Why Delay Solids? By : Kelly Mom The following is a blog and forum and source of very good information on many aspects of birth and parenting. This particular discussion is around the issue of introducing solid foods to a newborn. When is best, which ones and the benefits and risks of delaying solid foods. Solids
CDC: HealthCare Leadership In Action: A Call To Action from The Surgeon General To Support                     Breastfeeding  The following pdf was put out recently by the CDC in support of health care providers supporting mothers in breastfeeding. Hospitals are STRONGLY encouraged to support new mothers and give them lactation support and counseling before they leave the  hospital. This is a new approach which recognizes the importance of breastfeeding for  both the mom and the new baby, and all the benefits that it brings . Breastfeeding
"How a Doula Can Help Before and After Birth" First 5 California The following link is a short video put out by First 5 California, an organization that focuses on the first five years of a child's life and improving the child's health. This video speaks to the amazing ways that a 'Doula" ( a birth assistant) can help to prepare the mom for the birth of her baby, and how the doula helps the mom during the birth and afterwards. Doula	Four Reasons Why Moving in Labor is Best!!! From Birth Your Way! Tuesday, Jan. 2012   The following article speaks to the advantages, reasons and results seen when moms not only allowed, but encouraged to move around in labor. Staying active and changing positions during labor has long been known to help the baby and the mom move the process of birth along, without interventions and only exerting as much effort and for only as long as the mom feels comfortable. Movement has been proven... to not only speed up labor... but to actually be a  comfort measure to help decrease the intensity of the contraction. Movement
Informed Choice is Informed Consent... Know your Rights  Interview  with Dr. Marsden Wagner, Former Director of MCH, for The World Health Organization Aug. 2011  Blog Talk Radio, by Progressive Parenting. This very informative interview with Dr. Wagner is a must for all moms who instinctively know that the hospital is not the best environment to have your baby, unless there is  a medical reason to do so. Being fully informed regarding procedures , drugs, interventions, policies etc, is the best way to insure the health of both you and your baby. Informed Choice	5 Ways Pitocin Is Different from Oxytocin   By Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth   The following very informative article points out that only has the number of inductions gone up dramatically in the last 10 years, but how the use of the synthetic drug Pitocin not only makes contractions hard to stay "on top of", but that they can increase the baby's heart rate and be the beginning of a  dangerouse spiral of events which many times end in a C-Section.           Pitocin vs. Oxytocin
Normal Breech Birth Campaign for Normal Birth The Royal College of Midwives 2011   While a breech birth, where the baby presents feet first, instead of head down, is not considered to be a "typical" birth and if birthed in a hospital would most likely result in a C-Section, a breech birth should not be considered "abnormal". Midwives are trained and many times can rotate the baby so that he/she presents head down, or the baby can turn on its own. There are various positions that a mom can do to "encourage" the baby to rotate  and the baby can still be birthed normally, even feet first.     Breech Birth	CDC Finds Continued Increase In Home Births   The Big Push for Midwives, Jan.2012    CDC has released a report in Jan. 2012 noting that home births are on the rise in the US.    "“Unfortunately, the women who could most benefit from out-of-hospital midwifery care are      those who are least likely to have access to Certified Professional Midwives with the specialized      training needed to provide it,” said Susan Jenkins, Legal Counsel for The Big Push for Midwives      Campaign. “The CDC report and other research shows that babies born to women cared for       by Certified Professional Midwives are far less likely to be preterm or low birth weight, two       of the primary contributing factors not only to infant mortality, but to racial and ethnic disparities       in birth outcomes.” Home Birth on the Rise