, and milk intake
• An evaluation of mother’s breasts, milk supply, positioning and latch, and any other or struggles
• A question and answer period tailored to the needs of the family
• A customized written care plan that includes a plan for follow up
• A physician’s report, when appropriate
• Free tickets to our weekly breastfeeding support group

Many mothers assume that if they are not having any trouble with breastfeeding, they wouldn’t need to see a lactation consultant.   But most families have many questions even when things are going well.  Transitions also bring up new questions, at any stage in parenting.

Some of the transitions that can affect breastfeeding in the first two years might be:

• Mother returning to work
• Milk supply adjustment at about 90 days postpartum
• Baby getting first teeth
• Baby ready to start solids
• Baby sleeping longer at night
• Nursing patterns changing as baby grows
• Plateaus in weight gain after 4 months of age
• Return of menstrual cycle and possible pregnancy or younger sibling
• Weaning

A lactation consultation, or at the minimum, phone counseling with a lactation consultant, can be helpful at any stage of breastfeeding, simply for reassurance, assistance with resources, and support.  Here are some things real mothers have said after their lactation consultation with Beyond Birth:

"I couldn’t help remembering how incredibly relieved we all were after your visit! Our fears and lack of experience were replaced with confidence. . . "

"Your calm advice helped me as I planned to breastfeed my adopted son."

"I'm a working mother who would like to thank you for so much support. "

"You provided me with prompt, practical, step-by-step guidance and suggestions that tremendously helped a very stressful situation!"

Read More Testimony from Beyond Birth Clients »

Call Beyond Birth at (503) 232-BABY, or visit our web site to find out if a lactation consultation might be helpful for you or someone you know! 

Also, consider attending a Beyond Birth Breastfeeding Support Group for ongoing support, free baby weight checks,  or general questions.

A Beyond Birth consultant is also available during business hours for free telephone counseling and support, which can sometimes be sufficient for a variety of breastfeeding questions.

At Bloom Natural Healthcare, within Zenana Spa and Wellness Center, we offer state of the art Integrative Medicine with an emphasis that embraces Western, Chinese and Naturopathic medical principals and modalities. We believe in preventative and proactive healthcare. Our intention is to inspire healthy lifestyle choices by offering effective wellness management tools that create a self-empowered and educated approach to living optimally.

What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system of primary health care - an art, science, philosophy and practice of diagnosing, treating and preventing disease. Naturopathic medicine's techniques include modern, traditional, scientific and empirical methods.  

Six Principles of Healing from the foundation for naturopathic medical practice. These include:

• The healing power of nature
• Treat the whole person
• Prevention is the best cure
• First do no harm
• Identify and treat the cause
• Doctor as teacher

Naturopathic physicians are General Family Practitioners who have been licensed in Oregon since 1927. They use a variety of therapies in the prevention and treatment of disease, including herbal medicine, clinical nutrition, acupuncture, homeopathy, bodywork, and lifestyle counseling. Naturopathic physicians must complete an intensive four year graduate program from one of the five accredited naturopathic medical schools in North America.

What is Chinese Medicine?
Classical Chinese Medicine is a complete health care tradition that is antiquated over 3,000 years and yet remains effective today. Growing numbers of western medical practitioners and patients have turned to Chinese medicine as a means of strengthening and healing the body, which can be weakened by trauma and modern-day stress. Rather than treating symptoms as western medicine does, Chinese medicine focuses on strengthening your vital energy (Qi) so that your body can work towards healing itself. This holistic approach eliminates the underlying imbalances which cause illness and pain.

How Does Acupuncture Work?
According to classical Chinese medicine, there is an abundant flow of "life energy" (Qi) throughout the human body. This vital energy originates from the organs and flows through channels called meridians. When the energy flow is smooth and in balance, a person is healthy. When a pathway becomes blocked or there is a shortage of energy in the meridian, illness or pain results.

A practitioner of Chinese medicine addresses disharmony or imbalance within the meridians. Acupuncture alleviates and removes obstructions in the channels and supplements a decreased energy flow, resulting in the restoration of the body to its natural state of balance. The healing that results is often so effective that patients find other symptoms and problems resolved.

Dr. Meaghan Woodruff and Dr. Liz Spagat-Wallace are both Naturopathic Physicians and Licensed Acupuncturists, specializing in Fertility, Reproductive Healthcare (pre and post-partum care) and Pediatric Medicine.   They are excited and grateful to be a part of Zenana Spa & Wellness Center and look forward to seeing you and your family.