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Postpartum Hemorrhage
Published on 2012-04-18 02:07:47
Severe postpartum hemorrhage (blood loss of more than 1000mls) occurs in approximately 2% of spontaneous vaginal births, and many hemorrhages are predictable 1,2. Accurate measurement of blood loss in most births is seldom possible, but average blood loss for vaginal birth is approximately 500 mls, and 1000 mls for cesarean birth 1. Primary PPH is defined as excessive blood loss (1000ml or more) from the genital tract up until 24 hours following birth. Secondary PPH is defined as excessive bloo [..] > read more
When Journalists Attack Non-Vax Parents
Published on 2012-03-24 17:11:30
About a week ago I came across an article that was so full of incorrect information and prejudices against non-vaccinating parents I had to say something. It was the same old misinformation you often see touted across the internet, but this time it was expressed with such arrogance and rudeness, I was compelled to respond, correct the misinformation, and speak up for the non-vaccinating parents. Below is the article, with my response in blue: Becoming an expert is just a mouse click away www. [..] > read more
Watch Your Language
Published on 2012-03-21 17:06:21
By Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC The lactation consultant says: You have the best chance to provide your baby with the best possible start in life, through the special bond of breastfeeding. The wonderful advantages to you and your baby will last a lifetime.And then the mother bottlefeeds. Why? In part because that sales pitch could just as easily have come from a commercial baby milk pamphlet. When our phrasing and that of the baby milk industry are interchangeable, one of us is going about it [..] > read more
Parenting Advice: Straight from the Mamas Mouth
Published on 2012-03-10 20:55:14
You can read all the parenting books you like, but sometimes the best advice is from real mothers with experience. I asked my friends and members of Facebook pages I'm involved in what advice they had for other mothers, some of the best are listed here below. Have you got any advice you'd like to pass on? Never listen to Comparison Parents. Don't listen to those parents who tell you, "well at that age my child was already doing this". All children are different and you will go insane thinking yo [..] > read more
Increasing Milk Supply: Straight From the Mamas Mouth
Published on 2012-02-17 00:06:35
Very often women bring up low milk supply issues on Beautiful Breastfeedings Facebook page (Natural Mama NZs sister site). Mothers pour in with helpful advice, sharing what has worked for them personally. For me this is the best advice and it's one of crowning achievements of motherhood support pages on Facebook. Because supply issues keep coming up on Beautiful Breastfeeding and other motherhood pages I thought I'd collate some of the great advice shared through various threads into a blog post [..] > read more
Facebook's Misogyny Needs to End Now
Published on 2011-11-29 14:50:46
Facebook censorship of breastfeeding photos has been a long standing issue with hundreds of photos being removed over the years Facebook has been active, along with entire pages and profiles removed, many had thousands of followers. The site 'Hey Facebook, Breastfeeding is not Obscene' has been created to document many of the photos removed, though this is said to be a fraction of what may have been removed over the years. Beautiful Breastfeedings Facebook page has recently come under fire from [..] > read more
Childhood Vaccination: Aluminum
Published on 2011-11-10 19:57:32
Aluminum is a metal used in small quantities in childhood and adult vaccines, usually in the form of Aluminium phosphate or Aluminium hydroxide. Aluminum's role in vaccination is to be an adjuvant - a substance that stimulates the immune system to fight. "The use of adjuvants enables the use of less antigen to achieve the desired immune response, and this reduces vaccine production costs. With a few exceptions, adjuvants are foreign to the body and cause adverse reactions." 13 Aluminum is not a [..] > read more
Birth: It’s not a competition
Published on 2011-10-19 14:50:09
On a friends facebook page recently I came across a statement by a young mother, she angrily wrote: “It’s rather sad that you feel like you need a pat on the back for giving birth vaginally. If you highlight the fact that you gave birth vaginally without pain meds whenever recounting your birth story, and if the only way you can “recover” from your “traumatic” other births is by shoving a baby out your vag, then yes, it’s pathetic. Other people have actual accomplishments. But I g [..] > read more
Babywearing: Everyone's doing it!
Published on 2011-10-12 01:27:06
Effective Discipline – What the Studies Say
Published on 2011-10-02 16:44:21
There are so many ‘discipline techniques’ making their way around parent circles – time out, time in, removing privileges, rewards, distraction, and of course spanking. So I thought I’d see what the studies have to say to try to get some definitive answers. Though the studies didn't cover all of those techniques, the most important message I got out of these studies was this: Success in discipline depends on how you interpret your childs behavior – do you view their behavior as develop [..] > read more
My OB Said What? Commentary
Published on 2011-09-28 15:43:29
www.theunnecesarean.com The website “My OB Said What?” gives you a very raw look at how bad the birthing industry can get. The site is filled with appalling quotes that obstetricians, midwives, nurses and other medical staff have said to their patients (along with the occasional good quote). Below is a collection of those quotes, along with the reasons why the comments are so bad, and what should have been said and done instead. “If a baby hasn’t engaged by 37 weeks, we need to do a c [..] > read more
Spanking and Punishment: Does it 'work'?
Published on 2011-09-26 16:58:41
Does spanking and punishment work? It depends what outcome you're wanting. If you want to humiliate, shame and upset your child, yes of course it works. If you're wanting long lasting compliance, no it does not work. Spanking on its own doesn't TEACH a child specifically WHAT they did wrong, WHY it was wrong, and what should have been done INSTEAD. Spanking on its own simply teaches a child: "Mum is bigger than me and has the power to dominate and humiliate me when she's angry with me". In ord [..] > read more
Replies to: if they're old enough to ASK to nurse, they're too old to nurse
Published on 2011-09-17 19:59:35
By theloushe / Flickr How many times have you heard this: if they're old enough to ASK to nurse, they're too old to nurse. As logically barren as this statement might be, I see it tossed around A LOT. When I saw it brought up in a Peaceful Parenting thread on Facebook I was so proud to read the responses from mothers nursing their toddlers, so I thought I’d collate some of best ones below. "How do you respond to the whole, 'If they're old enough to ASK to nurse, they're too old to nurse...' c [..] > read more
The Core of the Unnecessary Cesarean
Published on 2011-06-24 20:36:38
Note: The statistics mentioned in this post are U.S. statistics. Before giving birth I loved doctors. As far as I knew, ‘doctors know best, they’re not to be questioned, and they’re always doing their best for you’. In fact doctors and nurse > read more
Risks of Formula Feeding
Published on 2011-06-16 20:42:56
The rate of illness in formula fed infants is much higher than breastfed infants, especially the rate of infection. Breastmilk contains immunological properties that protect a breastfed infant from infection. Without this protection, a formula fed in > read more
Answering the ill-informed breastfeeding statements
Published on 2011-05-30 20:35:14
“There’s nothing wrong with formula” Formula fed infants are 4 times more likely to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Formula fed infants are 8 times more likely to suffer from Necrotizing Enterocolitis (severe intestinal inflammatory disor > read more
Epidural Effects on Labor - Defined
Published on 2011-05-06 19:15:55
This chart goes into detail about some, but not all of the effects an epidural has on labor. After researching, in my opinion, if you can avoid an epidural during labor, please do. I haven't listed it here, but cesareans carry their own risks, and yo > read more
Exactly what is Attachment Parenting?
Published on 2011-04-03 20:09:21
I’ve often been asked, “So what IS attachment parenting”. After long winded explanations, for ME, it boiled down to this: “In a practical sense AP is unconditionally nurturing your child’s cues for nourishment, touch and interaction. > read more
Mama Blog Networks
Published on 2011-03-21 02:11:39
These are networks I'm personally part of, you'll find an endless supply of topics and posts relating to motherhood, and it's an excellent place to meet other mums. Her Blog Directory Blogs by Women > read more
Common Infant & Childhood Illness - Prevention & Treatment
Published on 2011-03-20 20:12:10
By nature, infants and young children are far more prone to congestion, infections and digestive problems. Not only are their immune systems immature, but many of their organs and tissues are also immature, tiny and therefore prone to clogging and in > read more
Is our school system really that bad?
Published on 2011-03-05 18:16:46
I came across this quote on the net, I found it interesting, so I reposted it: 6 Lessons of Public Schooling: 1. You will be put where you belong, and you will stay there. 2. No work is worth finishing unless an authority figure says so. 3. You will > read more
Breastfeeding in Public Info Cards
Published on 2011-02-16 23:52:51
I've always wanted a stash of breastfeeding info cards I can whip out and give to nay sayers or those in need of a little education when I'm out and about breastfeeding. I couldn't find any cards online that were specifically for NZ, so I've made one > read more
My Birth Plan
Published on 2011-02-12 20:25:48
Chris and I 'rooming in' in our hospital room after birth For my last three pregnancy's I didn't write a birth plan. They went well, but they could have been better. So in the event I'm ever pregnant again, I'm now prepared! Birth Prefere > read more
Epidural Effects on Labor
Published on 2011-02-07 19:06:08
I came across a blog post about epidurals, with an angry statement directed at natural birthing mothers: “Please. You did not have a better childbirth experience than I did. We each had our own unique experience. Thankfully, we both have our child > read more
Orgasmic Birth, Our Birthright
Published on 2011-02-02 19:09:50
Who would have thought birth is a sexual experience – the contractions, the hormones, the ecstatic orgasms – yes, the fantastic, glorious orgasms that women, if relaxed enough, experience during birth. I never would have guessed birth could actu > read more
Natural Pain Relief During Childbirth
Published on 2011-02-02 01:13:51
The key player pain relief and even pleasure during birth is the hormone oxytocin. It diminishes pain, triggers pleasurable sensations and increases feelings of empathy. As the level of pain increases, as does oxytocin, allowing the body to experienc > read more
Choosing not to breastfeed
Published on 2011-01-31 22:47:51
"Why breastfeed when there's perfectly good formula as a substitute?" This was my opinion before I began breastfeeding research. As crass as it sounds, to me breastfeeding on the whole seemed weird, hippyish, time consuming, boring. It wasn't somethi > read more
Answering Pro-Vaccination Questions
Published on 2011-01-23 19:49:49
Recently I got into an online discussion about vaccines (which prompted me to write this post). Two people in particular where adamant vaccines were 100% safe, and that anyone who disagreed was an ignorant quack. They went on to quote what they calle > read more
Breastfeeding Resources
Published on 2011-01-17 00:28:27
Books: The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding This completely rewritten and updated edition covers every breastfeeding topic from pregnancy through to weaning, with a wealth of information on sore nipples, night feeding, working and breastfeeding and > read more
Child Vaccination - Mercury
Published on 2011-01-17 00:23:24
Mercury is currently present in over 30 licensed vaccines in the U.S. There is no debate vaccines contain mercury, and that mercury is a potent toxin. The question is what level of mercury is being pumped into children via vaccines, and what is the > read more
Yo Mama, you ain't all that
Published on 2011-01-12 17:23:41
I remember when I only had one child. Ahh those were the days. I was determined to give my son an optimum childhood, with every advantage possible. I studied hard and implemented all sorts of parenting techniques. And I felt PROUD. Watching him progr > read more
Mama Blogs and Websites
Published on 2011-01-08 01:53:34
API International Through education, support, advocacy and research, our principal goal is to heighten global awareness of the profound significance of secure attachment - not only to invest in our children's bright futures, but to reduce and ultimat > read more
Baby Led Latching
Published on 2011-01-02 16:13:18
The concept of ‘Baby Led Latching’ is so endearing and natural. It’s the opposite of the techniques I experienced in hospital with my son – the second my newborn dared to open his little mouth the attending nurse would grab my breast and shov > read more
Preventing Breastfeeding Pain
Published on 2010-12-21 14:26:41
For me the number one deterrent to breastfeeding is when it’s PAINFUL – raw, sore, red nipples; lumpy, achy breasts; dreading the next feed. So for every other nursing mama, I've compiled a flow chart with common causes of breastfeeding pai > read more