Monday, March 24, 2008

We Birth

Every woman, every birth, every story. Dar a Luz Network is proud to announce our newest project, We Birth, a birth stories blog which is calling out to all women to share your birth experiences. Sharing the story (or stories) of your baby's arrival can be a wonderfully cathartic way to share the joy of the experience or bring closure to a birth that didn't go exactly as you had hoped. As women, we are blessed with the amazing privilege of bringing life into the world through the sacred act of birth and the ways in which a woman experiences the birthing process are as individual as the woman herself. Sharing those experiences, however, builds a common bond through a universal experience that only we as women can claim. We birth. Come visit us at Dar a Luz We Birth and share your story with us.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Baby on Board

The idea of "wearing your baby" is not a new one but is a fairly recent practice in our culture. Slings and other baby carriers are quickly becoming a new mom's way of keeping her baby close adding immeasurable benefits for both mother and baby. Many websites are devoted to promoting this practice, The Baby Wearer and Ask Dr. Sears are two good places to get info on this topic, and Target has recently began carrying the popular Hot Slings and Peanut Shell carriers. I personally used a Blue Sky Ring Sling (sadly no longer available) and a New Native Baby Carrier and both were worth their weight in pacifiers. Nothing else comforted my baby like wearing him in a sling and many things as a result were easier for me because I had free hands. I cooked, did laundry, searched on the internet, took my dogs for walks and once even made handmade picture frames as gifts for grandparents. Most of my son's naps the first four months of his life occurred snuggled up close to his mom bundled in a sling.

Even with all of the information available on wearing your baby, it can still be a bit intimidating at first. Newborns seem so small and fragile and trying to juggle a crying baby while maneuvering a sling you are unfamiliar with can be a frantic experience. There are also so many types of carriers out there, which one will work best for you and your baby. Here are some tips for a wonderful babywearing experience. Check for local sling distributors in your area. Many moms build at home businesses selling and making carriers and are more than happy to demo different slings for you and offer suggestions for your personal needs. I decided on purchasing a ring sling after meeting with Jennifer from Firefly Baby who runs a website and is a local mom where I am from. Don't be afraid to ask fellow moms in public about the carriers they are wearing. Chances are they will be more than happy to talk with you about their babywearing experience and you might even make a new friend in the process. Lastly, attend a local mom's support group such as Dar a Luz or La Leche League. Slings are not only popular at these meetings, but are often topics of discussion.

Wearing your baby can be a wonderfully rewarding experience. We invite you to share your own babywearing story in our comments section.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Dehydrated & Standing in the Pouring Rain

Yesterday was amazing. It was the first day that felt like real S*P*R*I*N*G and it was enough to make me float through the entire day. The day before, on the other hand, was colder than you-know-what, with a wintry wind blowing hard, precipitation that couldn't decide if it wanted to be rain or snow or sleet... blah. I just had to get out of the house though. It was the third day in a row with both of my sweet, "when is winter going to ever be over, mama?" girls, so you understand.

Well, I took my six year old and bundled her up so just her eyes were peeking out, did the same for myself, grabbed the dog leashes and the mutts and went for a walk. I was marching along, fingertips and toes freezing and a head full of phrases like, "Winter stinks! I can't believe we had ANOTHER snow day Friday. I'm so far behind on everything, I'm never gonna get caught up. Winter stinks! I have to remember the dogs need booster shots. There are six loads of laundry waiting to be done. And winter stinks!"

"C'mon, sweetheart, I'm freezing!" I yelled at my kid as she bent down to the ground for the hundredth time in two blocks. "What are you doing anyway?"
She came over with both her little gloved hands held up for my inspection, her eyes huge with wonder, fully expecting me to be annoyed. "Look mama. Treasures!" she said with awe. She had an acorn, a pebble, a bird feather, a twisted stick and a penny.

How humbling. I picked her up and hugged her hard. And breathed in the first full, satisfying breath I had taken in several days. I felt my feet in my shoes and my shoes on the pavement and the pavement on the ground and felt good.

I began to laugh. She looked at me to be sure I wasn't laughing at her, and then began laughing with me. The dogs thought it was great. We ran the whole way home.

I think there are "treasures" all around us all the time. It is just a matter of whether we a) take the time to see them and b) proclaim them treasures no matter how "ordinary" they may seem.

Sometimes I am a dehydrated woman longing for a sip of water... not even realizing that it is pouring rain all around me.