Activistas

Got milk? Donate today!

Are you a nursing mama with milk to spare? The Mothers Milk Bank of Colorado needs your milk today!

Facing freezers emptier than they have been in their 25 year history, the Mothers Milk Bank of Colorado is in desperate need of milk donations. Read the front page story from the Denver Post.

Portland area moms can help by donating their precious breastmilk today. You can drop off at one of our three local drop-off sites: Adventist Medical Center, St. Vincent Medical Center and Providence Newberg Medical Center. Contact them to get started.

Out of the Portland area? Contact the Mothers Milk Bank of Colorado directly to become a donor. Help fill the freezers in Denver today!

Not only do we want to show our Northwest support, but currently, fragile babies in the Northwest are receiving donor milk from Denver. We're working hard to develop a milk bank in Portland. Find out more about the development of the Northwest Mothers Milk Bank and how you can help by volunteering or donating funds.

Also posted on StumptownMom.

Then don't get pregnant

A little while ago I reprinted a Letter to the Editor in The O that resonated with me – it was about the cost of having a baby in the context of health care reform.  Not surprisingly, there was a follow-up to it recommending that the letter’s author take more personal responsibility - never mind that fully 51% of pregnancies are unplanned (why?  uh, s-e-x last time I checked). 

We heard a lot of that (too much!) didactic “you people and your kids…” talk while debating paid family leave in the 2009 state legislative session.  So I’m reprinting the reply letter (title “Then don’t get pregnant”) today – what do you think of Lisa Iliffe from Sherwood’s take?  She wrote:

Regarding Dayna Morrison's Sept 8 letter ("Pregnancy changes picture"), where is the "personal responsibility" on Morrison's behalf? She admits she barely makes enough money for food for herself, yet finds herself pregnant with apparently no thought given prior to pregnancy regarding taking care of a baby with her limited income. (As she says, "I did not realize the lack of support for pregnant women until I became one myself.")

It appears from her letter that she did not give much planning or thought to this situation, yet expects government to pay for her to have this child in addition to helping with the monthly insurance to insure the child plus paid maternity leave.

Theres's a problem nowadays with people expecting other people to bail them out. I have a few suggestions for Morrison: Before having children, try to be somewhat financially prepared.

Try birth control or abstinence. Another option is adoption: There are many families who are stable financially and emotionally and looking to adopt children. Please, take some "personal responsibility" for your "personal" decisions.

Yowza.

Make reducing infant mortality part of the debate

Health care reform is taking center stage in the news these days.  Chances are health care is taking a bigger chunk of your paycheck too.  With everyone talking about reform - what will it mean?  What are the misconceptions (and there are plenty out there!)?  What will it mean for me? - let's talk too about reducing infant mortality.

Each year our country spends $26.2 billion on premature babies.  Yikes!  Did you also know that our rates of premature birth have been rising and can lead to long-term issues for those children, their families and even our health care spending?  You can act now to make prematurity a part of the national health care debate!

DONA International, a certifying organization for doulas as well as a number of other interested groups are partnering on reducinginfantmortality.com to push this agenda forward.  

Learn more about the Midwifery Model of Care.  Find out how to take action and contact your legislators.

Watch this great video they produced to highlight the costs associated with prematurity and what we can do to fix the problem:

  

Originally posted on StumptownMom.com

[Thanks to Flickr CC - protorio for the perfect pic]

Pregnant & parenting students: Know your rights!

Thanks to one of our favorite organizations, the National Women's Law Center, you can get the full scoop on Title IX and the civil rights it guarantees for pregnant and parenting students.

Check out this short video with NWLC Attorney Lara Kaufmann. OK, so it's not a Hollywood movie, but Ms. Kaufmann is incredibly informative for women in this situation.

According to NWLC, "One-quarter to one-third of female dropouts say that pregnancy or becoming a parent played a role in their decision to leave school. Providing better support for pregnant and parenting students; together with implementing effective pregnancy prevention measures; are critical steps for schools to take in their efforts to reduce those dropout rates."

Read all about it on NWLC's "A Dropout Crisis for Girls" web page.

Listen up! NW Mothers Milk Bank on KBOO radio 7/13

The Northwest Mothers Milk Bank is spreading the word about their efforts with an interview on Monday July 13th on KBOO Community Radio.

Monday, July 13th at 11:30 AM, Anna Keith Soderberg will interview Dixie Whetsell, MS, IBCLC, board member of the Northwest Mothers Milk Bank.

Listen in to KBOO in Portland at 90.7 FM, in Corvallis at 100.7 FM or in Hood River at 91.9 FM to hear about the importance of breastmilk, efforts to build a milk bank in Portland and how you can help. No calls will be taken due to time constraints, but if you have a question or comment please email beforehand to kboofamilybusiness@gmail.com

If you're out of the listening area, listen to the broadcast online - or just learn more about the bank @ www.nwmmb.org.

UPDATE:  If you missed hearing the broadcast live, you can stream it online anytime!

Movies with meaning this summer

Summer and movies - they just go together.  While we love good escapism as much as the next exhausted and stressed-out mama, sometimes it's nice to test our brains with more meaningful movies.  Lucky for us, our friends at Zenana Spa & Wellness Center are hosting a summer movie series, Matinees for Mamas, on parenting-related topics.  The films will be followed by facilitated discussions.  It gets even better -- proceeds benefit the Nursing Mothers Counsel of Oregon.  

Sunday June 21st 1-4pm = The Business of Being Born

RESCHEDULED to Sept. 20th 1-4pm = Unconditional Parenting

Sunday August 16th 1-4pm = What Babies Want

Take in a thoughtful movie, take part in a spirited conversation and benefit a worthwhile organization.  Sounds like a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Maternal mental health: Tell Salem it's important

Hooray!  Last week, the Oregon House passed Resolution 15 naming March Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month. This is exciting news, and not just because it sheds light on mental health. 

We’re thrilled that another bill is part of this package -- House Bill 2666  -- would establish a workgroup to review and report on existing needs, programs, gaps, and funding strategies for perinatal (during and after pregnancy) mental health.  None of this is earth shattering, so why are we celebrating and why should you care too?

For one (as most of us know), expectant and new moms need mental health support!  If you suffered from antepartum or postpartum depression or know someone who did, you know that it can be a silent problem.  Few people want to talk about mental health in general, let alone when you have a beautiful new baby.  You’re supposed to be thrilled, right?

But up to 20% of pregnant and postpartum women experience significant depression or anxiety.  Even if moms seek help (which many feel reluctant to do), their care providers may not have training or information to share.  Or their insurance may not cover mental health supports or only cover a couple visits (now there's a whole other conversation!). 

The problem is that antepartum and postpartum depression can be devastating for moms and families.  And we need to talk about it – all of us – out in the open.  Support HB2666 and the establishment of a broad coalition, representing the whole state and a diversity of geography, ethnicity and professions, to study the problem in Oregon and suggest programs and policy to help moms. 

On Monday, March 16th HB2666 goes before the House Human Services Committee at 8:30am.  Let’s pack that hearing room with interested folks.  Let the Legislature know that the mental health of women is important!  If you can make it to Salem – let Wendy Davis know to expect you: wdavis@postpartum.net

Do you know who your legislators are?  If they are on the committee, contact them ASAP and ask them to support this bill.  Committee members include:

• Carolyn Tomei, Chair (503) 986-1441

• Deborah Boone, Vice-Chair (503) 986-1432
  

• Andy Olson, Vice-Chair (503) 986-1415
  

• Jean Cowan (503) 986-1566
  

• Michael Dembrow (503) 986-1445
  

• Tim Freeman (503) 986-1402
  

• John E Huffman (503) 986-1459

• Ron Maurer (503) 986-1403

• Suzanne Van Orman (503) 986-1452

Find out who your legislator is and how to contact them. 

If you need support right now or know someone who does, contact our fabulous local resource - Baby Blues Connection.

[Photo courtesy of Flickr Commons, Sean McGee]

Happy "Labor" Day!

Labor Day has got me thinking about a different kind of labor today.  We've talked before about The Business of Being Born, and the importance of sharing our birth stories; so in honor of Labor Day, I thought I'd share mine.

It's well known that the cesarean rate in this country is higher than any other in the world.  Nearly a quarter of all first-time births are by cesarean,  a rate is double the maximum the World Health Organization believes to be justifiable. 

As one of those women who ended up having an unexpected cesarean when my first child was born, this news was particularly unsettling.  I have to admit, I didn't really think about cesarean rates before I had one myself.  But by the time I got pregnant with my second child, you can bet I was much more informed.  I did a bunch of research, and was sure I'd have a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean)...much to my family's dismay.

See, my cousin, who had seemed the perfect candidate for a VBAC, had the feared complication of a uterine rupture during hers.  That probably would have turned out fine except that she was at a small suburban hospital without adequate pediatric staff on site to manage the medical fall-out.  Her baby almost died, and was without oxygen for a long time before they life flighted her to a bigger pediatric hospital.  Her baby, now 5, has long-term physical and cognitive delays, but she's getting better all the time.

The Birth Survey: Share Your Story to Help Others

More often than not my family is far less advocacy oriented than I - though no less outspoken.  So it is with great pleasure that I share this survey opportunity from my sister-in-law, a doula in Kansas City. It's The Birth Survey, brought to you by the grassroots Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS). Remember all the way back in January we talked about them after watching The Business of Being Born? 

This impressive grassroots group, called the Transparency in Maternity Care Project, was birthed in February of 2006 by the Grassroots Advocates Committee (GAC) of the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS).  They are a volunteer group dedicated to ensuring public access to quality of care information specifically related to maternity care providers and institutions. It is our intention to extend the current social trend toward transparency in health care into the virtually overlooked maternity care arena.  Hear, hear, mamas!

Organic = Healthier, Right?

My husband has long mocked the organic cookie syndrome.  I, personally, have fallen for it over and over.  Surely because they're organic, I figure, they're healthier.  Somehow in my little mind I decide they won't make me fat, rot my teeth, or whatever other evil cookies are rumored to perpetrate.  But truth is, they're organic, which does make them better in some ways, but not miraculously low-fat or healthy or whatever I try to tell myself. 

And for the formula users among us, I imagine the choice to buy organic is similarly frought - and significantly more expensive.  I wasn't all that surprised to read about the super-sweet organic formula by Similac, the 'only major brand of organic formula that is sweetened with cane sugar, or sucrose, which is much sweeter than sugars used in other formulas.'  The NYT reported that no health problems in babies have been associated with Similac Organic to date, but that some doctors are concerned nonetheless:

But to pediatricians, there are risks in giving babies cane sugar: Sucrose can harm tooth enamel faster than other sugars; once babies get used to its sweeter taste, they might resist less sweet formulas or solid foods; and some studies suggest that they might overeat, leading to rapid weight gain in the first year, which is often a statistical predictor of childhood obesity.