If You Like This Blog...

you'll probably like this one, too:
http://lifeafterbirthcontrol.blogspot.com/

Life After Birth Control chronicles the fascinating journey of Katie and Matt as Katie goes off the Pill, tries FA, becomes pregnant (fairly intentionally, though she misinterpreted her chart), struggles with a very difficult pregnancy, and as they now parent their daughter Eden. It's a very thoughtful blog, and full of detailed information on topics such as symphysis pubis pain (pelvic pain) and Hyperemesis gravidarum (extreme nausea during pregnancy). Katie and Matt are determined to live life as naturally as possible, so you'll also find entries on such things as Elimination Communication and cloth pads. The whole thing has the feel of positivity and practicality, without being sickeningly sweet.

Glutton Baby

The name is definitely problematic - Bebe Gloton translates to "Glutton Baby." But name aside, what do you think of this new nursing doll? The child straps on a pink flowered halter top with flowers where the nipples should be, and when the doll, which has an electronic sensor in its mouth, is connected to a flower, it makes suckling motions and sounds. It's raising quite a ruckus, as you'll see if you do a google search or look on You Tube. There was an interesting essay about it on the Times Motherlode blog. As is often the case with the New York Times, the comments were at least as thought provoking, if not more so, than the original essay. A common thought, with which I agree 100%, is why on earth do we need this? Children (both boys and girls) naturally imitate their mothers by bringing their dolls and stuffed animals to their chests and pretending to nurse them. Imagination good; earth-polluting technological crap bad. But as one reader pointed out, only children who are breastfed and/or who have younger siblings will engage in this type of imitative play as children who are bottle fed won't have the nursing model to imitate. So I can see there being some utility in that instance. But would children who are bottle fed have parents who would buy them a nursing doll? Of course, most of prurient America is just caught up in the scandal of encouraging a child to pretend to use the breasts she will one day have (and I can guess what they think of a boy playing with this toy). These are the same Americans who would not be happy checking their cervical fluid, or hearing you talk about yours. Heck these are the same Americans who are upset when they see a woman nursing in public. Le scandal!

Warning: the sound track on this video may make your cat completely flip out. At least that's the effect it had on mine.

Why Even Doulas Need Doulas

I have a friend and former student who moved to Israel right around the end of her first trimester. She has a blog where she recently posted her birth story.  The title of this post is "Why Even Doulas Need Doulas." Aside from being a gripping story, there are valuable lessons here, as well as questions that no one can answer. Food for thought for anyone pregnant or hoping to be pregnant. (I can't believe she wrote all this, and so cogently, so soon after her birth!)