Your baby sleeps where?!?

"... I’ve learned a lot about the gangs. I’ve learned to recognize the Cribs’ distinctive attire (if I see a pair of orange Crocs coming my way, I just cross the street). I’ve come to know the Beds’ brutal hazing rituals (which they refer to as “Bikram yoga”). I’ve learned each gang’s colorful parenting patois." -Peter Birkenhead in "Cribs vs. Beds..."

nap time at its finest

Peter Birkenhead's article, "Cribs vs. Beds: Parenthood's all-out war" gives a hilarious overview of the 'where will baby sleep' and 'what does that say about my parenting' issue. There really is no correct answer to where your baby sleeps and I don't mean that in a whatever-is-right-for-you kind of way. I mean, that no matter how you answer the question regarding where your baby counts little baby sheep, you will be wrong. Although, I maintain that in this country we live in a crib-sleeping based society and therefore far less judgement is placed on those who put their baby in a crib than on those who decide to co-sleep. But to be fair, there is clearly judgement on both sides of the bed rails.
If you tell someone you co-sleep they automatically assume you to be the most reckless breed of tree-hugger. You are nutty granola made with unsalted raw nuts and no m&ms! Cribs (those who have crib-sleeping infants) aren't sure if you hate your child by wanting to turn them into a clingy nightmare or are just stupid and codependant. In general, I do find the Cribs lot to be of the self-soothing persuasion and many of them are still waiting for Ricky and I to let JR 'cry it out.' Tick.Tock.Tick.Tock. Keep waiting people. It is 'casually' and constantly brought up to us is like people truly fear for this INFANT who is tended to each time he cries. Then there are the Beds (co-sleepers) who find crib-sleeping to be barbaric in general; cribs are cold, empty, lonely and NOTHING like a womb. Crib-sleeping is seen as heartless as it is dangerous. This danger is perceived due to the high rate of SIDS in the U.S., which is comparatively dominated by cribs used for sleeping infants. Also, the crib is seen as a sign of a selfish parent and a future needy/unruly child that is filled with insecurity. So, you see, there is no right answer and both sides think you are ruining your child. With what you may know about me, you have probably already decided that I am a co-sleeper and you aren't wrong... entirely. I think, in our heads and hearts, both Ricky and I are Beds, but in reality we have been battling this issue from the minute JR stopped sleeping in the womb. The benefits of co-sleeping (when done correctly) are really what resonate with me: more peaceful sleeping/less infant startling, more stable physiology, decrease in SIDS risk, and long-term emotional health benefits. These are just a few of the benefits according to Dr. Sears-I will write a more detailed post about co-sleeping in the future because there is a huge benefit to breastfeeding mothers as well. The main preventing factors for us right now are our bed size and the great big 'WHAT IF...' You can fill in all sorts of fears that go along with having the baby in a bed and I don't think we are alone in our biggest fear probably relating to risks of suffocation (even though I am clearly aware of the baby while we are sleeping, its more of a half sleep). For now, I will explain where we stand and share the full-blown war-on-sleep that we are facing in our home...

As if hearing everyone constantly comment on how our little buddha baby is the size of a 6 month old, at almost 3 months, doesn't already send my worrying (and googling) into overdrive, he has now outgrown his sleeper. The first week he slept in a co-sleeper mini bed that sat on our bed, but it took up a huge portion of our queen sized bed and made for horrible sleeping for us. We wanted him in the bed with us but we were both just too timid. He was so small and I was constantly checking and re-checking on him that it was our nerves that kept us from just laying him next to us fearing we would never fall asleep, ever again. Then, he slept in a bassinet up against the bed for a couple weeks, which went well but he started having pretty bad acid reflux and this made for horrible sleeping for him and us. Finally, we settled on a snuggily rocker that rests him at an incline (to help reduce acid reflux) and that is what he has been sleeping in for the last couple months. Unfortunately, it has become apparent that the fit is now a little too tight. I double checked to see if he could go back to the bassinet but no luck- he has surpassed the weight limit. Yes he does weigh more than 15lbs at 12 weeks but he is exclusively breastfed so lets save that whole discussion for another time. The rocker he has been sleeping in since 3-4 weeks old is still usable by weight recommendations but so snug that it's become a source of discomfort for him by about 4am when he would really start trying to move around. We reluctantly took the next logical step: Ricky moved the crib out of the nursery and put it into our room. End of story, no big deal, case closed... right? Not a chance, not in this family.

Buddhababy's first evening on " the outside," resting in his co-sleeper

Living large in his rocker

During my pregnancy we didn't give much thought to co-sleeping and I think we planned to use a crib once he outgrew his bassinet because our bed is small and cramped between Ricky, myself and our dog, Bodhi. But since JR's birth, something inside us changed and the crib became a symbol of all that is wrong and unnatural in the world. I don't think either of us has since even considered that this dreaded piece of furniture would be used until it was converted into a toddler bed. But, lo and behold this frightening beast is now our room like a huge espresso colored elephant that taunts us day and night.

As Ricky reassembled the crib in our room, I paced around with JR safely in his K'Tan acting as though I was straightening up for some new 'guest' in our sleeping domain. Once finished, him and JR relaxed while I went in to set up the crib essentials. I tested the motion monitor (which I still don't actually trust to monitor his breathing), put on the sheet and decided/obsessed about whether to use the bumpers. It just so happens that JPMA released a statement saying they are pro-bumper when used properly and this created an internal war of should I or shouldn't I in my head. Anyhow, I am still being teased for the sight Ricky witnessed when he came to check on me. Apparently, I was quite flustered moving the bumper all around the crib, checking and rechecking the mattress, and quoted mumbling something to the effect of, "so help me, if this thing harms our son..." But I finally got everything arranged and when it was time for bed, we followed our normal routine: JR was swaddled, nursed and rocked to sleep. Ricky placed him in bed (now the crib) and that was that...right?... ha ha ha

testing things out

In a million years I would not have predicted that DADDY would lose his damn mind and turn into a mommy sized worry-wart! Well, maybe I could have guessed he would be nervous but the extent of it- no way. He is used to getting up in the night because our system works with him putting the baby in my arms to nurse and putting him back down to sleep. The difference is that the baby is usually in his rocker that sits just below level with our bed, the top of his head even with my head and he's within arm's reach. This normally allows me to be a worry-wart and sleep simultaneously; I am close enough to hear him breathe, touch him just to make sure and on occasion (like nightly) I will keep my hand on the rocker. What I now realize is that by me satisfying my constant worry, Ricky didn't need to worry about worrying and could relax knowing that I was all over it. The crib has disturbed this delicate balance and has daddy up when he hears the baby, crawling over me when he doesn't hear him, and getting back up when he thinks he may have heard him but isn't sure. Amazingly for me, I was able to lay there because Ricky kept getting up and relieving my need to. That was just night one.

The crib lasted one entirely sleep-deprived, nerve-wracked, fight-over-who-had-less-sleep week and what a week! JR had horrible gassy stomach issues the whole time, which caused him to make awful noises while he slept. He was colicky as hell and so were we. Every night was some new challenge that prevented adequate sleep, but Saturday night was the last straw....the movement monitor went off and for anyone who doesn't know, this is to signal you when your baby stops breathing. Holy hell! We were out of bed in a flash and diving toward the crib. In retrospect, this was probably quite a funny sight with us leaping out of bed, me throwing the monitor off the nightstand to stop the noise, the lamp going with it as a casualty of war, Ricky flying across the bed, arms flailing everywhere, Bodhi jumping to escape being trampled and just complete chaos. All the while, our little angel was fine and barely even roused by the commotion. He had scooted his swaddled little ass down off of the monitor pad thus causing the alarm to go off. In that split second, parenting reality was solidified into my being and now stares me in the face- I am no longer the childless person I have been for all these years and this new person, this parent, is a cuckoo bird! Needless to say, I waited until I regained my composure- we were huffing and puffing all dramatically- and then got JR out of the crib and placed him on my chest to sleep for the rest of the night. (This form of sleeping, sitting up and being encircled by Boppy pillows works, but be warned, its not made for comfort.) As we settled back into bed, Ricky simply stated, "We are getting that Arms Reach co-sleeper tomorrow," and that's exactly what we did. Not that it has been much easier....

 putting together the co-sleeper

First night in the co-sleeper as a bassinet didn't go well and it turned into the last night he wore a swaddle."Miracle Blanket" is no more

Our bed has a ledge on it which makes it impossible to set the co-sleeper up as anything but a bassinet. This is fine because I just push it up against the bed but the sides are pretty high and I have to drape my arm over them. It is a large bed which is great except that JR had taken to hurdling himself around in it. The first night of the co-sleeper was the last night of the swaddle. When Ricky got up to see what all the noise was about, JR had hulked out of his swaddle and has since refused to be put back in it. As inconvenient as it is to lose the swaddle, that moment was worth it as we both broke out in hysterics at our beautiful little boy half in and half out of his 'Miracle Blanket' smiling up at us oblivious of the turmoil we were facing.

For now, the crib has been put back in its proper place in the nursery where it serves as a very pretty piece of furniture adept at cutely holding stuffed animals and hiding stuff not in use. We are adjusting to putting JR to sleep (or rather trying to keep him asleep) without a swaddle in the hopes that it is safer than him hurdling his swaddled self all over the co-sleeper. As our personal war between our bed and crib continues I think I will read James McKenna's book on co-sleeping and I must have faith that we will find our own familial sleeping balance.

Here is a link to the article I quoted at the beginning of this post, It's a great article written by a daddy and perfect for a laugh: http://www.salon.com/2010/07/02/cribs_v_beds_parenting_wars/ )

Getting a little big for his rocker

his favorite sleeping spot

banished back to the nursery

Is it 'crunchy' to wear your baby?

"Okay, Captain. Look, the dealers are the popular kids, but they're not normal popular. They're these crunchy granola dudes that have convinced everyone they're cool. But they're not cool. It's backwards and unnatural and it's gotta be stopped!" -Channing Tatum, 21 Jump Street


I have been wondering lately if babywearing is considered "crunchy." I remember when I first moved back to Florida from San Diego, I would get all offended when someone would call me "granola;" it happened a lot. At the time, I felt that it's kinda like calling someone a hippie and I don't wear patchouli oil. Plus, I shave like I have some personal vendetta against body hair. Not that I have any problem with hippies, I am quite fond of them I just don't see myself as one. But its been years now and I have grown quite comfortable with this once dreaded accusation. People expect me to be a little "crunchy." But to me, I am just being me and I think of it as more being in tune with myself and the world around me than anything. What people don't expect (and I must say it catches me off guard at times) is how "crunchy" my husband has grown to be. Although, I think there is a large bridge between punk rock and "crunchy" and it is on this bridge that my husband treads. He still has tattoos everywhere, listens to loud music (when JR is not around) and lives in band t-shirts, only you can't tell because there is a baby carrier covering the shirt now. Whether it's the Moby Wrap or the Ergo (our Baby K'Tan is too small for him) he loves babywearing and I love him all the more for it. Last night, he saw a woman in a ring sling at Whole Foods and walked us right up to her to find out the "scoop" and I guarantee that we will have our very own Sweet Pea Ring Sling very soon (she makes one for the beach/water!).



Anyway, what makes me wonder about where babywearing fits into parenting/life style is that the frequency of which we see it, changes depending on our environment. The openly breastfeeding community seems to be big babywearers along with the people who were in our Hypnobirthing class and that general natural birthing crowd. Places like Whole Foods tend to have babywearers in plain sight but other than that I find myself to be the only one not donning a stroller in public. Truthfully, our stroller gets the most use when Nonna is helping me on our errands because he is a bit too chunky for my tiny Italian mother to be strapping him on. Even then, I am usually wearing him. Regardless of where it falls on the spectrum of parenting, there are so many advantages to babywearing that I thought I should share a few for those unfamiliar with just how awesome it is.

Babywearing is naturally comforting for both parent and baby. This is especially true for mothers and babies. You just spent 9 months together and to think that after all that bonding it is natural to just set baby down is crazy! Besides milk, the thing that babies need and want most is physical contact and this provides that while giving mom full mobility and the freedom to accomplish daily tasks.

Babies are happier and more confident. People often say that a quiet baby is a "good" baby. Aside from the ridiculous notion that a crying baby is a "bad" baby, we all want our babies to be as happy as they can be. Babies who are a part of their mother's day and see things from their viewpoint are often quite content. Instead of creating a "clingy" baby, it helps babies to feel more confident because mothers are more in tune with their baby's needs and respond very quickly. Besides that, wearing your baby gives him/her a sense of closeness even when you are focusing on other tasks. The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding states, "plenty of loving contact does not "spoil" a baby or make him more demanding, but instead helps him feel more comfortable and happy in his new world."

It is a great way for dad to bond with a breastfeeding baby. As my husband and I have both learned, it can be a little hard for dad in the first couple months of life to find his place in the baby's routine. It can be hard when all baby does is breastfeed and sleep. Even though it is not for us, I can see why couples do pump so that dad can feed baby and feel that closeness. But this is another way for dad to spend quality time with baby and help solidify that bond (unless baby is hungry and then there is a raging bull attached to dad's chest which is hilarious-for a minute).

Babywearing meets babies' physical needs. According to the LLL (La Leche League), "Babies need and enjoy motion. In the womb, they become accustomed to the sound of mother's heart pumping blood and to the feeling of being confined in a small space. The experience of being in the womb also teaches them to enjoy the rhythm of their mother’s movements. After birth, the experience of being held close to a parent’s body helps them recall the peace they felt in the womb." Also, this movement helps to dispel gas which, any parent of a colicky baby can tell you, is such an important thing. Babywearing helps babies vestibular system: the inner ear controlling balance, as well as, helps babies breathe and grow better.

Another point, that I do not as often see on lists but is a favorite of mine, is that it prevents strangers (for the most part) from touching your little one. People LOVE to touch babies and I do not love random people touching me, let alone our child. Wearing the baby tends to stop this behavior because people have to get uncomfortably close to you in order to touch your baby and most will not do this. I love this for many reasons, but a good one is that is restricts the amount of germs people can gob onto your baby. I am not a germ-a-phobe but I do prefer JR to be restricted in who is germafying him at this stage.

So, "crunchy" or not I think that the advantages to wearing your baby are outstanding in comparison with keeping him or her "in a bucket" all the time. Remember that infants CANNOT be spoiled by too much contact. Even if you held your baby for 16 hours a day, it would still be less than what they are accustomed to in the womb. You are not training them for the "real world" at this age, instead with a lack of contact you may be sending a message of insecurity and inconsistency. Stay tuned for my reviews on the different carriers we use, and of course plenty of pictures. Until then I will tell you that so far our overall favorite is our Organic Ergo carrier with infant insert. We like each one for different reasons but this one gets the most use to date.

Such a proud daddy

Moby



Looking at me from in the K'Tan



Baby K'Tan

 

Strolling in the Ergo



Artificial induction of labor at its worst...

Sometimes you realize how blessed you truly are; I did this morning. I met a girl whose birth story just broke my heart. She wanted a birth center birth or home birth and was bullied out of it by everyone telling her it just wasn't safe. The anger and pain in her face as she spoke of the events that unfolded and seeing how her and her beautiful baby would never be the same and never have a 'normal' life.... and to think that I was all cranky due to a lack of sleep the last couple nights. I know that story could have been from either side of the fence and I am sure there are stories that argue FOR hospital birth. I just wish that people would respect that A MOTHER KNOWS. Let her choose the birth she wants without imposing the birth YOU think she should have. If you had a wonderful hospital birth, you can share that as I do my home birth but never make a mother feel bad about her choice. To love a mommy-to-be is to encourage her to follow her own vision and help her along that path. -Aug 9

I cried at the social security office that day and it wasn't because I had to sit there all over again just to get my card with my married name on it. My mom was hanging out in the car with buddha baby while I waited inside because she is sweet enough to do that and ease my neuroses about having him in places such as crowded government buildings at 11 weeks old. There was a girl sitting next to me with a stroller that had a baby small enough to still need the carseat locked in and of course this brought out the social part of me as a new mommy. I asked her how old her baby was and explained that I had an 11 week old outside. She told me her baby was 6 months old and immediately asked me where I gave birth. I told her that I had our baby at home and, with this, she opened up about her entire birthing story. While speaking, she was so angry and so passionate that the guard at the front actually had to ask us to keep it down a couple times. It was clear that she was unhappy with her hospital birth and at first, I was happy to agree and interject a few great upsides to having a baby at home. Even now I feel a little bad because I know that as soon as I start talking about our birth I glow a bit. I can feel my face flush a little and I will gush about as much as anyone wants to hear about the entire experience. She was glowing too, but with rage at her whole experience and I cannot even pretend to know how she feels. Sitting here, I can see her face and my heart hurts for her.


I want to note here that if you are pregnant I would prefer you not read the following section until after you have given birth. I will mark 'STOP' and then 'START' where to pick up again. I believe it is best not to read about any scary birth stories while pregnant because you get enough of them everywhere else and also because it is a minority of people who have such things happen. There is no useful purpose in scaring yourself. In hypnobirthing, I was taught to stop people who wanted to tell me all their painful horrors during birth until after I was pregnant and I was glad I did. What I will do is post important information at the end so you can become informed of certain risks involved with medical labor inductions. I will just guide you to ask the right questions and have an idea how to protect yourself from unnecessary risks. So please skip this for now and scroll down to the 'START'

[STOP]

She told me how she had wanted to actually have a birthing center birth and even knew about the birth center in Ft Lauderdale (our ladies at Palms Birth House were not finished with the licensing until about a week after buddha baby was born, making it the first licensed birth house in Palm Beach County). She explained how everyone around her was so against it because they swore it was just too dangerous to birth outside of the hospital. As I have said before and will again, the people around you can really influence how you feel about your birth and birth in general and their fear can easily become your own if you let it. Even if you try not to let it, it can still get you because it is ingrained in our culture. At this point in the conversation, I am still interjecting little tidbits about my birth too. As she delves into a story about elective induction because the doctors said it would just be more convenient and prevent her baby from getting "too big," booster pitocin to move things along faster, an epidural given at 9 cm, and of course an episiotomy to top it all off, I get quiet and just listen. While these things bother me, along with all non-medically indicated pregnancy interventions, they aren't as uncommon as one might think so I wasn't sure where she was going. As she brought her baby out she explained that the extensive use of inducing drugs during her labor caused contractions that were so long and intense, her baby was being deprived of oxygen-rich blood. It was about now that I realized that her 6 month old was smaller than my 11 week old and had very little muscle control. She continued on with this horror story only to explain that her baby, who initially scored highly on the apgar test, deteriorated quickly in the first 24 hours and now has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. As she pulls out a bottle she tells me how she wanted to breastfeed but the nurses told her a couple hours after birth that her baby was now too hungry and since he hadn't latched they had to give him formula (instead of helping her latch of course).   As she continued on about lawyers, disability and NICA, I froze, I wanted to reach out and tell her how beautiful her baby was but I didn't want her to feel placated since telling me this story. I felt awful that she was so heart-broken and I had been sitting their gushing about my awesome birth. My eyes swelled with tears and I simply told her how sorry I was. I didn't even want to really look directly at them for fear she thought I was staring, At this point my number was called and I had to go. I offered my condolences and walked off in a daze. On the way out, I stopped again and told her good luck but that was it. What else could I say? I don't know her and can't pretend to understand her experiences. So, I write and decide that all I can do is familiarize people with the reality of convenience induction and warn against the practice of chemically boosting while already in labor.
      
  [Since I had no idea at the time what NICA was or why she was so angry about it, I looked it up and according to http://www.justiceforall.com/neurological-injury-compensation-act/  NICA is an acronym that stands for Neurological Injury Compensation Act. It is another attempt to chip away at an injured individual’s right to hold the person that hurt them responsible for his or her actions. It is a no-fault system that provides that if certain situations regarding notice and type of injury are met, an injured child may be deprived of his or her right to sue, and instead be given a nominal amount of money by the state. The lawyers for the insurance companies and medical profession know this, and they try to thrust NICA on these children that bring claims. I used this website because at the official website it tells you simply how wonderful NICA is and that did not seem to be her take on it at all.]

This beautiful girl with a 6 month old baby was pouring out her heart to me and it was like watching her walk through a nightmare. I know I can't feel guilty about my own happiness but I sit there thinking, "Why did I go on about delayed cord clamping and skin-on-skin contact?! Did I really boast how my awesome midwives encouraged me to take all that time while buddha baby crowned? Seriously, I feel like an ass!" She is the epitome of my fears about hospital births and yet the logical part of me knows that this story can be told from both sides. I could have just as easily sat next to someone who had a horror natural birth story (well maybe not JUST as likely but it unfortunately happens). I was not there for her birth nor can I confirm the exact facts of it, but in her heart, this was the hospital and doctor's fault entirely and I am one to trust the mother. She did not want to be induced at 37 weeks because she felt like her baby wasn't ready yet. She had NO medical indication for induction aside from the doctor telling her it would be most convenient for everyone. This horrifies me and makes my blood boil! The continued use of pitocin as a booster and then being ignored by nurses when telling them that something wasn't right once her baby was born, the list goes on. It is insane! Its like when I hear, "...thank god they did a c-section, the cord was wrapped around the neck." [The umbilical cord is often wrapped around a baby's neck and as long as there is not a severe knot in this cord, it poses no danger and is simply slipped off at birth. Babies get their blood and oxygen from within this cord, not from traditional throat breathing as they do after birth.] It baffles me that induction is used so often without proper warning of the very real side effects that come with it. I did a brief search on correlation between induction and cerebral palsy and in a recent study by Elkamil et al  (2011) "...found that labor induction at term was associated with excess risk of bilateral spastic CP and in particular CP with four-limb involvement." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21275920

[START]

What is induction of labor? It is defined as the process of artificially stimulating the uterus to start labor. In a hospital and OB setting, it is usually performed by administering oxytocin or prostaglandins to the pregnant woman or by manually rupturing the amniotic membranes. But, please note that there are many other ways of encouraging labor naturally. To medically induce labor, the risk of staying in the womb should outweigh
 the risk of induction to mother and baby. These medical indications include things such as cancer, hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease, small-for-dates baby and waters releasing without labor beginning in a reasonable time frame.

Why is this important to know about induction?

It is so common now to know someone who has their labor induced. In fact, the majority of people I know did have their labor induced and in only one of them was it medically indicated. According to the World Health Organization, induction rates in any geographic area should not exceed 10 percent. This is nuts when considering that a U.S. hospital can vary from 12 to 55 percent and individual doctors can have a rate upwards of 80 percent. What compounds the scariness of this is what ISN'T being told to mothers such as how this will affect them and their unborn child. A baby born at 37 is considered full-term but that by no means means that baby is ready to be born. At 37 weeks, a baby's brain weighs only 80 percent of what it will weigh at 40 weeks. That all-important cerebral cortex is the last part of the brain to develop and it is essential for things like cognition, reasoning and motor control. The point I am making is that there is a reason a baby stays in the womb as long as he or she does and that reason has NOTHING to do with a doctor's social schedule or yours. Convenience is not an indication for labor induction and while those last few weeks can seem like an eternity for some people, they are so important to the health and well-being of your child.

Some of the risks that artificial induction of labor brings are: increased pain to the mother which in turn increases the use of epidurals (which carries a whole other set of risks); increased fetal distress; lack of oxygen-rich blood reaching the fetus during these often more intense and frequent contractions; lack of oxygen to the fetus causing neurological problems in the newborn baby; continuous fetal monitoring which inhibits mobility during labor and increases pain; a huge increase in likelihood of cesarean; and an increase in the passage of meconium during labor which if inhaled by the baby causes serious breathing difficulties. There is also the risk of having a premature baby from induced labor and the risks that come with being born premature a far too great for me to cover in this blog. Again, these are just some of the risks that come with a practice that is supposed to reduce labor and birth complications.

I want to interject here that the suggestion of induction was one of the factors that changed my birth plan from an OB to a midwife. At 16 weeks I wanted to start establishing who my doctor would be so that I did not have to keep repeating my birth plan to all of these people. Also, different doctors had different answers to my questions and this was frustrating. I was told that if I wanted to know who would be there then I should just be induced at term and hope I had the baby while that doctor remained on duty. This horrifying suggestion was said to me in such a casual way that I as I left the building I burst into tears swearing that I couldn't do this, I couldn't have a baby like this- this was INSANITY to me!

The World Health Organization is clear in stating:

-Induction of labour should be performed only when there is a clear medical indication for it and the expected benefits outweigh its potential harms.

-In applying the recommendations, consideration must be given to the actual condition, wishes and preferences of each woman, with emphasis being placed on cervical status, the specific method of induction of labour and associated conditions such as parity and rupture of membranes.

-Induction of labour should be performed with caution since the procedure carries the risk of uterine hyperstimulation and rupture and fetal distress.

-Failed induction of labour does not necessarily indicate cesarean section.

Questions to ask
(Remember that it is your RIGHT as a pregnant woman to have ALL of your questions answered! No matter how annoyed the doctor may seem, or how rushed for time they appear, this is your body and your baby. Ask questions before it is too late to switch providers, this really is all about you and not about the provider at all. If someone won't answer you or keeps brushing you off... switch.)

• Why are you scheduling an induction of labor?
• What are the risks of inducing my labor?
• I know that my due date is only an estimate. What precautions will you take to make sure my baby is not born too early?
• How do you plan to induce my labor?
• How will an induction affect my labor and the health of my baby?
• I know that compared to waiting for labor to begin on its own, an induction is more likely to lead to a cesarean section. What measures would you take to reduce my odds for a cesarean?

All I am posing here is that you get informed. Know your risks and rights and double check. If what the provider is saying doesn't feel right, get another opinion, or another provider. A mother's intuition is an amazing thing, don't ignore it. Your body is designed to do this, it is not flawed and you are capable of having the perfect birth, whatever that means to you.

the BIG latch on 2012

Mamatography photo from the BIG latch on

On Augueszt 4th, in celebration of world breastfeeding week, Ricky and I attended our first 'BIG Latch On' event and had such a blast (in spite of the chaos and the HEAT). South Florida has a heat that one just never gets used to, its like walking around in a steaming oven. Not to mention that we had our friends Heatherly and Philip from San Diego here, where it is perfect and 70 degrees every single day. Regardless, it is so funny how timing for things just works out. Heatherly and Philip just happen to come into town in time for this event, she just happens to be pregnant and glowing and they couldn't be happier to join us in gathering with a lot of moms to expose a lot of boobs! Its funny because this is the first time since living in SD that I felt a little like the old me. The west-coast me. When I lived in San Diego it was so common to go and get involved doing things bigger than one's self-involved life and a little off the wall in the best of ways. There are many reasons I miss SD but I think that is one of them. I miss having a niche of people that are like-minded and want something more not only for themselves but those around them. I miss doing silly things for betterment and being inspired. Also, having Heatherly and her husband with us made me realize part of why we hold 'Amazing Births and Beyond' so near and dear to our hearts. They are this hub for all things loving and empowering in the world of parenting. Lorie and all the people there are awesome people who are turning their vision into reality and we love being a part of it. They are kinda like our niche.

Buddha baby and I were right up front to the right

almost time!

Great turnout of mommies

So, just for information sake, let me explain what the 'BIG Latch On' is. According to their website, it is:

"Groups of breastfeeding women coming together at registered locations around the world to all latch on their child at a set time. All the breastfeeding women and children are latched on for one minute at the set time and are counted by the witnesses. The numbers are added up and we see if we can beat previous Big Latch On records or maybe even the world record!


The key to the Big Latch On's success is allowing communities to hold their Big Latch On events, empowering them to create an event that relates to the people of their community, while still taking part in a worldwide event."

The point of it all:

Support for communities to identify and grow opportunities to provide ongoing breastfeeding support and promotion.
Raise awareness of breastfeeding support and knowledge available in communities.
Help communities positively support breastfeeding in public places.
Make breastfeeding a normal part of the day-to-day life at a local community level.
Increase support for women who breastfeed - women are supported by their partners, family and the breastfeeding knowledge that is embedded in their communities.
Communitiies have the resources to advocate for coordinated appropriate and accessible breastfeeding support services.

Each event is personalized by those who host it and the common theme is that all the mamas have their nurslings latch on at 10:30am local time and nurse for one minute. When we saw that Lorie was hosting this event we knew (well I knew and Ricky was defintely ready to support me) that it was something we wanted to go to. While most of the people in my life are supportive, I don't have many breastfeeding mamas around and I figured that Lorie would attract my kind of crowd. It totally was. There was baby-wearing galore and oh the Ergos! One mama heard me cooing over her green performance Ergo and stopped to tell me how awesome it is-definitely our kind of crowd.

This is the Performance Ergo-Love it!

Once we walked up it was pretty close to 10:30 so we got set up in the tent and buddha baby was more than ready to do his part! The hostesses and vendors passed out water and gelato smoothie shots (so yummy) and gave away prizes. We all latched and were accounted for and the rest is history.

Such a proud Daddy

He was ready for booby time he didn't care about the clock!

Latch On!



Ricky, Heatherly and Philip



Mamas <3



The husbands being all silly



They had booby cookies!!