Fall Fun at 18 months

September has flown by and it’s almost October!  I love the cool weather, the colorful leaves, and pumpkins on doorsteps.  And don’t forget about pumpkin spice soy chai lattes!  Baby B (18 months) enjoyed apple picking but was not much help after he discovered he could eat the apples.  Now he enjoys holding and eating his own whole apple (not cut up).  Can’t wait to go pumpkin picking this month.  Another favorite activity is going to the airport overlook with Daddy.  Baby B wakes up in the morning making airplane noises and pointing to the sky.  I guess he dreams about airplanes.  Baby B also enjoyed a visit from the Grandparents this month.  He met a firefighter and sat on fire truck.  He did NOT want to get down.  We are moving along with creating a Montessori atmosphere at home.  I purchased a small Ikea kids’ table with chairs at a consignment sale and some shelves online.  Now I just need to assemble the shelves.  I have mountain (I kid you not) of clean clothes waiting to be folded on the guest bed.  The cat has slept there the last two nights as the pile grew bigger.  Hey, at least they are clean!  I enjoy writing “to do” lists and worked up a new one last night.  I had a list for “doula” work, “legal” work, “nonprofit/health law issues”, “home” work, and “mommy” stuff.  My husband commented that the amount of work listed could employ 3 1/2 people.  Sound familiar?  🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Low-Income Moms Need Doulas

Another mom recently shared this article and I would like to pass it on – “The Amazing People Who Are Changing How Low Income Give Birth.”  The c-section rate for Caucasian women has held steady recently while the rate for black and hispanic women has increased.  Here are two recent articles on c-section statistics: C-Section Rates Steady for First Time in Decades and C-Section Rate Still High But Steady.  Compare them to research but out by the CDC – http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr62/nvsr62_01.pdf#table21.  Scroll all the way down to Figure 5 in the study which shows a graph comparing c-section rates among women.  To me this shows that every woman needs a doula because such services and support are proven to decrease the need for c-sections! – http://www.naturalbabydoulas.com/Other-Services.html.

A doula will remind you that…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nelson Mandela

 

Birth Center Closing

There is an important issue unfolding in South Carolina that affects all women and in turn their supporting partners/spouses and babies/children.  That means everyone.  Can women have more options for birth than just an obstetrician in a hospital setting?  Besides having a home birth, birth centers provide another option along with midwives.  A Birth Center in South Carolina that serves the Charlotte area, Carolina Community Maternity Center, has been shut down pending investigation.  This Birth Center not only provided a birth alternative but also served as a community resource for expecting mothers.  The Birth Center provided birth classes, breastfeeding classes and a library full of birth books and videos.  Please check out the Charlotte Observer‘s article entitled S.C. Birth Center’s License Suspended for the details that have been reported so far.  Maintaining birth options for women and families as well as birth resources is an important issue for everyone because birth rights are really human rights.  Please consider looking into this and following this issue.  If you are interested in supporting CCMC, you can find more information at http://www.gofundme.com/SaveCCMC.  CCMC also has a facebook page.