I downloaded this app to see what it was like.

From what I can tell with playing with it, it is a way to see how your baby is growing week by week with a “tidbit” for every day.   Such as how big the baby is, how much the baby is moving, etc.   There is a place to put important phone numbers, your next OB appointment, keep a journal and take notes. Those are some useful tools.

I will admit that I look for specific topics when looking at pregnancy information in books or apps, this gives me a feel about their overall feelings about birth.

What do they say about doulas? This app has supportive information about doulas.

What do they say about inductions? It says “social inductions” are controversial.   It lists some good , valid reasons for inductions, such as pre-eclampsia.  It says doctors generally don’t let pregnancies go on indefinitely, so usually want to induce around 40 weeks.    So it has some good info, but the 40 weeks bugs me, while true many OBs don’t want moms going past this, 42 weeks is the time when statistically the placenta starts to deteriorate. So I feel like moms if they just used this app, wouldn’t ask additional questions if their OB suggested induction at that point.

I couldn’t find any mention about VBACs but some reference to cesareans = future cesareans. As a VBACtivist, this is disappointing.

The thing that really bugged me was the position of the baby in the pictures. They were really cool looking pictures and very lifelike which was great.  BUT it has the baby in a breech position!  I am all about how powerful visualizing is.  So if a mom sees this picture every day  and the baby is in a breech position, how might that effect the position of her baby?

Overall, this is could be a fun app to keep track of your baby’s growth and development.  But please educate yourself with more information about inductions and VBAC.  AND please remember when you look at the picture that your baby is HEAD DOWN!

Here is your chance to go to Berkley for free and learn about your amazing female body!

A video on the Female Reproductive System from Berkley.

It was sort of old school – writing on a chalk board instead of a power point.  But great information for any woman.  If you are a birth worker, even more so.

Thanks for Joni for sharing this!

In April I read an article in the New York Times about fee courses online from major universities.
One of these, Integrative Anatomy; taught by Marian Diamond at the University of California Berkeley is one I am taking now.
Wow and wow!!!
What a professor she is.  She never loses sight of the fascination and wonder of the body as she patiently and elegantly communicates the technical aspects.
There are 44 lectures (each about 50 minutes) and if you’d like to jump directly to the female reproductive system you can take lecture 38 which I’ve provided below.

I hope that many of you will be as charmed by Prof Diamond’s teaching as I am.  I thought my undergraduate university professor of anatomy was pretty terrific but this time I can take class when I want to and don’t have to scramble across campus at 8am  lol
http://www.univision.com/uv/video/Integrative-Biology-131—Lecture-38%3A-Fe/id/3073244902

Abrazos
Joni
www.joninichols.com

This week, I actually have gathered links from the past few weeks I had been e-mailing myself to post about.  I am finally catching up.  So here are some new and older posts.  But they are all great!

Obesity is the Perfect Scapegoat – looks at how “obese” women are being induced at such high rates, that is skewing the cesarean rates.

What the Midwife Heard – is a sad smattering of conversations this midwife has overheard.  I was appalled, but not surprised at some of the comments she has heard nurses and OBs saying.  It reinforces the importance of Choosing your Care Providers Wisely.  However, the problem with hospital births, is you are never sure who will be there.  It does demonstrate why having a doula at a hospital birth can be so helpful.  A doula can help to protect your space as you birth.  However, they are not magical, if you have a completely un-supportive care provider it is near impossible to protect you from that.

2+2 still = 4, so don’t discourage childbirth classes Looks at how educating moms helps them to make more informed choices which will lead to lower cesarean rates.

When Women Fall in Love with Their OBs – The Midwife Next Door looks at the problem of women loving their OBs.

Think about your birth story, and whom you want it to be about.  Find a provider who makes it about you.

Awesome Post on Birth Plans – I think that having birth preferences is very important.  Birthing Beautiful Ideas looks at the “risks” of birth plans and more importantly how to make them really work FOR you.

Formula for Sale - Talking about formula salesmen.  I love her insights and I hope she is right that one day the last quote will be true!

Simplest Breastfeeding Advice I Know I loved this post.  I agree, sometimes all we need is encouragement as we are learning to breastfeed.  (Sometimes we need more, but most moms just need support.)

But I cannot express how much it helped to see my husband–my fellow traveler in this strange and sometimes awkward parenting adventure–look at me and say, “Honey, you are doing such a good job.”

Induction Increases Cesarean Risk – Shocking I know.  Jill at Unnecesarean looks at and discusses article in Time

Hillarious Story about Breastfeeding and Forgetting a Pump at a Wedding – Spit or Swallow?

I have had 3 different moms call me in the past 3 months, who were not from my area, but all faced the same dilemma of wanting to change care providers at the last minute.

I loved being able to talk with them and encourage them to trust their intuition.  I am also a part of a few doula groups, so I was able to get their information to doula’s in their areas that could help them with referrals to care providers in their area.

If you are an expecting mom and need information about resources in your area, call your local doulas or childbirth educators.  We have information and we love to share it!

photo credit: juhansonin

If you were to plant a garden, what steps would you take?

You could just start digging with your hands, with no planning at all.  But it would be messy and take a long time!  You might not get the results you want.

If you took the time to

• Do some planning
• Follow some simple steps
• Use some simple tools

it would probably go much more smoothly.

This made me think about birth.

If you were pregnant and going to birth a baby what steps would you take?

Would you just go into your birth with no planning at all?  You could, but you may not get a positive birth experience.

If you take the time to

• Do a little research
• Do a little planning
• Follow some simple steps
• Use some simple tools

it would probably go much more smoothly.

You can learn  about some simple steps you can take and some important tools to have for your birth in my free book The Top Three Tips to Enjoy Your Birth.

Download your free copy today, because you want to enjoy your birth.

I just went to a baby shower for Triplets last night and have another baby shower next week.  I am surrounded by moms having babies and I love it!  Here are some of my tips.

1. Make a birthing bracelet or necklace – have a bowl of beads and as mom opens a guests gift, the guest picks out a bead and gives it to the mom with a wish for her or her baby (I wish you a fast easy birth!)  Then someone can make a necklace or bracelet from the beads and mom can wear it during her birth, remembering all the well wishes she was given!   I LOVE to to this, it makes the shower more meaningful then just opening gifts!
2. Diaper Cakes are Cool! – This is a fun way to give mom diapers in a cute “package”
3. Have envelopes out for each guest to self-address.  It makes it SO much easier for mom to send her Thank You Notes.
4. Baby Shower Games - Play only 1 or 2 and make sure they are fun!
5. Frozen Casserole Party - If mom is having baby #2 or 3, have a casserole party, where the guests can bring a frozen casserole instead of a baby gift.  Mom will really appreciate having food in the freezer after the baby is born!
6. Spread out the Work – I have co-hosted a lot of showers and it makes it so much easier when you have 3 or 4 people helping out.  One person can provide their home, one can do the cake, one can do the games and favors.  One can make the invitations. This makes it so much easier then doing it all alone!
7. Bring a “favorite” for mom – This can count as a game too.  Each guest can bring one of their “favorite” new mom things.  They put it in the basket and then later mom takes each item out and the guest explains why she loves it.  It can range from a cool water bottle, to breast pads.  But it is a lot of fun and mom has some gifts for HER!
8. Use E-vite AND Print Invitations - Invitations can take a lot of time.  I personally like to do a paper invitation, like Tiny Prints and e-vite invitations.  This makes it easy for me to keep track of who is coming via e-mail RSVP and the guests have something to hang on their fridge and get an e-mail reminder.  So I double duty it. 
9. Have a Group Gift - This is a great way for those who can not make it to still contribute.  Also many people don’t have time to shop but want to give something.  So having a group gift option is a great way to get something big for mom!
10. Make it a Blessing Way – This to me is more meaningful then just a shower.  It adds to my first idea of people giving personal wishes to mom.  It makes it about preparing for birth and supporting a new mom, instead of just opening presents.
11. BONUS – Make it a Positive Birth Story Only ZONE! Mom wants to hear only positive birth stories as she gets ready to birth her baby.  Put a sign on the door to remind people of this.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tiny Prints blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 Tiny Prints Gift Code plus 25 FREE Tiny Prints Greeting cards (valued at $149.75). For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Five simple things to do to help your kids have healthy smiles!

• Start Young – rub your baby’s gums with a washcloth at every bath from the beginning.  When they get a little bigger start using a baby toothbrush to get them used to the routine of taking care of their teeth every day.
• Use Toothpaste - I didn’t do great with T1 and his dental health when he was little and to this day I fight him with brushing his teeth and using toothpaste.  So start young and use toothpaste.  There is toddler safe toothpaste out there.
• Cut back on sweets – Our family only has ice cream once a week.  The boys know Saturday is Soda day.  This saves me a lot of money when we eat out too!
• Xylitol – This is a cool sugar free sweetener that is actually good for dental health.  Trident uses xylitol in their gum.
• Chew Gum – This is a great way to clean your teeth between brushing!   My 10 year old loves gum!  I am starting to let my 4 year old use it too.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Trident blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

One of my doula partner’s (she was my doula) called me the other night.  We have a mutual friend who was having a baby.  A. was her doula and I was the backup.  A. called and was giving me an update, it was almost 11PM and mom was starting to have Pressure Waves and was out shopping and getting Taco Bell.

I said, “She needs to go home and get in bed!”

A said, “I told her she needs to rest.”

“You need to call her and tell her she needs to go home now and put on a CD and try to sleep, or at least rest if she can!  Staying rested is most important!!!  You need to go to bed too!”

I felt a little bad after we got off the phone.  A. is a great doula and knows what she is doing.

I am all about staying rested if a birth starts at night, mom needs to stay rested, in bed if she can.  She should really follow her body, if she needs to sit on a birth ball, great.  But she should be resting and doesn’t need to be at the grocery store at 11 at night!

If it was the middle of the day, then going to the store is a great idea.  But not in the middle of the night!

I figure if someone is paying me to help them during their birth, I need to lay it all out there.  “Go to bed!”  They of course can decide to do whatever they want.

I guess I doula like I mother.  I am sort of a “mean mom” too.  (At least my boys would say so!)

Many doctors recommend Vitamin D supplements for newborns.  But a lot of the droppers don’t have clear markings, so babies are getting overdosed.

I just wanted to warn my new mom readers about it.

Read more about it in the LA Times.

I know I have tons of photos I have taken and I wish I had more hanging on my wall, but it is a pain to get them framed.  Sometimes I have even gotten them printed, but not framed!

Here is a new idea from Fracture Me, they print your picture right onto the glass!  I am hoping to try it out.  If I am one of the first 100 posts about it, I will get to try it for free.  Then I will be able to tell you all about it!

I wrote this blog post in response to a TwitterMoms RAMBO alert, making me eligible to get a Fracture picture frame for review. You can learn more about Fracture at http://www.fractureme.com.