Tiptoe through the tulips!

The town/county where I live is a great place - one direction we have the North Cascade mountains, in the other we have Puget Sound. To the north we have Vancouver and to the south we have Seattle. But what I didn't know before I moved here is that in the valley we have tulips! Miles and miles of tulips. We are just ending a month long tulip festival! The roads have been clogged and the old main street has been bustling! Well this year it was great to see a few of my birth friends come to tiptoe through them (Penny Simkin brought Kathy McGrath and Passioneer Kris Avery even got me out there this week to ooh and ahh over them.)

I know there must be a connection to tulips and birth - maybe it's just taking a moment to soak in the beauty!

Research: breastfeeding

Highwire abstract

Hospital Practices and Women's Likelihood of Fulfilling Their Intention to Exclusively Breastfeed.
Eugene Declercq, Miriam Labbok, Carol Sakala, and Maryann O'Hara
Am J Public Health, March 19, 2009; .

Boston University School of Public Health.

Objectives. We sought to assess whether breastfeeding-related hospital practices reported by mothers were associated with achievement of their intentions to exclusively breastfeed. Methods. We used data from Listening to Mothers II, a nationally representative survey of 1573 mothers who had given birth in a hospital to a singleton in 2005. Mothers were asked retrospectively about their breastfeeding intention, infant feeding at 1 week, and 7 hospital practices. Results. Primiparas reported a substantial difference between their intention to exclusively breastfeed (70%) and this practice at 1 week (50%). They also reported hospital practices that conflicted with the Baby-Friendly Ten Steps, including supplementation (49%) and pacifier use (45%). Primiparas who delivered in hospitals that practiced 6 or 7 of the steps were 6 times more likely for achieve their intention to exclusively breastfeed than were those in hospitals that practiced none or 1 of the steps.Mothers who reported supplemental feedings for their infant were less likely to achieve their intention to exclusively breastfeed: primiparas (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=4.4; 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.1, 9.3); multiparas (AOR=8.8; 95% CI=4.4, 17.6). Conclusions. Hospitals should implement policies that support breastfeeding with particular attention to eliminating supplementation of healthy newborns.

PMID: 19299680

Natural versus Taught': Competing Discourses in Antenatal Breastfeeding Workshops.
A Locke
J Health Psychol, April 1, 2009; 14(3): 435-46.
University of Huddersfield, UK. a.locke@hud.ac.uk.

This article is an analysis of talk in breastfeeding workshops that are part of National Childbirth Trust antenatal classes. Using audio-recordings from breastfeeding workshops antenatal classes, the data were analysed using a qualitative, discursive methodology based in part on the premises outlined by Potter and Wetherell (1987) and Edwards and Potter (1992, 2001). The analysis demonstrates how there are two main discourses of breastfeeding constructed by the breastfeeding counsellor-breastfeeding as natural, and breastfeeding as learnt. In particular, it notes how these two main discourses of breastfeeding that are seemingly in competition with one another, operate concurrently within the teaching of breastfeeding, and enable the breastfeeding counsellor to manage issues and concerns around breastfeeding.

Highwire

Birth Survey results are here!

How exciting!

CIMS Grassroots Advocates Committee is happy to announce that the overall results for The Birth Survey are now available for facilities and providers across the US under the "connect" button at birthsurvey.

Please feel free to share this announcement. Find the press release at Press.

The consumer reviews just launched include:
- Overall ratings and recommendations for birth facilities and care providers
- A seven-item set of questions on providers’ interpersonal and communication skills
- Facility intervention rates
- Information on finding good care.
- A national average of ratings is also displayed to provide comparison with individual ratings.

Spread the word!

bf in bathroom

You gotta love it! I love it when people take action in creative ways!

AAP digs self deeper in do-do

As many of you know there was a satire press release sent out on April Fools Day saying that the AAP had cut its connections with Formula Companies. Well, some people didn't know it was a April Fool's joke and I guess called AAP and now the AAP has to repeatedly say it is not breaking ties with the formula folks and they have threatened legal action etc.

Well as we know on the web, things can go viral and read the next chapter here Hoyden About Town

Listen and learn!

This podcast is a fun listen! If Your Mom Were a Platypus: What We Can Learn by Studying Mammal Lactation Talk

An example of a little known fact from her website:

A female Pacific Grey Whale gestates and delivers a 2000 pound baby, migrates over 10,000 miles, and produces 6 tons of breastmilk without eating a bite of food -- using just her blubber for fuel.

and I thought I worked hard as a new mom!

Get involved with the Birth Survey!

Find more videos like this on CIMS GAC Ambassadors



Find more videos like this on CIMS GAC Ambassadors

Contest time!

All right - I am a true believer in the power of stories. And I think it's time for some of us to share our story about why it was a great idea to become a childbirth educator. I have added a new page to my website about "Why should I become a childbirth educator?" And I need some personal stories about why YOU decided to become an educator and why you continue being a childbirth educator.

Contest? Yes! For the 4 or 5 stories that I pick and put on the Passion for Birth website, I will send you a Trust Birth poster or an Idea Box.

Deadline? Mother's day 2009 (May 10)

Length? A couple paragraphs - people don't spend a lot of time reading long winded articles, in my experience. So get to the key points quickly!

Post Earth Day

Kid-Safe Chemicals Act: 10 Americans @ Yahoo! Video

Yes, I missed Earth Day but this clip is worth watching for two reasons -
1) the reality of how many contaminants are showing up in newborn babies
2) an effective use of powerpoint....beyond the bullet point!

Cake Wrecks

My friend Sharon Muza sends me periodic blog posts from Cake Wrecks and today's and yesterday's were pregnant belly cakes. The Cake Wrecks always bring a smile. Today when I went to her blog I was shocked by how many people comment on her daily posts. Then I was saddened...it's rare I get a comment. Is no one reading? Am I not controversial enough? Or what?
After you write me a comment, check out the whole story behind this belly cake Cake Wrecks

Free posters

Free posters available:
Orders limited to 5 posters per customer
Shipping and Handling Not Included
Sizes Available: 11x17 and 8x10

Place your order online at www.dontshake.org or
by phone at 801-627-3399

COUPON CODE: FreePoster
ITEM NUMBERS: POST-NVR-10 (8x10)
POST-NVR-17 (11x17)

Hurry -Offer Expires 4/24/2009

Joy

Well - this has nothing to do with childbirth but sometimes when I read about the Cesarean rate and all the cascading interventions (Costs and use of Medical interventions at birth released today ) I can get a little gloomy! (The article even credits the cesarean rate for the decrease in episiotomies..now that's a silver lining approach,eh?) So this clip has NOTHING to do with birth and instead shows an intervention where 200+ dancers in Belgium (I think) practice and stage what looks like a spontaneous performance in the train station. Brought a smile in these discouraging times.

Newsletters worth a read

To get these newsletters, go to their sites and find the click there!

ibreastfeeding.com/Hale Publishing

Amy's Babies

What's your doula archetype?

what type of doula are you... I thought this was a cute blog entry!
Doula Archetype Blog

Want to buy a bed?

"Unnecesarean" - a blog I follow has posted a great ad for beds and does a comparison between how US bed makers use a glass of wine and a bowling ball as a selling point and this Spanish bed maker uses a birth on the bed as a selling point! You have to see to believe! Check out the rest of her post and pictures at Birth Activist where she shared. Follow her blog here: Unnecesarean



Now that would motivate me to buy their bed!

Free access to Journals!

Free access to Journals through 4/31/09 including Journal of Human Lactation!
Sage Publications

ok, I am home and whooped!

Well, after being stuffed into the 17" airplane seat for 15 hours from New Delhi to NJ and then 5 more to get to Seattle, I am whooped! Facing the tax deadline tomorrow means I shouldn't even be blogging but... I came upon this fun video and decided to share (and to let you know I survived.) The women who attended the seminar were inspirational and fun! Hopefully I will have a picture to post soon!

But in the meantime, enjoy this:

I lied

I have a glimpse of free internet access and got this great resource in my email in box - here are free podcasts for your listening pleasure! What a treat - hear some of your favorites!
MIDIRS Podcast

See you the week of the 15th!

Well, when this automatically gets posted, I will be on the long trek to New Delhi, India. So I will be taking a break from my daily postings!

I am excited (but also dreading sitting on a oversold airplane for way too many hours!) and hopefully will have many stories to tell about the amazing childbirth educators there!

Dancing for Birth

I have always "drooled" offer this workshop and I am pleased to say that Dancing for Birth is coming to Seattle, Oct. 24 - 25. Come take this trainers workshop with me and expand your practice. Learn more about this fun program developed and led by Stephanie Larson! Become a Dancing for Birth instructor

A father's experience

New technology - audio blogging from your iphone.... listen to a new father's perspective on his child's birth, via an audio blog.

Audio Boo

Special shirt

So many women who are pregnant complain that they are tired of strangers rubbing their bellies - well now, there is a special shirt , just for you!

Customized shirts

India Arie

This woman is one of my favorite musicians....



There is nothing in the world that you cannot do
When you believe in you, who are beautiful
Yeah, you, who are brilliant
Yeah, you, who are powerful
Yeah, you, who are resilient

April Fool ???

When something sounds too good to be true, it's usually not true ...like all those millions of dollars that are ready to be sent to my bank account. But this was posted on a lactation list I am on and I would love it to be true...I took the names off just in case.

Press Release
4/1/2009

American Academy of Baby Doctors
For Immediate Release

Dr. XXXXX, President of the American Academy of Baby Doctors which
represents 60,000 primary care Baby Doctors, Baby Doctor medical
subspecialists and Baby Doctor surgical specialists has announced that it is
severing all ties with the infant formula industry.

"This method of feeding substitution has harmed millions of children both in
America and throughout the world and we Baby Doctors can no longer continue
our relationship with the manufacturers of infant formula." said Dr.
XXX, who assumed the post of AABD President in October of 2008.

Our alliance with the pharmaceutical industry is unethical. Our accepting
millions of dollars and continuing to allow these business people to
influence our policies while sponsoring our speakers, conferences and
conventions is an ongoing embarrassment and we will end this ethical problem
right now.

Further, I would like to apologize for our past mistakes involving the
breastfeeding advertisement campaign and allowing the maker of a major
infant formula to print its corporate logo on the cover of a special edition
of the academy's book on breastfeeding.

Again, I can cannot express enough regret and can assure you that the AABD
will immediately seek compliance with the WHO Code and will promote the Baby
Friendly Hospital Initiative.

Sincerely,


XXX, MD, President of the American Academy of Baby Doctors
April 1, 2009

This is NO April Fool joke

"WOMEN who choose to have an elective caesarean in the belief that it will prevent incontinence and genital prolapse are "misguided" and may be putting their health, and that of their baby, at unnecessary risk.

That is the view of Jenny King, a urogynaecologist at Westmead Hospital, who questions the right of women to choose surgical births to avoid pelvic floor problems....."

"Incontinence is an emotional issue, but I looked at the data and you have got more chance of losing a baby from the complications of a caesarean section than getting incontinence problems," she said.

"If a young woman of healthy weight asked a gastric surgeon for lap-band surgery to prevent the possibility of becoming obese later in life, surely no one would agree to that.

"So why does a pregnant woman have the right to surgery she doesn't need?"

Read the whole article and the research referenced!
Misguided Cesarean Myths