Holly Madison Is Expecting!

Holly Madison
Photo Credit CLICK HERE.

BINSI was excited to hear the news that Holly Madison is expecting with her boyfriend, Pasquale Rotella, the Electronic Daisy Carnival and Insomniac Events founder.  The Peepshow dancer and star of Holly’s World first broke the news to US WEEKLY in August of 2012.  Since the big announcement Madison has been sharing photos of herself and her growing baby belly online, telling US WEEKLY “Damn! My belly popped out of nowhere!”   Madison and Rotella are expecting a baby girl, and she is “really excited about decorating the nursery. We’ve already started buying things”  she said.

At BINSI, we love sharing our brand with great moms-to-be.  We sent a gift package over to Holly and Pasquale. Along with some girly girl dancewear for their future little dancer, and a little owl rattle, we wanted Holly to have all of our essential BINSI items.  Check out the labor and birth products we sent Holly, including:

1.     The BINSI® PrimaMama Birth Skirt®-  A great under belly fit skirt, perfect for maternity wear, labor and birthing.  Covers your rear when in the hospital for the more conservative mommy.

2.     The BINSI® Go Go Birth Bra™-  A perfect little sports bra for the mommy to be, or new mom.  Designed with adjustable front hoods and side snaps to accommodate medical equipment.  Allows immediate access for skin to skin contact which is a great way to bond with your baby and encourage breastfeeding.  

3.     The BINSI® Thankini™ Birth Tank™ -  This special little top is made for moms who want extra coverage and fabulous features. Once you’ve worn it you’ll be so thankful you found it!  Designed with breathability in mind and accommodates any medical equipment you may need or choose.   The top straps easily clip off for instant breast feeding and skin to skin time with your baby.

Join us in congratulating Holly and Pasquale on their growing family.  Tweet with the momma-to-be Holly Madison @HollyMadison, follow her blog athollymadison.com or LIKE her official Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/HollyMadison.

Read more: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/news/pregnant-holly-madison-my-belly-got-big-overnight-2012411#ixzz2BaAdmGE9

The Golden Bow

Our team at BINSI is proud to support UNICEF and the Golden Bow. Please join us in sharing it on your own blogs, website and social media. Protect, promote and support breastfeeding!

Why do we use The Golden Bow as the symbol for breastfeeding protection, promotion and support?

It's Meaning and Purpose:

Many social change efforts have used ribbons and pins to create a sense of belonging to a social movement. While The Golden Bow serves this purpose, but it is unique in that it is not simply a symbol for social change, but carries many meanings within its own design. The Golden Bow is, in and of itself, a lesson in the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding.

Gold: The use of the gold colour for the bow symbolises that breastfeeding is the gold standard for infant feeding, against which any other alternative should be compared and judged.

A Bow: Why do we use a bow, rather than the looped ribbon of most campaigns? Each part of the bow carries a special message:

One loop represents the mother.

The other loop represents the child.

The ribbon is symmetrical, telling us the mother and child are both vital to successful breastfeeding - neither is to the left nor to the right, signifying neither is precedent, both are needed.

The knot is the father, the family and the society. Without the knot, there would be no bow; without the support, breastfeeding cannot succeed. The ribbons are the future: the exclusive breastfeeding for six months,a nd continued breastfeeding for 2 years or more with appropriate complmentary feeding, and the delay of the next birth, preferably for 3 years or more, to give the mother and child time together to recover and to grow, respectively, and to five the mother the time she needs to provide active care for the health, growth and development of this child.

Origins: While we have not been able to identify the origins of this symbolism, it has been in scattered use for about 8-10 years.

Much has been written about breastfeeding as "the gold standard" for infant feeding (http://www.naba-breastfeeding.org will soon carry an article first published in 1995 on this issue).

The Future: UNICEF is proud to launch this symbol and educational campaign on the 12th anniversary of the Innocenti Declaration. Please wear it proudly, and tell everyone who asks of its many meanings.

Enter To Win A BINSI Skirt!

We are excited to announce our next BINSI giveaway. We're giving away a BINSI Birth Skirt of your choice.  It's easy to enter on our Rafflecopter widget.   You'll get entries for:

* Visiting our blog and leaving a comment.

* Subscribing to our blog.

* Following @BirthinBinsi and @BirthBinsi on Twitter.

* Tweeting our message on Twitter.

* Liking us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BirthBinsi

* Signing up as a Buddee on Brandbuddee.com for free at: http://brandbuddee.com/campaign/4157326

Terms and Conditions:

Contest ends November 30th, 2012. No cash value. Void where prohibited. One prize per person awarded. Value is a maximum of $65. Winner will be able to select size and prize will be mailed to them at no charge.

CEM + Binsi  gives a complete release of Facebook + Twitter by each entrant or participant in this contest. We acknowledges that this promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook or Twitter. Participants are providing information to CEM + BINSI and not to Facebook or Twitter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BINSI Partners With Brandbuddee to Reward You!

BINSI is excited to announce that we have partnered with Brandbuddee.com to reward our most active BINSI social media fans with $35 free towards our website!

How does it work?

Brandbuddee is a social media discovery and content distribution platform that rewards you as a “buddee” to discover interesting stories from your favorite brands {like us!} and share it on social media. Have you ever wanted to be the first to know what we’re doing at BINSI? Have you ever wanted to be the one that got rewarded when you shared something you thought was cool on Facebook or Twitter? Have you ever wanted to be recognized and treated like royalty from the brands you love, including BINSI? Here is your opportunity!

Sign up at BrandBudde as a “buddee” for free and by sharing stories about the brands you love {including us!}, you can earn many different types of rewards. BINSI is a freatured brand on BrandBuddee, earn 50 points and you’ll earn $35 to use on our website, just like a free gift card! 

Right now, BrandBuddee is something that everybody is talking about, sign-up today to get in on the fun. Their commitment to the social media market is to ensure that you get exclusive content and rewards from brands you love.   And, they provide brands like us, an opportunity to have our story shared by the people that matter most to us, YOU!

So, tell your friends and get on board with Brandbuddee today. You never know what your favorite brands are up to unless you’re subscribed and you’ll never get the rewards or exclusive access Brandbuddee provides unless you’re on the list. :)

How to Redeem Your BrandBuddee Reward From BINSI.

Once you have signed up as a BrandBuddee user, there is a limit of one $35 reward per user. Once you earn 50 points as a Buddee, you'll receive an email directly from BrandBuddee with a unique redemption code that you can use online, on our BINSI website. Offer not valid for merchandisers who carry our brand. You can share on your social media networks as many times as you would like until you earn the reward, but they are given out on a first come, first serve basis. This prize is valued at approximately $35 and cannot be transferred or redeemed for a cash value. By reaching the minimum point value, you will receive the reward.  Brandbudde and BINSI have capped the rewards to 10 total Buddee’s that will receive the $35 gift, so hurry and earn yours today!

Click HERE to sign up onBrandBuddee. 

Please note: BrandBuddee is a new platform still in a “beta test”. This means there may be occasional “bugs” or user issues. Please report these issues directly to BrandBuddee. If you feel you have earned the “reward” and were not contacted you may contact our team at BINSI as well.

Also, if you have attempted to access Brandbudee and were alerted that their “beta test” is full, contact us and we’ll get you access to the BINSI reward. Email mailehager at yahoo.com for access.

Thank you and HAVE FUN!

Hurricane Sandy Babies: Myths and Realities

Courtesy Robyn Moreno

Robyn Moreno and her husband were evacuated from lower Manhattan during Hurricane Sandy on October 29, 2012, only two weeks away from her due date.

A NOTE FROM BINSI-

Susan Donaldson James is one of our favorite journalists that we at BINSI enjoy following. She is a Pulitzer Traveling Fellow and often writes for ABC News.  

We were both excited and saddened to read the stories about women giving birth during the storm known as “Sandy”.  We are strong advocates of natural childbirth and find it to be very scary that fewer and fewer doctors are getting training in the experience of natural childbirth vs. medical childbirth that requires all the conveniences of a modern hospital. Had more doctors had training in natural or at home childbirths, there would have been less problems preparing for all the babies that came during hurricane Sandy. None-the-less, we appreciate Susan Donaldson James and her coverage of “hurricane Sandy Babies.”

By SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES

Oct. 30, 2012

Robyn Moreno, due to give birth, paid little attention to Hurricane Sandy, until police circled her Battery Park City neighborhood in Lower Manhattan and ordered mandatory evacuations in anticipation of a record tidal surge.

Just before the historic storm hit New York City, the 36-year-old freelance writer and her husband had talked about taking a short vacation in the Hamptons, on Long Island's East End, before the baby arrived.

"I was looking forward to a relaxing week," said Moreno. "We fixed the nursery, and put the crib together and suddenly the big rainstorm came. Holy cow – what are we going to do? I am going to have a baby in the middle of a storm, and I live in Zone A?"

Read the entire article by CLICKING HERE.

Molly Mesnick Has BINSI!

Jason & Molly Mesnick

BINSI was excited to hear the news through People Magazine, that Jason and Molly Malaney Mesnick are expecting their first child together in March 2013.  On October 11^th, 2012 Molly announced she was just entering into her second trimester and told people magazine she “feels really good”.  Jason and Molly met on season 13 of ABC’s The Bachelor, and later settled down in Seattle, got engaged, and then married in February of 2010.

At BINSI, we love sharing our brand with great moms-to-be.  We sent a gift package over to Molly. We wanted her to have all of our essential BINSI items.  Check out the labor and birth products we sent Molly, including:

1.     The BINSI® PrimaMama Birth Skirt®-  A great under belly fit skirt, perfect for maternity wear, labor and birthing.  Covers your rear when in the hospital for the more conservative mommy.

2.     The BINSI® Go Go Birth Bra™-  A perfect little sports bra for the mommy to be, or new mom.  Designed with adjustable front hoods and side snaps to accommodate medical equipment.  Allows immediate access for skin to skin contact which is a great way to bond with your baby and encourage breastfeeding.  

3.     The BINSI® Thankini™ Birth Tank™ -  This special little top is made for moms who want extra coverage and fabulous features. Once you’ve worn it you’ll be so thankful you found it!  Designed with breathability in mind and accommodates any medical equipment you may need or choose.   The top straps easily clip off for instant breast feeding and skin to skin time with your baby.

Join us in congratulating Molly, and encouraging her through her pregnancy! Tweet with her @MollyMesnick or LIKE her official Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/Molly-Mesnick.

 

Want some free BINSI products of your own? Head over to our BINSI facebook page for updates on Enter To Win contests from BINSI. http://www.facebook.com/BirthBinsi

Announcing Our Facebook Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone who shared our contest on Facebook! We agreed that when there were 25 total "shares" we'd give away a basic BINSI skirt of your choice!

We held a random drawing and "Encourage. Empower. Educate" is our winner! Thank you for your entry. Please contact Maile to claim your prize. You can email her at mailehager at yahoo dot com.

You can check out their entry at https://www.facebook.com/Encourage.Empower.Educate.

Disclosure:

• BINSI gives a complete release of Facebook by each entrant or participant in this contest.
• BINSI acknowledges that this promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.
• Participants are providing information to BINSI and not to Facebook.

Trying to Take Back Childbirth

A Note From Carri:

It is very scary that fewer and fewer doctors are getting training and experience in natural childbirth. It only widens the gap between natural and medical childbirth, and I think is a huge disservice to women. I live in a very open and natural birthing community, but I know that is not true everywhere. I had to seek medical care for my daughter in upstate New York and I thought the doctor was going to call child services because I gave birth to my daughter at home and was not on schedule for all of my vaccinations. I couldn't wait to get home and near the doctors that I trust, and allow me (without condemnation) to do what I believe is best for myself and my children. I am inspired whenever I hear of women going outside the box and birthing the way that is best for them. It takes incredible amounts of power and confidence, and you ladies pave the way for many more women in the future!

By SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES
July 28, 2008

Pregnant with her first child, Julie Speier prepared to deliver with the help of a midwife at a New York City birthing center. But in June -- three weeks before the due date and 600 miles from home -- her water broke.

To read the rest of this article click here

A Tale of Two Births: The Baby-Friendly Rap

Wait! Don’t Wash That Newborn!

Posted by Jennifer Azzariti

Do you ever watch a television show where a baby is born and laugh as they hand the new mom a clean, approximately 8-week old baby? Most people are well-aware that babies are born with a slimy mucus-like covering on them. For years, I just assumed it was from being inside the mom’s uterus—leftover amniotic fluid or something that surrounded the baby while in the uterus. Well, it has a name—vernix. And by definition, it’s “a white cheeselike protective material that covers the skin of a fetus.” But, what is it, and why do babies have it?

To read the rest of this article click here.

5 Ways to Get Through a Long Labor

By Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, About.com Guide

While the average length of a first labor is typically 12-18 hours, not including inductions, there are labors that last longer. Some labors last longer because of physical issues, the baby moving into a better position, mom’s body opening. Other labors are longer because of emotional issues like fear of your surroundings or of becoming a parent, or that your husband won’t make it on time. These can be very real things. For the women who have to deal with lengthy labors, it sounds like it’s a lot of pain. Though having had six labors of my own, I’ve had a wide variety of times: (in order) 36 hours, 45 hours, 8 hours, 11 hours, 4 hours, 2-3 hours, and 45 hours. The easiest labor was actually my 45 hour labor. The reason? Because I managed my labor well. And I’ve also seen it happen many other times in my time as a doula. So here are tips on making the most of a longer labor.

To read the rest of this wonderful article click here.

Is a Painful Childbirth all in Your Head?

This is a question that is massively poignant to me, and isn't one that I ask lightly. Seasoned medical professionals and women who have experienced painful births are no doubt baring their teeth. Whilst I don't wish to trample on their experience, I am due to give birth in six weeks and I'm hoping that the title to this piece may be truer than we are currently able to anticipate.

To read the rest of this article click here.

A Home for Births

By opening a freestanding birth center, perinatologist Steve Calvin is determined to make maternity care more satisfying for women and cost effective.
By Kim Kiser

Standing on a sidewalk on Chicago Avenue in south Minneapolis, Steve Calvin, M.D., is at the intersection of high-tech and high-touch health care. Behind him is the 100-year-old Victorian home he bought two years ago and turned into a freestanding birth center—a place where women can deliver their babies in much the same tradition as their great grandmothers. Across the street, a crane is busy at work on construction of the Mother-Baby Center on the campus of Children’s and Abbott Northwestern hospitals—a place where women will have access to some of the most sophisticated maternal and neonatal services in the Twin Cities.

To read the rest of this article click here.

As January Jones admits to eating her own placenta, experts reveal the health benefits (and the cooking instructions)

By Victoria Wellman
January Jones has certainly been mysterious about the paternity of her son, but one thing she hasn't been shy to admit is how she ate her own placenta following his birth.

Eating the placenta however, is not an uncommon practice these days, and has become something of a trend among new mothers interested in the much talked about health benefits.

To read the rest of this article click here.

"Pregnant and I Know It" MUSIC VIDEO (Parody of "Sexy and I Know It")

It's a Baby, Not a Gallon Of Milk

If your baby’s date has come and gone fear not! Your baby is just not ready yet. If you find your self in this place, now is a good time to:

To read the rest of this article click here.

The Most Scientific Birth Is Often the Least Technological Birth

When I ask my medical students to describe their image of a woman who elects to birth with a midwife rather than with an obstetrician, they generally describe a woman who wears long cotton skirts, braids her hair, eats only organic vegan food, does yoga, and maybe drives a VW microbus. What they don't envision is the omnivorous, pants-wearing science geek standing before them.

To read the rest of this article click here.

Apologies To The Parents I Judged Four Years Ago

By Kara Gebhart Uhl from The Huffington Post

To the Parents I Knew Four Years Ago: I'm Sorry

I have come to realize many things since having three children. For example, I now know that I can read "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" seven times in a row without going insane. No matter what people say, throw-up is throw-up and I don't care if it is my daughter who is throwing up but her throw-up makes me want to throw up. I am a really fast diaper changer. And it's true: love does not split, but grows with additional children.

To read the rest of this article click here.

Set Up a Birth Altar For Focus and Guidance During Labor

When prepping for birth, there are so many medical and physical factors to consider – but your emotional state is also something that is incredibly important. Along with learning deep breathing, and methods such as Hypnobithing to help you through labor, there are things you can put together to help give you focus as well. One of those things is a ‘birth altar.’

To read the rest of this article click here.

Warning Signs to Look for in Your Care Provider

Written by Muscat Midwife

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift” - Albert Einstein

To read the rest of this article click here.

Emergency C-Sections, Incubators, & Hospital Protocol: Men Experience Birth Trauma, Too

by Birth Without Fear on August 28, 2011

Birth trauma is very real and probably much more frequent than women in our society realize. But birth trauma is not exclusive to the moms and babies. We dads experience birth trauma, too, but in a very different, very mentally draining way.

Postpartum Depression for Men?

To read the rest of this article click here.

Retreat at The Farm

Are you tired of witnessing women being violated during birth and feeling powerless to stop the train wreck happening before your eyes? Do you wonder how there can possibly be such a giant gap between what medical research recommends and the standard procedures in hospitals? Do you wonder how the United States can spend more money than other countries on maternity care and have worse outcomes? Or how it is possible, in a time of technical advances and improvements in our health, that maternal mortality in the U.S. can be on the rise? Are you ready to stop being a bystander and work for change?

Let’s stop talking about how bad things are and do something. Let’s come together, gather our allies, learn from the people who have improved maternity care in their communities and lay the groundwork for a full-scale birth revolution! Join the national grassroots movement to change maternity care.

Where’s My Midwife? invites you to spend a weekend at the Farm in Tennessee, plotting and scheming, coming up with activities that can be carried out in any community at any time for little to no money. These activities will raise public awareness about our broken maternity care system, and draw attention to the methods that are producing better results for mothers and babies. We need to put public pressure on the people, organizations and businesses in positions of power and hold them accountable for improving outcomes.

If you are ready to take the next step, join us June 22nd through the 24th at our first annual Birth Activists Retreat. For more information, e-mail us at info@wheresmymidwife.org.

And remember, “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Childbirth: A Different Way to Remove the Placenta May Save Mothers’ Lives, a Study Finds

By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
Published: March 12, 2012

Delivery without pulling on the umbilical cord may be a simpler way to keep some women from bleeding to death in childbirth, a new study has found.

In Africa and Asia, postpartum hemorrhage kills a third of the women who die in childbirth, and health agencies constantly struggle to refine midwife training to prevent those deaths. (Above, a maternity ward in Sudan.)

To read the rest of this article click here.

The mean-girl advice of What To Expect When You’re Expecting.

I loved this article! I hope you enjoy it too!

By Allison Benedikt|Posted Saturday, March 3, 2012

If you ask a pregnant woman about pregnancy books, she will generally respond with some hand-waving variation of: "Oh, I don't read the books. They just make you crazy!" But contrary to our carefully cultivated pregnancy personas, expectant moms devour pregnancy advice. Late into the night. Down into the wormhole. And, with more than 17 million copies in print worldwide, plus untold millions being passed between sisters and friends, What To Expect When You're Expecting is still the mother of them all.

To read the rest of this awesome article click here.

How to Trust Your Body in Birth.

By Helene Rose from www.elephantjournal.com
Do you trust your body to birth your baby?

Knowing our bodies is key to trusting our bodies. When we fully know and trust ourselves, we are free to tap into our power center and can birth as nature intended—free from artificial stimulation and augmentation, free from narcotics and analgesics. Our inner strength guides us as we birth and we know how!

To read the rest of this article click here.

Husbands and Home Birth: A Call for Women to Educate Men

by Kathleen Quiring on February 29, 2012

I recently read a thoughtful, thorough article comparing the different options of birth settings available to mothers: home, birthing center, and hospital.

To read the rest of this article click here.

Can Fetus Sense Mother's Psychological State? Study Suggests Yes

ScienceDaily (Nov. 10, 2011) — As a fetus grows, it's constantly getting messages from its mother. It's not just hearing her heartbeat and whatever music she might play to her belly; it also gets chemical signals through the placenta. A new study, which will be published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that this includes signals about the mother's mental state. If the mother is depressed, that affects how the baby develops after it's born.

To read the rest of this article click here.

Fetal Lungs Protein Release Triggers Labor to Begin

We've long known that a mammal's lungs are the last organ to develop inutero before it is baby's time to exit. Disrupting this normal process (and initiating/inducing labor to start before a baby triggers labor on his/her own) frequently causes a cascade of complications - from difficulty in latch, poor breathing, increased infection, decreased immunity, under development, failure to thrive, and an increase in SIDS.

To read the rest of this article click here.

Worth The Wait: Curbing The Practice Of Deliveries Before 39 Weeks

Waiting. In our daily lives, we greet it with frustration, and even irritation. But when it comes to childbirth, the time we spend waiting can affect whether a child is born healthy, or not, and sets a baby on a path toward lifelong health.

To read the rest of this article click here.

Too Many C-Sections: Docs Rethink Induced Labor

The rise in cesarean-section deliveries in recent years has been characterized by some as a key indication of the overmedicalization of childbirth. While the procedure undoubtedly saves lives and leads to better health outcomes for mothers and infants who face problems during pregnancy and labor, many experts say the procedure is being performed too often, and in many cases for nonmedical reasons, putting healthy women and babies at undue risk of complications of major surgery.

To read the rest of this article click here.

Getting Enough Iron During Pregnancy Doesn't Have to Mean Popping Pills

During your pregnancy, considering the fact that you’re growing a new organ and a new human and supplying the oxygen and nutrients from your own body, it’s especially important to make sure your iron levels are healthy.

To read the rest of this article click here.

Vote for Your Favorite Labor Product

Please take the time to go over to one our favorite sites about.com and vote for BINSI as your favorite labor product. We are very honored to be a finalist in their Readers Choice contest!

Daring Caring Sharing Video

57 Medicinal, Cosmetic, and Other Alternative Uses for Breastmilk

Breastmilk – it’s not just for babies anymore.1 I’ve compiled some of the amazing (and admittedly strange) uses for breastmilk – nature’s super food. Follow the links for my source cites and/or further studies and information.

What is your favorite alternative use for breastmilk? And let me know if I left anything off the list!

To read the rest of this wonderful article click here.

Help For Heartburn By Eating the Right Foods

Alkaline-forming foods prevent acid reflux, heartburn, GERD and Barrett's Esophagus

Monday, February 13, 2012 by: JB Bardot

(NaturalNews) Acid reflux is the condition where food and stomach acids regurgitate back into the esophagus, causing burning pain in the lower chest accompanied by a host of other symptoms such as bloating, belching, sore throats, snoring, difficulty breathing and ulcers.

To read the rest of this article click here.

Doulas

Why are more women birthing at home?

BY Ricki Lake

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the surprising news that home birth rates jumped 29% between 2004-2009. For non-Hispanic white women, home births increased a dramatic 36%.

To read the rest of this article click here.

Stop Looking at My Belly! The Transition from Pregnancy to Motherhood - From Belly to Breast

We were so honored and excited that Nicole from Skirts Sports wore and used our BINSI Products! She writes a wonderful blog - you should really follow it! Here is her blog entry about it:

--------------

I spent the majority of my pregnancy celebrating my belly. As you could see from all the maternity photo shoots, I was totally focused on the amazing changes my body was making. Looking back, it's still awe-inspiring. Our bodies are miraculous. I can still spend hours appreciating the wonders of women's bodies. But now the baby has arrived.

Within moments of delivering Wilder, I was totally "over" my belly. In fact, I didn't want anyone to even sneak a sideways glance at my belly. Especially not in its post-birth condition. I'm trying to think of a good way to describe it and all I can think of is the word floppy. My belly is in post-birth floppy phase. I know it will someday evolve from floppy to firm; I'm not too worried about it at the moment. There will be time for that later.

What I find much more intriguing are the two cushions located just above my floppy belly. My breasts. Yes! I actually have breasts now! My belly was the safe haven for our girl for nine months, and now, my breasts are taking center stage. The focus has officially shifted - from Belly to Breast.

Tired eyes, but big smile while
rocking baby Wilder

Let's face it. This is a major life transition - for Wilder and for us. The whole sleep thing is in full-swing. I can only describe it as having a series of naps for the past six weeks. The longest nap has been around four hours. We are not only living in a sleep-deprived fog, we're also in a state of constant second-guessing (i.e. She just ate but she's making sucking noises. She couldn't possibly need to eat again. Or could she? Should we try not to feed her? Oh no - she's having a meltdown. Quick, stick her on the boob!). First-timers have it the worst. We have NO idea! So I've decided to take as many short cuts as I can and have happily accepted tons of hand-me-downs and even better, tons of advice for those little tricks that make life just a tiny bit easier during the "Belly to Breast" transition. Read on for some of my must-have gear picks for the first 6 weeks of Wilder's life.

During Labor and Delivery:
One of the things that was important to me was what I would wear during my labor and delivery. I didn't want to wear the hospital gown, but I didn't want to be naked the entire time. I found an awesome company called Binsi; in fact, Binsi is a Skirt-centric company, that specializes in labor and delivery products. I wore the PrimaMama Sport Birth Skirt, the Go Go Top (this snap-off bra was and still is one of my favorite nursing bras) and of course their headband since my hair was a nightmare and bugged the crap out of me the entire time.

To read the rest of this article click here.

Call The Midwife trailer - BBC One

How to Recover from an Unplanned C-Section: The Only Thing I Didn't Research!

We were so excited to see Nicole DeBoom, owner of Skirt Sports, wearing our BINSI Hairdo-la! Please read her blog, it is a great perspective on unexpected cesarean birth.

I was a researching fool throughout my pregnancy. I was fastidious. From exercise, to nutrition, to symptoms of early labor, to recommendations for the birth and delivery -- I basically got a bachelor's degree in "pregnancy for the active woman." I truly enjoyed the entire pregnancy, even the two weeks of limbo after my due date passed but before I was induced. I was good to my body. I was incredibly healthy. I was prepared for just about every possibility - except for the one that happened. An unplanned, emergency cesarean section.

Assuming I had experienced a vaginal birth, I was prepared for my lowest level of fitness to be the last few weeks of my pregnancy. After the birth, I thought I would enjoy minimal recovery time before "getting my body back" one step at a time. I imagined that within a few weeks I would be able to start swimming, cycling, hiking, and running at an easy, introductory level. However, as it turned out, my fitness level could indeed decrease even further, as dictated by the unplanned c-section.

A cesarean section is abdominal surgery, plain and simple. It's not arthroscopic surgery where they extract the baby through a minor incision. The medical team literally makes a large incision (5-6 inches in my case), cutting through layers of skin, muscle, and of course, the uterus, so they can safely bring the baby into this world.

To read the rest of this article click here.

10 Steps to Natural Childbirth

By Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, About.com Guide

Choose a supportive practitioner. No matter whether you use a doctor or midwife, be sure that your practitioner has a lot of experience in caring for women who want to have an unmedicated birth. Midwives usually specialize in this type of birth. How to choose your practitioner.

To read the rest of this wonderful article click here.

Homebirth Ryan Gosling

Please check this site out, it is hilarious! Homebirth Ryan Gosling

Facing Maternity Care Gaps, Midwives Push For Birthing Justice

Written by Michelle Chen

As wondrous a phenomenon as childbirth is, we often view it as a form of medical purgatory --hours of drug-dampened agony under starched sheets and sterile lights. But more women today are thinking outside the box about labor. Home-based births have shot up in recent years. Advocates across the country have persuaded governments to broaden medical coverage for out-of-hospital birth services.

To read the rest of this article click here.

Another Reason to Delay Cord Clamping

Posted by Christie Haskell at The Stir

Likely, you've heard the phrase "delayed cord clamping" -- it's the idea that all the blood in the placenta and umbilical cord should pump INTO the baby's body before the cord is cut, since it's intended to be the baby's own blood supply. Waiting just 94 seconds ups blood volume and helps prevent anemia in the baby's first year. While the benefits aren't very disputed, sadly, most OBs only wait an average of 17 seconds before clamping the cord.

To read the rest of this article click here.

Delaying Cord Clamping Explained!

A Beautiful Birth Video

Birth from Josh Rask Films on Vimeo.

Home births are making a comeback

By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times / For the Booster Shots blog

January 26, 2012, 10:05 a.m.
Home birth is making a marked resurgence in the United States, according to data released Thursday by the federal government.

To read the rest of this article click here.