Blooming Beautiful

I don't own a TV and I have never been particularly interested in the Emmy Awards, but I was pleased to find these lovely photos of Heidi Klum at last night's award show.

Apparently this is the third time she's been pregnant during the Emmys over the past 5 years! Lots of maternity fashion inspiration for the rest of us. :)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1214997/Blooming-beautiful-Heidi-Klums-enormous-bump-takes-centre-stage-Emmys.html

"Supermodel Heidi Klum, who is eight months pregnant, proudly displays her bump at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia.
The couple's baby girl is due next month."

Historical Breastfeeding Photo: Prairie Flower

After finding the historic Dorothy Lange photo, I was intrigued to look for other historic photos of mothers breastfeeding their babies. This one isn't as beautiful as the first one I found, but it's much older.

This photo shows Cynthia Ann Parker breastfeeding her daughter, Topsanna (Prairie Flower), circa 1860-1870. In 1836, at about ten years of age, Parker was kidnapped by Comanches from her home in central Texas, along with four others. She went on to adopt Indian ways and married an Indian warrior. She bore one daughter and two sons, one of whom was future chief Quanah. Photo courtesy Denver Public Library, Western History Collection.

You can read more about Cynthia Ann Parker here: http://www.lone-star.net/mall/texasinfo/CynthiaAnnParker.htm

Homebirth in the media

This TODAY Show report - portraying homebirth as a particularly risky option - is taking a lot of flack: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/32795933#32795933

It doesn't address the sad reality that sometimes babies die, even in births at the hospital. There is no way to completely prevent infant mortality, but homebirths do result in fewer infant deaths than hospital births. Like the video points out, that is in part because homebirths are low-risk births. But all the more reason to choose homebirth if your pregnancy isn't high risk!

Here are two stories about homebirth on USA Today. These provide the positive coverage to balance out the negative stuff from the aforementioned video!

Study Shows Home Birth with Midwife as Safe as Hospital Birth
by Amanda Gardner
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-09-03-midwife-home-birth_N.htm?obref=obinsite

Home Births Get a Bump, Over Obstetricians' Objections
by Rita Rubin
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-09-13-home-births_n.htm

Historic Breastfeeding Photo: Migrant Mother

I linked to a story yesterday about the influence of formula upon breastfeeding trends. On that page, I recognized the woman in the photograph as the same woman in the iconic Great Depression photo by Dorothy Lange, entitled Migrant Mother. I went to Wikipedia to learn more, which I'm sharing here.

The pictured woman is Florence Owens Thompson, born in 1903 as Florence Leona Christie, died in September 1983. In the well-known photographs, taken in 1936, she is 32 years old.

Florence is nursing her baby, Norma. Her daughter Ruby is hiding behind her. Florence had seven children total. The family were pea pickers in Nipomo, California.

Her gravestone reads, "Migrant Mother – A Legend of the Strength of American Motherhood."

You can read more at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Owens_Thompson

A historical look at the impact of infant formula on breastfeeding

This column was written a week ago, by Toni Parker of the Houston Examiner.

http://www.examiner.com/x-17146-Dallas-Womens-Health-Examiner~y2009m8d3-A-historical-look-at-the-impact-of-infant-formula-on-breastfeeding

"There are at least 400 nutrients in breast milk that processed milk cannot duplicate. These nutrients work in tandem, which maximizes their nutritional effectiveness. Conversely, any isolated, synthetic vitamin that is found in infant formulas offers no real nutritional value because they lack the whole food property of breast milk. Hopefully, we will correct the wrongs of our 19th century sisters and revert back to the days of yester year-the days when a human baby received it’s nourishment from another human being. If you are unable to breastfeed, you do have options, such as using a wet-nurse, patronizing a breast milk bank, or making your own healthy, homemade recipe of infant formula."

Support for PPD

Here's a list of 50 blogs and online resources for women suffering from postpartum depression: http://nursepractitionerschools.org/top-50-post-partum-support-blogs/

First Certifying Birth

Yesterday I attended another birth at the Austin Area Birth Center. The biggest difference between this birth and every other birth I've attended so far was that it will count towards my DONA certification! I was with the laboring mom for almost 24 hours, from 4 centimeters dilation onwards. I will send evaluation forms to the mom and the two midwives and will write up my report of the birth within the next few days.

One down, two to go!

Yay!