Contest

I am considering running a contest through my blog and website. I am ironing out the details and what the prizes will be. I know the grand prize will be $100 off of doula services and if the winner is someone who has already given birth they will be refunded $100. I am posting to see how much interest there is in a contest. Please post here if you would like to be notified with details when they are available.

Amy

Preeclampsia in pregnancy may increase risk of future health problems

A new study has shown that women who suffer from preeclampsia during pregnancy may be at an increased risk of future health problems. They may be more likely to suffer from hypertension, type 2 diabetes and blood clots.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090130/hl_hsn/preeclampsiainpregnancyboostsfuturehealthrisks

Suffering from infertility? New study shows one more possible cause.

Here is an article about a study of Danish women that show one more possible cause of infertility. They divided these women into 4 groups and the group with the highest levels of certain environmental chemicals (PFOA and PFOS) took longer to get pregnant than the other groups. As much as 70-134% longer. These are chemical that are being phased out in the U.S. and should be completely gone by 2010 but there effects may take longer to go away.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090129/hl_hsn/commonchemicalsmaydelaypregnancy

I'm just not sure that I buy this

The following is an article about a study that showed that women who breastfeed are less likely to neglect their children. While I understand the reasoning behind why I just am not sure about the study itself. I guess in a way I understand it because I have talked to women who have bottle fed one child and breastfed the next and most say they have a different bond with the breastfed child or that they felt bonded to them earlier. Although I know many mom's who have bottle fed for one reason or another and I could never see them neglecting their child's needs. Just putting this article out there because it pertains to breastfeeding. Feel free to form your own opinions.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090126/hl_hsn/momswhobreastfeedlesslikelytoneglectchild

Longer paid leave boosts breastfeeding success

The following is a link to an article about how longer maternity leaves would promote breastfeeding success. I went back to work at 6 weeks with my first and I was working full time. When she was about 3 1/2 months I went to part time and it was still difficult to keep breastfeeding but I am a stubborn person and she never needed to be supplemented but it was a long road. It has been much easier this time around because I work very infrequently. What kind of time do you get off from your company and if you are planning to continue breastfeeding when you go back to work do you have a plan in place?


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090113/hl_nm/us_breastfeeding

Prenatal Bellydancing class

Yoga Matrika in Squirrell Hill is having a prenatal bellydancing class on Friday January 16th @ 6:30 pm. If you are interested contact Sharon at 412-855-5692. The cost is only $15.

http://www.yogamatrika.com/prenatal-programs/

New info about past miscarriages

I thought this was an interesting article. I had a miscarriage with my first pregnancy and it was absolutely devastating. My next pregnancy was with my daughter and I has several complications. I had a low-lying placenta that caused bleeding at 27 weeks and the bleeding caused contractions. Then at almost 35 weeks I had pre-term labor and had to be on brethine for 1 1/2 weeks. I also had a post-partum hemorrhage because the placenta took a very long time to deliver. After reading this I wonder if there was a connection. My third pregnancy with my son was smooth other than the fact that I had a low-lying placenta again that we had to keep an eye on until it moved. Other than that no bleeding, pre-term labor or hemorrhage.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_73499.html

More Melamine

I've said enough about this subject previously so I will just post the link to the article. More melamine has been found in infant formula in the U.S.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28544768/

Early C-Sections may produce complications

This results of this study don't really surprise me at all. Due dates are not an exact science so there is always a risk with delivering before labor has begun. Of course there are times when the due date is a sure thing such as with fertility treatments or someone who has been charting and knows for sure when they conceived but rarely is it exact. I'd also like to see a study that compares delivering by c-section at 37 or 38 weeks and inductions that happened that early. It would be interesting to see how the vaginal deliveries compared. Breathing problems are more common in c-section babies anyways because coming through the birth canal helps squeeze the fluid from the baby's lungs and this doesn't happen with a c-section so they often need some assistance and more vigorous suctioning. Here's the link to the article.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_73577.html

New Contest at A Mother's Boutique

Judy is having another great give-away on her blog. She is giving away baby breastfeeding advocacy t-shirts. She is giving away one everyday from January 6th-February 5th. There are lots of ways to enter so go to her blog and check it out.

http://mommynewsblog.com/breastfeeding-advocacy-shirts-give-away/#comments

Embarrassing Breastfeeding Stories

So I was thinking earlier today about the early days of breastfeeding. If you've breastfed at least one you will remember those days. The one's when you still look like you are about 6 months pregant and your breasts are so swollen from engorgement you feel like you have the breasts that you see on calendars hanging in a garage somewhere. If only the rest of your body matched them and they weren't constantly leaking you might have it made. Anyways I digress.

Probably the most embarrassing story I have is from when my first child was about 1 week old. We went to my husbands work to show her off and of course she got hungry while we were there. One of the girls was nice enough to let me use her office to feed her. I was using the Medela Soft Shells for sore nipples in my bra and I forgot that everytime I fed her from one side the milk would let down on the other side and the shell would be full of milk. Everytime I fed her I would for some stupid reason lean over and all of the milk would run out of that shell and all over me and my clothes. So I fed her then proceeded to pick something up off the floor and you got it all of that milk ran down my face and on the floor and all over the front of my shirt. Now I was 210 pounds when I went into labor with her so a week later I was probably still 190 if I was lucky and with those breasts I may have still been 210 who knows. My husbands boss who was maybe 105 soaking wet says to me "Hang on I have an extra sweatshirt in my office you can wear on your way out" yeah right. I draped it over my shoulder and tied it to cover up the huge wet spots on my shirt.

Then to make matters worse she needed changed so I borrowed the top of someone's desk and proceeded to change an already poopy diaper and as I was changing her she started projectile pooping and now not only did I have milk all over my shirt but I had nice yellow baby poop to match it. After all of that I think the regular days didn't seem so bad. Oh and I never did learn about the milk in the shells because I did the same thing over and over when I had my son.

Anyone want to try to top me?