tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71258273081539401392024-03-05T05:01:52.846-06:00What Molly ThinksMollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02308944024926708277noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125827308153940139.post-49608947962661848392013-03-09T11:52:00.002-06:002013-03-09T11:52:07.524-06:00My Circumcision Bookmarks<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - General</b></span><br />
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<b>If I can only show someone one link to open their mind to questioning circumcision, <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2011/08/intact-or-circumcised-significant.html">this is it</a></span>. (Pics, but not exceptionally graphic)</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/my-body-my-choice-ban-non-consensual-circumcision">My Body, My Choice: Ban Non-Consensual Circumcision - Matthew Taylor </a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ceht-3xu84I">Child Circumcision: An Elephant in the Hospital</a> - GREAT Video! (not graphic) <br />
<a href="http://www.thewholenetwork.org/the-library.html">The WHOLE Network's Library</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - Complications</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.thewholenetwork.org/consequences-of-circumcision.html">Consequences of Circumcision</a> - The WHOLE Network<br />
<a href="http://www.circumstitions.com/Complic.html">Complications of Circumcision</a> - Circumstitions<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/family-health-in-washington-dc/new-study-estimates-neonatal-circumcision-death-rate-higher-than-suffocation-and-auto-accidents">New Study Estimates Neonatal Circumcision Death Rate Higher Than Suffocation and Auto Accidents</a> - Examiner<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/family-health-in-washington-dc/circumcision-s-complications-what-could-go-wrong">Circumcision's Complications: What Could Go Wrong?</a> - Examiner<br />
<a href="http://www.mensstudies.com/content/b64n267w47m333x0/?p=488e687276f346699601a0275fc5827b&pi=2">Lost Boys: An Estimate of U.S. Circumcision-Related Infant Deaths</a> - Men's Studies Press<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Circumcision - Myths</span></b><br />
<a href="http://babiesboobsandblasphemy.blogspot.com/2011/03/routine-toe-removal-has-health-benefits.html">Routine Toe Removal Has Health Benefits</a> (a satire applying common pro-circ arguments to toes)<br />
<a href="http://www.thewholenetwork.org/14/post/2011/08/where-circumcision-doesnt-prevent-hiv.html">Where Circumcision Doesn't Prevent HIV</a> - The WHOLE Network<br />
<a href="http://www.thewholenetwork.org/research-circumcision.html#myths">Research Circumcision - Myths</a> - The WHOLE Network<br />
<a href="http://iinformedparenting.blogspot.com/2010/09/5-reasons-parents-give-for-choosing.html">5 Reasons Parents Give for Choosing Circumcision, and Why Those Reasons are Not Valid</a> - Informed Parenting <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - The Surgery</b></span><br />
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If
you're going to have an elective procedure preformed on your child then
you should be able to watch a video of that procedure being preformed.
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<a href="http://www.thewholenetwork.org/the-library.html">Videos</a> - The WHOLE Network<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDuDhkiDdns">Video</a> - YouTube<br />
<a href="http://intactivists.blogspot.com/2011/05/one-babys-experience.html">One Baby's Experience</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - Your Boy will be a Man</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.udonet.com/circumcision/vincent/vulnerability_of_men.html">The Vulnerability of Men</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mendocomplain.com/">Men Do Complain.com</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.circumstitions.com/Resent.html">Circumcised and Hated It</a> - Celebrities who wish their parents had given them the choice<br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/10/class-action-lawsuit-circumcised-men.html">Class Action Lawsuit: Circumcised Men Sue and Win!</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - General Religion</b></span><br />
<a href="http://guggiedaly.blogspot.com/2011/11/quick-links-on-religion-and.html">Quick Links</a> from Guggy Daly<br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/11/religious-reasons-for-circumcision.html">Religious Reasons for Circumcision Could Breach Human Rights</a> - Peaceful Parenting<br />
<a href="http://guggiedaly.blogspot.com/2011/01/circumcision-and-religion-condensed.html">Circumcision and Religion</a> - Guggy Daly<br />
<a href="http://www.thewholenetwork.org/religion--circumcision.html">The WHOLE Network's Circumcision + Religion Articles</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - Christianity</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2010/07/biblical-circumcision-information.html">Biblical Circumcision Information</a> - Peaceful Parenting<br />
<a href="http://www.udonet.com/circumcision/christian.html">What the Bible Really Says about Routine Infant Circumcision </a><br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2008/03/circumcision-and-christianity.html">Circumcision and Christianity</a> - Peaceful Parenting<br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/10/circumcision-christianity.html">Circumcision & Christianity</a> - Peaceful Parenting <br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2010/02/christians-baptism-not-circumcision.html">Christians: Baptism, not Circumcision</a> - Peaceful Parenting<br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/06/information-on-circumcision-for.html">Christianity & Circumcision Resources</a> - Peaceful Parenting<br />
<a href="http://www.noharmm.org/christianparent.htm">Circumcision and the Christian Parent</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christians-Must-Not-Circumcise/159872514066245?sk=wall">Facebook Page: Christians Must Not Circumcise</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/WHOLECHRISTIAN?sk=wall">Facebook Page: Whole Christian Network</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - Catholicism</b></span><br />
(I know it's also Christianity but these links are Catholic-specific)<br />
<a href="http://guggiedaly.blogspot.com/2011/08/catholic-thoughts-on-whole-body-and.html">Catholic Thoughts on a Whole Body and Bodily Integrity</a> - Guggy Daly<br />
<a href="http://guggiedaly.blogspot.com/2010/07/catholics-and-circumcisiondo-you-know.html">Catholics and Circumcision... Do You Know Your Faith?</a> - Guggy Daly <br />
<a href="http://www.catholicsagainstcircumcision.org/">Catholics Against Circumcision .org</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/CatholicsAgainstCircumcision?sk=wall">Facebook Page: Catholics Against Circumcision</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - Judaism</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.jewsagainstcircumcision.org/">Jews Against Circumcision .org</a><br />
<a href="http://www.jewishcircumcision.org/">Jewish Circumcision Resource Center</a><br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/06/circumcision-jewish-fathers-making.html">Judaism & Circumcision Resources</a> - Peaceful Parenting<br />
<a href="http://guggiedaly.blogspot.com/2011/09/jewish-intactivism.html">Jewish Intactivism: Circumcision Resources</a> - Guggy Daly<br />
<a href="http://www.timescall.com/lifestyles/health/ci_19386559">Circumcision Decision: Lyons family opts not to have procedure on son</a><br />
<a href="http://guggiedaly.blogspot.com/2011/06/torah-against-genital-mutilation.html">The Torah Against Genital Mutilation</a> - Guggy Daly <br />
<a href="http://www.cutthefilm.com/Cut_Website/The_Film.html">CUT: The Film</a><br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/12/jewish-fathers-letter-to-his-son.html">Jewish Father's Letter to His Son</a>- Peaceful Parenting<br />
<a href="http://www.mothering.com/health/my-son-the-little-jew-with-a-foreskin">My Son: The Little Jew with a Foreskin</a> - Mothering <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - Islam</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.quran.org/khatne.htm">Quran .org</a><br />
<a href="http://www.quranicpath.com/misconceptions/circumcision.html">Circumcision - Does the Qur'an Approve It?</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Intact Care</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/moral-landscapes/201110/what-is-the-greatest-danger-uncircumcised-boy">What is the Greatest Danger for an Uncircumcised Boy?</a> - Psychology Today <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - MGM vs FGM</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/fgm/overview/en/">Classification of Female Genital Mutilation</a> - World Health Organization<br />
<a href="http://womanuncensored.blogspot.com/2009/12/would-you-circumcise-your-daughter.html">Would You Circumcise your Daughter?</a> - Woman, Uncensored<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98f3IavuEgQ">Video: The Difference Between Male and Female Circumcision</a> (NOT graphic) <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision Profit</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.norm-uk.org/where_do_foreskins_go.html">Where do all the Foreskins Go?</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lists of Reasons to not Circumcise</b></span><br />
<a href="http://sagaciousmama.wordpress.com/2010/04/20/20-reasons-i-did-not-circumcise-my-son/">20 Reasons</a> from Sagacious Mama <br />
<a href="http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/23/11-reasons-not-to-circumcise/">11 Reasons</a> by Cate Nelson<br />
<br />Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02308944024926708277noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125827308153940139.post-8206445284937997412012-02-19T16:39:00.000-06:002012-06-26T15:44:08.395-05:00Stop making assumptions about birth!I met a homebirther the other day and we got to talking about birth as birth nerds often do. We discussed local doctors and midwives, she told me about her home birth and I mentioned that I had an amazing hospital birth. <br />
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Stop right there. You understand what I just said, right? I had an amazing hospital birth. I had an amazing birth!<br />
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She gave me a disbelieving look that said, "Yeah, right". As if having a great birth experience in a hospital means that I either don't know what a great birth is or that I'm deceiving myself into believing that my hospital birth (which was <i>surely </i>full of horrible interventions) wasn't as horrid as it <i>must </i>have really been.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJ_iprkUX_uqtiDmRu0CsDWhnXe0AC2bEMP3a1-79V8mPPhYUJloD-ilW4ajQthh53xk9B1fdetPKPZxOCJ8K2QXA05eMZ_Woca-bHAy25iiIchNmcpZu3c82PnuFNcykkyCZj5T4Bpdb/s1600/skeptical.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJ_iprkUX_uqtiDmRu0CsDWhnXe0AC2bEMP3a1-79V8mPPhYUJloD-ilW4ajQthh53xk9B1fdetPKPZxOCJ8K2QXA05eMZ_Woca-bHAy25iiIchNmcpZu3c82PnuFNcykkyCZj5T4Bpdb/s1600/skeptical.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I kid you not. She actually made this expression.</td></tr>
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I quickly began trying to explain that<i> despite the location of my birth</i>, it was, in fact, a wonderful, peaceful experience. And by "wonderful experience", I guess what I really mean is a experience which met the <i>requirements for approval among the natural birth community</i>. Apparently how<i> I </i>felt about my birth wasn't enough to label it as "good". <br />
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I get it though, I do. I use to be a bit of an extremist birth nerd, believing that all hospital births were hellish and all home births were heavenly. I really did see it as being that black and white, and of course one answer was right for everyone. But I grew up and life taught me differently. Man I was such a judgmental moron. <br />
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No one should have to justify their experience. There isn't a checklist that guarantees a satisfying birth. I have a friend who had a great induction and another friend who had a terrible homebirth. If someone says that they had a great birth, just say "that's great!". It doesn't matter if you approve of their birth choices; your opinion doesn't change how they feel about their experience. And honestly, you just come off as a judgmental know-it-all bitch when you act like your narrow view of birth is the gold standard of assessing birth experiences. So if you don't want to alienate yourself as being the holier-than-thou crunchy birth goddess then I suggest you take my advice and be a bit more understanding of your fellow mamas.Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02308944024926708277noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125827308153940139.post-14788364610096734002012-02-19T16:06:00.001-06:002012-07-15T13:07:29.215-05:00A few tips for debating online<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNSt6HHUcaZi-d19Ssh5vOGpbPifJUxZ9RXdAIt_ETjo28vyMJii_juEXVCvt9lEcCu5E_h6kF_c2zIZ1sUKW0Uy8a7wPkHC_iXYMY-ScyDCepHC-Uwa2IkFbx30JRgHShoooKqGS7Ply/s1600/duty_calls.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNSt6HHUcaZi-d19Ssh5vOGpbPifJUxZ9RXdAIt_ETjo28vyMJii_juEXVCvt9lEcCu5E_h6kF_c2zIZ1sUKW0Uy8a7wPkHC_iXYMY-ScyDCepHC-Uwa2IkFbx30JRgHShoooKqGS7Ply/s320/duty_calls.png" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because these days every blog post needs an image.</td></tr>
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I have a tendency to get involved in online debates, usually about parenting. These debates can get very heated very quickly (I know my blood pressure rises at just the mention of "sleep training"), and a heated debate does no good. I'm not claiming to be an expert on debate (because I'm very much not an expert!) but I want to share some things that help me debate effectively. <br />
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<b>You can help someone understand but you can't make them agree.</b> Remembering this takes a lot of the stress out of a debate for me. Of course I'd like my opponent to agree with me but that's probably not going to happen during the debate. Throwing out that goal really helps me stay calm. I can make sure they understand my argument but I can't make them agree.<br />
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<b>Remember the people who are reading but not participating.</b> This is my mantra while debating online. I usually assume that my opponent is a lost cause so when I respond I'm really speaking to the silent bystanders. This helps me address my opponent's arguments without getting heated. <br />
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<b>No personal attacks and no correcting grammar or spelling.</b> As soon as you deviate from the topic to attack something unrelated, you've lost. I always assume that when my opponent points out a spelling error they are out of relevant responses. Pointing out grammar and spelling should be saved for when you're making fun of your opponent in a private group (what? You know you do it). <br />
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Obviously, you need to know what you're talking about. I like to<b> provide links to mainstream-friendly articles</b> which back me up. If you're debating with an atheist, you wouldn't use links from a Catholic website, right? No, you'd use secular links. By the same token (my dad always uses that phrase), if you're debating circumcision you shouldn't link to an anti-circ site at first. There are articles on Yahoo! News and The Washington Post that make your point, and they would be better received than a link from an anti-circ site. Now, if someone is genuinely interested in learning more about genital mutilation, then of course send them to <a href="http://www.thewholenetwork.org/">The WHOLE Network</a>! But if they're currently in favor of genital mutilation then sending them to a site that is against it will be ineffective. <br />
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Type what you <i>want</i> to say then delete it and type what you <i>should</i> say</b>. Get that venting out of the way so your emotion doesn't overshadow your argument. Or yell at the computer, take a breath, and calmly compose a response - just don't go off on your opponent. For a debate to be effective it should be a discussion, not a fight. <br />
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<b>And a quick message to silent bystanders</b> - If an online debate has made you think or convinced you to change your mind, please let the debater know! Hearing that I've made a difference for even one person is what keeps me going. There have been several times where I have been on the verge of burning out when suddenly I receive a private message thanking me for what I've said in some debate. It gives me a second wind and I can't express how much I appreciate those messages. So if you like what someone says, let 'em know!Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02308944024926708277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125827308153940139.post-6601045313282939502012-01-14T03:22:00.000-06:002012-01-14T03:22:48.971-06:00I need to unplug.I don't like who I've become. The computer, the gadgets, have taken over my mind. I can't just sit and be in the moment - I have to check Facebook or play a stupid game or watch a show. I can't sit idle, I can't be in the silence. I can't even take a relaxing bath without reading in the tub! That's not right. Our minds aren't meant to be constantly stimulated by outside sources. It's busywork for my brain, and it's distracting me from life. It's disabling my ability to think and to be comfortable with myself. - just myself, without a computer to entertain me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZOiaibwYEiQ3GL9eizkZ0aqFuBjoa-zfYvjdGqXrTsI3wYqGKpkYI2zb-Vy1QrYzsNoLesUHK9mHUvAh7P3dAOnrLD-iOOfCgVL8-s-6I0cLyIuiA2owpXtIZgxzdIqNF1qKocZ3baxI/s1600/walle-e-fat-people.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZOiaibwYEiQ3GL9eizkZ0aqFuBjoa-zfYvjdGqXrTsI3wYqGKpkYI2zb-Vy1QrYzsNoLesUHK9mHUvAh7P3dAOnrLD-iOOfCgVL8-s-6I0cLyIuiA2owpXtIZgxzdIqNF1qKocZ3baxI/s320/walle-e-fat-people.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how I'm starting to feel.</td></tr>
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I don't like what I see in our society. I don't like how we've lost our community. If we removed our walls there would be perfect strangers living their lives just a few feet apart yet completely oblivious to each other. <br />
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Driving is weird. I sit at a stop light, just a few feet away from strangers coming and going, separated by some metal, taking no notice of each other. We don't even wave! People use to wave.<br />
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I feel so disconnected and disassociated anymore. Sometimes it feels like I'm not even a person, like none of us are people. It's like we're mindless drones, rushing about, doing meaningless tasks, plugging our brains in to electronics. Life is passing us by. We're going to look back on our lives and remember our kids growing up so fast while we were watching TV or looking at pictures on Facebook. <br />
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Facebook. I love and hate Facebook. It is great for meeting local mama friends, and for connecting with likeminded people across the world. It's great for "finding your tribe" and for learning what's going on everywhere. But, ultimately, my Facebook friends are meaningless in my life. Don't get me wrong, I care <u><i>a lot</i></u> about several of them, but for the most part, they are pictures and words that I interact with while my mind is plugged in to a computer. They're not a part of my life, they're a part of my sedentary, distracted mind. I do value the connections I've made on Facebook, but, like I said, it's ultimately meaningless. Also, it's kinda unnatural to keep in contact with people I went to elementary school with but with whom I have not maintained a friendship. People are supposed to come and go in your life, and with Facebook it's like I'm collecting everyone I've ever interacted with. But you know what? People change. The people I went to school with are different people now, and let's be honest - we're only Facebook friends so we can stalk each others photos and compare ourselves. Lame.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5brzi73lFE447YfdltbHIzUXiMVKsw6XGpEvlQiEWhEsKbrlrORi-XhqTqdB2EWzYc8mXUM7gyV7b98ggSwYOzyGIdP_F7pueYYt-LnZfmtWjvOVoICTJRuuM9AA7hSsvQk5Ibvqwgb_/s1600/PAAAAAKLGNAHPNBGt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5brzi73lFE447YfdltbHIzUXiMVKsw6XGpEvlQiEWhEsKbrlrORi-XhqTqdB2EWzYc8mXUM7gyV7b98ggSwYOzyGIdP_F7pueYYt-LnZfmtWjvOVoICTJRuuM9AA7hSsvQk5Ibvqwgb_/s320/PAAAAAKLGNAHPNBGt.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I recommend this book.</td></tr>
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And it's not just Facebook, it's craigslist, it's my RSS reader, it's my e-mail, it's Netflix, it's all this stupid crap that I keep up with. I subscribe to a blog because I like it, but then it becomes almost a burden having to keep up with it. My RSS reader has over 300 unread posts right now, despite me checking it daily. It's ridiculous. And do I really need to be reading all this? Yes, The Bloggess is freaking hilarious, and yes I like looking at stupid duckface pics, but ultimately it's all meaningless (I keep saying that - "ultimately it's all meaningless" - because it is, it's all meaningless!). Sure, I read craft blogs and birthy blogs, but ya know what? I'm pretty creative on my own and I'm done having kids. I'm enough of a birth nerd to enlighten mamas on the birth industry without keeping up with what all the birth bloggers are up to. If something crazy huge happens in the birth community, I'm positive news of it will trickle down to me. <br />
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I watched a documentary on the Amish last night and it was perfect timing for me. They put into words a lot of what I've been feeling lately. They resist technological progress because they don't want it to interfere with their process and their community. And they're so right! The easier things become, the more separated we become. We've lost our community. We no longer need to harvest together or sew together, there are very few <i>real</i> skills that are still being passed along. There's not that community bond between us anymore. We're so isolated. There's a saying about life being about the journey, not the destination, and I think it relates here. Life isn't about microwaving a quick meal, it's about growing, harvesting, and cooking it together. It's about LIVING, not just handing your mind over to gadgets! <br />
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So here's what I'm going to do. In my local mama group on Facebook, I'm going to make someone else an admin so they can add people and I'm going to post my phone number so we can still keep in touch. I'm going to set up a bunch of playdates and start being social. (Side note: I'm going to stop worrying about keeping my house spotless for playdates - We have kids and it's obvious that life is happening here. I always have a ton of projects going, and it's totally normal. I think it's healthy for us mamas to see each other's homes in their actual states. Very few of us keep perfectly tidy homes all the time, and seeing other REAL homes that are really being lived in is good for us! It shows us that we're all people and that it's normal to live in a house that looks lived in). I'm going to have Zach change my Facebook password and I'm making a goal of staying off the computer for a whole 31-day month. I've "tried" taking breaks from Facebook before and have failed pretty quickly, but this time I have a real motivation. I WANT to do this. I NEED to do this. I'm going to go out more and try to connect to humanity and nature more. I'm tired of feeling so disconnected. This isn't how life is supposed to be. <br />
<br />
I feel like I've been asleep for the past few years, like I've missed out on my early 20's. I'm waking up now, I'm unplugging, and I'm going to go LIVE! It's not just about what I am doing online, but what I'm <b>not</b> doing when I'm online. I feel like my body and brain are slowly decaying while I sit on my increasingly fat ass staring at this bright screen.<br />
<br />
Wish me luck! I'm expecting to be irritable for the first few days while I adjust to actually thinking again. I plan to fix my sewing machine, to crochet, to finish some of my home improvement projects, to play with my kids more, to visit friends and family more, to go on more walks, to read non-fiction books, and to rediscover the bright, bubbly, friendly, confident, fun person I use to be. And I bet anyone $5 I'll lose some weight during this break from busy, stimulated mindlessness.Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02308944024926708277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125827308153940139.post-64936417046538143472011-11-26T18:35:00.007-06:002011-12-01T14:32:45.735-06:00My bookmarksSome of these categories are pretty empty since I've only recently started to really bookmark things, and there are some categories that I still need to make. But for now, here are my bookmarks. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ultrasound</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm095508.htm">Avoid Fetal "Keepsake" Images, Heartbeat Monitors - FDA</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Due Dates</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.glorialemay.com/blog/?p=107">42 Weeks and Counting (Loving Overdue Babies) - Gloria Lemay</a><br />
<a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1047180/the_lie_of_the_edd_why_your_due_date.html?cat=25">The Lie of the EDD: Why Your Due Date Isn't When You Think - Yahoo!</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mothering.com/pregnancy-birth/the-case-against-inducing-labor">Let the Baby Decide: The Case Against Inducing Labor - Mothering</a><br />
<a href="http://birthwithoutfearblog.com/2011/08/22/what-acog-has-to-say-about-due-dates/">ACOG: Post Dates is Past 42 Weeks - Birth Without Fear</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Induction</b></span><br />
<a href="http://joyinbirthing.com/months/month8/problems-and-hazards-of-induction-of-labor/">Problems and Hazards of Induction of Labor - Joy in Birthing</a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cytotec</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/cytotec.asp">Cytotec Induction and Off-Label Use - Midwifery Today</a><br />
<a href="http://doulamomma.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/cytotec-is-bad-stuff/">Cytotec is Bad Stuff - Doula Mama</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=7125827308153940139">Cytotec (Misoprostol) Drug Information - Rx List</a><br />
<a href="http://www.aimsusa.org/ObstetricDrugs-NotApproved.htm">Drugs Not FDA Approved of Obstetrics - AIMS</a><br />
<a href="http://www.natural-pregnancy-mentor.com/cytotec-induction.html">Cytotec Induction - Natural Pregnancy Mentor </a><br />
<a href="http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/midwivescytotec.asp">Midwives and Cytotec: A True Story - Midwifery Today</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Birth</b></span><br />
<a href="http://midwifethinking.com/2010/07/29/nuchal-cords/">Nuchal Cords: The Perfect Scapegoat - Midwife Thinking</a><br />
(I seriously need to add some links to my Birth folder! I got most of my info from books when I was pregnant so I don't have a lot of links on birth.)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - General</b></span><br />
<div style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div style="color: red;"><b>If I can only show someone one link to open their mind to questioning circumcision, <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2011/08/intact-or-circumcised-significant.html">this is it</a></span>. (Pics, but not exceptionally graphic)</b></div><br />
<a href="http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/my-body-my-choice-ban-non-consensual-circumcision">My Body, My Choice: Ban Non-Consensual Circumcision - Matthew Taylor </a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ceht-3xu84I">Child Circumcision: An Elephant in the Hospital</a> - GREAT Video! (not graphic) <br />
<a href="http://www.thewholenetwork.org/the-library.html">The WHOLE Network's Library</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - Complications</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.thewholenetwork.org/consequences-of-circumcision.html">Consequences of Circumcision</a> - The WHOLE Network<br />
<a href="http://www.circumstitions.com/Complic.html">Complications of Circumcision</a> - Circumstitions<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/family-health-in-washington-dc/new-study-estimates-neonatal-circumcision-death-rate-higher-than-suffocation-and-auto-accidents">New Study Estimates Neonatal Circumcision Death Rate Higher Than Suffocation and Auto Accidents</a> - Examiner<br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/family-health-in-washington-dc/circumcision-s-complications-what-could-go-wrong">Circumcision's Complications: What Could Go Wrong?</a> - Examiner<br />
<a href="http://www.mensstudies.com/content/b64n267w47m333x0/?p=488e687276f346699601a0275fc5827b&pi=2">Lost Boys: An Estimate of U.S. Circumcision-Related Infant Deaths</a> - Men's Studies Press<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Circumcision - Myths</span></b><br />
<a href="http://babiesboobsandblasphemy.blogspot.com/2011/03/routine-toe-removal-has-health-benefits.html">Routine Toe Removal Has Health Benefits</a> (a satire applying common pro-circ arguments to toes)<br />
<a href="http://www.thewholenetwork.org/14/post/2011/08/where-circumcision-doesnt-prevent-hiv.html">Where Circumcision Doesn't Prevent HIV</a> - The WHOLE Network<br />
<a href="http://www.thewholenetwork.org/research-circumcision.html#myths">Research Circumcision - Myths</a> - The WHOLE Network<br />
<a href="http://iinformedparenting.blogspot.com/2010/09/5-reasons-parents-give-for-choosing.html">5 Reasons Parents Give for Choosing Circumcision, and Why Those Reasons are Not Valid</a> - Informed Parenting <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - The Surgery</b></span><br />
<br />
If you're going to have an elective procedure preformed on your child then you should be able to watch a video of that procedure being preformed. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thewholenetwork.org/the-library.html">Videos</a> - The WHOLE Network<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDuDhkiDdns">Video</a> - YouTube<br />
<a href="http://intactivists.blogspot.com/2011/05/one-babys-experience.html">One Baby's Experience</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - Your Boy will be a Man</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.udonet.com/circumcision/vincent/vulnerability_of_men.html">The Vulnerability of Men</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mendocomplain.com/">Men Do Complain.com</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.circumstitions.com/Resent.html">Circumcised and Hated It</a> - Celebrities who wish their parents had given them the choice<br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/10/class-action-lawsuit-circumcised-men.html">Class Action Lawsuit: Circumcised Men Sue and Win!</a><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - General Religion</b></span><br />
<a href="http://guggiedaly.blogspot.com/2011/11/quick-links-on-religion-and.html">Quick Links</a> from Guggy Daly<br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/11/religious-reasons-for-circumcision.html">Religious Reasons for Circumcision Could Breach Human Rights</a> - Peaceful Parenting<br />
<a href="http://guggiedaly.blogspot.com/2011/01/circumcision-and-religion-condensed.html">Circumcision and Religion</a> - Guggy Daly<br />
<a href="http://www.thewholenetwork.org/religion--circumcision.html">The WHOLE Network's Circumcision + Religion Articles</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - Christianity</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2010/07/biblical-circumcision-information.html">Biblical Circumcision Information</a> - Peaceful Parenting<br />
<a href="http://www.udonet.com/circumcision/christian.html">What the Bible Really Says about Routine Infant Circumcision </a><b><i></i></b><br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2008/03/circumcision-and-christianity.html">Circumcision and Christianity</a> - Peaceful Parenting<br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/10/circumcision-christianity.html">Circumcision & Christianity</a> - Peaceful Parenting <br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2010/02/christians-baptism-not-circumcision.html">Christians: Baptism, not Circumcision</a> - Peaceful Parenting<br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/06/information-on-circumcision-for.html">Christianity & Circumcision Resources</a> - Peaceful Parenting<br />
<a href="http://www.noharmm.org/christianparent.htm">Circumcision and the Christian Parent</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christians-Must-Not-Circumcise/159872514066245?sk=wall">Facebook Page: Christians Must Not Circumcise</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/WHOLECHRISTIAN?sk=wall">Facebook Page: Whole Christian Network</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - Catholicism</b></span><br />
(I know it's also Christianity but these links are Catholic-specific)<br />
<a href="http://guggiedaly.blogspot.com/2011/08/catholic-thoughts-on-whole-body-and.html">Catholic Thoughts on a Whole Body and Bodily Integrity</a> - Guggy Daly<br />
<a href="http://guggiedaly.blogspot.com/2010/07/catholics-and-circumcisiondo-you-know.html">Catholics and Circumcision... Do You Know Your Faith?</a> - Guggy Daly <br />
<a href="http://www.catholicsagainstcircumcision.org/">Catholics Against Circumcision .org</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/CatholicsAgainstCircumcision?sk=wall">Facebook Page: Catholics Against Circumcision</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - Judaism</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.jewsagainstcircumcision.org/">Jews Against Circumcision .org</a><br />
<a href="http://www.jewishcircumcision.org/">Jewish Circumcision Resource Center</a><br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/06/circumcision-jewish-fathers-making.html">Judaism & Circumcision Resources</a> - Peaceful Parenting<br />
<a href="http://guggiedaly.blogspot.com/2011/09/jewish-intactivism.html">Jewish Intactivism: Circumcision Resources</a> - Guggy Daly<br />
<a href="http://www.timescall.com/lifestyles/health/ci_19386559">Circumcision Decision: Lyons family opts not to have procedure on son</a><br />
<a href="http://guggiedaly.blogspot.com/2011/06/torah-against-genital-mutilation.html">The Torah Against Genital Mutilation</a> - Guggy Daly <br />
<a href="http://www.cutthefilm.com/Cut_Website/The_Film.html">CUT: The Film</a><br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/12/jewish-fathers-letter-to-his-son.html">Jewish Father's Letter to His Son</a>- Peaceful Parenting<br />
<a href="http://www.mothering.com/health/my-son-the-little-jew-with-a-foreskin">My Son: The Little Jew with a Foreskin</a> - Mothering <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - Islam</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.quran.org/khatne.htm">Quran .org</a><br />
<a href="http://www.quranicpath.com/misconceptions/circumcision.html">Circumcision - Does the Qur'an Approve It?</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Intact Care</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/moral-landscapes/201110/what-is-the-greatest-danger-uncircumcised-boy">What is the Greatest Danger for an Uncircumcised Boy?</a> - Psychology Today <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision - MGM vs FGM</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/fgm/overview/en/">Classification of Female Genital Mutilation</a> - World Health Organization<br />
<a href="http://womanuncensored.blogspot.com/2009/12/would-you-circumcise-your-daughter.html">Would You Circumcise your Daughter?</a> - Woman, Uncensored<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98f3IavuEgQ">Video: The Difference Between Male and Female Circumcision</a> (NOT graphic) <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Circumcision Profit</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.norm-uk.org/where_do_foreskins_go.html">Where do all the Foreskins Go?</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lists of Reasons to not Circumcise</b></span><br />
<a href="http://sagaciousmama.wordpress.com/2010/04/20/20-reasons-i-did-not-circumcise-my-son/">20 Reasons</a> from Sagacious Mama <br />
<a href="http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/23/11-reasons-not-to-circumcise/">11 Reasons</a> by Cate Nelson<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Breastfeeding</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.ncsl.org/IssuesResearch/Health/BreastfeedingLaws/tabid/14389/Default.aspx">Breastfeeding State Laws</a><br />
<a href="http://niftymom.wordpress.com/2008/11/03/drseuss-style-breastfeeding-poem/">Dr. Seuss-style Breastfeeding Poem</a><br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/08/books-for-breastfeeding-mother.html">Peaceful Parenting's Breastfeeding Resources</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cosleeping</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/06/truth-about-co-sleeping-how-stats.html">Peaceful Parenting's Baby Sleep Resource Page </a><b><br />
</b><br />
<a href="http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/05/05/fox-news-video-on-bed-sharing/#.TtQJqHqa6uM">Fox News Video on Bed Sharing</a><br />
<a href="http://www.askdrsears.com/news/latest-news/dr-sears-addresses-recent-co-sleeping-concerns">Dr. Sears Addresses Recent Co-Sleeping Concerns</a><br />
<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2011/11/10/142136849/should-babies-co-sleep-with-their-parents">Should Babies Sleep with their Parents?</a> - NPR<br />
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2057426/Babies-stress-levels-DOUBLE-theyre-straight-cot-birth.html">Babies' Stress Levels DOUBLE if they're put Straight in a Cot After Birth</a><br />
<a href="http://www.smartparenting.com.ph/kids/baby/co-sleeping-is-safer-for-babies-than-cribs-experts-say/page/2">Co-Sleeping is Safer for Babies than Cribs </a><br />
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/nov/14/buying-minimum-child-kit?fb=optOut">Who needs a Pram or a Cot when you're Bringing up a Baby?</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Babywearing</b></span><br />
<a href="http://community.babycenter.com/post/a25592071/newcomers_basic_babywearing_info_here">Basic Babywearing Info</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Carseats</b></span><br />
<a href="http://dailymomtra.com/2011/03/30/the-picture-guide-to-car-seat-safety/">The Picture Guide to Car Seat Safety </a>- Christie Haskell<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2DVfqFhseo">Video: The Importance of Rear-Facing</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Discipline</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/discipline-behavior">Discipline & Behavior</a> - Dr. Sears<br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2010/02/gentle-discipline-staying-course.html">Gentle Discipline ~ Staying the Course</a> - Peaceful Parenting<br />
<a href="http://www.ahaparenting.com/_blog/Parenting_Blog/tag/Discipline/">A bunch of blog posts on discipline</a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Spanking</b></span><br />
<a href="http://guggiedaly.blogspot.com/2011/10/spanking-resources.html">Guggie's (anti-)Spanking Resources</a><br />
<a href="http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/discipline-behavior/spanking/10-reasons-not-hit-your-child">10 Reasons Not to Hit Your Child</a> - Dr. Sears (isn't it bizarre that we live in a society that such an article would even need to be written?)<br />
<a href="http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/discipline-behavior/spanking/8-admonitions-parents-who-chose-spank">8 Admonitions to Parents to Chose to Spank</a> - Dr. Sears<br />
<a href="http://whynottrainachild.com/category/anti-spanking-resources/">Anti-Spanking Resources</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nospank.net/">Project NoSpank</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONNRfflggBg">Video: The Facts About Spanking</a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Vaccines</b></span><br />
<a href="http://therefusers.com/refusers-newsroom/dead-babies-and-stillbirths-reported-to-the-fda-after-vaccination-mothering-magazine/">Dead Babies and Stillbirths Reported to the FDA After Vaccination</a><br />
<a href="http://lifeonthefrancofarm.blogspot.com/2011/06/6-points-i-would-have-to-believe-before.html">6 Points I Would Have to Believe Before Resuming Vaccinations</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Fluoride</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2010/06/ten-fluoride-facts.html">Ten Fluoride Facts</a> - Peaceful Parenting<br />
<a href="http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/january2008/011508_fluoride_horror.htm">Scientific Study Finds Fluoride Horror Stories Factual</a><br />
<a href="http://www.greaterthings.com/Lexicon/F/Fluoride.htm">About Fluoride</a><br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/LLWk3cBnHOg">Video: Fluoride is Toxic Waste (Literally)</a>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02308944024926708277noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125827308153940139.post-90735633544733935422011-11-09T19:31:00.003-06:002012-02-15T15:37:08.370-06:00Scumbag Doctor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLXTK78jtQCHL0dM3X0NxURwNgBBmukwyT4Jf-ob8An6NkPGZLtP0LbzeXZw88G5KFJcuAN76J35ytE1EF1Fnuia_Tkq7EewuKj4_UpZ91-u0BuEjT8eajUAxcdFs9bYrvfy8Q-qxQjRD/s1600/dr_circumcision.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLXTK78jtQCHL0dM3X0NxURwNgBBmukwyT4Jf-ob8An6NkPGZLtP0LbzeXZw88G5KFJcuAN76J35ytE1EF1Fnuia_Tkq7EewuKj4_UpZ91-u0BuEjT8eajUAxcdFs9bYrvfy8Q-qxQjRD/s320/dr_circumcision.jpg" width="197" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">I was thinking about the "<a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/scumbag-steve">Scumbag Steve</a>" meme tonight and this popped into my mind.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2yTu5UhyiDoeyt0oHnKlVDvuXCPy3kl69IuweuaLDeTU9VJsM5fzyw3nSt1K-g81u9xu01Vz28bxX1s_RvEKNU-z64rjWzBXNdHYWo1qHH-5VIpcagP5LUrZxZ6I2_1EFRNfmOONWBX_/s1600/dr_big+baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2yTu5UhyiDoeyt0oHnKlVDvuXCPy3kl69IuweuaLDeTU9VJsM5fzyw3nSt1K-g81u9xu01Vz28bxX1s_RvEKNU-z64rjWzBXNdHYWo1qHH-5VIpcagP5LUrZxZ6I2_1EFRNfmOONWBX_/s320/dr_big+baby.jpg" width="197" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrYNZpGS1rgmRUxeOHi0ByZOTNEGTulFHBsLZ9tBHZGTCrZqQ6fneYKrcxElM5Db44VHSw0KTUMJB4mq9TB_npf_i8WNqxLoway53PXgsK4fbz93V6WUqXJK_UM22pgst0dlmVhmkeM-O/s1600/dr_induction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrYNZpGS1rgmRUxeOHi0ByZOTNEGTulFHBsLZ9tBHZGTCrZqQ6fneYKrcxElM5Db44VHSw0KTUMJB4mq9TB_npf_i8WNqxLoway53PXgsK4fbz93V6WUqXJK_UM22pgst0dlmVhmkeM-O/s320/dr_induction.jpg" width="197" /></a></div><br />
Here's a blank one. I'd love to see what you come up with! Please link to it in the comments or tag me on Facebook if you're friends with me :) <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJ4TIWCYSPHZfE20ZvC_C0tlQLIQ1WRtMhq3SdS0NoNZ0F1tGUmoXwK8Iy-PBvqqji-y-c9TXdaN9eVMKb8ChUo1_noacTvj6uDp6EYdNFyZKK2uxohtgaPzoLm9daV428byd0EW-IEcp/s1600/dr_blank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJ4TIWCYSPHZfE20ZvC_C0tlQLIQ1WRtMhq3SdS0NoNZ0F1tGUmoXwK8Iy-PBvqqji-y-c9TXdaN9eVMKb8ChUo1_noacTvj6uDp6EYdNFyZKK2uxohtgaPzoLm9daV428byd0EW-IEcp/s320/dr_blank.jpg" width="197" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span id="goog_1041961200"></span><span id="goog_1041961201"></span></div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02308944024926708277noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125827308153940139.post-7379422338829252392011-11-05T23:45:00.002-05:002011-11-10T00:24:58.641-06:00Our family closet & reading nook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Family closets are usually used by large families but you don't have to have five or more kids to benefit from a family closet. Heck, you don't even need to <i>have </i>a kid to enjoy the ease of keeping all the clean laundry in one place. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our family is made up of two parents and two children (and two dogs and a cat). I refuse to carry clean laundry up the stairs and distribute clean clothes to several locations just for them to get dirty and need to be washed again. I can't justify that effort when I don't enjoy it and when there is an easier option.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And so, here's my easier option:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSlJryAdschLg-LnuFw5jbXU83epPcO2SI-3pK59YfXDu1sWrXljykNcygiYnzGTPCJx_WFY6_CseUsaiOmn-0Q2k7k9rVhlfg3_sn_KKKBmx7FAlelNORVXB9PsdFw8Df9hwkwDbJeO3/s320/DSC06694.JPG" width="320" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">It's not magazine-pretty but I love it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zkFT099Gwwi0X82VC4vrQkypqcvxPlSpL_85faCSQqIB6GwEUUu3-XkrvYU1xTn8bMSGmswp2pta_s6JYrq8u_fPt2iG95z1z1ef8fbUAaYX3AThOACRdRLuGSoNW8RA1U9O0O8OAVW5/s1600/DSC06691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zkFT099Gwwi0X82VC4vrQkypqcvxPlSpL_85faCSQqIB6GwEUUu3-XkrvYU1xTn8bMSGmswp2pta_s6JYrq8u_fPt2iG95z1z1ef8fbUAaYX3AThOACRdRLuGSoNW8RA1U9O0O8OAVW5/s320/DSC06691.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Click to enlarge)</i><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTXy_T4Dzmodm2zvay4v0o4PgQcAmnSxOBX5RpO-RrvFpZHzn054tnjDPRorW2bGsNZZWHXKrLYMJkUd2sMn3spH61tP3pUEOKtwGUqsQwpfzgV1q9eTAZosAnYImK7W97jOIRxVgk1UZ/s1600/DSC06681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTXy_T4Dzmodm2zvay4v0o4PgQcAmnSxOBX5RpO-RrvFpZHzn054tnjDPRorW2bGsNZZWHXKrLYMJkUd2sMn3spH61tP3pUEOKtwGUqsQwpfzgV1q9eTAZosAnYImK7W97jOIRxVgk1UZ/s320/DSC06681.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The clothes are hanging on a hand rail hung from the ceiling with rope. I added some screws on the ends (perpendicular to the rail) to keep the hangers from sliding off. <br />
<br />
The basket of coats, jackets, hats and gloves will only be on that chair during the cold seasons. When it warms up they'll go out into the shed (in a tub with a lid) and our swimming stuff will go in that spot. <br />
<br />
I always keep a tub easily accessible for outgrown clothes to donate. Tossing clothes into the tub here and there helps keep the clutter down, plus it makes getting ready for a clothing swap much simpler.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejuWZtY8GTWfPyk-KAFwNQGYZ6zF8C9AR_WmHb7clrZOQJg6Jw7W78WQY5j9MpmlbqFfO4FHII8JvT9KrVZXGNzQhFsRF7BQ54Zw3XnXgiRa7NCCo1b9xCHc1yAlfH4pvvfPdbIDp54P1/s1600/DSC06682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejuWZtY8GTWfPyk-KAFwNQGYZ6zF8C9AR_WmHb7clrZOQJg6Jw7W78WQY5j9MpmlbqFfO4FHII8JvT9KrVZXGNzQhFsRF7BQ54Zw3XnXgiRa7NCCo1b9xCHc1yAlfH4pvvfPdbIDp54P1/s320/DSC06682.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I know I need to fix the curtain. I need to hem them and add some more hooks. Like I said, it's not magazine-pretty. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZI7SylNqmwvp7y2BmWF3RubitevBb8x0hWvkybRWfoRx35oMWFhZmAWOr5bl3XlfN0iZLwT3Xsi3F0RULUbcflFkKimy18YT0ceQ3VezW2iYuevBA5nTxgAOGzyt41KtZLA88GGA0HL8d/s1600/aDSC06438text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZI7SylNqmwvp7y2BmWF3RubitevBb8x0hWvkybRWfoRx35oMWFhZmAWOr5bl3XlfN0iZLwT3Xsi3F0RULUbcflFkKimy18YT0ceQ3VezW2iYuevBA5nTxgAOGzyt41KtZLA88GGA0HL8d/s320/aDSC06438text.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcuAtE2ezbNxReBkjGiLZLiTHiwHfgM-Ccq8vA8-OHjpvysnGs7i1NpY1SaeVDO2UEFW2BMZVdMo6LXpJYzGZvTCMsSBampSSqxCA-vtDxCGvTEgstaF82Y036Sbr7jKzLMBXnZQSiUCIi/s1600/DSC06693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcuAtE2ezbNxReBkjGiLZLiTHiwHfgM-Ccq8vA8-OHjpvysnGs7i1NpY1SaeVDO2UEFW2BMZVdMo6LXpJYzGZvTCMsSBampSSqxCA-vtDxCGvTEgstaF82Y036Sbr7jKzLMBXnZQSiUCIi/s320/DSC06693.JPG" width="240" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAhEAfsFnHow68kmJa8mkAjdeQcrlEj-xmcK4GPdQsHpPDSVxeqE12BXgBHBCGGjGh8sNNDFvu04HcD9Kovp7uqC2oUoLZtm4VPtVmNTOOJ2_7ZdZpDtczuz2FeHhb8tIF-0g-MasQQKL/s1600/DSC06684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAhEAfsFnHow68kmJa8mkAjdeQcrlEj-xmcK4GPdQsHpPDSVxeqE12BXgBHBCGGjGh8sNNDFvu04HcD9Kovp7uqC2oUoLZtm4VPtVmNTOOJ2_7ZdZpDtczuz2FeHhb8tIF-0g-MasQQKL/s320/DSC06684.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We have a reading nook in the family closet because you have to utilize all the space when your house is 700 square feet. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsH8_2Up7GfPt7BtbbMkolbgr4HETvJcYji4xp5Qh1Y21ouaXxJlqCne_eBaK9aLtNy57-KDsmuaLJ-XhzXBMZMSNCrMGQsQR1Z-Va1WDUHqXDM29QxplFhYuJS8py0wJgkw2L1wA2dwd/s1600/DSC06685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsH8_2Up7GfPt7BtbbMkolbgr4HETvJcYji4xp5Qh1Y21ouaXxJlqCne_eBaK9aLtNy57-KDsmuaLJ-XhzXBMZMSNCrMGQsQR1Z-Va1WDUHqXDM29QxplFhYuJS8py0wJgkw2L1wA2dwd/s320/DSC06685.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqfck373dZhi1Vx1wAOhOzCv2W6iPvZAJ76Xumol7E6Nx33L9QpBegK9jKpIu0_d13K9vC1D1BLZSAzR5P3vT-JM2AOTPds9NJLKu0pDm5Ws3iupVpINshBgx-Tt9WQQogJM6tb5Fo0uI/s1600/DSC06686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqfck373dZhi1Vx1wAOhOzCv2W6iPvZAJ76Xumol7E6Nx33L9QpBegK9jKpIu0_d13K9vC1D1BLZSAzR5P3vT-JM2AOTPds9NJLKu0pDm5Ws3iupVpINshBgx-Tt9WQQogJM6tb5Fo0uI/s320/DSC06686.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMeNJmtRotebZSd11NDy-5vcM3YnLVcHYalwRNARJjOc9OHgpnmvXFUynZ5ItkAPtxDD02TrpZoC4lYmhXunq_4RR3KtO2n3RN35M8ZLlHBl1joBI5k_D0fpOCudfTnOb0XGBt3N-sDph/s1600/DSC06687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMeNJmtRotebZSd11NDy-5vcM3YnLVcHYalwRNARJjOc9OHgpnmvXFUynZ5ItkAPtxDD02TrpZoC4lYmhXunq_4RR3KtO2n3RN35M8ZLlHBl1joBI5k_D0fpOCudfTnOb0XGBt3N-sDph/s320/DSC06687.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtgkVuLjqtNLsqqFHuCpld-PrTw-pRZhs0OSxWhMbVkiU1hMZLBJTc_Sq5O0zuhyDRbOgjv-LkE16S1t2fIEXMa6-58c-azff2Fvdc9p3qxDc4PULACdgF7g0q7P-LfD6SZofqWe35m1C/s1600/DSC06690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtgkVuLjqtNLsqqFHuCpld-PrTw-pRZhs0OSxWhMbVkiU1hMZLBJTc_Sq5O0zuhyDRbOgjv-LkE16S1t2fIEXMa6-58c-azff2Fvdc9p3qxDc4PULACdgF7g0q7P-LfD6SZofqWe35m1C/s320/DSC06690.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> That's it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
To learn more about family closets, use Google ;)</div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02308944024926708277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125827308153940139.post-64664467143991338412011-06-24T04:49:00.000-05:002011-06-24T04:49:52.401-05:00Babies Don't Have to be Expensive<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/261453_2078486115204_1036536888_32404791_7212154_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/261453_2078486115204_1036536888_32404791_7212154_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google image search + MS Paint = this</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Magazines and manufactures would have you believe that you need to buy a ton of things to care for your new baby. There is profit to be made with this widely-accepted lie, so of course they push their baby stuff. But babies don't need a lot of things, and they certainly don't need new things (except a carseat, please don't buy a used carseat).<br />
<br />
<b>We haven't bought a single new thing for our son.</b> He's our second child but we also didn't buy many new things for our daughter, and you don't have to either. Here's how:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Cloth diaper.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMK4g_eKG2HGryPo1eaXoBZPd58Rmp170cjtGPZCk7y1-O5r_7z-Y92ZJXYZzkok9M8ftjks7l_6mAMK0ajLcDvoL5p7RJEVvnGCFrWiOz88vigxVG-QhzduG9pEmSzWw6EtNd5PViGTTD/s1600/aDSC00878wmt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMK4g_eKG2HGryPo1eaXoBZPd58Rmp170cjtGPZCk7y1-O5r_7z-Y92ZJXYZzkok9M8ftjks7l_6mAMK0ajLcDvoL5p7RJEVvnGCFrWiOz88vigxVG-QhzduG9pEmSzWw6EtNd5PViGTTD/s200/aDSC00878wmt.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My daughter's fluffy bum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It's no grosser than disposable diapers (it's less gross if you ask me - <a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2011/04/chemicals-in-disposable-diapers.html">no chemicals</a>!). The start-up cost can be pricey but there are ways around that. You can use inexpensive new diapers such as prefolds and covers or you could buy used ones (you can sterilize them).<br />
<br />
Or you can do what we did: When people asked what we were still needing for our babies we told them, "one-size bumGenius pocket diapers". Our cloth diapering stash is made up entirely of brand new bumGenius diapers and we have spent $0 diapering our two children*. Don't be shy about telling people when they ask. If they ask then they want to contribute to your growing family.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Breastfeed.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxPAh-xDfdtN80mPJAD7eNKDBjYFjWPw6olkSd8pP3MDDA2_0FIF0gEZgZkpsNtXF5E6OS1d6vZmzzgcdsvljsqWXLTv_dD-3-svDM95syU73l-pHZmRs9wEEtc-Z2ifLT68k3MZpqtuF/s1600/phoenix+nursing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxPAh-xDfdtN80mPJAD7eNKDBjYFjWPw6olkSd8pP3MDDA2_0FIF0gEZgZkpsNtXF5E6OS1d6vZmzzgcdsvljsqWXLTv_dD-3-svDM95syU73l-pHZmRs9wEEtc-Z2ifLT68k3MZpqtuF/s200/phoenix+nursing.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phoenix</td></tr>
</tbody></table>There are a gazillion reasons to breastfeed, like your health, your baby's health, bonding, not supporting immoral formula manufacturers, it's convenient, etc., but this post is focused on money so here it is: Breastfeeding is free. No bottles, no formula, no bottle-cleaning brushes, no special dishwasher rack, no extra-roomy diaper bag for lugging around bottles.<br />
<br />
If you need to pump milk, that will add some cost, but it doesn't have to be expensive. I bought a pump and three bottles on craigslist for $25 total. Granted, this is an unusually sweet deal, but there are often pumps listed on craigslist for less than what they retail for. If you're registering for a baby shower and are planning to pump, register for a pump and bottles!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Pre-worn clothes.</span><br />
There are three basic venues for pre-worn clothes: hand-me-downs, consignment/thrift finds, and clothing swaps.<br />
<br />
Everyone is familiar with hand-me-downs, right? I think the term "hand-me-down" has some unfairly negative images associated with it. Sure, there are the patched-overalls-from-your-older-brother kind, but there are also the <b>box-full-of-awesomeness</b>-from-your-friend kind. The majority of my children's clothes come from boxes sent from friends and family who have children just a bit older than my kids. The styles might be a year old, but do our toddlers really need to be at the peak of fashion?<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKuwCaonS0dh5BXQHcIfGn0FLFjJ6ZFPUfMSKkavgQNLgMvkKMOVO9KuyOGAeAxRmEOc73mCwyyqfvtQmWJlUJeNWnM0WlHnEsX2Czgp-C4stiGtxqNFv2CesbS9tEGfzifH9L_SuIcfa/s1600/JBFClothingRacks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKuwCaonS0dh5BXQHcIfGn0FLFjJ6ZFPUfMSKkavgQNLgMvkKMOVO9KuyOGAeAxRmEOc73mCwyyqfvtQmWJlUJeNWnM0WlHnEsX2Czgp-C4stiGtxqNFv2CesbS9tEGfzifH9L_SuIcfa/s200/JBFClothingRacks.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Just Between Friends sale</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I personally find it financially dangerous to venture into the children's section of a clothing store. Everything is just so darn cute and I could easily over-spend! So instead, we buy our clothes at large consignment sales (like <a href="http://www.jbfsale.com/">Just Between Friends</a>). Or rather, we <i>use </i>to buy at consignment sales, before we discovered swaps.<br />
<br />
Clothing swaps take the best parts of hand-me-downs and consignment sales: they're free and there's a selection. You take your children's old clothes and exchange them for other children's old clothes. They're typically one-for-one swaps, meaning you get one article of clothing for every article you bring.<br />
<br />
Something else I like about clothing swaps is letting my toddler pick out whatever clothes she wants and not having to pay for it. Sure, this can be done at a consignment sale too, but at a swap I don't have to decide if three Elmo shirts are worth spending $3.50 each. <br />
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As for new-from-the-store clothes? Well, my kids do have doting grandmothers ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAONz9acR1euXrRE8JYA_JIgPa2ypTyRioqm1VjlLiKAywYyfcag85xcDr2LBUmIXu4mIBfiMe3Dultrkf_ne6iHTo6twq3PH8FVSrV9sixLsYB99cLz4TwnAsHjdvv57-x9F24Clhum7w/s1600/189980_1677895705792_1189470266_31765605_5680769_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAONz9acR1euXrRE8JYA_JIgPa2ypTyRioqm1VjlLiKAywYyfcag85xcDr2LBUmIXu4mIBfiMe3Dultrkf_ne6iHTo6twq3PH8FVSrV9sixLsYB99cLz4TwnAsHjdvv57-x9F24Clhum7w/s200/189980_1677895705792_1189470266_31765605_5680769_n.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son's first day home</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Cosleep.</span><br />
When I was pregnant with our daughter we bought three things in preparation for parenthood: a ring sling, a washer and dryer for cloth diapers, and a king size bed. The bed was $20 on craigslist and was in excellent condition. <br />
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If done safely, sharing you bed with your baby is safe (that's such a *duh* statement, but I think it needs to be said). It's what's natural for our species and it cost nothing.<br />
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There's no need to spend money on a crib that may get recalled, or sheets for the crib, or a crib bumper which is recommended against but you'd get anyway cause it's so dang cute, or a crib mobile, or crib toys. If you have a bed then you're ready to go! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/270857_2078826483713_1036536888_32405297_3816264_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/270857_2078826483713_1036536888_32405297_3816264_n.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">Convertible carseat.</span><br />
Infant carseats might be more convenient in some situations (loading up twins in winter?) but they <a href="http://news.health.com/2009/08/24/infant-car-seats/">lower the oxygen levels</a> of babies, are dangerous if<a href="http://www.woai.com/content/troubleshooters/story/Car-seats-in-shopping-carts-become-a-dangerous/r8L5T6EXd0mw29A5OjCsaw.cspx"> put on top of a shopping cart</a>, are cumbersome to carry, can promote detachment and flat head syndrome and are typically just another unnecessary thing to buy**. Once your baby outgrows it you'll need a convertible carseat anyway so why not just start out with one?<br />
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Carseats might be the only thing you need to buy new from the store, but that doesn't mean they have to be expensive. If you watch for discounts and promotions and you can save a lot on them. We purchased four decent carseats for $39 each while they were on sale and now we're set on carseats until our kids outgrow them, we wreck, or they expire. And since we bought them new from the store we were able to register that we have them so if they are ever recalled we will be notified. You don't get that with a used seat. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/14365_1198923291781_1189470266_30780847_1772506_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/14365_1198923291781_1189470266_30780847_1772506_n.jpg" width="142" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">Babywear.</span><br />
Babywearing replaces the infant carseat and the stroller and benefits more than just your wallet. Babywearing is great for, well, just about every situation. Walking the dogs, sweeping the floor, shopping, taking your older child to the park, writing a blog post... Whenever your baby's need to be held and your need to use your hands happen at the same time, babywearing is there!<br />
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Carriers can be bought new, used, for shipping only, and exchanged for other things. There are websites that let you try out different carriers so you can find the one that's right for you (they work like a library with a refundable deposit). Personally, I have two store-bought carriers and three used carriers and would gladly buy used again if I needed another carrier. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pwFF2rRf8gSkoXPtLtgzrrvKj8I3kROesda0ulHU8v-A0bnrn6GjCO8cpdA9FESP2rZqcRBJfVnA6d0PX6Fa6R4TVq1UXw6rWhQ-UoV5ohaxaOfLaJ4d4t868HYRXUO86l0TqQoFljeU/s1600/aDSC08888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pwFF2rRf8gSkoXPtLtgzrrvKj8I3kROesda0ulHU8v-A0bnrn6GjCO8cpdA9FESP2rZqcRBJfVnA6d0PX6Fa6R4TVq1UXw6rWhQ-UoV5ohaxaOfLaJ4d4t868HYRXUO86l0TqQoFljeU/s200/aDSC08888.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lotus</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Amber teething necklace.</span><br />
Don't look at me like that. I'm not some dirty hippie who listens to whale songs on CD while doing yoga in my zen garden (although I would like to have a zen garden... and do yoga...). I research things and do what is effective, with the least amount of risks, while hopefully being affordable. And Baltic Amber? Well, it works. The Internet can not lie, so ask the Internet and it'll back me up here. I'm kidding, of course, but do ask around and you'll find a lot of positive reviews of this healing natural resin.<br />
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Having an Amber teething necklace eliminates the need for a teething relief gel that might get <a href="http://www.my719moms.com/news/safety-recall-on-orajel/">recalled</a> and will need to be replaced when emptied. Since it's worn on your baby you don't have to worry about locating it when you need it. That's a pretty minor reason, but think about having this conversation while holding a baby screaming in pain:<br />
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"Where is the baby pain stuff?! It's not in the cabinet!"<br />
"I think it's in the diaper bag."<br />
"Where's the diaper bag?"<br />
"Oh, it's in the van. I forgot to bring it in."<br />
"Ugh!"<br />
<br />
Or even worse,<br />
"Where's the baby pain stuff? I can't find it in here!" <br />
"Oh... I forgot to pack it in the diaper bag. It's at home".<br />
<br />
That would suck.<br />
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It's a one-time cost, with no side-effects, no re-application. It's not a teether which introduces more germs into your baby's mouth and needs to be washed (as if babies need any help mouthing on everything in reach). You can even get them on sale fairly regularly if you keep an eye out for discount codes. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtlqOo3F-n81RgfopAT_GYR5EK3CQxgoHNVP-VoP98ye16ee-6CdblEmyg4-6y3YpKX0LRNCTnk_r0dwPX7dbjKzX1GH8hj_zL4BmTuzxgSPQZj4_LIGIBjtbSi3gMnDvNFSHWZIHE5a2/s1600/nailclippers.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtlqOo3F-n81RgfopAT_GYR5EK3CQxgoHNVP-VoP98ye16ee-6CdblEmyg4-6y3YpKX0LRNCTnk_r0dwPX7dbjKzX1GH8hj_zL4BmTuzxgSPQZj4_LIGIBjtbSi3gMnDvNFSHWZIHE5a2/s1600/nailclippers.bmp" /></a></div>And finally, this one is so minor but I have to mention it because it bugs me. You do not need <span style="font-size: large;">special nail clippers</span> for babies. You could nibble off your baby's nails or you could use regular, adult-sized clippers. There is no need to buy special tiny ones. Here's a tip: trim your baby or toddler's nails while she's sleeping. It's so much easier that way!<br />
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I'm aware that this post probably seems to have an <b>attachment parenting agenda</b> but I promise that's just a coincidence. The truth is, attachment parenting is just cheaper than mainstream parenting. Who profits from breastfeeding? Who spends tons of money advertising for cosleeping ("Hey, don't buy a crib - cosleep!")? Probably no one (I mean, yeah, pump companies do, but that's not the point here). <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">* Technically we have bought a few packages of disposable diapers, like when I was on bedrest while pregnant with our second child, but that was too wordy of an explanation to put up there and we didn't <i>need</i> to use disposables, I just wanted to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">** Please don't take the carseat bit the wrong way. I know that an infant carseat can be used responsibly and that having one does not mean you're going to put it on top of your shopping cart. This post is about how to save money as a parent and I'm listing what has worked for me. If you're into infant seats that's fine with me, not that you need my approval. </span>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02308944024926708277noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125827308153940139.post-30327882736324754542011-06-22T03:53:00.001-05:002012-01-24T19:20:58.588-06:00When You Know Better...<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> <b>"When you know better you do better."</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">~ <i>Maya Angelou</i></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Humans: we start out ignorant and naive; we make mistakes. We do stupid, dangerous and scary things. If we're lucky we live through it, learn from it, and help others avoid it. </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b>"From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own."</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><i>~Syrus</i><i> </i> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://dailymomtra.com/">Daily Momtra</a> has a post which I love called <a href="http://dailymomtra.com/2010/11/12/activism-isnt-about-being-better-than-you/">Activism Isn't About Being Better Than You</a>. Sometimes activists are viewed as being "holier than thou" when we try to spread awareness. That's understandable since we're basically saying, <i>You're doing it wrong; do it how I do it </i>when often our opinion is given without solicitation.The whole point of activism is stopping an injustice or raising awareness so others may avoid repeating our experiences. From warning others of a slippery floor to raising awareness of breast cancer, it is our moral duty to help others learn from our mistakes.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b>"If a mistake is not a stepping stone, it is a mistake."</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> <i>~Eli Siegel</i></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><i> </i> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;">A perfect example of what I'm talking about is the story of <a href="http://www.joelsjourney.org/">Joel</a>. His family has suffered greatly from premature forward-facing and are doing what they can to prevent other families from sharing their experience. </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Some people are not open to hearing that they're doing something dangerous with their child, but you know what? I'd rather lose a friendship over my activism than see a child lost to a stupid mistake that could easily be prevented. </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b>"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing." </b> </div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><i>~John Powell</i></div></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">What I find sad is when someone denies that there is a problem and they get defensive at the suggestion of such. <b>Pointing out that your child is riding dangerously is not an attack on you, your parenting, or your intellect.</b> We're not born with an instinctual knowledge of carseat safety and there currently isn't a nation-wide campaign advocating safe carseat usage. I don't think poorly of you for not knowing how to safely use a carseat. We all have to learn somehow. I use to be ignorant of carseat safety too, after all.</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Alexander Pope said, "To err is human; to forgive, divine". Forgive yourself for your mistakes. Be grateful that you have learned from those errors. Own it, correct it, and help others avoid making the same mistake.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b>"A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying... that he is wiser today than he was yesterday." </b> </div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><i>~Alexander Pope</i></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">To "put my money where my mouth is", here are a couple examples of my past ignorant mistakes. I was lucky to have learned from other's experiences and correct what I had been doing without experiencing any harm firsthand. </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhReALDxUDHQ8cmfakWrjPYFHfFJluYFxtYYpgkqTUdGR7ep6onPvjI_MMVsKtysg1PP-EcogNyUjSmGQcuqWaR7aHnVoVCamsicFYp9EpnA7Mvg49SJlGUHoDiyyAt2skWxvaDJYsqcmv/s1600/carseatfail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhReALDxUDHQ8cmfakWrjPYFHfFJluYFxtYYpgkqTUdGR7ep6onPvjI_MMVsKtysg1PP-EcogNyUjSmGQcuqWaR7aHnVoVCamsicFYp9EpnA7Mvg49SJlGUHoDiyyAt2skWxvaDJYsqcmv/s200/carseatfail.JPG" width="150" /></a>The only thing not wrong with this photo is that my daughter was rear-facing. Luckily we didn't get into an accident with her strapped in like that or she would have gone flying. The seat wasn't even installed properly; it wobbled with every bump.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Within a month of taking this photo I had learned about carseat safety, thanks to those "carseat nerds" on the BabyCenter community. </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">(A visual guide to carseat safety can be found <a href="http://dailymomtra.com/2011/03/30/the-picture-guide-to-car-seat-safety/">here</a>).</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">My husband soon learned about carseat safety through me. Now he takes his time adjusting the carseat straps <i>just so</i> when he buckles in our daughter. He loosens the straps, then pulls them tight again and adjusts the position of the chest clip every single time. </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Just the other day he mentioned wanting a decal for our van to promote basic carseat safety. He learned that we were doing something unsafe and how he wants to help others avoid our mistake. (I love that man!)</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">This picture was taken a few days ago in my mother's van. </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1b_n2jdIC7F26RAracyvaghNYlFAIV8_W9Z0eSWYf-fZLNs2i08UsH7JjoKzZzu-Njnw7FlNJRULHmiqpmjpZXV_rx_e6KsE2vFGy4vTKsgpg-TS3rboueDON_TycmpxmQaOFClPdrjk/s1600/carseatwin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1b_n2jdIC7F26RAracyvaghNYlFAIV8_W9Z0eSWYf-fZLNs2i08UsH7JjoKzZzu-Njnw7FlNJRULHmiqpmjpZXV_rx_e6KsE2vFGy4vTKsgpg-TS3rboueDON_TycmpxmQaOFClPdrjk/s320/carseatwin.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Now that's better! The carseats are installed so securely that they don't budge even if we try to shake them. The straps pass the "pinch test" and the chest clips are at the chest. Our daughter's chest clip could stand to scoot up a bit, but overall this is pretty good. The only unsafe thing left that I see are the potential <a href="http://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/120581/almost_deadly_sippy_cup_incident">projectiles</a>. (If you see anything else, please let me know!)</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Another mistake I've corrected is how I use a ring sling. It wasn't <i>horrible </i>before, but how I do it now is safer and more comfortable.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1hgo9hwE2U6_JWdDACvBTv2q4tjXnA_ba5whPGYVGtna-Or0Mbqhk7MUk212yeKD_SDRYAuvJ3PGMF2D_gU-uAZKywqRLNa2DHA87puC8hJzSoGrm-YCEsOrdIJBbhvDrLcdxtjln_47/s1600/doublersfail.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1hgo9hwE2U6_JWdDACvBTv2q4tjXnA_ba5whPGYVGtna-Or0Mbqhk7MUk212yeKD_SDRYAuvJ3PGMF2D_gU-uAZKywqRLNa2DHA87puC8hJzSoGrm-YCEsOrdIJBbhvDrLcdxtjln_47/s320/doublersfail.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">The rings were too low and my daughter was positioned poorly. Thanks to help from online babywearing communities, I slowly improved. I still don't get it consistently right, but I've definitely gotten better.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH821jYJ-e5nad3kvA6QKffvjWu77FGaHP3xVNtFwKt3Ija3b9043DhYK_xY32odwon94p1AVRU6CsXUl-1fGGan5Zeh4tquTsH2u6VUM52n2k2GLhBJau-7bjtYta96H0A7hcInuL3q1L/s1600/rswin2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH821jYJ-e5nad3kvA6QKffvjWu77FGaHP3xVNtFwKt3Ija3b9043DhYK_xY32odwon94p1AVRU6CsXUl-1fGGan5Zeh4tquTsH2u6VUM52n2k2GLhBJau-7bjtYta96H0A7hcInuL3q1L/s320/rswin2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b>"Mistakes are the usual bridge between inexperience and wisdom." </b></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><i>~Phyllis Theroux </i></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">I'm sure I'll have more realizations and corrections to make in the future. Life is a journey of constant learning and I welcome that. </div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">What are some lessons you've learned and changes you've made? Have you ever helped someone else<i> </i>realize a fault and make a change of their own? </div>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02308944024926708277noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125827308153940139.post-70276158645903668512011-06-05T16:27:00.008-05:002013-01-08T21:45:43.431-06:00Dr. Hostile Bully, M.D.<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My </span><a href="http://whatmollythinks.blogspot.com/2011/05/phoenixs-birth-story.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">son’s birth</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> was pretty wonderful, although he almost died - his cord was torn off by my OB after his head was born and he lost a lot of blood. I’m just glad we were in the hospital when it happened and that I didn’t have an augmented labor (more on that later). </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My son had to spend some time in the nursery while he recovered, and I used that time to sleep after having just birthed my 10lb 3oz son.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So I'm finally sleeping and this </span><a href="http://www.pandapeds.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=62%20"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">inconsiderate doctor</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> comes in without knocking, throws on all the lights and loudly drags a chair over next to me. I’ve had an </span><a href="http://whatmollythinks.blogspot.com/2010/01/miss-pediatrician-you-are-dumb-dumb.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">inconsiderate doctor before</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> but this guy took it to a whole new level. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He was hostile and verbally attacked me</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, a vulnerable new mom who had just given birth, who had just seen her son become a full code, who was finally asleep after hours of labor. Let me emphasize - I had *just* given birth and was *finally* asleep. I was also alone. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He leaned back in the chair and put his ankle over his knee, trying to sit with authority. He went on and on about how my decision to have intermittent monitoring "put my baby in danger" and how in “the 1700's childbirth was the riskiest thing a woman could do”. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He kept saying that I intentionally put my son in danger</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> with my decisions to have intermittent monitoring and to continue to gestate past my estimated due date, both of which, my doctor was on-board with.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">intermittent monitoring</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> so that we could monitor while making contractions bearable. This was the responsible thing to do; I could cope with labor without the use of drugs (and the risks that come along with them) and we could still monitor my son’s heart rate. <br /><br />“Researchers at the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said a review of the most significant controlled studies of the effectiveness and safety of electronic fetal monitoring indicated that </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">routine use of the procedure had</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><a href="http://www.childbirth.org/articles/efmref.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">no measurable effect</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> on death or illness of infants or mothers.” </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We monitored while I sat on my birth ball, while I stood, while I swayed, during contractions, during rest, and while I pushed. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My son’s heart rate was fine throughout my entire labor</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and during most of his birth. After his head was born, the cord was torn off by my OB. It was an obvious complication and having a fetal monitor continually strapped to me would not have alerted us to the problem any sooner (and would have caused complications on its own). My doctor saw the cord rip. I was immediately pulled up onto the bed and put into the knees-behind-the-ears position to push him out ASAP. My son was pooping as he was being rushed to the warming table. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He was in distress after he was already born</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Even though continual monitoring would have had absolutely no positive effect on my labor, this doctor insisted that I was negligent for only monitoring intermittently, which has been shown through research to be a safe and beneficial option, an option that my doctor had no problem with.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He also took issue with me going past my estimated date of delivery</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, which even when the date of conception is known, is a </span><a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2009/06/lie-of-estimated-due-date-edd-why-your.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">rough estimate</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> at best. This pregnancy was a surprise and I hadn’t been keeping track of my cycles. My “due date” was estimated from a second trimester ultrasound at a free clinic. At approximately 42 weeks gestation I had a biophysical profile done that gave us the green light to continue gestating. With the stab-in-the-dark “due date” and a favorable biophysical profile, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">there was no reason to induce</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. After 42 weeks I came in every couple of days for a non-stress test and at 43 weeks I had my doctor sweep my membranes, “just to see” if it would start labor (it wouldn't if it was too early for labor to start). I was 4cm dilated and 60-70% effaced, my son was almost in position, but he </span><a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2001885740_labor23.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">wasn’t ready</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> to be born just yet. Labor started on its own, at (approximately) 43 weeks, 2 days. I had a non-stress test the morning that I went into labor and passed. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Regardless, he kept saying over and over that my son should have been born earlier. With my son’s weak umbilical cord (the OB said it had been weak - it was either weak or she used too much force, I'll never know for sure), I don’t want to think of what could have happened to him had I had strong, fast, Pitocin-induced contractions. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If I had an augmented labor like this doctor would have liked, my son would have likely been born still. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There was no reason to induce and an induction very well could have killed my son, yet this doctor insisted that I was negligent for not inducing.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He said that these were </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“all risky decisions that only a negligent and careless woman would make”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. What kind of decent person would say such a hurtful, hateful, and downright inaccurate thing to a new mom, fresh from a birth?! A decent person wouldn’t. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He kept repeating everything and trying to talk to me about "next time". I kept telling him that there won't be a next time because we're only having two kids. He wanted to talk about “next time” anyway, like he somehow had some influence on my future, and as if I’m powerless against preventing a third pregnancy. <br /><br />He even had the audacity to nitpick on my previous birthing choices with my eldest child - a birth and a child which he has never been a part of. He went and read my daughter's birth chart just to get more ammo to use against me, despite having never been her doctor, despite not being a part of her birth or neonatal care team. </span><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/browse/?type=likes&id=1852195098070"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></a><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">While this doctor berated me I told him multiple times that I do not consent to care from him and that I demand a different doctor. Regardless, he kept sitting there pompously repeating what a “careless mother” I am. That’s right - after </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had expressed that I do not consent</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> to care from him for myself or my son, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">he persisted</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> until </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">he </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">was done telling me how awful he thought my birth choices were.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh, by the way, this guy’s a pediatrician. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He doesn’t even deliver babies. </span></div>
Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02308944024926708277noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125827308153940139.post-37787081404711083422009-08-23T22:29:00.014-05:002011-12-19T23:36:17.878-06:00Just say "no" to crotch-danglers.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/316534_10150404495006894_593971893_10006354_410192871_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/316534_10150404495006894_593971893_10006354_410192871_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't take credit for any of the images in this post,<br />
and I don't know who made this one.<br />
It's a pretty great comparison though!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Over-stimulation</span><br />
When a baby is facing outward he is unable to turn away from stimulus.<br />
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According to Dr. Evelin Kirkilionis: <i>"Inf</i><i>ants in outward-facing orientations can’t turn away from surr</i><i>ounding stimuli. They</i><i> can't turn inward toward a parent's body if stimuli become overwhelming. In this position the baby cannot make eye contact with his or her parent to evaluate facial expressions, social cues, and so forth to make assessment of the situation. Only choose a baby carrier that allows your c</i><i>hild to face you ... never out. There are too many events going on around your baby. A baby has no way to exclude himself from the environment by turning h</i><i>is head </i><i>away an</i><i>d towa</i><i>rds you. Healthy sleep is difficult for a baby who is facing outward. I am not a supporter of the outward facing method of carrying a child."</i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: 85%;">From - A Baby Wants To Be Carried by Dr. Eveline Kirkilionis. Dr. Kirkilionis is a human development specialist who has researched babywearing since 1985</span></i><br />
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<div style="font-weight: bold;">2. Poor support for Baby</div>In carriers like the Baby Bjorn the baby dangles by his crotch which pinches nerves and arteries in the legs and creates pressure points in the spine (and if the baby is male he is putting all his weight on his testicles -- ouch!). Babies should sit in a pocket of fabric made by the carrier and their knees should be inline or above their bum.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Examples of good support</span><br />
(Beco, Patapum, Ergo)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lNFP-H_lec3bX3-RoNnixG24yBzUfrLhGvkZvB6E0OFnBVLD6WedQUKHm7hb4NbBYlOtPaj4CqquCdhE2ZUAEZgB1-isgdoxwwx1A4-mZXbTKb3GlPugd-ORAEq_bddqVEPMfDSgnhUQ/s1600-h/Patapum.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373645851899076706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3OEwpJGnVfGGob81yYQc1LkcP24iyqTdTjRCcRS-GlJFp3NWAPshX9kBuaadPCmtJsUi1qGMOC48kCj_CdOpYRRlZnz4Q2rBlWqJGW1lKowhrjtV_MBRBc-euLmEyH8NyUlnobuEDUnM8/s200/beco.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 200px; width: 160px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lNFP-H_lec3bX3-RoNnixG24yBzUfrLhGvkZvB6E0OFnBVLD6WedQUKHm7hb4NbBYlOtPaj4CqquCdhE2ZUAEZgB1-isgdoxwwx1A4-mZXbTKb3GlPugd-ORAEq_bddqVEPMfDSgnhUQ/s1600-h/Patapum.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373646142221215682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lNFP-H_lec3bX3-RoNnixG24yBzUfrLhGvkZvB6E0OFnBVLD6WedQUKHm7hb4NbBYlOtPaj4CqquCdhE2ZUAEZgB1-isgdoxwwx1A4-mZXbTKb3GlPugd-ORAEq_bddqVEPMfDSgnhUQ/s200/Patapum.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 200px; width: 104px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lNFP-H_lec3bX3-RoNnixG24yBzUfrLhGvkZvB6E0OFnBVLD6WedQUKHm7hb4NbBYlOtPaj4CqquCdhE2ZUAEZgB1-isgdoxwwx1A4-mZXbTKb3GlPugd-ORAEq_bddqVEPMfDSgnhUQ/s1600-h/Patapum.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373646136694861458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3br1pjpLi5fACV8hd0TEzf-QCT5F-11jzVeyiqL6Oglb48wgSgKONCLz11sHZL73yZfvoyvQ_R5aYepPR1eVC2UhpZgX0wMVN8iOG1EadeVNRdoJbfLlNw7QTHZ4nCH67keM20SQHIz6r/s200/ergo.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 134px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Examples of bad support</span><br />
(Baby Bjorn, Snugli)<br />
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<img alt="" src="http://www.babytechreview.com/review-pics/carrier.jpg" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFjIF1v99wTi0SI8Jy5ITOA5o9G0o3Z5uY7V-UKp9XKcTMkqO-IZLu0iFRUBRaHHW18lVrzQI6F9jYye_PIXQBknh6T-naX4FkSninxZU13QO8iQpmN7JdtKbqQhJO0VglJfCzOkJyAcg/s1600-h/snugli.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373646889559132658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFjIF1v99wTi0SI8Jy5ITOA5o9G0o3Z5uY7V-UKp9XKcTMkqO-IZLu0iFRUBRaHHW18lVrzQI6F9jYye_PIXQBknh6T-naX4FkSninxZU13QO8iQpmN7JdtKbqQhJO0VglJfCzOkJyAcg/s200/snugli.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 200px; width: 183px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Strain on mother</span><br />
Forward-facing throws off the mother's center of gravity. The baby is supported by the mother's shoulders which pulls on her back, which is painful and tiring.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">However...</span><br />
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If the baby is properly supported, it is okay to have him facing outward for a short period of time. A good front-facing position is the <a href="http://zolowear.com/WearingKangaroo.aspx">kangaroo carry</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9xy7-2UKcLERmsKfC1bafexJBul6dSizgcf5z82UmB2zMlR1YIk-N2HUUZCAG70-PlodqM7iPMPWjckK-S0LhbkjtD9K9FxkNaqzmBH3KHbwF_8BeMY6CCzqXNhcjofZTZHsNV9o5X2XO/s1600-h/My-Karma-Baby-Kangaroo-Carry-Instructions.gif"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373651405363655954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9xy7-2UKcLERmsKfC1bafexJBul6dSizgcf5z82UmB2zMlR1YIk-N2HUUZCAG70-PlodqM7iPMPWjckK-S0LhbkjtD9K9FxkNaqzmBH3KHbwF_8BeMY6CCzqXNhcjofZTZHsNV9o5X2XO/s200/My-Karma-Baby-Kangaroo-Carry-Instructions.gif" style="cursor: pointer; height: 122px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.theportablebaby.com/carrierfeatures.html">Baby carrier comparison chart</a><br />
<a href="http://www.didymos.com/index.php?s=nachvorn">Article by </a><a href="http://www.didymos.com/index.php?s=nachvorn"> Dr. Evelin Kirkilionis</a>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02308944024926708277noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7125827308153940139.post-55131788217861827562009-08-14T14:03:00.005-05:002011-06-09T15:13:21.348-05:00"A healthy baby is all that matters"This was written by my friend Elizabeth and is reposted with permission.<br />
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"This is not true. Having a healthy baby is extremely important, and having a healthy baby and a healthy mother is the most important thing. That does not mean it is the only important thing. When a mother undergoes a traumatic emergency situation in delivery, with lasting damage to her body (this can happen during vaginal or c-section delivery), that matters. To suggest that it doesn't because the mother got a healthy baby as the end result is another way of saying that the mother does not matter outside of her role as an incubator for said baby. This is a narrative that gets repeated a lot in our culture about motherhood - that once you become a mother your role as independent person either diminishes greatly in importance or altogether ceases to exist. It is a sexist and untrue narrative. <br />
Additionally, telling a woman that her preferences about labor and bodily integrity don't matter sets up a climate ripe for postpartum depression. Mothers struggle enough with the idea of their own needs and wants being subsumed to those of their new baby without anyone telling them that they cannot grieve over a less than ideal birth experience.<br />
I know someone whose husband was mugged and whose face was mutilated on the day of their wedding. If you wouldn't be willing to tell her that "the fact that you came out of it married is the only thing that matters", then I don't think you have any business telling a mother that "a healthy baby is the only thing that matters".<br />
I personally know women who were so traumatized by their birth experiences that they have chosen not to have any more children, or waited many more years to have other children than they would have otherwise. Clearly it mattered a great deal to them, and I don't think its anyone else's place to tell them they are wrong."Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02308944024926708277noreply@blogger.com0