By MURIEL PEARSON and DONNA HUNTER Dec. 16, 2011 via abcnews.go.com "One in every seven girls in the developing world are forced to marry before the age of 15, 57% of marriages in Afghanistan are to child brides" "For the past 10 years, organizations like Jhpiego have assembled an army of women – midwives– to teach women all over the world how to save their own lives." Continue reading

Posted by andy on December 13th, 2011, under INSTRUCTIONAL DIAGRAMS via www.howtobeadad.com The baby neck scarf Continue reading

Make your own baby sling! It is so easy to sew a baby sling. You just need some basic sewing skills and fabric and this basic baby sling pattern. Wearing a baby in a sling is one of the best ways to bond with and nurture your little one. Click here to learn why wearing your baby in a sling is one of the best things you can do as a parent. Please support a mom-owned business and tell all your friends about us! via www.mykarmababy.com Babies and Toddlers love to be close to their Moms and Dads. They can be soothed to sleep or see the world from the security of their own pouch. These baby slings are easy to make! Continue reading

Kinder Korner Preschool is a licensed laboratory school for 4 or 5 year-old children the year prior to Kindergarten . This program operates in conjunction with the ISD 709 Early Childhood and Education Professions course at Secondary Technical Center (adjacent to Central High School) . Children attend morning or afternoon sessions three days per week for 2 hours. The program operates Tuesday through Thursday from mid October to mid May each school year. Call 336-8975, ext: 4023 . via www.duluth.k12.mn.us Programs Include: >Early Childhood Screening >Help Me Grow/Child Find Program >Early Childhood Family Education >Early Childhood Special Education >Community Pre-K Program >Head Start >Kinder Korner Preschool >Habitat Infant/Toddler Childcare Center for Teens >School Rediness Continue reading

Separate from the direct, chemical effects of marijuana on a baby, use of marijuana may affect a mother's ability to be able to properly care for her baby. Maternal judgment via kellymom.com The THC of Marijuana accumulates in fatty tissues in our bodies. It's presence in the body accumulates and is long lasting. THC is carried through fat rich breast milk to the infant, who then stores the THC in her body. Studies are inconclusive at this time. Read the article for known side effects such as increase in SIDS and possible slowed brain development. Continue reading

Home > Is This Safe When Breastfeeding? > Lifestyle Choices via kellymom.com Can you breastfeed and safely drink alcohol? It depends on how much you drink, the size of your baby and how often you drink. "If you are safe enough to drive, are you safe enough to breastfeed?" Continue reading

Bloom Spokane is thrilled to announce that our last blog article, “Birth Advice From Labor & Delivery Nurses,” went viral on Facebook and brought the most web traffic ever to our site. Typically, we have a mostly local audience and this latest article marks the first time we’ve had a large national audience on our blog. We are grateful to everyone who found the article worthy of their attention and participated in the conversation. via www.bloomspokane.com In the previous article "Birth Advice from Labor & Delivery Nurses", many readers messaged their displeasure about the lack of attention to patient's rights in the nurses presentation on non-negotiable hospital practices. This article is the correction for that blip. Also see "Informed Consent" for a "Patient's Bill of Rights" Continue reading

Many pregnant women are not fully aware of their right of informed consent or of the obstetricians' legal obligation to obtain their patient's informed consent prior to treatment. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) first publicly acknowledged the physician's legal obligation to obtain his or her pregnant patient's informed consent in its 1974 publication, Standards for Obstetric-Gynecologic Services, (pg 66-67) which reads: via www.aimsusa.org You may never need to exercise the right of informed consent, but it is still good to know the situations in Labor and Delivery that may call for such a choice. Continue reading

In the U.S., approximately 90% of women give birth in hospitals. It is the cultural “norm” in this country and the birth setting where most parents feel comfortable. However, the latest studies point to an unnecessary overuse of technology during pregnancy and birth. As Jennifer Block writes in Pushed, “Decades of research show that the healthiest birth for you and your baby — and that means your partner, your family, and your community — is a normal, vaginal birth with minimal intervention and maximum support.” via www.bloomspokane.com This is a great article for Moms and Dads who would like to have a natural/normal birth in the hospital. Continue reading

Posted by andy on October 20th, 2011, under NOTEBOOK via www.howtobeadad.com What really happens when your hubby and son step into the potty room? Read on to find our the hair raising truth! Continue reading

via www.youtube.com I'm a Classical Music fan, but this tune just struck a chord. Women with postpartum depression "Have to Turn on the Lights" to see the family that surrounds them with love and caring. Thanks to all the Dads and Siblings who are there through the dark days. Continue reading

The goal of The JJ Way is to eliminate racial and class disparities in perinatal health and improve birth outcomes for all. Key objectives of The JJ Way® are for pregnancies to reach a gestation of 37 weeks or greater and for newborns to have a birth weight of 5 lbs. 8 oz or greater, for women (and their families) to bond well to their babies and to start and succeed at breastfeeding. The JJ Way’s innovative model builds on the strengths of the Midwives Model of Care to reach a population that does not typically seek midwifery services. via commonsensechildbirth.org Everyone deserves supportive care throughout pregnancy and in postpartum. Continue reading

ScienceDaily (July 7, 2009) — A University of Toronto pilot study that re-conceptualized the hospital labour room by removing the standard, clinical bed and adding relaxation-promoting equipment had a 28 per cent drop in infusions of artificial oxcytocin, a powerful drug used to advance slow labours. via www.cafemom.com This is a move in the right direction! I hope it catches on like breastfeeding after birth. Continue reading

Labor and delivery is a lot like free-fall parachuting: You take classes to prepare, you file a detailed plan for the (blessed) event, and then you take the leap. Still, jumping into the hurtling wind with only your significant other for assistance seems like a crazy idea. (Sorry, hon.) Even experienced moms with loving partners can benefit from a doula’s help. Here’s how. via www.pnmag.com An excellent article on the various roles of the Doula before, during and after birth. Continue reading

"They wanted the real mother, the blood mother, the great womb, mother of a fierce compassion, a woman large enough to hold all the pain, to carry it away." Continue reading

"Cut from a different cloth", our bold and unique fabrics are perfect for moms that don’t want typical gear. 97% Cotton 3% Lycra - making it comfortable to wear for both you and your baby- not losing shape over time. Infants to toddlers (35 lbs or less). Machine washable. via www.sevenslings.com Available discount with keyword "holidays" Continue reading

Babies LIVE because you GIVE! Your extra breast milk could help premature and critically ill babies struggling to survive in Neonatal Intensive Care Units across the United States. Continue reading

Thanks to the foks of Hermantown Minnesota for putting together this extensive list of places to go and to see for families with young and growing children. I hope to see you out there enjoying one of many sledding, skating and cross country skiing sites this winter. To find them download the Hermantown Resource Guide! Continue reading

Newborns and moms, they are the reward for my work as a Doula. Continue reading

via www.amazon.com "Pushed" by Jennifer Block reveals the facts about convenience driven treatment of women giving birth in the United States hospitals today. She demystifies the alarming increase in cesarean sections and reveals the possibility of home birth alternatives. A serious book with soul changing perspectives. Continue reading

"A woman meets herself in childbirth. This, represents "our greatest potential for what we can be as a species, if we let it teach us." --Cynthia Caillagh, Midwife Continue reading

"Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found high levels of food toxins called Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) in infants. Excessive food AGEs, through both maternal blood transmission and baby formula, could together significantly increase children's risk for diseases such as diabetes from a very young age." Continue reading

What are your favorite breastfeeding memories? Continue reading