The Right Seat

"Car crashes are the number one killer of children 1 to 12 years old in the United States. The best way to protect them in the car is to put them in the right seat, at the right time, and use it the right way.

There are so many car seat types and models, how do you know which one is right for your child? The right car seat or booster fits your child and your car, and is one you will use correctly every time you travel. Not only will your child ride as safely as possible, you will be establishing the foundation for a lifelong habit of seat belt use every time your child travels.

Let us help you make better-informed choices when choosing and using a car seat."

Did you know that more than 3/4 of car seats in Minnesota are used or installed improperly? Don't be part of that statistic! Vehicle crashes account for more child deaths than any other cause. Discover how you can keep your children as safe as possible in your vehicle by correctly installing and using the proper car seat every single time! THIS THURSDAY NIGHT, 7 p.m., at RAK Chiropractic.

Stigma Hinders Treatment For Postpartum Depression

If you think you may be suffering from PPD, don't be afraid to ask for help and KEEP asking till you find someone willing to find the root of the problem.

Pros and Cons of 11 Common Labor Positions

Mum gives birth in petrol station

"It all happened somewhere between the biscuits and the anti-freeze," Miss Tyler said

Birth happens, when the baby is ready, weather Mom and Dad are ready or not. I tell my students that if you find yourself in this type of a situation it usually means that there is NO reason to worry because the mother's birthing system and the baby are working PERFECTLY together and there are no problems.

Throw Your Clocks out the Window

"Instead of looking at the clock, observe the woman. Listen to her. If a dad calls me and announces the contractions are matching some formulaic expectation and I can hear the mom chatting excitedly and barely cracking a sweat during the contraction, I tell them to stay home if they can. Very often they'll call me hours later, and even though the contractions may or may not be different in terms of length and frequency, I'll hear a change. She will be vocalizing in some way, or doing some very focused breathing...her voice will sound a little far away even between the contractions. If I'm present and watching her, her motions will be slower, and more deliberate. She'll have to lean over things and sway her hips. When labour is really rocking and rolling, most women will look quite stoned between their contractions, the idea of distracting themselves by conversing or watching tv ridiculous, and there is a sense they are far away, off in labour land, and moving normally is often difficult. Plus it's aparent they are feeling some spectacularly strong sensations. For first time mothers, this is usually the time to go to the hospital, because labour has had a chance to establish itself...endorphins and oxytocin are flowing beautifully. If a woman goes to the hospital too much before this happens, it can be EXTREMELY difficult to achieve this trance-like state with all the routines and strangers asking questions, often making the labour seem longer and more painful."

Breast-Feeding: It Takes a Village to Help Moms Succeed Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/25/breastfeeding-it-takes-a-village-to-help-mom

“The time has come to set forth the important roles and responsibilities of clinicians, employers, communities, researchers, and government leaders and to urge us all to take on a commitment to enable mothers to meet their personal goals for breast-feeding.”

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/25/breastfeeding-it-takes-a-village-to-help-moms-succeed-says-surgeon-general/#ixzz1CAcjomxI

Miranda Kerr: I Had a Baby Boy with Orlando Bloom!

They released his name and a beautiful picture of her breastfeeding their newborn! Yay!

MALE SENSITIVITY....

My hubby sent this one to me this morning and it was to good not to pass along. As a childbirth educator I have never received this question before...yet. :-) Enjoy!!!

"The room was full of pregnant women with their partners. The class was
in full swing. The instructor was teaching the women how to breathe
and was telling the men how to give the necessary assurance to their
partners at this stage of the pregnancy.

She said "Ladies, remember that exercise is good for you. Walking is
especially beneficial. It strengthens the pelvic muscles and will make
delivery that much easier." Just take several stops and stay on a soft
surface like grass or a path.

She looked at the men in the room, "and Gentlemen, remember -- You're
in this together -- It wouldn't hurt you to go walking with her".

The room suddenly got very quiet as the men absorbed this information.

Then a man at the back of the room slowly raised his hand.

"Yes", answered the Instructor.

"I was just wondering if it would be all right if she carries a golf
bag while we walk??"

This kind of sensitivity just can't be taught."

Beyond Biology: The Holistic Stages of Labor

This is one of the most powerful and intuitive accounts of the labor and birth process that I have ever read before. I was brought to tears several times by the power I felt and remembered from my own births as I read it. It is lengthy, but you will not be sorry if you take the time to go all the way through it.

It's a Boy and a HOme Birth for Owen Wilson

They did it!!! :-)

Tips for Used Baby Items

Click on title link to read the entire article.

How Dilated Am I? Assessing Dilation in Labor WITHOUT an Internal Exam.

"It’s the magic question weighing on most laboring mothers’ minds: (as well as the minds of her partner or birth attendants!) How much longer? Is there any way to tell how far along I am in the birthing process?"

“The guys who fear becoming fathers don’t understand that fathering is not something perfect men do, but something that perfects the man. The end product of child raising is not the child but the parent.” - Frank Pittman

Intact & Famous: Celebrities with Foreskins

Operation Special Delivery

Such a fantastic organization offering labor support to those families who have given up so much, sometimes everything, for our freedom. Thank you SO much to all our veterans, past and present. We can never express the depth of our gratitude for your service.

Oxytocin: It's a Mom & Pop Thing

"Corresponding author Dr. Ruth Feldman noted that this finding "emphasizes the importance of providing opportunities for father-infant interactions immediately after childbirth in order to trigger the neuro-hormonal system that underlies bond formation in humans."

Not a "Snip," But 15 Square Inches

"Dr. Taylor's research indicates that after being
circumcised in infancy, the average circumcised man
has lost 51% or more of his penile skin."

What Dad Needs to Pack for the Hospital Bag

This is a nice basic list of things that Dad might need/want for himself while Mom is in labor. I always stress to my Bradley® Dad's the importance of taking good care of themselves during her labor so that they can better take care of Mom.

Study Finds Dads suffer Postpartum Depression

Excerpt from the article:

"While it's been widely known that some mothers suffer from postpartum depression, a series of studies over the years have suggested that new fathers may become depressed after childbirth, too."