Juggling career & baby was written by Janet Reid who introduced Megan Pedersen’s daughter, Millie, who was about 10 weeks old when Pedersen dropped her off at day care for the first time and then headed back to work.
“When I dropped her off, I left, and I cried the whole way to work,” Pedersen says. “It was just so traumatic, and she was crying when I left. I just thought it was the most awful thing.”
New moms in some countries have the luxury of one or more years of maternity leave, but American moms don't get that kind of reprieve.
Megan Pedersen, of Lawrence, picks up her daughter Millie from day care, Pederson met Millie’s caretaker, Melanie Gabel, while working at the Lawrence Family Dental Vision Clinic, 3111 W. Sixth St. Now that she has two children, Gabel operates a day care business, while Pedersen recently returned to work after a nine-week maternity leave.
Lawrence dentist Nealy Newkirk returned to work just two-and-a-half weeks after the birth of her third child, despite undergoing a C-section.
“If I don’t work, the bills don’t get paid, so that makes a big difference,” Newkirk says. “It does make a difference when you own or co-own the business.”
It’s something new moms everywhere struggle with: returning to work, usually less than three months after bringing a new little human being into this world.
In the United States, the Family Medical Leave Act guarantees new moms up to 12 weeks unpaid leave from work after the birth of a child. That’s in stark contrast to the benefits new mothers receive in places such as Canada, the United Kingdom and some countries in Europe, where moms have the luxury of spending the first year of their child’s life — or even longer — at home, before returning to their jobs.
“Ready or not, they know how much time they have,” says Melissa Hoffman, a community education specialist for pre-natal and parenting programs at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
But Hoffman does have some tips for making that transition from maternity leave back into the working world smoother.
“I always say take as much time as you can,” Hoffman says, “because until you’re there, you don’t know what you are going to feel like, and most times women are not feeling ready to go back to work because they’re going to want to stay home with the baby as long as they can.”
Pedersen, who has worked as the practice manager for Lawrence Family Vision for eight years, found herself surprised at how her feelings changed once Millie came along.
“I did not want to stay at home at all, absolutely not,” she says. “I thought that I would be a terrible stay-at-home mom, and I would just be miserable.”
But as the weeks went by and she continued to bond with her new baby girl, Pedersen dreaded the thought of being away from her daughter.
“It was awful,” she says. “For the first time in my life, I thought, maybe I do want to be a stay-at-home mom. And actually, the night before I went back to work, I got our bills out and tried to figure out, can we do it? Can we make it if I quit my job?”
“You just have to know that it’s hard for a lot of people,” says Hoffman, who leads a support group for new moms on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at LMH. “I don’t know that there’s a magic answer, as far as when you feel like you are ready emotionally. If you are feeling the sadness about leaving the baby or guilt about going back to work, you just kind of push through, and it does get easier as things fall into a routine.”
Hoffman says the best advice she can offer new mothers is easing back into work, perhaps returning part-time for a few weeks if your employer will allow it, or take the first few Wednesdays off. Hoffman says that way you only have to make it through a couple of days before having a break and then two more days of work before the weekend.
Pedersen actually shortened her maternity leave. Instead of taking the full 12 weeks, she went back a little earlier so that she could work part-time. She says that made all the difference.
“Definitely, I would recommend it if anybody can, because it was such a transition sending her to day care,” Pedersen says. “I didn’t realize what a difficult situation it would be. To be able to just go part-time for a little bit is letting her ease into it and me, so we’re just able to function a little bit better.”
For Newkirk, she found returning to work after the birth of her child easier than working while in the late stages of pregnancy. She also has help at home — a relative watches the newborn so she doesn’t have to drop the baby off at a day care center, but, she says, there are still some challenges.
“The hardest part is the breast feeding,” Newkirk says. “Pumping at work and figuring that all out.”
Hoffman says choosing when to return to work, or even if to return at all, is a personal decision, one that all new families have to make for themselves.
“You can’t let society’s ideas of what the perfect mom is influence you, you have to do what’s best for you,” Hoffman says. “There’s people who really thrive on the satisfaction of a job outside of the home and that’s what makes them a better parent and vice versa. There’s the moms and dads who really do thrive on being the parent inside the home, 24 hours a day, and that’s their job.”
Oct 6, 2009
Sep 27, 2009
A Contemporary Children's Book for Todays Homebirthing Families...
Children will love this colorful, contemporary book about
their family's special upcoming homebirth event. A great
tool for discussion about what to expect when the baby
arrives, this affordable book covers important issues like
the role of a midwife, being good labor support, noises to
expect mom to make, cord cutting, placenta delivery and
breastfeeding. Combined with healthy conversation about
pregnancy and homebirth, this book will help teach children
that birth is a natural occurence, not a medical emergency.
To learn more or make a purchase
Sep 18, 2009
Have something to say? Question to ask? Something to submit? I'd love to hear from you.
Welcome to Mama Sayana Doula support. I started this blog as a way to provide real, unedited information about pregnancy and birth to pregnant mothers and couples.
The true heart of this blog lies in the stories and pictures submitted by you.Please feel free to visit often and post your comments.
Happy blogging.
The true heart of this blog lies in the stories and pictures submitted by you.
Sep 16, 2009
Yemeni Girl, 12, Dies in Painful Childbirth.
CNN reports that a 12-year-old Yemeni girl, who was forced into marriage, died during a painful childbirth that also killed her baby, a children's rights group said Monday.
CNN
Fawziya Ammodi struggled for three days in labor, before dying of severe bleeding at a hospital on Friday, said the Seyaj Organization for the Protection of Children.
"Although the cause of her death was lack of medical care, the real case was the lack of education in Yemen and the fact that child marriages keep happening," said Seyaj President Ahmed al-Qureshi.
Born into an impoverished family in Hodeidah, Fawziya was forced to drop out of school and married off to a 24-year-old man last year, al-Qureshi said.
Child brides are commonplace in Yemen, especially in the Red Sea Coast where tribal customs hold sway. Hodeidah is the fourth largest city in Yemen and an important port.
More than half of all young Yemeni girls are married off before the age of 18 -- many times to older men, some with more than one wife, a study by Sanaa University found.
While it was not immediately known why Fawziya's parents married her off, the reasons vary. Sometimes, financially-strapped parents offer up their daughters for hefty dowries.
Marriage means the girls are no longer a financial or moral burden to their parents. And often, parents will extract a promise from the husband to wait until the girl is older to consummate the marriage.
The issue of Yemeni child brides came to the forefront in 2008 with 10-year-old Nujood Ali.
She was pulled out of school and married to a man who beat and raped her within weeks of the ceremony.
To escape, Nujood hailed a taxi -- the first time in her life -- to get across town to the central courthouse where she sat on a bench and demanded to see a judge.
After a well-publicized trial, she was granted a divorce.
Mother’s Milk
Students in an advanced Biology class were taking their mid-term exam. The last question was, 'Name seven advantages of mother's milk; worth 70 points or none at all.
One student in particular was having a hard time to think of seven advantages. He wrote:
1. It is perfect formula for the child.
2. It provides immunity against several diseases..
3. It is always the right temperature.
4. It is inexpensive.
5. It bonds the child to mother, and vice versa..
6. It is always available as needed.
And then, the student's mind went blank. Finally, in desperation, just before the bell rang indicating the end of the test, he wrote....
7. It comes in awesome containers.
He got an A.
One student in particular was having a hard time to think of seven advantages. He wrote:
1. It is perfect formula for the child.
2. It provides immunity against several diseases..
3. It is always the right temperature.
4. It is inexpensive.
5. It bonds the child to mother, and vice versa..
6. It is always available as needed.
And then, the student's mind went blank. Finally, in desperation, just before the bell rang indicating the end of the test, he wrote....
7. It comes in awesome containers.
He got an A.
Sep 2, 2009
Moms-to-be warned over use of fetal heart rate monitors
Moms-to-be are being advised not to use personal monitors (Doppler devices) to listen to their baby's heartbeat at home over fears that they may lead to delays in seeking help for reduced fetal movements.
In this week's BMJ, Dr Thomas Aust and colleagues from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Arrowe Park Hospital, Wirral describe the case of a 27 year old woman who presented to their labour ward 32 weeks into her first pregnancy with reduced fetal movements.
She had first noted a reduction in her baby's activity two days earlier but had used her own Doppler device to listen to the heartbeat and reassured herself that everything was normal.
Further monitoring by the antenatal care team was not reassuring and the baby was delivered by caesarean section later that evening. The baby remained on the special care baby unit for eight weeks and is making steady progress.
A hand-held Doppler device assesses the presence of fetal heart pulsations only at that moment, and it is used by midwives and obstetricians to check for viability or for intermittent monitoring during labour, explain the authors. In untrained hands it is more likely that blood flow through the placenta or the mother's main blood vessels will be heard.
Following this case, they searched the internet and found that a fetal Doppler device could be hired for £10 a month or bought for £25-50 (ebay.co.uk). Although the companies offering sales state that the device is not intended to replace recommended antenatal care, they also make claims such as "you will be able to locate and hear the heartbeat with excellent clarity" (hi-baby.co.uk).
It is difficult to say whether self monitoring altered the outcome in this case, say the authors. But they now have posters in their antenatal areas recommending that patients do not use these devices.
In this week's BMJ, Dr Thomas Aust and colleagues from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Arrowe Park Hospital, Wirral describe the case of a 27 year old woman who presented to their labour ward 32 weeks into her first pregnancy with reduced fetal movements.
She had first noted a reduction in her baby's activity two days earlier but had used her own Doppler device to listen to the heartbeat and reassured herself that everything was normal.
Further monitoring by the antenatal care team was not reassuring and the baby was delivered by caesarean section later that evening. The baby remained on the special care baby unit for eight weeks and is making steady progress.
A hand-held Doppler device assesses the presence of fetal heart pulsations only at that moment, and it is used by midwives and obstetricians to check for viability or for intermittent monitoring during labour, explain the authors. In untrained hands it is more likely that blood flow through the placenta or the mother's main blood vessels will be heard.
Following this case, they searched the internet and found that a fetal Doppler device could be hired for £10 a month or bought for £25-50 (ebay.co.uk). Although the companies offering sales state that the device is not intended to replace recommended antenatal care, they also make claims such as "you will be able to locate and hear the heartbeat with excellent clarity" (hi-baby.co.uk).
It is difficult to say whether self monitoring altered the outcome in this case, say the authors. But they now have posters in their antenatal areas recommending that patients do not use these devices.
Home birth with midwife safe as hospital
Giving birth at home with a registered midwife can be as safe as a hospital birth for the infant and the mom, according to a Canadian study released Monday.
Midwives provide round-the-clock care for women during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum in hospitals, birthing centres and at the homes of women.
The rate of deaths was about two per 1,000 for planned home births involving midwives as well as deliveries in hospitals involving either midwives or doctors, the researchers found.
"Women planning birth at home experienced reduced risk for all obstetric interventions measured, and similar or reduced risk for adverse maternal outcomes," such as electronic fetal monitoring and postpartum hemorrhage, Dr. Patricia Janssen from the University of British Columbia and her co-authors wrote in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada does not take a specific stand on the safety of home births, and has called for more research on it. The society said it should be up to each woman to decide where to give birth.
The American, Australian and New Zealand Colleges of Obstetricians and Gynecologists oppose home births while the United Kingdom's Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Royal College of Midwives are supportive, as are midwife organizations in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
In the study, researchers looked at 2,889 home births attended by regulated midwives in British Columbia and 4,752 planned hospital births attended by the same group of midwives, compared with 5,331 births in hospital attended by a physician.
The rate of deaths per 1,000 births in the first month of life was 0.35 for the planned home births, 0.57 for the hospital births with a midwife, and 0.64 with a physician, the researchers found.
Women in the planned home-birth group were much less likely than those who gave birth in hospital to have obstetric interventions including:
0.32 times less likely to receive electronic fetal monitoring.
0.41 times less likely to have an assisted vaginal delivery.
0.41 times less likely to suffer third- or fourth-degree perineal tears.
0.62 times less likely to have postpartum hemorrhage.
Women who planned to give birth at home needed less medical intervention, even among those who ended up in the hospital. Janssen doesn't know why, but it may be because women who choose home birth are determined not to have those procedures.
"So our study is not to say that home birth causes you to have fewer interventions," said Janssen. "It's really to say for women choosing this option, do they put themselves at increased risk for bad outcomes? And the answer to that is no."
Newborns who were born at home were also 0.23 times less likely to require resuscitation or oxygen therapy after 24 hours compared with those who were born in hospital with a midwife.
Infants born at home were also 0.45 times less likely to have aspirate meconium (inhaling a mixture of their feces and amniotic fluid).
Babies born to mothers who planned a home birth were 1.39 times more likely to be admitted to hospital after the birth, but Janssen believes the hospitalizations were related to jaundice, an easily treatable and relatively common condition.
Women self-selecting home births
It's not well understood what factors may help decrease the risks while giving birth at home, but researchers cautioned that those who choose to do so are self-selecting and may be healthier, which would be an important way to manage the risk.
The study also excluded women with medical conditions either before or during pregnancy. The results also don't cover deliveries by midwives who lacked extensive academic and clinical training.
"Given the current lack of evidence from randomized controlled trials, the study by Janssen and colleagues makes an important contribution to our knowledge about the safety of home birth," midwife Helen McLachlan from La Trobe University in Bundoora, Australia, and Della Forster of Royal Women's Hospital in Parville, Australia, wrote in a journal commentary.
Despite ethical hurdles for conducting randomized controlled trials on home births, the pair called for such research to provide better evidence.
"The available evidence suggests that planned home birth is safe for women who are at low risk of complications and are cared for by appropriately qualified and licensed midwives with access to timely transfer to hospital if required," they wrote.
Option to consider
McLachlan and Forster also noted that while policymakers often support choice in childbirth, home-birthing options may be limited, particularly in rural and remote areas.
Acceptance of home births is generally low. For example, six per cent of all births in B.C. involve a midwife.
"Obviously a research study such as this provides more information for women to carefully consider their options," said Kris Robinson, who chairs the Canadian Midwife Regulators Consortium. "You know, one of them might be more attractive to women if they see results of this research that are so favourable."
In Canada, midwives are registered in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec and the Northwest Territories, according to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada.
B.C.'s regulations for home births are stricter than in most provinces, said Dr. André Lalonde, executive vice-president of the society.
The study may not offer a fair comparison between between home and hospital births, Lalonde said.
"What I would like to see is that we have a hospital setting where every woman that comes into a hospital setting has a full-time nurse with her from the beginning to the end of delivery," Lalonde said. "Then we can compare."
In 2007, Statistics Canada reported that the majority of Canadian mothers who gave birth during a three-month period in 2006 were happy with their labour and the birth of their child.
Among those who had a midwife delivery, 71 per cent rated it as "very positive" compared with 53 per cent of women who had their babies delivered by obstetricians/gynecologists, family doctors or nurses and nurse practitioners.
The B.C. researchers are planning to compare the costs involved for home births, and to track the health of each of the babies up to one year of age.
CBC News
Midwives provide round-the-clock care for women during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum in hospitals, birthing centres and at the homes of women.
The rate of deaths was about two per 1,000 for planned home births involving midwives as well as deliveries in hospitals involving either midwives or doctors, the researchers found.
"Women planning birth at home experienced reduced risk for all obstetric interventions measured, and similar or reduced risk for adverse maternal outcomes," such as electronic fetal monitoring and postpartum hemorrhage, Dr. Patricia Janssen from the University of British Columbia and her co-authors wrote in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada does not take a specific stand on the safety of home births, and has called for more research on it. The society said it should be up to each woman to decide where to give birth.
The American, Australian and New Zealand Colleges of Obstetricians and Gynecologists oppose home births while the United Kingdom's Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Royal College of Midwives are supportive, as are midwife organizations in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
In the study, researchers looked at 2,889 home births attended by regulated midwives in British Columbia and 4,752 planned hospital births attended by the same group of midwives, compared with 5,331 births in hospital attended by a physician.
The rate of deaths per 1,000 births in the first month of life was 0.35 for the planned home births, 0.57 for the hospital births with a midwife, and 0.64 with a physician, the researchers found.
Women in the planned home-birth group were much less likely than those who gave birth in hospital to have obstetric interventions including:
0.32 times less likely to receive electronic fetal monitoring.
0.41 times less likely to have an assisted vaginal delivery.
0.41 times less likely to suffer third- or fourth-degree perineal tears.
0.62 times less likely to have postpartum hemorrhage.
Women who planned to give birth at home needed less medical intervention, even among those who ended up in the hospital. Janssen doesn't know why, but it may be because women who choose home birth are determined not to have those procedures.
"So our study is not to say that home birth causes you to have fewer interventions," said Janssen. "It's really to say for women choosing this option, do they put themselves at increased risk for bad outcomes? And the answer to that is no."
Newborns who were born at home were also 0.23 times less likely to require resuscitation or oxygen therapy after 24 hours compared with those who were born in hospital with a midwife.
Infants born at home were also 0.45 times less likely to have aspirate meconium (inhaling a mixture of their feces and amniotic fluid).
Babies born to mothers who planned a home birth were 1.39 times more likely to be admitted to hospital after the birth, but Janssen believes the hospitalizations were related to jaundice, an easily treatable and relatively common condition.
Women self-selecting home births
It's not well understood what factors may help decrease the risks while giving birth at home, but researchers cautioned that those who choose to do so are self-selecting and may be healthier, which would be an important way to manage the risk.
The study also excluded women with medical conditions either before or during pregnancy. The results also don't cover deliveries by midwives who lacked extensive academic and clinical training.
"Given the current lack of evidence from randomized controlled trials, the study by Janssen and colleagues makes an important contribution to our knowledge about the safety of home birth," midwife Helen McLachlan from La Trobe University in Bundoora, Australia, and Della Forster of Royal Women's Hospital in Parville, Australia, wrote in a journal commentary.
Despite ethical hurdles for conducting randomized controlled trials on home births, the pair called for such research to provide better evidence.
"The available evidence suggests that planned home birth is safe for women who are at low risk of complications and are cared for by appropriately qualified and licensed midwives with access to timely transfer to hospital if required," they wrote.
Option to consider
McLachlan and Forster also noted that while policymakers often support choice in childbirth, home-birthing options may be limited, particularly in rural and remote areas.
Acceptance of home births is generally low. For example, six per cent of all births in B.C. involve a midwife.
"Obviously a research study such as this provides more information for women to carefully consider their options," said Kris Robinson, who chairs the Canadian Midwife Regulators Consortium. "You know, one of them might be more attractive to women if they see results of this research that are so favourable."
In Canada, midwives are registered in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec and the Northwest Territories, according to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada.
B.C.'s regulations for home births are stricter than in most provinces, said Dr. André Lalonde, executive vice-president of the society.
The study may not offer a fair comparison between between home and hospital births, Lalonde said.
"What I would like to see is that we have a hospital setting where every woman that comes into a hospital setting has a full-time nurse with her from the beginning to the end of delivery," Lalonde said. "Then we can compare."
In 2007, Statistics Canada reported that the majority of Canadian mothers who gave birth during a three-month period in 2006 were happy with their labour and the birth of their child.
Among those who had a midwife delivery, 71 per cent rated it as "very positive" compared with 53 per cent of women who had their babies delivered by obstetricians/gynecologists, family doctors or nurses and nurse practitioners.
The B.C. researchers are planning to compare the costs involved for home births, and to track the health of each of the babies up to one year of age.
CBC News
Aug 24, 2009
"I tweeted about my home birth between contractions." -Erykah Badu
This awesome interview with Erykah Badu sheds some light on her vegan lifestyle, her 3 home-births and her choice to homeschool her children.
Erykah Badu, thirty-eight, is the queen of hip-hop soul. But more than that, she's an innovator. Take the birth of her third child, Mars Merkaba: In February, when the little girl was born in Badu's Dallas home, she Tweeted between contractions. Her son and daughter were also in the room. Now little Mars is the first Twitter baby, Badu says, growing strong and healthy on "Twitty milk." Babble checked in with Badu in August while she was on a tour bus bound for Brooklyn (little Mars, who comes with Badu on all her tours, gurgled in the background throughout). — Tammy La Gorce
Erykah, you have a ton going on with your tour and a new album coming up (New Amerykah Part II comes out later this year), but first things first: You just home-delivered a daughter and Tweeted about it! Tell us about that.
Well, the home birth and the tweeting are two separate things. I had all my children at home, naturally. First my son [Seven Sirius] was born at home in 1997, because that's the natural environment, the old way. There's not a lot of fuss and moving around. I had a very wise doula and midwives giving me the freedom to continue living my life. I didn't have to uproot myself.
You had no fear, though? You weren't scared you'd need medical attention?
No. Maybe to some it's scary, but preparation is the whole key. When a mother has found out she's going to have a baby, her whole life — her diet, her mood, her energy — should kind of prepare her. After she prepares herself, fear is never a part of it. I expected success and health, so I made sure I surrounded myself with it. By the time I had my third baby, childbirth seemed a very natural part of life to me. And it's always been a part of my life since I've been in music — my first album [Baduizm] came out Feb. 11, 1997, right when I got pregnant. Then I had my first baby Nov. 19, 1997, the same day my live album came out. So I've never known a life in music outside of being a mom.
Got it. But what about the tweeting? What made you want to tweet while giving birth?
"Questlove said, 'I bet you won't Twitter while you're in labor.'"
I was dared to do it. Actually, Questlove of The Roots — he said, "I bet you won't Twitter while you're in labor." I said, "I bet I will." So I did. I tweeted about what was happening with the birth between contractions.
Wow. And your kids were in the room, too?
Yeah. They were a big part of it. A very big part, because it was very sacred. They helped me welcome this baby into the world.
In addition to your incredible baby deliveries, you are also an incredibly hands-on parent. For example, you home-school.
Yes. I wanted to give Seven Sirius [who is entering sixth grade in the fall] special attention academically, to give him an advantage. So by being home-schooled he learned how to learn — he learned how to solve problems in a nontraditional way. In doing that he developed an edge in his schoolwork. He enjoys challenges. He pushes himself. He does his homework voluntarily. He does not want to miss school or be late or be untidy or not have his things in order because that was a big part of how he was brought up [Seven was home-schooled until he entered second grade]. I don't have any idea what Seven is going to choose to do, but he knows how to be disciplined and how to learn, and because of that he's one of the top students in his school, and one of the top students in Dallas.
Did you home-school him yourself, or was there a teacher you hired? And what about the other kids?
I home-schooled him myself. And my daughter, Puma Sabti, she's five — she's home-schooled. And the new baby just started school this week, now that she's six months.
All with you?
Yes, all with me. Of course.
You're also vegan. Are the kids vegan too?
Of course they are. When Seven was born I was a vegetarian and his father [Andre 3000, of Outkast] was too, so it was a natural progression for him in life to eat the things we eat. Puma [whose father is the rapper The D.O.C; Mars' father is longtime boyfriend Jay Electronica] is the same way. It's just what's in the house. They also now have an understanding of how to read ingredients — it's Mommy's lifestyle so it's their lifestyle.
But don't they ever get curious about hot dogs? Or beef jerky? What do you do about that?
I don't in any way force them to have the same lifestyle, but I think they should know the benefits of having a healthy body. If they were to choose to do anything else after they become high school students, I would have full confidence that they know how to take care of their bodies and themselves. By making sure they use preventive medicine — getting plenty of water, plenty of chlorophyll and vegetable juices and good, healthy rest and activity — I know they'll be able to take good care of themselves.
But what about the hot dogs? They never ask?
They joke about it. And I'm sure as children they feel left out sometimes. But that's why we provide them with alternatives. We make sure we keep a school menu on hand, and we prepare the same foods the kids at school are eating but in a healthier manner. That's what this lifestyle provides us with. I work really hard the way I do so I can give them all the things they need without them feeling like they're being punished. So they can have a good understanding of what it means to be healthy.
"The more children you have, the more you get into health."
What do you think is the worst parenting practice going on in America today?
Parents not participating in kids' schooling. I don't think it matters what school you go to, but I think it's important for parents to be involved. And to know that when school stops, learning continues, and to continue teaching at home.
Back to Mars for a minute — how did the people who were reading about her birth react on Twitter? Did you get any criticism about tweeting while birthing?
I have no idea, actually. But the Twitter community was happy to welcome her into the world. They ask about her every month. She just turned six months, and I got a lot of "happy six months." She's the first Twitter baby, and she's breastfed on Twitty milk.
Ha! Is that vegan?
Actually, we're applying a macrobiotic diet with her — it's different from being a vegan, in that it goes a little bit deeper into the yin and yang of what a human being needs. I always wanted to do it, but I didn't really understand the dynamics. Then, the more children you have, the more you get into health and holistic living. Which goes so far beyond being a vegan.
How?
With macrobiotics, each person is different. So it's critical what you give each individual. People have so many food allergies — Seven, when he was tested, he was allergic to some nuts, legumes, melons, and apples. And we would have never known that unless he was tested. So the macrobiotic diet affords us the chance to avoid some of those allergies.
You take this very seriously.
I do. I'm totally into my health — I've been a vegetarian for ten years and vegan for eleven. I'm also a holistic health practitioner. I see patients. And that helps my family in a lot of ways.
You see patients? In addition to your music and home-schooling? That's incredible. Are you exhausted?
I feel great. And I think I'm real smart.
Erykah Badu, thirty-eight, is the queen of hip-hop soul. But more than that, she's an innovator. Take the birth of her third child, Mars Merkaba: In February, when the little girl was born in Badu's Dallas home, she Tweeted between contractions. Her son and daughter were also in the room. Now little Mars is the first Twitter baby, Badu says, growing strong and healthy on "Twitty milk." Babble checked in with Badu in August while she was on a tour bus bound for Brooklyn (little Mars, who comes with Badu on all her tours, gurgled in the background throughout). — Tammy La Gorce
Erykah, you have a ton going on with your tour and a new album coming up (New Amerykah Part II comes out later this year), but first things first: You just home-delivered a daughter and Tweeted about it! Tell us about that.
Well, the home birth and the tweeting are two separate things. I had all my children at home, naturally. First my son [Seven Sirius] was born at home in 1997, because that's the natural environment, the old way. There's not a lot of fuss and moving around. I had a very wise doula and midwives giving me the freedom to continue living my life. I didn't have to uproot myself.
You had no fear, though? You weren't scared you'd need medical attention?
No. Maybe to some it's scary, but preparation is the whole key. When a mother has found out she's going to have a baby, her whole life — her diet, her mood, her energy — should kind of prepare her. After she prepares herself, fear is never a part of it. I expected success and health, so I made sure I surrounded myself with it. By the time I had my third baby, childbirth seemed a very natural part of life to me. And it's always been a part of my life since I've been in music — my first album [Baduizm] came out Feb. 11, 1997, right when I got pregnant. Then I had my first baby Nov. 19, 1997, the same day my live album came out. So I've never known a life in music outside of being a mom.
Got it. But what about the tweeting? What made you want to tweet while giving birth?
"Questlove said, 'I bet you won't Twitter while you're in labor.'"
I was dared to do it. Actually, Questlove of The Roots — he said, "I bet you won't Twitter while you're in labor." I said, "I bet I will." So I did. I tweeted about what was happening with the birth between contractions.
Wow. And your kids were in the room, too?
Yeah. They were a big part of it. A very big part, because it was very sacred. They helped me welcome this baby into the world.
In addition to your incredible baby deliveries, you are also an incredibly hands-on parent. For example, you home-school.
Yes. I wanted to give Seven Sirius [who is entering sixth grade in the fall] special attention academically, to give him an advantage. So by being home-schooled he learned how to learn — he learned how to solve problems in a nontraditional way. In doing that he developed an edge in his schoolwork. He enjoys challenges. He pushes himself. He does his homework voluntarily. He does not want to miss school or be late or be untidy or not have his things in order because that was a big part of how he was brought up [Seven was home-schooled until he entered second grade]. I don't have any idea what Seven is going to choose to do, but he knows how to be disciplined and how to learn, and because of that he's one of the top students in his school, and one of the top students in Dallas.
Did you home-school him yourself, or was there a teacher you hired? And what about the other kids?
I home-schooled him myself. And my daughter, Puma Sabti, she's five — she's home-schooled. And the new baby just started school this week, now that she's six months.
All with you?
Yes, all with me. Of course.
You're also vegan. Are the kids vegan too?
Of course they are. When Seven was born I was a vegetarian and his father [Andre 3000, of Outkast] was too, so it was a natural progression for him in life to eat the things we eat. Puma [whose father is the rapper The D.O.C; Mars' father is longtime boyfriend Jay Electronica] is the same way. It's just what's in the house. They also now have an understanding of how to read ingredients — it's Mommy's lifestyle so it's their lifestyle.
But don't they ever get curious about hot dogs? Or beef jerky? What do you do about that?
I don't in any way force them to have the same lifestyle, but I think they should know the benefits of having a healthy body. If they were to choose to do anything else after they become high school students, I would have full confidence that they know how to take care of their bodies and themselves. By making sure they use preventive medicine — getting plenty of water, plenty of chlorophyll and vegetable juices and good, healthy rest and activity — I know they'll be able to take good care of themselves.
But what about the hot dogs? They never ask?
They joke about it. And I'm sure as children they feel left out sometimes. But that's why we provide them with alternatives. We make sure we keep a school menu on hand, and we prepare the same foods the kids at school are eating but in a healthier manner. That's what this lifestyle provides us with. I work really hard the way I do so I can give them all the things they need without them feeling like they're being punished. So they can have a good understanding of what it means to be healthy.
"The more children you have, the more you get into health."
What do you think is the worst parenting practice going on in America today?
Parents not participating in kids' schooling. I don't think it matters what school you go to, but I think it's important for parents to be involved. And to know that when school stops, learning continues, and to continue teaching at home.
Back to Mars for a minute — how did the people who were reading about her birth react on Twitter? Did you get any criticism about tweeting while birthing?
I have no idea, actually. But the Twitter community was happy to welcome her into the world. They ask about her every month. She just turned six months, and I got a lot of "happy six months." She's the first Twitter baby, and she's breastfed on Twitty milk.
Ha! Is that vegan?
Actually, we're applying a macrobiotic diet with her — it's different from being a vegan, in that it goes a little bit deeper into the yin and yang of what a human being needs. I always wanted to do it, but I didn't really understand the dynamics. Then, the more children you have, the more you get into health and holistic living. Which goes so far beyond being a vegan.
How?
With macrobiotics, each person is different. So it's critical what you give each individual. People have so many food allergies — Seven, when he was tested, he was allergic to some nuts, legumes, melons, and apples. And we would have never known that unless he was tested. So the macrobiotic diet affords us the chance to avoid some of those allergies.
You take this very seriously.
I do. I'm totally into my health — I've been a vegetarian for ten years and vegan for eleven. I'm also a holistic health practitioner. I see patients. And that helps my family in a lot of ways.
You see patients? In addition to your music and home-schooling? That's incredible. Are you exhausted?
I feel great. And I think I'm real smart.
Aug 19, 2009
A Holistic Approach to Childbirth
"This can be a turning point for mainstream consumption of safe birth options." (Sabrina McIntyre) I have not been this excited since the film "The business of Being Born." It seems that Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Oz are finding more interest in the home birthing scene.
For many women, the birthing process can be a profound, natural rite of passage rather than a painful medical event, says Pam England, a mother of two and certified nurse midwife. Dr. Oz talks with Pam, who answers some of the most common questions about the birthing process. Plus, Pam shares her recommendations for both moms- and dads-to-be for having the best birthing experience possible.
Read more...
For many women, the birthing process can be a profound, natural rite of passage rather than a painful medical event, says Pam England, a mother of two and certified nurse midwife. Dr. Oz talks with Pam, who answers some of the most common questions about the birthing process. Plus, Pam shares her recommendations for both moms- and dads-to-be for having the best birthing experience possible.
Read more...
Aug 11, 2009
One Woman's Mission to Save Babies
This is an amazing story from The Oprah Magazine. It raises the awareness of human milk banks, their importance and why more mothers who can not breastfeed need to know about donated, screened, and pasteurized human milk!
Even when Lynn Page felt she'd lost everything, she still had something invaluable to give. Bonnie Rochman tells the story of a mother's devotion and the little-known network of medical miracle workers that's quietly helping the babies who need help most.
Lynn Page was 37, and a pediatric psychologist—old enough for things to go badly with her pregnancy and informed enough to know it. So during her first ultrasound, when the doctor's face suddenly fell and he told her she could get dressed, her heart was hammering as she asked, "What's wrong?" This was November 2006. Lynn was alone at the appointment. She and her husband, Chris, live in Norfolk, Virginia, but Chris, a 19-year navy man and chief petty officer on the submarine USS Boise, was underwater somewhere in the Pacific. When Lynn had learned she was expecting, she'd sent off a package to his next port, in Japan: licorice, M&M's, and a dad's guide to pregnancy called My Boys Can Swim!
Continue reading...
Even when Lynn Page felt she'd lost everything, she still had something invaluable to give. Bonnie Rochman tells the story of a mother's devotion and the little-known network of medical miracle workers that's quietly helping the babies who need help most.
Lynn Page was 37, and a pediatric psychologist—old enough for things to go badly with her pregnancy and informed enough to know it. So during her first ultrasound, when the doctor's face suddenly fell and he told her she could get dressed, her heart was hammering as she asked, "What's wrong?" This was November 2006. Lynn was alone at the appointment. She and her husband, Chris, live in Norfolk, Virginia, but Chris, a 19-year navy man and chief petty officer on the submarine USS Boise, was underwater somewhere in the Pacific. When Lynn had learned she was expecting, she'd sent off a package to his next port, in Japan: licorice, M&M's, and a dad's guide to pregnancy called My Boys Can Swim!
Continue reading...
Aug 7, 2009
Orgasm During Childbirth
Imagine a drug-free, pain-free labour that comes with multiple orgasms - it really is possible!
"Orgasm and childbirth are not two words you expect to find in the same sentence. But, as implausible as it may sound, increasing numbers of mothers are signing up to the Orgasmic Birth movement. Childbirth, they claim, far from being a painful ordeal to endure, can be as ecstatic and pleasurable as the moment of conception itself. Now, with the release of two new documentary films in America depicting orgasmic births, and websites awash with first-hand accounts from women claiming similar experiences, are we about to lift the lid on this taboo?"
Read more
"Orgasm and childbirth are not two words you expect to find in the same sentence. But, as implausible as it may sound, increasing numbers of mothers are signing up to the Orgasmic Birth movement. Childbirth, they claim, far from being a painful ordeal to endure, can be as ecstatic and pleasurable as the moment of conception itself. Now, with the release of two new documentary films in America depicting orgasmic births, and websites awash with first-hand accounts from women claiming similar experiences, are we about to lift the lid on this taboo?"
Read more
Aug 6, 2009
Mali Midwives
Mali Midwives facilitates continuing education opportunities for matrones in rural Mali. Matrones desperately want and need continuing education. Even though they deliver 60% of attended births in the country, they get little attention from Mali's under-resourced health care system.
Mali Midwives has been sponsoring a pilot continuing education project since January 2009. Do your part and - CHIP IN!
A Malian proverb says that a woman in labor has one foot on earth, and one foot in the grave. The proverb is all too true: a woman in Mali has a 1 in 15 lifetime chance of dying from childbearing complications. Many women die because there are no doctors, nurses, or highly trained midwives rural villages. In villages, where most Malians live, auxiliary midwives, or matrones, provide the vast majority of maternal health care. For most Malian women. matrones are first and only health care provider they will ever see.
Mali Midwives facilitates continuing education opportunities for rural matrones in Mali. Their goal is to raise $15,000 to sponsor thier pilot project. You can donate online at www.malimidwives.chipin.com.
Mali Midwives has been sponsoring a pilot continuing education project since January 2009. Do your part and - CHIP IN!
A Malian proverb says that a woman in labor has one foot on earth, and one foot in the grave. The proverb is all too true: a woman in Mali has a 1 in 15 lifetime chance of dying from childbearing complications. Many women die because there are no doctors, nurses, or highly trained midwives rural villages. In villages, where most Malians live, auxiliary midwives, or matrones, provide the vast majority of maternal health care. For most Malian women. matrones are first and only health care provider they will ever see.
Mali Midwives facilitates continuing education opportunities for rural matrones in Mali. Their goal is to raise $15,000 to sponsor thier pilot project. You can donate online at www.malimidwives.chipin.com.
Aug 5, 2009
President Obama's proposed budget for FY10 Federal Doula Appropriation Request
Doula Advocacy Update
FY10 Federal Doula Appropriation Request
President Obama's proposed budget for FY10 includes $1.504 million for the community-based doula program. Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) is requesting that the House Committee on Appropriation increase this funding to $3 million.
An increase in funding would allow for an additional 6 sites to be funded with grants. We need support in the House for increased funding, so contact your Representative today!
Health Reform
HealthConnect One is working with Senator Durbin's (D-IL) staff on community-based doula language to include in the Affordable Health Choices Act, sponsored by Senator Kennedy (D-MA). In particular, pages 540-545, Sec. 443: Grants to Promote the Community Health Workforce, provide an opportunity to address maternal and child health promotion. Our suggested additions include language on community-based doulas, breastfeeding peer counselors, and a focus on the critical months of pregnancy, birth and the immediate post-partum period. Click here to see our language for this bill.
In addition to working on the Affordable Health Choices Act, HC One is tracking three additional bills:
Early Support for Families Act, HR 2667
This bill intends to improve the well-being and development of children by enabling the establishment and expansion of quality programs providing voluntary home visitation for families with young children and families expecting children.
Education Begins at Home, S. 244
This bill will expand those programs of early childhood home visitation that increase school readiness, child abuse & neglect prevention, and early identification of developmental and health delays. The Act states that the home is the "first and most important learning environment for children"; "parents are their children's first and most influential teachers," and therefore parent education and family support will greatly benefit children's development. Parents "deserve and can benefit from" research-based information, enrichment opportunities and the prospect of connecting with their communities and the childrens' school.
Evidence-Based Home Visitation Act of 2009, S. 1267
This bill intends to improve the well-being and development of children by enabling the establishment and expansion of quality programs providing voluntary home visitation services to low-income pregnant women and low-income families with young children. The goal is to help break the cycle of poverty and improve the well-being of low-income children and their families. The striking difference from previous legislation is that this bill requires programs meet specific scientific standards to be established by the Centers for Disease Control.
As we continue to advocate for the inclusion of the community-based doula program in federal legislation, we encourage you to inform us of your activities and/or ideas. Please contact Advocacy Consultant Laura McAlpine with questions, comments, or suggestions: laura@Lmcalpine.com.
Funding Updates
Doula Funding Guide
In an effort to track funds from the Stimulus Package and the pending FY10 federal budget, we have created a spreadsheet of federal funding sources that may be applicable to community-based doula programs. The guide is organized by the federal department that is overseeing the funding, and links to the full description and RFPs (as applicable) for each funding stream are provided for your convenience. We encourage you to download the document.
If you have any questions regarding the Doula Funding Guide, please contact Mairita Smiltars at Mairita@Lmcalpine.com.
Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA)
Community-based Doula programs NOW eligible to apply for the CHIPRA outreach funds
- Applications due August 6, 2009
This act, signed into law by President Obama on February 4, 2009, includes $80 Million over 5 years for Outreach and Enrollment activities related to the state children's health insurance programs. Community-based doula programs and Community Health Worker programs were specifically named in the legislation as entities that are eligible to apply for outreach and enrollment monies through the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Early Head Start
The US Dept of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is soliciting applications from public or private non-profit organizations, including faith-based organizations, that wish to compete for $619 million in funds that are available to provide Early Head Start services to pregnant women, infants and toddlers and their families. The purpose of these grants is to expand enrollment of those served in Early Head Start by approximately 55,000. This grant opportunity is being made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Applications are due by July 7, 2009. For more information, please click here.
Strengthening Communities Fund
The Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Children and Families announced the availability of capacity-building grants for nonprofit organizations. Through the Strengthening Communities Fund, HHS will make awards of up to $1 million for two years to lead organizations to provide technical assistance and training to support other nonprofit organizations. Grantees must provide at least 20 percent of the total approved cost of the project from non-federal funds. This grant opportunity is being made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Applications are due by July 7, 2009. Click here to read a press release and click here for application information.
Doula Advocacy Success
"In Chicago, we have seen how the community-doula model can improve the odds for those young moms and their babies. The Chicago Health Connection [now HealthConnect One] pioneered this model. The group trained mentors from the community to work with at-risk moms, many of whom had few ideas of where else to turn. I am eager to see the Chicago Health Connection model successfully replicated and to make that happen, it is important that new programs have guidance and help to not reinvent the wheel."
- Senator Durbin, October 23, 2007. Senate Colloquy- Congressional Record.
Federal Funding Established for Community-Based Doula Programs
The very first federal funding stream dedicated to community-based doula programs was established on December 26, 2007, when President Bush signed the 2008 omnibus appropriations bill in to law. This funding stream was established after years of tireless advocacy by HC One's National Doula Advocacy Network. HC One would also like to extend sincere thanks to Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) for their support of community-based doula programs, and to President Barack Obama, who demonstrated his support of the community-based doula model during his time as the junior Senator of Illinois.
HealthConnect One awarded HRSA Grant
Doula programs were able to apply for the $1.536 million of federal money via a competitive grants process through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
HRSA awarded HealthConnect One a 2-year grant to provide training, technical assistance, and cross-sited evaluation to a cohort of six HRSA-funded community-based doula programs across the country.
All six grantees and HC One received a second year of funding through September 30, 2010.
Doula Advocacy Continues
HealthConnect One is committed to advocating for the maintenance and expansion of federal funding for community-based doula programs through our National Doula Advocacy Network. The policy world is constantly changing, so check this site frequently for updates and action items.
See Also:
Doula Advocacy Resources
Community-Based Doula Leadership Institute
Community-Based Doula Program Overview
Community-Based Doula Program Replication
FY10 Federal Doula Appropriation Request
President Obama's proposed budget for FY10 includes $1.504 million for the community-based doula program. Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) is requesting that the House Committee on Appropriation increase this funding to $3 million.
An increase in funding would allow for an additional 6 sites to be funded with grants. We need support in the House for increased funding, so contact your Representative today!
Health Reform
HealthConnect One is working with Senator Durbin's (D-IL) staff on community-based doula language to include in the Affordable Health Choices Act, sponsored by Senator Kennedy (D-MA). In particular, pages 540-545, Sec. 443: Grants to Promote the Community Health Workforce, provide an opportunity to address maternal and child health promotion. Our suggested additions include language on community-based doulas, breastfeeding peer counselors, and a focus on the critical months of pregnancy, birth and the immediate post-partum period. Click here to see our language for this bill.
In addition to working on the Affordable Health Choices Act, HC One is tracking three additional bills:
Early Support for Families Act, HR 2667
This bill intends to improve the well-being and development of children by enabling the establishment and expansion of quality programs providing voluntary home visitation for families with young children and families expecting children.
Education Begins at Home, S. 244
This bill will expand those programs of early childhood home visitation that increase school readiness, child abuse & neglect prevention, and early identification of developmental and health delays. The Act states that the home is the "first and most important learning environment for children"; "parents are their children's first and most influential teachers," and therefore parent education and family support will greatly benefit children's development. Parents "deserve and can benefit from" research-based information, enrichment opportunities and the prospect of connecting with their communities and the childrens' school.
Evidence-Based Home Visitation Act of 2009, S. 1267
This bill intends to improve the well-being and development of children by enabling the establishment and expansion of quality programs providing voluntary home visitation services to low-income pregnant women and low-income families with young children. The goal is to help break the cycle of poverty and improve the well-being of low-income children and their families. The striking difference from previous legislation is that this bill requires programs meet specific scientific standards to be established by the Centers for Disease Control.
As we continue to advocate for the inclusion of the community-based doula program in federal legislation, we encourage you to inform us of your activities and/or ideas. Please contact Advocacy Consultant Laura McAlpine with questions, comments, or suggestions: laura@Lmcalpine.com.
Funding Updates
Doula Funding Guide
In an effort to track funds from the Stimulus Package and the pending FY10 federal budget, we have created a spreadsheet of federal funding sources that may be applicable to community-based doula programs. The guide is organized by the federal department that is overseeing the funding, and links to the full description and RFPs (as applicable) for each funding stream are provided for your convenience. We encourage you to download the document.
If you have any questions regarding the Doula Funding Guide, please contact Mairita Smiltars at Mairita@Lmcalpine.com.
Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA)
Community-based Doula programs NOW eligible to apply for the CHIPRA outreach funds
- Applications due August 6, 2009
This act, signed into law by President Obama on February 4, 2009, includes $80 Million over 5 years for Outreach and Enrollment activities related to the state children's health insurance programs. Community-based doula programs and Community Health Worker programs were specifically named in the legislation as entities that are eligible to apply for outreach and enrollment monies through the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Early Head Start
The US Dept of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is soliciting applications from public or private non-profit organizations, including faith-based organizations, that wish to compete for $619 million in funds that are available to provide Early Head Start services to pregnant women, infants and toddlers and their families. The purpose of these grants is to expand enrollment of those served in Early Head Start by approximately 55,000. This grant opportunity is being made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Applications are due by July 7, 2009. For more information, please click here.
Strengthening Communities Fund
The Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Administration for Children and Families announced the availability of capacity-building grants for nonprofit organizations. Through the Strengthening Communities Fund, HHS will make awards of up to $1 million for two years to lead organizations to provide technical assistance and training to support other nonprofit organizations. Grantees must provide at least 20 percent of the total approved cost of the project from non-federal funds. This grant opportunity is being made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Applications are due by July 7, 2009. Click here to read a press release and click here for application information.
Doula Advocacy Success
"In Chicago, we have seen how the community-doula model can improve the odds for those young moms and their babies. The Chicago Health Connection [now HealthConnect One] pioneered this model. The group trained mentors from the community to work with at-risk moms, many of whom had few ideas of where else to turn. I am eager to see the Chicago Health Connection model successfully replicated and to make that happen, it is important that new programs have guidance and help to not reinvent the wheel."
- Senator Durbin, October 23, 2007. Senate Colloquy- Congressional Record.
Federal Funding Established for Community-Based Doula Programs
The very first federal funding stream dedicated to community-based doula programs was established on December 26, 2007, when President Bush signed the 2008 omnibus appropriations bill in to law. This funding stream was established after years of tireless advocacy by HC One's National Doula Advocacy Network. HC One would also like to extend sincere thanks to Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) for their support of community-based doula programs, and to President Barack Obama, who demonstrated his support of the community-based doula model during his time as the junior Senator of Illinois.
HealthConnect One awarded HRSA Grant
Doula programs were able to apply for the $1.536 million of federal money via a competitive grants process through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
HRSA awarded HealthConnect One a 2-year grant to provide training, technical assistance, and cross-sited evaluation to a cohort of six HRSA-funded community-based doula programs across the country.
All six grantees and HC One received a second year of funding through September 30, 2010.
Doula Advocacy Continues
HealthConnect One is committed to advocating for the maintenance and expansion of federal funding for community-based doula programs through our National Doula Advocacy Network. The policy world is constantly changing, so check this site frequently for updates and action items.
See Also:
Doula Advocacy Resources
Community-Based Doula Leadership Institute
Community-Based Doula Program Overview
Community-Based Doula Program Replication
Pesticides & Breastfeeding
Lanolin comes from sheep. Sheep eat grass sprayed with pesticides. Pesticides are not good for breastfeeding babies.
This week is Breastfeeding Week—a celebration of motherhood and the baby she protects and loves. Breastfeeding is very good for your baby but sometimes nipples can become cracked and sore enough for the mother to become discouraged. Nipple gels can help greatly but I would like to inform you about the current state of most nipple gels on the market.
Currently, most breastfeeding women are given a lanolin based product to help relieve their sore, cracked nipples. As you may know already, lanolin is an animal based product—100% cholesterol— and lanolin can contains pesticides because lanolin is procured from sheep who graze on grass that may have been treated for pests.
Several studies from JAMA have demonstrated that there are residual pesticides in lanolin containing compounds in spite of purification by the manufacturing company. Lanolin is also dark, greasy, and is malodorous. It stains undergarments of breastfeeding women.
Another important warning—lanolin is not kosher because it is an animal product which should not be combined with breast feeding.
Beaute de Maman Nipple Gel contains no lanolin—and therefore no pesticides. Our Beaute de Maman product is an omega 3 fatty acid base derived from a plant. It is colorless and odorless gel. We have added a natural herb, calendula officinalis, which is antibacterial, anti-fungal, and helps in the prevention of mastitis. It seems to work well for vegetarian patients and also patients who are allergic to wool. All our products were pre-tested on hundreds of pregnant women and we are very pleased with the comments and results.
Developed by Dr. Michele Brown, OBGYN and founder of Beaute de Maman Caring Products for Pregnant Women this extraordinary gel uses a soothing blend of natural and herbal ingredients with a smooth, moisturizing castor oil base to aid in the healing of sore, cracked, dry nipples. Calendula officinalis is the essential component to this innovative product which promotes the healing of inflamed areas on the nipple.
Unlike other gels which are sticky, greasy and contain lanolin, Beaute de Maman's special formula contains NO LANOLIN, and it is easy to apply and remove. Nipple Gel does not have to be wiped off prior to feeding.
Please visit the product page for complete description.
http://products.beautedemaman.com/Beaute-de-Maman-Nipple-Gel-p/bdm00200.htm
Happy Breastfeeding Week to You All!
Thank you to Dr. Michele Brown for sharing.
This week is Breastfeeding Week—a celebration of motherhood and the baby she protects and loves. Breastfeeding is very good for your baby but sometimes nipples can become cracked and sore enough for the mother to become discouraged. Nipple gels can help greatly but I would like to inform you about the current state of most nipple gels on the market.
Currently, most breastfeeding women are given a lanolin based product to help relieve their sore, cracked nipples. As you may know already, lanolin is an animal based product—100% cholesterol— and lanolin can contains pesticides because lanolin is procured from sheep who graze on grass that may have been treated for pests.
Several studies from JAMA have demonstrated that there are residual pesticides in lanolin containing compounds in spite of purification by the manufacturing company. Lanolin is also dark, greasy, and is malodorous. It stains undergarments of breastfeeding women.
Another important warning—lanolin is not kosher because it is an animal product which should not be combined with breast feeding.
Beaute de Maman Nipple Gel contains no lanolin—and therefore no pesticides. Our Beaute de Maman product is an omega 3 fatty acid base derived from a plant. It is colorless and odorless gel. We have added a natural herb, calendula officinalis, which is antibacterial, anti-fungal, and helps in the prevention of mastitis. It seems to work well for vegetarian patients and also patients who are allergic to wool. All our products were pre-tested on hundreds of pregnant women and we are very pleased with the comments and results.
Developed by Dr. Michele Brown, OBGYN and founder of Beaute de Maman Caring Products for Pregnant Women this extraordinary gel uses a soothing blend of natural and herbal ingredients with a smooth, moisturizing castor oil base to aid in the healing of sore, cracked, dry nipples. Calendula officinalis is the essential component to this innovative product which promotes the healing of inflamed areas on the nipple.
Unlike other gels which are sticky, greasy and contain lanolin, Beaute de Maman's special formula contains NO LANOLIN, and it is easy to apply and remove. Nipple Gel does not have to be wiped off prior to feeding.
Please visit the product page for complete description.
http://products.beautedemaman.com/Beaute-de-Maman-Nipple-Gel-p/bdm00200.htm
Happy Breastfeeding Week to You All!
Thank you to Dr. Michele Brown for sharing.
Aug 4, 2009
WABA World Breastfeeding Week
WABA World Breastfeeding Week August 1-7 2009
• To draw attention to the vital role that breastfeeding plays in emergencies worldwide.
• To stress the need for active protection and support of breastfeeding before and during emergencies.
• To inform mothers, breastfeeding advocates, communities, healthprofessionals, governments, aid agencies, donors, and the media on how they can actively support breastfeeding before and during an emergency.
• To mobilise action and nurture networking and collaboration between those with breastfeeding skills and those involved in emergency response
Burundian refugees seek to rebuild lives
MUYINGA, Burundi, 5 December 2007 -- Chantal Nizigiyimana has been back in her home country of Burundi for only a few months, having lived in Tanzania since she was a young child. In 1993, her family was among hundreds of thousands of Burundians who fled across the border in order to avoid conflict.
Now, all Burundians are being asked to return home. Ms. Nizigiyimana is among approximately 9,000 people -- half of them youths -- who have been expelled from Tanzania just this year. Many women and children arrive at the border with nothing to their name.
To read the full story, visit: Challenges await Burundian refugees expelled from Tanzania
• To draw attention to the vital role that breastfeeding plays in emergencies worldwide.
• To stress the need for active protection and support of breastfeeding before and during emergencies.
• To inform mothers, breastfeeding advocates, communities, healthprofessionals, governments, aid agencies, donors, and the media on how they can actively support breastfeeding before and during an emergency.
• To mobilise action and nurture networking and collaboration between those with breastfeeding skills and those involved in emergency response
Burundian refugees seek to rebuild lives
MUYINGA, Burundi, 5 December 2007 -- Chantal Nizigiyimana has been back in her home country of Burundi for only a few months, having lived in Tanzania since she was a young child. In 1993, her family was among hundreds of thousands of Burundians who fled across the border in order to avoid conflict.
Now, all Burundians are being asked to return home. Ms. Nizigiyimana is among approximately 9,000 people -- half of them youths -- who have been expelled from Tanzania just this year. Many women and children arrive at the border with nothing to their name.
To read the full story, visit: Challenges await Burundian refugees expelled from Tanzania
Hydration is Critical in Labor.
The following recipe has been shared by a fellow colleague of mine Dr. Tanya Smith of Lifecycles Wellness.
It has been shown that adequate hydration is necessary for optimal muscle performance during prolonged exercise. (Our blessed uterus is just one big muscle). Studies demonstrate that increasing the amount of fluid taken during active labor results in a lower incidence of prolonged labor and possibly less need for interventions. These findings suggest that inadequate hydration during labor may contribute to dysfunctional labor.
Gatorade is often suggested for birthing women as it also helps replace electrolytes. For clients who would rather not have the additives, white sugar and colorants in Gatorade, I offer up the Labor-Aide recipe.
LABOUR-AIDE RECIPE
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 crushed 350mg calcium magnesium tablet (or ½ tsp liquid calcium)
6 cups of water
Mix together well. Try freezing some as ice cubes or popsicles. Put the remainder in easy to drink from containers. Empty water bottles work well.
It has been shown that adequate hydration is necessary for optimal muscle performance during prolonged exercise. (Our blessed uterus is just one big muscle). Studies demonstrate that increasing the amount of fluid taken during active labor results in a lower incidence of prolonged labor and possibly less need for interventions. These findings suggest that inadequate hydration during labor may contribute to dysfunctional labor.
Gatorade is often suggested for birthing women as it also helps replace electrolytes. For clients who would rather not have the additives, white sugar and colorants in Gatorade, I offer up the Labor-Aide recipe.
LABOUR-AIDE RECIPE
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 crushed 350mg calcium magnesium tablet (or ½ tsp liquid calcium)
6 cups of water
Mix together well. Try freezing some as ice cubes or popsicles. Put the remainder in easy to drink from containers. Empty water bottles work well.
Jul 30, 2009
The Experience of Birth
Come on a very special birth journey as some inspiring women show what it means to labour, give birth and become mothers. A huge thank you to all the ladies who are sharing their birth images here and who gave me the privilege of being their doula. You are all so very inspiring!
Jul 25, 2009
Michael Jackson's Kids and His Vision of Postpartum Care
I came across this article written by Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE. Very interesting read, explains a bit about what the King himself thought of the initial postpartum care of his children and their mother.
"Never in my mind did I think that there would be anything remotely related to Michael Jackson on my site. But tonight as I listened to Debbie Rowe, his former wife, talk about her relationship with the King of Pop, the children and her postpartum experience I changed my mind. Between Rowe's interview and snippets of an interview with Michael Jackson himself, you got a very odd view of what the postpartum experience was for the Jackson family.
With his first son, Prince Michael, the baby had some breathing difficulties right after birth. As with any new parent, Michael Jackson was frightened. But when the NICU nurse pronounced, several hours after birth, that the baby was healthy and doing well, Michael immediately took the baby home to the Neverland Ranch. Hours, folks. Seriously, in the hospitals where I live, you'd be lucky to see your baby out of the nursery sometimes in that amount of time and in your postpartum hospital room.Even stranger is where Debbie Rowe went when she was released from the hospital after giving birth. Michael Jackson had fixed it so that she could rest and recuperate at the Biltmore in Arizona. Now, that is my style of postpartum care! (I did have a niggling question about where she trashed the monster pads you have to wear after giving birth.) While I would have to have my baby with me, the Biltmore sounds like a smashing place. I did wind up doing a few days postpartum in a hotel after our seventh baby was born and our AC went out, but let's just say seven small kids in one room was not what Debbie Rowe had.
When Paris was born, Michael Jackson again, whisked the baby off This time he reportedly didn't even let the baby be dried off before returning to the Neverland Ranch. ( Mom went to a fancy new house of her own this time.) Wow. Part of me is amazed that anyone let this happen in the hospital. Part of me totally gets that this was all about what money could buy. My wish? That parents who wanted to give birth in the hospital, had the choice to return to their homes shortly after birth if they wanted to do so, even without having to moonwalk the baby out of the nursery under the suspicious eye of the nursery nurses."
What's your take on the story of Michael Jackson's babies' home records and the fancy postpartum digs?
"Never in my mind did I think that there would be anything remotely related to Michael Jackson on my site. But tonight as I listened to Debbie Rowe, his former wife, talk about her relationship with the King of Pop, the children and her postpartum experience I changed my mind. Between Rowe's interview and snippets of an interview with Michael Jackson himself, you got a very odd view of what the postpartum experience was for the Jackson family.
With his first son, Prince Michael, the baby had some breathing difficulties right after birth. As with any new parent, Michael Jackson was frightened. But when the NICU nurse pronounced, several hours after birth, that the baby was healthy and doing well, Michael immediately took the baby home to the Neverland Ranch. Hours, folks. Seriously, in the hospitals where I live, you'd be lucky to see your baby out of the nursery sometimes in that amount of time and in your postpartum hospital room.Even stranger is where Debbie Rowe went when she was released from the hospital after giving birth. Michael Jackson had fixed it so that she could rest and recuperate at the Biltmore in Arizona. Now, that is my style of postpartum care! (I did have a niggling question about where she trashed the monster pads you have to wear after giving birth.) While I would have to have my baby with me, the Biltmore sounds like a smashing place. I did wind up doing a few days postpartum in a hotel after our seventh baby was born and our AC went out, but let's just say seven small kids in one room was not what Debbie Rowe had.
When Paris was born, Michael Jackson again, whisked the baby off This time he reportedly didn't even let the baby be dried off before returning to the Neverland Ranch. ( Mom went to a fancy new house of her own this time.) Wow. Part of me is amazed that anyone let this happen in the hospital. Part of me totally gets that this was all about what money could buy. My wish? That parents who wanted to give birth in the hospital, had the choice to return to their homes shortly after birth if they wanted to do so, even without having to moonwalk the baby out of the nursery under the suspicious eye of the nursery nurses."
What's your take on the story of Michael Jackson's babies' home records and the fancy postpartum digs?
Jul 23, 2009
Rites of Passage: Why Cesarean
Ina May Gaskin, Certified Professional Midwife, is the founder and director of The Farm Midwifery Center in Tennessee (USA). She is the author of Spiritual Midwifery (1975) and Ina Mays Guide to Childbirth (2003). She has been a home birth midwife for more than 35 years.
This interview clip is part of Rites of Passage, an exclusive video series and art/photo/ essay contest that engages mothers across the country in a dialogue about childbirth and the transformation of new motherhood. This series is hosted by Mindful Mama and features exclusive interviews with 25 of the world's leading midwives, physicians, activists, and scholars who advocate for safe, empowered birth.
This interview clip is part of Rites of Passage, an exclusive video series and art/photo/ essay contest that engages mothers across the country in a dialogue about childbirth and the transformation of new motherhood. This series is hosted by Mindful Mama and features exclusive interviews with 25 of the world's leading midwives, physicians, activists, and scholars who advocate for safe, empowered birth.
Jul 15, 2009
Healthy Birth Your Way
According to Lamaze International, the basic principals behind the Lamaze Philosophy are:
Birth is normal, natural and healthy
The experience of birth profoundly effects women and their families
Women’s inner wisdom guides them through birth
Women’s confidence and ability to give birth is either enhanced or diminished by the care provider and place of birth
Women have the right to give birth free from routine medical interventions
Birth can safely take place in birth centers and homes
Childbirth education empowers women to make informed choices in health care, to assume responsibility for their health and to trust their inner wisdom
Birth is normal, natural and healthy
The experience of birth profoundly effects women and their families
Women’s inner wisdom guides them through birth
Women’s confidence and ability to give birth is either enhanced or diminished by the care provider and place of birth
Women have the right to give birth free from routine medical interventions
Birth can safely take place in birth centers and homes
Childbirth education empowers women to make informed choices in health care, to assume responsibility for their health and to trust their inner wisdom
Lamaze International & InJoy bring you the Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices.
Jul 11, 2009
Birth and Death
During the week of the G8 meetings in Italy, White Ribbon Alliance is launching a short graphic film to highlight the scandalous lack of attention to how many women still die giving birth around the world.
Maternal death is the greatest health inequity of the 21st Century. Every minute, someones mother, sister, wife or friend dies needlessly giving birth. That adds up to half a million women a year.
It remains a global disgrace that more women in the developing world die through becoming pregnant than from any other cause.
Yet we know what to do to stop this. Weve tried it. It works. Even in countries usually considered poor.
The answer is many more trained health workers.
The G8 have promised to take action.
As yet, they havent.
Lets hold them to their promises.
Birth and Death is part of the White Ribbon Alliance Atlas of Birth project, in collaboration with GHP3 (University of Southampton) and Immpact (University of Aberdeen), July 2009.
Maternal death is the greatest health inequity of the 21st Century. Every minute, someones mother, sister, wife or friend dies needlessly giving birth. That adds up to half a million women a year.
It remains a global disgrace that more women in the developing world die through becoming pregnant than from any other cause.
Yet we know what to do to stop this. Weve tried it. It works. Even in countries usually considered poor.
The answer is many more trained health workers.
The G8 have promised to take action.
As yet, they havent.
Lets hold them to their promises.
Birth and Death is part of the White Ribbon Alliance Atlas of Birth project, in collaboration with GHP3 (University of Southampton) and Immpact (University of Aberdeen), July 2009.
Jul 8, 2009
The Moon's Effect on Natural Childbirth
'Does this old wives tale have any validity? Contrary to common believe, this theory is true. The discovery channel had an episode on women going into labor during full moon.
The moon changes the barometric pressure in water due to its gravitational pull. Just as the moon has an effect on the waters on earth which makes it responsible for the tide coming in (high tide) and the tide going out (low tide), it too has an effect on humans, as humans are 75% water.
The gravitational pull from the moon changes the barometric pressure in the woman's water sac and this change in pressure usually causes it to rupture which result in the women going into labor or the doctor having to induce labour due to the leakage.
In my own experience I have noticed a pattern of women going into labor anywhere from immediately to 24 hours after a full moon.'
Jul 2, 2009
Doulas as Essential Medical Care
This is an article written by Jane Fonda who bought the “Community-Based Doula Program” to Georgia where it has been under the wing of the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP)...The doulas make weekly home visits to pregnant teens and their families starting in the third trimester and up to one year after the birth of their baby. They help young mothers (and often times fathers) understand the birth process, and support them during labor and delivery. So many of these young parents don’t know what a real relationship feels like, but through their example, the Doulas model for the mothers and fathers how to be in relationship, how to bond. This is what transforms the young parents forever and gives their babies a better chance in life"
Read more.
Jun 28, 2009
Jun 4, 2009
Making "My Birth, My Choice" A Reality For All Women
This is the manuscript for an interview between, Miriam Perez – Feministing blogger, RH Reality Check contributor, radical doula extraordinaire, health advocate, JayVon Muhammad, practicing Certified Professional Midwife (check out Urban Midwifery, her web site, it’s incredible), and Steff Hedenkamp, Communications Coordinator with The Big Push for Midwives campaign.
Upcoming Web Conference for Black Parents to Discuss Black Family Issues
Black Parents and Black Family Advocates are cordially invited to our upcoming conference. The BlackMomsClub.com and BlackandMarriedWithKids.com proudly present our first Live Online Event …
Creating Conversations
A 3 Day Web Conference for Black Parents to Discuss issues within the Black Family
Official Website: http://blackmomsclub.ning.com/page/event-1
June 12 - 14th 8pm est.
Do Good Black Fathers Still Exist?
June 12, Webinar, 8pm est.
The Role of African American Fathers today
Are Black Mothers as strong as everyone thinks?
June 13, Webinar, 8pm est.
The Real Issues that are overshadowed by stereotypes about black women.
What is happening to our babies?
June 14, Webinar, 8pm est.
The Role of black parents as our children transition from childhood to adulthood What goes wrong and what are we doing right?
To join us: please visit the official website: http://blackmomsclub.ning.com/page/event-1
Jun 2, 2009
Blueberry Girl - New from Neil Gaiman
Watch an animated trailer for Blueberry Girl, written and read by Newbery Medal winner Neil Gaiman.
http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/02/this-is-prayer-for-blueberry-girl.html
BUMP: A weekly meeting place nurturing informed moms and moms to be.
BUMP is a weekly meeting place nurturing informed moms and moms to be. Swap stories and wisdom, support and advise moms and moms-to-be in a forum designed to get you talking about the issues of motherhood.
Facilitated by Kimberley Orton, Birth Doula, & Dr. Tanya Smith, Chinese Medicine, SPRING SESSION TOPICS INCLUDE:
June 3 - Nutrition for Pregnancy and Postpartum
June 10 - Mother-care
June17 - Carriers
June 24 - Eco-babies and Elimination Communication
10:00am -12noon, $5 drop-in, refreshments,
babes in arms and toddlers welcome!
nurturingbump.blogspot.com
Lifecycles Wellness, 94 Cumberland St., Ste. 805
647.428.7200
lifecycleswellness.com
Facilitated by Kimberley Orton, Birth Doula, & Dr. Tanya Smith, Chinese Medicine, SPRING SESSION TOPICS INCLUDE:
June 3 - Nutrition for Pregnancy and Postpartum
June 10 - Mother-care
June17 - Carriers
June 24 - Eco-babies and Elimination Communication
10:00am -12noon, $5 drop-in, refreshments,
babes in arms and toddlers welcome!
nurturingbump.blogspot.com
Lifecycles Wellness, 94 Cumberland St., Ste. 805
647.428.7200
lifecycleswellness.com
May 10, 2009
Happy Mother's Day!
"Having fallen the day after a spectacular moon, native elders and traditions hold as extremely sacred and intimately feminine, is our day to celebrate motherhood.
Let this be a celebration of the beauty of creation. Let your heart feel the truth of love in its purest form.
The love between a mother and child is unparalleled. This mother’s day, celebrate that union by thanking all of those that shared that mothering nature with you.
Mother’s, what you do is a remarkable thing, an undertaking that breaks the ego, and creates selfless love. Your tireless efforts seemingly go un-noticed or un-appreciated, but rest assured; the gifts that you give us have affected some of us deeply, and we don’t just value them, we grow to uphold the tradition of passing along that love. You have inspired so many."
Let this day move your soul as you have ours.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Let this be a celebration of the beauty of creation. Let your heart feel the truth of love in its purest form.
The love between a mother and child is unparalleled. This mother’s day, celebrate that union by thanking all of those that shared that mothering nature with you.
Mother’s, what you do is a remarkable thing, an undertaking that breaks the ego, and creates selfless love. Your tireless efforts seemingly go un-noticed or un-appreciated, but rest assured; the gifts that you give us have affected some of us deeply, and we don’t just value them, we grow to uphold the tradition of passing along that love. You have inspired so many."
Let this day move your soul as you have ours.
Happy Mother’s Day!
May 6, 2009
Unassisted Childbirth: One Woman’s Story
There has been a bit of controversy about unassisted childbirth after Janet Fraser, the birth activist who coined the term “birth rape“, gave birth to a baby girl who died. Afterward, the was a lot of finger-pointing, some support and sorrow...
Apr 28, 2009
Apr 16, 2009
Elimination Communication
Can Infants Really Be Potty Trained?
Elizabeth Parise of Concord, Mass., is mother to six, so to say she has her hands full is probably an understatement. But this mom also has found the time and commitment to essentially "potty train" the youngest three children from birth, in a method called Elimination Communication.
"When I first heard about Elimination Communication (EC), my first thought was that it would fit well with my parenting style," Parise says. "I already had three children and I was pregnant with my fourth and had always practiced natural or attachment parenting. I breastfed, co-slept, carried my babies in slings and other carriers, and I thought EC would fit right in. I especially thought it made sense because I breastfed 'on cue,' now I could potty 'on cue,' too. This meant that just like I fed my babies when they showed signs of hunger I also offered the potty when I noticed signs of needing to eliminate."
Diaper Free Baby
DiaperFreeBaby Ontario is hosting a Potluck Picnic in the Park on
Sunday, June 7, 2009, in Toronto. Everyone is welcome!
Date: Sunday, June 7, 2009
Time: 12 - 2 pm
Rain venue: none
Place: Dufferin Grove Park - East side of Dufferin St., just south
of Bloor, across the street from Dufferin Mall. We will meet at the
main firepit, in the centre of the park.
Food: Potluck - bring something to share
Take the DiaperFreeChallenge!
The DiaperFreeChallenge is inspired by the phrase "I tried it and I
was hooked". For many people "trying is believing". So, we are "challenging" parents and other caregivers to try Elimination Communication (EC) for just one day. For those already ECing the
"challenge" is to pick a day to let your child go completely
diaper-free- if you haven't already. Others not ready to "take the
plunge" will be "challenged" to find out more by attending our potluck picnic!
http://diaperfreebaby.org/>http://diaperfreeba by.org/
http://diaperfreechallenge.org/
For more information, please email:
carol_7301 at <http://yahoo.ca/>yahoo.ca or claritee at
http://gmail.com/>gmail.com
Faith in student pays off
"Boy succeeds beyond expectations after school saw potential and mobilized support."
David Burke's school life started to turn around the day an educator looked into his eyes and saw promise. Until that moment in Grade 6, on his first day at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in Scarborough, his experience had been painful.
He was the kid with a learning disability who struggled to read. He was the student who needed constant one-on-one help to do his school work. He floundered in a system that didn't recognize his creativity, determination and generous spirit, or accommodate his learning style.
David arrived at his new school three years ago with a thick file listing all his challenges, recalls his mother, Nicole Bourassa-Burke. The principal took one look at all the paperwork "and was determined to help David succeed."
The school applied for funding to get him a computer that would help him read and write so he could follow the curriculum. The boy soon discovered he loved history.
As David mastered his new equipment, teachers spotted his talent for technology. They set up a student tech team and put him on it. In short order, David was helping other kids learn on their computers, setting up interactive SmartBoards for teachers to use in classrooms and laptops for assembly presentations and overseeing photography and videos of school events. He became the school's go-to guy for all things digital.
Last year, in Grade 8, he was head of the tech team. Realizing that soon he would be off to high school, he set about training other kids to take over the reins.
David's special education teacher, Elyn Catli, nominated him for an award from the Toronto chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children, which advocates for kids with special needs. In her nomination letter, Catli noted that technology opened the door for a child who had "been silenced in class" with no outlet to demonstrate his learning.
"His achievements in technology have enabled him to express himself and give back to the community by his generous and selfless way of sharing," she wrote in the nomination letter, now framed on David's bedroom wall.
His contributions to the school "will be felt long after he graduates."
Last spring, David was presented with the council's "Yes I Can" award at a dinner at the National Yacht Club. In the fall, he received the council's provincial award at a lunch in London.
"It felt pretty good that I'd been nominated," says David, now 14 and in Grade 9 at Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School. "It was good to feel appreciated."
Most parents know that one teacher can change a child's life. David had several.
"In this school, we try to identify a child's needs and strengths and work with that," says Tonya Williams, his classroom teacher in Grades 6 and 8.
The public school system can get caught up in red tape and the formal processes of assessing and diagnosing problems. Williams says her school's support team – which includes teachers, the principal and a school psychologist – tries to be proactive and also offers clubs and teams that allow kids to shine and learn new skills.
"We don't have to wait for (formal) identifications in order to help a child," she says.
While building on a student's strengths makes sense, a growing number of education advocates and psychologists worry that the process of qualifying for special ed support is too focused on identifying deficits.
They argue that creating resilient kids requires looking at the whole child and helping each understand and value his or her own particular learning style and talents.
To Bourassa-Burke, the dividends of that approach have been enormous for her son.
"They got a child with huge, huge difficulties and said, `Let's do the best we can for him.' He just blossomed under that and, in response, he gave back."
School is still tough for David but, with the help of assistive technology, he says he enjoys it.
"The most important thing about this is I think it has turned him into a lifelong learner," his mother says. "He wants to learn and he's not afraid to try."
Toronto Star
Cut: Slicing Through the Myths of Circumcision
The critically acclaimed documentary on male circumcision by Chicago filmmaker Eli Ungar-Sargon. For the unabridged version, please buy the DVD at: www.CutTheFilm.com
Apr 4, 2009
The Audacity of Help
The Audacity of Help
By Shanna Brewton-Tiayon
What's faster than the speed of light? The stride of a working mother trying to accomplish a two page to-do list during a half-hour lunch break. What is the best tag-team collaboration around? The mother and father duo, attempting to balance a full-time job, extracurricular activities for the children, family time, church, and, oh yeah, household chores.
This was my reality growing up in Hampton, Virginia, in the 1980s and '90s. As an adolescent and eventually a college-bound teenager, all of what I amassed to file under the how to be a good parent category of my mental library was discovered and learned in the Tidewater area. I grew up as a typical overly socialized child with a mile-long activity list, but with no alternative logistical resources, except my mother. I became used to my mother—a single parent wearing multiple hats at once, with no complaints or requests for breaks. My life was full; I was happy. What I didn't know was that my mom was overwhelmed and very tired...
By Shanna Brewton-Tiayon
What's faster than the speed of light? The stride of a working mother trying to accomplish a two page to-do list during a half-hour lunch break. What is the best tag-team collaboration around? The mother and father duo, attempting to balance a full-time job, extracurricular activities for the children, family time, church, and, oh yeah, household chores.
This was my reality growing up in Hampton, Virginia, in the 1980s and '90s. As an adolescent and eventually a college-bound teenager, all of what I amassed to file under the how to be a good parent category of my mental library was discovered and learned in the Tidewater area. I grew up as a typical overly socialized child with a mile-long activity list, but with no alternative logistical resources, except my mother. I became used to my mother—a single parent wearing multiple hats at once, with no complaints or requests for breaks. My life was full; I was happy. What I didn't know was that my mom was overwhelmed and very tired...
Apr 1, 2009
Effect of food intake during labour on obstetric outcome: randomised controlled trial
This is a new study in the British Medical Journal to investigate the effect of feeding during labour on obstetric and neonatal outcomes... the findings are remarkable.
The HypnoBirthing® Experience.
HypnoBirthing® is as much a philosophy of birth as it is a technique for achieving a satisfying, relaxing, and stress-free method of birthing. This amazing program teaches you, along with your birthing companion, the art and joy of experiencing birth in a more comfortable manner. You will learn how to call upon your body’s own natural relaxant and thus lessen, or even eliminate discomfort and the need for medication. When a woman is properly prepared for childbirth and when mind and body are in harmony, Nature is free to function in the same well-designed manner that it does with all animal mothers in Nature.
You will be fascinated as you view HypnoBirthing® films, showing labouring mothers, awake, alert and in good humour as they experience the kind of gentle birth that you, too, can know when you are free of the fear that causes pain and tension. Through self-hypnosis, special breathing, and visualization, HypnoBirthing® teaches you to release all prior programming about birth, how to trust your body and work with it, as well as how to free yourself of harmful emotions that lead to pain-causing fear and unyielding muscles.
You will learn the art of using your own natural birthing instincts. With HypnoBirthing®, you will not be in a trance or a sleep state. You will be aware and fully in control, but profoundly relaxed.
HypnoBirthing® Advantages
Teaches deep levels of relaxation to eliminate the fear that causes tension and, thus, pain.
Greatly reduces and often eliminates the need for chemical painkillers and drugs.
Shortens the first phase of labour.
Leaves mother alert, fresh, awake and with energy.
Helps keep oxygen supplied to baby during birthing.
Reduces the need for an episiotomy
Reduces and often eliminates fatigue during labour.
Empowers parents with techniques to achieve a gentle, calm birth for themselves and their baby.
Gives the birthing companion an integral role in the birthing.
Embraces the concept of pre-birth parenting.
Teaches breathing techniques that allow a woman to gently breathe her baby into the world without the violence of hard, physical pushing.
This unique prenatal series is being offered at:
Becoming Maternity April 26th-May 31st (with a 2 week break between May 11th and May18th for Mother's Day and Victoria Day). Couples can register with Becoming.
The JCC with Baby and Me Fitness (couples can register with B & M Fit) April 22nd-May 20th.
Please contact Amanda Burke for more details: amandaburke@rogers.com
You will be fascinated as you view HypnoBirthing® films, showing labouring mothers, awake, alert and in good humour as they experience the kind of gentle birth that you, too, can know when you are free of the fear that causes pain and tension. Through self-hypnosis, special breathing, and visualization, HypnoBirthing® teaches you to release all prior programming about birth, how to trust your body and work with it, as well as how to free yourself of harmful emotions that lead to pain-causing fear and unyielding muscles.
You will learn the art of using your own natural birthing instincts. With HypnoBirthing®, you will not be in a trance or a sleep state. You will be aware and fully in control, but profoundly relaxed.
HypnoBirthing® Advantages
Teaches deep levels of relaxation to eliminate the fear that causes tension and, thus, pain.
Greatly reduces and often eliminates the need for chemical painkillers and drugs.
Shortens the first phase of labour.
Leaves mother alert, fresh, awake and with energy.
Helps keep oxygen supplied to baby during birthing.
Reduces the need for an episiotomy
Reduces and often eliminates fatigue during labour.
Empowers parents with techniques to achieve a gentle, calm birth for themselves and their baby.
Gives the birthing companion an integral role in the birthing.
Embraces the concept of pre-birth parenting.
Teaches breathing techniques that allow a woman to gently breathe her baby into the world without the violence of hard, physical pushing.
This unique prenatal series is being offered at:
Becoming Maternity April 26th-May 31st (with a 2 week break between May 11th and May18th for Mother's Day and Victoria Day). Couples can register with Becoming.
The JCC with Baby and Me Fitness (couples can register with B & M Fit) April 22nd-May 20th.
Please contact Amanda Burke for more details: amandaburke@rogers.com
Have something to say? Question to ask? Something to submit? I'd love to hear from you.
Welcome to Mama Sayana Doula support. I started this blog as a way to provide real, unedited information about pregnancy and birth to pregnant mothers and couples.
Happy blogging.
The true heart of this blog lies in the stories and pictures submitted by you.
Please feel free to visit often and post your comments.Mar 9, 2009
A Midwife Crisis
" Not enough doctors, not enough midwives: it’s a bad time to have a baby in Canada."
More and more pregnant woman are having a hard time finding a clinic that will take them for midwifery care.
Because there are only 400 registered midwives to serve the entire province, savvy mothers-to-be have taken to “strategizing” to secure a coveted spot... conitinue reading article
More and more pregnant woman are having a hard time finding a clinic that will take them for midwifery care.
Because there are only 400 registered midwives to serve the entire province, savvy mothers-to-be have taken to “strategizing” to secure a coveted spot... conitinue reading article
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)