are you due during birthin' season?

NPR reblogged this from nevver/UTNE Reader...
Mating season leads to birthing season, I guess.

midwives rock: we knew this already, but nice to have the study

 ACNM Releases Research Showing Significant Midwifery Care Benefits

Key findings confirm women cared for by CNMs/CMs experience optimal health outcomes during pregnancy, childbirth, and beyond. 

See more here

 ..."In addition to improved health outcomes, midwives’ high-touch, low-tech approach to care is associated with lower costs for clients and insurers. Midwives’ judicious, evidence-based use of technology results in a reduced likelihood of unnecessary interventions, including cesareans – a practice in the United States that dramatically increased in less than 40 years from 5 to 33 percent.[ii]..."

Mothers are powerful! happy Mother's Day, y'all

passing this along...


Together, Mothers Are Powerful. 

Last month’s furor over the remarks of political pundits and candidate’s wives launched a flurry of conversation among mothers.

Mothers have a voice of their own to add to the discussion. Authors, activists and others have been writing and identifying the issues raised this political season for decades, and women have been listening, again and again.

It’s time for mothers’ own voices to be heard.

We are a bi-partisan coalition of women’s organizations, experts, and writers who have diligently worked on bringing mother’s issues into the mainstream political discussion.

Some of us are advocates, and some are community organizations. Many of us are authors and experts about mothers’ lives as well.  All of us recognize the value of a mother's contribution to her family, both the paid and unpaid work that women do.

Our message is simple: all mothers need more support.

This Mother’s Day we want to get the word out about our ideas, our work, and our priorities. We offer the following list to provide resources for real information and places for women to gather for intelligent discourse on the many problems — and solutions — to the issues facing mothers and families.

We offer this list as an alternative to the tired and cliched coverage of mothers in the mainstream media.

Please join your voice with ours this Mother's Day. Together, Mothers are powerful.

* * * * *

ANN CRITTENDEN
Author, The Price of Motherhood
Co-founder “MOTHER: Mothers Ought to Have Equal Rights”

DEBRA LEVY
Past President, Mothers & More

The Wild Things are still where they always were

                             Wild Thing Gabe


Rest in peace, Maurice Sendak... Wild Things are within us all.

National Teacher Day - who helped shape you?

Coincidentally, I was in my middle son's 5th grade class this morning to help the kids thank their wonderful teacher - the kids were thrilled to show him what they had made and I think the teacher was truly touched...they all have some great memories so far this year. 

On National Teacher Day, I'd like to thank just some of the important teachers I've been blessed to have:
my parents, Cindy & Denny Collins, k-3 (home schooled); Mrs. Bramlett, 4th grade; Mrs. Flemming, 6th grade; Mrs. Snead, 7th grade; Polly Field, 10th grade; Janet Schneider, 11th/12th, Goeffrey Reeves, undergrad; Debra Pascali-Bonaro, DONA certification and beyond; Deborah Flowers & Ina May Gaskin, midwifery assistant program at The Farm.   And my kids, every day, whether I like it or not!

What about you - who would you thank if you could?

artwork above

La Leche League meeting this Thursday, 5/10

La Leche League of West Essex 

Series Meetings are held monthly on the second Thursday morning from
9:30-11:00 am. Please note our new meeting day!
Meetings are ALWAYS FREE of charge. Moms, Moms-to-be, babies and children are all welcome. Although we have a monthly topic, all questions and issues will be addressed. One-on-one assistance with a Leader is available in the half hour following the meeting. 

Series Meeting Dates & Topics: 
May 10 Advantages of Breastfeeding
June 14 The Baby Arrives: The Family & the Breastfed Baby
July 12 The Art of Breastfeeding & Avoiding Difficulties
August 9 Nutrition & Weaning

new meeting location for 2012!

We are excited to meet in our new home for 2012: 271 N. Livingston Ave., Livingston, NJ 07039. This is the home office of Dr. Drew Spergel, husband to our longtime member Heather Spergel. There is parking available inside the property and also on the street. Please call Andrea or Miriam for directions. 

Questions between meetings? Call or email a Leader!
Aleksandra (973) 744-2971 Andrea (908) 810-5645 Emily (973) 218-1122 Miriam (973) 533-6887

Email: westessexlaleche@yahoo.com  

Website: www.lllusa.org/web/westessexnj.html

Free LLL Magazine New Beginnings
http://www.lllusa.org/lllusanewbeginnings.php
Free LLL Magazine Breastfeeding Today
http://www.llli.org/breastfeedingtoday

blissed out baby

So lovely - this must be what it's like in the womb. I wish every newborn could be lovingly cared for like this. I love the S-L-O-W pace at which she moves with the babies.

W.H.A.L.E: We Have A Little Emergency

A discussion about making sure your kids have contact info on them in case they get lost made me remember  this program...I used it when my kids were littler and in car seats...it was both horrible to think about the need to use the information and also comforting to know the information was there if needed.

I always write my cell in their backpacks, jackets, lunch boxes etc. rather than their name and address/home phone for obvious reasons...

As for ideas about arming your little kids with your contact information when they are too young to remember it and will be out and about in big, public places (like field trips, travel...), here are some of the suggestions I heard:

• get dog tags made up with parents' names and cells, to be worn under shirt and shown only to another mom or person in uniform if lost
• put your business card in their pocket/sock etc.
• write on their belly
• get personalized temporary tattoos made up for special outings

Another suggestion I picked up: when they are getting to the point of being old enough to be able to remember a phone number, teach them to sing it...they may recall it more easily that way.