Lollipop Moments are what Drew Dudley defines as those moments where you do something you may not even remember later you have done that truly impacts someone else's life. And that we need to acknowledge these and honor them. This is a 3 minute talk that will stay with you for days.
Have a listen, and explore the TED site.
The TED website, tag line: "Ideas worth spreding" doesn't focus on pregnancy at all - yet in a larger sense it is about parenting: ourselves, our kids, the world. It is where I go for inspiration, for a pick me up, reminders about hope, compassion, curiosity, unity.
You can listen to talks, many less than 10 minutes, from artists, entrepreneurs, scientists, social transformers - people who are making a difference.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Exercising for Two
When you exercise during pregnancy, your baby is not, as most of us would have thought, a passive, floating passenger (and ballast on the bladder). Instead, he or she may be actively joining in the workout, with the fetal cardiac system growing stronger and healthier as a result of the workouts.
Gretchen Reynolds, in this NYT article, refers to a study that came out last April. "For the study, which was presented on Sunday at the Experimental Biology 2011 meeting in Washington, researchers from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences revisited a group of 61 healthy women, ages 20 to 35, who’d been part of a pilot study of exercise, pregnancy and fetal heart health. About half of the women had exercised regularly during their pregnancies, jogging, power-walking or otherwise working out at a moderate pace at least three times a week. Some also had lifted light weights or practiced yoga. But their primary activity had been aerobic. The other half of the mothers-to-be “were normally active but did not engage in formal exercise,” said Linda E. May, an exercise physiologist who led the study. "
The study found that unborn children had a response to their mom's workouts! Dr. May examined the fetal cardiac readings and found that "fetuses whose mothers had exercised showed lower heart rates and greater heart-rate variability than those whose mothers had not worked out."
Dr. May told Reynolds "Dr. May reported at the Experimental Biology meeting. The babies born to exercising mothers continued to have lower heart rates and greater heart-rate variability four weeks after delivery than the babies born to the other women. The effect was especially robust in the children whose mothers had exercised the most, Dr. May said; they had the slowest heart rates and presumably the strongest hearts."
Bottom line: stay healthy and work out, for you and your baby's healthy future
Read the entire article here:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/13/exercising-for-two/
Gretchen Reynolds, in this NYT article, refers to a study that came out last April. "For the study, which was presented on Sunday at the Experimental Biology 2011 meeting in Washington, researchers from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences revisited a group of 61 healthy women, ages 20 to 35, who’d been part of a pilot study of exercise, pregnancy and fetal heart health. About half of the women had exercised regularly during their pregnancies, jogging, power-walking or otherwise working out at a moderate pace at least three times a week. Some also had lifted light weights or practiced yoga. But their primary activity had been aerobic. The other half of the mothers-to-be “were normally active but did not engage in formal exercise,” said Linda E. May, an exercise physiologist who led the study. "
The study found that unborn children had a response to their mom's workouts! Dr. May examined the fetal cardiac readings and found that "fetuses whose mothers had exercised showed lower heart rates and greater heart-rate variability than those whose mothers had not worked out."
Dr. May told Reynolds "Dr. May reported at the Experimental Biology meeting. The babies born to exercising mothers continued to have lower heart rates and greater heart-rate variability four weeks after delivery than the babies born to the other women. The effect was especially robust in the children whose mothers had exercised the most, Dr. May said; they had the slowest heart rates and presumably the strongest hearts."
Bottom line: stay healthy and work out, for you and your baby's healthy future
Read the entire article here:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/13/exercising-for-two/
Monday, February 6, 2012
There’s No Place Like Home … To Give Birth
A great article by Emily Willingham over on Slate.com After a traumatic hospital experience with the birth of her first child, she chose to birth at home the next time. Professionally she is a developmental biologist and is not one "given to unscientific leaps or to detours away from evidence-based medicine."
Some talking points:
- The CDC (Center for Disease Control) has identified a 29 percent increase in home-birth rates from 2004 to 2009 in the United States
- A large study she sites found that births among first-time mothers were as safe in a midwifery unit as in an obstetric unit
- The same studied said that home births or births in a midwifery unit (the U.K. equivalent of a birthing center) were just as safe as a hospital delivery for women who’d already had a child
- 2010 analysis of 12 studies from six industrialized countries found that planned homebirths with healthy and low-risk mothers carried a 0.2 percent risk of newborn death versus a 0.09 percent risk for in-hospital births, a greater than two-fold increase
- Advocates for gentle births such as Harriet Hall, an OB, call for integrating a “kinder, gentler, less-interventionist midwife approach into a home-like hospital birthing facility” would increase patient satisfaction without sacrificing safety.
- Bottom line "The obvious solution to the controversy is to offer choices that reduce perinatal stress, minimize interventions, and personalize birth—the great appeal of home birth and midwives—while ensuring a safe outcome with well-trained attendants and access to emergency facilities. The absence of options in the United States leaves this solution elusive, especially where hospitals lack a homey, low-stress environment and local midwifery care fails to meet the gold standard. Strange, isn’t it, that our nation, in the 21st century, can’t offer more uniformly safe choices for a low-risk pregnant woman seeking a healthy, low-stress birth for her child … and herself?"
Read the whole article here -
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Some talking points:
- The CDC (Center for Disease Control) has identified a 29 percent increase in home-birth rates from 2004 to 2009 in the United States
- A large study she sites found that births among first-time mothers were as safe in a midwifery unit as in an obstetric unit
- The same studied said that home births or births in a midwifery unit (the U.K. equivalent of a birthing center) were just as safe as a hospital delivery for women who’d already had a child
- 2010 analysis of 12 studies from six industrialized countries found that planned homebirths with healthy and low-risk mothers carried a 0.2 percent risk of newborn death versus a 0.09 percent risk for in-hospital births, a greater than two-fold increase
- Advocates for gentle births such as Harriet Hall, an OB, call for integrating a “kinder, gentler, less-interventionist midwife approach into a home-like hospital birthing facility” would increase patient satisfaction without sacrificing safety.
- Bottom line "The obvious solution to the controversy is to offer choices that reduce perinatal stress, minimize interventions, and personalize birth—the great appeal of home birth and midwives—while ensuring a safe outcome with well-trained attendants and access to emergency facilities. The absence of options in the United States leaves this solution elusive, especially where hospitals lack a homey, low-stress environment and local midwifery care fails to meet the gold standard. Strange, isn’t it, that our nation, in the 21st century, can’t offer more uniformly safe choices for a low-risk pregnant woman seeking a healthy, low-stress birth for her child … and herself?"
Read the whole article here -
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Thursday, November 17, 2011
The 4th Trimester - Mothering the Mother
Often times the 9 months of growing a baby are spent in the "hurry up and wait" mode in the ongoing anticipation of the birth. Then the little one arrives and its a whole new scenario with many changes occur physiological, psychological and spiritual for the mother, baby and family. In this culture not enough attention is given to Mom's recuperation and transition.
During the time between birth and 6-8 weeks post-birth Mom's body is still working hard and experiencing a lot of physical shifts. The most important among them include healing of the uterus and uterine wall, vaginal restoration and healing of the pelvic floor muscles including the perineum, restoring strength and tone to the abdominal wall muscles, if nursing - establishing a good milk supply and successful breastfeeding, and coping with endocrine system and hormonal shifts.
In "The Importance of Postpartum Care" by Rev. Pilar (Ma’at) Grant, a midwife and women's health educator with over 20 years of practice, says:
"In the US, there is no set standard of care for women postpartum. Most are routinely sent home from the hospital with only instructions on a paper and told to make an appointment in 5 to 6 weeks. Homebirth mothers usually see their midwife for 2 to 3 days postpartum and then again in about a week. After that, mothers are not seen again until 6 weeks. I was shocked to learn that some midwives give no postpartum visits and women are advised to visit an OBGYN in 6 weeks. Many women return to work still experiencing postpartum issues."
"Postpartum care is not ignored throughout the entire nation. In the south where I grew up, there are women who still know and try to teach the important rituals during the monthly menstrual period and afterbirth. They understand the significance of staying warm, eating foods that stick to your ribs, not getting wet and catching a chill due to pores being open during the menses and afterbirth. These remedies are usually referred to as old wives tales or superstition. However, the elders argue that because they followed these rituals, they did not suffer from the same reproductive problems that women today do."
This is an area where the United States lacks a significant cultural practice around caring for women that many other countries know, honor and embrace.
Read Grant's whole article here:
http://mothering.com/pregnancy-birth/mothering-mother-importance-after-birth-care
During the time between birth and 6-8 weeks post-birth Mom's body is still working hard and experiencing a lot of physical shifts. The most important among them include healing of the uterus and uterine wall, vaginal restoration and healing of the pelvic floor muscles including the perineum, restoring strength and tone to the abdominal wall muscles, if nursing - establishing a good milk supply and successful breastfeeding, and coping with endocrine system and hormonal shifts.
In "The Importance of Postpartum Care" by Rev. Pilar (Ma’at) Grant, a midwife and women's health educator with over 20 years of practice, says:
"In the US, there is no set standard of care for women postpartum. Most are routinely sent home from the hospital with only instructions on a paper and told to make an appointment in 5 to 6 weeks. Homebirth mothers usually see their midwife for 2 to 3 days postpartum and then again in about a week. After that, mothers are not seen again until 6 weeks. I was shocked to learn that some midwives give no postpartum visits and women are advised to visit an OBGYN in 6 weeks. Many women return to work still experiencing postpartum issues."
"Postpartum care is not ignored throughout the entire nation. In the south where I grew up, there are women who still know and try to teach the important rituals during the monthly menstrual period and afterbirth. They understand the significance of staying warm, eating foods that stick to your ribs, not getting wet and catching a chill due to pores being open during the menses and afterbirth. These remedies are usually referred to as old wives tales or superstition. However, the elders argue that because they followed these rituals, they did not suffer from the same reproductive problems that women today do."
This is an area where the United States lacks a significant cultural practice around caring for women that many other countries know, honor and embrace.
Read Grant's whole article here:
http://mothering.com/pregnancy-birth/mothering-mother-importance-after-birth-care
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Backwards is Safest
The leading cause of death for toddlers in the United States isn't poisoning, medical ailments or accidents around the home. By far the biggest killer of children is car crashes.
On Thursday, the National Transportation Safety Board holds a forum on car seat safety in Washington. Some of the recommendations could mean wholesale changes to how Americans transport their kids.
The reason to keep kids facing the back as they get older - even up to the age of 4 - is simple physics. In a head-on collision, a rear-facing car seat spreads the energy of the crash across the toddler's entire back, not just across a narrow portion of a tiny body.
Studies have shown that toddlers in a rear-facing car seat are five times safer than those who face forward. In the U.S., five children a day die, on average, in car crashes. That's frustrating to pediatricians.
Most 4-year-olds in Sweden are transported this way. European car seats are larger, and the cars are engineered so they can accommodate them. "Cultural change is very slow," says Alisa Baer, a pediatrician who helps run TheCarSeatLady.com. "The United States is a society that doesn't like to be told what to do."
Source:
NPR @
CarSeatLady:
On Thursday, the National Transportation Safety Board holds a forum on car seat safety in Washington. Some of the recommendations could mean wholesale changes to how Americans transport their kids.
The reason to keep kids facing the back as they get older - even up to the age of 4 - is simple physics. In a head-on collision, a rear-facing car seat spreads the energy of the crash across the toddler's entire back, not just across a narrow portion of a tiny body.
Studies have shown that toddlers in a rear-facing car seat are five times safer than those who face forward. In the U.S., five children a day die, on average, in car crashes. That's frustrating to pediatricians.
Most 4-year-olds in Sweden are transported this way. European car seats are larger, and the cars are engineered so they can accommodate them. "Cultural change is very slow," says Alisa Baer, a pediatrician who helps run TheCarSeatLady.com. "The United States is a society that doesn't like to be told what to do."
Source:
NPR @
CarSeatLady:
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Friday October 15 - A Day of Remembrance for Pregnancy and Infant Loss
Everyday in the U.S.2000 women lose a pregnancy. That’s 700,000 a year, about one in every three pregnancies. And yet it is a devastating event that is rarely spoken about. Erasing that silence is one of the goals of this day of remembrance - to open up conversations about miscarriage, stillbirths, SIDs and infant loss.
This Friday, October 15 at 7 p.m.parents, grandparents, siblings relatives and friends will be lighting candles at 7 p.m.and burning them for one hour in memory of babies who have died. Many families grieve out of sight and in silence and this special day is an opportunity to break the silence and come together within families and communities to openly mourn these losses and support these families.
If you know someone who has experienced the loss of a pregnancy,and infant or a child of any age - please reach out to them today. It doesn't need to be a grand gesture or long conversation, a phone call, a note or a cookie with a cup of tea will mean the world to them.
SHARE is a nationwide group that helps families touched by this tragedy. They have online chat groups, discussion groups and help famillies find local resources and information about infant loss. http://www.nationalshare.org
I AM THE FACE is a campaign sponsored by Faces of Loss, Faces of Hope. It is an online community of women who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss. They share their stories, connect with others who have been through similar experiences, feel “normal,” and know they are not alone. And, most touchingly, they share their photos - giving faces to this tragedy and reminding other women that they are not alone. http://www.iamtheface.org/
Here are some of the resources available in
- Nationwide Children's Hospital, meeting at the Center for Family and Child Advocacy 2nd Thursday of the month,
- Ohio Infant Loss Support Group, Kobacker House, (next to
- Compassionate Friends, for those who have lost a child of any age 2nd & 4th Tuesday of month,
- Hospice of Central Ohio Pregnancy & Infant Loss Group 4th Wednesday of the month,
- Dublin Counseling Center, At a Loss Support Group, free - for parents who have lost a child of any age 1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month,
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Circumsion Rate Falling Fast in U.S.
New research about a steep drop in circumcisions made headlines this past week. According to one federal researcher, circumcision rates in U.S. hospitals slid from 56 percent in 2006 to fewer than a third of boys born last year.
Doctors caution that those numbers aren't definitive — for instance, they don't include circumcisions not covered by insurance policies or circumcisions performed in religious settings.
But Dr. Douglas Diekema, a pediatrics bioethicist at the University of Washington, tells NPR's Audie Cornish there's no doubt about the overall trend.
"I think all of us agree there probably is a decrease in the number of circumcisions over time, and that's probably a result of a number of factors," Diekema says.
"About 10 years ago, the American Academy of Pediatrics came out with a policy statement that was fairly neutral on whether circumcisions should be recommended for newborns or not," says Diekema. "And that probably changed the way physicians were talking to their families."
In many states, Medicaid stopped covering the procedure as a result of that policy statement. And many insurance companies followed suit, meaning that more and more families might have decided to forgo circumcision just because of the expense.
"It's also worth pointing out that our population is becoming increasingly Hispanic," says Diekema, "And that's a population that has not traditionally circumcised their babies."
'Intactivists'
Another possible explanation for the decrease might be the anti-circumcision advocates known as "intactivists." They've lobbied forcefully against circumcision for years now, and some people compare them to anti-vaccination advocates. But Diekema criticizes their tactics.
"Their arguments are largely emotional," says Diekema. "Just the fact that they insist on referring to this as 'genital mutilation' tells you that they're refusing to recognize whether there may be any medical benefit to the procedure."
And the benefits are large, he says.
"There is a fairly substantial, important reduction in the risk of contracting many sexually transmitted infections," says Diekema. "In newborns, there is a decreased likelihood of getting a urinary tract infection, which for a newborn baby can be a very significant illness."
And, he says, "at least three well-done, randomized control trials in Africa show a substantial decrease in the transmission of HIV [due to circumcision]."
Ultimately, in spite of arguments on both sides of the issue, Diekema says that male circumcision is a decision that families should make on their own. He says a doctor's role is to make sure the family is aware of the risks and benefits of the procedure.
But, he says, "the risks of circumcision are considerably lower in the newborn population than they are if that child is older."
source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129362160&ft=1&f=1001
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