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."

Contriversial Pregnancy Exercise Questions

Some really good info in this article!

Skip that Newborn Vitamin K Shot

"The purpose of this shot is to assist the newborn with blood clotting capabilities in order to prevent the very rare and slow problem of bleeding into the brain in the weeks after birth (risk in about one in every 10,000 live births). The shot also is a supposed safeguard in case your car is involved in a car wreck on the way home from the hospital or birthing center with newborn in tow. Even a mild injury to a newborn could be life threatening if blood clotting capability is not adequate."

"Midwifery Digest, Vol 2 #3, September 1992 estimated that the chance of your child developing leukemia from the vitamin K shot is about one in 500! This means that the risk of developing leukemia from the vitamin K shot is much higher than the risk of bleeding on the brain which the vitamin K shot is supposed to prevent!"

"How about this for an alternative – eat lots of leafy greens in the weeks before your due date (I drank a cup or two of nettle tea every day in the final weeks which is loaded with vitamin K1) to make sure your blood is high in vitamin K and of course, this will transfer to your baby as well. Make sure you breastfeed your child as the probiotics in breastmilk will seed your baby’s digestive tract with the right type of good bacteria which will produce naturally occurring vitamin K immediately after birth."

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.

March of Dimes: 'Healthy babies are worth the wait'

TONS of great statistics in this one that confirm once again that our bodies know what they are doing when it comes to when to birth our babies.

"Although tests may show that the baby's lungs are well developed at, say, 37 weeks, research has demonstrated that the risk of newborn complications is still significantly higher than if delivery occurs two to three weeks later. In a study published last December of babies demonstrated to have mature lungs before birth, those delivered at 36-38 weeks had 2.5 times the number of complications compared with those delivered at 39-40 weeks. Problems more common among babies delivered earlier in gestation included respiratory distress, jaundice and low blood sugar."

'"Babies aren't fully developed until at least 39 weeks," Lackritz told a news briefing in New York convened by the March of Dimes. For example, a baby's brain at 35 weeks gestation weighs only two-thirds of what it will weigh at 39-40 weeks."

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.

Miracle of baby boy born full term despite his mother's waters breaking at just 16 WEEKS

"She said: 'Doctors do a great job but they can only advise you based on what they know and they do not always have the answers.

'If I had not believed in Charlie I would have given up and he would not be here today.'"

OBGYN v. Midwife (level of care comparison)

Second Opinions Save Lives

Vitamin B12 intake during pregnancy 'will reduce babies' crying'

"The researchers found the women with the least amount of the nutrient in their blood had babies who were eight times more prone to crying."

Why Mothers Kiss Their Babies

"Just like an animal mother, she has now exposed her five senses to the baby so she attaches to him or her. She now feels he or she is her own. It is not unusual to find that women who are deprived of the privacy required to create this immediate bonding right after birth often say they feel a distance between them and their baby."

Have you kissed your baby today? :-)

AMC receives prestigious international award for achieving Baby-Friendly designation - the first medical center in Minnesota

Too Many Babies Are Delivered Too Early: Hospitals Should Just Say No Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/31/too-many-babies-are-delivered-

Pregnancy lasts 40 weeks for a reason. At 35 weeks, a baby's brain tips the scales at just two-thirds of what it will weigh by weeks 39 to 40.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/31/too-many-babies-are-delivered-too-early-hospitals-just-say-no/#ixzz1D0qCRFxZ

The Evidence Says: Delayed Umbilical Cord Clamping is Safe

"Mother Nature covered the umbilical cord with a protective and insulating mucous tissue called Wharton’s Jelly. Wharton's jelly, when exposed to temperature and moisture differences, collapses structures within the umbilical cord and thus will provide a physiological clamping of the cord, approximately 5 minutes after birth."

Breast-Feeding Canadian Moms Create Flash Mob at Mall

Does It Pay To Buy Organic?

Written on October 18, 2010 at 10:14 pm by Birth Sense Evidence Under Fire: 10 Common Obstetric Procedures Not Supported By Science

"Following is a sampling of the current evidence regarding ten procedures commonly used in modern obstetrics despite a lack of evidence to support their use. Please note: many of these procedures are beneficial in specific situations. It is their routine use without medical indication that I am addressing."

Why Is ACOG So Scared of Midwives?

"Having a CPM attend your birth comes with a major benefit to taxpayers and states as well -- lower c-section rates, and lower complications result in big savings. Washington reported a savings of $2.7 million after just 2 years of use of CPMs. The Department of Health also found that over 87 percent of the time, transfer to a hospital is not required for moms or babies birthing outside the hospital with constant one-on-one care from a CPM"

Newborn Deliveries Are Scheduled Too Early, According to Hospital Watchdog Group

This is not to say that once a woman reaches 39 weeks gestation there are no longer any risks to "elective" delivery. I wholeheartedly believe that our bodies and babies know that they are doing and just as we put our trust in the natural process of labor and birth as being the safest for Mother and baby, so should we put our trust in the timing of labor to begin on it's own for the safety of Mom and baby.

"Every hospital should publicly report on their rate and actively prevent the practice, and every woman planning to give birth should demand the information,"

Consider the Source: An interview with Cord Clamping Researcher, Judith Mercer

Excellent information in this interview straight from the source of the research. Once again, we see that science is confirming what nature already knows. :-)