Required Viewing: The Business of Being Born
Listen up, Ladies. If there is one thing you should do while pregnant, it’s see this movie.
It may mean nothing to you if your idea of birthing bliss is having major surgery (aka a C-section). But for gals like me, who were excited to experience the empowering miracle of childbirth and ended up in the operating room, it’s a genius piece of work that answers questions as to why many of our birthing experiences didn’t follow our desires and how we might have prevented unnecessary medical intervention.
It’s an unnerving piece, to be sure–kind of the “Prego” to Michael Moore’s “Sicko”–but all very important and alarming stuff that rang completely true for me given my experience.
My only complaint is that “The Business of Being Born,” which was produced by Ricki Lake, was not available when I was pregnant. If it were, I would have followed a very different path.
Watch it and tell your pregnant friends to watch it, too. Whether you are pro natural childbirth or the “too posh to push” club, we women deserve the right to choose how we bring our children into the world. Ensuring we get that right begins with educating ourselves on ALL of the birthing options and making sure that other people know about them, too.
The Latest on Caffeine and Pregnancy
While reports suggest that around 80 percent of miscarriages happen because of chromosomal abnormalities, a recent study by Kaiser Permanente suggests that women in early pregnancy who drink a cup and a half of coffee each day have a greater risk of miscarriage than those who don’t drink the stuff.
Although there is no proof that the occasional dose of caffeine is harmful, there’s no evidence that it’s completely safe, either. So if you’re the precautionary type, you might think twice before downing that morning latte.
Other reasons to curb the habit: Caffeine is a stimulant and a diuretic, so it inspires a lot of trips to the ladies room and stops you from snoozing when you need to.
FYI, you’re not out of the woods if you eschew coffee. You can get just as jacked up on certain types of soda and tea.
The Rookie Mom’s Handbook
Oh, how I wish I had this book when my daughter was born.
As a first-timer, I was beyond shocked when life with a newborn became a wormhole of lost days and lost identity. Though our family did venture on an overnight to a hotel when our girl was six weeks old, for the most part, my days were spent doing a whole lot of nothing other than nursing, care-taking, and waiting for my husband to get home so I could talk his ear off since he was the only adult I saw. (Note to new mothers: This is NOT particularly attractive to partners–or to self-esteem.)
Had I gotten my hands on The Rookie Mom’s Handbook: 250 Activities to Do with (and Without) Your Baby I might have had a lot more fun between nursing, cleaning spit-up, and sneaking in a quick shower.
Written by smart mommies Heather Gibbs Flett and Whitney Moss, this book offers fantastic ideas on what to do with your tot from the first month through the 12th. In between is a good amount of support, empathy, and wisdom that will inspire even the most shell-shocked mom to get off her (nursing) rocker and whoop it up new mommy style.
Activities range from creating a time capsule during month one (such a good idea!) to “getting all sexy” in month 12 (heck yeah!). And all of them promise a playful entree to motherhood. And who couldn’t use that?
Get this for yourself–even if your baby is beyond the first year–or get it for every upcoming baby shower you’ll attend–it’s the ultimate gift that your pregnant girlfriend actually needs and will use, even if she doesn’t know it yet.
Check out the Rookie Moms blog for book details and inspirations for fun with kids, including this recent piece of rainy-day brilliance: Playing Hopscotch Inside:
The Baby Joys Review
I am really psyched about this review! Huge thanks to Baby Joys, a very cool blog.
Read the complete review.
Glow Mama: Pregnancy Hydration and Health Drink
One of the neatest unexpected results around writing a pregnancy book has been becoming connected with other women who are trying to help make pregnancy as enjoyable as possible. One such person is Lucy Leahy.
An ambitious and lovely NorCal mom, she is behind the new maternity drink Glow Mama. A refreshingly light and nutritious all-natural beverage, it’s concocted specifically for pregnant women, which means that along with a subtle, sweet kiwi-fruit flavor, it’s packed with prego-friendly essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Even better, it tastes good.
A six-pack goes for $11.95 online. Along with being a good grab and go option, they make for a perfect potion to serve at baby showers–and would look supercute nestled in a bowl of ice.
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