Wednesday December 8, 2010
As the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) releases the final birth data for 2008, a new term emerges - early term.
Early term is used to define babies born between 37-38 weeks gestation. While these babies are not preterm, born prior to 37 weeks, they are also not full term, born 39 weeks or later. Only 54% of all babies were born full term in 2008. About 28% of babies were born in the early term category that year. Babies born in the early term period are still at greater risk of complications after birth.
"Every week of pregnancy is important to a baby's health and the last weeks are critical because many important organs, including the brain, are not completely developed until then," said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes.
Early induction of labor, without medical reason, has been implicated in many of these early term births. Do you know of anyone who has had their baby in this early term period?
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Photo © Dreamstime
Wednesday December 8, 2010
As much as I loved my baby shower, I really, really treasured my blessing ways. I loved the sense of being with other women who were all supportive of the journey I was about to make into motherhood. I've rarely seen the sense of love, support and community seen that day in a baby shower. So if you're thinking about hosting a blessing way for your own, I've got some great ideas for you!
So what you will mostly likely need, includes:
- invitations, which should probably include information about what a blessing way is
- food, after all, what's a party without food?
- beads for a necklace or bracelet
- instructions to guests to bring a positive thought, blessing or poem with them to the party
- candles or other decorations
What else would you add to this list?
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Photo © iStockPhoto
Wednesday December 8, 2010
My daughter, Hilary, turns 19 today. It's pretty amazing to me that I've got an adult daughter now. Today is a day that I reflect on her birth oh so many years ago.
I'd actually been a doula for many years, attending over 70 births before my own first baby was born. I knew about birth. What would transpire over the hours of her birth would ultimately lead me to rededicate myself to the work of birth. The doctor told me, as she walked out the door, "You won't remember this tomorrow..." 19 years later I still remember even minute of it very clearly. Birth is much more than the physical act of getting a baby out of a woman's body.
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Tuesday December 7, 2010
DONA International has a new video that it has produced called The Essential Ingredient: Doula. The goal of this video is to explain what a doula is and how she impacts a woman's birth. The nice thing is that it's available on YouTube so you can see it for yourself.
What advice do you have about hiring a doula?
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