Monday May 7, 2012
May is Pregnancy Awareness Month®. It was started in 2008 by Anna Getty and Alisa Donner. They have a mission! This includes four key initiatives: education, exercise, nutrition & wellness and nurture. Their goal is to inspire and educate women and their families about pregnancy and the surrounding topics.
They will be using the hashtag #MayPAM and you can follow them on Twitter at @PregAwareness or visit their website. They also have a Pregnancy Awareness Month Facebook page. Be sure to stop in to watch the various events, see the sponsors, register for various prizes and celebrate pregnancy all around.
Monday May 7, 2012
For those who know me in real life, I'm not a girly girl. I bought my first pair of high heels today for graduation this weekend, but only because a friend threatened me if I didn't. I don't wear make up very often, as in maybe once a year. So the fact that I occasionally get a manicure and pedicure is really an exception.
The above photo is one that was taken moments after my last baby was born. It was also, until this week, my last manicure. I got this manicure when I was nearly 42 weeks pregnant with said baby. I decided to celebrate my pregnancy and go get a pedicure, maybe get things going form the massage of my feet. When the woman at the salon asked me if I'd like a manicure too, I said yes before I knew it. Now, looking at this photo, I'm so glad I did, otherwise, there'd be some ragged looking nails in this photo.
The thing is, most pregnant women are worried about indulging in a manicure or pedicure. I totally understand where they are coming from when it comes to these concerns. The truth is, getting a manicure or pedicure is a pretty safe thing in pregnancy. Though, there are some things you can do to make it safer.
Did you get a manicure or pedicure in pregnancy?
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Sunday May 6, 2012
Today is a day set aside to think about babies who are no longer with us, but that still make us mothers, International Bereaved Mothers' Day. It's a day to take a few minutes and grab someone special to you who knows and cares, to say, "Talk with me about my baby..." You can join other mothers at the website below or on their Facebook page.
What do you like to do to remember your baby?
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Photo © http://carlymarieprojectheal.com/
Saturday May 5, 2012
Every year on the fifth of May we celebrate International Day of the Midwife. There is a lot of attention paid to some aspects of midwifery in the popular media, like home birth. But I'd like to take a minute to talk to you about other aspects of midwifery care that you may not be aware of, like the fact that midwifery is the perfect care for most low risk women. Midwifery care can help negate the disparities between race and income that we currently see in the prenatal and birth care in the US today. Midwifes work in a variety of settings. Yes, they work at home, but also in birth centers and hospitals. Some midwives help provide care during prenatal visits or education to women. Some midwives work in the office with a doctor, while others have their own office, calling on physicians when needed.
The truth is, most American women don't have a great idea what a midwife is or what she does. This is why the Midwives Alliance of North American has a new educational campaign, I am a Midwife, to help everyone understand what a midwife is and what happens with their care. While not every women desires a midwife, it is my belief that every woman who wants a midwife should have her pregnancy and birth graced with some form of midwifery care, be that a home birth, birth center birth, hospital birth or even a high risk maternal fetal medicine specialist who works with a midwife as his assistant.
Have you ever considered midwifery care?
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Photo © Fotolia
